Lan Ting had originally been accustomed to replacing sleep with nocturnal meditation, but ever since joining the barbecue shop, she had developed the healthy habit of sleeping at night.
When the four awoke, they felt entirely relaxed and refreshed, thanks in part to the formation Lan Ting had laid down.
"Let's go, let's go! Time to head out and play, I haven't had enough fun yet!" Meng Jingzhou was the most energetic of all, herding Lu Yang out of bed like driving a pig.
Only after kicking Meng Jingzhou did Lu Yang reluctantly get up.
Man Gu was the earliest to rise, having headed out to stock up at the vegetable market at dawn.
He had cooked a big pot of dough drop soup, cracked four eggs into it, and added a few drops of sesame oil. The rich aroma drifted through the entire dining hall.
Lu Yang had a fondness for vinegar and added a small spoonful to his own bowl. After polishing off every bite, the four set out in high spirits to enjoy themselves.
They had left fairly early, yet a massive throng of tourists was already out on the streets having fun. Lu Yang had heard that the inns had been fully booked long ago, forcing many visitors to lodge in private homes.
Joyful smiles beamed on everyone's faces. Children wore tofu masks identical to Lu Yang's, clutching large pinwheels as they hopped and skipped around, while parents held tight to their children's hands for fear of losing them in the crowd.
"It's as lively here as a temple fair."
"Did you hear? Someone brought a behemoth from the southern continent! It's right by the river—hurry, let's go see!" someone excitedly told their companion.
Hearing this, Meng Jingzhou could not suppress his curiosity and led the others toward the riverbank to see the behemoth.
The four arrived at the familiar Great Stone Bridge, only this time they were standing atop it. Both sides of the bridge were lined with countless small flags.
Upon seeing the behemoth, Meng Jingzhou was somewhat disappointed. "And here I thought it was something special. Turns out it's just an elephant."
The banks of the Yinlong River had always been a gathering place for tourists every year, and now that someone had brought an elephant from the southern continent to show off, an even larger crowd of onlookers had gathered.
Needless to say, Lu Yang had seen elephants before. Meng Jingzhou and Lan Ting hailed from prominent clans and had seen more bizarre oddities since childhood than Lu Yang had even heard of, while Man Gu had lived in the wilderness and had even hunted elephants.
Ordinary people, however, lacked such backgrounds and were utterly fascinated by such a colossal creature.
Tourists gasped in admiration. "Is that a demon beast? How can it grow so huge, with such a long nose and tusks?"
The elephant's owner was a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. He explained, "It is indeed a demon beast. A demon beast's realm is hard to assess, roughly the sixth level of Qi Refinement. However, its massive build has nothing to do with being a demon beast. Creatures of this kind are called elephants, and they all grow this large once mature."
A tourist pressed on, "How heavy is such a massive beast?"
The elephant's owner gave a helpless laugh. Who could possibly know? There was no scale large enough to weigh it.
Another tourist offered a suggestion: "We happen to be right next to the river. You could put the elephant on a large boat, make a mark where the hull meets the water, and then load the boat with rocks or the like. Once the marked line touches the water again, weighing those large rocks will tell you how heavy the elephant is."
The elephant's owner was curious about his spiritual pet's weight as well, so he readily agreed.
At its master's command, the elephant was herded onto the boat. The elephant was so heavy that a boat in shallow water could not support it, so the owner rowed out to the middle of the river. He pulled out a small knife and carved a line right where the water met the boat.
Just as the owner was about to row back, the elephant inadvertently looked up and caught sight of Man Gu. It was immediately startled out of its wits.
Demon beasts were exceptionally sensitive to auras. The Ancient Barbarian race had often hunted elephants in the wilderness, and that ferocious bloodlust ran deep within their bloodline. Though the elephant did not understand the history behind it, seeing Man Gu chilled it to the core—an instinctive suppression born of pure lineage.
In a fit of panic, the elephant plunged into the water with a loud splash, sinking straight to the bottom.
The people on the bank cried out in alarm, urging the owner to quickly save his beast. To their surprise, the owner calmly carved a mark on the boat right where the elephant had plunged in, declaring, "This is where the elephant fell into the water."
The crowd on the shore was bewildered, but the owner offered no explanation. As the boat neared the bank, he pointed at the mark and explained, "My elephant fell in right here, so it is still right here!"
The crowd erupted in laughter, assuming he was joking. Yet the river's surface suddenly churned, forming a whirlpool, and the elephant actually flew right out from beneath the mark, furiously flapping its two massive ears.
A specialty of the southern continent: the giant flying elephant.
Man Gu watched this unfold with furrowed brows. Then, a sudden flash of realization struck him. He smacked his fist into his palm. "I remember now! We learned this idiom in class—it's called 'carving the boat to seek an elephant'!"
He now possessed a profound understanding of this idiom.
Lu Yang was speechless.
*Just what on earth were you learning in class?!*
Meng Jingzhou laughed. "I still remember finding our first Reverse Lifespan Talisman under the bridge. Learning that something like a Reverse Lifespan Talisman existed really gave me a fright back then. Fortunately, we already reported that guy."
Lu Yang was just about to banter along with Meng Jingzhou when his eyes caught the small flag before him. His smile vanished. As if recalling something, he plucked the flag, furrowed his brow, and held it up to scrutinize it closely against the sunlight.
When Lu Yang saw the image revealed by the sunlight on the flag, a chill ran down his spine.
"What is it?" Meng Jingzhou noticed Lu Yang's expression. Having waited in vain for Lu Yang's teasing reply, he finally realized something was amiss.
Lu Yang's expression turned grave. Pointing at the faint pattern shimmering on the small flag, he asked, "Look at this pattern. What does it look like?"
"A Reverse Lifespan Talisman?!" Lan Ting was the first to react, being the most familiar with the design.
Meng Jingzhou's eyes went wide. The pattern on the flag was extremely faint, virtually impossible to discern unless held against direct sunlight. Even if someone noticed it, tourists would only assume it was a decorative motif for the Spring-Plucking Festival. How many people actually recognized the pattern of a Reverse Lifespan Talisman?
"Don't panic! It's possible the Reverse Lifespan Formation hasn't been set up yet!" Meng Jingzhou tried to reassure himself.
Lu Yang analyzed the situation with cold composure. "Impossible. Don't forget, these small flags aren't just one or two—the entire Yanjiang Commandery is covered in them!"
Flags bearing the Reverse Lifespan Talisman pattern hidden among ordinary decorative flags—who could have ever guessed?!
Lu Yang continued, "In other words, the Reverse Lifespan Formation is already complete! It's sitting right out in the open before everyone's eyes, yet no one noticed!"
"Then why hasn't the Reverse Lifespan Formation been activated?" Meng Jingzhou recalled the requirements for triggering it. Aside from arranging the Reverse Lifespan Talismans into a formation, it also required a blood sacrifice.
Anyone bold enough to deploy a Reverse Lifespan Formation could slaughter a few people with ease. What was he waiting for?
Lu Yang replied coldly, "He is waiting for people. Right now, there still aren't enough people for the Spring-Plucking Festival, and an endless stream of visitors is still pouring into Yanjiang Commandery!"
The Reverse Lifespan Formation plundered the lifespan of mortals to convert into cultivation for the formation's master. The more mortals plundered, the greater the boost to cultivation!
Meng Jingzhou remembered as well. "According to custom, on the second night of the Spring-Plucking Festival, people gather in the streets singing in celebration, crowding by the river for banquets and vocal contests!"
Today happened to be the second day of the Spring-Plucking Festival.
Chapter 97