History's Strongest Senior Brother c1-1474
Page 542
“While that Yan Zhaoge possesses outstanding strength, even he would not be able to cause a change in the Dynasty River, right?” Peng He felt rather hesitant.
Zhang Shuren said, “This old man is not clear on the reason, but it is most likely his handiwork. After he left not long ago, this old man discovered that the spiritual qi flow was rather strange over in the direction of the Dynasty River. It was just that it was too mild at the time, and I ignored it in order to continue stably defending the border here at Circumference Mountain from those of the southeast, awaiting your arrival in the meantime.”
“From the looks of it now, however, this is really strange!”
Hearing his words, Peng He did not ask anything as he said at once, “Please continue guarding this place, senior apprentice-brother Zhang. I and the two fellow Daoists from Illusory Coming Peak will go forth to investigate the situation.”
Still, before he had moved, the dark yellow light of water in the distance had actually already surged over in their direction!
The spiritual qi fluctuations at Circumference Mountain were becoming increasingly chaotic as signs of instability were rapidly intensifying!
In just the time that it took one to speak, the waters had already surged rapidly to right before their very eyes.
Zhang Shuren’s expression changed, “Even if he built a dam, how would be have been able to block this majestic Dynasty River? Even if he were successful, he would not have the time to let the river water flood over here.”
“The changes in spiritual qi are accelerating. This…is definitely not something that that Yan Zhaoge can do with his own power. It seems more like the effects of some formation!”
He dared not hesitate as he first activated the Wutong Phoenix Perching Formation, multiple layers of fiery light lighting up as they blocked the boundless, chaotic torrents of water that surged into the heavens.
However, affected by the local geography, the Wutong Phoenix Perching Formation had already been unstable in the first place. As the torrents arrived now, it was instantly left teetering on the brink of collapse.
The sea of flames which had originally suffused the area was now like the flickering flame of a dying candle.
Peng He and the others hurriedly acted, attempting to help Zhang Shuren to stabilise the formation.
Still, as contact was made, the minds of everyone present wavered slightly.
It was still slightly better for the ninth level Martial Saints.
Everyone else was rendered dizzy.
Even Daoist Leading Mist and Yuan Xiancheng of the eighth level of the Martial Saint realm wobbled somewhat.
“Not good! Could it be…” Qing Shuzi’s gaze suddenly tightened.
He forced himself upwards, seeing gusts of nether wind actually appearing in the air above the dark yellow river waters that were rapidly approaching!
The nether winds howled as black fog soon suffused the area.
The glaring sun had still been shining high overhead a moment ago. Now, however, it was concealed by black fog as the light of the day was gone.
Just the dark yellow river waters were already bad enough, but enveloped by that black fog now, as the nether winds gusted, even Qing Shuzi was rendered dizzy as it was like he was drunk on alcohol.
He hurriedly composed himself, expanding his sleeve as he sucked in a majority of the black fog of nether wind that surrounded him.
However, no end could be seen to the black fog of nether wind which suffused the dark yellow river, obscuring the sky and concealing the sun as it immediately swept over once more.
Qing Shuzi flicked his sleeve, shifting space as he swiftly descended.
Down below, the dark yellow river which resembled a heavenly tribulation had virtually already devoured the entire Wutong forest.
The Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel had truly become a vessel now as it bobbed atop the great river.
Peng He was keeping the vessel stable with all his might, with Zhang Shuren and the others having already ascended it as well.
Seeing the Wutong Phoenix Perching Formation being drowned in water down below, Zhang Shuren felt like crying yet lacked the tears for such.
Now, Yan Zhaoge’s voice seemingly resounded from countless directions all at once from amidst the black fog of nether wind between the heavens and the earth.
“Well, Treasured Branch Zhang, your Wutong Phoenix Perching Formation is indeed not bad,” Yan Zhaoge smiled, “Having come as a guest, I should return you a gift of my own. Come, you try this Yan’s formation too.”
Qing Shuzi returned to the Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel, barely managing to resist the black fog of nether wind which completely surrounded them.
His brows were knit tightly, “How would he know this fearsome formation of ancient times? What legacy is this?”
At this moment, apart from Qing Shuzi, Zhang Shuren, Peng He, Daoist Leading Mist and Yuan Xiancheng who were still able to stand, the other martial practitioners of the south were all compromised as they were all collapsed on the deck of the Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel!
All of them looked dazed and drunken as most of them were unconscious.
Even those few who were able to retain their clarity of mind were collapsed on the ground, trying hard to keep from lapsing off into unconsciousness.
“Fearsome formation of ancient times?”
Barely withstanding this, as Zhang Shuren saw his fallen disciples strewn all about and that dark yellow river which meandered up ahead with ceaseless winds, black fog obscuring the heavens, hence did a shocked exclamation escape his mouth, “Nine Serenities Yellow River Formation?!”
Beside him, as Daoist Leading Mist heard Qing Shuzi’s words, the same exclamation simultaneously left his mouth as he was left stunned on the spot.
