Translator: Lordbluefire Editor: Lordbluefire
For formations grandmasters, all of them were proud. Who asked them to have such lofty statuses? They were also unaffiliated cultivators but ordinary unaffiliated cultivators were dirt-poor, they had to source for resources all around. But for formations grandmasters, even if they were unaffiliated, the resources they need wouldn’t be a problem. People would queue up to deliver the resources to them and they could join any major powers effortlessly, becoming valued guests.
Hence, nobody felt it was inappropriate about this mysterious Grandmaster Di’s arrogance. On the contrary, they felt it was normal.
Since a grandmaster already had such status, one could very well imagine how high the status of an aristocrat clan that specialized in formations was.
The Yan Clan was precisely one such clan, how could they endure the blaspheme of others? They had once gathered unaffiliated grandmasters many times to exchange knowledge and even provide guidance to them. Only the elites out of the unaffiliated grandmasters could become their guest elders. Right now, a solo grandmaster actually dared to challenge them. How could their pride bear this?
Hence, outside the Yan Clan’s entrance, a platform was already set up, emanating pressure from formations. As long as the formation here was activated, boundless power would flow through.
An old man with a white beard stood on the platform, spirit glowed in his eyes and he looked extremely vigorous. His cultivation was at the initial-stage of the immortal emperor realm and he was standing within the formation. Clearly, he was a powerful grandmaster. Right now, it seemed that he was guarding this platform, waiting for that mysterious grandmaster to arrive.
The surrounding people all knew who this man was. It was an expert highly proficient in formations, a grandmaster of the Yan Clan, Grandmaster Mao.
Upon seeing the two figures flying over in the air, Grandmaster Mao coldly spoke, “Name yourselves.”
“Di Tian.” The black-robed figure in the air replied in a tone just as cold as his. He glanced at the formation on the platform as he snorted, “Is this how the Yan Clan receives a guest?”
“I’m a guest elder of the Yan Clan, the Yan Clan is also an aristocrat clan that specializes in formations. Since you wish to challenge it, how can we let you enter in peace? There are many people who wish to make use of the Yan Clan’s name to shoot to fame, you are not the only one. However, if you wish to enter, prove your worth first. The formation inscribed upon the platform was done by me. If you can break it, you would have the qualifications to enter. If not, you are just someone that has an undeserved reputation. If that’s the case, stop embarrassing yourself and just get lost.”
This Grandmaster Mao icily spoke, radiating a pure arrogance. In the past, he was one of those unaffiliated grandmasters that got recruited by the Yan Clan. He was one of the better ones and became a guest elder. However, this Di Tian was truly excellent, daring to directly reject the invitation and even mount a challenge. Wouldn’t his actions cause these guest elders to feel that they have no face at all?
“Grandmaster Mao is right. Not everyone has the qualifications to enter my Yan Clan. This formation is just something casually created by Grandmaster Mao. If you can’t even break this formation, just scram as far as you can.” That expert who previously went to invite Di Tian was also here. He stood at the entrance of the Yan Clan with his arms behind his back, coldly regarding Di Tian.
The eyes of all the experts flashed. As expected, the Yan Clan clearly realized that this Grandmaster Di wanted to use them to make himself famous. Hence, they created a formation right outside the Yan Clan. If this Grandmaster Di cannot even break this formation, he naturally wouldn’t be qualified to enter. At that time, the one who lost face would only be Di Tian. His reputation would be in tatters and it would elevate the Yan Clan’s status instead, telling everyone that not any tom, dick and harry could gain the qualifications to enter their clan.
On the contrary, if Di Tian could break the formation, he would merely gain the ‘qualifications’ to enter the Yan Clan, he still couldn’t prove anything. No matter how one looked at it, the situation was more advantageous for the Yan Clan. As expected of an aristocrat clan, how could they be so easily used by others?
Right now, everyone was waiting to see if Di Tian could break the formation.
Di Tian glanced at the expert who previously went to invite him as well as Grandmaster Mao. His countenance was extremely calm, he didn’t continue to speak useless words as actions would prove everything.
“Will you be inside, controlling this formation?” Di Tian glanced at Grandmaster Mao.
“Is there a need to? The formation has been established, it can produce its own might, there’s no need for me to control it.” He coldly laughed and stomped down with his feet. With that stomp, the formation was activated. Countless strands of light converged, forming a resplendent beam that shot up to the nine heavens, resonating with a constellation in the heavenly layers. This was an emperor-ranked formation.
A startling destructive might erupted from the formation, permeating the atmosphere. Golden lines that seemingly could slice everything apart manifested. If one stepped on the platform, their bodies would instantly be ripped apart.
“What a powerful formation.” The eyes of everyone flashed. As expected of a guest elder of the Yan Clan. Grandmaster Mao’s formation was enough to kill an ordinary mid-stage emperor. As for Grandmaster Di Tian, he was merely an initial-stage emperor, although he had proven his strength in creating formations, but what about his skill in breaking formations?
The other party wasn’t pitting their formation against his because the Yan Clan felt he wasn’t qualified. They erected a platform with a formation on it and asked him to break it to prove his worth. One couldn’t help but to say the Yan Clan was very intelligent. If this Grandmaster Di could not even break this formation, it would truly be too shameful.
