Variation in the Formation World

Variation in the Formation World...

The spectacle unfolding within the formation world left the outside observers dumbfounded, their jaws practically hitting the ground.

The figure perched atop the massive rock was using his summoned Astral Warbeasts to actively hunt and snatch away the ancient luck of these formidable experts!

In the external world, those representing transcendent powers couldn't help but reassess and seriously contemplate Qin Wentian. This young man's performance had been nothing short of extraordinary from the very beginning. He was so remarkable that he didn't lag behind even when compared to the likes of Chen Wang and Shi Potian. Now, as they witnessed the overwhelming demonic aura emanating from Qin Wentian, they found it hard to believe their own eyes. His once-human eyes had transformed into something else entirely—an embodiment of a true supreme demon.

Old Man Tianji's eyes glinted with intensity as he observed Qin Wentian.

He had long been scrutinizing Grand Xia's destiny and had seen the emergence of the demon star. With each passing day, the radiance surrounding it only grew brighter.

Since the beginning, he had been keeping a watchful eye on the contenders of the Heavenly Fate Rankings—was Qin Wentian the one the demon star foretold, the individual destined to alter the fate of Grand Xia?

At this juncture, the summoned Astral Warbeasts let out resounding roars as they darted off in different directions, showing no sign of fatigue. The young man, consumed by his cultivation, remained cross-legged on the massive rock. He was so absorbed in his practice that he didn't even pause in his quest to plunder ancient luck.

The battles within the formation world raged on, growing more intense with each passing moment, yet the frequency of clashes began to diminish. It was only when a total of 360 contenders remained that the spectators realized something unusual was occurring in this ranking battle.

"Indeed, the destiny of Grand Xia is undergoing a transformation," Old Man Tianji murmured, his cryptic words leaving those around him bewildered and intrigued.

"Quite the transformation indeed," mused a powerhouse from the Great Solar Chen Clan, glancing at the shifting fate of Grand Xia. "I wonder how many contenders the Vermilion Bird Formation will choose this time."

If Grand Xia's destiny were indeed in flux, it meant more contenders would be weeded out, leaving only the most formidable ones to amass an unprecedented amount of ancient luck. This was an unprecedented occurrence.

"Look! Chen Wang has absorbed enough ancient luck. His Vermilion Bird is guiding him toward his destiny piece," someone exclaimed. All eyes turned to Chen Wang, who currently navigated a landscape of boiling lava and endless flames, like a scene straight from a volcanic eruption.

A series of steps descended into the fiery abyss. Chen Wang's eyes blazed with determination. He had been plundering ancient luck as he searched for Ouyang Kuangsheng and Fan Le. Little did he know, his accumulation of ancient luck would lead him to this fractured, hellish landscape.

With each step, he delved deeper into the inferno.

Chen Wang's figure vanished from the spectators' view, leaving them in suspense. What secrets lay hidden in the depths of that place? Only Chen Wang could reveal the truth.

Excitement and anticipation danced across the faces of those from the Great Solar Chen Clan. Chen Wang was certainly living up to his reputation. Would he finally claim the legacy that was rightfully his?

As time continued its relentless march, the number of contenders within the formation world dwindled. Those who remained were formidable, each possessing overwhelming combat prowess.

Ouyang Kuangsheng had also unlocked a second-level Mandate, catapulting him into the same league as Heaven's Chosen like Ouyang Zheng.

This development filled the Ouyang Clan members with pride. While Duan Qingshan's death had been a blow, Ouyang Kuangsheng, as a member of the main bloodline, had now surpassed Duan Qingshan in strength. This fact mitigated the loss for them. Ouyang Kuangsheng's status in the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan had skyrocketed.

Upon witnessing this, Ouyang Ting's face stiffened instantly. She felt as though everything that was happening was surreal, like she was trapped in a bizarre dream.

The power of the young man who had slain Duan Qingshan had grown to unimaginable levels. Now that Ouyang Kuangsheng had also mastered a second-level Mandate, Ouyang Ting realized her hopes of persuading the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan to avenge Duan Qingshan had been shattered. Compared to Ouyang Kuangsheng's current stature, she was insignificant, nothing more than a speck of dust. The clan elders would never grant her permission to mobilize their forces against Ouyang Kuangsheng's comrades.

Her last glimmer of hope lay in Qin Wentian's demise in the formation world, preferably while dueling Chen Wang.

