Chen Huaiyang's eyes locked onto a formation node diagonally ahead. With a brief call to the three behind him, he immediately cast a spell and launched an attack on the node.
"Boom!"
A massive fireball surged toward the node. The once impervious formation suddenly shuddered, quaking as though the earth itself had been shaken.
"It really is a node! Everyone, attack together!"
Their faces lit up with excitement as they simultaneously struck out toward the node.
Chen Jinshu summoned a golden needle in her palm and, with a sharp whistle, hurled it toward the formation's weak point.
"Not good! They've found the node!" Chen Wenshan's smile vanished in an instant, disbelief clouding his expression.
"Since when did a high-grade Tier One formation become so easy to unravel?"
"We can't let them break the array! Madam, assist me!"
"Understood!" Madam Chen responded with a nod, immediately conjuring a multitude of spiritual white swords around her.
Swish—swish—
The white swords pierced through the clouds and shot toward the four intruders within the formation.
"Let me handle the defense!" Madam Chen Wu narrowed her eyes and raised a hand. A massive golden shield emerged, forming a protective wall before the four of them, radiating powerful spiritual pressure.
Clang! Clang!
The white swords clashed against the golden wall, striking sparks and erupting in waves of spiritual force. The shock slightly rustled the corners of their robes.
Chen Wenshan followed up with a volley of fireballs, each one aimed with deadly intent, leaving crimson streaks as they tore through the air.
Boom!Though the fireballs slammed into the golden wall and failed to penetrate, the residual heat still left a faint sting on the skin.
…
The standoff dragged on for nearly two hours. Overhead, the clouds gradually thinned, revealing the faint light of dawn.
"Quickly! We must break the formation now! The node will regenerate soon!" Chen Huaiyang's eyes grew sharp, and the speed of his fireball incantations accelerated.
Hearing this, Chen Jinshu began to condense a thunder orb in her right palm. The energy it held rivaled three golden needles combined—it would surely tilt the balance.
As soon as the orb was ready, she locked onto the node and launched it with deadly precision.
"Boom!"
The orb exploded on impact. Violent lightning crackled like a storm, surging through the surrounding formation barriers. At the same time, the large formation's shield trembled violently, the once-glowing surface visibly dimming under the onslaught.
"Jinshu! That thunder orb was powerful—but it takes a massive toll. Don't use it unless absolutely necessary!"
Chen Wentan's eyes flashed with admiration, but he quickly warned her upon noticing her pale complexion. Such a powerful technique demanded a considerable amount of spiritual energy.
"I understand, Second Uncle." Chen Jinshu swallowed a rejuvenation pill and nodded.
"Wentan, let's end this. Help me break it completely!" Chen Huaiyang's gaze burned with resolve, a trace of ruthlessness in his tone.
"Understood!" Chen Wentan unsheathed his longsword, directing it with precision toward the formation's heart.
Chen Huaiyang channeled most of his spiritual energy into the tip of his blade. With a swing, the sword pierced the void, slicing a blue arc that shot like an arrow into the node.
Crack!
The twin sword strikes shattered the node under their combined force, their sharp auras tearing it apart.
Boom!
The formation dissolved into countless golden shards, falling like rain. From the distance came Chen Wenshan's furious roar: "My high-grade formation!"
But Chen Huaiyang was already turning, locking his gaze onto Chen Wenshan. The residual power from his strike surged forth toward him.
"Retreat!"
Chen Wenshan's face turned grim. He grabbed Madam Chen and fled diagonally across the terrain.
"Brother Huaiyang, don't pursue them. Getting Jinshu safely to Vermilion Market takes priority!"Chen Wentan called out just as Chen Huaiyang looked ready to chase.
"…You're right. Jinshu's journey matters most." Chen Huaiyang sighed and swiftly retracted his sword.
"Give me a moment!" Chen Wentan dove into the forest below and returned in under a minute, holding four golden array flags.
"The formation is broken, but these flags still hold power if nurtured. Take them as a gift in advance for joining the sect," he said, offering the flags to Chen Jinshu.
"Second Uncle, you and Third Uncle broke the array together. I can't accept this." Jinshu shook her head and stepped back.
"Your Third Uncle has no use for this kind of formation. If I'm not mistaken, this is a 'Golden Barrier Formation'—meant for containment. I could have broken it alone in a few days. Better it serve you instead."
Chen Huaiyang waved her concerns away. He already had plenty of arrays. This one wasn't particularly powerful in defense and wouldn't benefit him much.
"Take it, Jinshu," her mother added gently. "Once you reach Xuanming Sect, your uncle and I won't be there to protect you. Having the array flag will ease our minds."
"…Alright," Jinshu finally relented, accepting the flags with gratitude.
"Good. Hold on tight—we depart now!" Chen Huaiyang said as he activated the spirit vessel.
…
Half an hour passed.
The four of them finally reached Vermilion Market. They were greeted by the sight of a bustling crowd, filled mostly with disciples from various family clans.
"We made it," Jinshu exhaled softly, finally letting go of the tension that had clung to her all along. The journey had been nerve-wracking, and they'd been afraid of another ambush.
Luckily, the latter half had gone smoothly.
"Thank you, Mother, Third Uncle, Second Uncle. I'm truly grateful," she said, bowing lightly to the three.
"If you want to thank us, join Xuanming Sect," Chen Wentan chuckled, eyes full of quiet pride.
Gone was the anxious girl once troubled by her appearance. In her place stood a transformed Chen Jinshu.
"Quick, into the market! The Xuanming Sect should arrive tomorrow." Madam Chen Wu's face was full of gentle love as she ushered them in.
The four of them stepped into the marketplace.
They had barely entered when clamorous noise greeted their ears. Now and then, they felt a sweep of spiritual sense from passing Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Guards lined the streets—each one at least level eight of Qi Refinement.
"So they've really upped patrols just because the sect is coming?" This was Jinshu's first time seeing such a scene.
Over a year ago, when she last visited, there hadn't been a single patrolling cultivator.
"We're just a collection of Foundation Establishment clans," her mother explained gently. "But we can't lose face. We mustn't let Xuanming Sect think poorly of our region. Every time they visit, the guarding clans strengthen security."
"But more importantly—it's to prevent fights from breaking out among the visiting cultivators."
"These clans care that much about reputation?"
"It's not just about reputation," Madam Chen Wu clarified. "It's a matter of law and order. If the sect believes our region is chaotic, they may stop coming. And then all the young cultivators here would lose their shot at joining."
"I see. Thank you for explaining, Mother," Jinshu nodded thoughtfully.
She hadn't expected patrols to be tied to something so important.
"I've looked into it ahead of time," Chen Wentan added. "The first two trials this time shouldn't be difficult for you. The most important is the third: the Path of the Heart. You must stay true to yourself. Many fail that one each year."
"They say this year's test is harder than before. But who knows if that's true."
The conversation continued as the four of them arrived outside Lai Xian Inn and came to a stop.