Chapter 358: Battle Begins

The grand formation was completed, and the demon-suppressing battle was ready to commence.

Yet when it truly came time to fight, doubts arose in the hearts of all the cultivators in Tōngxiān City.

Was the grand formation really reliable? Could it truly subdue Feng Xi?

It wasn’t just the ordinary scattered cultivators; even Elder Yu and the other Foundation Establishment disciples were deeply worried.

But they didn’t dare ask Mò Huà.

One reason was fear of putting pressure on him; another was that asking wouldn’t help.

Once the bow is drawn, there’s no turning back.

At this stage, with the grand formation already completed, no matter what, they could only grit their teeth and begin the task of subduing the great demon.

From beginning to end, Mò Huà’s gaze remained calm, his expression composed.

It was as if this great demon was destined to die within the formation.

This inexplicably steadied the nerves of several Foundation Establishment disciples.

Elder Yu sighed inwardly. Here they were—cultivators who had lived for over a century, experienced countless storms—and yet none of them could remain as composed as this child, Mò Huà.

But then he thought again: although they had weathered many storms, a storm as massive as this great demon was truly unprecedented…

A grand formation is still a formation. Since it is a formation they did not understand, they would simply trust Mò Huà.

It wasn’t just Elder Yu; basically all the cultivators thought the same way.

The Five-Element Demon-Slaying Formation was designed to trap and kill. To subdue Feng Xi, they first had to lure him into the formation.

This step was dangerous, so only Foundation Establishment disciples could undertake it, with Dao Soldiers providing cover.

Among the disciples tasked with luring Feng Xi, Mò Huà even spotted Zhāng Lán.

“Uncle Zhāng, you’ve reached Foundation Establishment?!”

Mò Huà was taken aback.

Zhāng Lán feigned nonchalance, but the pride in his eyes was unmistakable as he said lightly, “Not bad, I took some time to establish my foundation.”

Mò Huà curled his lips—‘took some time’… sounded like he was squeezing in a matchmaking meeting.

Was Foundation Establishment really that easy…?

But then he remembered what Zhāng Lán had said before:

For disciples of a prestigious clan, establishing a foundation isn’t particularly difficult.

Zhāng Lán had remained at the ninth stage of Qi Refinement previously, partly to solidify his base and partly to avoid family troubles.

“Have you strengthened your root foundation properly?” Mò Huà asked.

Zhāng Lán replied casually, “Close enough. No need to overdo it.”

“So now that you’ve established your foundation, are you going home for matchmaking?” Mò Huà asked, curious again.

Zhāng Lán’s face darkened. “Kid, can you talk about something serious?”

Mò Huà chuckled but also felt grateful.

He knew Zhāng Lán’s actions were for the cultivators of Tōngxiān City. After all, the more Foundation Establishment disciples there were, the more strength and assurance they would have in dealing with a great demon. Hence, he had hurried to break through.

Mò Huà silently noted this kindness, thinking to himself:

“I’ll definitely help Uncle Zhāng when I get the chance!”

The plan to subdue the great demon had been decided before the formation was completed; now it was merely a matter of finalizing the personnel.

The next day, as the sky darkened, the Dao Soldiers began to assemble.

Yáng Jìyǒng stood on a hill, eyes fixed on the blood-colored demon before him, his expression grave.

Soon, another armored Dao Soldier commander approached quietly. “Brother, everything is arranged.”

This was Yáng Róng, both a member of the Yang family and the commander of the Dao Soldiers dispatched to assist.

Yáng Jìyǒng nodded, still frowning.

The atmosphere was tense, so Yáng Róng tried to make small talk to ease it.

After discussing some family matters, Yáng Róng hesitated and asked, “Brother, why only bring Yang family members this time?”

Requests for Dao Soldier deployment were typically decided by the Dao Court. This time, Yáng Jìyǒng had used family connections to bring Yáng Róng and others here.

Not only Yáng Róng, but all the Dao Soldiers brought along had connections to the Yang family: either sharing the surname, having marriage ties, or being indebted to them. They were all considered “family.”

“I trust my own people,” Yáng Jìyǒng replied.

Yáng Róng looked skeptical. “Brother, tell me the truth. Don’t lie.”

Yáng Jìyǒng studied him, then slowly said, “Fine, I’ll tell you. But you must keep it strictly confidential. Not a word can leak, not even from the brothers under you.”

Yáng Róng nodded firmly. “Don’t worry.”

Yáng Jìyǒng said, “The main reason I brought you here is secrecy. Whether the grand formation succeeds or fails, whether Feng Xi is killed or not, none of this information can leak out…”

Yáng Róng hesitated. “With such a huge formation, can it really be kept secret…”

“It’s not about hiding the formation,” Yáng Jìyǒng said, “It’s about hiding who built the formation.”

Yáng Róng paused. “Who built the formation?”

They had been stationed near the great demon since arriving in Tōngxiān City, limiting contact with the city’s cultivators. They had no role in constructing the formation.

As for formation design, they knew even less. Yáng Róng only remembered seeing a group of formation masters, the most notable being a dignified old master. But who actually built the formation? He had no idea.

Yáng Jìyǒng started to speak, then shook his head. “It’s better you don’t know.”

Yáng Róng wanted to ask more but curiosity pricked at him like a cat’s claw.