"Shi Potian has also found his legacy. He condensed the ancient luck of the Vermilion Bird and blasted through an ancient mountain to access its tunnels."

The crowd's hearts quivered as they witnessed this development.

Why had the rules within the Vermilion Bird Formation changed?

Si Qiong's ancient luck had similarly reshaped the land, making him the third person, following Chen Wang and Shi Potian, to discover the legacy meant for him.

It appeared that when ancient luck reached a certain concentration, their illusory Vermilion Birds would birth a true soul and guide them to the locations where their respective legacies were hidden.

At this point, roughly a hundred contenders remained within the formation world. Their abundance of ancient luck had condensed their Vermilion Birds to the point where they seemed almost lifelike. Those who had been eliminated could only watch helplessly from the outside, regretting their missed opportunities. No one had anticipated this twist in the rules governing the Vermilion Bird Formation, not even the leaders of the transcendent powers, let alone the contenders.

"Zhan Chen, as expected, has been concealing his true strength. He too has located his legacy," the spectators murmured in amazement, their astonishment growing with each passing moment.

Why were there so many concealed legacies? This was an unprecedented occurrence.

Emperor Azure and Qin Zheng followed suit, locating their hidden legacies.

Soon after, Yun Mengyi and Mu Feng achieved the same feat.

"Eight individuals! There are actually eight who have found these hidden legacies!"

"From this, we can gauge the true strength of these contenders. Undoubtedly, these eight possess the qualifications to stand at the pinnacle of Yuanfu. Naturally, there might still be unforeseen twists — Qin Wentian, Wang Jue, Hua Shaoqing, Yan Cheng. They remain enigmatic factors."

These eight, plus two others from this group, were almost certain to secure spots within the top ten of the Heavenly Fate Rankings. Unfortunately for Yao Jun, his decision to retreat from facing Qin Wentian had all but sealed his fate outside the top ten.

At this very moment, Qin Wentian was amassing ancient luck as well. Assisted by his Astral Warbeasts, the ancient luck he had collected had reached an astonishing concentration. His Purgatory Vermilion Bird, perched behind him, grew increasingly tangible, with nine vertical lines of light now etched on its forehead. Moreover, it emitted an aura akin to a human at the ninth level of Yuanfu.

He sensed that the Purgatory Vermilion Bird was now 'satisfied,' no longer requiring additional ancient luck to sustain it.

Qin Wentian's eyes remained closed; he had been in a deep meditative state for several days. Vivid scenes flashed through his mind's eye as he immersed himself in this mental journey.

This was precisely what the green-robed elder's dream-will had taught him. In the realm of dreams, there were no boundaries, no limits. Why not surrender all control and rationality to the boundless realm of imagination? Dreams possessed a certain solidity, akin to reality. Yet whether it was real or an illusion, all hinged on the dream-will of the dreamer, the one crafting the dream.

The vast expanse between heaven and earth could be traversed with a single thought. What, then, were dreams? Reality or fantasy? Truth or fabrication? A tapestry of fact and fiction woven together, all dependent on the creative power of the dreamer.

The Astral Warbeasts lay in quiet repose beneath the colossal rock; as long as the Astral Energy within them remained, their corporeal forms persisted.

Back in Sky Harmony City, when he had been in peril, Uncle Black had given him an item, instructing him to use it only in moments of dire need. Only now did Qin Wentian realize that the ancient primal ape that had appeared back then was a sealed Astral Warbeast that could be summoned. It was a single-use, life-saving treasure bestowed by Uncle Black.

The Crimsonblood Thunder Hawk and the Silvery Roc positioned themselves on either side of Qin Wentian, while the Golden Primal Ape rose to its full height, its head level with the massive rock upon which Qin Wentian sat.

Qin Wentian extended his left hand, gently caressing the Golden Primal Ape's head before stroking the feathers on the Crimsonblood Thunder Hawk's back. The Astral Warbeasts lifted their heads slightly, as if possessing a degree of independent intelligence. These Astral Warbeasts, summoned by Qin Wentian, shared an innate mental connection with him, responding to his thoughts and intentions.

At his back, the Purgatory Vermilion Bird released a long, triumphant screech, prompting the Astral Warbeasts to once again assume submissive positions, bowing their heads as if acknowledging the presence of a regal monarch.

Qin Wentian couldn't help but wear a wry smile at the spectacle. He then witnessed the Purgatory Vermilion Bird flap its wings, gently pushing the Silvery Roc aside to take its place beside him.

