Breaking the Formation

Within a passageway in the Blood Demon Cave, the mist of the Inter-Abyss had already completely shrouded the area. *Tap.* *Tap.* *Tap.* Clad in a purple gossamer dress, Bai Muxi paced back and forth in the darkness. Her delicate fists were clenched tightly beneath her wide sleeves, and the nervous tension laid bare across her exquisite little face made her appear utterly distraught. All along the way as Li Qingyan dragged her in their flight, she had witnessed the devastation left in the wake of the clash between the Barbarian King and the Young Master. A battle of that scale, practically obliterating the very terrain itself—she could not begin to imagine what would happen if such a clash took place within the Underground City. Everything that had transpired over the past ten days had completely shattered the worldview she had built in the Underground City. The terrifying might of the aberrant ghosts... The overwhelming power of the Barbarians... And... the Young Master's aberrant ghost transformation. Although the Young Master had only appeared for a fleeting instant earlier before she was dragged away by Li Qingyan, she had still sensed through the Blood God Stone jade pendant just how severe his ghost transformation had become. If that Young Master were to completely turn into an aberrant ghost... At that thought, Bai Muxi's breathing quickened slightly. She looked toward the red-robed woman sitting quietly on the ground nearby, eyes closed in rest, and suggested, "Your Highness, these Inter-Abysses have appeared far too bizarrely. Shouldn't we..." "Silence." Li Qingyan had already changed into her favorite red robe. As she circulated her cultivation technique to steady her breath and heal the injuries she had sustained earlier while battling the Black Serpent, her cool voice brooked no argument, devoid of the slightest tremor of nervousness. "We wait here." Bai Muxi bit her lip. "If something happens to the Young Master, aren't you worried at all?" "..." After a moment of silence, the red-robed woman, her eyes still closed, offered an equally simple reply: "If something happens to him, this princess shall die with him right here in this subterranean palace." "..." Somewhat dejected, Bai Muxi withdrew her gaze. Staring at the tips of her shoes, she said nothing more and resumed pacing back and forth in the cramped passageway. Time slipped quietly by amid Xiao Bai's anxiety. After an unknown length of time, suddenly— *Step.* A footfall sounded, and a man cloaked in blood-colored garments appeared without warning between the two women. Li Qingyan instantly opened her phoenix eyes. Bai Muxi, who had been pacing with her head lowered, walked straight into him. Looking up in confusion, her eyes met those scarlet irises devoid of any white. After an instinctive flinch, a surge of joy immediately bloomed across her lovely eyes, and she threw her arms around the blood-robed man before her. "Young Master, you're all right?" Feeling the soft warmth pressed against his chest, Xu Yuan casually slipped an arm around Xiao Bai's boneless, slender waist and chuckled softly. "Far from it. In fact, we're in huge trouble." Li Qingyan rose from the ground, the Blood God Stone jade pendant held in her hand. Gazing at him intently, she sensed his state for a breath, the corner of her crimson lips curving slightly. "It certainly looks like it." As she spoke, a ripple emanated from the Blood God Stone jade pendant. Then, Xu Yuan felt a strange connection forge between himself and the woman in red before him. His scarlet eyes narrowed slightly as he felt his mind clear considerably once more. Meeting her gaze, he instinctively offered a faint smile. "You seem to have already figured out how to use that pendant?" Li Qingyan narrowed her lovely eyes, her lips curving in a smirk. "Naturally. If you truly turned into an aberrant ghost, this princess was fully prepared to use this trinket to become your master, Third Young Master Xu." "Oh? Quite the ambition." Xu Yuan gave a low chuckle. Keeping one arm around Xiao Bai's waist, he walked over to Li Qingyan and extended his other hand. "Come." Li Qingyan glanced at Xiao Bai, whose head was buried against his chest, and took his hand, her voice teasing. "It seems the situation has grown dire enough that you have no choice but to indulge in having two beauties in your arms?" "Listen to you..." Xu Yuan chuckled softly, though his gaze quickly turned serious. "Qingyan, the Barbarian King is about to break through to the Saint realm." "..." The air instantly fell dead silent. Within a breath, Li Qingyan accepted the reality of it. After pondering for a moment, she asked softly, "So you reached an agreement to cooperate with that aberrant ghost?" "Our princess is as sharp as ever." With a gentle pull, Xu Yuan drew Li Qingyan into his embrace as well. Inhaling the faint fragrance of her hair, he smiled. "We have to go to the Blood Nest immediately to retrieve the demon crystals. Holding Bai Muxi is simply because you two move too slowly—consider me your ride." Li Qingyan wrapped an arm around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder with a soft scoff. "This princess hasn't said a thing. Why bother explaining?" "Heh, some things are always worth clarifying." As he spoke, Xu Yuan's figure was already airborne. With a beauty in each arm, he transformed into a crimson streak through the pitch-black