Another ten or so days slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Even though Tu Zhiyong had already stated that the Green Vine Verdant Wood Formation had yet to reach its threshold of decline, Xu Pingyang seemed to have developed some sort of obsession he was dead set on bringing it down!
As a result, even Ma Ying, who had originally been invited just to lend a hand, began putting in noticeably more effort during each assault.
Their relentlessness baffled the others scattered across the Chidi Mountains.
All this trouble for a mere Li Ye was he worth such fanatical targeting by two Foundation Establishment cultivators?
Could it be that he possessed some kind of extraordinary treasure?
Speculation ran rampant in secret, but no one dared speak their thoughts aloud.
The members of the Lan family, while aware that the alliance leader's obsession couldn't possibly be just about restoring their family's former territory, still expressed daily gratitude and sang the praises of the alliance leader's righteousness at every opportunity.
At first, a few others echoed their words, but as the Lan family kept up the act day after day, even faking it with increasing fervor, the rest of the mountain dwellers grew fed up with the charade.
Still, the Lan clan continued their self-congratulatory monologue cursing Li Ye every day, exalting Xu Pingyang and Tu Zhiyong terrified that if they didn't do enough, they might miss their chance to cling to the alliance leader's coattails.
Xu Pingyang, however, paid them no mind.
With Ma Ying now going all in, their repeated attacks had finally started inflicting real damage on the formation.
And then it happened perhaps as a chain reaction from their recent strikes.
The array seemed unable to maintain its second-tier power level anymore. Its spiritual energy density was steadily declining, and the overall force of the formation visibly weakened by the day.
Flaws even Tu Zhiyong could identify started appearing. He offered strategic pointers, and sure enough, their targeted efforts caused the formation to become increasingly unstable nearly on the brink of collapse.
Yet, despite everything, Li Ye still hadn't appeared to take control of the formation.
This alone made it clear: either he'd failed his Foundation Establishment attempt and perished, or he was right in the middle of cultivation and didn't dare risk a single distraction for fear of losing his breakthrough.
Xu Pingyang and Ma Ying were thrilled by this development. They knew this was the best chance they'd ever get to strike and kill him!
After a brief rest to restore their depleted spiritual power, the two launched another assault.
"Today, we'll break this damned turtle shell and take that brat's head!" Xu Pingyang snarled, bloodlust gleaming in his eyes.
As a Foundation Establishment cultivator and the alliance leader of the Chidi Mountains, he had spent far too long trying to take down a measly Qi Refining cultivator's mountain. Even if no one dared say it aloud, he was sure he'd become a joke behind the scenes.
The reputation he'd reestablished through bloodshed had been mostly swept away.
What had started as a precaution had now become a mission driven heavily by wounded pride.
"Damn right! That bastard dies today!" Ma Ying also spat, his tone full of fire.
Being a Foundation Establishment cultivator and getting toyed with like this by someone in the Qi Refining realm his ego had taken a serious hit.
Without another word, the two men, brimming with killing intent, lit up their spiritual light, summoned their top-grade magic tools, and once more charged into the forest cloaked in the formation.
.....
"Hahaha! Li Ye, today you're as good as dead!"
Tu Zhiyong burst into manic laughter as he watched two beams of spiritual light dart into the formation.
This formation had tormented him for so long, yet he had never been able to fully decipher or break it using his knowledge as a formation master.
It had been a deeply humiliating experience especially with rumors spreading across the Chidi Mountains that he was inferior to Li Ye in the Dao of Arrays. The gossip gnawed at his pride, driving him nearly mad.
Since he couldn't surpass Li Ye in the art of formations anytime soon, the only way to vent his frustration... was through Li Ye's death.
Only then would the Chidi Mountains truly have no other formation master who could rival him.
"Master is right," Lan Ming said, cupping his hands with a pleased and respectful smile. "Once this turtle shell breaks, Li Ye will have no choice but to die. Your feat of helping the Alliance Leader break through a second-tier formation is sure to become a legend!"
A few old men from the Lan family crowded around eagerly, showering him with flattery while spitting curses at Li Ye.
The sycophancy drew others in as well cultivators from various peaks who had been stuck here for days began chiming in, each trying to curry favor with Tu Zhiyong and the two Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Standing alone in the corner, Lan Xinyi looked on at the cheering crowd and the curses being hurled. Her gaze drifted toward the lush peak shrouded in mist, a worried glint flashing through her eyes.
"Li... Li Lang... it was our Lan family who wronged you. I only hope you can make it out alive..."