“Brother, if you tell me, I’ll know what’s confidential and can keep it secret better. If you don’t, I won’t even know what’s sensitive, and I might accidentally slip up.”

Yáng Jìyǒng blinked. “When did you get so clever?”

Yáng Róng chuckled.

Yáng Jìyǒng thought for a moment and decided to tell him. “These past few days, have you seen a small disciple?”

“A small disciple?” Yáng Róng was taken aback.

“Eyes like a painting, pale skin, sharp and smart at first glance, yet completely unreadable if you look closer…”

Yáng Róng frowned, then suddenly realized. “The one following the group of old formation masters.”

“You have it backwards,” Yáng Jìyǒng said calmly.

“Backwards?”

“It’s not him following the old masters,” Yáng Jìyǒng said, “It’s a group of old masters following him.”

Yáng Róng’s jaw dropped. “No way…”

He connected this to what Yáng Jìyǒng said about “the person who built the formation” and was stunned. “No way…”

Yáng Jìyǒng let it drop there, only saying: “Understand?”

Yáng Róng spent a long moment processing, then shook his head. “Terrifying…”

These days, such a young child could build a grand formation?

He leaned toward Yáng Jìyǒng and whispered, “Brother, this can’t be allowed to reach the Li or Chang families.”

Otherwise, they’d stop at nothing to win him over.

“That’s why I used Yang family connections to bring you here.”

“And if it can’t be kept secret?” Yáng Róng worried.

“No problem,” Yáng Jìyǒng said calmly. “As long as they don’t see it with their own eyes, they won’t believe it.”

Yáng Róng nodded.

Actually, he had seen it with his own eyes, but still found it hard to believe…

But since Brother said so, he would follow orders.

“There’s one more very important thing…”

Yáng Jìyǒng looked at him and reminded him:

“This mission to subdue Feng Xi is uncertain. If it fails, do everything possible to ensure Mò Huà’s safety.”

“Mò Huà…”

Yáng Róng memorized the name and nodded: “Got it!”

He then looked at the distant Feng Xi and sighed:

“Such a monstrous demon… just looking at it makes my heart race. Can we really kill it?”

Yáng Jìyǒng said in a deep voice, “No matter what, we must try.”

He sighed inwardly:

Hopefully, not too many people die this time…

The Dao Soldiers here were all Yang family loyalists, many of whom had shared life-and-death experiences with him on the battlefield. He didn’t want too much loss.

But this time, they faced a terrifying great demon.

Within the prefecture, the great demon was invincible.

Even with a grand formation, opposing it would not be easy.

Yáng Jìyǒng maintained a calm expression, but worry lingered in his heart.

After Yáng Róng left, Zhāng Lán approached Yáng Jìyǒng.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, Zhāng Lán’s confidence had grown. Standing before Yáng Jìyǒng, his posture was even straighter.

They briefly discussed the plan to subdue Feng Xi, then Zhāng Lán turned to leave. A few steps later, Yáng Jìyǒng called out:

“Zhāng Lán.”

After a pause, his voice cracked slightly: “Don’t die…”

Zhāng Lán froze, a little surprised, but still retorted:

“I’m not going to die, you bastard. Don’t curse me.”

Yáng Jìyǒng’s eye twitched. “I said don’t die, not that you should!”

Zhāng Lán snorted, “Before a battle, everything is said backwards. What you just said makes it sound like I’m about to die…”

Yáng Jìyǒng’s tiny concern vanished instantly. He couldn’t help swearing:

“You useless kid! Can’t spit out anything good! My good intentions wasted on a dog!”

“You had good intentions?”

“Gone. Eaten by you, dog.”

…

They exchanged barbs for a while, then fell silent.

Zhāng Lán said, “Don’t worry. The grand formation was built by Mò Huà. He won’t attempt anything he can’t handle. As long as you don’t seek death yourself, you shouldn’t die…”

Yáng Jìyǒng didn’t reply, but his mood lightened.

…

At the hour of the Rabbit, everyone began following the plan: waking Feng Xi and luring him into the grand formation.

Yáng Jìyǒng acted first.

He held his spear horizontally, fully channeling his Qi, concentrating spiritual power into it. The spear blazed with golden light and immense force, thrusting into Feng Xi’s abdomen.

This was the Yang family’s top secret technique—the Radiant Golden Spear.

Even the mid-stage Foundation Establishment elder of the Qi family had been seriously injured by this spear technique.

The spear struck, tearing a deep hole in Feng Xi’s abdomen, yet almost instantly, his blood energy reformed flesh over the wound.

Everyone gasped at the sheer strength of the technique and the thick vitality.

Killing such a powerful great demon with cultivators alone was nearly impossible.

Even if it stood still, allowing these Foundation Establishment disciples to attack, they might not even be able to exhaust one-tenth of its blood energy.

Still, this strike caused Feng Xi considerable damage.

The demon howled in pain, awakening with a terrifying roar that made the hair stand on end.

Its eyes opened, pupils spinning irregularly before locking onto Commander Yáng. A surge of ferocity erupted from it.

It staggered to its feet. Having refined blood energy for three months, Feng Xi now resembled a small mountain, emanating a dense stench of blood, and charged directly at Commander Yáng.

Fortunately, the pig demon was clumsy; its blood energy was not fully refined, making it slow.

Yáng Jìyǒng retreated, drawing Feng Xi toward the grand formation as he moved.

(End of this Chapter)