Ning Guowei led the way, finding everyone a spacious plaza that was just right for casting spells.
The plaza was built around a fountain, with a broad, level surface. The fountain hadn't been turned on in a long time, but the mountain air was damp, and the ground was wet. The plaza's design meant it had several rings of drains beneath it. The surface wasn't completely solid, and iron manhole covers regularly punctuated the marble.
After asking Wu Ling what she planned to do, Ning Guowei had the staff lay down a carpet. It was clearly something the resort had prepared well in advance. The round carpet fit the circular plaza perfectly.
Ning Guowei explained, "They remodeled this place for an event once..."
He was about to say more when the man in the robe cut him off.
The robed man gestured for Wu Ling to get started. "Let's get this over with as soon as possible. We've spent long enough here already."
No one else objected. The two monks seemed to have brought apprentices of their own. They had the staff prepare whatever they needed, while they stayed behind to watch.
Ye Qing had come along too, though he stood far away with his hands in his pockets, looking perfectly relaxed.
Wu Ling opened her backpack and began drawing a formation on the carpet with the same prepared ink as before.
This time, she was drawing a huge formation, using the entire circular plaza as her canvas. At the rate she was going, it would take a long time.
The robed man frowned. "Does the formation really need to be so complicated?"
The old man from the Wu family looked uneasy.
Wu Ling answered while she worked. "I'm not sure what kind of situation we're dealing with. The more