CH 30

“The source of the big river that suddenly appeared on the Lingshan Mountain should be here.” Mu Xiyun looked at the high platform under his feet, and pondered. “It looks like an array, connecting this place to the Lingshan Mountain.”

“This place is thousands of miles away from Lingshan. What kind of array can have such great power and connect such a long distance?” Although Gu Qingqiao only had a general understanding of array formations, he also knew that space teleportation arrays consume a lot of energy. Transporting enough water to submerge Lingshan thousands of miles away, it’s absolutely with only this small platform.

“Moreover,” Mu Xiyun wondered, “Why did the people who set up the array take great pains to lead the water here to Lingshan? If it’s just to submerge Lingshan, wouldn’t it be better to divert water from nearby?”

“Lingshan only opens every three years. When the mountain is closed, the mountain disappears without a trace along with the space formation connecting the two ends of the immortal and demon world. How should the person who set up the formation arrange everything on Lingshan?”

When they didn’t see the source of the waterfall, they looked for the source. When two finally found the source, various questions instead arose that were even more troublesome than before.

“Forget about these for now,” Gu Qingqiao asked, “Do you know how to break the formation?”.

“It’s easy to break the formation. If you destroy the runes or the high platform, the formation will naturally be broken.” Mu Xiyun thought about it and added, “But the caster will definitely not leave it without any defense.”

“Let’s try it.” Gu Qingqiao said, took out two blasting talismans from the Qiankun bag and raised his hand. One of the two talisman papers flew to the side of the high platform and hit the magic circle directly, as the other rushed to the center of the high platform.

Before the talisman paper could land, light suddenly appeared on the high platform, intertwined into a circular enchantment until to its border. It enveloped the high platform and the magic circle like a big egg. As talisman paper collided with the barrier, only two loud bangs were heard, then a flash of fire, as the talisman exploded into pieces in the air.

“A defensive formation is superimposed on the magic circle and the high platform.” Gu Qingqiao said.

“Indeed,” Mu Xiyun murmured, “That ochre spar was also to strengthen magic circles, I have a way, I can try it! It’s just…” The two were hanging in the air at this time, all thanks to Mu Xiyun’s sword. If he wanted to break the formation, Mu Xiyun had to use the sword…

What should I do, let Gu Qingqiao go swimming?

Mu Xiyun rubbed his nose, realizing for the first time that his “no scruples” on life would also bring trouble.

“It’s okay, I have a solution.” Gu Qingqiao took a step forward, looked down at the magic circle, and reached towards Mu Xiyun’s waist.

Mu Xiyun didn’t know what he meant, but he stepped back subconsciously, reached out and patted the back of Gu Qingqiao’s hand.

He only heard a crisp sound of “pa”, as he took a straight shot.

Both of them froze for a moment. Gu Qingqiao withdrew his hand, and noticed that there was a red mark on the back of his hand. He rubbed it, pointed at Mu Xiyun’s waist and said, “The Qiankun bag.” 

“Oh!” Mu Xiyun finally understood, took the Qiankun bag and handed it to him, and said softly, “I’m sorry. “

For a moment, both of them were speechless in embarrassment.

After a while, Gu Qingqiao opened the Qiankun bag, and took out two lotus leaf-shaped disks from it.

“Jiangtian lotus leaves are boundless green,” Gu Qingqiao said with distaste. “It is produced by the Golden Pavilion, and it will bring you to enjoy the fun of flying atop it just like flying on a sword. Tsk tsk, fortunately, those disciples from Qingcheng Mountain are not here…… ……”

As he spoke, he took out two more spirit stones and inlaid them on the lotus pads.

The lotus pad floated in mid-air. The two of them stepped on one of them and tried to move back and forth, and found that they were very flexible.

Mu Xiyun retracted his long sword, channeled his spiritual energy, and rushed down from the air.

When he got close to the magic circle, he popped a spirit stone from his left hand and when the spirit stone touched the defensive formation, it immediately sparked a golden light. Mu Xiyun waved his right hand, and slashed down with all his might. The spiritual power on the sword collided with the spiritual stone, and immediately drew out the huge spiritual power crashing into the defensive formation.

