Chapter 124: Formation Techniques

Looking at the corpses of his two subordinates, Elder Black noticed that Cao Yi had fallen completely unconscious. He stepped forward to check Cao Yi’s pulse, discovered he was still alive, and examined him closely. Turning his head, he unleashed a burst of dark fire upon his subordinate. In an instant, the man was reduced to ashes. Elder Black then hauled Cao Yi away, returning to his own courtyard on the mountain.

Meanwhile, Lin Hao had stopped in his tracks the moment he sensed something was wrong. He stayed awake all night, remaining on high alert. Unlike Cao Yi, he had experienced no such misfortune, and no black gas had infiltrated his meridians. Therefore, Lin Hao remained in full possession of his senses. When dawn broke the next day, he tentatively began to move forward again. After observing the surroundings, he realized that the path leading out of Tianyu Mountain had been completely sealed off. No matter which road he chose or which direction he traveled, he felt as though he were heading deeper into the mountain rather than toward the outside world. Lin Hao did not know what exactly had happened to Tianyu Mountain during this time, nor did he encounter any other sects.

With no other choice and unable to sit and wait for death, Lin Hao followed the guidance of the path, step by step. As he walked, he arrived at the same place where he and Momo had once wandered. Looking at the formation before him, he noted that apart from the scene inside, everything else remained unchanged. Just as he stepped inside, he caught a glimpse of an indigenous person departing. His expression shifted to one of shock, his pupils dilated, and an inexplicable look flashed in his eyes. He realized that the person being carried by the indigenous elder was none other than Cao Yi.

"Senior Brother!" he gasped, unable to hold back his exclamation. He immediately covered his mouth and ducked out of sight, his heart filled with alarm. *This is terrible. It seems Senior Brother has already fallen into the hands of the natives!* Yet, he couldn't help but doubt it—given Cao Yi’s strength, how could he have surrendered so easily? There should have been a fierce battle regardless. Lin Hao did not know what had happened to Cao Yi; he only saw him being dragged away by the Elder Black like a corpse.

When Elder Black glanced back in his direction before leaving, Lin Hao was startled. He immediately retreated out of the formation, ensuring he remained undiscovered. However, Lin Hao’s face was now heavy with concern, and he was deeply conflicted about whether or not to rescue Cao Yi. If he didn't save him, who knew what these natives would do? But if he did try to save him, he pondered, he was no match for this elder. What should he do?

For a moment, Lin Hao was truly caught in a dilemma, as if two voices were arguing in his mind. The dark voice said: "Why save him? You don't know the strength of these natives, and you aren't even a match for a single elder." The white voice countered: "Senior Brother Cao Yi has helped you many times, especially back at the Qingcheng Sect, and you were the one who brought him in. If you don't save him, isn't that a bit heartless?"

Unable to decide, Lin Hao hurriedly called out to the system: "System! System! Come out!"

"The host has a question?" the system replied.

"Should I save Cao Yi or not?" Lin Hao asked.

"Please make your own decision. The system is only here to assist the host and cannot make decisions for you," the system responded, offering no advice.

Lin Hao felt a bit discouraged by the answer. Eventually, he made his decision, his face set with determination. He would save him, if only to repay his past kindness. With his resolve strengthened, Lin Hao stepped back into the formation. He tapped his foot, summoned his Swallowing Cloud Sword, and flew in the direction the elder had taken.

At that moment, Elder Black had returned to his courtyard with Cao Yi, choosing not to bring him directly to the master in the main hall. He tossed Cao Yi onto the ground with a thud. "Wake him up and interrogate him thoroughly. I want the information as quickly as possible," he commanded the courtyard. A ripple distorted the air, and a black shadow flickered and vanished. When he looked again, both Cao Yi and the shadow were gone. Elder Black remained calm, as if he were accustomed to such things. He turned and walked toward the master’s main hall.

Lin Hao had been following Elder Black’s path. To avoid being detected, he flew slowly and kept a safe distance, just enough to ensure he didn't lose track of him. Eventually, he saw Elder Black enter the courtyard with Cao Yi. Lin Hao did not rush in recklessly; instead, he closed his eyes outside and attempted to use his divine sense to search the courtyard. However, the moment his sense touched the grounds, it felt as if it had struck a membrane and bounced back. Lin Hao immediately withdrew his sense, rubbing his head in discomfort. He was shocked to realize that a defensive formation had been set up in the courtyard, and his current level of spiritual power could not penetrate it.

Anxious and desperate to know Cao Yi’s fate, Lin Hao was startled when he suddenly saw a black shadow streak past. Looking closely, he realized it was carrying Cao Yi. Ignoring the risks of the courtyard, he turned and gave chase. He followed the shadow until they reached a cave, where he watched the figure stop. The shadow manipulated an unseen mechanism, and the stone door of the cave slowly creaked open. They entered, and Lin Hao caught a glimpse of the pitch-black interior and two guards before the door slammed shut.

He was forced to watch from the outside. Unsure of the situation and afraid to act rashly, he hid nearby. Lin Hao frowned, thinking: *I have no idea what the situation is inside. It doesn't look empty, and if I barge in and alert them, it will surely be dangerous.* He couldn't afford to alert too many people, yet standing at the door revealed nothing.

Just then, the system chimed. "Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a main quest: Rescue Cao Yi from the natives. Given the difficulty, the system provides a 'Feigned Death' convenience feature. Upon completion, you will be rewarded with a system space and 200 points."

Lin Hao’s eyes lit up. This was exactly what he needed! Interested in the "feigned death" feature, he asked, "System, what is so magical about this? The name sounds impressive."

To his dismay, the system replied, "It allows the host to appear naturally dead to outsiders."

Lin Hao was left stunned, completely dumbfounded. *That’s it?!* "System, is that really all it does?" he asked, unwilling to accept it.

"Yes, host. I hope you can make good use of it," the system answered briskly.

Lin Hao’s mouth twitched. *Make use of it? How? It's just faking death!* he roared internally. "You don't expect me to lie dead at the cave entrance so they can pick me up and carry me in, do you?"

The system ignored his sarcasm and changed the subject: "I hope the host completes the mission as soon as possible. Good luck." After that, the system went silent.

Lin Hao felt a momentary sense of disappointment, but he quickly adjusted his mood, choosing to be optimistic. The reward of a "system space" was very appealing, as his current storage space couldn't hold living things and was quite small. He wondered if this new space could hold spirit beasts like Cao Yi’s. Plus, there were the 200 points, which he desperately needed to pay off his debt to the system.

He looked at the door, realizing that sitting idly wouldn't solve anything. Suddenly, his eyes darted, a flash of inspiration struck, and a sinister smile played on his lips. He stood up from the bushes, scanned the area, and seeing that no one was around, he crept toward the door. After a moment of thought, he turned and headed back into the nearby thickets. He wandered about, searching for something. When he emerged, he was carrying piles of dry wood and grass, which he proceeded to stack neatly in front of the cave entrance. Once the area was completely covered, Lin Hao clapped his hands together with a satisfying smack.