Chapter 105: The Taiyi Sword Formation

"But if you have a solution, why are you sitting here drinking?" Zhu Fei muttered. It was no wonder he spoke this way; the Daoist of Wine was in a truly wretched state. His hair was disheveled, he was stained with blood, and his gaunt arms did nothing but lift the jar to pour liquor down his throat, looking more like a man drinking himself to death than anything else.

"What would a junior like you understand? My essence and blood are depleted, my primordial spirit is severely damaged, and even walking has become a struggle. I intended to inform you all, but I am powerless to do so, leaving me with no choice but to stop here."

"Then how did you have the strength to come to the winery to drink?" Before he could finish his sentence, he received a sharp flick to the forehead. *Thwack!* The Daoist squinted at him.

"If you don't believe me, we can all just go our separate ways and close our eyes to await death. Who knows, that scoundrel from the Scarlet Body Sect might even reserve a good spot for you on his demon banner. How about that?"

"Uncle Wine, please stop bickering. What should we do now? And is my senior brother, Zhao Zhuo, alive or dead?" Xie Yudie asked anxiously.

The Daoist of Wine sighed. "When I was struck into the formation by the giant python formed by the Mother-Child Yin Soul Swords, I vaguely saw Zhao Zhuo’s ancient sword shattered, and he was fleeing. If he cannot fly on his sword, I fear the odds are grim. As for us, we have no choice but to stake everything on one final gamble."

"How do we gamble with our lives?" Zhou Xun asked.

"It depends on this." The Daoist pulled an object from his robes—a silk scroll. From within it came the faint sound of fine iron clashing, which immediately drew a surprised hum from Zhou Xun.

"You can sense it too?"

Zhou Xun nodded. "Such heavy baleful energy and sword intent."

The Daoist explained, "I cultivate two arts: the Gourd Mantra and the Divine Firmament True Interpretation. The Gourd Mantra is an ancient sword immortal's method of refining energy. Its baleful aura is too heavy and contrary to the Heavenly Dao; it only advances without retreat, and what is too rigid is easily broken. The Divine Firmament True Interpretation is the inner sect technique of my Qingcheng, using righteousness to repel evil and controlling the heavenly thunder. It is a grand and magnificent path, but it does not suit the temperament of a Daoist. I pondered for a long time and decided to merge the two to create my own method." As he spoke, even in the face of mortal danger, his face beamed with excitement; clearly, this was his proudest achievement.

"After much deliberation, I created this. While it cannot compare to the two great lethal formations of the present age, if we coordinate perfectly, killing Luo Xu should be well within our grasp. The only issue is that this formation requires at least four people to operate."

Xie Yudie sighed. "If my senior brother were here, we would have enough people, but what do we do now?"

"Even if your senior brother were here, it would not be enough. I cannot even move, let alone drive the formation. So, this time, the formation will have to be operated by the four of you."

"How is that possible? How can two mortals operate a magical formation?!" Zhu Fei exclaimed in shock.

"Old friend Zhou Xun has the Formless Sword Bone and can control sword light, and young friend Zhou Qian has a rough trace of spiritual energy in his body. With my assistance, managing it for the duration of an incense stick is feasible. Time is pressing; I will teach you the method of entering the formation now..."

Meanwhile, changes were occurring above the city of Luodu. Countless yin spirits and ghosts were being drawn into the Scarlet Yin Demon-Gathering Banner. The wailing of ghosts and the howling of wolves resounded. The ancient surface of the banner gradually stained with a blood-red hue. Nearby, Luo Xu sat with eyes closed, casting spells, his hand seals continuous. Black clouds obscured the sun, and dark energy rolled forth. This demonic artifact, having absorbed the souls of countless mortals, was finally ready to be unleashed!

Inside the winery, the sounds could be heard. The Daoist of Wine looked up and frowned. After a long while, he secretly sighed in relief. An incense stick of time ago, he had sensed an astonishing aura descending from the sky—one he would not have dared to challenge even in his prime. Judging by its dark and treacherous nature, it was certainly not of the righteous path; he wondered which ancestor of the Demonic Sect it was. What Zhu Fei had said earlier was somewhat correct: if that demonic titan had assisted Luo Xu, their survival would have been impossible. The Daoist had been waiting, and fortunately, that figure was not aligned with Luo Xu and had finally departed. Now, they could afford to fight.

