Chapter 42: Terrible Calamity

Lin Shi was absolutely correct in his assessment. 'Lin Yang' had never ventured beyond the borders of Ravvine Town, which severely limited his knowledge!

As Lin Yang's words reached him, Lin Shi felt a jolt in his mind and quickly proceeded to explain everything he knew about Formation Masters.

Listening to Lin Shi's explanation, Lin Yang had an epiphany. In the era known as the Great Catastrophe, the power of heaven and earth had vanished, rendering Spirit Formations, which relied on harnessing that power, virtually useless.

However, in the current era, aptly named the Thriving Immortal Era, the power of the natural world had reemerged and was growing stronger by the day. As a result, Spirit Formations were experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

With the newfound prevalence of battle formations, Formation Masters had become key players in this world.

Each aspiring Formation Master had to undergo certification and appraisal at the Spirit Formation Pavilion.

According to Lin Shi, Formation Masters are organized into a hierarchical grading system, starting from the Novice rank and ascending through various tiers: First-Tier, Second-Tier, and so on, culminating with the revered Ninth-Tier Formation Masters.

According to the Formation Pavilion's explanation of the different levels, Apprentice Formation Masters were those who could successfully set up nine or more basic formations.

First-grade Formation Masters were individuals who could flawlessly engrave and meditate upon a formation of the first-grade caliber.

Second-grade Formation Masters possessed the ability to flawlessly engrave and meditate upon a formation of the second-grade nature.

And lastly, third-grade Formation Masters were those who could flawlessly engrave and meditate upon a formation of the third-grade level.

Generally, high-level formation diagrams were considered highly valuable and possessed unimaginable mystical properties. Consequently, Formation Masters were an exceedingly rare commodity.

As for the specific abilities possessed by high-level Formation Masters, Lin Shi's knowledge was limited, leaving him unable to provide a clear explanation.

With a peculiar expression on his face, Lin Yang stroked his smooth chin. Countless formations, including highly advanced diagrams and legendary sky-level formations capable of ensnaring and defeating gods and demons, were etched within his mind. The act of meditating upon and bringing these formations to life posed no difficulties for him.

However, it was important to note that the higher the level of a formation, the more complex and intricate its setup became. Additionally, its successful establishment was influenced by factors such as spiritual materials and terrain, making casual setups simply impossible.

Filled with curiosity, Lin Yang wondered which level of Formation Master he would be categorized under, according to the Formation Pavilion's rules.

After imparting some knowledge to his new subordinate and crushing any resistance from him, Lin Yang shifted his focus towards the depths of the Black Forest Mountain Range.

Suddenly, a surprised exclamation escaped Lin Shi's lips. "Ninth Young Master! The clan has decided to withdraw and abandon the search. Have all the search parties on the outskirts of the mountain completely retreated?"

"Are you absolutely certain?" Lin Yang questioned, his eyebrows raising in astonishment.

Could it be that the Lin Clan had finally reached a compromise? However, a nagging thought in Lin Yang's mind suggested that there might be another insidious plot against him.

With a hint of excitement visible on his tanned face, Lin Shi confirmed, "I am certain. The majority of the forest's avian inhabitants have returned to their nests, and the search teams within the forest are shrinking and hastily retreating. It appears they have encountered something unforeseen!"

Incredibly relieved, Lin Yang couldn't help but think to himself, "Thank goodness I no longer have to be this executioner, responsible for slaying the elites of my own clan. Perhaps luck is finally on my side."

However, his snort of disdain quickly wiped away any trace of Lin Shi's joy. Startled, Lin Shi immediately suppressed the smile on his face and adopted a serious expression. His gaze shifted towards Ravvine Town.

"Hmph, I refuse to believe that the Lin Clan would simply give up without a fight," Lin Shi declared with a tinge of skepticism. "They've already paid a hefty price. There's no way they would leave this without reason. Their hasty retreat can only mean that something catastrophic has occurred within the clan. We should go and investigate."

Suddenly, a deafening roar, resembling that of a mighty tiger, reverberated from the peak of the mountain. Lin Yang, who had been preparing to move, froze in place. He stared in bewilderment into the heart of the mountain, where the roar had originated.

An overwhelming aura of terror accompanied the tiger's roar, causing the entire forest to tremble in response. Startled, groups of beasts fled in panic, while birds took flight, filling the air with the sound of fluttering wings.

Under the stern expressions of Lin Yang and Lin Shi, a small pack of beasts emerged on the outskirts of the mountain range. The ear-splitting roar echoed through the forest, akin to a dam bursting under the force of unstoppable water.

Rumbling filled the air as the ground beneath them quivered. Lin Yang stood firmly on a boulder, his gaze fixed on the distance.

Ascending into the sky from a distance, a colossal cloud of smoke and dust stretched across several kilometers. Initially faint, the sound gradually intensified, akin to the thunderous rumblings of a storm. The suffocating haze and debris surged towards the very spot where the two men stood.

Turning to face the depths of the forest within the mountain range, both Lin Yang and Lin Shi watched in astonishment. Countless white deer, wild cows, goats, wild wolves, apes, and even giant elephants entered their field of vision. Panic-stricken guardian beasts trampled upon countless trees in their frenzied escape.

Among them, mountain wolves the size of calves, renowned as the most formidable predators of the mountains, trembled in fear. Each wolf possessed the strength of an early spirit awakening realm expert.

Yet, now these fierce beasts fled for their lives, their enormous eyes reflecting sheer panic.

"It appears that we have a formidable visitor," Lin Yang remarked grimly. Such beast tides were not unfamiliar to him. Whenever a beast king emerged, it had the potential to incite a turbulent beast tide, causing the beasts in the surrounding territories to panic.

Of course, there was the possibility of a different scenario—a highly intelligent beast intentionally provoking the others from behind, triggering a large-scale riot.

The occurrence of a beast tide often indicates the approaching of a terrible calamity.