"The first time the Tianluo Star flashed abnormally and the formation eye showed itself, it was glittering as well. My avatar saw that it was completely spotless, extraordinarily clean."
To be able to hold Zhu Erniang's largest molt, this formation eye certainly wasn't small. "That doesn't prove anything. It had just emerged from the void back then; perhaps the void is simply devoid of dust."
"I had my avatar detonate in midair. Large stones were blasted away, but rock fragments and dark cinders fell right into the formation eye instead of being repelled. It took nearly a quarter of an hour before they were all cleared out automatically."
"Impressive." Although this monster had a head of stone, it was smarter than ordinary men and knew how to adapt. "So the fine grains of sand remained?"
"Right."
He Lingchuan said at once, "It seems the defensive array won't block objects that are too small."
How much force, how large a projectile, would be counted as an attack? For a formation, this was a matter of judgment.
Juju hurling a magma burst at it was undoubtedly an attack.
What if a fallen leaf drifted down? What if drops of rain struck the formation eye? Did those count as attacks?
If even that counted, how many times would the defensive powers have to trigger through autumn and winter?
Any formation design had to strike a balance between cost and power. As wealthy as the Heavenly Palace was, it didn't want to foot the bill every time the formation eye reacted with excessive sensitivity in rain or snow.
Therefore, the entry of objects that were small enough likely wouldn't trigger its defensive functions.
Dust, rain, and snow were probably left to a separate cleaning array to handle, which created a window of time.
"This is great news; we might be able to exploit it. And I heard that the formation eye itself is an ancient magic artifact made of glazed gold, merely remodeled by celestial gods into such a sturdy fortress."
"Glazed gold?" Juju thought carefully. "I've eaten that before! The Ke family offered it twice, but each time it was only a tiny morsel the size of a booger!"
He Lingchuan's spirits instantly lifted. "Can you still get some? Try ordering it from the Ke family again. We need glazed gold to run experiments."
A piece of rare metal the size of a booger to this behemoth would probably be a hefty lump right before He Lingchuan's eyes... Sigh, why was he dwelling on that?
"The more thorough the preparations, the higher the chance of success."
Juju was brimming with desire for success, so it said, "I'll see what I can do."
He Lingchuan returned to the question he cared about most: "If we can break the formation eye, once you're free of your restraints, can you smash Zhaixing Tower? I heard there are formidable defensive fortifications there, too." Even so, every array had to have a tolerance limit. "How many magma shells can you fire?"
Juju burst into hearty laughter. "As long as I'm in Mount Xu, I can fire as many as I want!"
The source of its power was the boundless earth-vein true fire!
After discussing for so long, Juju finally felt that the idea of shattering the Spirit Gathering Grand Formation was no longer an illusion; there was now a sliver of hope for success.
Who knew whether this kid would prove reliable in the end? Hopefully it wasn't just another load of smooth talk that would leave him dead on Mount Xu.
"No rush. Problems have to be solved one step at a time." He Lingchuan's eyes flickered.
If they could shatter the formation eye, Juju would draw away most of the Heavenly Palace's attention for him.
Would he then have a chance to lay his hands on the divine relic inside Zhaixing Tower?
"Still, we need more preparations." By himself, he couldn't handle unexpected surprises.
Having executed so many missions, He Lingchuan knew very well that surprises were always inevitable.
He smiled faintly. "By the way, more than ten years ago, when you woke up before the formation eye was fully installed, that wasn't because the Ke family made a blunder, was it?"
Entrusted with such a grave task, how could the Ke family miscalculate the amount of offerings or feed it substandard ore?
After piecing together clues over the past few days, He Lingchuan felt that it was no accident.
Juju gave two dry chuckles, neither confirming nor denying.
That was tacit agreement.
...
The northern outskirts of Lingxu City, the Grass Sea.
The Grass Sea was not a prairie, but a vast wetland. The water was only knee-deep, filled with hundreds of mu of reeds, cattails, bulrushes, and other aquatic plants growing taller than a man.
In the ninth month, frost covered the earth.
At this time of year, yellow rustled everywhere and foliage was withering, yet the sunlight insisted on gilding the gradually decaying Grass Sea in a luxurious, brilliant coat.
Even Fu Shanyue sighed, "If only the Grass Sea event opened a month earlier."
Viewing the Grass Sea in autumn had long been a major pastime for the people of Lingxu City.
Especially for the biennial Grass Sea Festival, the shores of the wetland were packed with crowds. Everyday life was too dull; from imperial kin down to common folk, none wished to miss such a grand gathering.
Furthermore, the shoreline had been shaped and maintained over many years into the shape of a "3," specifically designed so as many people as possible could gather along the water's edge and admire the scenery.
Stretching seven li along the shore was a fine white sand beach. The white sand had been specially hauled in from elsewhere; stepping barefoot upon it felt soft and plush.
Naturally, the prime positions at the front of the shore were reserved for the various nobles and dignitaries.
Fortunately, small hills rolled up behind the beach, so commoners standing row upon row along the hillside would not have their view obstructed.
He Lingchuan followed Fu Shanyue to the sandbar and turned to look back.
Whew, the mountains and valleys were teeming with people!
For a moment he even felt dazed, reminded of the sports stadiums holding major tournaments in the past, where the spectator seats were just as packed and roaring like a tempest.
Well, or a train station before a holiday.
