Turning the Tables

"Lord Black Deacon, that group has come again."

In a cave less than a hundred li from the ruins, a black-robed man resembling a skeleton respectfully reported to someone seated on a blood-red iron throne ahead of him.

A tall figure sat upon the blood-red iron throne. He wore a crimson robe embroidered with a black bat insignia over the chest, while a cloud of bloody mist shrouded his face, making his features impossible to discern.

Black Deacon lounged against the throne's armrest, his fingers tapping out an irregular rhythm. Only after a long while did he say coldly, "Can they break that damned Mystic Sun Heavenly Gang Array this time?"

Skeleton Man said cautiously, "My lord, they appear thoroughly prepared this time. Two people suspected to be Array Masters have already entered the formation. They should have made ample preparations."

"Oh? It seems these people are somewhat useful after all. My year-long wait here has not been in vain. The task Steering Master entrusted to me is finally about to be completed."

Black Deacon's tone eased slightly, and his mood improved considerably.

"Congratulations, my lord! In the future, you will become Lord Steering Master's foremost Deacon. Achieving Purple Mansion and establishing a new branch will be just around the corner!"

Seeing this, Skeleton Man immediately heaped a string of flowery compliments upon him.

Yet Black Deacon merely gave a cold snort. "Hmph. If the Song Clan had not destroyed our lair in the Moon-Gazing Mountain Range, This Seat would have broken that Mystic Sun Heavenly Gang Array long ago. Why would I have had to drag this out until now?"

"Those fools deserved to die a thousand deaths. They actually failed to snatch a few little brats with Spirit Roots and even ruined the pieces you arranged in the Moon-Gazing Mountain Range," Skeleton Man hurriedly echoed.

"This is not something you should discuss. Send men to watch that group. The moment they break the formation, kill without mercy. They must not be allowed to touch anything inside the ruins. Do you understand?" Black Deacon said coldly.

"Yes!"

At the outskirts of the ruins, Zhu Yiqun and the others exhausted every effort to maintain the two passages, utterly unaware that they had already fallen into a trap laid by the Blood Demon.

"Old Zhu, why aren't Fellow Daoist Xu and Fellow Daoist Song done yet? The consumption is too great. Everyone is nearly unable to hold on," Li Hu said, his face already deathly pale.

Looking at the others, apart from Zhu Yiqun, Zhuang Yuechan, and Xu Yunhe, none of them were in particularly good condition. The Spiritual Power within them was nearly depleted.

"Hold on a little longer. We have prepared for so long; we may not get another opportunity this good next time. I believe they can do it." Zhu Yiqun gritted his teeth as he reassured everyone, though he could not help feeling anxious inside.

He could only silently pray that he had not judged them wrongly...

Within the great formation, Song Changsheng had nearly reached its center. At this point, the difficulty of deduction had become immense.

Had Song Changsheng not spent years comprehending the Dao Scripture, greatly strengthening his Divine Soul, he truly would not have been able to sustain such high-intensity deduction.

"The Formation Eye should be nearby—three to the left, two upward." Song Changsheng shifted his feet and took the final step. His gaze sharpened as he flicked his sleeve and sent out the Water Element Shield to protect himself in front of him.

Clang—

A deep, resounding bell toll rang out. A massive phantom of a bronze bell appeared and immediately collided with the Water Element Shield.

"Defend!"

While controlling the Water Element Shield to protect himself, Song Changsheng swiftly withdrew and retreated, landing steadily upon the route he had deduced earlier.

"To think a Spirit Artifact is serving as the Formation Eye. The owner of these ruins was truly lavish!" Song Changsheng could not help but marvel as he looked at the phantom bronze bell before him.

In This World, although Magic Artifacts were categorized according to Cultivator realms, such as First-Tier Magic Artifacts and Second-Tier Magic Artifacts,

a distinction arose once Magic Artifacts reached the Second-Tier, because Foundation Establishment Cultivators could draw Magic Artifacts into their Dantians for nurturing. This process was called Spirit Nurturing.

