Chapter 80: Rivals Before the Battle

After walking for a while, they entered in an another shop.

This time, it was a formation shop. Rows of formation plates were displayed on wooden shelves. Some were small and round, while others were rectangular or engraved with complicated patterns.

Long Feng immediately became interested.

He had already encountered a formation plate once before.

The Blood Eagle Gang’s leader, Han Tianxiong, had possessed a top-grade fourth-rank formation plate containing a powerful sealing formation.

However, the formation plates displayed in this shop were clearly different. They were much simpler.

A middle-aged shopkeeper immediately walked over with a smile.

"Esteemed guests, you have come to the right place. Our shop specializes in defensive and auxiliary formation plates."

He pointed toward several shelves.

"Since the wilderness training is about to begin, formation plates are selling extremely well these days."

Because both sects will spend an entire month inside the Blazing Flame Mountains. During that time, disciples will need to rest and cultivate in the wilderness.

Although the disciples are strong, the Blazing Flame Mountains are filled with powerful beasts. Sleeping without any protection would naturally be dangerous.

These formation plates can create a temporary defensive area. They can also detect approaching creatures and give an early warning.

Long Feng also know about this.

That also made sense.

The sects certainly wouldn’t allow their disciples to carry overly powerful weapons or formations into the training grounds.

Otherwise, the competition would become meaningless.

However, ordinary defensive formation plates were allowed. After all, these formations possessed no offensive power and were only useful for temporary protection.

Of course, if a disciple is a formation master and wishes to create a formation after entering the mountains, that is completely allowed.

But still, these formation plates are much more convenient.

The shopkeeper pointed toward the shelves.

"We have third-rank and fourth-rank formation plates. Most are designed for defense, concealment, or detecting approaching beasts."

Long Feng picked up one of the third-rank plates and examined it.

The shopkeeper immediately introduced it.

"This is the Beast Sensing Formation Plate. Once activated, it can detect the spiritual fluctuations of approaching beasts within a certain range and alert the user."

He picked up another.

"This is the Earth Guard Formation Plate. It can create a temporary defensive barrier capable of resisting attacks from ordinary third-rank beasts."

As they see more things, the shopkeeper continue to explain their effects and price.

Third-rank formation plates generally cost between five thousand and eight thousand low-grade spirit stones, depending on their effects.

While Fourth-rank formation plates are around fifteen thousand low-grade spirit stones.

"That’s quiet cheap." Bai Liying was slightly surprised.

Compared with the normal price of formations of the same rank, these plates were indeed considerably cheaper.

The shopkeeper smiled knowingly.

"Of course, they are cheap for a reason."

"First, these formation plates have no offensive power. Second, they are merely plates with formations engraved on them."

Everybody knows that after a formation is engraved onto a plate, its effectiveness is greatly reduced compared to a properly constructed formation.

Every activation consumes part of the formation’s power, and after a limited number of uses, the plate will become useless.

Otherwise, if a fourth-rank formation plate could be activated endlessly, fifteen thousand spirit stones would be an absurdly low price.

Bai Liying selected a third-rank defensive formation plate and another warning formation plate.

Long Feng, meanwhile, bought two fourth-rank formation plates, that were called Spirit Concealment Formation and the Phantom Mist Formation.

The Spirit Concealment Formation can weaken the aura fluctuations within a small area and make it considerably more difficult for spiritual beasts to detect the people inside.

If he wanted to cultivate peacefully during the wilderness training, this formation would be useful.

As for Phantom Mist Formation Plate, it doesn’t have much defensive power, but it can create confusing spiritual fluctuations around the area.

If someone approaches, their perception will be disturbed, making it difficult for them to determine the location of the people inside.

The shopkeeper calculated the total.

The price was considerable, but Long Feng didn’t even blink.

After obtaining the treasury of the Wang Family, he still possessed more than a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones.

Apart from the spirit stones he had spent on medicinal herbs and other necessities, most of that wealth remained untouched.

Compared to that fortune, these formation plates were nothing.

Long Feng paid for both his and Bai Liying’s purchases together.

The moment the four Vermilion Flame Sect disciples standing outside the shop noticed this, their expressions immediately changed.

Especially when they saw Long Feng paying for Bai Liying’s formation plates. Their hearts burned with envy.

Well, that green grass they were eyeing for, has already been grazed.