Guards from the jiaoren race helped maintain order on the scene, their blue skin and scales catching the sunlight prominently.
He Lingchuan recalled that this year's Grass Sea Festival was hosted by the Zhongsun family. Back when he and Fu Shanyue were passing through the border pass, Zhongsun Mou had made things difficult for them, and Fu Shanyue threatened to ruin the Grass Sea event organized by the Zhongsuns before Zhongsun Mou finally let them through.
Judging by the grandeur of today's scene, the Grass Sea Festival truly held an important place in the hearts of Lingxu's people.
The event had not yet officially begun. People bustled across the sandbar, and nobles and dignitaries made their entrances one after another.
Unlike commoners, who laid out blankets to sit under the open sky, they drove their carriages directly into the grounds. The Grass Sea Festival was a time-honored tradition in Lingxu City, and the wealthy elite had long devised great ways to view the Grass Sea, refining them continuously over hundreds of years.
Namely, custom-built carriages.
Once a carriage came to a halt and was oriented properly, the side facing the Grass Sea could swing completely open and extend outward; there were even nested compartments on both sides of the cabin that could be pulled out together.
In this way, the carriage transformed into a mobile wooden lodge, its volume instantly tripling. Topped with a canopy that shielded from sun and rain, the cabin was fitted with soft couches, a wine table, a charcoal stove, a water chest, and even a commode behind a screen.
One could say everything required for an outing and camping was provided within.
Some wealthy figures had even brought their cooks along to roast and prepare food on the spot, enjoying themselves immensely.
He Lingchuan had also heard that these setups had become tools for nobles to flaunt their wealth. Beyond exquisite materials and ingenious features, families liked to build these custom carriages bigger and bigger.
The Ke family's carriage had been built to ten zhang in length, assembled on the ground from three separate cabins, capable of accommodating twenty to thirty family members for leisure while providing activity space for over two hundred servants.
However, space on the sandbar was limited after all. If they kept competing in displays of wealth like that, no one else would have room to stand, creating an unsightly impression. As a result, Lingxu City had been forced to issue a special decree imposing strict limits on the length, width, and height of these custom carriages.
As the crown prince of a vassal demon kingdom, Fu Shanyue rarely attended such events, but as luck would have it, the Ke family's housewarming gift to him had been a sightseeing carriage. It wasn't overly massive, but it possessed a luxurious exterior, exquisite interior fittings, and a full set of amenities. Even while scoffing that the Ke family's gifts were always flashy and impractical, Fu Shanyue had his driver steer it toward the water's edge to seize a prime viewing spot.
The event had yet to formally begin, but He Lingchuan noticed movement already stirring within the wetland.
From time to time, tiny droplets of water detached from the surface and rose into the air. Though they drifted slowly, they came in endless numbers.
One after another, string after string, column after column.
The entire wetland was covered in this spectacle.
It was as though the place had become the sea floor, with bubbles rising from below.
"It's starting, it's starting!" The people of Lingxu City had waited two years just for this sight.
He Lingchuan had only ever seen droplets falling in strings, never rising in them. He stretched out a finger to block one, but the droplet slid past his fingertip and continued its ascent.
An anti-gravity effect?
As a cultivator, his physical senses were sharp, and he could indeed feel his body growing subtly lighter without realizing it.
After a few dozen breaths, the upward momentum of the droplets ceased, and they immediately plunged down from the sky.
Delicate and soft, scattering with the wind, like a gentle shower of rain.
The uplifting force had vanished.
Fu Shanyue wiped the droplets from his face. "The precursor has arrived. Usually it begins half a shichen later."
Right now was free time. He Lingchuan had just stepped to the water's edge to rinse his hands when Shan Qixiang appeared out of nowhere, standing behind him. "The Marquis and Nian Zanli have gone to ask National Preceptor Shuangye to bear witness."
He Lingchuan grew solemn, knowing that Li Qingge had sent word to notify him.
"Let's go over and take a look."
Along the way, He Lingchuan spotted many familiar faces, and quite a few nobles nodded and smiled at him.
The name "He Xiao" had been ringing loud in Lingxu City recently; had he not appeared to be in such a hurry, someone likely would have come over to chat.
The biennial Grass Sea Festival was also an unmissable opportunity for upper- and middle-class society to network and cultivate connections.
They also passed Songyang Mansion's camp. At a glance, there were at least thirty or forty people, with a ceaseless flow of customers bustling outside the tents.
He Lingchuan asked in wonder, "The Marquis brought so many people this time?"
"Hunting in the Grass Sea is very dangerous, so there is huge demand for magic artifacts, talismans, and various specialty items," Old Shan chuckled. "Our Songyang Mansion set up an outpost here so hunters can buy replacements whenever they run short. You could say we're providing a convenience."
Even with matters of life and death at stake, Li Qingge never forgot his family business. He Lingchuan sighed, "If your marquis doesn't succeed, who can?"
Business was everywhere, which also reflected how fierce the competition was in Lingxu City.
Following Old Shan, he strode quickly into a grove of trees.
This grove sat right in the center of the "3" shape where the view was best, less than five zhang from the water. Several round, pale-red tents stood pitched among the trees, each bearing a prominent frost-leaf insignia.
It seemed National Preceptor Shuangye had not followed the trend of building custom camping carriages, sticking to old-fashioned tents instead.
Chapter 630