"Rise!"
Chi Yuan roared, made a hand Hand Seals, and lightning surged around him. The array patterns under his feet spread out in all directions like a spider web.
The lightning patterns that had been slowly flowing on the walls of the main hall suddenly accelerated, and the eyes of the lightning dragon statue on the dome suddenly shone with a dazzling purple-gold light.
As Chi Yuan's voice fell to the ground, it was as if a war machine had been activated; the air froze, and murderous intent lurked everywhere.
At the same time, a towering lightning pillar lit up in each of the twelve directions of the main hall, and within each pillar, a phantom of a lightning beast of a different shape condensed.
Thunder Tiger, Thunder Leopard, Thunder Python, Thunder Eagle... twelve thunder beasts roared to the sky, their bodies wrapped in thick, purple-gold lightning, a sight even more terrifying than Chi Yuan's full-force attack just now.
The twelve auras intertwined, faintly forming a killing array that surrounded Han Xuanji and the others in the center.
"This is the Twelve Thunder Beast Formation!"
Li Fu recognized the formation at a glance, and the smile on his face vanished, replaced by an unusual solemnity.
" Chi Yuan set up such a grand formation beforehand using the temple's restrictions. No wonder he dared to lead his men to defend this place to the death; he had something to rely on all along. This is troublesome."
Lan Miao didn't seem to care. "Is this formation that powerful?"
"Nonsense!"
Li Fu glanced at Lan Miao and explained irritably:
"It is precisely because we understand that we realize how terrifying this great formation is."
Those twelve phantom thunder beasts were evolutions of the Thunder Principle. Each one was comparable to a top-tier powerhouse, and as long as the formation remained unbroken, the thunder beasts would Imperishable. They could be killed endlessly, even if the world ended.
Zhou Yuan suddenly interjected, his heart filled with anxiety:
"This formation combines the restrictive power of the Thunder God Hall. Unless the Thunder God Hall is completely destroyed, this formation will be very difficult to break."
The situation is very bad for them now; it was originally four against five, but now it's four against seventeen.
"Brother Han, shall we leave first?"
Zhou Yuan was already considering retreating, as he was the one among them who knew the restrictions of the Thunder God Hall best.
The restrictions throughout the main hall were still continuously supplying Thunder Spirit power to the formation, making this a complete ambush by the enemy with all the advantages of timing and location.
Lan Miao's expression was tense, clearly realizing that the situation seemed extremely unfavorable to them.
He tilted his head and whispered:
"Junior Brother Han, a direct attack is not advisable. This formation borrows the power of the Thunder God Hall's own restrictions, which is not the same as directly taking a palm strike from Chi Yuan."
If we stubbornly hold out in the main battle formation, we will eventually be worn down and killed.
Even Li Fu, who was always fearless, nodded and said in a deep voice:
"Brother Han, although I don't want to admit it, this formation is indeed strange. It's true that you are strong, but no matter how strong you are, you can't withstand the restrictions of a Thunder God Hall."
Let's get out of here and think of another way.
On the other side, the members of the Ten Thousand Immortals Association naturally overheard their discussion.
Wan Kun couldn't help but laugh out loud, his eyes filled with smug satisfaction.
" Han Xuanji, you've finally met your match. Weren't you so arrogant just now? Why aren't you arrogant now?"
Liu Wanxu wore his ever-present calm smile, his tone carrying a hint of calculated self-assurance:
"Fellow Daoist Han, your strength is indeed astonishing, I admit that."
But ultimately, you're still too young and too confident in your own judgment.
Do you really think we'd wait for you to come to us in some completely isolated place?
We dare to stay here and wait for you because we are absolutely certain of our success.
This Twelve Thunder Beast Formation is based on the restrictions of the Thunder God Hall itself. Even if you could break through Master Chi's Heaven-Controlling Thunder Palm with a single punch, you would have no chance of withstanding the continuous bombardment of this formation.
"Fellow Daoist Han, it may still be possible to retreat now. If you delay any longer, and the formation is fully activated, it will be too late to leave."
His words carried an air of confident composure, as if the outcome was already predetermined.
In truth, they weren't entirely confident they could keep Han Xuanji. If Han Xuanji retreated, and everyone left each other undisturbed, proceeding to the next realm to make further plans, it wouldn't be a loss for Han Xuanji and the others.
After all, the environment in the next realm might not be as favorable to them.
But Han Xuanji suddenly laughed when she heard this.
That smile was so faint and subtle, yet it made Liu Wanxu's heart skip a beat for no apparent reason.
He could see clearly that Han Xuanji's smile was not forced at all; rather, it resembled that of an observer watching an interesting play.
"Using the restrictions of the main hall to construct an array is indeed more ingenious than I imagined."
Han Xuanji spoke calmly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the twelve illusory images of thunder beasts before finally settling on Liu Wanxu:
"However, you've got one thing wrong."
He raised his hand, and a purple-gold light slowly flowed in his palm. A gentle yet incredibly vast wave spread out from his palm, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, with ripples spreading throughout the entire hall at a visible speed.
The lightning patterns that were originally operating according to the Chi Yuan Method Formula paused as soon as they touched this wave, like soldiers who had heard a higher-level command, and then quietly changed the direction of their flow.
The twelve phantom images of thunder beasts also exhibited noticeable anomalies when this wave swept over them.
The first to change was the Thunder Tiger closest to Han Xuanji. Its eyes were bloodshot and its four claws were digging at the ground, poised to pounce on Han Xuanji. But now it seemed to have suddenly lost its target. The roar in its throat stopped abruptly, and its whole body froze in mid-air, as if an invisible hand had grabbed the back of its neck.
Immediately afterwards, the twelve thunder beasts—thunder leopard, thunder python, thunder eagle, and so on—froze one after another, the fierce light in their eyes quickly dimming. Some even began to spin in place, like lost wild beasts, completely ignoring Chi Yuan's Method Formula.
What happened?
Chi Yuan's pupils contracted sharply, and he suddenly increased the output of his Method Formula, causing the veins on his forehead to bulge.
He tapped his fingers in the air, sending streams of true energy into the formation as if they were free, attempting to forcibly awaken the twelve thunder beasts.
However, the thunder beasts only flashed briefly before quickly becoming sluggish again, as if all his commands had vanished without a trace, receiving no response whatsoever.
Liu Wanxu's smile froze on his face, his heart filled with panic.
They were also part of the group controlling the formation, so they could naturally sense that the formation had gone out of control.
Why did the formation malfunction at this particular moment?
"Impossible! How could it be out of control!"
Wan Kun hissed, his eyes filled with disbelief and horror.
Han Xuanji ignored their astonishment and doubt, and simply turned his palm slightly, making the purple-gold light even brighter.
The lightning patterns in the main hall increasingly obeyed his commands, and the restrictions originally used to block his retreat now all turned against him.
After a brief pause, the twelve phantom images of thunder beasts turned around in unison, facing the members of the Ten Thousand Immortals Association Gathering, and let out a low roar.
"Your formation is really useful."
Han Xuanji looked up at Chi Yuan and chuckled softly.
These words, however, were extremely grating to the ears of Chi Yuan and the others.