The Flood Dragon Spine Hundred-Gu Banner; Another Visit to the Mountain Lord's Feast (Five Thousand)

A dozen or so days passed in a blink.

During that time, Fang Shu remained in the Quicksand Cave Abode, quietly studying Gu Formations.

The deeper he delved, the more his mind came alive.

Apart from his daily cultivation, he slept only two hours a day. Every other moment went into Gu Formations.

The results were astonishing. Ten years of accumulated knowledge burst forth at last, and with the Dao Register's aid, he made progress again and again in combining Gu with formations.

One day, his eyes snapped open. His gaze shone as he studied the formation banner in his hands.

Unlike a dozen days earlier, the artifact was no longer a bare shaft.

Gray-white threads wound around its top, where a small banner now hung.

Many strange insects seemed to be drawn or embroidered across the cloth. Large and small, they looked vividly alive; on closer inspection, their feelers and antennae even twitched faintly.

Holding up the completed banner, Fang Shu gave it a gentle wave.

With a rustle, the cloth scattered into threads. Dozens of Gu insects burst from within and spread throughout the cave abode.

Under his control, they formed ranks. In a dozen breaths, they became a Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams formation, and a chilling aura slowly rose through the cave.

He had arrayed insects into a formation—as though he could lay one down with a casual sweep of his hand!

He gripped the banner tightly, his divine sense surging wildly through the space around him.

After examining it for a long while, Fang Shu came back to himself. Joy, excitement, and relief passed across his face.

"My idea was no idle fantasy after all." Fang Shu was so moved he wanted to laugh his heart out; anything less would not do.

But he did