Chapter 170: Chapter 32: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada
As he moved swiftly through the corridor, Luo Yan’s thoughts became more and more fluid and clear.
From the very beginning up until now, he had been seeking the connection between the Gui Xu Grand Formation and the materials of the treasure ship.
Little did he know that what he saw as the “Gui Xu Grand Formation” was not actually the formation itself.
For instance, it was as if he attributed the flavor of the beef stew he just made to the soup being very special.
However, no matter what, he couldn’t replicate the same soup.
The reason was that the soup itself was an “Intermediate Product” made from the overlay of various raw ingredients.
What he observed in the courtyard, the ceaselessly changing Gui Xu Grand Formation, was actually some kind of extremely complex “Intermediate Product.”
To deduce results from an intermediate product was like solving a system of multivariate higher-degree equations – he could be confounded by countless possible answers.
The real key to the puzzle lay in finding the true “Spiritual Medicine” that led to the creation of the “soup” – that is, the true Gui Xu Grand Formation.
Arriving in the central courtyard, Luo Yan gazed quietly at the rotating and shifting lines, his mind already constructing the corresponding geometric models.
If the Gui Xu Grand Formation itself is three-dimensional, and what we see is just the two-dimensional motion profile of the three-dimensional model following a certain path…
Then, by mapping the motion profile over time into countless frames in his mind and stringing these moving frames together to form an animation, he would reveal the true shape of the Gui Xu Grand Formation.
“Do you understand what he’s talking about?” Green Duckweed Sword whispered.
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“Not really,” Kunlun Mirror replied, “but I kind of get it.”
“You can actually keep up with his train of thought,” Green Duckweed Sword said discontentedly, “Who exactly is the Life-bound Sword Artifact?”
Shi Liuli hurried from behind and saw her little junior brother intently staring at the Gui Xu Grand Formation, his forehead already covered with cold sweat as if he had been overworking his mind to the point of almost burning out.
No! That’s not right… If we move from two dimensions to three, the complexity is still too high.
We must continue to ascend dimensions!
He began to forcefully compress the continuously moving model in his mind towards the interior.
Had he not absorbed countless formation knowledge in the side hall during this time, he would definitely not possess the theoretical basis for such complicated calculations.
But more importantly, his talent for grasping a thousand mysteries from a single whiff provided him with enough computing power!
“Little junior brother, what’s wrong with you?” Seeing his body start to tremble, Shi Liuli quickly went up in an attempt to stop him, but suddenly a snow-white long sword blocked her path.
“We can’t let you disturb him now,” Zhun Mang Jun, holding the long sword, emerged from the shadows of the corridor, wearing a dark, strange, desirous smile, “I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time… ”
In the central courtyard, Luo Yan’s face slowly turned red, a vast amount of Qi Sea surged from his Dantian along his meridians into his brain, and as his thoughts accelerated at an ever-increasing pace, his entire Sea of Consciousness seemed as if it was boiling over.
“Ah Jing!” the Green Duckweed Sword in the spine suddenly said, “If this goes on, he’ll burn out his essence and die! We must sever his Governor and Conception vessels to stop the Qi from flowing back!”
“Don’t cut yet!” the Kunlun Mirror in the Sea of Consciousness said, “Trust me, he’ll be alright!”
Green Duckweed Sword hesitated for a moment, then coldly said,
“Fine… but if he falls as a result, you know what will become of us!”
Luo Yan was completely oblivious to the conversation between the sword and the mirror within him, or perhaps he chose to ignore it entirely.
At that moment, he had devoted all his energy to the calculation, while also constantly rotating his Qi Sea and mobilizing True Yuan, driving it into his brain like a steam engine and maximizing the talent of grasping a thousand mysteries to make his thoughts run even faster.
The model of the Gui Xu Grand Formation in his mind had already compressed to the eighth dimension. Countless complex lines kept coiling and compressing, gradually revealing the outline of a stunningly elegant existence of high-dimensional form.
Still not enough! He must keep calculating!
Compressed to the ninth dimension, the changes in the lines became incredibly slow, demanding a much higher level of computation power.
From Luo Yan’s eyes, nostrils, ears, and corners of his mouth, tiny droplets of blood began to ooze out, a sign that the pressure from the circulation of Qi in his skull had caused the endpoints of his meridians to rupture.
Shi Liuli wanted to rush over and scream, but she found her limbs as heavy as lead, her jaws clamped shut, leaving her unable to utter a sound.
Moreover, the invisible pressure became increasingly heavy, almost making it difficult to stand, let alone activate a Magical Treasure.
This was… Dragon’s Might!
Chun Mang Jun placed his hands within his sleeves, as if exerting Dragon’s Might had not required any effort at all.