“Grandmaster Di, please.” Grandmaster Mao stretched his hand out in invitation, acting like he was very polite. However, his lips curled up in a cold mocking smile as his eyes flashed with disdain. Wanting to borrow the Yan Clan to shoot to fame? What a gross overestimation of oneself. Just this single formation was sufficient to crush Di Tian. After that, Grandmaster Mao walked off the platform and stood with the crowd. Just like what he said, there was no need for him to control the formation as it would produce its own might.
Di Tian glanced at the formation. He stepped forward and stretched out a palm. In the air, a gigantic heavenly hammer materialized. This hammer continued to expand as astral light from the skies poured into it. A few moments later, a resplendent glow covered the hammer as the light interweaved together, forming a runic formation.
Di Tian took another step forward and grabbed the hammer into his hands. His black hair fluttered in the wind as he smashed down with that heavenly hammer. The countless golden lines in the formation immediately surged forth, wanting to lacerate the hammer. Grandmaster Mao coldly laughed. It was like he already saw the scene of the hammer being destroyed.
At this moment, just as the golden lines were about to slash at the hammer, a gigantic web materialized from the runic formation engraved on the hammer. This web was a terrifying sealing diagram and it expanded outwards, covering the entire formation created by Grandmaster Mao. A few moments later, the platform no longer emanated any hints that it was covered by a formation.
Di Tian released his grip as the heavenly hammer vanished. He took another step forward and calmly stood upon the platform.
“This…” The rumbling sound continued to echo in the air. The eyes of everyone froze, as a fearsome sharpness gleamed in their eyes.
This method of breaking a formation… wasn’t it a little too tyrannical and direct? It was like Di Tian was telling everyone that no matter how strong your formation is, everything would be sealed with a smash of my hammer. What do I care for the intricacy of your formation?
The heavenly hammer itself was branded by a runic formation which emanated a sealing aura. The sealing formation instantly appeared when Di Tian smashed the hammer down. It truly was too tyrannical.
Many people were still in a daze, only after some time did they recover and saw Di Tian standing on the platform. Some of these people have witnessed grandmasters breaking through formations before, but none of them had seen such a domineering method. So what if your formation is powerful? I’ll simply seal it away. What do you still have to play with me?
Grandmaster Mao instantly paled. His original purpose for coming here today was to make Di Tian lose face and to cause him to lose his reputation. But after that hammer swing, Di Tian’s fame would definitely explosively increase. Even if he was eventually defeated by some other grandmasters after he entered the Yan Clan, he had already achieved his purpose of using the Yan Clan to generate fame for himself. As for Grandmaster Mao, he became Di Tian’s stepping stone. In the future when people talked about him, they would only remember how his formation was destroyed by a single swing of a hammer. His reputation would surely suffer, people would say that his formation was too lousy, so lousy to the extent where Di Tian could break through it with a single attack.
The expert from the Yan Clan, the one who mocked Di Tian before this, froze on spot. His countenance alternated between shades of green and white. That hammer attack was simply too face smacking.
Di Tian couldn’t be bothered about the feelings of these people. He walked down from the platform and continued ahead, he didn’t even spare a glance at Grandmaster Mao.
As he passed by him, Di Tian’s footsteps suddenly halted. He spoke in a light voice, “The Yan Clan asked you to guard the entrance? Is it because there’s no one else in the Yan Clan, or are you too useless?”
This voice naturally was ridiculing Grandmaster Mao. Just this sentence was enough to cause Grandmaster Mao’s expression to turn ashen. He clenched his fists but was speechless, he had nothing to rebut. His formation was truly shattered by a single attack. That hammer strike also destroyed his reputation and his pride.
Although Qin Wentian’s voice was very soft, everyone here was a cultivator and they naturally had heard it clearly. They were all musing silently that it was as expected of the pride of a grandmaster. The Yan Clan and Grandmaster Mao wanted to humiliate him but they were the ones being humiliated instead, answering them with the most tyrannical method.
“This formation is merely something casually created by Grandmaster Mao. Even if you broke it, what can it represent? It only means that you have the qualifications to enter my Yan Clan.” That expert from the Yan Clan who went to invite Qin Wentian before this spoke coldly.
Di Tian inclined his head and matched his gaze. An unmasked look of contempt appeared in his eyes as he coldly smiled, “Lying to yourself despite the clear truth that can be seen by everyone? Do you treat everyone here like a fool? Before this, you once invited me to participate in the Yan Clan’s gathering of the unaffiliated grandmasters and told me that only elites among them could become guest elders of the Yan Clan. But now, a guest elder of your Yan Clan merely had this level of attainment in the dao of formations? What a waste of time. Let me persuade you, in the future, stop doing things like this to throw your own face. You would only become a joke.”
After speaking, he continued forward, ignoring the ugly looks on the other party’s face as he directly walked through the Yan Clan’s entrance.
Behind him, that serving girl of his quietly followed. Her figure stood straight, seemingly basking in pride and glory for being able to follow such a powerful grandmaster.
