Seeing Zhao Yan, the two relaxed slightly. One of them spoke up and asked, "So it is Junior Brother Zhao. What brings you to Sect Master Peak so late?"
Zhao Yan bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Senior Brothers. Martial Uncle Yu sent a message saying that the Sect Master Hall had some chores and needed hands, so he told me to bring a few junior brothers up the mountain. We will leave at first light tomorrow."
"Chores?"
The two exchanged a puzzled glance, but after seeing the jade waist plaques hanging from Qin Sang and the others, they probed no further. "Junior Brother Zhao should be familiar with the rules on the mountain. Make sure the junior brothers don't violate any taboos, or it won't be easy for us to answer for it."
Zhao Yan hastened to agree. "Rest assured, Senior Brothers. I will definitely keep a close eye on them."
The two nodded and stepped aside to clear the path.
Zhao Yan led them down to the foot of Sect Master Peak, then walked up the mountain along the stone steps leading to the summit. However, he did not head straight for the Sect Master Hall; instead, he darted down a fork along the way, with Qin Sang and the other three following closely behind.
They ran into several senior brothers along the road, but Zhao Yan had plenty of pretexts to bluff his way past. In the end, the five entered a secluded wooden building. The structure looked decrepit and long in disrepair, yet bore not the slightest smell of rot.
This wooden building was located on the rear mountain of Sect Master Peak. Standing below it and looking into the distance, one had a clear view of Yuanzhao Peak and the vast lake at the foot of the mountain.
Zhao Yan poked his head out to check outside, then pulled the door shut. From his mustard seed bag, he took out four palm-sized triangular cloud banners and handed one to each of the four, transmitting his voice: "These cloud banners were personally crafted by the Sect Master. They are restriction implements for the Four Clouds Divine Restriction, and all five of us must control them together to activate it. Each of you refine one now; we will need them shortly."
Qin Sang took the triangular cloud banner and noticed that each of their banners was different.
The surface of the banner in his hand was covered in aqua-blue cloud patterns. Holding it, he felt an overwhelmingly abundant surge of water-element origin qi wash over him, as if he were standing amidst rivers, lakes, and seas.
The one in Ruan Nanfeng's hand bore fiery red cloud patterns, while the other two were yellow and azure.
Qin Sang did not know what the Four Clouds Divine Restriction was, but restriction implements were renowned. It was said that immortal cultivators adept in formations could craft peculiar magic tools based on their understanding of formations, creating a set of restriction implements.
One only had to set the restriction implements in specific positions to unleash a portion of the formation's might, taking vastly less time than actually setting up a formation.
Gripping the triangular cloud banner, Qin Sang obeyed Zhao Yan's order and probed his spiritual sense into it. His field of view instantly shifted, revealing an endless expanse of water inside the triangular cloud banner. Blinding silver lights flared and faded in the water, as though countless bolts of lightning were swimming beneath the surface.
Just as Qin Sang wondered in bewilderment, he suddenly saw a figure standing with hands clasped behind his back above the water. It was none other than the Sect Master of Kuiyin Sect, Yi Tiannie!
Qin Sang took fright and hastily spoke with reverence, "Qin Sang pays respects to the Sect Master!"
Yi Tiannie stood there without a word, expressionless.
Seeing this, Qin Sang gave a self-mocking smile. How could Yi Tiannie possibly appear here? He truly had become jumpy as a startled bird. Yet, since this set of restriction implements had been personally crafted by Yi Tiannie, had he left a portion of his power inside?
Baffled, Qin Sang had no choice but to follow the refinement method Zhao Yan had imparted to refine the triangular cloud banner.
All four did the same, leaving the wooden building in utter silence.
Before long, strange phenomena manifested from the four triangular cloud banners one after another. Wisps of cloud mist drifted out of the banners, with snakes of lightning coursing within the mist accompanied by faint rumbles of thunder.
At this point, Zhao Yan, standing to the side, held up a piece of transparent jade and absorbed every bit of electrical light from the cloud mist. The wooden building immediately returned to stillness.
