Su Zhiyu was standing on a mountain rock, her Yingxue Sword sheathed. A few dozen feet in front of them, clouds of red mist pervaded the forest. Even with Ding Su's eyesight, they could only see a distance of a hundred feet.
"I was looking down from the peak just now." Su Zhiyu said leisurely,"This Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Array has four gates, which is exactly the number of the four symbols of wind, cloud, thunder, and lightning." Right now, we are standing at the south of the demonic formation, the entrance to the lightning gate. Now was the time when the Yin Qi was extremely abundant at midnight, which was the perfect time to counter the power of the Thunder Fire.”
As soon as he entered the demonic array, he was immediately surrounded by red light that filled the sky. It was indescribably eerie. The two swords, Xue Yuan and Ying Xue, simultaneously trembled in their sheaths as a warning. Waves of heat swept over from all directions, causing Ding Yuan and Su Zhiyu to feel as if they had fallen into a copper furnace.
The grass under their feet had withered and turned yellow, and charred leaves fluttered in the mountain mist. The dried up land was emitting milky white steam, and a scorching wave of air rose from under his feet. If it was an ordinary person, they would probably be roasted to death within a hundred steps and turn into a dried corpse.
Su Zhiyu carefully took nine steps forward, then stopped and looked down at a small mound beside her feet. This small mound was about three inches tall, and there were three rows of nine stones placed side by side on it. It didn't seem to have anything special on a normal day. However, Su Zhiyu frowned slightly and counted with her right hand for a long time before she slowly exhaled and said,"So the person who set up the formation used the 'Three-Three Art', which could actually produce thirty-six variations with the Four Symbols Formation. I almost underestimated him just now!”
Ding Yuan did not study Qimen Dunjia, so he asked,""Yu 'Er, could it be that there's something in this mound?”
Su Zhiyu smiled sweetly. She bent down and gently moved the stone in the left corner of the mound to the middle, then pushed the middle stone to the lower left corner. The arrangement of the nine stones was like a game of chess, but in the eyes of outsiders, it did not make any sense.
A sudden change occurred fifty feet ahead of them. With a boom, a cluster of purple light exploded in the air, forming a two-foot-tall door of light.
Thunder rumbled faintly from the door of light. Balls of black gas surged out, but they were forced to the side by the protective Genuine Qi of the two people and could not get close. However, the thick stench in the black gas still made people feel abnormally uncomfortable, and their breathing was also affected.
Ding Yuan was a little surprised. He didn't understand why Su Zhiyu didn't activate the Skyheart Lamp.
"Brother Ding, please take three steps to the west." Su Zhiyu pondered for a moment and said.”Ding Yuan didn't know what was going on, but he did as he was told. Suddenly, a bright red light flashed in front of his eyes, and he couldn't see Su Zhiyu. He heard Su Zhiyu's pleasant voice say anxiously,"Four more steps back to the south!"
Ding Yuan didn't dare to be negligent. He identified the direction and took four steps towards the south. The red light dissipated and returned to its previous state. However, he was already standing in front of the purple light door.
Seeing that Ding Yuan was fine, Su Zhiyu heaved a sigh of relief and said,"This is one of the Nine Palace Illusion Gates. If you don't understand the mysteries of this formation, you will never be able to open this door, let alone pass through the Nine Light Demon Formation.”
This was the first time Ding Yuanshang had seen the wonders of formations."If I hadn't brought Yu 'er here, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to find the entrance to the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Formation. It seems that the Greater World is as vast as the ocean of smoke, but I was almost a frog at the bottom of a well. If he had free time in the future, he would definitely spend some effort on Qimen Dun Jia. Otherwise, even if he had the ability to penetrate the heavens and earth, he would still be in danger of falling into a strange array.”
Ding Yuan had just stepped into the door of light with his left foot when a shrill scream came from the front. A female ghost with disheveled hair and thick green juice all over her body pounced out from behind the tree with a terrifying golden light in her eyes. She stretched out two thin and long claws to grab Ding Yuan.
Just as Ding Yuan was about to retaliate, Su Zhiyu moved closer to him and struck out like lightning. Her jade-like fingers pressed on his right arm and she whispered,"Don't move!"
Ding Yuan was stunned. Before he could think about it, the female ghost had already pounced over ten feet away. The cold wind and the unpleasant smell of rotting corpses could be clearly felt. However, at this moment, the female ghost suddenly transformed into a cloud of green mist that slowly rose up and disappeared above the red mist.
"What's going on?" Ding Yuan asked, relieved.”
"This female ghost is just an illusion, but you must not attack it." Su Zhiyu smiled. Otherwise, if the formation is triggered by the qi, not only will the female ghost turn from illusion to reality, but it will also cause the formation to change and put us in danger. This was also the reason why I didn't dare to use the Heavenheart Lamp.”
Ding Yuan recalled the situation just now and found that there was indeed something strange. Although this female ghost looked ferocious and her aura was shocking, he did not feel the slightest killing intent. However, this subtle difference was often overlooked in the face of imminent danger. If it was not for Su Zhiyu's reminder, he would have already made his move.
At this moment, Su Zhiyu's face suddenly turned slightly red. She let go of Ding Yuan's delicate hand, and her heart inexplicably beat several times. Ding Yuan was so focused on the magic array that he did not notice the changes in the girl beside him. Moreover, in his heart, Su Zhiyu was like the little sister who loved to cry.
