This formation had protected the First Sir and his people for countless years. Its power was so great that even the Malevolent Spirit Sect's Sect-Protecting Grand Formation might not be stronger.
Due to the scarcity of spirit stones in the Chaotic Flow Space, the First Sir and his group had no way to replenish them except by killing the occasional cultivators they encountered. The "Vital Qi Grand Clarity Formation" was later modified by the First Sir's master. Not only could it be driven by spirit stones, but it could also be operated by magical power. And in the end, they even researched a method to drive it with a type of meteorite called "Heaven's End Stone."
After Li Yan carefully read the description of this stone in the jade slip, he actually found six of them in the First Sir's storage ring. Each was the size of a washbasin. When he tried to use it, he found that to protect an area of about a zhang in radius around a person, only a fingernail-sized piece of "Heaven's End Stone" was needed to maintain it for an hour.
In the end, Li Yan also tried to break through the activated "Vital Qi Grand Clarity Formation," but even with his current strength, he could not do it. This made Li Yan so happy he almost jumped up. Although his "Great Dragon-Elephant Formation" had been strengthened a lot after he had re-refined it, it still couldn't withstand a direct attack from a Nascent Soul cultivator. The appearance of the "Vital Qi Grand Clarity Formation" immediately made up for Li Yan's defensive weakness. How could he not be overjoyed?
Li Yan did not know that this set of formations was the sect-protecting grand formation of the First Sir's "Vital Qi Sect." It was a famous ancient formation, and its power could be imagined.
"Then are you planning to go to the Wind God Continent next?" After the two had finished talking about the "Undead Nether Phoenix" essence blood, Zhao Min brought up this question again.
"Maybe in a year or so. I still have to go to the sect's Nascent Soul cultivator training ground in the Chaotic Flow Space to take a look. After all, I'm not too familiar with the Chaotic Flow Space. After I'm familiar with it, we can go find Sixth Senior Sister together!"
Li Yan had had a plan for this for several years. He looked at Zhao Min with a smile on his face.
"I won't be going to the Wind God Continent. When the time comes, you can go and see if you can bring Senior Sister Ying back. I haven't seen her for a long time!" Zhao Min, however, shook her head silently.
"Oh? You're not going? The Wind God Continent is, after all, an adjacent continent. Although it's dangerous, there shouldn't be too much of a problem if we're careful. Besides, I can also take you into that space, and I'll be the only one facing the danger. Could it be that because we didn't inform Sixth Senior Sister that we became Dao Companions, you're afraid she'll be angry?" Li Yan was a little surprised by Zhao Min's answer.
He had talked with Zhao Min about going to the Wind God Continent before, and Zhao Min had tacitly agreed to go with him at that time. Why had she suddenly changed her mind today?
"Husband, you're overthinking things. Ever since Senior Sister Ying and I came back from the small mountain village, we both knew in our hearts. As for which of us became Dao Companions with you first, I didn't care, let alone Senior Sister Ying. I grew up with her since we were little. I know her disposition best. Once she has made up her mind, she will never turn back! The reason I'm not going with you is that in the past two years, I've increasingly felt that the heavenly tribulation is getting closer and closer to me. The bottleneck in my cultivation of the 'Heavenly Demon White Jade Plate' also seems to be loosening!"
After saying this, she did not continue to explain. After hearing this, a look of joy appeared on Li Yan's face.
"This is a great thing!"
Zhao Min was about to form her Nascent Soul. This was not like when Bai Rou had formed her core in the Chaotic Flow Space. The dangers of the two could not be compared. Li Yan could not guarantee that he could help Zhao Min get through the tribulation outside. Of course, the safest place was within the sect. And although Zhao Min said she felt that the heavenly tribulation was coming soon, the time could not be fixed at all. It could be a year, two years, or even ten years.
Everything depended on opportunity. At a certain moment of sudden inspiration, Zhao Min would instantly face the day of her tribulation. Therefore, Li Yan could not just wait, as that would be like invisibly urging Zhao Min, which would disrupt her state of mind.
The reason why Zhao Min's bottleneck had suddenly loosened was because her state of mind had greatly changed after her physical and emotional union with Li Yan. Her mental block was different from Li Yan's; it was more due to the events of her childhood that had caused her heart to be locked. After becoming Dao Companions, even if she was shy, she had also let go of her reserve, and many things were slowly being resolved.
That night, knowing that Li Yan was about to go on a long journey, Zhao Min, in her coldness, feigned resistance but welcomed him. Her snowy skin and icy bones wrapped around him, her moans low and graceful…
"Distant mountains, white clouds surge like waves; nearby waters ripple, stirring the heart. Shy beauty hides her face, eyes hazy with bliss; her proud coldness gone, replaced by soft moans!"