Time slipped by.
Qin Sang and the others had finished refining the restriction implements and sat waiting idly in the wooden building. Even now, there was no sign of Yu Hua, and no telling where he had gone. With Zhao Yan watching them closely, Qin Sang found no opportunity to prepare his ebony sword and could only endure.
After an unknown length of time, the ground suddenly jolted.
A thunderous roar echoed from Sect Master Peak: "Who goes there?!"
Zhao Yan beamed with delight and yanked open the wooden door. Above Yuanzhao Peak, a colossal diagram of yin-yang twin fish had appeared, rotating slowly in the night sky—the manifestation of Yuanzhao Sect's sect-protecting grand formation.
Above the twin fish diagram rolled endless black flames, blotting out the sky and obscuring the sun.
A sinister wind howled. Amidst the surging demonic flames, ghostly silhouettes flickered, their screeching soul-chilling. Outside, it was as if a nocturnal procession of a hundred ghosts had arrived; countless vicious ghosts ferociously battered Yuanzhao Sect's grand formation, throwing themselves forward wave upon wave.
Someone cackled sinisterly, "Old Ghost Ji, when you ambushed me on the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, did you ever foresee this day?"
Ten thousand ghosts wailed in unison. The mountains of Yuanzhao Sect shuddered, and colossal waves surged across the lake.
Just then, a deafening toll of a bell rang out from Yuanzhao Peak, echoing across the firmament.
The striking of this bell signified a dire catastrophe for the sect!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Yuanzhao Sect abruptly fell into chaos. Streaks of light from escaping arts took to the air across the inner sect as disciples gazed panic-stricken at the terrifying scene above, having no idea what had happened.
Zhao Yan shut the wooden door and said in a heavy voice, "Form the array! Channel the evasion art!"
Qin Sang's heart chilled. The four shifted their steps, each holding a banner, taking positions to Zhao Yan's front, back, left, and right.
Zhao Yan held the jade in his palm. At his command, Qin Sang and the other three raised their triangular cloud banners, chanting incantations under their breath.
Qin Sang felt the triangular cloud banner in his hand act like a bottomless pit, frantically devouring the spiritual power inside him, though fortunately not for long.
The four triangular cloud banners fluttered and snapped as cloud mist of four different colors billowed forth, enveloping the five of them. Seen from outside, all five seemed to have vanished from the spot.
Zhao Yan barked in a low voice, "Move!"
The five quietly left the wooden building and sped down the mountain.
...
Before the Supreme Sect Master's cave dwelling on Yuanzhao Peak.
The stone door remained shut tight. Yuanzhao Sect's current Sect Master, Xuan Chengzi, paced back and forth outside the cave dwelling, looking up at the sky one moment and staring at the cave door the next, burning with anxiety.
At that moment, streaks of escaping light sped up from below and landed around Xuan Chengzi; the arrivals were the administrators of each hall.
"Sect Master, the enemy comes with overwhelming force, and the Evil-Quelling Bell has already been struck! Has the Supreme Sect Master still not emerged from seclusion?" a red-faced elder pressed anxiously.
Bitter anguish showed on Xuan Chengzi's face. He opened his mouth and was about to speak when the stone door suddenly swung open, and a resonant voice called out from within: "Come inside and speak, all of you."
Overjoyed, the crowd filed in.
"Disciples pay respects to the Supreme Sect Master!"
They all bowed together. Xuan Chengzi raised his head and said urgently, "Master, the demons have struck without warning. This disciple only had time to activate the grand formation and does not yet know their origins. Outside, demonic flames rage high—please decide our course..."
Yuanzhao Sect's Supreme Sect Master possessed hair and a beard as white as snow, yet his face was like that of a youth. He kept his head tilted slightly upward, gazing intently at the sky above, his vision seemingly piercing through the cave dwelling to see beyond the grand formation.
"I already know. The incoming enemy is Old Demon Yi of the Kuiyin Sect—and all three of the Kuiyin Sect's Core Formation demons have arrived together."
Chapter 91