A Narrow Escape from the Sword Formation

In the seventh-layer formation domain, blood dripped from Shen Yuan's hems onto the bluestone floor.

Sword wounds of varying depths covered his shoulders, back, arms, and ribs, some cutting deep into the muscle. After repeatedly resisting the rain of swords head-on, his true qi was nearly exhausted.

Less than twenty zhang remained between him and the weak cluster of light connecting to the formation eye in the northwest corner. Yet more than ten guarding flying swords clung to him like hunting hounds, giving him no chance to approach easily.

"Can't keep dragging this out."

Shen Yuan knew clearly that if he delayed even a moment longer and his true qi was completely depleted, then even if he found the formation eye, he would have no strength left to deliver a fatal blow.

His heart hardened as he made a dangerous decision.

"Burn part of my physical blood and qi! Unleash strength beyond my limits for a short time!"

This was an overdraft technique that came alongside the Heavenly Stele's deduction of the True Subduing Tiger Fist. At the cost of damaging his fundamental blood and qi, it could greatly raise his combat power for a brief time. The price was that his body would be left weakened for a long while afterward, but he could no longer worry about that now.

Rumble!

The blood and qi within his body instantly began to burn like a blazing fire.

A mixed force of crimson and silver-white erupted from within him. The aura of Shen Yuan's true qi suddenly surged, and his strength skyrocketed in just a few breaths.

"True Subduing Tiger Fist—Fierce Tiger Splits the Mountain!"

Shen Yuan swung both fists together, his surging fist force transforming into the phantom image of a fierce tiger that roared as it lunged forward to kill.

Bang bang bang bang!

Several guarding flying swords blocking his path were smashed by the fierce tiger's fist force, exploding one after another as fragments scattered in every direction.

Taking advantage of the gap created by the shattered guarding flying swords, Shen Yuan charged forward without regard for anything else.

The remaining flying swords seized the opening and stabbed viciously into his back. Piercing agony swept through his entire body. Shen Yuan gave a muffled groan, his teeth clenched until his mouth filled with the taste of blood, yet he forced himself onward through sheer will and did not stop.

Within arm's reach!

He finally rushed before that translucent cluster of light connecting to the formation eye.

This was where the pipeline Xiao Wuji had later connected to the Spirit Crystals met the original formation patterns, the weak spot of the entire altered sword formation. Spiritual light flickered erratically across the cluster's surface, extremely unstable.

"Break for me!!"

Shen Yuan gathered all the power gained by burning his blood and qi into both fists and smashed them viciously into the cluster of light!

Bang—!!

A tremendous boom rang through the entire seventh-layer formation domain!

The translucent cluster of light at the formation eye was smashed apart by his fists!

In an instant, the entire altered Azure Cloud Sword Formation suffered a chain collapse.

Those Flying Sword Puppets additionally powered by High-Grade Spirit Crystals instantly lost their spiritual power supply. One after another, they froze in midair as their spiritual glow rapidly dimmed. The formation patterns of the original sword formation were also affected, and the entire formation domain shook violently. Crisp cracking sounds of formation patterns breaking rang out everywhere.

The berserk killing intent within the grand formation receded swiftly like the ebbing tide.

Teleportation power slowly took shape amid the spatial tremors.

[You have passed the seventh layer of the Azure Cloud Sword Formation. Test passed.]

A faint notification flashed through Shen Yuan's sea of consciousness.

His tightly strained mind abruptly relaxed, and the backlash from burning his blood and qi struck at once. Pain erupted from the wounds across his body, his blood and qi rapidly declined, and his vision repeatedly darkened.

"Hold on."

Shen Yuan forced his wavering body to remain upright.

The next moment, white light enveloped his body. The formation domain space collapsed, and a force of teleportation sent him out from within the sword formation.

Above the plaza outside the formation.

The originally violent, surging, dazzling azure formation light suddenly began to rapidly contract and dim as the formation eye node shattered.

Everyone stared fixedly at the glowing curtain over the sword formation's exit.