corridor, hurtling toward the deepest reaches of the underground palace. With two burdens in tow, Xu Yuan could not use Void-Stepping Slash to teleport across distances. Even so, with his current Transcendent Realm physique, his speed was barely any slower than before. Roughly a quarter of an hour later, Xu Yuan arrived with the two women at the collapsed corridor that Luo Xiran had created earlier to block him and the Barbarian King from delving deeper into the subterranean palace. At that very moment, several grotesque Origin Realm aberrant ghosts crouched outside, guarding a cramped tunnel barely a zhang in diameter. Sensing Xu Yuan's arrival, the aberrant ghosts made no move whatsoever. Only when the flash of blood light carried the two women past them did they finally stir into action. They launched a frenzied assault against the relatively sturdy tunnel, tearing their way outward until the newly excavated passage collapsed once more, completely severing the path leading from the subterranean palace to the Blood Nest. *Rumble—* Hearing the deafening roar behind him, Xu Yuan sped onward through the pitch-black, narrow passage. As the darkness on either side receded at breakneck speed, the passage gradually widened from its cramped, one-zhang breadth into a vast, sprawling cavern. After speeding along for an unknown length of time, a colossal stone gate appeared at the far end of the cavern, which spanned over a dozen zhang across. Seeing this, Xu Yuan did not hesitate, barreling straight toward the stone gate. Sensing an obstacle ahead, Li Qingyan instinctively looked up at the stone gate carved with dragons and beasts, while Bai Muxi nestled her head timidly into Xu Yuan's chest like a frightened bird. *Buzz!—* Contrary to expectations, there was not the slightest sensation of impact. After a low hum, the three of them passed straight through the stone gate. Beyond the gate lay a whole other world. It was a gigantic cavern cloaked in the Inter-Abyss mist. Its length, width, and height were shrouded in impenetrable blackness, stretching endlessly beyond sight. The stone gate was part of an ancient restriction, but because vast ages had passed and its spiritual energy had all but drained away, nothing remained of it except an almost negligible minor illusion. Glancing around upon entering, Xu Yuan sensed the presence of countless high-ranking aberrant ghosts. Without pausing, he continued speeding inward. The cavern was pitch-black. After flying for a time, a grim, eerie radiance filtered through the crimson mist about a thousand paces ahead. Drawing closer, Xu Yuan finally saw that the glow emanated from countless unknown luminous jewels embedded in the floor. The jewels formed unbroken, gleaming ribbons that stretched to the horizon, paving a grand avenue across the ground. Flanking this avenue on either side crouched countless aberrant ghosts. "..." Feeling the aura wafting from these aberrant ghosts, Bai Muxi's breathing turned ragged. This was the Blood Nest that countless generations of their Underground City had yearned to reach. Yet only upon actually arriving here did she realize just how overwhelmingly powerful these aberrant ghosts truly were. Her thoughts churning, she instinctively glanced up at the Young Master's handsome profile, only to find him staring expressionlessly toward the end of the jewel-paved avenue. Following his gaze, Bai Muxi's eyes went wide with shock. She saw an altar. An altar almost identical in appearance to the one at the center of their Underground City! Yet, despite their identical shapes, the altar within this Blood Nest was vastly larger than the one in their city. Rising roughly a hundred zhang high, it loomed in the darkness like a slumbering behemoth. As the three of them drew closer, they could faintly discern wisps of blood light shimmering across its colossal structure. Standing at the foot of the altar, Xu Yuan silently set the two women down. Her lotus boots touching the ground, Li Qingyan surveyed the altar with a furrowed brow, whispering, "Changtian, this altar is..." "The Blood Nest." A cold, haughty voice drifted down from the summit of the altar. A voluptuous woman appeared at the top of the stairs. "This altar is the Blood Nest that stores the life origin of us aberrant ghosts." With those words, the woman raised her hand and hurled an object. A pitch-black crystal tore through the air, hurtling straight toward Xu Yuan. *Clack.* Xu Yuan caught it casually, sensed its essence for an instant, and popped it into his mouth. Swallowing it, he stepped up the stairs with a faint smile. "Luo Xiran, I seem to remember your true form being a mass of monstrous flesh. How did you end up looking like a human?" "Because you found this seat ugly, Changtian, so this seat reshaped a vessel." The alluring woman folded her arms across her chest and chuckled softly. "If you're not satisfied, this seat can change it again." "Change it?