Volume Five: Cast Down and Destitute, Gazing North at the Cloud Stele Chapter Sixteen: Breaking the Formation

The general in the white robe furrowed his brows and barked coldly, “My fourth brother sent me an urgent missive from eight hundred miles away, informing me that someone in Moon-Viewing City was impersonating Lord Yun Palace’s deity. He has been captured, and I was summoned to take him into custody. Yet, despite traveling day and night, I have arrived a moment too late. My fourth brother has fallen by your hand. Today, you shall not leave here alive. Shield bearers, advance and prepare for a fierce assault.”

At his command, over a hundred soldiers, each wielding towering shields taller than a man, stepped forward promptly, forming a tight formation with their great shields planted firmly at the front, producing a dull, resonant clang. Behind them, the spearmen immediately rested their iron pikes, over three meters long, atop the shields. The spear tips gleamed with a chilling, deadly light.

“I’ve long heard that your Yan clan roams across Western Qi Continent, fighting beasts and barbarians with both bravery and strict discipline. Seeing you today, you certainly live up to your reputation,” Zhuo Hua couldn’t help but praise.

The general in white snorted coldly, “Do you think a few flowery words will get you through this situation? Daydream on!”

“Yan Mufeng! Do you truly intend to fight me?” Zhuo Hua activated his Qi Stabilizing Pearl, gathering the surrounding true energy once more. Thousands of newly born energies coalesced within him, gradually forming thick, potent Qi force. He floated midair, his long black hair billowing wildly in the fierce aura like a flourishing ebony tree.

“Trifling tricks!” Yan Mufeng sneered. Then he also stirred his true energy, rising into the air, his robe whipping violently in the wind. The large banner beside him fluttered wildly as well.

Without a word, Yan Mufeng unleashed three consecutive Qi blades, striking at Zhuo Hua’s upper, middle, and lower vital points.

Zhuo Hua, facing such an attack, showed nothing but disdain. He neither dodged nor countered but allowed his protective true energy to absorb these deadly strikes directly.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!” Three sharp sounds rang out as the Qi blades struck the protective aura, creating a massive vortex of energy. Zhuo Hua’s aura surged with a reverse cyclone under the impact. The two vortices intertwined and surged toward Yan clan’s forces, who watched in astonishment.

Yan Mufeng’s heart sank with a silent “Not good!” He quickly flew to the front of his troops, desperately activating his own Stabilizing Qi Pearl, exerting all his strength to block the twin cyclones.

“Looks like we’ve met a tough nut to crack!” Yan Mufeng grumbled internally. After receiving the missive from Yan Muyun, he had assumed he was dealing with a mere petty con artist—just a common trickster of the martial world. Bringing only a small guard contingent, he had intended merely to extort some benefit from his wealthy fourth brother. But upon arrival, he learned his brother had been slain. Hastily forming a formation at the city lord’s mansion, he collided head-on with this foe. Truly ill fortune.

“The letter from my fourth brother only mentioned some petty swindler from the martial world; I never expected such formidable skills. May I ask your name?” After the clash, Yan Mufeng recognized his opponent’s strength and respectfully cupped his fists, inquiring.

“As I just said, I am Zhuo Hua, Lord of Yun Palace. Do you wish to verify my identity?” Zhuo Hua hovered in the air, answering patiently.

“Any token or proof?” Yan Mufeng opened his right palm toward Zhuo Hua.

“Kidnapped by bandits; I carry no token,” Zhuo Hua replied calmly.

“Hmph. Then you must be a charlatan and impostor.”

“I have no time to waste on your quibbles. If you wish to fight, fight. If you want to investigate, investigate. But if you come alone to die, do not drag other worthy sons of the Immortal lineage into this,” Zhuo Hua flicked his sleeve, turned, and slowly descended, entering a side door to pull out Su Mengling, who had been hiding behind a pillar, and strode to leave.

“Wait! Your identity remains unclear, and with my fourth brother’s murder unresolved, how can you simply walk away? Do you think the Yan clan has no one left?” Yan Mufeng pointed his long sword, and the soldiers immediately shifted formation.

They formed groups of five: two massive shield bearers in front, two iron spearmen behind, and a crossbowman at the rear holding a heavy crossbow aimed directly at Zhuo Hua. The longbow carried earlier was now slung behind his back.

Five such groups arranged themselves like converging corners, spreading in a crescent shape, encircling Zhuo Hua and Su Mengling within.

“You know these ordinary weapons cannot harm a cultivator!” Zhuo Hua looked at the tightening circle, raising his eyes toward Yan Mufeng outside.

“Of course I know that. Do you think I’m a fool?” Yan Mufeng replied coldly.

“A Qi-Breaking Pike?” Zhuo Hua raised his brow slightly, praising casually, “The Yan clan is renowned across the world for ingenious devices. I had forgotten—Yan Mufeng excels in mechanical arts. The foremost ingenious craftsman of Western Qi Continent, indeed well deserved.”

Yan Mufeng planted his sword in the ground and sneered, “Seems you have some insight. A few Qi-Breaking Pikes can only chip away a little of your protective energy, unable to penetrate. But how many can you fend off at once? Moreover, when I close the energy-damaging shield and activate the Five-Plum Energy Depleting Formation, how long will your Stabilizing Qi Pearl endure?”

