As Li Yan spoke, he raised a hand and swiftly traced lines through the air. Soon, the characters for east, south, west, and north appeared in the void. Rather than occupying their respective positions, the characters were formed mainly from cloud patterns.
"If you look closely, fellow Daoists, the cloud patterns in each character closely resemble the spirit patterns on the bases of the four Spirit Lamps. In fact, those spirit patterns make up the characters. That means the lamps correspond not to elements, but to directions!
"I believe these four characters are the clue to clearing this trial. Look at the metal, wood, water, and fire lamps. They correspond to west, east, north, and south, but that arrangement is wrong.
"I think that if we place them in east, west, south, north order, then use Fellow Daoist Yun's earlier method to activate the Spirit Liquid in the four lamps, we may be able to clear the trial!"
Li Yan spoke quickly. Following his words, Li Jiuchen and the other three studied the figures he had drawn in the void. Sure enough, the cloud patterns making up each character bore a strong resemblance to the spirit patterns beneath the corresponding lamp, yet together they formed the four directions.
They, too, began analyzing the patterns. Their expressions soon changed. When they broke apart the cloud patterns Li Yan had seemingly sketched on the spot and tried to reproduce them using the patterns on the lamp bases, tangled masses appeared in their seas of consciousness, and their mental energy began draining rapidly. With their experience, they immediately understood what was happening.
The figures Zhang Ming had drawn were no simple combination. Only by following some complex rule could those cloud patterns form the characters for east, west, south, and north. Zhang Ming,