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Mhm... like this." Standing atop the altar, Luo Xiran shifted her gaze toward Li Qingyan, who stood slightly behind Xu Yuan. Immediately, her voluptuous figure shrank and warped in a sudden flurry of motion. Moments later, a valiant, dashing woman clad in a red robe appeared before Xu Yuan's eyes. "Well? Whatever look you fancy, this seat can become." "..." Li Qingyan was speechless. "..." Xu Yuan stared at the "Li Qingyan" above him for several breaths. With a push of his foot, his figure instantly arrived at the summit of the altar. "All right, cut the nonsense. The Barbarian King has likely broken through by now. We need to get out of here fast." Luo Xiran kept her arms crossed, jutting her chin toward everything atop the altar. "Do whatever you wish. You may touch anything here. If you need this seat's cooperation, just say the word." Xu Yuan gave her a slightly peculiar look. "Aren't you afraid I might pull something else?" "Afraid? Yes. But it seems this seat has no other choice right now." Luo Xiran gazed at Xu Yuan, a hint of a smile surfacing in her matching scarlet pupils. "Besides, if you try anything funny, those two women will die." Xu Yuan gave a soft scoff, saying nothing more as he surveyed their surroundings. The layout atop this altar was almost identical to the game *Cangyuan* in his previous life, save for a multitude of intricate details. After looking around, his gaze locked onto the center of the altar. Intricate formation patterns were carved into the ground there, and in the heart of those runes lay a massive pool of blood. Xu Yuan shifted instantaneously to the edge of the blood pool, staring down at the thick, boiling fluid below. "Can I go down there?" "You want to enter the Blood Nest?" Still wearing Li Qingyan's appearance, Luo Xiran strolled over with a faint, warning smile. "This seat has no objections. However, once you go in, your human consciousness will dissipate rapidly." Within the Blood Nest, where life origin was dense to the extreme, the aberrant ghost transformation would accelerate a hundredfold, even a thousandfold. Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment. Staring at the "Li Qingyan" before him, he said in a low voice, "Give me the Blood God Stone jade pendant." "Very well." Luo Xiran straightened her fingers like a blade without the slightest hesitation and thrust her palm straight into her chest with a wet *squelch*. She pulled out a blood-colored jade pendant and handed it over with a smile. "Here." Xu Yuan took it and probed it briefly. Once he confirmed it was genuine, he glanced toward the chest-bound princess standing at the edge of the altar. "..." Catching his glance, Li Qingyan understood immediately, tossing the pendant in her own hand straight to Xu Yuan. Luo Xiran asked with a teasing smile, "Those two pendants were crafted by that lot from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion to control us. What do you plan to do with them inside the Blood Nest?" "You'll see in a moment." Holding the two nearly identical pendants in his grip, Xu Yuan flashed a faint smile at Luo Xiran. "If the Barbarian King arrives before I come out, hold him off for me." Without waiting for Luo Xiran's reply, Xu Yuan leapt straight into the boiling pool of blood. Silence descended across the altar. Watching Xu Yuan's figure vanish into the blood pool, Luo Xiran shifted her crimson gaze to the two human women standing at the edge of the altar. She sighed softly and asked, "Hey, does Changtian always just do whatever he wants without consulting anyone?" "..." Under her gaze, Bai Muxi shrank directly behind Li Qingyan, keeping her mouth shut. Li Qingyan met the gaze calmly. After a few breaths, Li Qingyan broke the silence, her voice cool and slightly husky: "How Changtian usually acts is none of your business." Luo Xiran's lips curled into a smirk, an intrigued look appearing in her valiant eyes. "Changtian is already an aberrant ghost. He is someone who will live to the end of the world alongside this seat. Why wouldn't it be my business?" A trace of mockery touched Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes as she looked at Luo Xiran, who wore her exact likeness. "Using this princess's face to curry favor with this princess's man—is this what the Aberrant Ghost King amounts to?" "This princess?" Luo Xiran tapped a pale finger against her cheek, a hint of admiration showing in her scarlet eyes. "You're named Li Qingyan, aren't you? A Saintess of some sect, I presume? This seat saw everything you did earlier. You have decent courage. Why don't you also become..." Before she could finish her sentence— *BUZZ—!!* A colossal hum shook the entire cavern! The abrupt upheaval caused both Luo Xiran and Li Qingyan to look toward the blood pool at the exact same time. Frowning, Li Qingyan demanded, "Aberrant ghost, what is this?" "How should this seat know?" A heavy solemnity crept into Luo Xiran's phoenix eyes. "Didn't you come in here together with Changtian?" "..." With that, both fell silent. Following that immense hum, the entire cavern began to tremble violently. In the blink of an eye, countless blood-colored patterns surfaced across the massive altar. They were formation runes. Yet, unlike the formation runes of the modern Great Yan, once these runes were infused and ignited with power, they began to writhe and undulate continuously, as if possessed of living breath! And these surfacing runes were only the beginning. Radiating outward from the altar, countless blood-colored array patterns, each a zhang thick, blazed into existence across the ground, surging into the darkness of the cavern. Within a matter of breaths, the colossal Blood Nest had transformed into a gargantuan formation! An eerie blood light illuminated the cavern's pitch darkness, and the thick fluid within the blood pool began to churn and boil violently!