Chapter 664: Cultivation of Celestial Form with The Yellow River of Nine Provinces
Both of them arrived on a foggy sea promptly. Though millions of waves rolled in and out, there were no living things present here. This place was engulfed in a deathlike silence.
Jing Shu identified a direction and said, “Continue ahead for a thousand feet.”
Shen Lian adhered to her instructions. However, when they have reached the spot which was a thousand feet away, Jing Shu seemed rather perplexed. She mentioned, “This is not right, head a hundred feet backward.”
Shen Lian was not shaken by the changes and moved five hundred feet backward.
Jing Shu said, “This is still not right. How about trying to turn left for about three feet?”
Shen Lian did not move this time around, he looked towards the front and said, “Do not try anymore.”
Suddenly, the mist started to emerge on the expansive sea. Both of them were engulfed by it unknowingly. Jing Shu was stunned and blurted, “Yellow River of nine provinces Formation.”
Shen Lian replied plainly, “This is not the complete Yellow River of nine provinces Formation.”
At this moment, Shen Lian’s divine Qi was completely amassed. All of his Primordial Spirit and mana were concealed within the worldly seed of Ancestral Cavity. Based on his external and internal presentation, he seemed like an ordinary being. It can also be said that he was a strong and built ordinary person.
Nonetheless, Jing Shu did not follow what Shen Lian had done. Thus, when she came into contact with the mist, she groaned in pain. Instantaneously, her mana that was accumulated over thousands of years disappeared swiftly.
Fortunately, the anadem on her head provided some help. It had prevented her Primordial Spirit from damages. The Band-tightening Spell was one indigenous incantation to capture Primordial Spirits. Hence, Jing Shu’s Primordial Spirit was well-protected and freed from external interferences despite the deformation of her anadem.
Suddenly, Shen Lian pressed one of his hands on her shoulder. The mist that touched Jing Shu previously was immediately absorbed by Shen Lian’s hand. However, Shen Lian’s hand turned from white to black.
“The state of void does not emerge over a single thought,” a mellow voice was heard by Jing Shu. It actually sounded like the Resonance of the Great Way. In an instant, Jing Shu was enlightened. She concealed all her mana within the orifices point. As such, the loss of her divine Qi was slowed down immediately.
Jing Shu mentioned hatefully, “This old demon lady is so vicious.”
It can be said that the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation was a primary demonic formation in the eyes of all cultivators. This formation was based on the Three Spheres. It encompassed profundity of the world; inclusive of Celestial elixir of confusion, Enclosed incantation, God of the loss of celestials, Soul of celestials eradication, Form of celestial trapping, Qi of Damaged celestials, Organic form of the outcasted celestial, body of the Damaged Celestial. While celestials who entered the formation would become mortals, mortals who entered would be dead immediately.
In short, even if you had the greatest supernatural power in the world, once you have entered this formation, your mana would be lost. In addition, souls would be damaged and spirits lost. One would descend into the state of mortality. The collection of cultivation experiences by Qi cultivators was not an easy task. Only with daily determined practice could they amass a good deal of attainment and mana. Nonetheless, were they fall into this formation, they would be harmed. So many years of hard work would vanish into mere dust.
Though Jing Shu had a remarkable origin, it was not easy to have amassed such great mana. If Shen Lian had not lent a helping hand, she would have lost her basic mana. Even thousands of years of practice would not be enough for her to regain her lost mana.
Shen Lian said, “Let us think of ways to resolve this formation instead. Even though we managed to deceive this formation by concealing our pulses, it would be impossible for us to escape this formation without utilizing supernatural powers and mana.”
Jing Shu replied, “This formation designed by Empress Yun Xiao was only resolved when the deity bodies of Yuqing and Taiqing descended to provide help. What other solutions do we have? Is inviting these two Daoist Masters the only solution we have?”
Shen Lian said, “This formation is not fully completed. We still have some available solutions.”
Jing Shu asked curiously, “With only one glimpse, how did you realize that it is not complete? Although it can be guessed that this old demon lady would not have the ability to lay a complete version of the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation, you clearly did not rely on an instinctive guess.”
