Chapter 446: Formation-Breaking Master! If Heaven Had Not Birthed Young Master, the Art of Formations Would Have Remained a Long, Endless Night for Ten Thousand Ages! Golden Hammer!

“Senior Cao Cao, should we follow Long Jiu inside?” Zhang Wei asked.

Li Yanchu shook his head. “Wait a moment. I’ll try first.”

Then, Li Yanchu, Zhang Wei, and Xiao Ran moved to another side at the foot of the divine mountain.

Xiao Ran was perceptive. She wasn’t surprised by Zhang Wei’s use of a different name for Li Yanchu; in the

jianghu

, using aliases was common. After all, he was so handsome.

Xiao Ran, a looks-obsessed person[1], had simple enough reasoning.

Here, there were no other cultivators around, and the place was secluded. Li Yanchu extended a finger and lightly tapped the space ahead.

Daoist art: Wallbreak!

A semi-transparent barrier slowly parted to both sides, creating a wide opening in the seal!

Watching this, Zhang Wei and Xiao Ran were completely stunned speechless.

He opened it just like that!?

This was an ancient seal capable of stopping countless cultivators from a Blissful Land, and even Long Jiu, a formation master, had treated it as a grave challenge! And Li Yanchu just opened it with a casual gesture!?

“Seems it works. Let’s go in and take a look,” Li Yanchu said with a smile.

The divine techniques recorded in the Yellow Court Classic really were top-tier. He didn’t even know where his master had obtained it back then. Even he felt a bit surprised.

Then, Zhang Wei and Xiao Ran followed Li Yanchu inside, easily passing through the powerful seal.

Meanwhile, Long Jiu, holding his compass and formation-breaking golden hammer, calculated the Early Heaven Eight Trigrams[2], the Qian-Kun Yi Numbers[3], and analyzed the Five Elements’ Qimen[re]Though I have explained this before, I thought I’ll explain again to refresh your memory. “Qimen” generally refers to an ancient Chinese divination system, formally known as Qimen Dunjia, and is considered one of the three great secret arts of ancient China, alongside Da Liu Ren and Taiyi Shen Shu, collectively known as the “Three Ultimate Techniques.” It is a predictive and decision-making system centered on the concept of “Qi” (the three extraordinary stems: Yi, Bing, Ding) and “Men” (the eight gates: Rest, Life, Hurt, Obstruction, View, Death, Fright, and Open). Originally, it was primarily used for military strategy and forecasting auspicious or inauspicious outcomes, but later its applications expanded to areas such as business, feng shui, and other fields.[/ref].

Finally, using the sum of his lifetime’s knowledge, he successfully opened the formation seal of the divine mountain.

“As expected of Young Master Long Jiu, he broke this formation in only half an hour!”

“Long Jiu will surely become a master of formations in the future!”

“In the art of formations, Young Master Long Jiu will be unmatched!”

“If Heaven had not birthed Young Master Long Jiu, the art of formations would have remained a long, endless night for ten thousand ages[4].”

No one hid their flattery in praising him, though the last line caused a momentary pause. Had something strange sneaked into their midst?

Long Jiu cast a sideways glance at the burly giant, Old Zhao, then turned back to the group with a refined, courteous smile and cupped his hands together. “Everyone, the divine mountain’s seal is extremely formidable. I need not elaborate. Once you enter, do not move recklessly, lest you trigger some hidden mechanism.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Of course. We’ll follow your instructions, Young Master Long Jiu.”

“Young Master Long Jiu, since you’re the one who led us in, naturally we’ll obey you. Otherwise, it would be like going against the whole group!”

Long Jiu’s smile remained refined and gentle. He enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention. As a member of the Long family, he also wanted to become known!

Of course, he had his own plans: one was to gather a few powerful helpers, the other to have people probe the traps ahead. More people meant better preparation.

Then, their group proceeded grandly into the towering divine mountain.

Liu Qingqing, fair-skinned and exquisitely made up, stepped forward to converse with Long Jiu. With her enchanting demeanor and high emotional intelligence, she immediately won Long Jiu’s favor.

What young man could resist such charm? Her allure even made the older men present feel their head spin, as if they had aged backward several decades.

The group soon arrived at a stairway that seemed to reach the heavens, and Long Jiu’s previously relaxed demeanor instantly turned serious. A bluish light gleamed in his eyes; the once solemn ancient steps now appeared entirely different to him.

“This is the Daoist Heaven’s Eye... I didn’t expect you to have cultivated it at such a young age, Young Master Long Jiu!”

One person, seeing Long Jiu pause, had wanted to ask the next steps, but instead witnessed this scene. No wonder he had broken the divine mountain’s seal in such a short time!

Just then, Long Jiu’s expression hardened. In his eyes, countless intricate lines ran across the steps, razor-sharp. This formation was far more complex than he had imagined and perhaps the most sophisticated he had ever seen in his life!

Each stone step was ancient, weathered by time, exuding a weighty sense of history.

“Follow me, and be cautious of the formation here!”

He felt alarmed, as the great formation was tightly designed, link upon link, exceedingly intricate. If this level of seal was already terrifying, what other formidable protections might lie ahead?