The defensive array trembled, but it still firmly shrouded the high platform.

Mu Xiyun raised the lotus plate, ready to charge again.

“Jie Jie Jie”

Suddenly, a sharp cry came from the air. In the mist, there seemed to be a huge creature approaching.

“Be careful!” Gu Qingqiao yelled, drew out his two sabers, and flew to Mu Xiyun’s side on the lotus plate. The two drew their weapons back to back and looked up to the sky vigilantly.

A large bird appeared from the mist.

The body of the bird was huge, the wings spread out to a length of ten feet, and its slender beak was extremely sharp.

“Is that an…iron-winged morant?”

“It is said that the iron-winged morant is a monster raised by the Demon King. Its realm is equivalent to a monk at the Nascent Soul level. But the territory of the Demon Clan is farther north of Beiyuan. How can there be an iron-winged morant here?”

Demon Clan……Gu Qingqiao seemed to have a flash of thought in his mind, but he didn’t have time to think about it…

As it didn’t give them the time to be distracted. The iron-winged morant in the air flapped its wings, bringing up a whirlwind and water mist, and then, the big bird shot towards the two of them like a sharp sword.

The two of them dodged to both sides at the moment when the big bird rushed down. Mu Xiyun swung his sword to meet him, but he didn’t meet its edge head-on. He dodged sideways the moment before the bird’s beak struck, and slashed diagonally at the bird as hard as black iron. On the beak, the huge impact caused the bird’s head to deflect to one side. On the other side, Gu Qingqiao had already sacrificed a pair of knives, one knife was against the claws of the bird, and the other knife slashed at the root of its wing.

The iron winged morant felt pain and pulled upwards with a scream. There was another sound of flapping wings, and in the mist, two more big birds appeared.

“Leave it to me,” Gu Qingqiao pushed Mu Xiyun, “Go and break the formation!” After speaking, he drove the lotus pad and went to meet the three big birds.

Mu Xiyun turned around and rushed towards the magic circle, as he heard a dense sound of metal and stone clashing behind him, mixed with a few muffled groans and the screeching of an iron winged bird.

Throwing the spirit stone in his hand, Mu Xiyun swung his sword and slashed it down, turned around and threw it again, and slashed again. The defensive magic circle finally showed signs of collapse, it flickered then dimmed.

There was a sound of breaking wind behind him, and an iron-winged morant flew at an extremely fast speed. Mu Xiyun leaned aside and took a closer look. Gu Qingqiao was soaked in blood, and he was riding on the neck of an iron-winged morant, as his hands were filled with spiritual energy trying to control the bird’s head. Behind him, the other two iron winged morants chased after him like lightning.

Gu Qingqiao controlled the big bird to rush towards the magic circle, but suddenly controlled it to fly upwards at the moment when it was about to touch the defensive barrier. The two iron-winged morants who were chasing after them slammed into the magic circle fiercely as they couldn’t react in time.

The golden light of the magic circle shone, and the two birds fell into the water with a wail.

The defensive formation was still there, but before Mu Xiyun could step forward, Gu Qingqiao had already shouted loudly, one person and one bird spun sharply in the air, rushing straight towards the formation with the sound of whipping wind.

There was a loud bang, and the defensive array disintegrated under the huge impact.

The big bird had already broken its neck when it hit it, and fell slumped towards the river. Gu Qingqiao was bounced into the air by the huge spiritual force, spit out a mouthful of blood, and almost fainted.

A pair of hands embraced his back instantly, and spiritual energy was injected into his back to sort out the retrograde and chaotic spiritual flow in his meridians.

The barrier on the stone platform was finally broken.

Mu Xiyun supported Gu Qingqiao, and controlled the lotus pad to slowly land on the stone platform.

There was no longer any barrier separating them and the stone platform with the magic array.

Mu Xiyun supported Gu Qingqiao to sit down, and asked him in a low voice, “I’m going to break the formation. But I don’t know what will happen when the formation breaks. Do you want to take a rest first?”

“I’m fine,” Gu Qingqiao looked into his worried eyes and smiled, “Don’t worry, I won’t die. This place is so weird, you should break the formation quickly, the situation may change unfavorably if you delay.”

