Chapter 1032: The Reversal Heaven-Reviving Array

This force was vast and fierce, like a raging tide, and before it even moved, it was already before their eyes.

The witch soul flickered, about to flee, when it felt a blur before its eyes; at the spot where the force had torn through the molten rock, layers of buildings appeared in sight, like a mirage.

“So it’s below…”

No sooner had the thought arisen than it felt the force crushing down, irresistible, and it tumbled upward.

Boom!

Immediately after, it saw the Golden Source Cauldron above, struck by the force, shoot straight out of the magma and slam violently into the seal above, emitting a sound like a great bell.

Fortunately, this fellow had advanced to a mid-grade holy artifact, and its power had been released, unable to accumulate; otherwise, even if it didn’t die, it would have been severely injured.

“Dean Zhang…”

“Master Zhang!”

Seeing the force erupt and the Golden Source Cauldron burst out, the crowd waiting outside were all startled and rushed over in unison.

“Damn…”

Zhang Xuan’s pupils contracted.

Inside the cauldron was only his physical body; if the crowd surrounded it, with their strength, they would surely detect the witch soul, and returning would be difficult!

Once discovered, how would they view him—the esteemed dean of the Master Teacher Academy—practicing the art of the witch soul?

But if his soul didn’t return, his body was no different from a corpse. What if these fellows thought he was dead and, in their grief, cremated him?

Even if they didn’t, his body, without thought or intention, would fight when encountering danger. If it actually fought them and killed a few… that would be a headache.

Filled with anxiety, he was about to rush out of the magma when he stopped and quickly sent a message to the Golden Source Cauldron.

Master Wu, President Han, and the others were all Saint Domain Fourth Layer experts; their divine senses swept through. If the witch soul emerged, they would surely detect it. The best course was to make this fellow re-enter the magma.

“Come back!”

He transmitted his intent.

“No way, it’s too dangerous…”

The Golden Source Cauldron shook incessantly.

No joke—it had only been down there a moment and nearly got dismantled. It wasn’t stupid enough to rush to its death.

Seeing a vessel cauldron so afraid of death, Zhang Xuan felt his lungs about to burst with rage.

What kind of nonsense was this… so many master teachers unafraid of death, yet a holy artifact was scared to death—it was truly exasperating.

“If you come over, I’ll find a way to help you reach the Out-of-Body realm!”

With no other choice, Zhang Xuan had to promise a reward.

Although this fellow was somewhat cowardly, its loyalty was beyond doubt.

“Out-of-Body realm? Really?” The Golden Source Cauldron leaped up.

The Out-of-Body realm for holy artifacts differed from humans. For humans, it meant the primordial spirit leaving the body, traveling millions of kilometers at night. For holy artifacts, reaching this realm made their spirituality clearer, as powerful as a primordial spirit. Though unable to leave the body and roam freely, they could control their form, growing hands and feet!

Though ugly and strange, it meant having an independent life—a great advancement for a holy artifact.

“Rest assured, I always keep my word!” Zhang Xuan said.

Advancing a holy artifact, though difficult, was not impossible. He still had the Gold Crystal Mystic Stone left by Wu Yangzi. If he could refine it and merge it into this fellow, advancing it would be easy.

Of course, this stone was extremely hard to refine; ordinary earth fire couldn’t do it, and even the magma below might not suffice.

“Fine!”

Hearing the promise, the Golden Source Cauldron no longer cared about the crowd surrounding it. With a screech, it charged down into the magma.

“This…”

Seeing this fellow, so erratic, rush back into the magma, the crowd was dumbfounded, exchanging glances, bewildered.

Plop!

Entering the magma, Zhang Xuan controlled the witch soul to quietly return to his physical body, then flew out of the cauldron and returned to the crowd.

“Master Zhang, are you alright…”

Everyone looked at him with concern.

“I’m fine!” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “Just now, I saw many buildings below. If I’m not mistaken, the relic is directly beneath us!”

“How deep?”

Master Wu couldn’t help asking.

“This… visually, about a hundred meters!” After a moment’s thought, Zhang Xuan said.

Though it was only a glimpse, with his strength, this distance should be roughly accurate.

“A hundred meters?” Everyone’s faces changed.

Master Wu had only gone about forty meters before nearly dying. A hundred meters… was an impossible task!

Knowing where the relic was but unable to enter—what difference did it make?

“Do you have a way?”

Master Wu looked at President Han, who shook his head with a bitter smile.

It was too deep; there was no way in.

“I have an idea…”

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Xuan said.

“Oh?” Everyone looked at him intently.

“That energy just now was extremely powerful. When it surged, the magma was split apart. That is, when the energy strikes, it creates a vacuum in the magma, forming a passage for people to pass through… We can take that opportunity to enter!”

