“What?”
Shang Zhang, the attendant, said, “Oh, I meant that I’ve been here many times in my dreams.”
“Can you be more reliable? Why do you always make up stories?” Little Yuan’er asked as she looked at Shang Zhang, the attendant, with a speechless expression on her face.
Swoosh!
The huge Fei Shu flew into the translucent spatial formation and vanished into thin air without any fanfare.
“Grand Mystic Mountain looks very close, but it’s actually very far away. The eight mountain peaks around it actually form a protective formation,” Shang Zhang, the attendant, said. Then, he looked at Little Yuan’er and said, “This information is reliable.”
“Follow me,” Lu Zhou said as he flew up.
Everyone nodded and followed after Lu Zhou. Before long, they arrived in front of the spatial formation.
Shang Zhang, the attendant, asked again, “Are we really going there?”
“If you’re afraid, you can wait here,” Lu Zhou said.
Little Yuan’er and Conch looked at Shang Zhang, the attendant, in unison.
Shang Zhang’s expression stiffened immediately as he said, “Why would I be afraid?” Then, he turned Little Yuan’er and Conch and said, “Don’t run around recklessly later and just follow me.”
Surprisingly, the two girls did not protest this time. Perhaps, they had seen Shang Zhang’s strength in Xuanyi Palace and knew he was not ordinary.
Lu Zhou was the first to enter the spatial formation.
After everyone stepped into the spatial formation, a buzzing noise reverberated in the air as golden symbols appeared around them.
Shang Zhang, the attendant, said immediately, “It’s the Buddhist’s Sound Grand Formation. Mobilize your Primal Qi. Guard your Dantian’s sea of Qi, heart, and mind.”
Based on how fast he had responded, it was clear that he had been here before.
Lu Zhou could tell, and Xuanyi could also tell. Xuanyi was not a fool, after all. Based on the way the attendant treated the two girls, and the occasional domineering aura the attendant displayed, Xuanyi could naturally guess a thing or two. However, since his teacher did not expose the attendant, he would happily cooperate.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Suddenly, darkness descended without any warning. They were now walking on Netherworld Road. It felt as though ghastly spirits would rush toward them from both sides at any time. A cloud of gloomy fog lingered in the forest.
Up above, the golden symbols continued to shine as the sounds of chanting permeated the air.
“The further we go, the louder the chanting would become. Don’t be distracted,” Shang Zhang, the attendant, said as he turned back to look at Little Yuan’er and Conch.
The two girls looked at Shang Zhang with an innocent and confused expression. It was as though they were not affected at all.
Finally, Little Yuan’er scratched her head and said, “I know it’s dangerous. I’m following you. There’s no need to exaggerate so much.”
Shang Zhang, the attendant: “…”
‘Why are they completely unaffected?’
Lu Zhou, who knew what Shang Zhang was thinking, explained as he walked, “Conch is skilled in music. Her understanding of sound far surpasses others. No matter what kind of sound technique it is, to her, it sounds like a beautiful and moving tune.”
Conch nodded and said, “Indeed. This Buddhist chant is quite interesting.”
Lu Zhou continued to say, “As for Yuan’er, she cultivates the Supreme Purity Jade Slip. Most illusory and sound techniques are rendered useless by that cultivation method.”
Xuanyi chimed in with a smile, “Most importantly, both of them have the Great Void Seeds. The Great Void Seeds help to dispel deceptive techniques that trick and mess with the senses.”
Shang Zhang, the attendant: “…”
In order not to lose face, Shang Zhang, the attendant, said with a straight face, “I know.”
At this moment, Lu Zhou said, “Yuan’er, deal with the eye of the formation about 1,000 feet to the left.”
“Okay!” Little Yuan’er flew out excitedly.
“No!” Shang Zhang, the attendant, cried out.
However, it was too late.
It was not easy walking on the Netherworld Road. As a divine emperor, Shang Zhang could walk without much difficulty, but it was not without risks. How much more dangerous would it be for Little Yuan’er?
Lu Zhou was not worried, and he did not plan to help. In fact, they were all seeing different sceneries. This was a special place, after all. Perhaps, what was in one’s mind and heart would be reflected here.
Little Yuan’er flew through the forest and saw a circle of light on the ground.
However, in Shang Zhang’s eyes, there was an extremely terrifying and fierce statue that emitted a threatening aura standing in the circle of light.
Boom!
Little Yuan’er stepped on the circle of light, and the eye of the formation disappeared.
Shang Zhang, the attendant, said with a complicated expression, “The statue disappeared?”
Lu Zhou continued to say, “Continue. 1,000 feet to the right.”
“Okay!” Little Yuan’er replied as she flew through the forest.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The buzzing noises grew louder in Shang Zhang’s ears.
Xuanyi stopped in his tracks. His expression was slightly strange.
In the sky, countless golden symbols flew back and forth and began to attack.
“Conch!” Shang Zhang cried out and instinctively erected a barrier around him and Conch. At the same time, he looked at Little Yuan’er in the sky.