“Okay!” Mu Xiyun felt that his aura had stabilized a lot, and the spiritual flow in his body had also become smoother. He nodded immediately, and walked towards the edge of the stone platform with his sword in hand. The river was still roaring and rushing forward, setting off mist on both sides of the high platform. The long sword shimmered because of its full spiritual power, Mu Xiyun held the sword with both hands, and slashed down with all his strength.

Kachak!

The sword body was embedded into the high stone platform, and the slowly flowing pattern of the magic circle stopped turning. 

Kachak, chak…

Few big cracks appeared on the stone platform and soon small cracks spread out in all directions like vines.

“The array is broken!” Mu Xiyun turned around happily, but unexpectedly, there was a violent shock under his feet, and before he could see Gu Qingqiao’s frightened and worried eyes, the stone platform collapsed suddenly, and his figure quickly fell down. 

The spirit array shattered. Huge spiritual power gushed out from the spirit array, pushing the river back three feet. The turbulent river water was lifted high, gathered more force to sweep over, and slapped heavily on the high platform of the ocher spar. The high platform at this end of the magic circle was instantly shattered. The rest of the magic circle turned the river into a huge vortex, trying to swallow everything nearby.

All this happened in a flash. Gu Qingqiao was situated in the center of the high platform by Mu Xiyun just now, which was two feet away from the edge of the high platform. When the array broke, he had already started running towards the edge of the platform, and after only a few breaths, when he reached the edge, Mu Xiyun had already disappeared without a trace.

The power of the array faded quickly, and the vortex on the river was already  ten feet wide. Gu Qingqiao lifted his robe and jumped into the vortex without hesitation.

****

Lingshan.

The disciples who had just climbed the mountain wall had already returned to the hut. More than half of the people have chosen to use the jade token to leave.

Wen Zirui was still sitting cross-legged in front of the hut, feeling the changes in Lingshan’s spiritual power. Deng Xian and Fang Rui stood beside him, looking up at the cave on the top of the mountain. If their fiery gaze could be turned into substance, the mountain wall and waterfall in front of them would have been cut into pieces.

The waiting people gradually lost their patience, and people kept coming to say goodbye to them. Two hours later, only the three of them were left in front of the hut. 

“Brother Deng, can they do it?” Fang Rui asked carelessly.

“This,” Deng Xian didn’t dare to take it seriously, “I met them after I entered the mountain……” Deng Xian slowly told him about what happened to the mountain village.

“So, without the jade token, the three of you can only rely on the illusion of Lingshan to get out?” Wen Zirui also heard Deng Xian’s narration, and interjected.

“You can put it that way.” Deng Xian replied, “But they took the risk to relieve everyone’s difficulties, I still admire them very much.”

Hearing these words, the three of them raised their heads at the same time, looking at the cave above the mist on the top of the mountain.

Suddenly, Wen Zirui’s body shook, and he blurted out in surprise, “There is movement!”

Before the words fell, the ground, and there was a sharp roar from the cave on the top of the mountain, like a pack of wolves howling at the moon, shaking the three people down the mountain almost out of their wits. Immediately afterwards, bursts of thunderous roars came from the cave, and the water of the waterfall suddenly increased, like a big wave. It fell down like scattered flowers.

“Ah-” The three of them were about to hug their heads, but they felt spiritual power gushing out from their feet. If Wen Zirui could use his skills to investigate at this time, he would definitely see the colorful spiritual energy flowing that was suppressed on the surface of the ground at this moment, had now risen to the sky, and the stirred spirit flow was soaring like a tornado, covering the space above the hut and up to the top of the cliff in an instant.

The three of them had no time to dodge, and instinctively fled to the only hut that could provide shelter. Fang Rui was the last to rush to the door of the hut. Before entering the door, he looked up again. It seemed that a white shadow fell with large and small stones in the sky. At the next moment, he stepped into the hut and saw a flash of light. Deng Xian and Wen Zirui had already disappeared. After a breath, the cabin was empty.

The Lingshan Illusory Formation was activated at this time.