If the hidden weapons were a net cast from the heavens, then the Nine Palaces Formation was a snare laid upon the earth.
As the hidden weapons clattered to the ground, Feng Yun’ai snapped back to her senses. She had already stepped into a trap.
The Nine Palaces Formation was recorded in the Jianghu Records. It was a secret technique exclusive to the Chuanyun Sect and was even more difficult to break than the Golden Arhat Formation.
Years ago, when the borderland devils invaded the Central Plains, several sects were ransacked in succession. The Chuanyun Sect had only been able to escape unscathed because of this very formation.
Once the formation was set, any intruder who dared enter would immediately fall into a trance, eventually becoming a puppet who had seemingly lost their soul. That year, rumors had spread of “reanimated corpses” traveling in groups outside the Chuanyun Sect; in reality, those were merely members of the demonic cult who had been enthralled by the Nine Palaces Formation.
While atop Listening Goose Peak, Feng Yun’ai had rarely read folk novels, but she had memorized such tales of the Jianghu and the secret arts of various factions. Thus, the moment the hidden weapons struck the ground—perfectly marking the positions of the Nine Palaces—she became alert.
Yet, something was strange…
Back at the foot of Yellow Sand Cliff, hadn’t the Chuanyun Sect already led their people away? Why were they allied with these people now? Was the argument back then a ruse, or had the Chuanyun Sect been persuaded to join them?
Feng Yun’ai couldn’t make sense of it. The only thing she knew for certain was that there were people hiding in the shadows—and more than just one.
The hidden weapons falling from the sky were a feint, designed both to throw them into chaos and to activate the formation. The instant the weapons were struck aside, they were guided by the inner qi of the hidden attackers, snapping into place to complete the final step of the Nine Palaces.
Sang Chencao narrowed her eyes. She had intended to snatch the last hidden weapon flying past her face, but the manipulator was one step ahead, striking the air with a burst of qi to knock the weapon to the ground.
“A formation,” Feng Yun’ai said coldly.
Sang Chencao sneered. “And here I thought we wouldn’t run into anyone on this road. To think our tracks were being tracked all along. Even if we bypass this, the road ahead is likely riddled with traps.”
Her words were logical. Feng Yun’ai’s expression remained somber, and for a fleeting moment, she thought she heard the sound of flowers blooming.
Just moments ago, the area had smelled of fresh grass and wood. In the blink of an eye, the air grew thick with a rich floral fragrance.
Wait, what does a flower blooming sound like?
Back on Listening Goose Peak, did flowers make a sound when they bloomed?
Feng Yun’ai had no memory of it. It seemed flowers simply opened in silence; by the time she finished her sword practice, they were already full and heavy with petals.
Her face was already covered by a white veil, yet suddenly, a misty haze clouded her vision. The dappled shadows of the trees transformed into indistinct, distant mountains, where the cries of birds echoed over the peaks.
No, there were no blooming flowers, nor were there birds. The moment those people attacked, the birds in the forest had all taken flight.
That was—
The sound of hidden weapons!
Feng Yun’ai’s breathing quickened. She desperately wanted to tear off her veil to see the weapons clearly, but she maintained a sliver of clarity and forced herself to endure.
She suddenly raised her arm. Listening to the whistle of the weapons cutting through the air, she used her scabbard to deflect them, then glanced toward the other person on horseback.
The woman in indigo sat motionless, looking completely dazed, as if her soul had already been snatched away.
For all her apparent strength, she too fell victim to the Nine Palaces Formation?
Feng Yun’ai didn’t know much about this formation, but she knew that as long as she wasn’t fully incapacitated, those people wouldn’t dare enter the formation themselves, lest they be caught in their own trap.
The group intended to capture them alive. Once caught, regardless of whether Sang Chencao agreed, they would force the identity of Wen Lanxin upon her.
However, since it was a formation, there had to be a way to break it.
Everyone in the Jianghu thought Feng Rong was only obsessed with swordplay, but few knew she had dabbled in the secret arts of many sects. Previously, Feng Yun’ai simply thought Feng Rong was incredible, assuming other sects had willingly offered their secret techniques out of admiration.
Only now did she realize that no one gave away their ultimate techniques for no reason. Feng Rong knew so much simply because…
Feng Rong hailed from the Moonlight Sect. The Moonlight Sect was famous for plundering and mastering the treasures of every other sect—a level of skill far beyond what the Guanfeng Gate could ever hope to reach.
The Nine Palaces Formation…
Feng Yun’ai racked her brain. She vaguely remembered Feng Rong mentioning this formation when she was a child. The key to breaking it lay within the formation, not outside of it.
The problem was that those inside easily lost their minds and failed to notice the flaws.
The key was to have one person hold the southwest position, then use “ten thousand swords” driven into the earth to block the hidden weapons. This lush forest happened to provide the perfect opportunity to exploit the formation’s weaknesses.
There was no need to find wooden swords or branches; the trees throughout the wilderness were her swords.
Feng Yun’ai pursed her lips and gave Sang Chencao a deep, lingering look. Then, she flipped off her horse and struck its flank with her palm, forcing it to gallop toward the southwest.
This method would open the northeast side of the Nine Palaces Formation, right at the diagonal opposite of the person anchoring the formation.
However, it also meant that unless the formation was completely destroyed, the person in the southwest would be trapped forever.
Feng Yun’ai told herself she would go first and find another way from the outside. This shouldn’t count as a betrayal.
Once she composed herself, the hazy mountains turned back into tree shadows, the birds reverted to hidden weapons, and the sound of blooming flowers vanished. She saw that the horse had delivered Sang Chencao to the southwest position, so she exerted her inner qi to pin them there.
By now, her internal breath was in chaos. Because she was slightly further away from that demoness, the Gu insects in her body were beginning to stir again.
Using nearly all her strength, she picked up a leaf and flicked it toward the back of Sang Chencao’s head.
The qi wrapped around the leaf wasn’t lethal; it wouldn’t kill her, but it would snap her mind back to the present moment upon impact.
