Lin Feng nodded and said, "This junior only has a superficial understanding. I cannot fully grasp the specifics of this formation, but I have managed to discern a few clues. I need to conduct some verification, so I will need Senior Yu to attack several points as I direct. Perhaps we will make a new discovery."
He dared not speak with absolute certainty; in truth, he himself wasn't entirely sure he could find the flaw in this formation. But it was worth a try. If successful, it would naturally be far better than attempting a brute-force breach. If it proved impossible, they could always resort to force later.
Yu Ping seemed to grasp Lin Feng's thoughts from his tone. After a brief moment of contemplation, he nodded firmly. "Alright! We'll do as you say!!"
As he spoke, his right hand swept out. A shimmering ancient dagger-axe artifact, gleaming with golden light, shot forth. It circled above the group like a sinuous Loong, accompanied by a series of piercing wraith shrieks. Dozens of wraiths were instantly torn to shreds!!
"Top-grade spirit artifact!" Lin Feng's eyebrows shot up. He instantly recognized it as a top-grade spirit artifact, though not one specifically designed to counter wraiths. Its ability to annihilate them relied purely on its formidable power. This single move alone revealed Yu Ping's formidable strength as a seventh-layer Nascent Soul cultivator.
With Yu Ping's intervention, the pressure on the others lessened considerably. Lin Feng concentrated, recalling the White Tiger Spirit. As he stowed the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman away with a flip of his hand, he raised his left hand and pointed diagonally upwards and to the right. "Senior Yu, attack that point on the barrier!"
"Alright!!" Yu Ping responded without the slightest hesitation. A wave of his hand directed the ancient dagger-axe artifact. It circled once above his head before shooting towards the spot Lin Feng indicated. Along its path, it obliterated over a dozen wraiths foolish enough to block it. With a resounding BOOM!, the dagger-axe struck the formation barrier. The entire barrier shuddered violently before stabilizing. The dagger-axe, however, was forcefully rebounded.
Lin Feng's gaze was fixed unwaveringly on the spot where the dagger-axe had struck. His brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of disappointment flashing in his eyes. Almost as if venting frustration, he swept his left hand out violently. Billowing flames wrought from Molten Rock Fire surged forth, reducing dozens of wraiths attempting to charge towards them to nothingness. He then pointed to a spot on the left front. "Senior Yu, attack there next!"
Yu Ping also saw that the previous attack seemed fruitless. Yet, there was no trace of blame in his demeanor, and he asked no questions. The moment Lin Feng stopped speaking, he once again controlled the rebounded dagger-axe artifact without hesitation, sending it hurtling towards the new target.
"BOOM!!" Another tremor shook the massive barrier. The formation barrier remained unchanged. This time, however, Lin Feng narrowed his eyes slightly. A sharp gleam flashed within them, as if he was performing complex calculations. After a full several breaths, he turned and looked at another position, raising his hand to point. "Senior Yu, there!!"
"Whoosh!! BOOM!!" Golden light flashed. Once more, the entire grand formation trembled faintly...
...
Outside the formation, atop the mountain peak, Wu Luosen's face was ashen and hard as iron. He gnashed his teeth. "Hmph!! So what if Yu Ping recovered?! Thinking of breaking my formation?! Not so easy!!"
He seemed to have completely forgotten Wu Pang and Yu Youtian beside him, his gaze fixed solely on the grand formation below the mountain. The flow of True Essence within his body grew increasingly intense. Hand seals formed one after another in his hands as he manipulated the formation and the wraiths within it.
"BOOM... BOOM... BOOM!!"
Inside the formation, Yu Ping drove his ancient dagger-axe artifact again and again against various points of the grand formation barrier. Resounding booms echoed continuously. The grand formation trembled violently with each impact. Initially, Wu Luosen paid it little mind. He knew Yu Ping quite well and was certain the man couldn't possibly discern the formation's flaw. Attempting a brute-force breach would exact a heavy toll.
Gradually, however, Wu Luosen sensed something amiss. The points where the formation barrier was being struck were becoming increasingly... subtle. It didn't seem like random attacks at all...