Su Zhiyu saw that Ding Yuan seemed to be unaware of it and sighed to herself. She didn't know if it was because she was disappointed or because she had avoided the awkward comfort. She collected her emotions and looked around, silently calculating the changes in the Nine Palaces and Four Symbols. The shadows of the trees were still dancing around the two of them, and the red light pervaded the air. However, there was a faint rumbling of thunder above their heads. Who knew how many unknown dangers and killing intent were hidden in the darkness a hundred feet away?
Su Zhiyu calculated the formation while carefully advancing. Although she was also unable to determine the exact location of the Phoenix Perching Valley in the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Array, according to the array theory, it should be in the center of the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Array. This was also in line with the scene she had seen from high above.
Su Zhiyu suddenly took nine steps straight and three steps back, then three steps to the left and nine steps back to the right. Her footwork seemed to be chaotic, but it was in line with the way of the array. Although there were many illusions along the way, they did not really encounter any attacks. Sometimes, when they saw a tree three feet away and were about to crash into it, it would always be there no matter how they walked. It was as if it was following them like a shadow, maintaining a distance of three feet from them. Sometimes, a stream blocked the way, but when he stepped on it, it was solid ground. When he looked back, the stream was already behind him.
These strange things happened one after another, and Ding Yuan gradually became used to it. He just kept his spirit and followed Su Zhiyu. After walking in the formation for more than two hours, he heard the clear sound of water in front of him. It was hidden in the depths of the fog and could not be seen clearly. At first, Ding Yuan thought that it was another stream, so he didn't think much of it. However, when he walked closer, he realized that it was actually a waterfall that fell from the sky. He wondered how many miles wide it was.
Su Zhiyu stood by the pool where the waterfall gathered and pondered for a while. She looked around and said,"According to the Nine Pearl Heavenly Trigram, we walked a total of 999 steps after entering the formation. It should be the time when the lightning ends and the clouds rise, and the fire dies and the water rises.”
Ding Yuan had read some books about the Nine Gem Heavenly Divination before and knew that it was the Book of Heavenly Divination passed down by the ancient master, Jiu Ji Zi. It was said that the original text was only 4,589 words and 637 sentences. It was divided into two volumes, which combined the four elements, five elements, six directions, seven stars, and the number of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces. However, this monumental work of only a few thousand words was full of pearls of wisdom. It explained the mysteries of the heavenly principles and the true nature of the black and yellow. It was an immortal book that could not be written in this world. Unfortunately, it was gradually lost, and many researchers were unable to recover its essence. It was only rumored that the full text was recorded in the second volume of the Book of Heavenly Dao.
He understood what Su Zhiyu had said,"When the thunder is gone, the clouds will rise. When the fire is extinguished, the water will rise." He nodded and said,"In that case, the way out still has to land on the waterfall.”
Su Zhiyu nodded and smiled." Brother Ding is right. I'm thinking about how to crack this Water Cloud Gate."”She took four steps forward and one of her boots stepped into the pool. Su Zhiyu didn't seem to notice it. After a slight pause, she seemed to calculate her position. She took three steps to the northeast and stood on a rock.
Su Zhiyu turned around and waved at Ding Yuan."Brother Ding, follow my method.”Ding Yuan walked to Su Zhiyu's side and looked down to see what kind of mountain rock he had landed on. It was clearly a small boat that was more than three meters long. Its entire body was like a lotus leaf, floating gently on the pool water!
When he turned his head back, the demonic aura and red light were all gone. It was clearly a beautiful scenery. Looking forward, the waterfall suddenly split in the middle, revealing a pitch-black hole. Black clouds rolled inside, and the depth was unknown.
Suddenly, he felt a tremor under his feet. The lotus leaf boat moved without any wind and sailed towards the cave entrance. Arriving at the entrance of the cave, Su Zhiyu and Ding Yuan stepped off the boat and stepped on the wet mossy ground. Strange rumbling sounds rang in their ears. A gust of cold wind blew from the cave, mixed with an incomparable stench. Su Zhiyu could not help but cover her nose and hold her breath.
Ding Yuan raised his eyes and looked inside. He saw countless bean-sized yellow eyes in the dark hole, flickering with a demonic light. They were like ghost flames that were densely scattered. He did not know what they were.
He focused his eyes, and his eyes flashed like cold stars. Through the layers of black clouds, he vaguely saw thousands of black-feathered bats hanging on the cave wall. A cold yellow light shot out from their eyes. Seeing so many feathered beasts at once, Ding Yuan's heart tightened even though he wasn't afraid. Thinking of Master Shen Ya's Fire Crow, it was really a piece of cake.
Fortunately, the bats only perched on the cave wall and did not act up. Su Zhiyu naturally saw it and whispered,"Brother Ding, this is an illusion created by the Nine Light Soul Extinguisher. As long as we follow the formation, we will be fine.”
Ding Yuan chuckled." It's hard to tell whether this damned place is real or fake. It's ever-changing. Unless you've mastered the Heavenly Divine Eyes, you're no different from a blind man."”
"The Nine Light Soul Extinguisher is the most precious treasure of the Demonic Sect. Even if you have the cultivation of the Heavenly Eye Illuminating Demon, it won't work." Su Zhiyu sighed. It's a pity that my power is not enough, otherwise I would not have to go through so much trouble to destroy those nine demon lamps.”As they spoke, the two of them moved forward and backward in order, walking along the cave.
The cave was winding, sometimes wide open, sometimes only a few feet wide. The black-feathered bats almost all stuck to their bodies. Su Zhiyu concentrated on her calculations as she moved forward. She didn't feel like she would make a single mistake, or else the black clouds would destroy her.
