After about the time it took to burn an incense stick, the white-bearded old man burst out of the Eight Trigrams Locking-Demon Formation once more in a bedraggled state. A flicker of surprise crossed Lu Xiaotian's face, but he reacted swiftly. Before the old man could respond further, the Eight Trigrams Locking-Demon Formation enveloped him again, drawing him back within attack range.
"Hold on, Fellow Daoist. Hear me out!" Seeing Lu Xiaotian about to strike again, the white-bearded old man hurriedly called out.
"We've already fought. What is there left to say?" Lu Xiaotian said with a grim expression. He had not expected this white-bearded old man to possess considerable attainments in formations as well, or perhaps some other means of seeing through his Eight Trigrams Locking-Demon Formation. His formation differed from ordinary Eight Trigrams Formations. Beyond the four yang trigrams—Qian, Zhen, Kan, and Gen—and the four yin trigrams—Kun, Xun, Li, and Dui—it also contained a Gate of Life and an inevitable Gate of Death. Entering or leaving through the four yang trigrams, four yin trigrams, or the Gate of Death was usually a dead end, while exiting through the Gate of Life offered a slim chance of survival. Thus, the Eight Trigrams Locking-Demon Formation was also known as the formation of nine deaths and one life.
Yet even if someone trapped within the formation knew where the Gate of Life lay, escaping beneath the formation's attacks and Lu Xiaotian's interference was no easy task. However, although the white-bearded old man was only at the Golden Core Middle Stage, he was advanced in years, and his accumulated foundation far surpassed Lu Xiaotian's. After several rounds of fighting, coupled with his miraculous earth-escape technique, he had actually escaped Lu Xiaotian's formation twice in succession. This man's abilities were more than twice