Only now did Peng He and Yuan Xiancheng react to this name as they too were utterly shocked.
The Nine Serenities Yellow River Formation originated earliest from the direct lineage of the founder of the Prime Clear lineage, the Lord of Numinous Treasure, from the three Ladies of Three Immortal Island, Cloud Sky, Jade Sky and Azure Sky.
In the ancient legends, its glory had once been in full display during the era of the Investiture of the Gods, countless legends and immortal hegemons having died to this formation.
As the Ladies of the Three Skies had been Invested and entered the Heavenly Court afterwards, this Nine Serenities Yellow River Formation had entered the Heavenly Court’s Divine Palace.
A complete formation diagram had been available in the Martial Repository.
Yan Zhaoge was still unable to circulate the entire Dynasty River to establish this formation.
However, he could change the water vein for the segment of Dynasty River about Circumference Mountain, manipulating it such that the Yellow River Nine Serenities Formation of legend appeared in this world anew.
Its might was naturally far from the grand formation established by the Ladies of the Three Skies in the era of the Investiture of the Gods. Core essentials like the Immortal Bewitching Pill and the Secluded Immortal Mantra were missing as an embryonic form of the diagram was manifested.
The supreme treasure of legend, the Chaotic Origin Golden Cup, was also not present.
However, the ones he had to deal with were far from those bigwigs of legends.
Qing Shuzi and Zhang Shuren exchanged looks, smiling bitterly now.
“Dynasty River, Dynasty River…Dynasty River!” Zhang Shuren sighed slowly towards the heavens.
This Circumference Mountain was not aiding him, Zhang Shuren, was not the homeground of him, Zhang Shuren!
Sitting cross-legged above the river waters, Yan Zhaoge tranquilly watched the events unfolding before him, “I, of course, knew from the start that your Wutong Slope had dispatched numerous experts here to the border area at Circumference Mountain.”
“Still, while it would have been fine if I never came to Circumference Mountain, from the moment that I set foot in this place, this p
lace is now my territory.”
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 990: Yellow river floods troops
HSSB990: Yellow river floods troops
The Nine Bends Yellow River Formation of legend contained miraculous aspects of the heavens and the earth.
It contained the Immortal Bewitching Pill and the Secluded Immortal Mantra, being able to dwindle the minds of Immortals as well as disperse their souls, trap their forms, damage their qi, dispel their cores and harm their bodies.
The formation manifested the wonders of all creation, unravelling all those almighty immortals.
Qing Shuzi, Zhang Shuren and the others were knowledgeable people. Having already experienced the awesomeness of the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation firsthand, they definitely knew that this grand formation before them truly posed a serious threat to them.
Of course, it might not be as domineering as in the legends, ‘Immortals who step within become mortals, mortals who step within instantly perish’.
Still, not a single one of them was an Immortal.
Now that they were trapped within the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation, they were placed in a perilous situation from which there might truly be no return.
Blown by that black fog of nether wind, their minds were corroded as they inevitably became dizzy.
The acupoints of their bodies which resembled the actual stars of the sky actually felt like they were being blocked up now.
The first step in Seeing Divinity Martial Saints ascending the Immortal Bridge was them letting their acupoints which had already seen true Divinity circulate, possessing their own natural laws and orbits like the actual stars up in the sky.
From the seventh to eighth level of the Martial Saint realm, one would have to reach the point where the acupoints that resembled stars within their bodies would naturally be extinguished.
Just like people, stars also had longevities of their own. It was just that they were extremely long. Still, stars would similarly die one day.
For martial practitioners who cultivated their inner universes to resonate with the actual stars of the external world, they had to take this step as well.
When their acupoints naturally died in the process of cultivation, martial practitioners would not be weakened.
While they might be fewer, they would have qualitatively attained a whole new level.
Life and death were the main theme of this world’s eternal balance.
Life would become death before life was reborn anew, such a cycle repeating as per heaven’s will.
The hallmark of eighth level Martial Saints becoming ninth level Martial Saints was them refining completely new acupoints in place of those old ones, much like the birth of new stars.
At this point, their strength would rise yet once more as they attained the late Immortal Bridge stage.
The cycle of life and death aside, their orbits would be unceasingly refined and stabilised as the inner universe within the martial practitioner’s body became closer to the actual universe.
In this process, the comprehension of the martial practitioner regarding the principles of the heavens and the earth and their grasp of their own physical conditions would become increasingly clearer and in depth.
When all their acupoints had been refined to achieve Divinity like the stars of the sky, their inner universes would truly be resonating with the external one as they would hence have a chance of accomplishing the Human Exalt stage.
It was just that achieving this was a very difficult thing.
Most martial practitioners were unable to do so their entire lives.
Still, some of these people did have some chance of success.
This was especially so for Qing Shuzi and Yuan Xiancheng.
Now, however, they could clearly sense that affected by the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation, the insides of their bodies had actually become unstable.