"Are you not an illusion? Why do you feel so real?" Qin Wentian pondered aloud as he felt the warmth emanating from the fiery feathers that covered the bird. He extended his hand, rubbing the bird's head, which elicited a contented expression from the Purgatory Vermilion Bird. After a moment, the bird looked up and emitted a series of shrill cries, flapping its wings as if indicating its desire to take flight.

"Do you want to take me somewhere?" Qin Wentian inquired, baffled.

The Purgatory Vermilion Bird responded with an emphatic chirp and a nod.

"Very well." Qin Wentian stood and mounted the back of the Vermilion Bird. Without hesitation, the Purgatory Vermilion Bird ascended into the sky, hurtling toward the distant horizon at astonishing speed.

The Golden Primal Ape, with its giant strides, raced forward madly, following the Purgatory Vermilion Bird. In tow, the Crimsonblood Thunder Hawk and Silvery Roc carried the Blue-Scale Flood Dragon and Silver-Armored Bear King, respectively.

In the formation world, there stood a colossal mountain resembling a demon, its peak nearly touching the heavens.

At the moment, two figures were perched atop that mountain.

They were none other than Yao Jun and Peng Zhan.

Yao Jun, ranked #13 on the Heavenly Fate Rankings, hailed from the Skydemon Sect.

Peng Zhan, ranked #14 on the Heavenly Fate Rankings, belonged to the Beast King Hall. Both were Heaven's Chosen from the Demon Continent, incredibly formidable individuals. Due to their similar rankings, they often found themselves in fierce competitions, with no clear winner emerging. However, it was astonishing to see that they had now formed an alliance.

Their Vermilion Birds, shaped by their ancient luck, relentlessly assaulted the demon-like mountain. They repeatedly crashed against it with great frenzy, yet their efforts yielded no results.

"Since the Vermilion Birds have led us here, there must be something exceptional about this place," Yao Jun muttered, casting a sly glance at Peng Zhan's Vermilion Bird. If his own Vermilion Bird could devour Peng Zhan's, it might become powerful enough to breach the barrier leading into the mountains.

At that very moment, a resounding Vermilion Bird's screech echoed from the distance. Both Yao Jun and Zhan Peng turned their heads, their gazes falling upon another approaching Vermilion Bird. However, this wasn't an ordinary bird. Its body was perpetually engulfed in purgatory flames, exuding an aura of overwhelming dread and demonic energy.

What truly astonished them was the sight of a young man seated proudly on the back of the Purgatory Vermilion Bird, his demeanor exuding an air of dominance as if he were the ruler of demons.

Beneath the Purgatory Vermilion Bird, a Golden Primal Ape charged forward, each of its steps shaking the ground, threatening to rupture it at any moment. Flying alongside the Purgatory Vermilion Bird were two other formidable demonic beasts.

"It's him!" Yao Jun's eyes narrowed, his heart thrown into turmoil. Qin Wentian's unexpected arrival had disrupted their carefully laid plans. This man appeared even more demonic than Yao Jun and Peng Zhan combined, and he was likely much stronger as well.

With a commanding cry from the Purgatory Vermilion Bird, the Vermilion Birds belonging to Yao Jun and Peng Zhan obediently stepped aside. The Purgatory Vermilion Bird transformed its wings into razor-sharp blades, relentlessly battering the mountain walls. The thunderous echoes of impact resounded continuously, while the Golden Primal Ape joined in the assault, delivering a torrent of blows to the mountain wall.

The massive rocks atop the mountain peak began to tumble, and the Purgatory Vermilion Bird showed signs of injury from the relentless onslaught. Yet, it displayed no intention of stopping. After several intense moments, the mountain wall finally crumbled, revealing the entrance to an enormous cave.

Qin Wentian gently patted the Purgatory Vermilion Bird's head, causing it to emit soft cooing sounds. Its previously menacing aura had completely dissipated, replaced by a docile demeanor in its eyes.

"You've worked hard," Qin Wentian commented softly, moving forward.

"Hold on!" Peng Zhan's voice rang out coldly. Qin Wentian turned to regard him, his fiendish eyes locking onto Peng Zhan. However, Peng Zhan was wearing a sly grin, and he spoke with a mischievous tone, "Hey Yao Jun, shouldn't we thank this person for opening the way for us?"

Yao Jun's expression flickered as he inwardly laughed coldly. This Peng Zhan seemed to have no concept of the word 'death'!