For the next year, besides going to the Chaotic Flow Space for training, Li Yan no longer sat in meditation to cultivate. He did not even refine the remaining three drops of "Undead Nether Phoenix" essence blood. Whenever he was free, he would spend his time with Zhao Min, whispering sweet nothings. Although Zhao Min's personality was still cold and proud, she was entwined with Li Yan every night. Li Yan also caressed every inch of her jade-snow skin…
A year later, with only a few people knowing, Li Yan left the Malevolent Spirit Sect with Zi Kun and Qian Ji and headed for the Sea of the Northern Abyss in the far north. But only Zhao Min knew the real reason for his trip out. Wei Zhongran and the others only received the news that Li Yan was going out to travel.
...
Wind God Continent. This was a stretch of rolling mountains, covered everywhere with primitive dense forests and thick banana groves.
At this moment, figures could be seen moving on the peaks or halfway up the mountains. Halfway up these mountains were tall, thick stone walls, connecting the mountains one after another, like an endless, winding great wall.
On the slope outside the stone walls were rows of thick rolling logs, chained together row after row with huge chains. The back half of the rolling logs were deeply embedded in the mountain rock, while the front half had been sharpened into sharp wooden spikes, raised high in rows, pointing at the sky like huge wooden arrows waiting to be fired.
And to the north of these mountains was still an endless, lush dense forest and wide banana leaf groves. However, among these green plants, the corner of some stilt houses or eaves could be occasionally seen. If someone were to fly over, they would see that these were barbaric-style buildings, stretching for thousands of li in the mountains, spreading to the north, giving a sense of vibrant life.
But a completely opposite scene appeared on the south side of the endless great wall of mountains. The once lush green dense forest had long been turned into a scorched earth, forming two completely different worlds. The bodies of many huge demonic beasts and humans lay on the mountainside. Severed limbs and mangled corpses were scattered everywhere. Blood, both black and red, had collected into pools.
Many of the dried corpses were swollen high under the scorching sun, and their bodies were covered with maggots. The dense maggots would crawl in and out of the black sockets of their dangling eyeballs, or writhe on their wounds, their bodies squirming as they drilled into the rotting corpses. Under the sunlight, the white bodies of the maggots surged like a tide…
From time to time, a loud explosion would come from a certain corpse. This was due to the corpse swelling with gas under the scorching sun and exploding into a rain of blood. Foul-smelling liquids of various colors shot into the sky like a blooming fountain. The maggots, after tumbling in the air, would fall down again like raindrops with the chunks of corpse and sticky liquid, pattering on the ground…
Behind the huge stone wall halfway up the mountain, several figures were hiding in the shadow of the stone wall, avoiding the direct sun on one hand, and looking south through the crenels on the other.
"Damn it, this is the seventh wave of attacks today. They should be tired of attacking too. We can finally rest!" A man with a white turban wrapped around his head withdrew his gaze from the crenel, let out a heavy breath, and slid down against the stone wall.
He was about twenty years old, wearing a sleeveless short shirt, revealing his strong, dark muscles. He wore a pair of shorts that only reached his knees and was barefoot, his feet like refined iron.
He felt a tightness in his chest and a wave of nausea. Just now, when he had looked down the mountainside through the gap in the crenel, there were dozens of huge demonic beast corpses lying there. They were either firmly nailed into the rock by a huge wooden arrow, or had been hit by several huge wooden arrows at the same time and turned into a pile of bloody mush.
"A Gen, you can't think like that. Those Wind Beasts are no dumber than you. Don't let half a month of normal attacks ruin your brain. When you kick the bucket, you won't even know what happened!"
At this moment, a shiny pipe suddenly knocked on the strong man's head, and then an old voice sounded with dissatisfaction.
A Gen's head hurt. He quickly turned his head.
"I say, Uncle Ya, don't hit people on the back of the head. It can kill someone, you know. How could I not know how cunning those Wind Beasts are? I was just saying!"
A Gen rubbed his head repeatedly, looking with dissatisfaction at the old man who was retracting his pipe and continuing to add tobacco to it, baring his teeth.
The old man was also wearing a short shirt and shorts. His face was covered with deep wrinkles, and sweat seeped from his bronze skin under the high temperature. Although he was lean, he was like he was cast from refined copper.
"You turtle's son, you're not just talking. Why did you put the whistle for the 'Bone-Shattering Spike' behind your neck? That's a deadly mistake!"
The old man squinted at A Gen. The other seven people also looked at A Gen at the same time and immediately echoed.
"A Gen, if you don't want to be the vice-captain, just hand over the whistle..."
