Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

The Eight Trigrams image encompassed several tens of kilometers, advancing at a slow pace and making frequent adjustments.

Sometimes the aura would slightly rise, other times it would fall, fluctuating unpredictably, but overall, as the Golden Pill Monks grew more familiar, the aura still became stronger.

”My Formation Dao skills seem to have increased a bit.”

Jiang Ding silently perceived.

For him, to exert control over a grand formation comprised of more than two hundred Golden Pill Monks single-handedly and without the aid of any magic treasure-level Formation instruments represented an entirely new experience.

In his mind, many never-before-conceived supernatural thoughts burst forth, each meticulously recorded within the Lake of Heart.

The teachers often said that cultivation is a path of practice, reflection, and continuous cycles of practice, and this indeed was the case.

”My lord, the Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights have started to move, in the opposite direction from us.”

”They have not scattered, and they too are beginning to form an Army Formation.”

Within the One-Eyed Cicada, a voice transmitted the information, which was soon corroborated by multiple voices and perspectives from different angles.

”They’re fleeing?”

Jiang Ding mused to himself.

Just as he could easily gather intelligence on the Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights, so too could their loosely formed coalition, which harbored no secrets, be easily bribed by anyone.

If the price offered was high enough, it could even lead to a considerable number of defectors.

For example, Immortal Baimei had previously been with the Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights and now might already be in contact with the enemy.

Of course, he couldn’t possibly have any loyalty towards Blood Cloud; he would support whoever was stronger, kick whoever was down, and always stand on the side of the victor.

Privately comparing the speed of both sides, Jiang Ding furrowed his brow, ”We outnumber them by double, but our speed is half as fast; the quality of the base personnel in the Formation Method is also poor, and we’re lacking related magic treasure-level Formation instruments; these are the disadvantages.”

”The slowness of the grand formation’s flight is an inherent flaw in Formation Methods, which needs to be resolved through special mounts or Formation Dao flying treasures.”

He felt momentarily troubled.

Individual flight differed from Army Formation flight.

For individual flight, one only needs to take care of oneself.

Army Formation flight is not merely about dragging a hundred odd people into the air; it involves ensuring that a massive formation area of several tens of kilometers can fly together while maintaining normal spellcasting, gathering Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi, and contains highly advanced Immortal Path technology.

In this regard, Jiang Ding had only seen perfect solutions at Xianmen Sect, like warships that not only have no negative impact on Array Patterns but also greatly amplify their effect, providing high stability.

Immortal Sects should have similar Immortal Path technology, but the cost would inevitably rise by more than tenfold.

”Qian department, one; Kun department, one; Li department, one… Step out.”

Jiang Ding issued the command.

”Yes!”

Immortal Baimei and other Cultivators skilled in controlling Army Formations immediately came forward from the grand formation. Standing on the Heavenly Gang Big Dipper, they chanted under their breath while following the direction of the Eight Trigrams Commanding Flag, reassembling into a smaller Eight Trigrams Breaking Banned Formation.

The overall aura dropped slightly.

Jiang Ding took control of the new Formation Method, and the speed suddenly increased, surpassing that of the Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights by a stretch.

”Back ranks, follow steadily.”

”Yes!”

The Cultivators in the rear responded respectfully.

...

A thousand li away,

a great army with banners of Blood Flag fluttering stood in formation, filling the sky with a forbidding aura and intense oppressive power.

Though only comprising a hundred or so, their mere presence resembled the roar and charge of a thousand troops, the smell of blood overwhelming.

Upon closer inspection, each set of three carried a small Blood Flag, sets of six a medium one, and thirty-six a large Blood Flag, with the Spiritual Light of the Blood Flags radiant, clearly all Treasures of at least inferior quality meticulously refined over God-knows-how-long.

At this moment, when the banners were unfurled, blood light rose as if to blot out the sun, emanating an aura that sent chills down the spine of Golden Pill Monks.

