Chapter 1401: Preparing to Move Out!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Although the calculations for the Nine Palaces were complex, they were mainly a test of one's overall understanding of formations. The calculations were much less complex than what Wang Chong was attempting, and they also happened to be the Formation Elder's field of expertise.
The Rest Gate was quiet as the calculations went on. The Demonic Emperor Old Man said nothing, merely walked up to the side of the pair and silently stood guard for them.
Finally...
An hour later, with one final rumble, Wang Chong completed the last fragmentary formation gate in his mind, putting the finishing touch on that immense and constantly turning formation projection. This formation had more than ten thousand formation gates, and its complexity was difficult to imagine.
But this formation was missing one last part: the Nine Palaces.
Buzz!
Wang Chong opened his eyes and immediately saw a familiar and excited face.
"Kid, did you really succeed?" the Formation Elder asked, his eyes brimming with excitement.
Wang Chong softly grunted and gave a firm nod.
This simple movement sent shock rippling through the eyes of the Formation Elder, and his face was covered in disbelief.
"Kid, let me ask you: starting from our current position, how many formation gates is the View Gate from us?" the Formation Elder suddenly asked. "And in one hour, how many Pain Gates and how many Alarm Gates will it encounter? And what about in four hours?"
Though his expression had calmed down, he was internally extremely nervous. The Origin Immortal Formation was changing at every moment. Finding the number of Pain Gates and Alarm Gates and the shifts over the next four hours would require several million calculations. Not even the Formation Elder was confident in calculating this.
"The closest View Gate to us is 107 gates away," Wang Chong almost immediately replied, his expression stern. "In one hour, it will encounter 213 Pain Gates and 361 Alarm Gates. Four hours later, it will be 1876 gates away, and it will have encountered 1245 Pain Gates and 3742 Alarm Gates, as well as 4826 Stop Gates and 257 Rest Gates."
The Formation Elder was almost frightened out of his wits by this reply.
"And the Life Gate? How many shifts will we have to experience before we can go from the Rest Gate to the Life Gate?" the Formation Elder asked.
"From our current position, we will need to go through at least 14832 formation gates before we can reach the Life Gate. But there is only one Life Gate, and its position is constantly moving. Only when the Life Gate is at the outermost ring can it actually be considered the Life Gate. Moreover, as the Life Gate moves from the outer rings to the inner rings, its properties will also change, turning into the Pain Gate, Rest, Stop Gate, Alarm Gate, and such. If those people want to, as soon as we reach the Life Gate, they can shift the formation and have the Life Gate move away, ending any hopes we have of escaping. Thus, it is impossible for us to leave!" Wang Chong sternly said.
The Formation Elder stared in shock at Wang Chong, unable to manage even half a word. He had randomly chosen these questions, with each answer requiring hundreds of thousands of calculations. And for the Life Gate's position, not even he knew the correct answer.
Of the tens of thousands of formation gates, finding the only Life Gate and how it shifted would require millions of calculations. Even in the many hours that had elapsed before he joined up with Wang Chong and the Demonic Emperor Old Man, he had failed to complete this calculation. But Wang Chong had needed only a few moments to find the Life Gate.
This was simply too astounding!
The Formation Elder didn't know if the answer was right, but he was sure that the calculation ability of Wang Chong had reached a terrifying and wondrous level. This child's talent was simply unbelievable!
"Heh, in truth, it's not complicated at all..."
As if knowing what the Formation Elder was thinking, Wang Chong smiled and extended a finger toward the ground, where he began to draw out concentric circles. In the blink of an eye, a simple diagram of the nine-layered Origin Immortal Formation appeared on the ground.
"As long as you have a projection of the nine-layered Origin Immortal Formation in your mind, you just need to move around the formation. There's no need for so many complex calculations!"
"Haaaa!"
Upon seeing this diagram of the Origin Immortal Formation, the Formation Elder deeply sighed, a complicated look in his eyes. One million calculations truly was complicated, but even more complicated was creating a model of the Origin Immortal Formation in one's mind.
The latter was far more difficult, and if he had been capable of such a thing, he might have already broken out of the formation and been standing outside.
"Only now do I believe that there are some people who are just naturally talented in learning formations..."
The Formation Elder emotionally sighed. The words 'Alas, you have ambitions elsewhere' had just reached his lips when he shot a glance at the nearby Demonic Emperor Old Man and swallowed them back down.
"It's about time. Kid, I will now give you the shifts in the Nine Palaces that I have calculated!"