Little Yuan’er moved gracefully as the Nirvana Sash danced in the sky like a dragon. It wrapped around her as she flew past the golden symbols. She was completely unharmed as she arrived at another formation eye and destroyed it with one move.
Boom!
Now that two eyes of the formation had been destroyed, the fog had dissipated by half as well.
At this moment, Little Yuan’er flew back and said, “Master, the Fei Shu is here as well.”
Lu Zhou flicked his sleeve, releasing palm seals to send those golden Buddhist symbols flying. Then, with the Purple Glazed Ceramic and the divine mark robe, he silently chanted the mantra of the Heavenly Writing, easily dispelling the sound technique.
Shang Zhang said praisingly, “Good technique!”
In the sky, the enormous Fei Shu’s eyes glowed sinisterly in the dark. They resembled a pair of dark green luminous pearls. To everyone’s surprise, it began to speak in human language. “Humans are not allowed to come any closer!”
Lu Zhou scoffed and said icily, “A mere beast dares to block my way?”
“I… don’t have that ability. I just wanted to remind you not to seek death…” The Fei Shu’s voice was sharp and piercing. When it echoed in the forest, it sounded rather eerie.
Lu Zhou said in a low voice, “You better get lost before I change my mind.”
The Fei Shu flapped its wings and screeched once before it turned around and disappeared.
Shang Zhang looked at Lu Zhou strangely and said, “This Fei Shu is really afraid of old sir. It’s really strange.”
Lu Zhou took the lead and walked forward with his hands on his back.
The others continued to follow behind him.
After walking out of the two core formations, ripples appeared in the space in front of them.
“It’s the exit,” Xuanyi said happily.
Lu Zhou shook his head and said, “It’s not the exit. It’s the entrance to the next ancient formation.”
Shang Zhang nodded. “That’s right. The ancient formations are connected.”
Little Yuan’er looked at Shang Zhang, the attendant, and asked, “How do you know so much? Don’t tell me you dreamed of it!”
Left with no choice, Shang Zhang, the attendant, could only say, “I read it in an ancient book.”
Little Yuan’er asked again, “Then, did the ancient record tell you how to break the ancient formations?”
“The ancient formations are very complicated. We can only deal with them as they come. That sound formation is just one of many.”
“Oh.” Little Yuan’er nodded.
“Follow me,” Lu Zhou said as he passed through the ripples.
Whoosh!
Lu Zhou was suddenly assaulted with a sense of deja vu. The Netherworld Road, the sound formation, and the scenery suddenly seemed very familiar at this moment. Even the… huge Frost Dragon in the sky now was familiar.
The Fei Shu held a spear and stood at the foot of the huge Frost Dragon like a guard. It looked at Lu Zhou and the others, who were passing through the spatial ripples, and said in a clear voice, “I’ll warn you again. Humans aren’t allowed to come here.”
Lu Zhou raised his head and looked at the statue-like and motionless Frost Dragon that was like a mountain. Images after images flashed in his mind, but they were fragmented and disjointed; he could not make sense of them.
Xuanyi frowned, not knowing what to do. He said solemnly, “This is the Frost Dragon. It’s an ancient beast. I didn’t expect it to be here…”
Shang Zhang grabbed Conch and Little Yuan’er wrists respectively with his left hand and right hand as he said, “Don’t move.”
Little Yuan’er and Conch instinctively struggled but found that the force binding their wrists prevented them from moving.
Shang Zhang raised his head and asked, “Why are you guarding Grand Mystic Mountain?”
The Fei Shu shook its head and said, “If you want to know the answer, ask the ancient Frost Dragon.”
Shang Zhang scoffed. “Don’t threaten me with the ancient Frost Dragon. This is the Great Void. It’s not a place where fierce beasts like you can run rampant and act presumptuously.”
The Fei Shu said in its shrill voice, “Since when did the Great Void belong to humans alone? I’ll say it one more time: leave Grand Mystic Mountain!”
Lu Zhou finally gathered his thoughts and looked at the Fei Shu as he said, “There’s a large amount of mysterious power in the Grand Mystic Hall. Is the ancient Frost Dragon trying to absorb that power?”
The Fei Shu pointed its spear at everyone and began counting down.
“Three…”
“Two…”
“One!”
Thousands of icicles appeared behind the Fei Shu and shot out at Lu Zhou and the others.
The five of them erected their protective energies immediately to block the icicles.
At this moment, Shang Zhang turned to look at Lu Zhou and asked, “You’re sure you want to go to Grand Mystic Mountain?”
“Of course,” Lu Zhou replied.
Seeing Lu Zhou’s determination, Shang Zhang said, “Alright, I’ll grant you your wish!”
Then, Shang Zhang pushed Little Yuan’er and Conch toward Lu Zhou before he flew up.
Little Yuan’er and Conch looked up and saw the little attendant flying like a meteor in the sky. He held what looked like a dazzling star in his hand as he headed straight for the ancient Frost Dragon’s eyes.
