Chapter 944: Fusion of Water and Fire; Two Poles Give Rise to Each Other; Surging Lake Shaken (II)
At that moment, the entire Surging Lake was shaken. The surrounding spirit energy turned violently unstable as two forces began drawing on it at the same time. The lake waters churned and boiled, and streams of water vapor surged toward the Black King. At the same time, what little fire-element energy existed in the surroundings was pulled toward Luo Chen, though the amount was pitifully small. Still, he was not too concerned. His own mana still surpassed Black King's. Even with Black King drawing spirit energy from the environment, he could continue channeling his mana and keep the formation stable.
"So this is the Two Poles Formation!"
Luo Chen's eyes shone brighter as he gained a deeper understanding of the Two Poles Formation. On the status panel, the proficiency that had long been stalled at the Perfection level finally broke through to the Grandmaster level!
As the one supplanting one of the two formation eyes, Black King naturally sensed the energy fluctuations. And when the formation took shape, he felt as if he could go on and on and on! The exhaustion that had weighed him down vanished as spirit energy poured into him, making him feel as if he would never run dry. Yet the sheer magnitude of that power left him unsettled. Part of him wanted his master to stop running the formation, while another part of him wished it could continue.
Meanwhile, Luo Chen opened his eyes wide to frantically capture every fluctuation of energy. The fusion of water and fire energies had given birth to an extreme force. It was born of the formation, yet it also felt like the manifestation of a higher level of power. As these distinct streams of spirit energy converged, they did more than sustain the formation—they began to shape a unique field of their own, something that seemed to transcend ordinary structures. The sensation was faint, yet unmistakable, as if it was...
A Nascent Soul Domain!
At the very moment that thought struck him, the Two Poles Formation could not hold any longer.
BOOOMMM!!!
Black King was blasted tens of li away, slamming into an uninhabited island and shattering a mountain on impact. Luo Chen couldn't be bothered with that. He remained suspended in the air with his eyes closed, quietly reliving that unusual sensation. What had begun as a simple exercise with Black King to practice the fusion of water and fire had led to an unexpected insight.
He had caught a fleeting spark of inspiration, and in his thoughts, it grew like wildfire. He recalled the black domain formed by Yan Zhixian with the Myriad Soul Banner in the Winding Sea Region. He also reminisced about the clash of Nascent Soul Domains on Heavenly Drum Plains, where Han Zhan relied on the Two Poles Five Elements Sword Formation to defend against Defiant Howl. As these scenes passed through his mind, a bold idea gradually began to take shape.
Could I use formations, treasures, or other means to create something like a Nascent Soul Domain, even as an Adept?
***
On the way back, Luo Chen looked at Black King's battered body with a hint of guilt. "Sorry about that... Things got out of control at the end, and you ended up injured."
Black King grinned. "It is fine. My hide is thick, just a few scratches anyway."
Luo Chen smiled. "I've still got some third-tier Black Sovereign Paste left. You can give it a try."
Black King's eyes lit up at once. Black Sovereign Paste was his master's secret medicine that tempered the physique. Even for demonic beasts who had taken the path of transformation, strengthening the physique remained fundamental. If he could obtain it...
But that excitement soon faded. He knew his master had little of it left, at most one or two bottles, and for a body as large as his, it would amount to almost nothing. After weighing it in silence, he said, "Master... I'd rather not take the Black Sovereign Paste."
"Oh? Then is there something you want?"
"Could you craft an enchanted treasure for me?"
"An enchanted treasure? Didn't I already give you those two flying sabers? That's a complete mid-grade set that's quite powerful."
"Uhhh... not for me. I was hoping you could use this as material and craft something for Little Qing."
Luo Chen watched as Black King spat out a tightly rolled strip of hide. It unfurled slightly where it landed; it looked to be somewhere between a sinew membrane and cured leather, yet it was also different from either. The moment it came into view, demonic energy surged out from it, carrying a distinct aura that Luo Chen remembered very well.
"This is the hide of that Cliff Serpent. Even I couldn't fully digest it. It's extremely tough. If you use it as material, it should make a solid defensive item." Black King paused, and a rare softness appeared in his eyes. "That kid... she's had it rough."
Luo Chen let out a mocking chuckle. "My, what do I see now? You're a little snake who clawed his way out of the mud to become a mighty dragon, and now you're pitying some pampered young lady?"
Black King was momentarily stunned.
"Give that to me," Luo Chen said. "She's still too young, and her cultivation isn't there yet. We'll talk about it after she reaches Foundation Establishment."
Luo Chen took the Cliff Serpent hide and said nothing more about the Black Sovereign Paste. After they left the waters, Heavenjade hurried over with Zhang Jingqing in tow. "Congratulations on the formation!"
Luo Chen gave a soft acknowledgment, his gaze sweeping across the darkened night sky. The disturbance just now had been far greater than expected. Even he had not anticipated that a formation like that, hastily put together with mana alone, could unleash power comparable to a late-stage Adept. Still, that only strengthened his confidence. With the Two Poles Formation at the core and six third-tier defensive formations as satellites, the resulting defensive might would be terrifying. For a moment, he almost could not resist the urge to inscribe the formation onto the treasure embryo immediately. But the next moment, he suppressed the impulse.
It's only been a year. That might be enough for an ordinary Six Shields set, but for my treasure, it's still far from enough. Let it nurture a bit longer... just a bit longer.
***
More than a decade had passed, and the Zhang family had grown greatly. Aside from their affiliated rogue cultivators, Zhang Jiadi had taken in several concubines, adding numerous descendants to the family. Yet the one he cherished most was still the son born to him by Zhou Shanshan.
On this night of reunion, beneath the full moon, he sat surrounded by beauties and children, in a harmonious and lively scene. But when that terrifying surge of spirit energy swept across Surging Lake, he couldn't help but jolt.
"What is this?" A young woman holding a small boy sprang to her feet in alarm. "This feels just like when my family's Grand Elder used his Nascent Soul Domain to restrain that peak-third-tier giant squid!"
She and Zhang Jiadi exchanged glances, immediately understanding what was going on. Right now, there was only one person in the vicinity who was capable of causing such a disturbance. At the thought, a look of reverence appeared in Zhang Jiadi's eyes. He dismissed the concubines, leaving only Zhou Shanshan behind.
"You've seen how formidable Adept Azure Yang is, and that was only a fraction of it. If you're thinking of helping your family take over Surging Lake, you'd best give up on that idea now."
Zhou Shanshan looked unwilling. "He's just a rogue cultivator..."
"So what if he is? Even your Grand Elder relies on him to craft defensive enchanted treasures, and you dare to set your eyes on what belongs to him?"
She fell silent, and Zhang Jiadi shook his head. "Since you've married into the Zhang family, you're one of us now. Our family stands under Adept Azure Yang; you should show him some respect from now on."
The woman agreed in her heart, but her words remained sharp. "Then have the spine to stop using the Zhou family's spirit pills!"
Zhang Jiadi chuckled and pulled her back into his arms. "We're all one family now. Why draw lines between the Zhang and the Zhou? You're being too distant, my dear."
***
On a lone island in Surging Lake, Han Zhan stepped out of his cave residence. He looked in the direction where the surge of spirit energy had erupted earlier and gave an approving nod.
The Two Poles Formation can go far higher. That's true for my own sword formation, and it's true for the defensive formation that Luo Chen plans to set up. If I can return to my peak... strike with the sword formation and defend with the armor formation, I might be able to reach even greater heights. For now, I'll let you test the path ahead, kid.
