Volume One, Chapter Eighteen: The Black Tortoise Formation

“Respectfully, I accept your invitation! The Misty Cloud Sect is here to learn!” Before Jin Guishan finished speaking, he leapt onto the platform, followed quickly by the other disciples.

Ye Boyang’s face twisted into a sinister smile. He knew their group numbered only six—no real threat to him.

Jin Guishan took the turtle’s head position, Fat Girl guarded the tail, the rest stood at the feet, forming a defensive stance; as for the attacking position—the snake—only Yi Bing was left to represent it. Jin Guishan had already made up his mind: though Yi Bing knew nothing of formations and couldn’t attack effectively, if they defended stubbornly, at worst, they could draw with the Zhengjia Sect.

Sure enough, after a few exchanges, both sides fell into a stalemate. Zhengjia couldn’t break through, and Misty Cloud couldn’t advance. Ye Boyang grew impatient, quietly forming a spell with his left hand, suddenly thrusting his sword at Yi Bing. A flame shot straight toward Yi Bing’s crown.

“Mother!” Yi Bing shrieked and turned to flee. He ran fast, but the flame pursued just as quickly, nearly singeing his backside. Suddenly, a jet of water intercepted the flame from the side. He looked back—Fat Girl had saved his life. At the same time, Jin Guishan formed a spell and swung his sword, sending water straight at Ye Boyang’s face, while Qi Yuanxiao and the others rushed to assist. Fire and water clashed, the battle lively and fierce.

“Hey! Stop running around!” Amid his wild circling, Yi Bing heard Han Yu’s shout in his ear.

“If I don’t run, what then? I’m about to get roasted!” Yi Bing couldn’t control his legs.

“Roasted? I’d be the first to burn!”

“Ah!” Yi Bing halted at once. Of course—Han Yu was in the bundle on his back; if the fire chased his backside, Han Yu would be first to suffer.

“Hey! Why are you stopping now? Get down!” With the flame about to catch up, Han Yu kicked anxiously. Yi Bing obediently dove to the ground with a thud, shaking the entire platform. The flame swept over Han Yu’s head.

“Get up and hit him!”

“How?” Yi Bing asked, but still sprang up as instructed.

“Turn and strike that Ye fellow!” Han Yu gritted her teeth in anger.

Yi Bing hesitated, then tore off his belt and charged, his mind conjuring a giant drumstick, which he swung at Ye Boyang’s head. Ye Boyang never expected to be ambushed by a drumstick of all things. Luckily, he reacted swiftly, flipping backward to dodge, though his clothes were splattered with chicken grease.

“You little rascal…” Ye Boyang was utterly surprised—not only did the chubby fellow abandon his escape to counterattack, but his belt was actually a drumstick, no, a weapon! The other Zhengjia disciples paused as well—this change was most unexpected.

“Attack him!” Han Yu prodded Yi Bing’s leg.

“How should I attack?”

“However you like! Misty Cloud is covering you!” Han Yu saw through the Xuanwu formation: turtle defends, snake attacks. Jin Guishan clung to the turtle’s position clearly aiming for a draw, so the attack position mattered little.

“Oh!” Yi Bing didn’t understand, but was obedient and swung the drumstick at Ye Boyang. Ye Boyang didn’t dare slack off, blocking and countering in one smooth motion. Yi Bing charged too fast to stop, the sword’s edge about to hit his chest; he gasped in fright.

“Ah!” In a flash, Jin Guishan and Qi Yuanxiao arrived with their swords, blocking and parrying, forcing Ye Boyang back two steps.

“Thank you both for saving me! Eh?” Yi Bing hadn’t finished speaking when Jin Guishan and Qi Yuanxiao withdrew, leaving him alone before Ye Boyang. As Ye Boyang raised his sword to attack again, Yi Bing tried to flee, only to be kicked hard by Han Yu from behind. “Hey!”

“Oh!” He had no choice but to face Ye Boyang head-on.

Just one exchange and Ye Boyang saw Yi Bing was no match, though the drumstick in his hand made him wary.

“Strike him!” Han Yu commanded in a low voice.

“Again?” Despite his words, Yi Bing didn’t hesitate, swinging the drumstick down. Ye Boyang leapt to Yi Bing’s side and slashed at his neck.

“Oh no!” Yi Bing’s first thought was that Han Yu would be hurt! He spun around to face the sword, and thankfully Fat Girl blocked just in time, or he’d have been done for.