Blood Cloud Sub Flags!

```

This was the Formation Dao instrument that the Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights had scoured various regions for Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, refined with great care over a hundred years, and was known to be capable of arranging formations that could fight beyond its rank, even capable of swallowing blood and getting stronger with each battle.

Legend had it that this was the ancient Sect Protection Formation of the Blood River Sect of Great Demonic Path. During its zenith, one thousand and two hundred magic treasure level Blood Flags with Earth Evil Prohibition of sixty paths or more fluttered, and many Nascent Treasures sat in command at the center.

When facing enemies, blood light would spread for hundreds of miles, and the Blood River would naturally surge forth majestically, rolling back down and claiming that even if the number one sect of that time, the Falling Void Sect, were to attack with its full force, it would still remain unfazed.

The Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights had begun planning the formation of the Blood King Army a hundred years ago, refining and consecrating Formation instruments, practicing the Army Formation daily, until today, when the fruits of their labor finally appeared.

The people of the Blood Riders considered themselves invincible against Golden Pill cultivators and unafraid even of Nascent Souls.

”Why have their speeds caught up?”

”Their aura is also far beyond the Golden Pill, this is impossible!”

Within the Blood Rider Army Formation, Hei Loucheng, who was always the best at military formations and heavily relied upon by Blood Cloud, cried out in disbelief.

The scene before him made his firm Dao Heart tremble and almost shattered.

Hei Loucheng was from the collateral lineage of the Hei Clan, had learned systematic Formation Methods and the ways of Army Formation, and was always proud of his proficiency in Formation Dao, believing that no Golden Pill Monk in the entire Hei Clan could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

He had never held in regard ignorant Loose Cultivators, even those stronger than him, such as Blood Cloud and Iron Bone Vajra.

But what was this scene before him?

A group of Golden Pill Cultivators who had only temporarily gathered for a few months, not even knowing each other, with unrefined formations and Formation instruments—the strongest among these being no more than a few Supreme Magic Tool Eight Trigrams Flags, as good as nothing.

This group, with the same number of people, formed an Army Formation whose aura was even more powerful than the one he had exhausted his heart’s blood on, spending a vast amount of Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, and consecrating for more than a hundred years.

Is this reasonable?

Is there any justice left in the world?

This is utterly unreasonable!

”This must be an illusion technique!”

”Yes, just an illusion created by a superior magic treasure!”

Feeling that he had discerned the truth, an excited Blood spear Hei Loucheng said, ”Leader, the Tushan Sword Cultivators are indeed profound in the art of illusions, but these are all minor tricks.”

”Please give the order, let us counterattack. With the Blood Flags rolling, we can surely crush them in one strike!”

His way of Army Formation had always been the foremost among the Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights, far outstripping the others, and played a major role in past battles, thus he was highly esteemed.

As he spoke, many showed signs of being moved.

”It seems it really is so...”

The Iron Bone Vajra, from the collateral lineage of the Iron Family, hesitated, then agreed.

Unlike the Loose Cultivators, he too had received education on the ways of Army Formation in his younger years. The scene before him was completely against the common knowledge of the Immortal Path; logically, it shouldn’t be true.

”We must counterattack!”

Both having said so, the crowd’s eyes lit up, and their morale soared.

”My brothers... sigh.”

Blood Cloud, with a face full of wrinkles, heaved a sigh and without saying more, handed out five or six Jade Slips.

It was none other than the scenes of the Eight Trigrams Breaking Banned Formation breaking through the Ten Thousand Miles Yellow Sand Forbidden and the various ultimate arrays of the Sutra Pavilion, and moreover from multiple people, multiple perspectives for comparison.

Clearly, on the network of the Loose Cultivators, he far surpassed others, and even without compensation, people would still send him information.

”Eight Trigrams Breaking Banned Formation...”

Hei Loucheng took the Jade Slips, glanced through them, and immediately felt a storm brewing within him, utterly horrified.

”This is insane!”

”How could there be such a person? It’s one thing to be a top contender in the Sword Dao, but to also be at the pinnacle of Formation Dao, what kind of freak has emerged from some corner?”

He immediately started hopping mad.

”Go, hurry up and go!”

”My Formation Dao is not up to his, we can’t win at all!”