Zhang Xuan said slowly.

The reason the witch soul had seen the scene below was precisely because the magma had been split. If they moved quickly, they could rush down.

“This method, though good, is… nearly impossible!”

“Yes, that force was so strong that even the Golden Source Cauldron couldn’t withstand it and was blasted out. To go against the current… impossible!”

President Han and Master Wu exchanged glances and shook their heads simultaneously.

The method was good and seemed the best available, but unfortunately, it couldn’t be done.

With such a powerful force, entering it would be lucky not to be torn apart on the spot, let alone go against the current and cover a hundred meters in a short time.

Even if they could advance, if they only made it halfway and the magma closed in, they would be as good as dead.

“Going against the current is indeed difficult… But what if we follow behind the force?” Zhang Xuan said.

“Follow behind the force?” The crowd was puzzled.

This force surged upward from below—how could they follow behind it?

“Dean Zhang means… to gather this force with a special formation and then attack downward from above?” President Han seemed to understand and couldn’t help saying.

“Exactly!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“But… that would only be more dangerous. This energy is so immense; if it can’t be contained, it could easily collapse…” President Han hurriedly said.

“Gather with a formation?”

“Greater force?”

Hearing their exchange, the others also understood, and their faces changed.

They had seen the force erupting from below with their own eyes—extremely powerful. To gather it and redirect it downward to attack the magma… if successful, fine; if it failed, everyone would likely be blown to pieces on the spot.

“Do you have another way?” Zhang Xuan looked at him.

“I…”

President Han stiffened, unable to speak.

A hundred meters of magma—there was indeed no way in. This might be the best method.

“The seal is already closed; we can’t get out. If we can’t enter the relic, we die. So we might as well take the gamble!” Zhang Xuan said.

Everyone nodded.

They had no other choice now but to gamble; otherwise, staying here would also lead to certain death.

“What should we do?” Everyone was a master teacher, decisive in action, and had come with a resolve to die. Soon, they finished discussing and looked at him.

“It’s simple. Give me all your Seven Star formation flags, then follow my commands. At that time, everyone will enter the Golden Source Cauldron and charge in!”

Zhang Xuan said.

The Golden Source Cauldron was a holy artifact that could expand or shrink. It could hold three to five people, or even thirty, without feeling cramped.

If everyone flew separately, speeds would vary; it was better to stay in the cauldron—safer and faster.

“Good!”

Hearing the plan, everyone nodded.

Many had Seven Star formation flags, especially President Han, who had the most. Zhang Xuan took them and counted—over five hundred—and nodded approvingly.

This many should be enough.

The most important thing now was how to set up a formation that could gather such violent energy from below.

The level couldn’t be too low; at least it had to be Seven Star peak.

“President Han, as the president of the Qingyuan Empire Formation Master Guild, do you have any books or diagrams on formations?” Zhang Xuan looked at him.

“Formation books? I have quite a few…”

Hearing him ask for books, President Han was momentarily stunned.

They were about to set up a formation—why did he need books?

“Take them all out… If anyone else has formation books, bring them out too. The formation we’re about to set up is of utmost importance. Even I dare not be careless; I need to study more to find direction!”

Looking around, Zhang Xuan said.

“Alright!”

Knowing the stakes were high, everyone didn’t refuse and took out the formation books they carried.

Han Xu, as the guild president, had an enormous collection—several thousand books on Seven Star formation masters alone. Combined with what others had, the total exceeded ten thousand.

Zhang Xuan’s eyes swept over these books, and their contents immediately imprinted into his mind, forming the Heavenly Way Formation.

His consciousness continuously studied the newly formed manual, while he flipped through the books one by one, pretending to research.

An hour later, the Seven Star Heavenly Way Formation was fully learned and mastered.

“Alright, I’ve found the method. You can take back your books!”

After instructing them, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes and carefully deliberated. Soon, a formation appeared in his mind.

Having learned the Seven Star Heavenly Way Formation, his understanding of formations had reached the Seven Star peak, comparable even to some Eight Star initial formation masters.

Designing based on the terrain was then much easier.

“Setting up a Seven Star peak ‘Reversal Heaven-Reviving Array’ would do, but… this formation requires immense soul power, and with my current strength, I can’t set it up…”

Zhang Xuan frowned.

In the current situation, setting up a Seven Star peak Reversal Heaven-Reviving Array should solve the problem completely. However, this formation demanded extremely high soul power. He was only at the Saint realm; even if he could fight above his level, he was at most comparable to Saint Domain Second Layer, far from being able to set up this formation.

“Unless… my witch soul can advance further…”

A thought struck him.