The magical Magic Power surging within his body was the energy of the City Heart, but Xu Long vaguely remembered that he hadn't obtained this much energy in the third gate barrier just now.
Once inside the fourth gate's barrier, one can obtain even more energy.
What about the fifth or sixth level? Does the energy at the City Heart become more abundant the deeper one delves into the array?
Then one could obtain even more energy through Celestial Phenomenon. What if one could encompass the entire Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram?
Wouldn't that mean possessing the entire energy core of Phoenix City?
Thinking about this, Xu Long couldn't help but chuckle. This was exactly what Deng Lifu, the Phoenix City, was doing.
He is proficient in the art of divination and can certainly control the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram within this city. The City Heart must also be in his possession. For me to try to take over this Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram is like a python trying to swallow an elephant.
Meanwhile, outside the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram, in the Phoenix City Lord's Manor, the square-faced Phoenix City Deng Lifu was sitting alone in the City Lord's Manor hall with his eyes closed.
He sat cross-legged in the main hall as if waiting for someone. The hall was silent, and the light from the dome illuminated his solemn features, making him appear somewhat sacred.
The hairpin atop his head emitted wisps of colorful light, and his body, clad in white brocade, stood upright, exuding the dignified air of a superior.
Not far in front of him was a small and exquisite Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram. Upon closer inspection, this Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram was practically a miniature version of Phoenix City, especially the city gate, which was remarkably similar.
Even more remarkably, as this small array diagram changed, the energy within the entire city also changed, and the two working together subtly corresponded to the secrets of heaven.
A small array diagram allowed Phoenix City to connect with the outside world in the Land of Exile. The power and energy revealed by this array diagram as it changed were magnificent, and the all-encompassing energy within it was beyond the reach of cultivators.
So let alone the Phoenix City guiding everything within it, seeing this array diagram makes one think that it is probably this array diagram that guides the entire city!
At this moment, the city lord sat alone in the light of the dome, while the array diagram was in the darkness in front of him.
The tortoise shell in my hand was still being gently rubbed, and the almost invisible patterns on it were faintly visible.
The interplay of light and shadow, stillness and movement within the grand hall held profound meaning, hinting at an unseen secret and prompting exploration of unseen anomalies.
After Xu Long entered the barrier of the fourth gate, a formation diagram in front of the city lord moved slightly.
It seemed as if something was amiss, but clearly this anomaly did not affect the operation of the array. It was controlling a vast city, and this slight anomaly was not enough to bring it to a standstill.
Even the slightest changes within the array diagram could be detected, and when an anomaly appeared in the array diagram, the city lord's aura faltered slightly.
However, he did not open his closed eyes. Since the array diagram was connected to his own energy, he naturally knew what anomaly had occurred within it.
It's just some overconfident people trying to force their way through the formation!
There are countless cultivators in the Land of Exile. Those who do not wish to pay Spirit Stone upon arriving in Phoenix City will choose to enter through the three city gates.
This was a rule and a test, since only Spirit Stone and powerful beings could remain in the city.
However, some cultivators, relying on their abilities, actually tried to force their way through the fourth Daoist Sect after barely passing through the third. Did they really think the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram was something to be trifled with, or did they simply not take the City Lord's Manor seriously?
The city lord had become accustomed to such phenomena over the years. He knew that some cultivators who emerged from the Red Land were extremely arrogant, but they should never have underestimated Phoenix City.
They shouldn't have tried to force their way into the depths of the formation. They only realized how shallow their understanding of the City Lord's Manor was when they themselves perished within the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram!
The city lord instantly suppressed this slight unease; his brow twitched slightly, as if he were surveying the scene outside the main hall.
Then he faced the main entrance of the hall; the person he was waiting for seemed to have arrived...
Within the barrier of the fourth gate.
After Xu Long entered the fourth gate's barrier, he found that this barrier was more solid than the ones he had passed through before. It seemed that the deeper he went into the Bagua, the stronger the beings trapped inside the barrier became.
Inside the barrier, the oppressive atmosphere had lessened considerably; instead, a chilling, murderous aura permeated the space.
Xu Long was not yet aware of which part of the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram he had entered, but he felt that the chilling aura was quite unsettling.
Upon entering the barrier, a chill ran through me; this was already the fourth gate.