This time, Ding Yuan also paid attention to the number of steps he took. When he took the three hundred and sixty-ninth step, a sudden change occurred. The bats that had been quietly waiting on the stone wall suddenly spread their wings and pressed down on Ding Su and his companion in a dark mass. "Close your eyes and don't move!" Su Zhiyu shouted in a low voice.”
Ding Yuan immediately closed his eyes when he heard this. He heard the wind whistling in his ears, and the ground seemed to be shaking non-stop as if there was an earthquake. After the time it took to brew half a cup of tea, the wind stopped and the surroundings returned to silence. "Brother Ding, you can open your eyes now." Su Zhiyu whispered into Ding Yuan's ear.”
Ding Yuan slowly opened his eyes. Not only had the bat disappeared, but the original cave had also disappeared. The surroundings were clearly shrouded in light and fog, and the shadows of the trees swayed. It seemed to have returned to its original appearance. However, he could vaguely see a white light flickering ten feet ahead. It was the entrance to a valley.
Ding Yuan's spirits were lifted. He looked at Su Zhiyu and said happily,"Yu 'er, could it be that the Perched Phoenix Valley is in front?”
Su Zhiyu nodded and said," We're already in the array. That white light might be emitted by some treasure. It can resist the magic lamp, which is why the valley is safe." It seemed that there was indeed someone in the Phoenix Perch Valley.”
Suddenly, a cold sneer sounded from afar,""Where did this junior come from? How dare he barge into my immortal formation?”This voice came from nowhere, but it came from all directions, as if the speaker was right beside his ear.
Su Zhiyu immediately stopped and whispered,"We've been discovered. I'm afraid we're in trouble.”
"Since you claim to be a senior expert, why are you hiding your head and tail?" Ding Yuan asked. If you still have the slightest bit of ambition, come out and meet us. We are waiting here!”His voice wasn't loud, but it was delivered with rich zhenqi. Even from tens of miles away, one could hear it. However, outside of the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Array, they were blocked by the array and could not detect anything that was happening inside, let alone hear Ding Yuan's voice.
The voice laughed out loud." When I was roaming the Heavenly Continent, I was afraid that your grandfather was still wearing open-crotch pants. How dare you, a child, lecture me?" If I don't give you a taste of my power, you won't know how high the sky is.”
Su Zhiyu snorted and said," Don't brag, old man. Although the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Spell is powerful, it's too ferocious. It's not the best array in the world." Not to mention the fact that it's much weaker than the Cloud Forest Zen Temple's Vairocana Formation, the Jade River Styx Sword Formation might not lose to you!”
That person sneered," Girl, you sure have big words. Today, I'll let you know the power of the Nine Light Soul Destroyer!"”
As he spoke, the purple light above his head exploded. The three purple-eyed magic lamps floated into the air like ghosts, emitting a bewitching light that enveloped the mountains and fields within a radius of several miles. The flowers, trees, rocks, and caves were all covered in a layer of desolate purple light. It was indescribably strange.
"Not good!" Su Zhiyu's beautiful face changed slightly.”
Before he could finish his words, a deafening thunder exploded in the air. The strong wind that could topple mountains and overturn the seas echoed the thunder and bombarded down like Mount Tai, spitting out terrifying red and purple light. The pine trees and cypresses around them let out strange squeaking sounds and started to move rapidly. They were like a group of ghosts dancing and a hundred demons howling wildly. The world spun and the scenery changed drastically.
Su Zhiyu raised the Skyheart Lamp with her flying hand, and a soft red light gushed out to meet the rolling wind from the sky. The Skyheart Lamp let out a long "ding" sound and shook violently in the clash of light and flame. Dazzling sparks burst out in the surroundings.
Ding Yuan's heart was filled with alarm, and without thinking, he and Su Zhiyu both jumped into the air. As soon as the tip of his foot left the ground, a series of cracking sounds could be heard from below. The ground cracked open, forming a ravine that was dozens of feet wide. A puff of black gas rose up, shooting out strings of purple flames.
Ding Yuanren crossed his fists in the air and swept up two strong gusts of wind to blast downwards. It was the "This" Formula of the Twenty-Two Words Fist. The balls of fire were blown away by the wind created by the punch. Most of them hit trees and rocks, shattering them into pieces and scattering them all over the ground.
Su Zhiyu's Yingxue Sword was unsheathed, and a beautiful flash of lightning cut off a black wandering soul that was charging at Ding Yuan. It turned out that in the middle of the fire, there were countless black fog-like wandering souls dragging long figures as they charged over. As they were coming out of the ground, the Skyheart Lamp was unable to do anything.
At this moment, the surrounding trees had already stopped moving, but the ancient trees in the north had moved to an unknown place. A cliff that reached straight into the sky suddenly rose up on the flat ground, blocking the two people's path. The white light at the entrance of the valley could no longer be seen. The cliff was densely covered with countless diagrams that were about ten feet in size, like talismans and totems, flickering with blood-red dark light.
Suddenly, the patterns appeared on the cliff with a sizzling sound. They quickly enlarged and turned into all kinds of blood-red rolling thunder. They were either fast or slow, as if ten thousand horses were galloping over.
In the south of the demonic formation, a dark cloud surged, covering the sky for half a day. Yellow cloud pillars rose up and turned into thousands of cloud demon soldiers in the sky. Each of them was more than ten meters tall, but only the upper half of their bodies were covered by yellow clouds. The giant spirit waved strange weapons in its big hands and rushed over like a huge wave.
The east side of the demonic formation was even more dangerous. The sky was suffused with enchanting purple orchids, reflecting the mountains, rocks, and trees. In the layers of clouds and mist, countless purple lightning bolts tore through the sky and crisscrossed, like a heavenly axe divine sword that could split mountains and collapse mountains, slashing toward the two of them.
