Chapter 1165: Break Through Formation
After Ye Mo raised the point, everyone understood. They had clearly chosen a different direction; how had they encountered those cultivators? “Did we enter a maze, seemingly moving but actually remaining in the same place?” Tang Beiwei asked anxiously.
“It’s a formation, and we’re definitely not stationary, as the spiritual energy is growing denser,” Ye Mo replied.
No one spoke; all agreed with Ye Mo. This was likely a formation, and he was the only one among them with the necessary knowledge. Ye Mo remained silent for a long time before saying, “Let’s not move. Let me find a solution.”
He then erected a defensive formation using formation flags. Undisturbed, the others sat, cultivating or observing the dense clusters of Spirit Devouring Bugs. A few hours later, another howl echoed. Everyone knew the two relying on the defensive formation had reached their limit and been devoured. Lin Yiban shuddered involuntarily; had he not been with Ye Mo and brought Xu Tong here himself, that would have been his fate.
Ye Mo ignored the outside, calming himself and carefully listening to the earth. He was certain it was a maze formation, but his formation skills were insufficient to discern it. He knew attempting to use his spiritual sense was futile—a formation master of this caliber could easily create several illusory formations to mislead him.
Since sight and spiritual sense failed, he used his hearing. He doubted the formation master could distort sound, and he certainly didn't expect anyone to sit among the Spirit Devouring Bugs for hours listening. No cultivator would have the patience for such a task, but Ye Mo could, thanks to Shadowless and the Three Birth Chant, which allowed him to maintain focus.
Time passed slowly; Ye Mo sat for half a day. No one worried; Luo Ying, Qingxue, Tang Beiwei, and the others followed Ye Mo wherever he went. If he died, they would not wish to live. The others knew Ye Mo was their only hope of escape.
Ye Mo rose and began taking out formation flags. He heard a gurgling sound from one direction—irregular, but originating from the path they had just taken. All other directions were silent except for the rustling of the Spirit Devouring Bugs.
Ye Mo set up an anti-disruption formation in that direction, and a faint area of visibility appeared. Before, their vision was limited, but after Ye Mo’s formation, they could see farther. He smiled, knowing his method was correct. Turning to the others, he said, “Following this path will work.”
They proceeded in this manner for several kilometers, Ye Mo pausing to listen, changing directions, and setting up another formation before continuing. This continued for five days.
This time, Ye Mo didn't set up a formation, as the gurgling sound was directly ahead. However, despite looking forward, he only saw the fine, sand-like Spirit Devouring Bugs. Moving forward weakened the sound; retreating intensified it.
Seeing everyone's gaze, Ye Mo stated, “If I'm not mistaken, there's a stealth formation here, but my formation skills are too weak to detect it.”
“Husband, how about you tell us the formation's direction, and we attack together?” Ning Qingxue suggested.
Ye Mo clapped his hands. “Yes! Why didn't I think of that? No matter how powerful a stealth formation is, it remains a stealth formation. Even weak attacks should reveal it.”
He then fired a fireball, stating, “It’s there; everyone, attack!” His fireball stopped mid-air, confirming his assessment. This was indeed a stealth formation with defensive capabilities.
Lin Yiban and the others rejoiced, releasing their magic artifacts. With the two Body Condensation state cultivators, Lin Yiban and Xu Tong, their attacks significantly improved.
But Ye Mo ceased his attack upon seeing the formation's outline. It was a type of stealth formation he'd never encountered. The methods used to lay it were unimaginable. Some formation flags were hidden mid-air, nourished by spiritual energy; they required no spirit stones.
Ye Mo set up another defensive formation around everyone and sat down to study this formation. Rumbling sounds increased as more of the formation was revealed by their attacks, yet it remained unbroken. As soon as they stopped attacking, the stealth formation slowly recovered.
Even Lin Yiban and Xu Tong were astonished by this powerful formation; they had never seen anything like it, especially a stealth formation of this caliber. Everyone watched Ye Mo study the formation, understanding they had to continue attacking to reveal more for his analysis.
Ye Mo immersed himself completely. This formation's complexity was comparable to his own skills. However, he knew he was only a Formation Grand Master; he hadn't yet developed his own unique system.
Another day passed, and Ye Mo began creating formation flags. Upon completion, he announced, “No need to attack anymore. This isn’t primarily a defensive formation, but with our power, we couldn't break it even if we attacked for a month.”
He knew it was a top-grade formation. Even Truth Realization state cultivators would require specific methods to break it, let alone those at the Body Condensation state.
After everyone stopped, Ye Mo began placing formation flags, then retracting and repositioning them repeatedly. He tested this hundreds of times before abruptly halting.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Beiwei inquired anxiously.
“I understand.” A completely new formation theory formed in Ye Mo’s mind. Position wasn't the sole factor in formation calculation; space, and perhaps even time, were also involved. But for now, he didn't understand space, much less time.
This didn't matter; Ye Mo had a new perspective on formations. He continued placing formation flags. A passage opened before them.
“It’s open!” Everyone rejoiced, though still slightly apprehensive despite Shadowless's presence. These Spirit Devouring Bugs killed even Body Condensation state cultivators, much less lower-level cultivators.
No one entered the tunnel; they waited for Ye Mo. He closed his eyes, contemplated, then opened them. He had reached level seven Formation Grand Master. His methods had become a new system. With diligent effort, surpassing Ji Ling would not be difficult.
The thought of Ji Ling fueled Ye Mo’s rage toward the Infinity Sect and Lightning Cloud Sect. He vowed that upon reaching the Truth Realization state, he would eradicate them from the continent.
Composing himself, Ye Mo saw everyone watching him. He immediately said, “There’s no danger; you go first. I’ll follow.”
He needed to go last to retrieve the formation flags. The passage wouldn't remain secret long, and he didn't want to leave it open to others, or even the Spirit Devouring Bugs. As they entered the tunnel, Ye Mo retrieved the flags, and the passage vanished.