As the Formation Elder spoke, he extended a finger. Milky-white energy shot out from its tip, and a diagram of the Nine Palaces soon appeared next to Wang Chong's simple diagram of the Origin Immortal Formation. There were nine layers in all, a perfect match for Wang Chong's Origin Immortal Formation.
With the Nine Palaces and eight gates brought together, one had the complete Origin Immortal Formation.
"The Nine Palaces can shift, as can the eight gates. Only the Middle Palace's position is unchangeable, and this is the core of the formation. That these people are able to control the formation and alter its rules must be because they are borrowing the power of the core. If you destroy that place, you will naturally destroy the entire formation," the Formation Elder said sternly, drawing back his finger.
"I understand!"
Wang Chong nodded. After looking at the Nine Palaces diagram the Formation Elder had drawn out, he closed his eyes. The Nine Palaces that the Formation Elder had calculated appeared in his mind, and as the nine layers of the Nine Palaces constantly shifted, they began to fuse with the projection of the Origin Immortal Formation in Wang Chong's mind.
The Nine Palaces and the eight gates were the essence and foundation of the entire formation, and only when they were fused together did one have the real Origin Immortal Formation. But this required many calculations that needed some time to perform.
The Formation Elder and Demonic Emperor Old Man looked at Wang Chong and nodded. They stood guard at his side, waiting until the moment of completion.
......
At this moment, in the center of the formation, three figures proudly stood, observing the entire formation.
When one was halfway up a mountain, one could not see its true face, and within this formation, it was nigh impossible to see the true appearance of the formation. But these three people were able to see the entire structure of the formation and how it shifted. All the martial artists trapped within were under their observation.
From this position, one could see all nine layers of the formation, the structure as complicated as a beehive.
"Are they ready?"
The leader standing at the very front had their hands behind their back and a cold killing intent in their eyes.
"Milord, everything is prepared!" the two subordinates respectfully replied.
"Very good!"
The leader's eyes were disdainful, their face cold and emotionless.
"Greed has its price, and now is the time that these people pay it! Prepare to activate the highest level, the Shadowheaven Net. Once all the energy of the world stored beneath the formation is unleashed, every part of the formation will receive a major boost in power. Whether it's Song Yuanyi, Luo Qiyin, or that Demonic Emperor, they will be facing the energy of the formation built up over hundreds of years! I will have all of them die here!"
"Yes!"
The two subordinates lowered their heads, awe and respect in their eyes.
The Shadowheaven Net was the strongest power available in the formation. Once it was activated, the Life Gate would be shut, turning the Origin Immortal Formation into a prison. All the martial artists in the formation would be wiped out, never to appear in the outside world again. This energy was used only when supreme martial artists that were difficult to overcome appeared in the formation.
It harnessed the power of the 'diagram of the universe', the energy absorbed from the world, and the energy absorbed from the martial artists to massively boost the strength of the formation. At that moment, the martial artists in the formation would no longer be facing the attacks of the formation, but the world itself.
Not even the strongest martial artist could possibly contend against the world.
"In addition..."
The leader's sleeve trembled as a hand emerged. Perched on the back of their hand was a strange beetle. This beetle was the size of a child's fist and entirely golden, as if it had been plated in metal. Only on its back could one find several large black spots.
Externally, it appeared somewhat like a seven-spotted ladybug, but it also seemed like something entirely different.
The golden insect was perched, motionless, on the back of the leader's hand like it was sleeping.
"Prepare to release the Golden Armor Stellar-Piercing Beetles!"
The leader's eyes were cold, emotionless, and frightening as they mentioned this 'Golden Armor Stellar-Piercing Beetle'. Meanwhile, the two subordinates had begun to shiver in visible fear when they spotted that large golden beetle.
"Yes, yes... Milord."
Panic and terror appeared in their eyes as they looked at this Golden Armor Stellar-Piercing Beetle, as if this was a being that came from their worst nightmares.
The leader faintly smiled, their eyes looking straight ahead as their left hand produced a ball of energy and lightly placed it in front of the Golden Armor Stellar-Piercing Beetle's mouth. Suddenly, this thick and concentrated energy vanished. That motionless beetle, after absorbing this Stellar Energy, began to tremble all over as if awakening. The wings on its back opened up, and it took off from the leader's hand and flew with incredible speed into the formation.
Keekee...
Its soft cry filled their ears, but the golden beetle had long ago vanished.