On the west side of Ding Yuan and Su Zhiyu, there was also a storm. The howling wind seemed to have a physical form. It flickered with a green light and formed rows of wind pillars that were hundreds of feet tall. The stones on the ground were sent flying, and the ground was almost lifted up.
It turned out that the person who set up the formation had been ridiculed by Ding Yuan and Su Zhiyu, and was afraid that they would cooperate with the people trapped in the valley, so he drove the purple pupil magic lamp to change the formation in order to kill the two people quickly.
Fortunately, he had the protection of the Heavenheart Lamp. Otherwise, even a Perfected Golden Immortal would be destroyed in body and soul if he was careless. At this moment, a terrifying wail and howl came from above his head. If he was not brave enough, his internal organs would have been shattered. Tens of strange-looking ferocious birds and magical beasts, each as big as a small hill, leaped out from the light fog above and attacked the Skyheart Lamp like a storm.
The Heavenheart Lamp was worthy of being an ancient treasure. Under the attack of the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Formation from five sides, it was like an iron wall. The gentle red light was like a candle in the wind, but it never extinguished, blocking the fierce attacks. However, the area covered by the light was gradually shrinking. It looked like the wind and rain were swaying and could not hold on.
What was even more troublesome was that the person who set up the array was still hidden in the dark. If he took advantage of the situation to launch a sneak attack, it would be even more difficult for the two of them to resist.
Ding Yuan understood that these changes were most likely caused by the Purple-Eyed Magic Lamp above his head, but now that the light fog was rising, how could he still see the Purple-Eyed Magic Lamp? He focused his mind and used his spiritual perception to probe upwards. Finally, he vaguely sensed the location of the magic lamp.
Without any hesitation, he waved his hand and took out three Stone Pearl. That day, Zeng Shan had given him the Stone Pearl just for the game, but he had never thought that it would come in handy this time. The Stone Rock Pearl emitted three streams of five-colored light and instantly disappeared into the layers of light fog.
Three muffled sounds suddenly rang out in the air, and a colorful rain of light scattered down. The entire world seemed to shake violently for a few times. The murderous aura in the formation froze for a moment, and all kinds of illusions suddenly froze. The Stone Rock Pearl flew back, its color much dimmer, as if it had also been severely injured.
Su Zhiyu's bright eyes flashed as she shouted," Nine Palaces Ascending, Four Symbols Killing Strike! So that's how it is!"”Yingxue brandished her sword, and a ball of snow light forced the group of ghosts to avoid her. She held Ding Yuan's waist with her left hand and the two of them flew towards the mountain wall like birds.
Ding Yuan was shocked, but then he remembered that Su Zhiyu would never kill herself by slamming into the wall. There must be something hidden in this towering cliff. Sure enough, Su Zhiyu raised her right hand lightly. The Rhinoceros Bracelet on her wrist turned into a ray of silver light and hit a pattern on the cliff that looked like the word "Mi". With a "boom", it shattered into pieces, and the debris of the mountain rocks flew everywhere.
The cliff started to shake, like a water curtain. The moment Ding Yuan's head touched the rock, he did not feel any pain. It was as if he had hit air. The white light in front of him flashed and the wind howled, as if he had fallen into the clouds.
Suddenly, a cold air assaulted his back, and a biting cold killing intent silently pressed forward. Even with Ding Yuan and Su Zhiyu's cultivation, they couldn't sense it in advance. It was obvious that this person's cultivation was astonishing. At this moment, half of their bodies were still exposed outside the cliff, and the Skyheart Lamp had been put away by Su Zhiyu. It was a close call.
Su Zhiyu's heart tightened. She knew that the person who had secretly set up the formation saw that she and Ding Yuan were about to escape from the formation, so he attacked them. The other party's control of the fire could not be said to be endless. It was precisely when the two of them turned their backs and left the array that they could not put him in such a passive position sooner or later.
However, she also knew that one of them had to turn around to block the attack in order to protect the other. However, the person who stayed behind not only had a powerful enemy, but he was also trapped in the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Formation. His chances of survival were slim. However, this was still better than both of them being trapped in the array again.
Su Zhiyu had already made up her mind to sacrifice herself to send Ding Yuan out of the array. However, she did not expect Ding Yuan to have the same thoughts.
Ding Yuan thought to himself, If I don't turn around to resist, I'm afraid Yu 'er and I won't be able to escape this calamity. But if I turn around, I will be trapped in the formation again. Yu 'Er is Uncle Su's Auntie Shui's only daughter. If they didn't send me to Emerald Cloud Mountain back then, would I still be alive? No matter what, he had to protect her and not make Uncle Su and the others sad. I'm just an orphan without parents. Even if I die, it's nothing.”
Su Zhiyu's childish face from five years ago appeared in his mind again. He seemed to hear her tender voice saying,"Brother Ding, can you tell me a story?”
Without hesitation, Ding Yuan whispered into Su Zhiyu's ear,"Go, Yu 'Er!" He broke free from Su Zhiyu's left arm and pushed his left palm against her slender waist. The Snowfield Sword turned around and used the "Pillar" to seal the front of his body.
Su Zhiyu suddenly felt that her left hand was empty. She understood Ding Yuan's intention and exclaimed,"Brother Ding!" She wanted to turn around in the air, but a gentle force surged from her waist and sent her into the vast white light. Ding Yuan's calm voice was faintly heard,""Go, Yu 'Er!" Her eyes instantly became moist, and tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to turn around and look for Ding Yuan's figure again, but there was a white blur. Where was his shadow?
