Wang Yu said, "Do this. I will help Formation Master Long breach the Serpent Mansion. After you take the inheritance you need, we will evenly split the remaining spirit items. I also want the feng shui techniques that the formation master holds."
As he spoke, Long Yiran still frowned, but she restrained herself and waited for Wang Yu to finish.
"I possess the location of an ancient sect ruin that specializes in soul path cultivation, the Ancient Heavenly Soul Sect. You help locate it, and I will complete the inheritance for you. Any spirit items obtained from the ruin will also be evenly split."
"Furthermore, Formation Master Long may choose one Heavenly Soul Sect inheritance. I will personally teach it to you as paynt for the feng shui techniques. How does that sound?"
After he finished speaking, Long Yiran remained silent. Because her own inheritance was extraordinary and because she also practiced the soul path, she had so recognition of the Ancient Heavenly Soul Sect.
This sect had been one of the hegemonic forces wiped out during the Ancient Blood Demon Chaos. The mountain gate ruins would certainly contain multiple soul path Nascent Soul level inheritances, and might even involve Spirit Transformation level teachings, with countless thods.
Its value far exceeded the Serpent Mansion, and similarly the danger would far exceed that of the Serpent Mansion. Here she felt she had a strong grasp, but if she went to the Heavenly Soul Sect ruins...
For a solitary cultivator who had worked hard and struggled to advance, this would be an opportunity difficult to refuse. She had to consider whether this was the only chance in her life.
Wang Yu saw her hesitation, and he did not rush her.
Bringing Long Yiran along was the result of his careful thought. The Heavenly Formation Master inheritance was vague, while the Earth Formation Master was precisely the founder of feng shui and geomancy.
In this area, there must be many powerful thods. The Heavenly Soul Sect ruin would not be his last site to explore. It was better to learn a set of feng shui techniques early. In the future when searching other ancient sites, he could not always rely on finding an earth formation master to help.
It is better to rely on oneself. In addition, the Ancient Heavenly Soul Sect ruins were fraught with danger, just like asking him that he had to breach the ruined mountain gate of the Blood Reversal Sect. Having another person proficient in formations by his side would be safer.
After thinking for a while, Long Yiran suddenly spoke.
"How can I be sure you are telling the truth?"
"Simple."
Wang Yu proposed cooperation because he trusted the judgnt of Long Yiran's heart-mind force, and because she did not have the manner of a Crimson Kite Demonic cultivator. She rather resembled a Taihu region cultivator.
It was odd, since they had entered the Demon Bone Forest. Even the elder from the Ruan family showed so traits of Taihu cultivators, though they were clearly in the territory of Crimson Kite cultivators.
"Nether River Contract?"
"Correct."
Before departure, he had made many preparations to ensure everything went smoothly. This Nether River Contract was sothing he had obtained from Zuo Qiuming, not many in number, only a stack.
When traveling there are inevitably problems that cannot be solved by dueling techniques. After drafting the treaty, Long Yiran carefully inspected it several tis and only relaxed after formally signing.
Besides the transaction that Wang Yu had just proposed, the treaty also stipulated that the two of them must not harbor any thoughts of harming each other, with the ti clause set after they left the Ten Thousand Demon Bone Forest.
During the cooperation period they could not conceal any information concerning the cave dwellings or the ruins, which laid a foundation of trust.
"Fellow Daoist Wang, where did you get this Nether River Contract? It is costly, and rare among solitary cultivators," Long Yiran said with so curiosity.
Wang Yu casually fabricated an answer, "Naturally I took it from those second generation heirs. Let us first discuss the Serpent Mansion matter, and while we are at it take to have a look."
"Very well."
The path to the Serpent Mansion had long been opened by Long Yiran. Wang Yu, as the later arrival, followed her steps and entered a passage.
In less than the ti it takes for three incense sticks to burn, they arrived at a more vast underground space. This place had been repaired and resembled a rectangular plaza.
It was covered in bronze and ford in a peculiar pattern like the character for abundance. Only the central straight line was walkable. On either side lay square pools, with green mist drifting above them.
Long Yiran explained, "There are anti-air formations hidden deep inside this bronze. Spirit perception cannot penetrate, and it is difficult to observe or break them. Fellow Daoist Wang, do not recklessly levitate."
"Understood."
When they truly walked along the middle path, Wang Yu discovered that the pools on both sides were filled with serpent eggs about one to two ters high.
"This is where the Serpent Mansion gets its na. The formation master here was also skilled in beast taming and puppet techniques, and used them to set formations."
"These are the eggs of the ancient beast Earth-Murk Great Serpent. Ti has ruined them into dead eggs, which is a pity, but it also caused the turbid poison grand formation on this plaza to fail."
"I see."
Long Yiran explained as she led the way. After moving further along, they reached the end of the square plaza where a massive bronze gate hundreds of ters high appeared.
One side was carved with mountains, rivers, grass and trees. The other side was carved with birds, beasts, insects and fish. In the center was a giant pattern of a snake head hissing.
"Fellow Daoist Wang, from what I know, when the ancient predecessor set the Serpent Mansion, it was ant to select an outstanding successor. His strength must have reached the Nascent Soul stage."
"Over the course of more than ten thousand years, much of the placent should have dissipated its power. The danger should be around the Core Formation stage. Are you really going to enter with ?"
"Of course. Since we ca all this way, it would be a pity not to go in and investigate."
"Very well."