Although Ma Fang didn't say there was any hidden danger, judging from his expression, it was clear that the deeper they went into the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram, the greater the danger they would encounter.
However, for Xu Long, every hidden crisis presents a potential opportunity. His Milky Way Celestial Phenomenon has already connected with the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram, allowing him to seize the energy of the City Heart within the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram.
He was now at the fourth level of the gate, and once again felt the familiar energy within him. Opportunity lay ahead, but he was unaware of the potential dangers...
The thought had barely formed in Xu Long's mind when he headed forward to search within the barrier.
This Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram is quite large, truly all-encompassing and capable of deducing the myriad heavens; the number of barriers that arise within it is unknown.
Xu Long arrived in an instant, having already passed through four gates, but he only encountered two cultivators, both of whom perished within the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram.
What appears to be a mysterious treasure within this Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram is in reality a deadly weapon designed to devour its prey!
Xu Long continued to explore within the barrier. He discovered that the barrier was indeed quite large, and the space inside was incredibly deep. Although he was exploring, he dared not venture into the darkness of the barrier.
Those are the barriers that divide the array; if you get caught in them, you'll probably be strangled within the array.
The path I just traversed was merely the test to enter the city; the path of slaughter against enemies and the horde of Mist Beast was far more terrifying. Was the place beneath my feet the very spot where the horde of Mist Beast had perished?
Xu Long felt a chill run down his spine at the thought, but at that moment, a surge of immense energy suddenly arose within the barrier, as if something was about to condense.
The Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram, fueled by this immense energy, shifted and changed, its eeriness emanating from the darkness, while the chilling aura within the barrier grew ever stronger.
Within this space, everything seemed to have solidified into one, with immense energy surging violently within, and wave after wave of power coalescing in the darkness.
The fourth gate of the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram, after many years, has once again condensed into immense energy.
An oppressive aura permeated the entire barrier, and within this perfectly integrated array, Xu Long seemed to be the only exception.
His aura clashed with the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram, causing all living beings in the darkness to release their oppressive power, making Xu Long the target of everyone's attacks within the barrier.
The immense will immediately spread out to explore within the barrier, but before it could figure out what was happening, it suddenly felt a strong sense of oppression above its head.
A tremendous force pressed down from the sky, as if he were trapped in a cage, the intense binding force making it almost impossible for him to move.
At this moment, a strong sense of alarm rose in his heart. Before he even looked up, he immediately unleashed his sword light without thinking.
Buzz!
A crisp sword cry erupted within the oppressive barrier, instantly invigorating Xu Long's mind.
At this moment, a streak of light suddenly appeared beside him, and the binding force around Xu Long eased slightly. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and his will immediately followed the sword light.
A loud whistling sound suddenly arose in the air, and the sword light emerged like a beast breaking free from its cage, rushing away towards the darkness above.
With a muffled "thud," the sword light seemed to pierce through something, producing a deep, resounding sound in the air. The intense crushing force was immediately halted, and the surging energy in the air showed signs of disorder.
Xu Long's will captured a giant hand, and in the center of the giant hand, a hideous hole was torn open by the sword light. The power above his head eased slightly, but the crushing aura still continued.
The sword light didn't linger after flashing through the air; instead, it gathered momentum and soared into the sky after piercing the giant hand.
The sight of the falling giant hand made Xu Long's vision go black for a moment. His figure appeared extremely small within the giant hand. Only then did he look up and see a hand that could be described as supporting the sky falling down towards him.
The overwhelming force came entirely from the palm of his hand, and Xu Long's figure was like an ant under the palm, unable to escape.
Only through a horrifying wound on his palm could one faintly see a sliver of light shimmering in the sky.
A dark shadow enveloped his entire body, and Xu Long's figure in the air was instantly crushed to the ground. Although the power of the giant hand was temporarily blocked, he still possessed formidable combat power within the barrier.
A thunderous roar echoed within the barrier, and a deep crater was suddenly carved into the ground.
The solid ground trembled violently within the barrier, as if a meteorite had fallen to earth, and the billowing dust instantly filled the air.
Thick smoke and dust rolled endlessly like a crawling earth dragon, and the surging energy caused by the falling giant hand caused a huge commotion within the barrier, with the sound spreading throughout the sealed barrier.
The hand that fell from the sky was crushed down with all its might. Xu Long, who was underground, was covered in dust and looked rather pale.
