Volume One: Turmoil in Yan and Yun Chapter 73: Undercurrents (Part Five)

To take control of the formation’s core, there are generally three criteria; one must possess at least one of them to unleash the formation’s greatest power.

Firstly, having sufficient strength.
Secondly, possessing profound mastery over formations.
Thirdly, maintaining some other connection—such as bloodline or inheritance.

The Divine Emperor was, without doubt, the best candidate. If he were to command the Dragon Ascension Formation, then even among other paragons at the Unity Realm, he could easily hold his own against many at once. Yet, his strength was such that, even among Unity-level cultivators, he stood out as a leader; to him, the Dragon Ascension Formation was merely ornamental, a mere flourish to his already formidable might.

But Dian Mo was different. Though he lacked the Divine Emperor’s overwhelming power, his expertise in formations far surpassed that of the Emperor. More importantly, as the head of the Palace of Ji, Dian Mo possessed a myriad of intrinsic connections to the Dragon Ascension Formation. His command over it was no less than the Emperor’s—after all, it was they who had laid its very foundation.

Since Dian Mo could equally maximize the formation’s effectiveness, it was undoubtedly the better choice to let him, the slightly weaker one, take charge.

“Let it be so, then,” the Divine Emperor declared. “You’ll oversee the formation, while Zhetian, Shiye, and I will go meet the top experts of the Nether Clan.”

Zhetian nodded in satisfaction, only to pause, sensing something was amiss. “Why must I join the fray?” he demanded.

Shiye frowned. “And why am I listed after Zhetian? Do you think I’m inferior to that foolish bird?”

Zhetian snorted disdainfully. “Foolish dog.”

The Divine Emperor felt a headache coming on.

Dian Mo, too, was left speechless.

The two divine beasts of the Divine Dynasty had been at odds for a long time—no one wished to get involved in their bickering. After all, it wasn’t as if they’d truly come to blows.

As they spoke, the Locking Nether Tower began to tremble more violently, the ripples emanating from within splitting the void around it, creating bottomless rifts.

“The Nether Emperor has made his move.” The Divine Emperor waved his hand, summoning the Imperial Seal and handing it to Dian Mo. “The safety of Wuyang City is in your hands, sir.”

Dian Mo nodded solemnly. “I shall not fail the people’s trust.”

Zhetian snorted.

Shiye rolled his eyes at Dian Mo.

Dian Mo ignored them.

Suddenly, the earth shuddered.

The sky rapidly darkened.

An old man appeared abruptly outside Wuyang City. Bare-chested and emaciated, he was hunched over, sparse strands of hair clinging to his scalp. He carried a gourd as tall as himself, inscribed with strange, ominous symbols.

He played a bone flute, and the sky grew dark in its wake.

The melody of the bone flute seeped into the ground, causing the earth to tremble.

Immediately, countless corpses crawled from the soil—humans, demon beasts, and, upon closer inspection, even members of the demon clan.

These were the techniques of the Corpse Master Pavilion.

The gaunt old man was none other than the Pavilion Master himself, Corpse Wunian.

He ought to have been long dead—why was he here now?

Next, the corpses summoned by Corpse Wunian miraculously began to regrow flesh and blood, appearing almost indistinguishable from the living.

Even the Corpse Master Pavilion could not truly raise the dead or flesh bare bones; not even the Medicine Valley could work such miracles.

A woman draped in crimson robes appeared beside Corpse Wunian, staring in a daze at the towering city nearby.

“It seems the Corpse Master Pavilion must cooperate with the Fate Stealer Pavilion to achieve its full potential,” Corpse Wunian grinned, cold mist drifting from his lips.

From his words, the woman was revealed to be from the Fate Stealer Pavilion!

Two of the three most heavily wounded pavilions of the Azure Garment Hall had now arrived—what of the last, the Pavilion of Unbridled Desire?

“I’ve always wondered how the Bohai Clan persuaded Xu Hai to send you all to attack Wuyang.” A flash of sword-light cut through the night as the Sword Guard appeared before Corpse Wunian and the woman.

“Whatever the reason, since you’re here, you’ll leave your lives behind.” A metallic ring echoed from the melody as the Blade Guard’s voice sounded from the other side.

“It’s been a long time. I never thought we’d meet again under such circumstances.” Someone sighed, though they did not show themselves.

Three of the Divine Dynasty’s four great Guards had arrived.

Corpse Wunian rolled his eyes.

The woman didn’t even bother.

Though not yet fully recovered, they had once been the world’s mightiest; how could they possibly take a few Void Realm guards seriously?

“I haven’t fought in ages, Yuan Wuyuan. Don’t you dare steal my kill,” Corpse Wunian cackled. “Let’s see how much they’ve improved.”

A streak of blade-light swept down, but after three feet, it could advance no further.

“This blade still lacks something. If it were Wei Sanmu’s Immortal Spring Embroidery, it might be of some use.” Corpse Wunian clicked his tongue. “And the technique isn’t up to par, not as forceful as Entering Wood Three Inches.”

The Blade Guard gave no reply, only slashing out again.

Corpse Wunian shook his head, prepared to block as before, only to see the Sword Guard thrusting his sword simultaneously.

Blades and swords sang together.

Corpse Wunian raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued.

He barked a sharp command.

Instantly, both sword and blade froze in place.

“Interesting, but you have yet to glimpse the Great Dao. Otherwise, you might pose a real threat to me.”

The Blade Guard’s face darkened.

The Sword Guard frowned, deep in thought.

Corpse Wunian, finding it dull, waved his hand dismissively.

A wild wind swept forth, shattered by the domains of the Blade and Sword Guards.

Though he had witnessed broader horizons and gained deeper insight into Dao and domain, he remained, after all, only at the Void Dao Realm. To wish to kill two Void Dao experts as before was mere fantasy.

Corpse Wunian sensed this as well.

He grew irritated, debating whether to risk it all for a bigger prize.

“Don’t be reckless—it isn’t worth it,” the woman from the Fate Stealer Pavilion finally spoke, her voice clear and light. “Breaking through Wuyang is not our mandate. There’s no need to pay such a heavy price.”

Corpse Wunian grinned, but indeed gave up his intent to slay the Blade and Sword Guards.

At this moment, the corpses summoned by the Corpse Master Pavilion began their assault on the city, clashing with the defenders within. In an instant, the human capital became the world’s bloodiest battlefield, rivaling even the carnage at Windward Pass.

Fortunately, in the moment of greatest peril, someone activated the city’s outer formation, gradually stabilizing the situation within. The military and other experts began to reclaim the initiative.

“According to the Seven Star Astrologers, the outer city has largely been purged of the corpse plague. Only in the Zizhu Garden and near Batong River does fighting continue.”

“Who is responsible for Zizhu Garden?”

“The local guardian has fallen. Grand Marshal Feng has led reinforcements there.”

“Then we needn’t worry about Zizhu Garden. What of Batong River?”

“Batong River poses some difficulty.”

“Why?”

“Apparently… Master Jianjia has been resurrected at Batong River.”

The Seven Star Astrologers looked up in shock at the messenger. “Who did you say?”

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