Zhao Li stayed within the Illusion Formation for seven days. Even after it changed into a different type of Formation without warning, he still hadn't found a way to break it.
Sensing the drastically changed environment around him and looking at the lush, dense forest, Zhao Li murmured,
"Could this Formation change every seven days? Hmm, this time, it's a Confinement Formation."
Having entered the Chaos twice now and experienced several Formations in total, Zhao Li had started to form some theories. This wasn't just a single Formation!
Formations are mainly divided into three categories: Confinement, Illusion, and Killing. Each category can be further subdivided. For example, Confinement Formations include Imprisonment and Lost types. In short, if you fall into this type of Formation, you'll remain trapped unless you have immense strength or find a way to break it.
Killing Formations are exactly as their name suggests. They engrave Formation Patterns to utilize various forces, whether it's Thunder, Water, or Fire. Generally, falling into this type of Formation means you're in for a fight!
As for Illusion Formations, they are based on the seven emotions and six desires, making their types even more numerous. The main characteristic of this type of Formation is its stealthiness, killing people without a trace. This includes the previous Formation he experienced, which also belonged to the Illusion Formation category.
Zhao Li looked at the dense, towering trees around him, which seemed to suddenly come alive, turning into Tree Demons intent on trapping him there. He scoffed,
"This level can't trap me. Today is a good day to test if I can break this level of Confinement Formation!"
Illusion Formations are often unpredictable and hard to break. Killing Formations are the most aggressive and simplest. This Confinement Formation is quite moderate. Zhao Li couldn't do anything about the Illusion Formation, and the Killing Formation was too simple. Now was a good time to practice with this Confinement Formation.
"I need to hurry. If my guess is right, in seven days, it will turn into another type of Formation."
Thinking this, Zhao Li didn't delay any further. He scanned his surroundings, as if seeing through the true nature of those Tree Demons. With a plan in mind, Zhao Li began to move. Experiencing it firsthand was undoubtedly the fastest way to improve his understanding in this area.
Zhao Li walked through the dense forest. It was completely silent around him. Looking ahead, he could only see a short distance; everywhere else was blocked by dense trees, as if he were in a Labyrinth.
Only when you are inside do you truly understand how terrifying a Labyrinth can be. Every path you take looks the same, but every step does not lead to the Exit. That feeling is truly despair-inducing.
"Is this the principle of a Labyrinth? Hmm, it shouldn't be just this. Perhaps there are other variations!"
Zhao Li walked through it, looking at the monotonous scenery around him, without any impatience. The reason was simple: he had confidence. If he wanted to, he could use force to break through the clever design. Once this Confinement Formation was disrupted, finding a flaw would be much simpler. Moreover, if he really couldn't break it, it would just change to another Formation.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. Zhao Li, while observing and attempting to break the Formation, had figured out some tricks. He finally found the core Formation Patterns of this Confinement Formation. After some study, he gained a lot, but now he had hit a new bottleneck. He discovered that the core Formation Patterns of this Confinement Formation seemed to be part of another Grand Formation. This Grand Formation had finally revealed a corner of its true nature.
"Who set up this Formation? Looking at the situation on the Continent over the past Ten Thousand Years, absolutely no one has this kind of ability. Not even Tuoshe Ancient Emperor!"
Sensing that this was a linked Formation and perceiving its intricacy, Zhao Li's confusion deepened.
"No, if it's really as I suspected before, that it can hide the Dou Qi Continent and also isolate it from the invasion of Chaos Qi, then it must have been set up countless years before the Ancient Emperors. Only then does it make sense why Origin Qi is getting less and less."
Thinking this, Zhao Li suddenly froze. If someone could set up a Grand Formation of this level so long ago, did that mean there was a period in history when Formations had developed to a level comparable to Dou Di? If Formations were like this, were other fields like Equipment Refining and Talisman Crafting also glorious?
A sense of anticipation rose in Zhao Li's heart. If this were true, perhaps there would be some clues within the Ruins:
"If, after breaking the Formation, I am still teleported away like before, the process of exploring the Ruins cannot stop."
One person's plan is limited. Even though he had passed down the Artifact Array Talisman arts in Great Li, and even said their future was no less than Alchemy, the time was too short. Currently, no one had come up with anything new. The hope of finding a further opportunity from them was too slim. In comparison, hoping to obtain a legacy from the Ruins was more reliable.
Of course, this didn't mean everything he had done was useless. He never doubted that there were geniuses in this world. It was just that the time was too short; they hadn't accumulated experience or achieved results. But he believed that once the timeline was extended, it was absolutely not an exaggeration to say that Artifact Array Talisman arts could rival Alchemy!
"Little Guys, you need to put in some effort."
Immediately, Zhao Li suppressed the anticipation in his heart and focused his attention back on the Formation Patterns before him, pondering them.
Since leaving the Illusion Formation forty-nine days ago (seven times seven), Zhao Li had experienced seven Formation changes. His gains were considerable. Now, he could accurately find the Formation Patterns of any type of Formation. At the same time, he also felt admiration for the vast and mysterious Grand Formation behind these smaller ones.
At this point, he was certain that this Formation indeed encompassed the entire Continent. Furthermore, it seemed to be exceptionally friendly to the people within the Continent. This was a result of his overconfidence. When he fell into a Killing Formation and triggered a killing intent, he was almost dissolved by an unknown Water. However, the Water actually stopped after coming into contact with his Dou Qi.
At that time, Zhao Li was so scared he almost had his Soul Scattered. He didn't dare make any further moves and quietly endured for seven days before entering the Illusion Formation. His subsequent explorations also became cautious. He had realized that his meager level of skill was nothing within this Formation.
It was from that moment that Zhao Li knew this mysterious Grand Formation was likely related to many secrets of the Continent over the past several Ten Thousand Years.
Zhao Li entered the Illusion Formation once again. In just a moment, he found its core Formation Patterns; he was quite familiar with the process. He looked at the scene before him, which felt like a cycle, and whispered to himself,
"One Formation every seven days, seven Formations in a cycle. One cycle is seven times seven, forty-nine days. It happens to be the Number of Heavenly Cycle. Interesting."
The I Ching says the Great Dao is Fifty, the Heavenly Cycle is Forty-Nine, and one is escaped by man! In other words, the Dao is an unchanging law, but it has not been fully manifested between heaven and earth, it is not complete. And that escaped one allows all things to have a possibility of change.
"Seven types of Formations, a seven-day cycle, seven times seven is forty-nine. This is also not a number of completion. Perhaps it is precisely because it lacks a certain power that it can manifest and change endlessly?"
Anything complete cannot be manifested. For example, the 'Dao' is not manifested because it is complete. But it truly exists within the natural world, which is why cultivation is difficult, and seeking the Dao is difficult. Of course, when a cultivator reaches a certain Realm, they can perceive them, but their manifestations are still relatively rare and not easily noticed. All of this ultimately leads people to feel that Heavenly Secrets are hard to find.
In a flash of insight, Zhao Li grasped the inspiration in his mind and understood the connection between these Formations. He then sighed,
"Indeed, no matter where, these 'Dao' are interconnected. I wonder who in this world has such talent. Hmm, it's about time to go."
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