Chapter 8: What a Treasure!

"Offending him was the right thing to do." Ji Yichuan's eyes flickered with cold light. "When it concerns the survival of our Ji clan, how can we care about offending a stationed general?"

"Mm." Ji Ning, Ji Liuzhen, Granny Ying, and the old servant A Xing all nodded.

The stationed general held great power. The six overlords of Yanshan usually paid heavy taxes, all delivered to the Grand Xia Dynasty, directly to Yanshan City! Besides the power to collect taxes, the stationed general was also responsible for overseeing the region, acting as the Grand Xia Dynasty's supervisor.

The responsibilities of supervision and tax collection—if taken seriously—could cause the Ji clan trouble in the future.

But that was only trouble; compared to the survival of the clan, it could not be considered!

"Once we sign the contract with the Grand Xia Dynasty, we will have their protection. A stationed general won't be able to do anything to us." Ji Jiuhuo said. "Since everyone is here, I have also chosen the battlefield against Snowdragon Mountain. Let's set out."

"Where will we fight Snowdragon Mountain?" Ji Ning asked.

"Oxhorn Mountain, eight hundred li from Wan Sword City." Ji Jiuhuo said.

"Oxhorn Mountain?"

Ji Ning was very familiar with the terrain within the Ji clan's territory. As soon as Ji Jiuhuo mentioned it, he immediately knew where it was. Oxhorn Mountain was about eight hundred li south of Wan Sword City, a mountain in the wilderness. Because its peak forked like an ox's horn, it was named Oxhorn Mountain.

"I have already sent a messenger." Ji Jiuhuo said. "He rides a bird to Snowdragon City, directly telling them that our Ji clan has set up a grand formation on Oxhorn Mountain and awaits their breaking of it. At the messenger's speed, he should reach Snowdragon Mountain in about five more hours."

Ji Ning and the others nodded.

Five hours?

By then it would probably be noon. Indeed, the messenger's bird was just an ordinary tamed bird, naturally not as fast as a先天 demon bird or a Zifu cultivator.

"I will withdraw the maze formation and set out immediately." Ji Jiuhuo had previously set up a maze formation for fear of an ambush.

Whoosh!

On a giant gourd, the six members of the Ji clan and two spirit beasts either stood or sat, swiftly breaking through the air.

Oxhorn Mountain was only about three hundred li away, and they arrived in a moment.

"There." Ji Jiuhuo pointed at the mountain peak shaped like two ox horns in the wilderness below. "On Oxhorn Mountain, we have a commanding view, unobstructed. The surroundings are all wilderness... nothing blocks the view. As soon as the Zifu cultivators of Snowdragon Mountain arrive, we can see them from afar."

Ji Ning, Ji Yichuan, and the others all nodded.

Whoosh!

They descended, and after putting away the gourd, Ji Jiuhuo and the others landed on the mountaintop.

"I have prepared six grand formations, exhausting centuries of my research." Ji Jiuhuo pointed around. "It will take only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to set them all up. Even if Snowdragon Mountain sends a formation expert to break them, with six grand formations, it will take him a long time. During that time, we can use the formations to launch sneak attacks, striking repeatedly to hinder his breaking. As long as we make him spend a long time, I estimate the Grand Xia Dynasty's envoy will arrive in three days. If we hold out for three days, once the envoy arrives, we win!"

"Mm, once the envoy arrives, they won't dare to act." Granny Ying nodded.

"Even if we have to fight to the death, we must delay their breaking of the formations." Ji Liuzhen nodded solemnly. "With our strength alone, if we fight head-on, we can't compare to the large group of Zifu cultivators from Snowdragon Mountain. We must rely on the formations! The slower they break them, the greater our chance of victory. It would be best to eliminate the formation expert they brought."

Ji Jiuhuo shook his head. "They will definitely protect the formation expert, probably even waiting for us to attack head-on. Directly eliminating him is unlikely."

Ji Yichuan also nodded. "We'll find ways to delay!"

Six grand formations!

Each formation broken meant the Ji clan was one step closer to danger.

"Patriarch." Ji Ning said solemnly, "I have a grand formation. That makes seven."

"Oh?" Everyone looked at Ji Ning.

"You have a grand formation?" Ji Jiuhuo was also very surprised. "From Bo Zishan? Bo Zishan was from Snowdragon Mountain, so he should have some formations." Though he said this, Ji Jiuhuo wasn't very hopeful, because in his eyes, Bo Zishan was an outsider, while he had spent centuries studying formations and, with some of the clan's treasures, had managed to put together six grand formations.

"No." Ji Ning shook his head. "I once had a special encounter, and the most precious thing I obtained was this grand formation."

"Special encounter?" Everyone was shocked. Ji Yichuan stared at Ji Ning, immediately thinking of the time Ji Ning had vanished from Yiquan Lake, causing him and his wife great worry.

Ji Yichuan spoke: "Ji Ning did have a special encounter, narrowly escaping death, but I didn't know he also obtained a powerful treasure."

Ji Ning nodded. "Patriarch, look."

Ji Ning flipped his hand, revealing a dragon pearl glowing with black light, covered with exquisitely beautiful runes, and four black scales that caused black mist to form in the surrounding space. Just by their appearance, especially the faint pressure from the dragon-shaped shadow within the dragon pearl, Ji Jiuhuo and the others were overjoyed.

