Chapter 359: Activating the Formation

Yang Jiyong didn’t dare confront Fengxi directly. He could only strike and retreat immediately, provoking Fengxi and guiding it along.

Fengxi lumbered forward clumsily, its massive body flattening the forest, crushing rocks, scattering the wild beasts in the deep mountains.

Yet, as it walked, Fengxi seemed to understand something. Suppressing the hatred in its eyes, it lowered its body and continued refining its blood energy.

Yang Jiyong again channeled his spiritual power, using his spear techniques to attack Fengxi.

But having already spent most of his spiritual energy using the superior Dao Art “Shining Golden Spear,” he now had only enough left for ordinary power. Even as spear tips rained down on Fengxi, the beast paid no attention.

Fengxi seemed to know that once its blood energy was fully refined, it could descend the mountain to hunt, and it did not need to vent its anger immediately.

Yang Jiyong dared not continue attacking.

If he exhausted his spiritual power, the danger would fall on him. If Fengxi devoured him, not only would he die, but the beast would gain a “supplemental blood pill” at Foundation Establishment level.

Yang Jiyong withdrew, and Zhang Lan stepped forward.

His entire body surged with spiritual power, fingers forming a pale blue giant sword. He pointed from a distance, and sword energy streaked through the air, piercing directly into Fengxi’s head.

Fengxi’s head flesh disintegrated, then gradually reformed.

This was Zhang Lan’s all-out spell. Having just reached Foundation Establishment and not yet mastering the Zhang family’s top-tier Dao Arts, this spell’s power was still considerable, enough to make Fengxi wary.

Enraged again, Fengxi struggled to rise, its pupils spinning wildly, and fixed its gaze on Zhang Lan. With a roar, it lunged at him.

Zhang Lan guided Fengxi along again, expending all his spiritual power and unable to cast any significant spells to threaten it further.

At this point, Yang Rong’s spear struck like a dragon, an all-out hit with immediate withdrawal, pulling Fengxi along.

When his spiritual power ran low, Elder Yu, Commander Zhou, and Old Master An took turns confronting it.

One attacked directly, Dao Soldiers restrained, others recovered.

Step by step, they alternated, gradually guiding Fengxi into the former Black Mountain Stronghold, now the site of the Five-Element Demon-Slaying Grand Formation.

Nestled between two mountains, buildings densely packed, the formation imposing.

Fengxi stepped into the formation, instantly alert, letting out a roar and trying to retreat.

Yang Jiyong shouted immediately, “Seal the gates!”

At the entrance to the formation, embraced by the mountains, two massive iron gates closed from left and right, forming inner and outer reinforced iron barriers, blocking the demon’s escape.

Fengxi ignored everything and slammed into the gates.

The gates, forged from refined iron and reinforced by master artificers, were smashed by Fengxi in one strike. The gates warped and caved in like clay.

Fengxi’s strength was terrifying!

Everyone drew a sharp breath.

If it struck again, the other gate would be destroyed too.

Suddenly, golden light appeared over the gates. Formation runes flickered across every corner, reinforcing the doors.

Fengxi slammed again, only to hit the formation.

The golden light on the runes shook violently, gradually dimming and finally extinguishing—but the iron gates remained intact.

Fengxi was halted, buying a critical moment. Mo Hua’s eyes narrowed as he quickly communicated with the formation core through his Divine Sense. The entire formation’s spiritual power channels, intricate and far-reaching, appeared clearly in his consciousness.

With a slight movement of Divine Sense, Mo Hua controlled the formation core, instantly activating all spiritual power circuits.

He shouted coldly,

“Five-Element Demon-Slaying Grand Formation, activate!”

In an instant, the formation’s array eyes lit up. Spiritual stones stacked in the Gathering-Spirit Formation instantly melted, releasing vast spiritual energy that surged throughout the formation.

The spiritual energy roared, circulating rapidly. The formation trembled, even emitting an ear-splitting hum.

It resembled a massive cultivator’s machine operating at full power, or a gigantic beast letting out a low growl.

A tremendous spiritual energy aura radiated outward.

At the same time, all the cultivators in Tongxian City felt their minds shaken and looked toward the Great Black Mountain.

Under the rising sun, they saw multicolored lights shooting skyward.

Array patterns on the mountain lit up one after another, connecting into massive sheets, weaving a huge multicolored curtain. Vast spiritual energy flowed like rivers through the formation.

The formation’s brilliance spread across the deep mountains, splendid and grand, completely suppressing the long-standing bloodthirsty aura!

