Chapter 17: An Extraordinary Array, an Unconventional Solution

Swish!

In the instant Mu Tianhen struck, the protective formation flashed with a white light. Strange symbols appeared, weaving together like a special net.

Boom!

The formation expanded and contracted, unleashing a tremendous force that sent Mu Tianhen flying through the air. He crashed against an ancient tree trunk a fathom behind him and tumbled to the ground.

“Puh!”

A sharp pain pierced his chest. A sweet taste rose in his mouth, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he looked thoroughly miserable.

Supporting himself with one hand, Mu Tianhen slowly stood, wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, and gazed again at the thorn wall and the surrounding, activated, flickering formation.

The formation resembled a giant bubble—completely transparent, its surface alive with flashing arcane runes and emitting faint sounds.

Mu Tianhen frowned deeply as he studied it, uncertain and perplexed.

He had already found the matching formation and obtained the method to break it. Why had he failed? Why was he injured by the backlash?

That force was even stronger than his own blow—almost twice as powerful.

Luckily, Mu Tianhen had only used a third of his strength. Had he unleashed his full power, he might have been killed by the backlash. At the very least, he would have been gravely wounded, unable to rise.

This made him doubt the Formation Chapter of the Infinite Heart Technique, suspecting that the Azure Lotus Emperor had erred. Yet, upon further thought, he felt this couldn’t be. The mistake must be his own.

So, Mu Tianhen sat cross-legged, regulating his breath, while he reopened the Formation Chapter and carefully reviewed the section he had just consulted.

Upon close inspection, Mu Tianhen discovered his error.

Though the formations looked remarkably similar—even identical in many places—they were not the same. In the most crucial aspects, subtle differences existed.

Such similarities could easily cause confusion, as happened to Mu Tianhen just now, nearly costing him his life.

He calmed himself and continued poring over the Formation Chapter, searching for records of the formation before him.

While reading the descriptions and observing the formation’s flickering details, he missed nothing, determined not to repeat his mistake.

After about a quarter of an hour, Mu Tianhen finally found it.

“So, you’re not the Meridian Formation, but the Qi Pulse Formation!”

He murmured, then stood and approached the thorn wall again.

The Qi Pulse Formation was one of the great ancient formations, renowned for its powerful repelling force. Depending on the cultivator’s skill and their understanding of the formation, it could rebound attacks with one to three times the original force.

Because it closely resembled the Meridian Formation, many unwary souls suffered losses. Thus, it became the mountain-guarding formation of many ancient powers, deterring intruders.

Unfortunately, mastering this formation required extraordinary talent. Most martial artists couldn’t grasp its subtleties and failed to succeed.

Even if one learned it, it might still be useless. Setting up the formation demanded considerable cultivation—at least the Thunder Tribulation Realm.

To achieve a twofold rebound effect, the formation’s creator needed to be at least a Martial Marquis.

Judging by the effect just now, the person who arranged this formation was a formidable Martial Marquis or greater—a figure far beyond Mu Tianhen’s current reach.

But Mu Tianhen’s aim was not to learn or set up the formation, but to break it!

He sought to breach the formation, pass the thorn wall, and venture deep into the mountains in search of spirit herbs.

Ordinarily, breaking a formation meant finding its core. Only by destroying the core could one dismantle the formation.

Yet the Qi Pulse Formation was unique—it had no true core, or rather, every part acted as a core. Breaking it was no easy feat.

Even if one found a spot and destroyed it, it would be futile. Not only would the formation remain intact, but it would also trap the intruder, making escape impossible.

However, complexity often yields to simplicity. The Qi Pulse Formation was no exception.

With countless or nonexistent cores, there was no need to expend energy searching. If the method was right, even a three-year-old child could break it easily.

This was its marvel—martial artists, wary and experienced, tended to overthink, especially when facing famed formations.

Thus, they invariably suffered heavy losses, stunned by the formation’s strength.

Following the Formation Chapter’s instructions, Mu Tianhen approached the Qi Pulse Formation and gathered dry branches from the ground. He placed them gently along the formation’s edge, arranging them into the shape of the Big Dipper.

Then, in order—Yao Guang, Jade Balance, Heavenly Pivot, Heavenly Authority, Heavenly Jade, Opening Sun, and Heavenly Axis—he ignited each pile.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Each pile caught fire in turn, flames leaping and quickly warming the surrounding air.

At first, the flames were ordinary red, rising a mere foot. But when the third pile was lit, the flames turned blue and soared three feet high.

By the fifth pile, the flames changed again—becoming pale gold and climbing over thirty feet, shooting skyward and distorting the air.

Curiously, the flames rose straight up, no thicker than a bowl’s width. Even when touching branches, they didn’t ignite them, passing through as if intangible.

Mu Tianhen continued lighting the fires, sweating profusely from the heat.

Whoosh!

When he lit the seventh pile, a wondrous sight unfolded.

The seven flames, from their base, sent out horizontal tongues of fire every yard or so, connecting with each other and forming shapes like flickering spoons.

Moreover, the flames turned a greenish hue and rose over two hundred feet, nearly level with the top of the thorn wall. The temperature surged, forcing Mu Tianhen to retreat several yards.

Yet the heat affected only him; everything else remained unchanged—not even a blade of grass was singed.

Of course, the Qi Pulse Formation encasing the thorn wall underwent dramatic changes.

Buzz, buzz, buzz...

With a chorus of vibrations, the formation began to tremble. The arcane symbols flickered, contracted, dimmed, and finally vanished.

One after another, the runes disappeared, faster and faster, patch by patch.

After about another quarter of an hour, as the last rune faded, the Qi Pulse Formation shattered with a pop, vanishing from the world.

At that moment, the towering flames shrank back, reverting to seven ordinary bonfires, scorching the grass beneath.

Whoosh!

Mu Tianhen hurried over, swiftly waving his hand to channel his pulse energy and extinguish the fires, lest a conflagration erupt.

Just then, faint sounds came from both sides, prompting Mu Tianhen to look instinctively and shake his head in resignation.

On both sides, thirty yards away, other formations were closing in—again, Qi Pulse Formations. More precisely, formations not yet fully broken.

This formation’s scope was vast, encircling the entire perimeter. Mu Tianhen had only broken a small section.

To completely break it, he would need to set a seven-star bonfire every hundred yards.

If the formation wasn’t breached in one go, it would repair itself, restoring its original state. This was the Qi Pulse Formation’s formidable trait.

Watching the encroaching formations, Mu Tianhen wasted no time. He drew his long sword once more, and, using the Wind Crossing Sword Technique he had gleaned from the Azure Lotus Sword Art, struck at the thorn wall.

PS: Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend! Xiao Zhe is back at work, sobbing (´;︵;`)