Wu Luosen's expression shifted dramatically as comprehension dawned. "Could it be... No, that's impossible!!"
"Huummm..." At that exact moment, an unusual, resonant tremor suddenly reverberated! The massive black formation barrier began to shake with an unprecedented violence!
...
Simultaneously, within the formation.
A bright light glimmered in Lin Feng's eyes, reflecting surprise and excitement. Even he hadn't anticipated finding the formation's flaw could be this easy.
Was it because the formation master's skill was mediocre? Or was it his own potential bursting forth under pressure? Lin Feng had no time to ponder this. His eyes sharpened intensely as he suddenly snapped his head up, looking straight ahead into the air. He spoke rapidly, "Senior Yu, there!! Attack with your full power!!"
As he spoke, his right hand shot up, pointing forward. But this time, it wasn't just a simple gesture. As his hand lifted, a streak of fiery silver light flashed out, swift as lightning!
"Top-grade spirit artifact!!" Yu Ping's pupils contracted sharply; he couldn't help another surge of astonishment. He hadn't expected Lin Feng to still be holding back! Just how many treasures did this mere Golden Core cultivator possess? Despite his inner shock, Yu Ping's movements were flawlessly swift. The True Essence within him surged explosively. With a sweeping finger, the golden ancient dagger-axe shot forth with a roar, flying neck-and-neck with the fiery silver light. They struck the point on the formation barrier Lin Feng indicated simultaneously!
In that instant, the entire formation barrier convulsed with an intensity never seen before! Everyone felt the ground beneath their feet tremble. Then, faint crack sounds reached their ears. Looking up, they saw thin, dense fissures spider-webbing across the black barrier overhead! More and more appeared, growing wider and larger!
"Tzzzzk!" A sound, soft yet audible to all, pierced the air – like something being punctured. The violently trembling formation barrier then shattered like glass, exploding into fragments!
...
"Puh!" On the mountaintop, the instant the formation broke, Wu Luosen's face drained of color. He spat out a mouthful of blood. Utter disbelief filled his eyes as he shrieked, "No... Impossible!!"
"Hmph!" Beside him, Wu Pang shot him a sidelong glance, a flash of mockery in his eyes. Without another word, Wu Pang tapped his foot lightly and shot into the air. At the same time, he called back to Yu Youtian, "Be careful on your own!"
Watching Wu Pang soar away, the stunned Wu Luosen's face cycled between green and white. His gaze, filled with venomous hatred, locked onto the crowd below the mountain. He growled lowly, "All of you... deserve to die... every last one!!"
His right hand beckoned. The Wraith Banner hovering in the air flew back into his grasp. He began to chant incantations rapidly, then suddenly raised his hand and made a grasping motion into the void ahead. Instantly, the hundreds of wraiths that had scattered out of the quicksand pit when the formation broke surged towards him!
Beside him, Yu Youtian looked gravely at the hundreds of cultivators below. After a brief hesitation, he tapped his foot... but instead of advancing, he retreated backward...
...
"It's broken!! The formation is broken!!"
Down the mountain, within the quicksand pit, seeing the formation shattered, the cultivators were overcome with excitement. Some were already scrambling desperately towards the exit. Others directly summoned their flying swords and soared into the air.
A trace of astonishment also colored Yu Ping's expression. He hadn't truly expected they could break the formation so... simply. His gaze involuntarily turned towards Lin Feng. He even felt a flicker of admiration for this young man whom he had never met nor heard of before.
After the formation broke, however, Lin Feng's eyes remained fixed intently on the mountain peak ahead. His expression turned grave. "They're coming!! Senior Yu, the Nascent Soul cultivator from the Corpse Refining Sect is yours to handle!"
Yu Ping's gaze sharpened; he naturally detected Wu Pang charging down instantly. There was no time for further words. He gave Lin Feng a slight nod, then tapped his foot lightly. Transforming into a streak of golden light, he vanished from Lin Feng's sight.
Lin Feng's gaze lifted further, locking onto Wu Luosen atop the mountain peak!