Whoosh!

A blood-soaked figure stumbled out from the curtain of light and fell.

Shen Yuan's clothes had been sliced into tatters by the flying swords. Dozens of wounds of all sizes covered his body, and blood had soaked him through. The instant he landed, he staggered two steps before heavily dropping to one knee on the bluestone plaza. He gasped for breath in great heaving mouthfuls, his face pale as paper.

The entire plaza fell into dead silence.

Countless eyes stared blankly at Shen Yuan kneeling on the ground.

He had made it through!

Despite the seventh-layer sword formation's power having abnormally soared, he had forcibly broken through all seven layers of the sword formation!

When Wang Dong saw Shen Yuan covered in blood, his heart suddenly clenched. He shoved through the crowd without a second thought and rushed forward. "Shen Yuan!"

On the high platform, Elder Zhang let out a long breath, and his hanging heart finally settled. Then his expression darkened again as his sharp gaze turned directly toward Xiao Wuji by the Formation Control Platform.

At this moment, stormy waves churned in Xiao Wuji's heart, his face filled with disbelief.

He had clearly pushed the seventh layer to such terrifying power that it could slaughter cultivators at the Meridian Opening Realm Initial Stage, yet Shen Yuan had actually survived and broken the formation!

His fingers clenched tightly, his palms soaked with cold sweat. With the formation eye shattered, traces of the additional Spirit Crystal pipelines he had secretly connected had already been exposed amid the collapse of the formation patterns.

Elder Zhang rose to his feet, his imposing voice resounding through the entire plaza. "Xiao Wuji! The formation light of the seventh layer suddenly surged abnormally just now, and the formation eye pipelines were damaged. What explanation do you have for this? You are the leader on duty for this sword formation test. You must give the sect an account!"

All eyes turned in unison toward Xiao Wuji at the Formation Control Platform.

Xiao Wuji's heart tightened. He forced himself to steady his mind, then quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Elder, this junior also does not know the cause. The formation patterns on the seventh layer suddenly fell into disorder. It should have been due to the old formation patterns falling into disrepair over the years, resulting in abnormal spiritual power. It was not caused by human tampering." Xiao Wuji swiftly came up with his excuse, wanting to dump all the blame on the formation's age and deterioration. "This junior remained on duty at the Formation Control Platform the entire time and did not privately alter the formation controls."

That explanation sounded reasonable and well-supported, but everyone had personally seen the grand formation's berserk spiritual light just moments ago.

Elder Zhang's gaze was sharp, and he naturally would not be so easily fooled by those words. However, the formation eye had already been shattered during Shen Yuan's battle, and the crucial pipelines were damaged. Obtaining conclusive physical evidence that Xiao Wuji had deliberately tampered with the formation had become extremely difficult.

Elder Zhang knew that Xiao Wuji had an influential figure from the inner sect backing him. Without ironclad evidence, he could not directly impose a severe punishment.

"The damaged formation patterns will be thoroughly investigated and repaired afterward." Elder Zhang did not flare up on the spot, his voice cold and stern. "However, you cannot escape responsibility for negligence while on duty. You are sentenced to three months of confinement for self-reflection and will be responsible for all repair work on the entire Azure Cloud Sword Formation."

This punishment was neither too heavy nor too light.

Xiao Wuji secretly breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to accept the punishment. "This junior accepts the punishment."

Though he accepted it aloud, Xiao Wuji raised his eyes toward Shen Yuan, who was kneeling on one knee. In the depths of his eyes, a venomous cold glint flashed.

This scheme had failed once again. Shen Yuan had survived and had even successfully passed the Inner Sect Test.

Shen Yuan barely steadied his wavering body and slowly rose with Wang Dong's support. The wounds across his body were still bleeding, but his gaze remained calm as he met the frigid look Xiao Wuji sent his way.

The two stared at each other from afar, saying nothing.

Yet from this moment onward, the grudge between them was bound into a dead knot forever.