Shen Lian stared into the blurry mist and spoke softly, “If this was the complete Yellow River of nine provinces Formation, it would have followed the rule of circulation, gained the Art of Creation and continued this cycle repetitively. It would not be in such a state where killing vibes thrive gradually within the formation.”
As he spoke, the mist thickened even more.
Though Jing Shu was very knowledgeable, she did not understand the beauty of Dao’s Xuan Philosophy. She asked, “Why is the thriving of killing vibes a sign of defect?”
Shen Lian explained patiently, “Thriving to the point of extremity invites dwindling for extremity invites opposed outcomes. In the world, the principle of permanent thriving does not exist. The flourish of killing vibes does not exist on its own. Things have to be taken from others in order to transform them into this formation’s killing vibes. It is alike to paddy in the fields. As it flourishes, the fertility of the land would wane. If there were calamities, lands that had lost all its fertility would be easily destroyed. This situation is alike to the saying, ‘Without the presence of skin, where does the hair grow?’”
Although Shen Lian’s metaphor was not very incisive, Jing Shu was able to comprehend it. She understood that Shen Lian had found the foundation of this formation. Hence, all problems would be resolved once this basis was destroyed.
In addition, as the killing vibes within the formation became stronger, its foundation would become increasingly weak.
Jing Shu said, “Let us destroy this formation at once.”
Shen Lian lowered his voice and replied, “There is no need to rush.”
Not only was Shen Lian unhurried, he calmly sat on the floating clouds transformed by the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale. The floating cloud was already infected by the mist. Fortunately, the painting of Mounts and Rivers of the Gods of Earth and Vale was not a living creature. Thus, the infection was not a problem for there would only be some contamination of its vital force. After this incident, a ceremonial cultivation of the painting would be sufficient.
Shen Lian’s body was continuously contaminated by the mist. Though his Daoist robe was not severely affected, it turned into black color. However, his skin that was exposed had black speckles. Clearly, his Daoist body was bearing the corrosion brought about by the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation.
Shen Lian did not move. He stood still like an old monk, closed his eyes and rested.
Jing Shu could not bear such pain. Her whole body was itching and she desired to dig out every flesh that was itching. The claim that the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation could transform celestials into mortals was undoubtedly true. A living creature like her should not have felt itchiness on her physical body. Surprisingly, she was severely tormented by this itchiness.
Shen Lian opened his eyes. When he saw her suffering so badly, he spoke plainly, “Place your hand on my shoulder.”
Jing Shu said, “There is no need to help me bear my burden. I can still handle this.”
Shen Lian stopped talking. In actuality, he had shouldered much stress. This was because he did not only had to handle the pain, he still had to calculate all forms of variations in the formation. His ability was greatly suppressed especially when his Primordial Spirit had been concealed in the seed of heaven and earth. Thus, this was not an easy task.
Ultimately, the Yellow River of nine provinces Formation was based on Three Spheres- sky, earth, and men. When laws of Heaven were established, there were Yin and Yang; when laws of Earth were established, there were soft and firm; when laws of humanity were established, there were benevolence and justice.
Therefore, any one sector of the Three Spheres was the direct opposite of the other two.
The mist had a corrosive trait. However, once it was destroyed, it could be considered as a kind of newborn. Though it seemed that his Daoist body had been corroded, a newborn force had actually appeared. Nonetheless, it was extremely minute. One would not discover its existence if he was not deliberate enough. When Shen Lian had discovered its existence, he started to utilize these newborn force to refine his celestial form and directed it towards a condition that was more perfect.
When this transformation was complete, he could advance into the next stage which was to seek for the foundation of the formation and destroy it.
If he were to seek for the foundation of the formation by force, he might not be able to find it. In fact, before he could realize the minute changes in his celestial form, he would not only lost the opportunity for betterment but also have his celestial form completely destroyed.
Since Jing Shu could manage the pain, Shen Lian did not interfere. If she discovered the profundity of this formation, it would be considered as her own development.
Shen Lian did not tell her about this because he felt that they might not be friends. Owing to the incident involving Bei Mingzi, they might actually become enemies.
