An Unexpected Turn

*Crack!* Another layer of the restriction shattered. Immediately after, flock after flock of fire crows, large and small, plunged incessantly into the pool. The clear water dwindled at a rate visible to the naked eye until the grand formation's core restriction finally lay exposed before everyone! With the pool dried up, the dark depths had turned into the entrance of a subterranean cavern, its massive opening gaping like a ravenous black maw. A deep blue barrier of light blanketed the opening. While not as deep as the pool water had been, it was remarkably thick, sealing the mouth of the cave completely. Fire crows drifted down onto it only to be snuffed out instantly, failing to shake it in the slightest. Within the barrier, densely packed runes flickered in and out of sight, slowly rotating with an aura of profound mystery. Even with the pool dry, this dense barrier still blocked everyone’s sight, preventing them from making out the cavern below. Furthermore, probing with spiritual sense caused it to be deflected the instant it made contact. Once the core restriction was revealed, Qingting fixed her gaze intently downward. She sent out several strands of spiritual sense to touch the barrier, silently muttering something under her breath, an unusually tense expression on her face. After waiting for quite some time, the tension on her face vanished, replaced by excitement as she exclaimed, "This restriction is just as I deduced!" Hearing this, Qin Sang and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief. Qin Sang glanced at Qingting with admiration. To deduce the workings of the entire grand formation using only the upper restrictions was an impressive feat. Even among Foundation Establishment cultivators, few could rival such attainment. "Pay close attention, fellow Daoists! We begin breaking the formation at once. You must follow my commands to the letter—there can be no room for error!" Qingting issued her stern warning, and everyone nodded one after another. They swiftly reined in their thoughts, focusing entirely on driving their Fire Crow Tokens. Fixing her eyes upon the barrier, Qingting drew a deep breath and pointed toward the Fire Crow Formation. Thousands of fire crows immediately let out piercing cries and dove toward the pool. The spectacle was like a torrential downpour of flaming crows, yet they accounted for less than a hundredth of the formation's full might. *Thud! Thud!* The fire crows flew faster and faster, striking the blue barrier like arrows loosed from a bow. Fearless of death, they smashed to pieces, yet the flames continued to assault the barrier. The blaze clung like maggots to bone, burning furiously across the surface. Qingting furrowed her brow slightly, summoned another flock of fire crows, and repeated the tactic. At that moment, the previously unyielding barrier trembled faintly. The runes within began to spin rapidly, radiating a brilliant, eerie blue light. The restriction struck back, dissipating more than half of the flames atop it. Instead of being alarmed, Qingting was delighted and activated the Fire Crow Formation once more. Flock after flock of fiery birds threw themselves forward recklessly. The runes within the barrier spun faster and faster. Gradually, Qingting began to exert deliberate control, directing fire crows from different directions. Her unblinking eyes remained glued to the barrier, tracking every minute shift in the restriction. The runes shifted through countless variations before a flaw finally showed. Several white specks briefly flickered on the barrier. Though they vanished in an instant, Qingting caught them unerringly, her eyes lighting up. Immediately after, an urgent command sounded by Qin Sang’s ear, instructing him to activate his fire crow soul at once and strike a specific point on the restriction. Qin Sang did not dare delay. Shifting his gaze, he locked onto the point Qingting indicated. With a slight stir of his mind, the token he controlled shone brilliantly with light. Limitless flames converged upon it, coalescing in an instant into a gigantic fire crow. With a harsh screech, the fire crow spread its wings and flew like lightning, slamming violently into the barrier. At the same time, Yu Daiyue and the others made their moves. Following Qingting's orders, they drove their fire crows to batter the restriction one after another. The barrier trembled ceaselessly, yet it still showed no sign of shattering. "Keep going!" Qingting yelled. Her commands grew increasingly rapid, leaving Qin Sang no choice but to concentrate wholeheartedly on wielding the Fire Crow Token, not daring to let his attention wander for a second. One fire crow soul after another formed and hurled itself to destruction. The fire elemental power within the Fire Crow Tokens was rapidly being consumed, but Qingting remained entirely unmoved, her eyes fixed on the restriction. *Crack!* A faint, crisp snap rang out. Qin Sang's spirits lifted, and he looked down. At the edge of the once-seamless barrier, an extremely tiny fissure had abruptly appeared, scarcely visible to the naked eye. "It finally broke!" Just as everyone was growing thrilled, a faint trace of black unexpectedly emerged beneath the fissure. It spread swiftly along the crack like a drop of ink diffusing outward, shockingly striking amid the deep blue. At this sight, the joy on everyone's faces froze, replaced by suspicion and unease. "What is that black stuff?" Liu Jiang asked worriedly. Baiyun Shanren said in a deep voice, "It looks like a kind of mist, blocked by the restriction from drifting out. It was entirely invisible to the naked eye before." "It wouldn't be demonic qi, would it? Could a great demon be sealed inside?" Wu Yuesheng's words plunged the group into silence. They exchanged glances, their faces a mixture of surprise and concern, but none dared speak rashly. Yu Daiyue gave a light cough and said awkwardly, "Things have already come to this. Surely you aren't thinking of giving up? Wouldn't that make this a wasted trip, squandering months of effort from so many of us?" "Hmph! If you want to leave, go ahead, but I'm staying," Li Zai said coldly. "With so many experts here, running away terrified by a wisp of black mist before even seeing what's below—it'd be a laughingstock if word got out. I can't afford that kind of humiliation!" Qin Sang narrowed his eyes slightly and quietly observed the others. Though all wore suspicious expressions, it was unlikely that anyone truly wanted to walk away. Having come this far, he naturally had no intention of quitting either. Still, that black mist boded ill. Once the restriction broke, it would be best to wait and see rather than rushing in blindly. Qingting had kept her gaze locked on the fissure the entire time, seemingly oblivious to their debate. Suddenly, she shouted urgently, "Quick! Everyone attack the fissure together! Don't let it close!" Their expressions tightened as they realized the barrier could repair itself. Seeing the crack shrinking, they had no time to ponder anything else and hurriedly drove their Fire Crow Tokens. *Boom! Boom!* Under the ceaseless bombardment, the entire canyon trembled, and the crack grew wider and wider. "Strike with everything you have! Hold nothing back!" Qingting cried aloud. With grim determination, the group pushed the Fire Crow Formation into overdrive. Continuous streams of fire elemental power were extracted from the seven Fire Crow Tokens, causing the fire crow souls within to grow increasingly dim. *Snap! Crack!* Under the relentless assault, several more fractures branched out beside the original fissure. Some spread toward the center of the barrier while others reached the edges, multiplying rapidly. Shattering the formation was now only a matter of time. Just as Qingting urged them to draw out all the remaining fire element from the tokens and spare no effort, an unexpected turn of events occurred! *Boom!* The barrier, which had only suffered a few hairline fractures, abruptly shattered on its own. Caught completely off guard, everyone was left stunned. The fragments of the barrier plunged into the subterranean cavern at astonishing speed, immediately followed by a tremendous surge of suction pulling violently from below!