“Hey, you fool! Can’t you duck?” Han Yu was both angry and grateful. “Turn that drumstick into a sword! When I tell you to jump, jump; when I say strike, strike!” Yi Bing was terrified, sweat streaming down his chubby face, quickly transforming the drumstick into a sword, following Han Yu’s commands step by step.

Han Yu had learned some Meng Hong sword techniques, but she couldn’t direct Yi Bing to use her sect’s moves—it was best not to expose their skills while helping Misty Cloud in battle, so she resorted to simple directions: up, right, diagonal thrusts. Yi Bing, surprisingly, understood and clumsily executed them, attacking so effectively that Ye Boyang was bewildered: “Hey, how did this kid suddenly get so good?” He had no idea Han Yu was calling the shots.

But as Ye Boyang pressed harder, Yi Bing and Han Yu began to lag behind. Jin Guishan sensed trouble, quickly rallying the others. Water jets followed their swords, the Zhengjia disciples responded with pillars of fire. Unexpectedly, the water split in two—Jin Guishan attacked left, Qi Yuanxiao attacked right. The Zhengjia disciples were caught off guard, their formation in disarray. Ye Boyang, however, remained calm; murmuring a spell, he split his fire a second time to meet the attack.

“Incredible!” This time, Jin Guishan was astonished. Ye Boyang controlled two streams with ease, matching Jin Guishan and Qi Yuanxiao blow for blow.

“Thrust!” Seeing Ye Boyang exposed, Han Yu urged in a low voice. Yi Bing immediately lunged forward, but just as he was about to land a hit, Ye Boyang flicked his sword, splitting off a third flame, rushing straight for Yi Bing’s face.

“Oh no…” Yi Bing couldn’t stop, about to become roast pork.

“Transform… transform…” Han Yu’s voice trembled.

Yi Bing didn’t know what to transform into. The first thing that flashed in his mind was the pot his senior had used during remote item retrieval. Instinctively, his sword morphed into a huge iron pot. Ye Boyang’s flame struck the pot and bounced back, scorching his own head and face. Whether the pot or Yi Bing was heavier, Yi Bing couldn’t stop his momentum, the pot knocking Ye Boyang out of the ring, while the Zhengjia disciples—caught off guard by the vanishing flames—were swept off the platform by water jets.

“You… you’re not even Misty…” Ye Boyang, furious and unwilling to concede defeat, did a kip-up from the ground.

“Boyang!” Suddenly, Daoist Feixu leapt onto the platform, cutting him off: “A loss is a loss, don’t quibble!”

“Master…” Ye Boyang wanted to protest that Yi Bing wasn’t really a Misty Cloud disciple, making their victory unfair, but a stern glance from his master forced him to swallow his words. Daoist Feixu understood his reasoning, but since no one objected at the start, it was too late now—such complaints would be hard to explain to the audience. He had initially allowed it, thinking seven would become six, letting the Zhengjia Sect’s reputation stand. Who knew that this single flaw would become their undoing?

“Hahahaha… Boyang, Misty and Zhengjia are one family; how could I not know the subtlety of the Xuanwu formation? Each sect has its strengths, but your eagerness for achievement led you astray! Victory or defeat matters little—it’s the experience and insight gained that is most valuable! Take this lesson, and quickly thank Uncle Jin for his teaching!” Daoist Feixu spoke as though it had all been intentional, a chance for Boyang to learn, and cleverly implied they would have won if not for his rashness.

“Brother, you flatter me! I dare not call it teaching, merely friendly competition!” Jin Guishan quickly stopped Ye Boyang from bowing.

“Thank you for your guidance, Uncle!” Ye Boyang nevertheless offered thanks.

“Much obliged!” Jin Guishan was seething inside, but maintained a polite façade.

“Everyone! Everyone! With this, Misty Cloud has won the formation contest! After days of hard work…” Daoist Feixu acted unaware and launched into a grand speech, extolling the success of the Immortal Conference under Zhengjia’s leadership.

“‘With this…’ Senior brother, did you hear his words?” He Lingchi couldn’t help but protest.

Daoist Feixu spoke for half an hour before announcing the end of the conference. Contestants were led to the rear hall to rest and await guidance, while the rest bid farewell to Daoist Feixu and left. Only when the sky darkened did the Welcome Immortal Palace finally fall quiet.

