Chapter 625 343: Inverted Yin-Yang Formation (Part 2)

The cave residence was situated in the very heart of the Immortal City, right atop a Spirit Vein node. The Spiritual Qi was quite rich, and being inside felt exceptionally comfortable.

The path was lined with all sorts of exotic flowers and strange grasses. After passing through a row of small halls, Lü Zhong followed Flowing Sword into a great hall. They each took a seat, and a serving girl promptly offered them Spirit Tea.

Lü Zhong took a small sip, a look of surprise on his face.

"Thousand-Year Fire Dragon Tea! This is an incredibly rare treasure. It's quite beneficial even to us Nascent Soul Cultivators. I never thought Fellow Daoist Flowing Sword would be so fortunate!"

"Heh heh! I just stumbled upon it by chance. I imagine if it were you, Fellow Daoist, with such an opportunity, you'd surely encounter something even more precious!" Flowing Sword stroked his beard and chuckled lightly. Although his words were humble, the smug look on his face was impossible to hide.

"In that case... I'll take that as a good omen!" Lü Zhong said with a smile.

He took another sip of the tea, and his cultivation immediately began to stir. Recalling the purpose of his visit, he started to converse quietly with Flowing Sword.

Yet after a bit of idle chatter, it was Flowing Sword who broached the main subject first.

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist, I recently ran into a difficult problem related to a Tier Four Exotic Beast. I'm simply no match for it on my own, so I was hoping you could lend me a hand." Flowing Sword hesitated slightly, his expression turning grave as he spoke.

"An Exotic Beast?" Lü Zhong looked surprised when he heard the term.

His interest was immediately piqued.

"Fellow Daoist Flowing Sword, why don't you tell me the details?"

"Of course!" Seeing that Lü Zhong hadn't refused him outright, Flowing Sword breathed a small sigh of relief. He conjured a Water Mirror Technique, projecting an image, and explained, "As you can see, Fellow Daoist, that sallow-yellow figure in the image is the Exotic Beast. This creature is exceptionally talented; it could be described as impervious to fire and water, and invulnerable to blades. If that weren't the case, I wouldn't be so helpless against it."

'So that's how it is.' Lü Zhong was secretly amazed.

In the image, an Exotic Beast resembling a cross between a deer and a pig was advancing under an assault of Magic Skills and Magical Artifacts. Faced with a dense barrage that would make even a Nascent Soul True Monarch cautious, it advanced as if taking a leisurely stroll, looking completely unconcerned.

Such a performance truly qualified as being impervious to fire and water, and invulnerable to blades.

Just then, the image shifted, the view pulling back to show the background. Lü Zhong suddenly let out a soft "Huh?" and his gaze locked onto an object in the distance.

'Tsk, what a coincidence!'

'Isn't that Yellow Extreme Jade Exhausted?'

Lü Zhong, who had originally planned to refuse, immediately changed his mind.

He pulled his gaze back. Without revealing his thoughts, he looked at Flowing Sword and asked probingly, "I'm quite curious. Why is your alliance going to such great lengths to slay this beast? Is there... something special about it?"

"You're no stranger, Fellow Daoist, so there's no need for me to hide anything." Hearing this, Flowing Sword first set down his teacup before continuing slowly, "I know nothing about this beast's origins. The only thing I can confirm, however, is that when it activates its Innate Divine Techniques, the Spirit Patterns that appear on its back bear a resemblance to the Creation Secret Array!"

Flowing Sword's words were astonishing, and Lü Zhong's heart skipped a beat.

"What you may not know, Fellow Daoist, is that the recent breakthrough in our Spiritual Energy Conversion Technology came entirely from research on this beast. If... if we can obtain its Spirit Patterns, our progress on the Creation Secret Array could leap forward by a huge margin!"

As Flowing Sword reached this point, he became visibly excited.

"It is indeed necessary to obtain them," Lü Zhong agreed at once after a moment of thought.

'A breakthrough in Spiritual Energy Conversion Technology would be a great boon for me, too. It might even solve my current problems with advancing my cultivation.'

Then, another question occurred to Lü Zhong.

"Since the Exotic Beast is so extraordinarily gifted, I imagine that even one more Nascent Soul helper would be of little use. Have you called me here, Fellow Daoist, because you've already found a solution?"

