Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Previously, Qingyun Sword split the numerous Earth Wheel experts into two groups. Among these, one group was arranged in the Heavenly Star Formation.
This group comprised of five divisions, namely, Initiate, Gather, Shine, Dodge, and Extinguish. Every division had 36 people, and each division had their own unique battle formations.
This also meant that every division had the ability to form up into their individual formations to fight the enemy as well as assemble into a bigger formation when combined together.
As for the specific arrangements, Ren Baqian wasn’t exactly sure because he wasn’t in the formation. Based on what he had heard, this formation specialized in trapping people.
Even if Qingyun Sword were to be trapped within this formation, he would find it difficult to escape.
The other group was set up in the Moon Board Formation, which was split into six divisions. Each division was able to strike with a strength that was almost equivalent to a Spirit Wheel expert. As a result, this formation was akin to having six more Spirit Wheel experts.
When the six divisions combined into one, they could strike with a force far greater than that of a Spirit Wheel expert. With the help of the other Spirit Wheel experts controlling the enemy, the formation would be able to exert its power to its fullest potential.
The empress would be placed in an extremely dangerous position if she were to be trapped by the Heavenly Star Formation, controlled by the Spirit Wheel experts, and struck by the Moon Board Formation.
However, this formation would only be good for long range attacks. If one were to infiltrate into their formation, it would be thrown into disorder.
If the formation were to be infiltrated in the six divisions by six people at the same time, it would definitely crumble.
These two formations were specially prepared by Qingyun Sword for the empress.
Following Qingyun Sword’s orders, the Heavenly Star Formation split into its five divisions and surrounded everyone. Each division had 36 people, and as everyone drew closer to one another, the distance between each division grew shorter as well. Eventually, all five divisions combined into a circle, creating the larger formation.
Ren Baqian took a glance back and saw that one of the divisions was just behind him. Coming down from higher up the mountain, the 36 men constantly changed positions, and Ren Baqian even saw a few familiar faces among this division.
Everyone from the Golden Ring Residence closely fixed their attentions on him.
After all, Ren Baqian was sent to the hidden village by the members of the Golden Ring Residence, so they couldn’t escape this relationship.
As it was currently the middle of a battle, nobody brought this matter up.
However, there would definitely be someone who would bring this issue up after the battle. At that time, the Golden Ring Residence would have to be accountable to everyone involved.
The best justification would be to kill Ren Baqian!
Even though the Heavenly Star Formation was designed to trap people, it had the ability to kill as well. It simply wasn’t as powerful as the Moon Board Formation, however.
If Ren Baqian stood his ground and didn’t budge, he would either be drawn into the formation of this division and slaughtered or be trapped by the overall formation when the five divisions merged into one.
However, those Spirit Wheel experts were currently in the middle of fighting. Even though they were all trying to control their strength and make it more concentrated, their every punch and sword strike would result in a large hole or a deep ditch in the ground. If Ren Baqian were to be drawn inside, he was afraid that even without anyone attacking him, the repercussions of the others exchanging blows would already be sufficient to make him die a horrible death.
If Ren Baqian were to move, the high ground was already blocked, so he could only retreat further down the mountain, which would still result in him dying.
“Luckily, I’ve made some preparations.” Ren Baqian exhaled. Currently, there was already no need to hesitate over using them. He took out a smoke grenade from the box and jolted it slightly. He estimated the distance and threw the smoke grenade precisely in front of everyone on the mountain.
Since he was worried that the effects might not be powerful enough, Ren Baqian threw another one and looked up nervously.
“Be careful, there’s poison!” When they saw Ren Baqian throw an odd looking object that emitted white smoke, they immediately held their breath, and the formation became slightly messed up.
After that, an indescribable, unbearable, and unimaginable stench started to spread with the smoke, directly assailing everyone’s noses.
Everyone passed through the smoke while holding their breath. After that, just as they resumed breathing, they felt as if their skulls were being pounded on by a large hammer. The stench went straight into their nasal cavities, and everyone started seeing stars in front of them. They used both hands to cover their mouths, which made it hard for them to breathe.
Tears started streaming down their cheeks uncontrollably. Nobody would ever have thought that a disgusting stench could actually make tears flow.
However, one had to experience it for themselves before knowing how suffocating this was.
Everyone was engulfed by the stench. Just now, when they were passing through the smoke, the smell got attached to their bodies. Furthermore, that foul stench was even wafting through the air at this moment.
Plop!
A few of them were so suffocated by the strong stench that they passed out.
Even if it were poison, an Earth Wheel expert would have a pretty high resistance toward it. Even if it were sarin gas, the poison gas that Ren Baqian previously used, an Earth Wheel expert would be able to hold on longer and would even be able to escape.
However, when this stench that nobody knew of went straight to their brains, they felt as if a large hammer was repeatedly pounding on their skulls. It also felt like someone was stuffing aged feces into their noses, mouths, and minds. Even with their physical attributes, these Earth Wheel experts couldn’t take it.
“Poison, it’s poison! Kill him and get the antidote! Retch… Retch…”
Somebody started throwing up violently in the middle of yelling.
Retch!
Retch!
Following his shouts, other people started to vomit violently as well. While throwing up, they subconsciously ran to the sides in search of fresh air.