His gaze fixed upon the teetering Luo Yan in the courtyard, his face bore a nearly solidified smile, yet his eyes shimmered with a covetous gleam.
Many cultivators in the side hall had also noticed the anomaly in the central courtyard; quite a few people had already entered the corridor, rushing towards the entrance of the central courtyard.
The Tenth Dimension!
Luo Yan’s train of thought suddenly broke off, and he felt as if his soul had split.
On one hand was the rational thinking spurred by the talent “Insight upon Hearing,” like the engine of a high-speed train, continuously roaring and operating;
On the other hand was his own consciousness, slowly being extracted from rationality, beginning to assess the condition of his body.
This is bad, very bad.
At this moment, the subcutaneous temperature of his body had risen to nearly seventy degrees, a fever no ordinary person could survive. And protecting him was…
The Sword Qi of the Green Duckweed Sword.
The Green Duckweed Sword used its Sword Qi to protect all his meridians and continued to run the Body Refining Secret Technique, utilizing True Yuan to repair the parts of his body burned by the high temperature.
The Kunlun Mirror shone brightly, suppressing the boiling Sea of Consciousness, like a long track of iron, restraining the runaway train of thoughts from plunging directly off a cliff.
The Eleventh Dimension!
All the lines of motion, Runic Script, structures…suddenly condensed into an entity with finite boundaries.
This “Formation” within the Eleventh Dimension was so complex, gorgeous, and naturally formed, rapidly rotating in Luo Yan’s Sea of Consciousness and morphing into countless dazzling patterns.
As the Gui Xu Grand Formation in his Sea of Consciousness rotated, Luo Yan took notice of the Gui Xu Grand Formation beneath his feet, its rate of rotation starting to change as well.
The changes in both formations grew increasingly similar until they were almost in perfect sync.
Then, from the center of the Gui Xu Grand Formation beneath his feet, a rift broke open in the void, revealing a black shuttle-shaped object.
Without making a move, Luo Yan heard Chun Mang Jun suddenly burst into laughter next to him, transforming into a stream of light that darted into the central courtyard, reaching out to grab the object ahead of everyone else.
At this point, half of the object had emerged from the void, and with Luo Yan’s extensive experience, how could he not recognize it as a shuttle-shaped magical treasure?
What level of power must a magical treasure possess, that the Gui Xu Grand Formation would use it for refining and concealment?
Luo Yan maintained a placid expression, bracing his feeble body, with his fingers already forming seals within his sleeves, ready to unleash the Postnatal Five Elements Great Extermination Divine Light at this Chun Mang Jun who was waiting for his chance, when suddenly he saw his opponent throw something at him.
Shi Liuli! Why is it Miss Shi?
The previously composed Luo Yan instinctively dissolved the Divine Light in his sleeves, fumbling to catch Shi Liuli’s body, while his feet pressed back in a quick retreat.
“Junior Brother, not yet…” The moment they moved out of the central courtyard’s range, freeing themselves from the cover of Dragon’s Might, Shi Liuli regained control of her body and was about to speak when she saw bursts of light flashing from the nearby corridor!
The ancient cultivators lurking around the courtyard also clearly saw the outline of the shuttle-shaped magical treasure.
It was common knowledge that most shuttle-shaped magical treasures possessed the power to traverse and manipulate space.
Moreover, since this treasure had appeared from the Gui Xu Grand Formation, it was clearly the key to leaving Gui Xu. How could these ancient cultivators, mad to the point of near insanity, restrain themselves?
They immediately charged towards the central courtyard in unison, hurling their strongest techniques, flying swords, magical treasures…all directed at Chun Mang Jun, who was at the forefront.
A furious dragon’s roar erupted amidst the onslaught of brilliant lights, as a White Dragon soared into the sky, brazenly breaking through the dome’s watery barrier atop the central courtyard!
In its mouth, it held the shuttle-shaped magical treasure that had materialized from the center of the Gui Xu Grand Formation, about three feet and seven inches long, completely black, as if it could absorb all the light from the surroundings.
Seeing countless cultivators piercing through the water membrane, chasing after the White Dragon in haste, Shi Liuli quickly grasped Luo Yan’s hand, thinking to herself that her Junior Brother had put so much effort and thought into this, only to see others reap the benefits. He must be feeling terrible now, right?
Yet she did not know how to comfort her Junior Brother and could only silently tighten her grip on his hand, their palms touching and fingers interlocked.
Luo Yan watched the sky expressionlessly, while in his mind came the Green Duckweed Sword’s voice, which seemed to be laughing:
“Why, aren’t you going to chase after it? Perhaps there’s a slim chance to snatch it back, huh?”
“No need,” Luo Yan replied with a cold laugh.