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Su Zhiyu was standing on a mountain rock, her Yingxue Sword sheathed. A few dozen feet in front of them, clouds of red mist pervaded the forest. Even with Ding Su's eyesight, they could only see a distance of a hundred feet.
"I was looking down from the peak just now." Su Zhiyu said leisurely,"This Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Array has four gates, which is exactly the number of the four symbols of wind, cloud, thunder, and lightning." Right now, we are standing at the south of the demonic formation, the entrance to the lightning gate. Now was the time when the Yin Qi was extremely abundant at midnight, which was the perfect time to counter the power of the Thunder Fire.”
As soon as he entered the demonic array, he was immediately surrounded by red light that filled the sky. It was indescribably eerie. The two swords, Xue Yuan and Ying Xue, simultaneously trembled in their sheaths as a warning. Waves of heat swept over from all directions, causing Ding Yuan and Su Zhiyu to feel as if they had fallen into a copper furnace.
The grass under their feet had withered and turned yellow, and charred leaves fluttered in the mountain mist. The dried up land was emitting milky white steam, and a scorching wave of air rose from under his feet. If it was an ordinary person, they would probably be roasted to death within a hundred steps and turn into a dried corpse.
Su Zhiyu carefully took nine steps forward, then stopped and looked down at a small mound beside her feet. This small mound was about three inches tall, and there were three rows of nine stones placed side by side on it. It didn't seem to have anything special on a normal day. However, Su Zhiyu frowned slightly and counted with her right hand for a long time before she slowly exhaled and said,"So the person who set up the formation used the 'Three-Three Art', which could actually produce thirty-six variations with the Four Symbols Formation. I almost underestimated him just now!”
Ding Yuan did not study Qimen Dunjia, so he asked,""Yu 'Er, could it be that there's something in this mound?”
Su Zhiyu smiled sweetly. She bent down and gently moved the stone in the left corner of the mound to the middle, then pushed the middle stone to the lower left corner. The arrangement of the nine stones was like a game of chess, but in the eyes of outsiders, it did not make any sense.
A sudden change occurred fifty feet ahead of them. With a boom, a cluster of purple light exploded in the air, forming a two-foot-tall door of light.
Thunder rumbled faintly from the door of light. Balls of black gas surged out, but they were forced to the side by the protective Genuine Qi of the two people and could not get close. However, the thick stench in the black gas still made people feel abnormally uncomfortable, and their breathing was also affected.
Ding Yuan was a little surprised. He didn't understand why Su Zhiyu didn't activate the Skyheart Lamp.
"Brother Ding, please take three steps to the west." Su Zhiyu pondered for a moment and said.”Ding Yuan didn't know what was going on, but he did as he was told. Suddenly, a bright red light flashed in front of his eyes, and he couldn't see Su Zhiyu. He heard Su Zhiyu's pleasant voice say anxiously,"Four more steps back to the south!"
Ding Yuan didn't dare to be negligent. He identified the direction and took four steps towards the south. The red light dissipated and returned to its previous state. However, he was already standing in front of the purple light door.
Seeing that Ding Yuan was fine, Su Zhiyu heaved a sigh of relief and said,"This is one of the Nine Palace Illusion Gates. If you don't understand the mysteries of this formation, you will never be able to open this door, let alone pass through the Nine Light Demon Formation.”
This was the first time Ding Yuanshang had seen the wonders of formations."If I hadn't brought Yu 'er here, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to find the entrance to the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Formation. It seems that the Greater World is as vast as the ocean of smoke, but I was almost a frog at the bottom of a well. If he had free time in the future, he would definitely spend some effort on Qimen Dun Jia. Otherwise, even if he had the ability to penetrate the heavens and earth, he would still be in danger of falling into a strange array.”
Ding Yuan had just stepped into the door of light with his left foot when a shrill scream came from the front. A female ghost with disheveled hair and thick green juice all over her body pounced out from behind the tree with a terrifying golden light in her eyes. She stretched out two thin and long claws to grab Ding Yuan.
Just as Ding Yuan was about to retaliate, Su Zhiyu moved closer to him and struck out like lightning. Her jade-like fingers pressed on his right arm and she whispered,"Don't move!"
Ding Yuan was stunned. Before he could think about it, the female ghost had already pounced over ten feet away. The cold wind and the unpleasant smell of rotting corpses could be clearly felt. However, at this moment, the female ghost suddenly transformed into a cloud of green mist that slowly rose up and disappeared above the red mist.
"What's going on?" Ding Yuan asked, relieved.”
"This female ghost is just an illusion, but you must not attack it." Su Zhiyu smiled. Otherwise, if the formation is triggered by the qi, not only will the female ghost turn from illusion to reality, but it will also cause the formation to change and put us in danger. This was also the reason why I didn't dare to use the Heavenheart Lamp.”
Ding Yuan recalled the situation just now and found that there was indeed something strange. Although this female ghost looked ferocious and her aura was shocking, he did not feel the slightest killing intent. However, this subtle difference was often overlooked in the face of imminent danger. If it was not for Su Zhiyu's reminder, he would have already made his move.
At this moment, Su Zhiyu's face suddenly turned slightly red. She let go of Ding Yuan's delicate hand, and her heart inexplicably beat several times. Ding Yuan was so focused on the magic array that he did not notice the changes in the girl beside him. Moreover, in his heart, Su Zhiyu was like the little sister who loved to cry.