Not everybody could go through such a challenging experience that was akin to being in a pit of urine that had been preserved for decades.
This was much worse than death.
However, the stench followed them wherever they ran.
One characteristic of this kind of stench was its natural adhesion!
Even though the stench that followed them made them felt like vomiting, having fresh air made them feel a little better. Even though every breath felt as if they were chugging feces down their throats, at least they were able to breathe a little better than before. Furthermore, it wasn’t ordinary urine, it was concentrated and fortified feces.
Still, there were a few stronger ones who violently charged toward Ren Baqian as they suppressed the desire to throw up. They had to make that b*stard hand over the antidote.
“Run quickly!” Seeing that the fortified smoke grenades couldn’t hold these people back, he hurriedly ran down the mountain.
However, there were either large formations or Spirit Wheel experts fighting all over the place. Where else could he run to?
He stuffed the box into Qing Yuan’s hands, took out smoke grenades as they ran, and threw them over at the formations that the Earth Wheel experts had assembled.
Retch!
Retch!
In total, he threw out over 10 smoke grenades. The two large formations that were already set up immediately crumbled. As everyone started to escape, those who didn’t immediately manage to get away passed out in the smoke.
A gentle breeze blew by, and Ren Baqian’s eyes opened wide as he almost tumbled to the ground.
The smell was repulsive, it was tremendously awful, and the stench was indescribable. It was so suffocating that it was as if 1,000 rubber tires were burning around him, and it made him completely unable to breathe.
Even if he held his breath, the stench would still shoot up to his brain, causing uncontrollable tears to flow.
Canned herring? Ren Baqian felt that he would rather eat canned herring every single day than to smell such an awful stench.
How could an edible, man-made food product be compared to such misery?
There was absolutely nothing comparable.
Retch! Ren Baqian’s face turned green, and he vomited as he ran. He could smell the stench permeating from all over.
“Ah!”
This blood-curdling screech came from a Spirit Wheel expert that Lin Qiaole was fighting. Lin Qiaole could be seen leaning on his back with one leg coiled into the shape of a fried dough twist. She had locked his arms tightly in place with her arms and was firmly biting into his neck with her teeth.
Following the struggle with this Spirit Wheel expert, Lin Qiaole ripped off a big piece of flesh from his neck.
When a gentle breeze blew over, Lin Qiaole started screaming as if she was a cat that had its tail stepped on. With one leg on her victim’s back, she jumped 10 meters up into the air.
“Poison! Hold your breath.” The two other Spirit Wheel experts, who had claw marks on their faces, immediately blacked out the moment the stench assailed their nostrils.
If Lin Qiaole was able to seize this opportunity, it wouldn’t be a problem for her to kill at least one other opponent.
However, at the moment, she was in a worse state than these two people. She screamed nonstop in the air, and her tears were practically enough to fill a river.
Originally, she already had a much stronger sense of smell compared to other people. When this stench spread over, the damage inflicted on her was amplified, and she almost passed out.
She transformed into a gust of wind the moment she landed and frantically searched for a place that wasn’t as smelly.
Eventually, she rammed into Ren Baqian, which sent him flipping over. Both of them rolled down the mountain before they hit a rock and stopped.
Lin Qiaole fell to the ground and wailed continuously.
At the other side, the empress’s eyes were covered by a blood red layer. Even her pupils had contracted to the size of a needle tip.
Thoughts of cruelty and massacre filled her mind, wanting to drown her last bit of consciousness.
Then, a gentle breeze blew by. The empress’s pupils dilated, and her body vanished from the encirclement in a flash.
The smell was too terrible. It stank so much that both her eyes turned black. Never in her entire life had she ever smelled anything like this. It was this supremely foul smell that awakened her in an instant. However, she would have preferred not waking up.
It wasn’t only her. The others had never smelled anything like this before either. Each and every one of their faces turned green as they resisted breathing with great difficulty. However, they did not dare to vomit. This was because they knew that they would definitely inhale the moment they threw up…
The entire scene quieted down in an instant.
The empress landed beside Ren Baqian and wanted to speak, but she felt her stomach revolting just when she was about to say something. Immediately, she covered her mouth first.
At this moment, Ren Baqian’s face was also green. It was simply too smelly, and he was about to suffocate. Even he didn’t expect the power of these fortified smoke grenades developed by those bastards to be so strong! He made a hand signal to the empress with one hand and dragged Lin Qiaole, who was lying on the ground, with his other hand.
In turn, the empress dragged both Qing Yuan and Hong Luan along.
After that, everyone quickly disappeared from the battlefield.
The only thing remaining was the long lasting and foul smell that made people unable to breathe.
Everyone outside the battlefield noticed that Qi Zixiao and her people had suddenly disappeared. In astonishment, they successively scattered to somewhere further away where the air flow was much better, but maintained their encirclement formation,.
However, like maggots feeding on a corpse, that stench followed their bodies as if it was their shadow. They could smell that stench no matter where they went. Everyone could smell it from the bodies of the surrounding people and even from themselves.
Retch!
After half a day, everyone realized a frightening fact. The stench on their bodies simply couldn’t be washed away even after bathing…
Regardless of whether they used flowers or oils, they were still unable to get rid of that stench!
Raging curses resounded throughout all of Mount Wu.