Long Yiran nodded. She had asked out of courtesy. The contract had already been signed, so of course Wang Yu would not choose to stay outside.
"When I break the formation, Fellow Daoist Wang, you may then use your thods."
"Agreed, begin."
Wang Yu had only a shallow understanding of formation techniques. As for why he was still so confident… it was simple: he had money. Wealth could solve most problems.
As Long Yiran moved, the hand seals she ford turned into formation marks, embedding themselves into various nodes on the bronze gate. She followed the layout left by the owner of the cave dwelling.
By using a thod passed down from the sa lineage, she walked the righteous path of properly breaking the formation. However, this required her comprehension of formation arts to reach a sufficient level before she could succeed.
This was also why she had remained here for several years.
Facing off against the formation of the bronze gate also tempered her mastery of formation arts. It was, in truth, a highly beneficial trial.
Wang Yu’s thod, however, was of the demonic path.
As Long Yiran’s hand seals grew slower and sweat began to bead upon her forehead, the snake-headed pattern at the center of the bronze gate seed to co alive.
A pair of murky yellow eyes stared coldly at the two of them.
Wang Yu had no idea what kind of formation it was. So, he took out several third-rank Forbidden-Breaking Talismans from his Sea Heart Ring.
These talismans were created by master talismanists specifically for cultivators to break through formations and restrictions. Whether in Taihu or the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain, they were all considered prohibited items.
Although Long Yiran possessed the skill of an Earth-grade Formation Master, her thod was incomplete and needed to be perfected by passing the Serpent Mansion’s test.
Her friendship with the Ruan Clan further revealed that she was, in truth, a wandering cultivator with limited experience.
Therefore, when she saw Wang Yu take out the Forbidden-Breaking Talismans, her eyes widened in shock.
As the silver-glowing talismans shot through the air and struck the snake-head pattern, within three breaths a layer of azure light surfaced on the bronze gate.
Spiderweb-like cracks began to spread. Long Yiran’s eyes brightened. “Almost there. Break!”
With a thunderous boom, the azure light shattered.
The snake-head carving exploded completely, though the bronze gate itself remained mostly intact, except for a circular hole thirty ters wide that pierced straight through.
Her years of effort had not been in vain. She had already deciphered most of the formation. Wang Yu’s Forbidden-Breaking Talisman had been the final key.
Otherwise, when the formation was intact, at least three of those talismans would have been required.
The strength of the formation made Wang Yu all the more expectant.
“Let’s go. We’ll take a look inside.”
The two entered through the hole in the bronze gate. Long Yiran tossed him a small jade seal and explained,
“I’ve never entered this place either, but there must be a formation to identify the heir hidden within. This jade seal will prevent you from being targeted by the Serpent Mansion’s defensive chanisms.”
Wang Yu nodded his thanks. The Serpent Mansion was designed as a test for the chosen inheritor. It was only natural that intruders would be killed.
Inside, the path continued as a straight bronze corridor with no branching ways.
The difference was that the walls on both sides were now covered in patterns resembling murals, though they were not quite the sa. The designs were composed entirely of intertwining arcs forming serpentine motifs, making it hard to distinguish any coherent image.
The corridor itself was absurdly large, perfectly matching the size of the giant gate. Standing at the entrance, Wang Yu and Long Yiran looked as small as ants.
“We can fly now.”
Wang Yu instinctively tried to lift off to observe from above, and to his surprise, he succeeded. Clearly, there were no anti-flight restrictions here.
Long Yiran followed suit after realizing this.
“Brother Wang, let’s advance together.”
Her form of address subtly shifted, and she didn’t ntion his earlier use of the forbidden talisman. Her tone carried a new sense of warmth for reasons unknown.
Perhaps she had seen his sincerity.
“Let’s go.”
Without further words, the two flew along the corridor. At first, they expended spiritual power to accelerate, but after flying for half a day without seeing an end, their speed gradually slowed.
They began using their Foundation Establishnt-level physical flying ability, which consud no spiritual power yet was still as fast as a Qi Refining cultivator riding a flying sword.
“What’s going on? There’s only one corridor. Could we have fallen into an illusion formation? Or is this passage simply endless?”
Wang Yu extended his divine sense but detected no sign of any formation. Long Yiran also found it strange, yet she confird,
“There’s no illusion formation here. Perhaps… this is a kind of Bewildering Maze.”
“Bewildering Maze?”
“Yes.”
Wang Yu only had superficial knowledge of formations, let alone of geomantic arts.
“In heaven and earth, due to the convergence of ti and terrain, various geomantic layouts can form naturally. One such is the Bewildering Maze Layout.
“It involves no formation or spiritual power at all. The terrain alone traps people in a loop, causing them to wander endlessly in place. This too must be one of the cave master’s trials.”
“How do we break it?”
Wang Yu, intrigued by these feng shui arts, wanted to see Long Yiran’s technique. She smiled proudly.
“Formation mastery depends on cultivation level, but geomantic techniques are fundantal skills. Leave it to , Brother Wang.”
Then, Long Yiran took out a small formation disk engraved with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Stepping in precise patterns, she muttered incantations under her breath. As she passed by Wang Yu, she suddenly pulled him along.
And the two of them crashed straight into the bronze wall.
“Success!”
Rumble—
Before they could react, the passage began to tremble violently. From behind them, a colossal bronze serpent, over a thousand ters long, ca crushing toward them.
“You—!”
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