Wu Yuesheng’s face was so pale that scarcely a trace of blood could be seen; clearly, his origin soul had suffered considerable damage. Cupping his hands to the others without even having time to speak, he hastily sat down cross-legged to meditate and recover.
The Liu brothers were in slightly better condition, though they also needed to adjust their breathing.
Once the three had recovered, the group gathered by the pool.
"The water in this pool is the physical manifestation of the formation restrictions," Qingting warned in a solemn tone. "Layer upon layer of restrictions overlap to form a formidable, resilient grand formation. Junior Brother Yu and I attempted this many times before, exhausting all our means to breach the upper restrictions together, only to find our strength spent. Fortunately, I have some attainment in formation craft and deduced the patterns of the core restriction, which led me to the idea of using the Fire Crow Tokens to break it. Whenever we stopped, the pool would rapidly restore itself to its original state. Therefore, we must shatter the restrictions in one single, sustained push, or all will be in vain. What's more, we have only one chance. If the fire crow souls in the tokens are exhausted before we can breach it, returning to replenish their fire spirits will cost us several more years."
Knowing how troublesome the restrictions were, no one dared to take them lightly. Following Qingting’s instructions, each selected a position, stood ready, and brought out their preferred magic tools.
Shaohua Mountain possessed the greatest number of sword arts, and exquisite ones were far from scarce. Consequently, most of the sect's disciples were sword cultivators; apart from Qingting, the other four disciples all wielded swords.
Baiyun Shanren did not summon that cloth pouch of his. Instead, he drew out a wooden staff and gave it a gentle tap, causing a forest illusory scene to flicker and fade before the tip—a truly peculiar sight.
The Liu brothers joined hands to wield a single lotus blossom. Its petals were forged from refined iron, their edges gleaming with a frosty, razor-sharp light. Devoid of any delicate beauty, it was an obvious instrument of slaughter.
Seeing Qin Sang bring out his Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Sword, Qingting immediately decided to make Qin Sang the spearhead in breaking the formation. As this was a moment requiring unified effort, Qin Sang naturally had no objection. He leaped into the air above the restrictions and took the central position.
"Keep your eyes on my finger," Qingting said. "Wherever I point, strike that spot with your magic tools at once. When the pool churns with violent waves, Junior Brother Qin will drive the Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Sword to shatter the restriction in a single blow."
Qingting swept her gaze over each person’s face. After confirming there were no issues, she nodded slightly and lowered her eyes to stare into the pool. At the same time, she flicked several streams of spiritual power into the water, immediately sending faint ripples across the surface.
Qin Sang watched with curiosity, though his attainment in formation restrictions was truly nothing to boast of; he had no way of spotting the restriction's weak points as swiftly as Qingting.
"There!" Qingting suddenly pointed.
At her command, everyone moved at once, their magic tools blazing with brilliant light. Experienced cultivators all, they appeared chaotic at first glance, but in truth operated with flawless order. One attack followed right on the heels of another, striking the exact spot Qingting had indicated without the slightest deviation.
*Splash!*
Surges rose abruptly from the pool, waves lashing against the banks.
Qin Sang drew a deep breath. Quietly channeling the Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Sword, he drew upon the five elements spiritual energy of the surroundings. The spirit sword transformed into five azure dragons. The moment Qingting called out "Junior Brother Qin," he sent the Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Sword streaking forward without hesitation.
*Boom!*
Following a deafening crash, water sprayed outward in all directions, yet vanished into thin air the instant it crossed the pool’s perimeter. Looking at the pool again, an entire layer had vanished.
"Good!" Yu Daiyue’s face lit up with delight. "Keep this up, everyone, and we are certain to break the formation this time!"
With eight people joining forces, the speed at which they tore through the restrictions was far faster than when Qingting and Yu Daiyue had worked alone, and vastly easier.
As time went on, everyone grew practiced and coordinated with effortless synergy. Even without Qingting’s reminders, Qin Sang could accurately grasp the opportune moment to strike.
Layer after layer of restrictions were broken, and the water in the pool steadily dwindled.
However, the pressure upon them steadily mounted as well. Before the grand formation was completely unraveled, the pool's restrictions could still regenerate automatically. Not only did they have to break the formation as quickly as possible, but they also had to divert attention to suppressing the restrictions.
Several hours slipped by with scarcely a pause. At last, only a thin sheet of water remained in the pool. Spirits lifted across the group, their weariness vanishing in an instant.
"Two more layers, and we reach the core restriction of the grand formation!"
Excitement was hard to conceal in Qingting’s voice, yet she remained composed in her command. "Halt the assault for now, just keep the pool from regenerating. Take this moment to adjust your breathing. Shortly, we will breach the restriction directly with the Fire Crow Formation!"
After a brief adjustment, everyone shifted positions under Qingting’s guidance.
Qingting, Yu Daiyue, and Baiyun Shanren—the three strongest—formed the Three Powers in the center, while Qin Sang and the other four took up the four cardinal directions on the periphery, with the Liu brothers standing side by side.
Eight people occupied seven positions, encircling the pool. All stowed their magic tools and retrieved their Fire Crow Tokens.
Qin Sang looked down into the pool. The water was shallow enough that the bottom was in sight, yet it remained impossibly abyssal, revealing nothing. The stones ringing the pool were pitch-black like ink, radiating a bone-chilling cold, just like those outside.
He had no idea what lay beneath. Standing on the outer ring was just as well; if some evil entity truly was sealed down there, he would have more time to react.
Quietly surveying his surroundings, Qin Sang identified his route of escape, then secretly prepared a Profound Yin Thunder, making full preparations for any outcome.
"Raise the tokens!" Qingting shouted.
Qin Sang swiftly reined in his thoughts and sank his mind into the Fire Crow Token. An ear-piercing caw immediately rang by his ears; the fire crow soul was still attempting to break free of the tool’s restraint.
Yet after ten days of refining, Qin Sang had long since tamed it. Once the Fire Crow Token was activated, the fire crow soul became thoroughly obedient.
Whirling swiftly, the Fire Crow Token rose on its own from Qin Sang's palm into the air above the pool. At the same time, the other six Fire Crow Tokens took flight alongside it.
The seven Fire Crow Tokens circled the pool before roaring flames erupted from within them.
The flames varied in hue—dark green, scarlet, pink, and black—yet every one of them was blisteringly hot, instantly sweeping away the lingering chill in the cavern.
*Caw, caw, caw...*
The ceaseless cries of fire crows grated on the ears. Streaming from the tokens, the flames morphed into palm-sized fire crows, blanketing the space above the pool in a dense flock.
At this stage, Qin Sang and the others only needed to pour their full power into fueling the tokens, leaving the task of directing the Fire Crow Formation to Qingting and the other two.
Flocks of fire crows collided above the pool; some devoured one another, while others danced in the air, making the once spacious cavern feel cramped.
Chaotic though it seemed, a colossal Fire Crow Formation gradually took shape as time passed. It billowed with blazing flames, laying bare a ferocious aura completely unlike the restrictions within the pool.
"Break!" Qingting barked softly.
A deafening shriek erupted from the Fire Crow Formation. From the due east, a vast wave of fire crows swooped down, clustering together mid-descent like a flaming arrow, and plunged headlong into the pool!
Chapter 155