"A dragon pearl?" Ji Jiuhuo exclaimed. "Is there a dragon soul inside?"

"Look at these runes. I've never seen such beautiful runes on a treasure in my life." Granny Ying rubbed the scales.

"Such complex runes." Ji Jiuhuo was also shocked.

Ji Ning said, "Patriarch, once you refine it, you'll understand."

"How can I refine it? Such a treasure... our Ji clan has not had such a treasure in thousands of years." Ji Jiuhuo shook his head repeatedly. The Ji clan had clan-protecting treasures, but they were only one-time talismans and the like, nothing like this obviously precious treasure that could be used long-term. "Such a treasure is not something our Ji clan can use. If used ordinarily, it might attract people to snatch it. But now, with the survival of our clan at stake, we need not be so cautious. However, Ji Ning, you should refine this treasure."

"Patriarch, didn't you say that in a critical moment, you would have me leave immediately?" Ji Ning said helplessly. "If I leave... should I take the formation with me?"

"Oh..." Ji Jiuhuo hesitated briefly, then gritted his teeth. "Fine, I'll refine it and use it for now!"

At the critical moment of the clan's survival, Ji Jiuhuo would not hesitate.

But from the surface, just from the materials and runes of this formation, he could see how precious this treasure was.

"Hoo." Ji Jiuhuo extended his right hand, and surging elemental energy immediately poured into the dragon pearl and the four scales. There was no residual magic power in the treasure, so it was instantly refined.

"What a treasure, what a treasure." As soon as Ji Jiuhuo refined it, he immediately understood its mysteries, and his eyes went wide. "It's too, too..."

Though he had anticipated it, Ji Jiuhuo was still shocked.

"Patriarch?"

"Big brother?"

Granny Ying, Ji Yichuan, and the others all looked at the patriarch.

"What a treasure!!!" Ji Jiuhuo's eyes were wide with excitement. "Our Ji clan has hope, has hope! Great certainty, great certainty!"

"What treasure is it? Tell us quickly, I'm anxious to know." Granny Ying urged.

Ji Jiuhuo said excitedly, "This grand formation has five parts, and I can control it all by myself. Then I need four Zifu cultivators to assist me! The four Zifu cultivators take different positions. One becomes the core of the 'Dragon Head Formation,' one the core of the 'Dragon Body Formation,' one the core of the 'Dragon Tail Formation,' and one the core of the 'Dragon Claw Formation'! I naturally sit at the center, controlling the dragon pearl."

"When the five Zifu cultivators set up the formation, the first benefit is that we can share elemental energy like Dao soldiers, borrowing from each other! Even if attacked, the damage is distributed across the entire formation, first weakened by the whole formation, then spread among the five."

Ji Liuzhen, Granny Ying, and the others were all excited.

Just the unity of elemental energy and defense was enough to excite everyone, as it meant each person's strength would skyrocket.

"That's only one benefit." Ji Jiuhuo said excitedly. "The mysteries within are too many for me to fully explore in a short time. Just the dragon soul alone we can summon... we might not even need to act ourselves, just summon the dragon soul to attack. It's like Dong Ziyi's Eight Trigrams Blood Dragon Formation. But our formation is far more exquisite than that."

"Quick, I'll set up the formation immediately, and we'll carefully experience and familiarize ourselves with its mysteries." Ji Jiuhuo was extremely excited.

"Good, good, good." Everyone nodded.

Ji Ning also nodded. He knew well that this kind of formation required high formation mastery from its users to be fully effective. Patriarch Ji Jiuhuo might not be as talented as him, but after centuries of studying formations, his mastery was not far behind.

"By the way, Ji Ning, what is this formation called?" Ji Jiuhuo couldn't help asking. "I've never seen such an exquisite formation. This one formation is far superior to my six."

"The Netherwyrm Heavenlock Formation." Ji Ning said.

"Netherwyrm Heavenlock Formation." Ji Jiuhuo silently repeated it, then turned into a streak of light to begin setting up the formation. The Netherwyrm Heavenlock Formation needed to be set up in advance; the dragon pearl could be carried, but the four scales had to be placed beforehand.

...

Time passed minute by minute. In the darkness, the Ji clan practiced the formation on Oxhorn Mountain, familiarizing themselves with the Netherwyrm Heavenlock Formation, which filled everyone with encouragement.

"So that's how it is. Truly marvelous."

"We can have the netherwyrm attack without any of us needing to intervene. We can also... become the netherwyrm's claws or tail to attack actively. By attacking personally, we can make the netherwyrm unleash even greater power." Ji Liuzhen was extremely excited; he had never seen such a marvelous formation.

"Moreover, within the Netherwyrm Heavenlock Formation, heaven and earth are sealed, and everything becomes illusory! It is also the most exquisite maze formation. We can attack when we want and retreat into the maze when we want, making it impossible for Snowdragon Mountain to find us." Ji Jiuhuo laughed heartily.

Ji Ning was also excited.

Though he had anticipated it, when he tried it, he was only at the early Zifu stage. But through the formation's shared elemental energy... the patriarch and the others were at the Zifu Completion stage! With the shared elemental energy, Ji Ning could also use elemental energy surpassing the Zifu Completion stage. Using such elemental energy to execute the Thousand Swords Formation would be even more powerful!

"Come on, Snowdragon Mountain." Ji Ning was also full of confidence.