"Well, I can do it!"
"How are any of you suitable? I think I'm more suitable..."
The few of them started to clamor.
"Get lost and play somewhere else. When did it become your turn to speak when Uncle Ya is scolding me?"
A Gen immediately widened his eyes and waved his hands repeatedly, as if shooing away flies.
He had indeed been a bit slack just now. The whistle hanging around his neck could emit a sound wave that could trigger the rows of huge "Bone-Shattering Spikes" on the slope outside the stone wall to fire. And they were responsible for the firing and deployment of at least five rows of "Bone-Shattering Spikes," which was the most lethal weapon against ordinary "Wind Beasts."
Normally, the whistle around his neck should be in his mouth at all times. But just now, in order to observe the results of the battle, he had thrown the rope tied to the whistle behind his neck. In fact, this was because he believed from the bottom of his heart that the "Wind Beasts" would not attack again immediately, which was why he had done so.
"Two people from each of your small groups, go out and bring back the clansmen quickly."
Just then, a clear and cold voice came from a higher peak behind them. Although each peak was far apart, this voice was exceptionally clear. Under the scorching sun, it was like an ice arrow piercing through this part of the world.
"Juezi, Mao Yi, you two go out and bring back the clansmen within a hundred zhang in front! The rest of you, on alert, on alert! Be ready to attack at any time and support their return!"
A Gen immediately put the whistle in his mouth and said to the two young men beside him.
In an instant, the few who had been somewhat boisterous just now fell silent and quickly returned to their positions. The two young men looked at each other, then pushed off the top of the wall with their hands and leaped out of the stone wall.
At the same time, figures flashed out from behind the long, winding stone wall, all pouncing toward the mountainside in front. Their mission was to bring back their fallen and injured clansmen. Unless a clansman had fallen too far away while fighting the "Wind Beasts," they would try their best to bring them back. They could not let them be exposed in the wilderness. This was also to give their families an explanation. At the same time, the next time, it might be them lying down there. Everyone wanted their soul to return to their homeland and be buried in peace.
However, they could only do their best. Every time the two sides attacked, about half of the clansmen who charged out would never return. And not many of them would have their bodies left. Most of the fallen clansmen would be devoured or torn to pieces by the Wind Beasts in an instant, leaving no bones behind.
On a high peak, a figure stood on the stone wall. She had short hair and was dressed in a black tight-fitting suit that exaggerated her lithe curves. One could even faintly see the vertical lines of her muscles under the clothes. She gave off the impression of a nimble female leopard waiting for an opportunity to pounce.
A long, green halberd was slung diagonally across her back. Although the noon sun was scorching hot, she exuded a bone-chilling killing intent.
She was Gong Chenying. Her cultivation had now grown to the late Golden Core stage. Although the long years of war had allowed her cultivation to grow continuously, she, who had no time for secluded cultivation, had fallen a minor realm behind Li Wuyi and Zhao Min. However, Gong Chenying's Qiongqi Purgatory Art had already reached the initial stage of the fifth level. This was the result of long-term tempering by death. Her combat power was faintly able to contend with some ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.
"It's been six years. What on earth happened to make the three clans of 'Wind Beasts' join forces and launch a major offensive at all costs? Not only have they died in large numbers, but the number of Tianli Clan cultivators is also constantly decreasing. Now even the ordinary clansmen without spiritual roots have to participate in the battle. Father and the others have been unable to find out the reason, so this matter has never been resolved..."
Gong Chenying's thoughts were in turmoil. Looking at the figures below collecting the remains, she no longer felt the heart-wrenching pain of before. Now she regarded her own life as nothing. All the clansmen who could fight were warriors. Their lives would eventually end on the battlefield. Because the "Wind Beasts" would never be eradicated, they had to fight for their descendants, generation after generation.
This was true for her, and it was true for the other warriors in the clan. What good was heartache? In the end, it was just a matter of who could kill more "Wind Beasts" in their lifetime, and who could win more living space for their clansmen.
Gong Shanhe and another elder had been deep in the "Wind Beast" lair for two years, trying to find out the reason. To this day, not only had there been no news, but even these two had lost contact. Now, the Tianli Clan was defended by four elders leading Gong Chenying. But the fifth elder had fought a fourth-rank Wind Beast that had broken through the city wall half a year ago. He had been seriously injured and almost perished on the spot, and had also entered seclusion.
Gong Chenying was increasingly worried about the current situation. In the past two years, the "Wind Beasts" had been attacking with even less regard for the cost, as if they wanted to exhaust all the mid and low-rank "Wind Beasts" of the three clans here. This was also pushing the Tianli Clan toward the point of exhaustion.