The enormous hand came too fast, and since I was trapped within the barrier, I was caught completely off guard and had no choice but to take the hit head-on for a short time.
Fortunately, the ground had already taken countermeasures when the giant hand crushed down. The Power of Oblivion immediately eroded the solid ground, so he only looked a little disheveled when he was crushed into the deep pit by the giant hand.
After striking, the giant hand immediately retreated to the ground, seemingly aware of the impending danger and needing to quickly return to its defensive position.
Xu Long's figure leaped up from the deep pit in an instant, and a gaze shot out from the dust, meeting the gaze of a pair of giant eyes in the darkness above.
At that moment, a ray of light suddenly shone within the barrier, and the giant eye in the darkness instantly dimmed.
With a muffled "thud," a streak of light shone brightly in the sky, while a "thump-thump-thump" sound echoed on the ground.
Xu Long's figure emerged from the dust, his eyes flashing with golden light, his aura soaring like a rainbow. The crawling earth dragons automatically dispersed in front of him, and with a thought, sword light swirled from the sky.
Having just suffered a setback under the giant hand, Xu Long did not let the sword light swirl back. He was determined to break the power of the giant hand's master, so he let the sword light pierce through the palm and head straight for the sky.
The creature hidden in the shadows was the real culprit. At this moment, the sword light struck successfully, and Xu Long forced out the real culprit. With a sweep of his immense will, the creature that appeared in the shadows landed on the ground.
This creature had a body as large as a giant and a face as ferocious as a demon. It had shaved head and wore its robes on the left, with a ring of purple flames burning on its head.
The beating flames condensed on the top of his head like a will-o'-the-wisp, and his ferocious face appeared flickering under the strange firelight.
Its purple skin looked somewhat eerie, with a tattered lambskin wrapped around its chest and abdomen, while its lower body resembled that of a tiger or leopard.
Xu Long was startled when it appeared.
totem!
This is the totem inside Deng Shouchong's Dharma Banner!
Shortly after entering the Land of Exile, Xu Long witnessed Deng Shouchong's sudden attack on Old Pavilion Master Huang in a small spiritual vein of the Rogue Cultivators Association. At that time, illusory totems appeared on the Dharma Banner.
However, the totem that appeared on the Dharma banner was completely different from the totem in the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram at this moment. The totem at this moment was far more solid than the totem on the Dharma banner.
Xu Long guessed that it was because Deng Shouchong had not yet reached the Immortal Realm, and was powerless to activate the totem, so it looked particularly illusory.
But the totems in the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram were genuine. After seeing the totems, Xu Long felt even more strongly that Deng Shouchong and his nephew had a deep connection with the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram.
These totems are creatures that have existed for a very long time; they have existed almost since the time of human ancestors.
These creatures are not their true forms, but rather totem deities created by our ancestors, who worshipped the terrifying power of these mythical beasts during their early, arduous times.
Therefore, many totems contain the bodies of mythical beasts, while other appearances were imagined by the ancestors. They held a very high position in the hearts of the ancestors and were even engraved on stone walls and embroidered on command flags.
In the era before writing, they were imprinted on the great banner, and they enjoyed the offerings of the tribe day and night, with incense burning endlessly for countless years.
Although it has no physical form, it is a real living being, and over countless years, through the incense offerings of our ancestors, it has achieved an immortal physical form.
In ancient times, many powerful beings relied on powerful totem creatures. These creatures witnessed the rise of our ancestors, were worshipped when they were weak, and relied on after the rise of these powerful beings.
They are creatures that never fade, they are the light before the dawn of civilization, they are earth-shattering powerhouses, they are the messengers who pass on the torch!
They are the only companions that have sheltered our ancestors to this day, and the most loyal comrades-in-arms during difficult times!
Totem creatures!
Xu Long was quite surprised when he learned that the attacker was a totem. The Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram was truly mysterious, even capable of containing powerful totem beings.
This Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram connects to Phoenix City, and it certainly couldn't have been created by the Phoenix City; the things it contains are far too ancient.
Xu Long wondered: Could this be related to those sealed ancient gods? If those gods who survived from the ancient times haven't been completely annihilated by the Heaven Patroler, where are they sealed? What connection do Phoenix City and the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram have with those ancient gods?