Su Zhiyu saw that Ding Yuan seemed to be unaware of it and sighed to herself. She didn't know if it was because she was disappointed or because she had avoided the awkward comfort. She collected her emotions and looked around, silently calculating the changes in the Nine Palaces and Four Symbols. The shadows of the trees were still dancing around the two of them, and the red light pervaded the air. However, there was a faint rumbling of thunder above their heads. Who knew how many unknown dangers and killing intent were hidden in the darkness a hundred feet away?
Su Zhiyu calculated the formation while carefully advancing. Although she was also unable to determine the exact location of the Phoenix Perching Valley in the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Array, according to the array theory, it should be in the center of the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Array. This was also in line with the scene she had seen from high above.
Su Zhiyu suddenly took nine steps straight and three steps back, then three steps to the left and nine steps back to the right. Her footwork seemed to be chaotic, but it was in line with the way of the array. Although there were many illusions along the way, they did not really encounter any attacks. Sometimes, when they saw a tree three feet away and were about to crash into it, it would always be there no matter how they walked. It was as if it was following them like a shadow, maintaining a distance of three feet from them. Sometimes, a stream blocked the way, but when he stepped on it, it was solid ground. When he looked back, the stream was already behind him.
These strange things happened one after another, and Ding Yuan gradually became used to it. He just kept his spirit and followed Su Zhiyu. After walking in the formation for more than two hours, he heard the clear sound of water in front of him. It was hidden in the depths of the fog and could not be seen clearly. At first, Ding Yuan thought that it was another stream, so he didn't think much of it. However, when he walked closer, he realized that it was actually a waterfall that fell from the sky. He wondered how many miles wide it was.
Su Zhiyu stood by the pool where the waterfall gathered and pondered for a while. She looked around and said,"According to the Nine Pearl Heavenly Trigram, we walked a total of 999 steps after entering the formation. It should be the time when the lightning ends and the clouds rise, and the fire dies and the water rises.”
Ding Yuan had read some books about the Nine Gem Heavenly Divination before and knew that it was the Book of Heavenly Divination passed down by the ancient master, Jiu Ji Zi. It was said that the original text was only 4,589 words and 637 sentences. It was divided into two volumes, which combined the four elements, five elements, six directions, seven stars, and the number of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces. However, this monumental work of only a few thousand words was full of pearls of wisdom. It explained the mysteries of the heavenly principles and the true nature of the black and yellow. It was an immortal book that could not be written in this world. Unfortunately, it was gradually lost, and many researchers were unable to recover its essence. It was only rumored that the full text was recorded in the second volume of the Book of Heavenly Dao.
He understood what Su Zhiyu had said,"When the thunder is gone, the clouds will rise. When the fire is extinguished, the water will rise." He nodded and said,"In that case, the way out still has to land on the waterfall.”
Su Zhiyu nodded and smiled." Brother Ding is right. I'm thinking about how to crack this Water Cloud Gate."”She took four steps forward and one of her boots stepped into the pool. Su Zhiyu didn't seem to notice it. After a slight pause, she seemed to calculate her position. She took three steps to the northeast and stood on a rock.
Su Zhiyu turned around and waved at Ding Yuan."Brother Ding, follow my method.”Ding Yuan walked to Su Zhiyu's side and looked down to see what kind of mountain rock he had landed on. It was clearly a small boat that was more than three meters long. Its entire body was like a lotus leaf, floating gently on the pool water!
When he turned his head back, the demonic aura and red light were all gone. It was clearly a beautiful scenery. Looking forward, the waterfall suddenly split in the middle, revealing a pitch-black hole. Black clouds rolled inside, and the depth was unknown.
Suddenly, he felt a tremor under his feet. The lotus leaf boat moved without any wind and sailed towards the cave entrance. Arriving at the entrance of the cave, Su Zhiyu and Ding Yuan stepped off the boat and stepped on the wet mossy ground. Strange rumbling sounds rang in their ears. A gust of cold wind blew from the cave, mixed with an incomparable stench. Su Zhiyu could not help but cover her nose and hold her breath.
Ding Yuan raised his eyes and looked inside. He saw countless bean-sized yellow eyes in the dark hole, flickering with a demonic light. They were like ghost flames that were densely scattered. He did not know what they were.
He focused his eyes, and his eyes flashed like cold stars. Through the layers of black clouds, he vaguely saw thousands of black-feathered bats hanging on the cave wall. A cold yellow light shot out from their eyes. Seeing so many feathered beasts at once, Ding Yuan's heart tightened even though he wasn't afraid. Thinking of Master Shen Ya's Fire Crow, it was really a piece of cake.
Fortunately, the bats only perched on the cave wall and did not act up. Su Zhiyu naturally saw it and whispered,"Brother Ding, this is an illusion created by the Nine Light Soul Extinguisher. As long as we follow the formation, we will be fine.”
Ding Yuan chuckled." It's hard to tell whether this damned place is real or fake. It's ever-changing. Unless you've mastered the Heavenly Divine Eyes, you're no different from a blind man."”
"The Nine Light Soul Extinguisher is the most precious treasure of the Demonic Sect. Even if you have the cultivation of the Heavenly Eye Illuminating Demon, it won't work." Su Zhiyu sighed. It's a pity that my power is not enough, otherwise I would not have to go through so much trouble to destroy those nine demon lamps.”As they spoke, the two of them moved forward and backward in order, walking along the cave.
The cave was winding, sometimes wide open, sometimes only a few feet wide. The black-feathered bats almost all stuck to their bodies. Su Zhiyu concentrated on her calculations as she moved forward. She didn't feel like she would make a single mistake, or else the black clouds would destroy her.
