Twelve Capital Celestial Evil Formation to Protect You-Is That Enough?

Xing Tian's mountain-like body froze in place, every inch of muscle drawn taut.

The massive axe that had once stirred the winds and clouds, seeking to split open the heavens, was clenched tightly in his hand, yet it no longer carried even a trace of its former ferocity.

The baleful aura flowing along the axe blade seemed as though it had been doused with a basin of icy water, instantly withering.

The blood drained from his rough face, then surged back in a furious flush, shifting between the two in an utterly spectacular display.

Humiliation.

Unprecedented humiliation.

He could die in battle, but he absolutely could not become the sinner who destroyed the entire tribe and desecrated Father God's statue.

The reasoning was simple and direct, yet heavy enough to leave him gasping for breath.

For the first time, his heart, which knew only battle and slaughter, was firmly shackled by an emotion called hesitation.

Just as the awkward atmosphere had nearly solidified, a gentle aura spread soundlessly like a spring stream thawing beneath the sun.

Houtu moved.

She made no sound, merely stepping forward.

With that single step, the tribe, which had fallen into dead silence after all the uproar, seemed to find its pillar.

The pulse of the earth was steady, profound, and all-embracing, gently soothing the lingering violence and destructive intent in the air.

The Witch People, rigid with fear, unconsciously relaxed their tense bodies, and a trace of clarity returned to their clouded eyes.

They looked at Houtu's back with absolute trust.

Houtu stepped between Yang Chen and Xing Tian. Her gentle, compassionate eyes first fell upon Xing Tian's face, flushed as red as liver. There was no reproach in her gaze, only a hint of helpless reassurance.

When Xing Tian met her eyes, his hulking body trembled almost imperceptibly. Like a child who had done something wrong, he averted his gaze and lowered his proud head.

Only then did Houtu turn toward Yang Chen. She dipped slightly in a flawless gesture of courtesy, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Please do not take offense, Fellow Daoist."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable strength that drew everyone's attention.

"My Witch Clan was born in the wilderness and raised in bloody battle. We have always been blunt by nature and know little of flexibility."

Her words seemed to excuse Xing Tian, yet every syllable carried a deeper implication.

"Xing Tian bears no ill intent. He merely saw that Fellow Daoist possesses a formidable body and abyss-like vitality, and his fighting spirit was aroused for a moment. He did not truly intend to make an enemy of you."

Yang Chen looked at her without the slightest ripple in his eyes.

He merely waved a hand, as though a sovereign were pardoning a subject's unintentional offense. The gesture was casual, yet it carried the natural bearing of one who stood above others.

He did not care.

Of course he did not care.

This farce had been under his control from beginning to end.

What he enjoyed was forcing an ancient ferocious beast into a corner, watching it go from baring its fangs and claws to obediently sheathing them.

Houtu took in Yang Chen's reaction, and the string called vigilance in her heart tightened another degree.

This man was far more difficult to deal with than she had anticipated.

His mind was as steadfast as a stubborn stone of chaos, unmoved by any external influence.

Ordinary verbal probing was utterly useless against him.

The clarity in her eyes deepened. Then she shifted the subject, and her tone became incomparably solemn.

"Fellow Daoist bears great karma. This journey is bound to be fraught with peril."

This was no longer a probe, but an open and honest statement.

She paused, her gaze moving between the faint Pangu aura on Yang Chen and the deeply hidden resentment of Rahula, as though she intended to see through him completely.

"I see that Fellow Daoist's aura is faintly connected to that of my Witch Clan. We are not absolute mortal enemies."

"Why not stay in my tribe for a few days, and allow us to fulfill the duties of a host?"

There it was.

Yang Chen laughed silently in his heart.

This was the true purpose.

What a fine phrase, "fulfill the duties of a host."

It sounded so grand and righteous.

In truth, she merely wanted to keep him, this uncontrollable and exceedingly dangerous "time bomb," confined within her sight for the time being.

Who would dare let a moving source of Immeasurable Tribulation karma wander freely across the prehistoric land?

Houtu was placing shackles on him in the gentlest possible manner.

Yang Chen did not expose her. A suitably thoughtful look even appeared on his face, as though he were seriously considering it.

After a moment, he finally spoke unhurriedly.

"Staying here would be acceptable."