After a long period of nurturing, or through certain special methods, a Magic Artifact could develop spirituality. That was what made it a Spirit Artifact.

Beyond that came Dharma Artifacts, Spirit Treasures, Law Spirit Treasures, and so on.

No matter what rank of Artifact Forger made them, all newly forged items were merely ordinary Magic Artifacts. Their spirituality had to be nurtured afterward, aside from certain exceptional methods.

Though Spirit Artifacts corresponded to Second-Tier Magic Artifacts, their values could not be mentioned in the same breath. Magic Artifacts were inanimate objects, but Spirit Artifacts already possessed a trace of intelligence. They could be considered half-living things, capable of helping their owners bring out their strength to the greatest extent.

Do not underestimate This Point; in actual combat, it would be an enormous enhancement.

Magic Artifacts were easy to obtain, while Spirit Artifacts were difficult to find. Even within the Song Clan, only a handful of Spirit Artifacts had been passed down through the generations, each one a treasured heirloom of the Lineage.

"Though it is a Top-Grade Spirit Artifact, it is ultimately ownerless. It will be enough to handle it."

While Song Changsheng silently considered matters, the phantom bronze bell launched another attack. Rings of vortex-like ripples silently spread from its illusory form.

"Treasure Gourd, emerge!" Song Changsheng recalled the Water Element Shield to guard himself, then sent out the Water-Fire Treasure Gourd to clash head-on with the phantom bronze bell.

The gourd and bell collided, immediately producing wave after wave of thunderous booms that shook without end. Song Changsheng swept his sleeve again, and twelve Formation Flags shot out in a row.

The Formation Flags formed a circle in midair, surrounding the phantom bronze bell.

He held his breath and focused, carefully controlling each triangular Formation Flag as it merged into the Formation Base of the great formation according to the pattern he had deduced.

What Song Changsheng was doing at this moment was exceedingly bold, for he was not merely trying to destroy the Formation Eye and break open the great formation. He wanted to seize control of it.

He had already fully comprehended every Formation Pattern within this Mystic Sun Heavenly Gang Array. He only needed to arrange a Reversal Array at the Formation Eye according to the formation's original operating laws.

Once he controlled the Formation Eye, he could turn the tables and take the great formation's control into his own hands.

Song Changsheng was not doing this because he wanted to monopolize the treasures within the ruins, but because he wanted to leave himself a backup plan.

After all, among so many people, he alone had joined temporarily. Should someone harbor evil intentions and decide to tear down the bridge after crossing the river, he would have a means to counter them.

It was not that he measured a gentleman's heart with a petty man's yardstick, but rather that a cautious ship could sail for ten thousand years!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The phantom bronze bell seemed to have discovered Song Changsheng's intentions as well, quickening its attacks. For a moment, the Treasure Gourd was battered back again and again.

Song Changsheng's face gradually turned pale. After all, every attack from the Bronze Tripod sent tremors through his Divine Sense. Had Xu Yun been here instead, her Divine Soul would likely have already been shattered, leaving her an idiot.

"A mere Spirit Artifact thinks it can turn the heavens upside down?" Song Changsheng swallowed several Medicinal Pills that strengthened the Divine Soul, his eyes widening in fury as he shouted.

"Water Element Shield, emerge!"

He directly abandoned his own defenses and threw both Ultimate Grade Magic Artifacts into the fray at once, immediately forcing back the phantom bronze bell.

He then seized the opportunity to arrange the Reversal Array.

Thanks to his profound understanding of the Formation Patterns, the array's arrangement proceeded extremely smoothly.

At the instant the array was completed, Song Changsheng erupted with full force, suppressing the Spirit Artifact serving as the Formation Eye and forcibly branding it with his soul imprint.

At that moment, he took over most of the great formation's authority!