"Ever since I discovered the beast, I've been gathering information, scouring the ancient records left behind by various sects, and I actually managed to find a way to counter its Divine Techniques. Fellow Daoist Chen, please take a look at this Inverted Yin Yang Array." As he spoke, Flowing Sword retrieved two Array Flags, one black and one white, from his Storage Ring.

The Array Flags bore the design of a Tai Chi Diagram, divided into black and white Yin Yang Fish Banners. Just as the "Inverted" in the name suggested, they were a complete reversal of a normal Tai Chi Diagram.

Flowing Sword handed the Yang Fish Banner to Lü Zhong, along with the Technique Mantra to use it, and said, "With this array, you and I can generate the Inverted Yin Yang Spirit Light. Although it can't break the beast's Divine Technique completely, it can reduce its effectiveness by a degree or two. That will give us a chance at success."

"You truly are resourceful, Fellow Daoist, to have found such a method," Lü Zhong said with a light chuckle.

He then glanced at the Array Flag in his hand, pondered for a moment, and said, "If that's the case, then it's settled. By the way, Fellow Daoist, when do we depart?"

"The beast is currently under surveillance by the alliance's cultivators; we have its movements under control. To avoid any unforeseen complications, we should depart at once. After all, the sooner we obtain the Exotic Beast Spirit Pattern, the sooner the related research can begin," Flowing Sword suggested.

At this, Lü Zhong withdrew from the Gray Mist Space, feeling slightly relieved.

He had just used True Retrospection to test the flag and found no signs of tampering. It seemed what Flowing Sword said was not a trap.

The two of them immediately left Niyang Immortal City and headed straight for the Exotic Beast's location.

...

Just after leaving Niyang Immortal City, the two of them immediately sped westward.

After traversing more than a hundred Little Worlds, they finally arrived at a rocky one. This place was filled with stalagmite pillars, and the cave ceiling was covered in glowing Fungus Moss. It continuously emitted a faint light; though incredibly dim, it was sufficient for cultivators to see.

The traces of a campfire were visible.

It indicated that someone had stayed here not long ago.

"The arrow points that way. They should be up ahead. The Exotic Beast is fond of White Umbrella Cave Mushrooms and is constantly on the move, so we arranged a signal beforehand. Let's go rendezvous with them first," Flowing Sword said, pointing to an arrow-shaped symbol on one of the stone pillars.

Lü Zhong nodded, gripped the Cangwu Bead in his hand, and followed right behind him.

Following the direction of the arrows, after about an hour, they found the Western Border Alliance cultivators tracking the beast in a giant, subterranean mushroom world. And just a few miles away from them was a colossal white Exotic Beast, the size of a small mountain.

From such a close distance, Lü Zhong could finally get a clear look at the beast.

It resembled a cross between a deer and a pig. Its body appeared to be covered in white fur, but in reality, it was a mass of soft tentacles. Demon Power could be seen flowing within each one. And in the vision of his Celestial Net Secret Eye, this flowing Demon Power, while seemingly chaotic, was actually forming a nearly invisible shield.

Lü Zhong tested it using True Retrospection.

He discovered that even his Wood Thunder Skill would have a hard time breaking through this shield.

This discovery startled him.

Just then, the Exotic Beast noticed the newcomers as well.

Yet it merely glanced at them before burying its head and continuing to gorge itself.

"How arrogant. To face two Nascent Soul Cultivators and still act so nonchalantly... it truly doesn't take us seriously at all!" Flowing Sword said with a wry smile. He could clearly see the disdain for them in the beast's vertical pupils.

"Indeed," Lü Zhong agreed.

The beast relied on its Innate Divine Techniques, making its Defense nearly impossible for outsiders to breach. It had likely grown accustomed to its own invincibility.

'Still, this is an opportunity. A perfect chance to test whether the Inverted Yin Yang Banner is effective against this beast.'

The two exchanged a glance and brandished the Array Flags.

Instantly, flashes of black and white light erupted in the cavern. Combined with the Spiritual Light emanating from their bodies, the once-dim underground space was immediately cast in shifting patches of light and shadow.

Lü Zhong performed a Technique Mantra, and the Yang Fish Banner under his control swelled in the wind.

Seeing this, and not to be outdone, Flowing Sword also manipulated the Yin Fish Banner, causing its Spiritual Light to flare.

The two Fish Banners converged, immediately forming a Tai Chi Diagram. Then, with a surge of gathered light, they erupted with a pillar of black and white energy.

This was the Inverted Yin Yang Spirit Light.