Chapter 771: Fight the Formation
Locked in the formation, Hui shifted a little, trying to sit up, but the weight locked his shoulders down and held him flat against the altar. As I thought, I cant just sit up and walk away. Well, it would be a shitty formation if the victim could just walk out of it.
Hui quietly probed the spell around him, searching it for an entry point. The formation moved constantly, shifting beneath his touch. He drew out his phoenix fire, changing a few of the songbirds to death qi, then touching the formation with the thin tendrils. The formation stood firm, completely unbothered.
Dont even try. You cant comprehend it, the Golden Immortal scoffed.
If thats the case, whats the harm in me trying? Or could it be? Is Senior worried? Hui asked.
Youre the one who should be worried. Im using you to call your world to this one, you know, the Golden Immortal informed him.
Then let me do the worrying, Senior, and you focus on your formation, Hui responded, still focused on the spell.
The Golden Immortal shook his head. He turned away, focusing on some other part of the spell.
Turning all his attention to the formation around him, Hui went back to probing it. Now that Senior thinks that I cant destroy this formation, lets get to work! After all, what are formations but barriers that do other things at the same time? And I already have barriers that also do other things.
I wasnt expecting the death qi to work. It hasnt worked on its own in a while. Lets get deeper into the formation, and see what damage I can do.
From the inside, he extended his qi and watched it move for a while, tracing the inner workings of the formation. Its a very mobile formation. Everything is in constant motion. That means its hard for me to lock down any part of it and get to work on picking it apart. He latched onto one small part of the formations workings, and that part immediately crumbled in his hand. The formation went on turning, and the part that had crumbled healed itself.
Theres that self-healing again. It isnt using the character-based technique, which is a pity, but I know that I can attack that self-healing and destroy the entire formation, as long as I figure out a way in. He considered the array for a moment, thinking to himself. After a moment, he reached out and grabbed another segment. Once more, it crumbled in his hand and healed.
If I could grab enough of the formation Hui glanced around him. In this three-sixty lockdown spell? Ive got a lot of formation to grab. And the layers mean that even if I grab the entire inner layer, I almost certainly wont be able to grab enough of the second layer to matter before the first layer heals itself.
He grabbed a thread of life qi and tried twisting it into the formation, but before he even fully corrupted a section, the section crumbled, refusing to give him a hold. He frowned, a hand on his chin. Is the play here to kill myself and rely on the lotus clones?
Well, no. Lets keep trying to break the barrierahem, formation. For now, its better to be inside than outside. True, its a formation thats meant to lock me inside, but on the other hand, formations dont usually consider the possibility of the victim dismantling them from within, while they do usually block out help from outside. If the formation starts activating and Im still unable to make headway, thats when I start thinking about clones.
I guess if I could sandwich the formation with me and a clone
Unless you fail, and then we return here, right? Hui asked. He eyed the sword. Im tied to an altar. Not hard to figure out what were doing here. He cycled his body to its plant form and waited.
Right. So give up. You cannot do anything but die. He paused. Ill give you one last chance. Cooperate, along, and the two of us can enjoy the combined world I create, together. Surely cooperation is better than death.
Although this small cultivator hates death, I have to turn Senior down. After all, I can do a great many things about death, and not much about de-combining two worlds!
The Golden Immortal snorted. Then die. He plunged the sword downward.
Er, Senior, wait, wait.
The Golden Immortal paused. What?
Could I ask? Why did you wait this long to simply drag me here and tie me up? Er, I mean bind me to this altar and pierce me through no, wait Hui bit his lip. Is there even a non-sexual way to describe this?
Unaware of Huis troubles, the Golden Immortal sighed. I can force you to comply, but it almost always fails. You know how troublesome you are.
True, true, Hui agreed, nodding.
I need you awake and alive so you can knowingly die for the formation to work, and that means fighting your interference the whole time while trying to work an incredibly delicate formation with a high failure chance at the same time. Do you think I didnt already try this? I gave up after the first ten tries.
Oh, Hui said. Huh. Good thing I dont remember those loops.
But since then, Ive spent years and years strengthening my formation. Dont think itll be so easy to destroy now!
Yes, yes, Seniors formation is indeed intimidating! Hui agreed, widening his eyes. Explains why it isnt like his barriers. Damn you, past me!
On the other hand, I know my habits. If I find an easy way to smash a spell, I wont bother going any deeper. Which means that my current plan still has a decent chance of success!
Die obediently, and feed the formation with your lifeblood! the Golden Immortal declared, plunging the sword down.
As it fell, Hui grinned, just a little. Sacrificing me to the formation? Ha-ha, doesnt that sound like a way to put my qi into the formation? Im looking forward to it!