He needed to assert his authority within the team through his display of skill, laying the groundwork for others to safely scout ahead.

The divine mountain seemed to possess a strange, sinking force, making movement difficult. According to Long Jiu’s analysis, it also had an anti-flight restriction. If a cultivator tried to disregard the rules and fly upward, they would likely be shredded by the formation at once, or have their spiritual power suppressed and fall, dying instantly from the impact.

They pressed deeper into the ancient mountain, their steps growing slower and slower. The seals here were not only powerful but also numerous.

Long Jiu’s expression grew increasingly grave, and sweat constantly seeped from his forehead.

“Young Master Long Jiu, what’s wrong?” asked an elderly man in a black robe.

Long Jiu replied, “Nothing, it’s just that the formation has become more complex. But for me, it’s not a problem.”

He formed a hand seal, gripped the formation-breaking golden hammer tightly, and swung it forward with all his strength!

Boom!

A tremendous roar echoed as visible ripples of energy radiated outward, sand and stones flying in all directions. It was like a calm lake into which a massive object had been thrown, ripples spreading and creating massive waves!

The formation-breaking golden hammer was a powerful magical artifact, capable of dismantling great formations. It was truly extraordinary!

However, Long Jiu’s mood did not lighten. Instead, it plummeted suddenly.

For though the formation here was being broken, the overall formation became even more complex, its structure completely transformed!

Damn it! It’s even more complex now!

A cry of despair rose in Long Jiu’s heart.

He glanced at the ancient stone steps, panic rising. He had only traversed a small portion of them, after all.

Even if my master were here, it wouldn’t be easy breaking this formation

, he thought.

There was no other choice. By breaking the formation, he had already drawn the attention of several powerful sect leaders and ancient monsters.

Behind him, many cultivators watched eagerly. If he now turned back, not only would his pride be shattered, but that ruthless one might very well tear him apart alive!

So he forced himself to continue forward, and he climbed another hundred stone steps.

“Wait!” Long Jiu raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

Ahead appeared an extremely powerful formation. In his Heaven’s Eye vision, he could see the intricate Five Elements and Eight Trigrams embedded within it. Lines of dark gold were interwoven in bewildering complexity, leaving no clear approach!

Long Jiu took a deep breath, formed a hand seal with one hand, and raised the formation-breaking golden hammer with the other.

“Break!” Long Jiu shouted sharply.

The formation-breaking golden hammer has the property of countering array transformations, automatically seeking out weak points to break through.

At this moment, there was no choice but to rely on the golden hammer to forcibly shatter the formation.

A burst of light erupted, flickering with dazzling five-colored brilliance that constantly shifted.

Clack!

A crisp, clear sound rang out.

“How is this possible...?” Long Jiu’s pupils contracted in disbelief.

The very golden hammer capable of destroying the greatest worldly formations had shattered with a roar, its fragments scattering across the ground!

1. “颜狗” literally means someone obsessed with good looks or appearance. ☜

2. The Early Heaven Eight Trigrams, also known as the Primordial Bagua or Fuxi Bagua, is a symmetrical arrangement of the eight trigrams representing the state of the universe before creation. It symbolizes a perfect, ideal, and balanced state of equilibrium where opposing forces like Heaven and Earth, Fire and Water are placed directly opposite each other.

Here is a reference

image

.

T/N: The Xiāntiān Bāguà, also known as Liánshān Yì, originated in ancient times, and their dialectical philosophy is based on the unity of opposites. The Early Heaven Eight Trigrams are said to have come from the River Diagram (Hétú). In this system, Qián and Kūn determine the north and south, while Kǎn and Lí determine the east and west. The sequence follows the natural order: above is heaven (Qián), below is earth (Kūn), left is east (Lí), and right is west (Kǎn). Therefore, the numbers of the Early Heaven Eight Trigrams are: Qián 1, Duì 2, Lí 3, Zhèn 4, Xùn 5, Kǎn 6, Gèn 7, and Kūn 8. The central number is 0, representing either five or ten; 0 symbolizes the primordial energy of the universe. The sum of the ordinal numbers of opposing trigrams equals nine.

In the evolution of the Early Heaven Eight Trigrams, the progression is: first Taiji, then Two Forms (Liǎng Yí), followed by Four Symbols (Sì Xiàng), and finally the Eight Trigrams (Bāguà). This sequence represents the process of the universe’s formation. ☜

3. The Qian-Kun Yi Numbers refer to the numerological theories associated with the

I Ching (Book of Changes)

, the most famous of which are the Early Heaven Eight Trigram Numbers based on “Qián 1, Duì 2, Lí 3, Zhèn 4, Xùn 5, Kǎn 6, Gèn 7, Kūn 8.” This system is also a form of divination, particularly exemplified by the Plum Blossom Numerology (Méihuā Yìshù), which uses the numerology and symbolic principles of the Primordial Eight Trigrams to make predictions. ☜

4. This sentence means Long Jiu is someone whose talent is so extraordinary that he brought light and advancement to the art of formations, which otherwise would have remained obscure or stagnant for ages. ☜