He scanned the four people sitting cross-legged in meditation and nodded. All four had talent. As for the master and apprentice, Zhou Xun and his son, since they did not understand the mysteries of the immortal path, he taught them only the principles of change—much like how he didn't know the art of brewing, but knew how to drink.

Half an hour passed. Faint thunder rumbled in the sky, and an oppressive, terrifying celestial might descended. The four people in meditation frowned almost simultaneously and were about to move.

"Don't stop! Time is precious!" the Daoist said, unusually serious.

He walked to the window and saw the thunder rolling like a tide. He sneered. To have committed such great slaughter, it was only fitting to suffer heavenly retribution. However, this lightning tribulation must have been anticipated by Luo Xu, so surviving it would likely not be difficult—the question was how much it would deplete him.

As expected, above Luodu, black clouds churned, thunderclaps erupted, and lightning fell like rain, smashing the dark energy into dissipation. The Scarlet Yin Demon-Gathering Banner flared with blood-red light. Countless skeletal hands emerged from the black mist, shrieking and lunging out. It was the Bone-Melting Demon Art, a secret technique of the Scarlet Yin Sect specifically designed to counter lightning tribulations. Bone claws clashed with lightning, creating a continuous roar. The situation began to stabilize, exactly as the Daoist had predicted.

But Luo Xu gritted his teeth. The Scarlet Yin Banner had been well-stocked with souls, but ten thousand had been snatched away by the demoness Shiji, and now, facing this tribulation, it could only exert sixty or seventy percent of its power. Even if the banner were successfully refined, its quality would be low, falling far short of the original.

Two hours later, the clouds dissipated. Luo Xu was overjoyed and quickly withdrew his banner. The city of Luodu cleared, but who would the countless who died in vain seek for justice? Who would they hate? Thus, the Heavenly Dao is impartial; it treats all living beings as straw dogs and does not distinguish between good and evil.

"To fight that demon Luo Xu, there are three major hurdles."

"First, now that his banner is complete, he will certainly come to hunt us down. How do we avoid it?"

A streak of black light shot from the clouds toward the winery. The blood banner swirled, and hundreds of Scarlet Yin Demon Thunders manifested, slamming into the winery. In an instant, dozens of acres were reduced to ruins; surrounding flowers and plants withered, and tiles were pulverized into dust. Yet, a hundred yards away, the Daoist of Wine stood atop a pavilion, raising his jar in a toast. Luo Xu’s eyes narrowed. His primordial spirit had sensed the four of them inside the winery; how were they now a hundred yards away?

"Second, with the demon banner in hand, Luo Xu’s strength will surely skyrocket. We cannot possibly defeat him head-on. How can we divert his power?"

Just as he was about to cast a spell to kill them, a sword light shot out from a few miles behind. On the sword stood two figures, dressed like Zhou Qian and the Emei disciple Xie Yudie. They were heading straight for Emei Mountain. Sacrificing the pawn to save the knight? A gecko cutting off its tail? In a flash, Luo Xu made up his mind: the Daoist of Wine must die, or he would become a major threat once his injuries healed! Zhou Qian must also be captured, or he could not answer to the Mid-Level Holy Sect! His body transformed into a swarm of insects, buzzing and surrounding the Daoist, while he himself used his primordial spirit to drive the Scarlet Yin Banner toward the sword light.

The banner was a supreme treasure; how fast was its flight? In less than a moment, it caught up to the flying sword, and a surge of blood energy snatched the sword and its passengers. But those 'two people' were not human at all; they were dummies wrapped in grass and wood, covered in clothes—hard to distinguish without looking at their faces. Luo Xu was shocked. Falsehoods mixed with truth—where was Zhou Qian, really?

"Third, once the Taiyi Sword Formation is laid out, there will surely be some signs. How do we lure him into the trap?"

There are thousands of ways for immortals to escape. Luo Xu never expected such complications in a matter he deemed certain. He hurriedly jumped his primordial spirit out of the banner, transforming into a small black figure that looked just like him, only without eyebrows. With a wave of his small hand, he cast a technique to peer through the heavens and earth. The entire city of Luodu became visible to him, as if imprinted in his mind. Suddenly, he spotted a small mound bulging slightly three miles away, moving rapidly. He sneered in disdain, "So it's an Earth Escape technique!" The Scarlet Yin Banner rolled up dozens of feet of blood-colored shadows and shot toward it, failing to notice something peculiar above it.

He lunged into the mound, and suddenly, sword intent roared and baleful energy surged. The Daoist of Wine laughed aloud:

"The bird has entered the cage!!!"