The fog is still very dense, and it's impossible to see anything clearly. This stone mountain has neither grass nor trees, and presumably no water source, so where did all this fog come from?
Jiang Qingfeng and Jiang Baitao stayed not far from the foot of the mountain, watching the peak with anxious eyes.
"Why hasn't Senior Brother returned yet?" Jiang Baitao looked up with a worried expression and asked her sister.
Jiang Qingfeng tried hard to comfort her younger sister, "Don't worry, Taotao. Your senior brother will defeat the bad guys and return any moment now."
But her heart was already in turmoil. An hour had passed since she found Baitao, sent the children back to the village, and returned to wait for Lu Qian.
She held a glowing Communication Talisman in her hand, waiting at any moment for Lu Qian to contact her. But the expected contact had yet to arrive.
Communication Talisman, two sheets as a pair, enables fixed-point communication between two people. The user can leave a message of up to ten characters on the talisman, and once activated, the person holding the paired talisman can receive the message.
This message transmission cannot exceed a hundred miles, and the talisman itself is expensive.
Jiang Qingfeng knew that Lu Qian was concerned about too many changes in the dense fog, so he asked her to stay and guard Baitao. But the feeling of powerlessness and being unable to help made her particularly sad.
Her junior brother is the Sect Leader, the hope of the Yunshan Sect, and should she not advance and retreat together with the Sect Leader as a disciple?
If only her cultivation were higher, if only Taotao's cultivation were higher, perhaps they could be of help?
Jiang Qingfeng gritted her teeth, and suddenly, the Communication Talisman in her hand quivered and lost its glow.
The spiritual light went out?!
Jiang Qingfeng stood up in shock, staring incredulously at the talisman, seeing that the talisman had lost its glow, turning into an ordinary piece of yellow paper.
This only represents one situation: the person holding the paired talisman hadn't had time to activate the talisman before it was destroyed. Her talisman lost its partner, hence lost effectiveness and the glow disappeared.
If it hadn't had time to activate before being destroyed, then with Lu Qian holding it—
Jiang Qingfeng began to tremble all over, feeling as if a chill rose from the soles of her feet, instantly devouring all her vitality.
"Sister, what's wrong? Sister!" Baitao looked at Qingfeng, her face suddenly turning pale, asking worriedly.
No, no, Jiang Qingfeng stared at the mountain peak with determination.
Her junior brother is so sharp, able to toy with those scoundrels, how could he possibly encounter misfortune? Maybe—no, certainly, the battle is fierce, and he accidentally damaged the talisman, he'll be fine.
But he would definitely be carrying the talisman close to his body! If the personal talisman was damaged...
Jiang Qingfeng dared not to think further, gripping her Cold Frost Sword tightly, crouching down to tell Baitao, "Taotao, I need to go find your senior brother now. You stay here, if the sun rises tomorrow and we're not back yet—"
She stared into Jiang Baitao's eyes, speaking word by word, "Then go to that village. Tell the village chief you're a cultivator, but your family is gone, ask him to contact Shengyi Sect. You have great talent, they'll definitely take you in. Grow up well—"
"No!" Jiang Baitao cried out, her eyes filled with tears, clinging tightly to Qingfeng's clothes, "Sister! I don't want to be alone, don't leave me. Let's go find senior brother together, alright?"
Jiang Qingfeng shook her head, slowly extending her hand to prying Baitao's fingers open one by one, saying sternly, "Taotao, listen to me!"
Baitao stared blankly at her sister, biting her lip tightly, tears falling swiftly.
Jiang Qingfeng dared not look at her anymore, fighting back her tears, turning to ride her Flying Ship toward the mountain peak.
Her silhouette swallowed by the fog, disappearing from view. Jiang Baitao dared not make a sound, biting her arm, sobbing uncontrollably.
Between life and death, Lu Qian only felt his Divine Sense operating rapidly.
Every word Master Xuan Ji spoke resonated like a great bell in his mind, instantly transformed into a series of commands, his hand moving the Wood Element Command Banner with nearly no delay following the mantra.
"Divine Water is boundless, creating all things, earth and wood clash dividing Ren and Gui. Add Water ten units, Add Earth three units, Water Wood add both three units, Draw Earth add Wood one unit, Add Water two units, Earth Wood add both one unit, Water Wood draw both one unit..."
Using Water Spiritual Qi as the base, countered by Earth, then subdued by Wood, Ren Gui transformation, Yin Yang division.
Water Spiritual Qi, Earth Spiritual Qi, Wood Spiritual Qi fused together in the most meticulous sequence and proportion, adding is easy, drawing is harder, amidst the addition and subtraction, fiercely shaking and compressing, creating profound transformations.
Lu Qian suddenly understood, this is what combination means.
Using a Magical Artifact merely means controlling it to strike; even three or four artifacts wouldn't produce any variation.
But using specific artifacts as Array Bases, activating their Mighty Power, then ingeniously combining this power, that's what Arrays are. Even a slight deviation results in failure.
So Master Xuan Ji could simultaneously wield three Command Banners using Spirit Binder formation. But to combine them as Array Bases with Triple Transformation, only Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar's Divine Sense and Spiritual Power can achieve it.
Then, the Silver Cloth he brought out, is it the source of the Array?
His focus slightly diverted, causing a small discrepancy in his hand movements, and the intensely fluctuating Water Spiritual Qi suddenly quivered, about to explode.
"Focus!" Master Xuan Ji shouted, cold sweat covering his forehead.
Lu Qian shivered, daring not to think further, fully committed, Divine Sense surging.
His Niwan Palace shook violently, his Divine Sense like waves rolling, sticking like a spider web to the Spiritual Qi and Command Banner in front.
Listen to the command, calculate, coordinate, execute...
Precision and stability, speed and accuracy. His Command Banner never swayed a millimeter, immediately absorbing or releasing Spiritual Qi based on Master Xuan Ji's instruction.
As Lu Qian's Divine Sense in the Niwan Palace was half consumed, the fiercely blazing Bing Fire Divine Crow swooped down from the sky, entering Master Xuan Ji's Five Elements Grand Array. The Water Spiritual Qi in front suddenly contracted, turning pure black!
A heavy humming sound reverberated inside, a strange black thunder light like silk threads fluttered in the wind.
Standing before it, Lu Qian couldn't help but shudder. This thunder light wasn't like natural lightning straightforwardly striking but clung insidiously, impossible to rid once touched, consuming and tearing one apart from within.
This is a mass of Yin Thunder!
"Success, Gui Water Divine Thunder!" Master Xuan Ji was greatly exhausted, his face pale, gazing at the Yin Thunder, waves of shock rolling in his heart.
A desperate breakthrough at the brink of destruction, unexpectedly succeeded!
The first encounter with Formation Arts, the first use of transformation, the first collaboration, Lu Qian performed so perfectly. Their synergy surprisingly reached Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar's level, completing Water Earth Wood Triple Transformation, creating Gui Water Divine Thunder!
Lu Qian's Divine Sense strength and precise operation far exceeded expectations! He must not let this one slip away!
In their gaze, the human head-sized black Thunder Light, accompanied by humming, shot skyward, striking the Bing Fire Divine Crow!