Boom! Hua hua hua
Just as the two Foundation Establishment cultivators reached the summit and entered the array, a sudden change erupted.
The once-damaged Green Vine Verdant Wood Array, riddled with flaws and reduced in power, suddenly surged with overwhelming force!
Spiritual energy was pulled in from all around the mountain, and ghostly images of verdant trees sprang into existence. Vines of varying thickness wove through the air, and pale green mist rippled outward as all the visible gaps in the array vanished in an instant.
The entire Green Vine Verdant Wood Array was restored to its full second-tier power!
"What?!"
Tu Zhiyong's smile froze. A hint of panic began creeping into his eyes.
The others were equally alarmed their laughter quickly turned into chaos.
"What are you panicking for!"
Xie Yushu stepped forward and barked, "Even if the array has returned to second-tier strength, the Alliance Leader and Lord Ma can surely still break free. Stay calm and don't fall apart!"
With a steadying presence now at the helm, the crowd reluctantly reined in their panic and refrained from fleeing outright.
Tu Zhiyong said nothing more, but the despair in his eyes deepened.
He could faintly sense it this array was no longer the same as before.
It felt as though someone was now personally controlling it...
And with Li Ye's mastery over formations, the power of this array would now be boosted by at least thirty to forty percent!
The difficulty of the two Foundation Establishment cultivators escaping had now multiplied manyfold!
And if Li Ye had remained hidden until now only to strike at this moment who could say what other powers he had yet to reveal?
If he was now working in tandem with the array... those two cultivators might very well be in grave danger!
Tu Zhiyong dared not say a word. He looked around, trying to slip away unnoticed only to find Xie Yushu suddenly standing right behind him.
"I don't care what you want. Get the Alliance Leader out of there now. If you try to run, don't blame me for killing you on the spot, and don't think I won't hold your whole Tu family accountable afterward!"
Tu Zhiyong's face went stiff. Seeing other cultivators closing in from both sides, he could only quickly nod.
"Don't act rashly! I'll do my best… I'll do my best..."
Swish, swish, swish
Pale green mist curled and coiled, obscuring vision and dulling spiritual senses.
Vines, seemingly endless, surged in from all directions. Some lashed like whips, others coiled to bind swift, unpredictable, and impossible to evade.
Towering phantom trees crashed in from the sides some real, some illusion relentlessly bearing down.
Xu Pingyang, now separated from Ma Ying, wore a face twisted in rage… but more than that, thinly veiled panic.
He slashed through the air with a flame-wreathed longsword and hurled a golden ring, carving out a path and repelling the endless attacks.
Balls of fire hovered around him, vaguely forming the shapes of flaming birds, incinerating any stray vine or tree that broke through.
Even with his fire-based techniques having a natural advantage over wood-based formations, Xu Pingyang was struggling he was nearly overwhelmed.
This isn't just a recovery… this array's power is even more refined than before!
The attacks were relentless, coordinated, and overwhelming he was fast approaching his limit.
Worse still, he'd lost contact with Ma Ying and had completely lost his bearings inside the formation. All he could see were endless trees and vines there was no path to escape.
At that moment, Xu Pingyang realized Li Ye must now be controlling the formation directly.
And if Li Ye had successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment…
Then trapped inside this formation, he might not stand a chance.
"Li Ye! We don't have any deep enmity why not call this off and make peace?
For any damage I've caused to your mountain, I'll offer proper compensation. I'll make sure you're satisfied!"
He shouted loudly, but in the same moment, his eyes flashed with resolve he yanked out a fistful of talismans and threw them forward.
Swish
Seven or eight second-tier talismans ignited at once, transforming into a barrage of Foundation Establishment-level spells that blasted everything ahead.
Green mist, trees, and vines were instantly torn apart, clearing a narrow escape route.
Xu Pingyang's eyes lit up with joy. Without waiting for Li Ye's reply, he activated a Windwalking Talisman. A breeze enveloped him, and his speed surged as he darted toward the opening.
But then
As he rushed into the seemingly real passageway, it didn't open into freedom.
Instead, a deafening boom rang out an explosion of sound that shook his spirit, breaking his focus for a single, fatal instant.
And then
A massive bronze alms bowl materialized out of nowhere, slamming down and trapping his flaming sword and golden ring inside.
A wave of vines surged out from the previously empty air, instantly overwhelming his protective aura and fireballs, layering themselves thickly over him until he was completely entangled.
And in that moment, Xu Pingyang finally heard a familiar voice:
"Alliance Leader Xu… don't tell me you came all this way just to personally congratulate me on successfully reaching Foundation Establishment?"
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