As the nether winds gusted, beneath the assault of the black fog, the three ninth level Martial Saints, Qing Shuzi, Peng He and Zhang Shuren, all vaguely felt as if they were unable to evoke the rebirth of their acupoints.
Their extinguished acupoints were no longer reborn as it was as if their cultivation bases had fallen back into the eighth level of the Martial Saint realm.
Yuan Xiancheng and Daoist Leading Mist of the eighth level of the Martial Saint realm felt as though while their acupoints which had seen true Divinity were still circulating, they had become sluggish.
Their acupoints were unable to be extinguished following their birth as they had lost some partial characteristics of stars, seemingly having plummeted to the seventh level of the Martial Saint realm.
They were even more shocked by the fact that things did not seem to have ended just like that.
As time passed, these effects still seemed to be gradually intensifying!
“As long as we are assaulted by the black fog of nether wind now, our cultivation bases will be suppressed temporarily,” Zhang Shuren said in a heavy tone, “But if we end up unconscious, our foundations would truly be harmed, our cultivation bases dropping as all our previous efforts would have been for naught!”
Qing Shuzi snorted coldly, “It will also be the same if we linger here for too long. We have to leave!”
Amidst his words, he flicked his long sleeve, shifting space as he dispelled the black fog and nether winds before him.
Yet, even time and space were affected by the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation as everything was distorted in the first place. Even with Qing Shuzi’s strength, he was still hard pressed to charge out from within it.
Peng He and the others dared not hesitate in the least as they too hurriedly exerted their might.
The Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel shot into the air, breaking the waves and tides as it sought to flee the imprisonment of the dark yellow river.
However, facing the waves which surged over like a tsunami, they were still rocked about all over, only barely being able to keep the vessel from being overturned.
Gazing over, it was still pitch black all around as the light of day could not be seen, the directions unidentifiable from one another.
Their hearts just burned with desperation. Yet, Yan Zhaoge had already established the formation which encompassed the entirety of the domain of Circumference Mountain with the power of the Dynasty River to assist him.
Looking from the external world, one would see that the entirety of Circumference Mountain had been drowned by the dark yellow river.
Gazing from high above, one would see the nine meandering bends of the dark yellow river which were filled with the profundities of all creation.
Yet, the surface of the river was enveloped by worrying winds and tragic fog, baleful air pressuring down as it evoked fear and panic in the hearts of all.
Beneath the overlapping layers of space, the space of the grand formation was even broader, also changing unceasingly as Peng He and the others were unable to flee despite charging desperately out with all their might.
“We are not proficient in formations. Charging blindly out like this is just pointless. Now, there is already not much time left,” Qing Shuzi did not lose his composure.
As time passed, he too was left dizzy from the black fog of nether winds as he could only focus his spirits, “This Nine Bends Yellow River Formation is the handiwork of Immortals of legend. It is not something that just anyone would be able to set up.”
“That fella surnamed Yan is outstanding and skilled in formations. Still, the gap in our cultivation bases is still there at the end of the day.”
“He too should need to fully concentrate and go all out in controlling such a peerless, fearsome formation. It would definitely be impossible for he himself to battle someone else now!”
Hearing Qing Shuzi say this, Peng He and the others understood what he meant.
“If we constantly go around the formation in circles like this, we would only be playing into his hands,” Peng He said urgently, “We have to a
im for his unguarded self to break the formation.”
Currently in the form of a Wutong tree that was rooted to the deck of the vessel as he resisted the assault of the black fog of nether wind, Zhang Shuren now spoke, “All formations have their cores. That Yan Zhaoge must surely be at the core of his formation. In that case, we must go where this formation is most vicious.”
“We have to enter the tiger’s lair if we are to emerge victorious!”
Peng He handed over control of the Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel to Zhang Shuren, who analysed the variations of the formation with much difficulty using his knowledge of formations as he led them all to the most vicious part of the formation.
“Go!” Everyone painstakingly resisted the effects of the Nine Bends Yellow River Formation as they advanced, Peng He wielding his hands as sabres and simultaneously hacking outwards.
A fiery phoenix with an unusual dim blue lustre flew outwards, brutal to the extreme as it opened a path.
Qing Shuzi executed the supreme martial art, Primordial Heavenly Flying Sleeve, of Illusory Coming Peak’s direct lineage, transforming extreme softness into extreme toughness now. As he flicked his sleeve outwards, it was like a sharp blade that powerfully cleaved through space.
Daoist Leading Mist and Yuan Xiancheng sat on the deck of the Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel in the meditative position as they stabilised their minds.
As time passed, these two eighth level Martial Saints who were usually rampant and unbridled in the outside world were already hard pressed to hold on as they could only remain there quietly.
The two had not even the leisure to feel despondent now as their hearts were instead full of worry.
If this was not put a stop to soon, they too would end up suffering the tragic fate that had already befallen their weaker companions.
The pressure was mounting ceaselessly, even for the three ninth level Martial Saints, Qing Shuzi, Peng He and Zhang Shuren!
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 991: You could only enter because I let you
HSSB991: You could only enter because I let you