Embryonic Form of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation (Part One)

News of Xuan Chuan's emergence from seclusion had not been deliberately publicized, yet within half a day, it had spread throughout Golden Turtle Island's inner circle.

With his cultivation at the mid-stage of the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm, ordinary disciples could hardly detect it while he deliberately kept it restrained.

Yet the bearing that naturally radiated from him after being tempered by saintly might, his Dao heart now ever more rounded and lucid, along with the greater depth and restraint he had gained from seclusion,

and those eyes that carried a faint yet sharp edge capable of "severing ten thousand laws," allowed core disciples such as Duobao Daoist, Zhao Gongming, and the Three Xiao Sisters to sense the difference the moment they came to visit.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother (Junior Brother), on your advance in cultivation!" everyone congratulated him in unison, all of them entirely sincere.

After the matter of Shiji at Qianyuan Mountain, followed by the trial of Primordial Heavenly Venerable's descending pressure, Xuan Chuan's status and prestige as "Senior Brother" had become utterly unshakable in their hearts.

The stronger he became, the more beneficial it was to Jiejiao.

"I merely gained a little," Xuan Chuan said as he received them in his cave dwelling's main hall, waving for them not to stand on ceremony.

"Rather, you junior brothers and sisters ran about over Junior Sister Shiji's affair, then endured the impact of saintly might afterward. Are you all well?"

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. We are unharmed, and took the opportunity to temper our Dao hearts," Yunxiao replied with a smile. Her aura had grown increasingly clear and ethereal; evidently, she too had gained something.

Zhao Gongming laughed even more heartily. "After being given such a fright by saintly might, ordinary fights no longer seem like much at all!

But Senior Brother Xuan Chuan, while you were in seclusion, the Three Xiao Sisters have not been idle.

That simplified version of the 'Myriad Immortals Joint Defense Formation' has already been improved several times over. We were just waiting for you to emerge and preside over a proper drill!"

At those words, everyone turned to look at the Three Xiao Sisters, especially Yunxiao.

Yunxiao did not modestly demur. She nodded and said, "We indeed made some gains.

Drawing upon the practical experience from the 'Three Talents Return to Origin Space-Locking Formation' when we trapped Qiu Shou Immortal last time, my second and third sisters and I optimized several basic formations of the simplified Ten Thousand Immortals Formation.

We enhanced its flexibility and nesting capabilities, while also reducing the burden it placed upon the divine sense of those controlling the formation. If suitable disciples set it up, its power should surpass our previous estimates."

Hearing this, Xuan Chuan's eyes filled with keen interest. "Oh? It has progressed so far? I was just about to seek Junior Sister's guidance."

Yunxiao immediately sent him a transmission through divine sense, conveying every essential point of the improved formation, including the formation diagrams for several foundational arrays—the Three Talents, Nine Palaces, Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends—

the arrangement of the formation eyes, the circulation of vital energies, the method of divine-sense resonance, and the crucial techniques for swiftly transitioning between different formations and layering them together.

Xuan Chuan closed his eyes to contemplate it for a moment. When he opened them again, a brilliant gleam shone within. Clapping his hands, he praised, "Wonderful! Exquisite! Not only does it consolidate the foundation and nurture the origin, it also adds nimble transformations!

Especially this method of shifting from the 'Nine Palaces' into the 'Heavenly Spirits,' then nesting the 'Three Talents' within as an arrowhead—it unites offense and defense, its changes are unfathomable, and it already possesses the bearing of ancient battle formations! You three junior sisters have truly reached the pinnacle of formation mastery!"

Qiongxiao and Bixiao beamed with delight, while Yunxiao's eyes also held a smile.

"Senior Brother overpraises us. Without the grand framework and core Dao resonance Senior Brother proposed before, we would have been clever wives unable to cook without rice.

Now that the formation theory is complete, what we need is a practical, high-level drill to test its power and familiarize the core disciples with the methods of controlling it."

Duobao Daoist had listened from the side for a long time. Now, unable to restrain himself, he spoke. He had studied countless methods and also dabbled in the Dao of formations. "From what Junior Sister Yunxiao has said, this formation truly possesses unique merits.