This time, Ding Yuan also paid attention to the number of steps he took. When he took the three hundred and sixty-ninth step, a sudden change occurred. The bats that had been quietly waiting on the stone wall suddenly spread their wings and pressed down on Ding Su and his companion in a dark mass. "Close your eyes and don't move!" Su Zhiyu shouted in a low voice.”
Ding Yuan immediately closed his eyes when he heard this. He heard the wind whistling in his ears, and the ground seemed to be shaking non-stop as if there was an earthquake. After the time it took to brew half a cup of tea, the wind stopped and the surroundings returned to silence. "Brother Ding, you can open your eyes now." Su Zhiyu whispered into Ding Yuan's ear.”
Ding Yuan slowly opened his eyes. Not only had the bat disappeared, but the original cave had also disappeared. The surroundings were clearly shrouded in light and fog, and the shadows of the trees swayed. It seemed to have returned to its original appearance. However, he could vaguely see a white light flickering ten feet ahead. It was the entrance to a valley.
Ding Yuan's spirits were lifted. He looked at Su Zhiyu and said happily,"Yu 'er, could it be that the Perched Phoenix Valley is in front?”
Su Zhiyu nodded and said," We're already in the array. That white light might be emitted by some treasure. It can resist the magic lamp, which is why the valley is safe." It seemed that there was indeed someone in the Phoenix Perch Valley.”
Suddenly, a cold sneer sounded from afar,""Where did this junior come from? How dare he barge into my immortal formation?”This voice came from nowhere, but it came from all directions, as if the speaker was right beside his ear.
Su Zhiyu immediately stopped and whispered,"We've been discovered. I'm afraid we're in trouble.”
"Since you claim to be a senior expert, why are you hiding your head and tail?" Ding Yuan asked. If you still have the slightest bit of ambition, come out and meet us. We are waiting here!”His voice wasn't loud, but it was delivered with rich zhenqi. Even from tens of miles away, one could hear it. However, outside of the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Array, they were blocked by the array and could not detect anything that was happening inside, let alone hear Ding Yuan's voice.
The voice laughed out loud." When I was roaming the Heavenly Continent, I was afraid that your grandfather was still wearing open-crotch pants. How dare you, a child, lecture me?" If I don't give you a taste of my power, you won't know how high the sky is.”
Su Zhiyu snorted and said," Don't brag, old man. Although the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Spell is powerful, it's too ferocious. It's not the best array in the world." Not to mention the fact that it's much weaker than the Cloud Forest Zen Temple's Vairocana Formation, the Jade River Styx Sword Formation might not lose to you!”
That person sneered," Girl, you sure have big words. Today, I'll let you know the power of the Nine Light Soul Destroyer!"”
As he spoke, the purple light above his head exploded. The three purple-eyed magic lamps floated into the air like ghosts, emitting a bewitching light that enveloped the mountains and fields within a radius of several miles. The flowers, trees, rocks, and caves were all covered in a layer of desolate purple light. It was indescribably strange.
"Not good!" Su Zhiyu's beautiful face changed slightly.”
Before he could finish his words, a deafening thunder exploded in the air. The strong wind that could topple mountains and overturn the seas echoed the thunder and bombarded down like Mount Tai, spitting out terrifying red and purple light. The pine trees and cypresses around them let out strange squeaking sounds and started to move rapidly. They were like a group of ghosts dancing and a hundred demons howling wildly. The world spun and the scenery changed drastically.
Su Zhiyu raised the Skyheart Lamp with her flying hand, and a soft red light gushed out to meet the rolling wind from the sky. The Skyheart Lamp let out a long "ding" sound and shook violently in the clash of light and flame. Dazzling sparks burst out in the surroundings.
Ding Yuan's heart was filled with alarm, and without thinking, he and Su Zhiyu both jumped into the air. As soon as the tip of his foot left the ground, a series of cracking sounds could be heard from below. The ground cracked open, forming a ravine that was dozens of feet wide. A puff of black gas rose up, shooting out strings of purple flames.
Ding Yuanren crossed his fists in the air and swept up two strong gusts of wind to blast downwards. It was the "This" Formula of the Twenty-Two Words Fist. The balls of fire were blown away by the wind created by the punch. Most of them hit trees and rocks, shattering them into pieces and scattering them all over the ground.
Su Zhiyu's Yingxue Sword was unsheathed, and a beautiful flash of lightning cut off a black wandering soul that was charging at Ding Yuan. It turned out that in the middle of the fire, there were countless black fog-like wandering souls dragging long figures as they charged over. As they were coming out of the ground, the Skyheart Lamp was unable to do anything.
At this moment, the surrounding trees had already stopped moving, but the ancient trees in the north had moved to an unknown place. A cliff that reached straight into the sky suddenly rose up on the flat ground, blocking the two people's path. The white light at the entrance of the valley could no longer be seen. The cliff was densely covered with countless diagrams that were about ten feet in size, like talismans and totems, flickering with blood-red dark light.
Suddenly, the patterns appeared on the cliff with a sizzling sound. They quickly enlarged and turned into all kinds of blood-red rolling thunder. They were either fast or slow, as if ten thousand horses were galloping over.
In the south of the demonic formation, a dark cloud surged, covering the sky for half a day. Yellow cloud pillars rose up and turned into thousands of cloud demon soldiers in the sky. Each of them was more than ten meters tall, but only the upper half of their bodies were covered by yellow clouds. The giant spirit waved strange weapons in its big hands and rushed over like a huge wave.
The east side of the demonic formation was even more dangerous. The sky was suffused with enchanting purple orchids, reflecting the mountains, rocks, and trees. In the layers of clouds and mist, countless purple lightning bolts tore through the sky and crisscrossed, like a heavenly axe divine sword that could split mountains and collapse mountains, slashing toward the two of them.