He nodded, as though Houtu's "kindness" had truly moved him.

A glimmer flashed through Houtu's eyes.

It worked?

Yet Yang Chen's next words made her heart, which had only just settled, leap back into her throat.

"However..."

Yang Chen's tone became somewhat troubled. He spread his hands, a trace of "distress" on his face.

"When I cultivate, the commotion I cause has always been rather great."

He looked at Houtu, his eyes brimming with "sincerity."

"Moreover, because of the trouble on me, my state of mind is not very stable. It is easy for me to suffer cultivation deviation."

As he spoke, he extended a finger and lightly tapped the spot over his heart.

That gesture made Xing Tian's eyelids twitch wildly from not far away.

"What if..."

Yang Chen drew out the words, his expression becoming ever more innocent.

"I fail to control myself and still run the risk of 'self-detonating.'"

He spoke those two words very softly, yet they clearly reached the ears of every Witch Person present.

The atmosphere in the tribe, which had only just eased, instantly dropped to freezing point once more.

Every Witch Person looked at Yang Chen as though he were a madman carrying a Chaos Divine Thunder and wandering around with it.

The corner of Houtu's mouth twitched ever so slightly.

A threat.

This was an undisguised, naked threat!

She had used "the duties of a host" as a net to trap him.

In return, he slapped the trump card of "self-detonation" back onto the table and put her in check.

Good.

What a Yang Chen!

Houtu's thoughts raced, but her face retained its eternally gentle smile.

Not only did she not become angry, her smile deepened instead.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist."

Her voice carried a power capable of calming hearts, as though no matter how thorny the problem, it could be easily resolved before her.

"If you cultivate here, I can decide..."

She paused and swept her gaze over the twelve towering statues of the ancestral witches in the center of the tribe, each radiating an ancient and desolate aura.

Her voice suddenly rose, every word carrying pride and confidence born from her bloodline.

"I can have the tribal elders activate the formation bases of the Twelve Capital Celestial Evil Formation to protect you during your cultivation!"

Boom!

Those words were no less than a thunderclap exploding in the minds of every Witch Person!

Xing Tian abruptly raised his head. For the first time, the bewilderment in his eyes was replaced by utter shock!

The tens of thousands of Witch People below collectively lost their voices, their expressions shifting from blankness to disbelief!

The Twelve Capital Celestial Evil Formation!

What was that?

It was the Witch Clan's supreme trump card! The peerless killing formation formed from Father God Pangu's blood essence, used to suppress the clan's fate! Their greatest reliance in defying the Heavenly Dao and challenging the Sages!

Use... use it to protect an outsider during cultivation?

How... how was that possible?!

Houtu completely ignored her clansmen's shock. Her gaze remained fixed on Yang Chen, as though she intended to see through every thought in his heart.

"This formation was formed from Father God's blood essence and contains the might of creating heaven and earth. It can stabilize earth, water, fire, and wind, and suppress all rampaging energies."

Her voice was filled with incomparable allure.

"With it here, Fellow Daoist's cultivation will be guaranteed safe."

At that point, her tone shifted. Deep within her compassionate eyes flashed a heavy gleam like the earth's core, unnoticed by anyone.

"And... it will guarantee my tribe's safety as well."

That single sentence revealed every consideration in her heart.

This was protection, but also a cage.

This was goodwill, but also surveillance.

This was investment, but also deterrence.

She had placed the Witch Clan's greatest trump card before Yang Chen.

Would he accept it or not?

"Is this sincerity enough?"

Houtu cast out an enormous bait that was impossible to refuse.

The Twelve Capital Celestial Evil Formation was the number one killing formation of the prehistoric world, capable of gathering Pangu's true form! Using it to protect someone during cultivation was treatment not even the Six Sages had ever received.

Yang Chen's heart stirred.

He knew Houtu was displaying the Witch Clan's strength and determination, while also making a disguised "investment."

She was betting that the Pangu inheritance within him outweighed the threat of Rahula's resentment.

She was betting that he could bring the Witch Clan a sliver of hope.

What tremendous courage.

Worthy of the future Lord of the Earthly Dao.

Yang Chen looked into Houtu's clear, resolute eyes, and the playful expression on his face slowly faded.

He nodded, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face.

"Since Your Ladyship is so sincere, I will gladly accept."