Gathering the power of many immortals, turning scattered strength into a unified whole, while also containing the wonder of transformations—it is indeed a sharp weapon for facing the great tribulation and protecting our sect members. How does Junior Brother Xuan Chuan intend to conduct the drill?"

Xuan Chuan had already made his plans. He swept his gaze over everyone. "Reading from paper, one ultimately finds the understanding shallow. Since the formation is complete, we naturally must train with real blades and real spears!

My proposal is to choose an open stretch of sea beyond Golden Turtle Island, in the East Sea. We core disciples will personally take the field and control the formation, selecting a group of capable and reliable disciples to set it up for a simulated combat exercise!"

He looked toward Duobao Daoist. "Senior Brother Duobao is experienced and knowledgeable, with profound study in countless methods. Could I trouble Senior Brother to play the enemy and test the formation with an attack? That way, we can learn where this formation's limits and flaws lie."

Interest flashed through Duobao Daoist's eyes, and he readily agreed. "Good! I have long wished to witness this formation's mysteries.

I shall use seventy percent of my power to simulate an enemy at the mid-stage of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm and test the sharpness of your grand formation!"

"Good!" Xuan Chuan's spirits lifted, and he turned toward Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters.

"Junior Brother Gongming, you and the three junior sisters will join me as the formation's controllers for this drill. We shall each preside over a different formation eye and coordinate the whole."

"No problem!" Zhao Gongming said, patting his chest.

Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao all nodded in unison.

"Time waits for no one. Let us go select the disciples participating in the drill. Three days from now, we test the formation over the East Sea!"

At a single command, everyone split up and began their preparations.

Three days later.

In a vast expanse of sea roughly three thousand li from Golden Turtle Island, the emerald waves stretched as far as the eye could see, while the clear skies looked as though they had been washed clean.

In the sky, three hundred and sixty Jiejiao disciples stood suspended in the air according to designated positions.

These disciples had all been carefully selected by Xuan Chuan, Zhao Gongming, the Three Xiao Sisters, and the others. The weakest among them were True Immortals.

There were even several Golden Immortals among the strongest. More importantly, they possessed steady temperaments, obeyed orders without hesitation, and firmly supported the new rules Xuan Chuan had promoted.

They wore standardized pale azure Daoist robes. Their expressions were solemn, their auras interconnected, and they had faintly become a single whole.

Xuan Chuan, Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, Bixiao, and Zhao Gongming hovered in the sky above the center of the circular formation formed by the three hundred and sixty disciples. They occupied five positions, arranged like a plum blossom.

Duobao Daoist stood alone in the air above the sea several li away, smiling with calm composure.

He had already made clear that he would use only seventy percent of his power and would not employ Dharma treasures or divine abilities that were excessively lethal.

Yet the pressure of a mid-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal had already quietly spread, making the hearts of the other Jiejiao disciples watching from afar—those permitted to observe from a more distant safe area—tighten.

"Fellow disciples!" Xuan Chuan's voice rang clearly in the ears of every disciple setting the formation.

"Today, we drill the simplified version of the 'Myriad Immortals Joint Defense Formation.' Its purpose is to familiarize ourselves with the formation, test its power, and face the future great tribulation! Where the formation stands, we stand; our fortunes are linked! At my command—raise the formation!"

"Raise the formation!" the three hundred and sixty disciples roared as one, their voices shaking sea and sky!

In the next instant, every disciple formed hand seals at the same time, pouring their own mana and divine sense into the nodes of the prearranged spatial formation patterns according to an arcane frequency and trajectory!

Buzzz—!

A deep hum resounded between heaven and earth!

Using the three hundred and sixty disciples as its foundation, countless pale azure lines of light emerged from thin air, crisscrossing and linking together.

In an instant, they formed an enormous three-dimensional formation diagram spanning ten li!

Light flowed across the formation diagram, and within it, phantom images of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, and great peaks rose and sank in endless evolution, radiating an immense, majestic vitality!