On the west side of Ding Yuan and Su Zhiyu, there was also a storm. The howling wind seemed to have a physical form. It flickered with a green light and formed rows of wind pillars that were hundreds of feet tall. The stones on the ground were sent flying, and the ground was almost lifted up.
It turned out that the person who set up the formation had been ridiculed by Ding Yuan and Su Zhiyu, and was afraid that they would cooperate with the people trapped in the valley, so he drove the purple pupil magic lamp to change the formation in order to kill the two people quickly.
Fortunately, he had the protection of the Heavenheart Lamp. Otherwise, even a Perfected Golden Immortal would be destroyed in body and soul if he was careless. At this moment, a terrifying wail and howl came from above his head. If he was not brave enough, his internal organs would have been shattered. Tens of strange-looking ferocious birds and magical beasts, each as big as a small hill, leaped out from the light fog above and attacked the Skyheart Lamp like a storm.
The Heavenheart Lamp was worthy of being an ancient treasure. Under the attack of the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Formation from five sides, it was like an iron wall. The gentle red light was like a candle in the wind, but it never extinguished, blocking the fierce attacks. However, the area covered by the light was gradually shrinking. It looked like the wind and rain were swaying and could not hold on.
What was even more troublesome was that the person who set up the array was still hidden in the dark. If he took advantage of the situation to launch a sneak attack, it would be even more difficult for the two of them to resist.
Ding Yuan understood that these changes were most likely caused by the Purple-Eyed Magic Lamp above his head, but now that the light fog was rising, how could he still see the Purple-Eyed Magic Lamp? He focused his mind and used his spiritual perception to probe upwards. Finally, he vaguely sensed the location of the magic lamp.
Without any hesitation, he waved his hand and took out three Stone Pearl. That day, Zeng Shan had given him the Stone Pearl just for the game, but he had never thought that it would come in handy this time. The Stone Rock Pearl emitted three streams of five-colored light and instantly disappeared into the layers of light fog.
Three muffled sounds suddenly rang out in the air, and a colorful rain of light scattered down. The entire world seemed to shake violently for a few times. The murderous aura in the formation froze for a moment, and all kinds of illusions suddenly froze. The Stone Rock Pearl flew back, its color much dimmer, as if it had also been severely injured.
Su Zhiyu's bright eyes flashed as she shouted," Nine Palaces Ascending, Four Symbols Killing Strike! So that's how it is!"”Yingxue brandished her sword, and a ball of snow light forced the group of ghosts to avoid her. She held Ding Yuan's waist with her left hand and the two of them flew towards the mountain wall like birds.
Ding Yuan was shocked, but then he remembered that Su Zhiyu would never kill herself by slamming into the wall. There must be something hidden in this towering cliff. Sure enough, Su Zhiyu raised her right hand lightly. The Rhinoceros Bracelet on her wrist turned into a ray of silver light and hit a pattern on the cliff that looked like the word "Mi". With a "boom", it shattered into pieces, and the debris of the mountain rocks flew everywhere.
The cliff started to shake, like a water curtain. The moment Ding Yuan's head touched the rock, he did not feel any pain. It was as if he had hit air. The white light in front of him flashed and the wind howled, as if he had fallen into the clouds.
Suddenly, a cold air assaulted his back, and a biting cold killing intent silently pressed forward. Even with Ding Yuan and Su Zhiyu's cultivation, they couldn't sense it in advance. It was obvious that this person's cultivation was astonishing. At this moment, half of their bodies were still exposed outside the cliff, and the Skyheart Lamp had been put away by Su Zhiyu. It was a close call.
Su Zhiyu's heart tightened. She knew that the person who had secretly set up the formation saw that she and Ding Yuan were about to escape from the formation, so he attacked them. The other party's control of the fire could not be said to be endless. It was precisely when the two of them turned their backs and left the array that they could not put him in such a passive position sooner or later.
However, she also knew that one of them had to turn around to block the attack in order to protect the other. However, the person who stayed behind not only had a powerful enemy, but he was also trapped in the Nine Light Soul Extinguishing Formation. His chances of survival were slim. However, this was still better than both of them being trapped in the array again.
Su Zhiyu had already made up her mind to sacrifice herself to send Ding Yuan out of the array. However, she did not expect Ding Yuan to have the same thoughts.
Ding Yuan thought to himself, If I don't turn around to resist, I'm afraid Yu 'er and I won't be able to escape this calamity. But if I turn around, I will be trapped in the formation again. Yu 'Er is Uncle Su's Auntie Shui's only daughter. If they didn't send me to Emerald Cloud Mountain back then, would I still be alive? No matter what, he had to protect her and not make Uncle Su and the others sad. I'm just an orphan without parents. Even if I die, it's nothing.”
Su Zhiyu's childish face from five years ago appeared in his mind again. He seemed to hear her tender voice saying,"Brother Ding, can you tell me a story?”
Without hesitation, Ding Yuan whispered into Su Zhiyu's ear,"Go, Yu 'Er!" He broke free from Su Zhiyu's left arm and pushed his left palm against her slender waist. The Snowfield Sword turned around and used the "Pillar" to seal the front of his body.
Su Zhiyu suddenly felt that her left hand was empty. She understood Ding Yuan's intention and exclaimed,"Brother Ding!" She wanted to turn around in the air, but a gentle force surged from her waist and sent her into the vast white light. Ding Yuan's calm voice was faintly heard,""Go, Yu 'Er!" Her eyes instantly became moist, and tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to turn around and look for Ding Yuan's figure again, but there was a white blur. Where was his shadow?
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