Those waiting in the rear hall were ravenous, but Daoist Feixu never appeared, only two young Daoists stood silently at the door. As the crowd began to stir, Ye Boyang entered with a beaming smile. He had changed and bathed, restoring his usual vigor.

“Everyone, everyone, Master has gone ahead to Guiyuan Cave to await the Grandmaster, and has arranged for me to escort you to the rear hall for a meal. Afterward, please proceed to Guiyuan Cave to listen to the teachings.” Ye Boyang’s manners were impeccable, and the crowd’s irritation gradually subsided.

“Please, please…” Ye Boyang led the way, glancing apologetically at Jin Guishan. “By the way, Uncle Jin, the thousand taels of gold will be presented after the teachings.”

“No rush, no rush!” Jin Guishan replied politely.

The rear hall was already set with food. Though simple fare, after a day of contest, everyone ate ravenously, clearing their plates and bowls. After a brief rest, a young Daoist led them by lantern toward Guiyuan Cave to hear the teachings.

“Everyone, please, please! Master awaits you in Guiyuan Cave!” As soon as they left the rear hall, Ye Boyang greeted them. Everyone had heard of Guiyuan Cave—it was said to be where Zhengjia’s ancestors cultivated to immortality. Even if not for the teachings, visiting such a legendary place was considered a great blessing, so spirits were high.

Behind Welcome Immortal Palace lay a gentle slope, lush with green grass and blooming flowers, the evening glow soothing all hearts. At the foot of the slope, a dense forest spread out, ancient pines and cypresses, their branches swaying in the evening breeze.

“So refreshing!” The crowd exclaimed, especially the sturdy ones like Yi Bing and Fat Girl.

“Guiyuan Cave is deep within the forest. Please follow closely and don’t stray!” Ye Boyang laughed. “The forest paths are tangled and confusing; it’s easy to get lost. If you miss the Grandmaster’s teachings, you can’t blame me!”

“Fellow disciples, Mu brothers, stay together! This is no ordinary place!” Jin Guishan whispered, recalling tales from his master about Zhengjia’s immortal cave hidden in a dense forest, whose paths twisted like a maze, where many cultivators had lost their way. This must be the place!

Indeed, the forest was dim, cold winds piercing their backs. Misty Cloud’s disciples were at the rear, unable to see the front, following behind the Qingxin Sect. The path narrowed as they walked, sometimes only wide enough for one. After many twists and turns, Yi Bing and Fat Girl lagged at the very end, chilly breezes making Yi Bing glance back nervously.

Soon, the procession halted. Ahead, shouts came—Ye Boyang and the Zhengjia disciples had vanished. Jin Guishan and Qi Yuanxiao hurried to investigate. At the front, Xuan Shan of Jade Immortal Sect explained, his tone unusually warm, likely due to Misty Cloud’s victory: “Brother, at the last bend there was a fork, and a strange noise came from the forest. I looked up and saw a red-billed sparrow, which flew away in an instant. After turning back, Ye Brother and the others were gone! Alas, now we don’t know whether to go left or right!”

“We called out several times, but no answer…” another Jade Immortal disciple muttered.

“Strange, very strange!” Suddenly, Ruzhen walked up, murmuring to himself.

“Brother?” Xuan Shan asked.

“I don’t know why, but I can’t fly up—as if there’s a wall!” Ruzhen fell silent again. Xuan Shan tried a spell, but couldn’t rise either.

Seeing South Qiao Sect disciples behind, Jin Guishan’s mind sparked. “Brother, might you…”

“Shameful! Shameful! I cannot command them…” The South Qiao disciple frowned, admitting he’d tried for a while, but the trees wouldn’t budge.

“In that case, Brother, let your sect lead the way, Misty Cloud will bring up the rear. What do you think?” Jin Guishan quickly consulted Xuan Shan.

“Let’s do that.” With no other options, Xuan Shan agreed and led the group down the left path.

The forest paths alternated between wide and narrow, sometimes allowing side-by-side walking, sometimes forcing single file. The group advanced in fits and starts, soon scattering among the trees. Only Misty Cloud, under Jin Guishan’s constant calls, kept the tightest formation.

After a while, the path suddenly opened onto a broad meadow, large enough for dozens to stand together.

“Brother, this is a dead end!” Seeing Jin Guishan catch up, Xuan Shan frowned. Looking around, there was indeed no exit, only densely packed trees, their branches intertwining, not even a gap wide enough to squeeze through.

“Something’s wrong…” Han Yu whispered in Yi Bing’s ear.