In that instant, all the cultivators were stunned, their hearts struck by awe.

This was the magnificent grand formation…

Built by their collective effort…

The formation seemed like a manifestation of the grand Heavenly Dao itself.

Powerful enough to make one’s heart race, beautiful enough to captivate the soul.

For all cultivators in Tongxian City, it was the first—and perhaps the only—time in their lives to witness a fully activated top-tier formation!

On a remote southern mountain, Mister Zhuang gazed at the vast formation in the deep mountains, nostalgia in his expression.

Old Kui behind him remained expressionless, murmuring with slightly furrowed brows:

“It… it’s really… completed…”

Meanwhile, Fengxi sensed a deadly threat and roared furiously.

Using all four limbs, it struggled, trying to break free from the formation.

But once inside Mo Hua’s grand formation, escaping was no longer simple.

Mo Hua glanced at it lightly, raised a hand slightly, and the core pattern of the formation flickered.

Suddenly, the ground within the formation became quicksand, swirling rapidly into a vortex at the center.

The Earth-based containment of the Five-Element Formation—the Quicksand Array!

Fengxi’s eyes blazed with fury, limbs flailing, but the ground had turned to shifting sand, leaving it no leverage. It could not break free and was dragged to the formation’s center.

At the heart of the formation lay the core of the Five-Element Demon-Slaying Grand Formation:

The Five-Element Constraining Reformation.

Using stone and earth foundations built by the artificers as the array medium, it formed a labyrinth resembling a Five-Element loop, composed of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, aligned with their respective directional attributes.

West corresponded to Metal, East to Wood, North to Water, South to Fire, and Center to Earth.

Each sector featured a primary array of its element, forming a five-element maze.

Its fundamental principle was twofold: to restrain, and to kill.

Metal sector on the left: restraining with the Metal Lock Array, killing with the Water Sword Array (Metal generates Water).

Wood sector on the right: restraining with the Wood Prison Array, killing with the Fire Rain Array (Wood generates Fire).

Water sector above: restraining with the Overturning Water Array, killing with the Wood Poison Array (Water generates Wood).

Fire sector below: restraining with the Crimson Fire Array, killing with the Earth Split Array (Fire generates Earth).

Earth sector in the center: restraining with the Quicksand Array, killing with the Golden Light Array (Earth generates Metal).

The five-element arrays were interconnected, forming a complete system of restraint and execution.

Restraining arrays confined Fengxi, blocking its movement. Killing arrays drained its blood energy, targeting its life.

By utilizing the generative cycle of the Five Elements, the restraining arrays amplified the killing arrays, maximizing spiritual power and the killing effect.

Adjacent base arrays connected to form a labyrinth.

Surrounding the maze were reinforced earth-and-wood buildings.

Array reinforcements were placed atop the buildings, primarily Earth and Wood, with Metal and Water-Fire arrays interspersed. Supported by the grand formation’s spiritual energy, the structures were indestructible.

Fengxi could not break through, forced to navigate the five-element maze, running left and right, cycling through the constraining and killing arrays until its blood energy was entirely depleted.

The Five Elements rotated, severing all life—this was the top-tier, eleven-pattern Five-Element Demon-Slaying Grand Formation!

Fengxi, caught in the Quicksand Array, initially landed in the central Earth sector.

The surging spiritual energy and roaring circulation within the formation signaled immense danger to the furious, simple-minded beast.

It slammed repeatedly into the maze walls.

Boom! Yet the walls, reinforced by spiritual energy, did not break. The array lights on them dimmed slightly, evidence of the energy spent.

Mo Hua adjusted his Divine Sense, guiding new spiritual energy to flow in instantly, restoring the array lights.

Fengxi’s repeated attempts failed, forcing it to follow the maze in a desperate escape.

But the Quicksand Array held it, the ground sinking underfoot. Fengxi’s movements were slow and cumbersome.

Meanwhile, golden arrays on both sides lit up, forming hundreds of golden sword lights, raining down on Fengxi repeatedly, shredding its blood energy.

The immense spiritual energy and merciless killing power sent chills through all Foundation Establishment cultivators at the formation’s periphery.

“So this is the power of a top-tier constraining-killing formation…”

Although a first-grade formation and only at the Qi Refining stage, the sheer number of arrays was terrifying!

The killing arrays, like thousands of cultivators casting spells simultaneously, dense as torrential rain—no place to hide, no way to defend.

Once caught in such a formation, even a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators forming Dao Soldiers would likely face certain death.