The Quest for Immortality

The Walking Corpse’s flesh rotted and fell apart, the Formation Patterns not clear.

The Iron Corpse’s flesh was hard, making the Formation much clearer.

Comparing the two, Young Master Yun preliminarily restored a portion of the Formation.

This Formation was incomplete, with many Formation Patterns incorrect, and the Formation Pivot layout also had errors; it only had a rough outline.

Even so, Young Master Yun’s eyes shimmered as he murmured,

”Ultimate Formation...”

Yang Jishan frowned, ”Ultimate Formation?”

Young Master Yun explained, ”It’s a Formation that requires divine sense beyond one’s grade, quantity of Formation Patterns beyond one’s rank, and understanding of the Formation beyond the norm. Although it’s a First Grade, it’s not just a First Grade, it’s an Ultimate Technique of Formation.”

Yang Jishan was still baffled.

Young Master Yun tried to simplify further,

”It’s the most difficult type of Formation within the First-grade Formations...”

With that explanation, Yang Jishan understood.

But he had another question, ”How difficult can it be?”

Young Master Yun then said, ”This completely exceptional Formation isn’t part of the assessment for a First Rank Formation Master and moreover, many Second Rank Formation Masters cannot learn it...”

Yang Jishan exclaimed in surprise, ”Young Master Yun, you can’t learn it either?”

Young Master Yun hesitated.

Out in the world, he didn’t want to lose face for the Yun Family, but he hadn’t studied it and truly didn’t know whether he could learn it.

After a moment of hesitation, Young Master Yun honestly said,

”The Ultimate Formation involves profound insights into Formation principles. I haven’t studied it and don’t know if I can learn it...”

Yang Jishan nodded.

If even a Second Rank Formation Master couldn’t learn it, then the Formation must indeed be extraordinary.

”Then do you know what kind of Formation this is?”

Yang Jishan asked again.

Young Master Yun gazed at the restored Formation again and regretfully said,

”The patterns are missing; it’s indistinguishable...”

”Only by restoring the Formation Patterns, then through the Patterns, infer the complete Formation Diagram, can we discern what kind of Formation it is...”

Yang Jishan said, ”Then why not infer it?”

Young Master Yun wryly smiled, ”Inferring Formation Diagrams involves Formation Calculation, which is an extremely sophisticated part of Formation knowledge. In our Yun Family, only the old ancestor knows it...”

The old ancestor knows it?

Yang Jishan’s head began to ache with the information.

Continue your adventure with empire

Formations were really troublesome.

There was the Ultimate Formation, surpassing grades, inferring and calculating...

He decided to cut to the chase and asked,

”Is there a way to break this Corpse Control Formation?”

Young Master Yun pondered long and slowly said,

”To break it directly... not knowing the Patterns, one cannot grasp the Formation, so it probably can’t be broken...”

”Only indirect methods can be used to interfere with the connections within the Formation, thereby influencing its control over the zombies...”

”As for how exactly to do it, I need to study it a bit...”

Yang Jishan was anxious, but he also knew that haste wouldn’t help, so he cupped his hands and said,

”Then I’ll have to trouble Young Master Yun...”

After not too long, Young Master Yun found Yang Jishan:

”I’ve figured it out...”

”Zombies are driven by Corpse Qi.”

”This Ultimate Formation, drawn within the meridians, is used to control Corpse Qi, precisely directing the Corpse Qi’s flow to manipulate Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses, to kill or to consume...”

”Currently, only Lu Chengyun knows this Formation and he alone has control over it; there’s no solution for the moment, we can only try to destroy it.”

”After destroying the Formation, zombies will lose control due to the dispersal of Corpse Qi, and then we can decapitate them or sever their limbs; once their Corpse Qi dissipates, they will cease movement...”

Yang Jishan nodded, ”So, we must first target their meridians, destroy their Formation, then sever their limbs and heads, and release their Corpse Qi...”

”Yes,” Young Master Yun added,

”The Corpse Qi of the zombies is controlled by the Ultimate Formation, so we must destroy the Formation before severing the limbs.”

”Severing the limbs first is useless since the Corpse Qi would still be influenced by the Ultimate Formation, festering instead of dispersing...”

Yang Jishan thought about it from a practical viewpoint and mused,

”That being the case, the Walking Corpses are easy to handle, but what about the Iron Corpses?”

”The Iron Corpses have skin and bones like refined iron, their meridians are not easy to destroy, their heads not easy to chop, limbs not easy to sever...”

Young Master Yun also found it problematic, ”I... I’ll go think on it some more...”

After half a day pondering, Young Master Yun came back to Yang Jishan and said,

”I’ve thought it over and consulted a few senior Formation Masters, and I have devised a method...”

”Using the Chaos Spirit Formation, interfere with the fluctuations of Spiritual Power, thus affecting the Ultimate Formation’s control over the zombies.”

”Chaos Spirit Formation...”

Yang Jishan contemplated, ”Interfering with the fluctuations of Spiritual Power... but don’t zombies move due to an Evil Power like Corpse Qi? Will that work?”

”It will work,” Young Master Yun nodded, ”The effect will be weaker, but it will work. Whether it’s Spiritual Power or Evil Power, they are both forms of the energy of the heavens and the earth, as well as the power of Tao Cultivation, similar in essence despite their differences.”

Yang Jishan nodded, somewhat understanding.

The Yang Family was a clan of Taoist Soldiers, only concerned with battle.

In terms of Cultivation, they each practiced whatever made them strong, whatever Taoist Skill was powerful.

They didn’t bother to delve into such nuanced knowledge.

Young Master Yun continued, ”Draw the Chaos Spirit Formation on a sharp Spirit Sword, and then stab it into the Iron Corpse’s meridian. Even if it doesn’t destroy the Formation, it will interfere with the flow of Evil Power, affecting the zombie’s control.”

”However, this Chaos Spirit Formation must be Second Grade...”

”If I draw it alone, it will take longer...”

Yang Jishan asked, ”Will First Grade not suffice?”

”It won’t do,” Young Master Yun shook his head, ”A First-grade Ultimate Formation, surpassing First-grade Formations, is comparable to a Second-grade Formation. A First-grade Chaos Spirit Formation will have a minimal impact on such an Ultimate Formation.”

”Only a Second-grade Chaos Spirit Formation can affect a First-grade Ultimate Formation.”