“The Five-Plum Energy Depleting Formation? That’s your clan’s secret weapon! You flatter me too much,” Zhuo Hua crossed his arms, a faint smile on his face.

“Enough talk. Surrender now, and I might spare your life,” Yan Mufeng threatened aggressively.

“The formation is excellent but not flawless. Years ago, I warned Yan Donglai that the Five-Plum Energy Depleting Formation is not invulnerable. A cultivator of the Spirit rank can easily break it using a contradictory method,” Zhuo Hua said.

Hearing this, Yan Mufeng’s heart chilled. Such clan secrets—how could this man know them?

Yet he still growled harshly, “Do you think your clever words will save you? Kneel and beg for mercy now, and I might lessen your torment.”

The five plum-shaped shields rapidly closed together, linking into one imposing shield wall. Within, Zhuo Hua and Su Mengling felt the surrounding air grow thin. Suddenly, above their heads, a dense array of iron pikes sealed off their escape. These spear tips were broad and connected side by side, blotting out the sunlight entirely.

“Release the arrows!” Yan Mufeng waved his sword and pointed into the formation. The crossbowman in the small plum formation had already loaded special bolts. These bolts glowed faintly green, designed not primarily to kill but to gradually drain the protective true energy of their target.

The energy-draining shield, a dull, unassuming artifact, specializes in absorbing true energy. Lower-level cultivators can easily activate it with a small amount of Qi to suck the energy from the fan-shaped area in front. The absorbed energy flows among the five-person groups, granting the Five-Plum Formation terrifying endurance in prolonged combat.

These two artifacts, combined with the special formation, usually prevent even a Spirit-rank cultivator from lasting a full day. By nightfall, exhaustion of true energy ensures death.

Yet, no formation is truly invincible.

As a volley of arrows rained down, Zhuo Hua cradled Su Mengling in his arms, moving with unbelievable agility within the Five-Plum Energy Depleting Formation. Not a single crossbow bolt pierced his protective aura. Furthermore, each bolt that flew past him had significant Qi infused into its tail.

Thus, the incoming bolts did not harm Zhuo Hua or Su Mengling but instead pierced the energy-depleting shields, turning them into prickly hedgehogs.

The shields and bolts repelled each other. Without continuous Qi infusion, the formation faltered. After three volleys, Zhuo Hua gathered the last of his energy and struck one plum-shaped shield. With a sharp snap, the shield shattered, sending five soldiers flying over six meters, collapsing and coughing up blood.

One plum shield broken caused the rest to falter under the strain, and Zhuo Hua kicked them apart with his foot.

“Who are you, and how do you know to break this formation?” Yan Mufeng looked upon the fallen guards with shock and fear, a grim premonition taking hold.

“I’ve told you countless times; he is Zhuo Hua, Lord of Yun Palace!” Su Mengling shouted hoarsely at Yan Mufeng.

“This Five-Plum Formation was once exquisite, but the Qi-Breaking Pike and Energy-Depleting Shield are naturally antagonistic. Though you covered the shield with Mountain Beast hide to resist the pike’s power during direct clashes, how could you block the Qi infused into every bolt? After piercing the hide, the pike’s effect nullified the shield’s magic. This is the contradictory method I spoke of to break the formation,” Zhuo Hua explained as he approached Yan Mufeng.

The white-robed, scholarly general hesitated, lowering his sword. He murmured, “My father only mentioned this secret formation breaking technique to me. No one else knows it. My father would never spread this knowledge around. Could it be...”

Suddenly, he threw his sword aside, knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and clasped his fists. “Your servant Yan Mufeng, unaware the Lord was here, offended your grace. I deserve death!”

Zhuo Hua’s expression remained indifferent as he said calmly, “This matter will be recorded for now. Yan Muyun has been executed by me. You shall enter and help retrieve his body. Furthermore, there are three tasks you must immediately carry out.”

Sweat soaked Yan Mufeng’s back as he hurriedly replied, “At your command, Lord. Mufeng will not hesitate.”

“First, send men to find the body of Su Kuang, the Su family patriarch, and bring it to the Su mansion. Second, publicly reveal the frame-up against Yan Muyun that wrongfully accused and killed Su Kuang, restoring his honor. Third, procure the finest divine stone materials in the city for me; I will craft the Stabilizing Qi Pearl and the Azure Moon Pearl.”

Without hesitation, Yan Mufeng rose and immediately set about fulfilling Zhuo Hua’s orders.

After they departed, Zhuo Hua turned to Su Mengling and said, “Ling’er, do not worry. Once they gather the materials, I will begin crafting the Azure Moon Pearl. It should take about three days and nights. Then, your father can be revived. Generally, those brought back within five days regain their former vitality entirely.”

Su Mengling nodded, tears welling as she recalled her father’s unjust death on the streets. Sobbing, she said, “I wonder if Father would want to be resurrected—he was so stubborn... sigh.”

Zhuo Hua pulled her close, gently patting her back to comfort her.