Long Feng naturally noticed their gazes with a smirk.

"Thank you." Bai Liying accepted them with a faint smile.

"No need for thanks between us."

With a faint smile, he grasped her waist and turned around to walked out of the shop.

The two completely ignored the burning gazes behind them.

As they disappeared into the busy street, the four Vermilion Flame Sect disciples could only watch their backs.

Meanwhile, Long Feng and Bai Liying continued wandering through Blazing Flame City, completely unaware or perhaps simply unconcerned about the hostility brewing behind them.

Occasionally, they stopped to look at something interesting before continuing their walk.

By the time the sky gradually began to turn orange, Long Feng finally decided that it was about time to return.

"Let’s go back," he said, glancing toward the setting sun.

"Tomorrow we have to enter the Blazing Flame Mountains. We should rest properly tonight."

The two turned around and began walking back toward their accommodations.

However, after walking for only a short distance, something had caught his attention.. His eyes shifted toward the middle of the street.

There was a small open area ahead, and quite a few people had gathered around it.

More importantly, the atmosphere there was completely different from the surrounding streets. Several powerful auras were spreading through the air.

Long Feng narrowed his eyes.

Among those people, there were quite a few disciples wearing red robes with the flame symbol of the Vermilion Flame Sect. Some of them were even Golden Core Realm cultivators.

Their powerful auras were deliberately released without any attempt to conceal them, as if pressing toward the people standing opposite them.

Long Feng’s gaze moved through the crowd as he saw a familiar figure.

Ye Wuxie. Standing beside him was the same female disciple Long Feng had seen him with before.

Finally something interesting!

Long Feng’s lips curved slightly. "Bai Liying, let’s take a look."

The two walked closer, but he deliberately stopped at a considerable distance from the group to avoid any unnecessary attention.

Instead, he quietly spread his spiritual sense and their voice immediately entered his ears.

"Do you think this is a place you should be standing in?"

A cold voice rang out as a young man dressed in the red robe of the Vermilion Flame Sect, stared directly at Ye Wuxie. His appearance was handsome, but his eyes carried an arrogant and somewhat sinister light.

Several Vermilion Flame Sect disciples stood behind him. They were clearly following his lead.

"Don’t think that because you’re an inner disciple of Azura Heaven Sect, you can interfere with matters that don’t concern you."

Ye Wuxie’s expression remained calm.

"I’ve already said that I have no intention of interfering in your affairs. You are the ones who stopped us."

"Hmph." The young man sneered. "Then move aside."

But Ye Wuxie didn’t move, causing the young man’s eyes immediately became colder.

"I said, move."

Still, Ye Wuxie stood there without retreating.

The female disciple beside him glanced coldly at the young man.

"Huo Tianyu, enough."

Her voice was filled with obvious disgust.

The young man called Huo Tianyu looked at her and smiled. "You’re still as cold as ever, Ruyan."

Liu Ruyan’s expression became even colder. She didn’t even bother looking at him.

"Don’t call my name like we’re familiar."

"Ruyan, I didn’t expect that after so long, you still haven’t changed."

It was a beautiful female disciple stood beside Huo Tianyu who spoke.

She had long black hair, delicate features, and an elegant figure wrapped in the red robes of the Vermilion Flame Sect. Unlike the arrogance of the other disciples, her expression was relatively calm, although a faint smile remained on her lips.

Liu Ruyan finally looked toward her. Her expression became slightly colder.

"Shen Yao, I have nothing to say to you."

Shen Yao smiled. "Nothing to say?"

Her eyes moved toward Ye Wuxie. "Yet you have already found yourself another man."

Liu Ruyan’s brows furrowed.

"Watch your mouth."

Shen Yao covered her lips lightly and laughed.

"Don’t misunderstand me. I merely find it amusing."

She glanced at Ye Wuxie standing beside Liu Ruyan. Her tone carried obvious mockery.

"Back then, you were always saying that you had no interest in men. Yet now you’re standing so close to one."

"Enough."

Huo Tianyu’s gaze turned toward Ye Wuxie.

"If you don’t want to move, then don’t blame us for making you move."

Several disciples behind him immediately released even stronger auras. The pressure swept through the area.

Some of the surrounding cultivators hurriedly moved farther away.

Even though most of the Vermilion Flame Sect disciples were younger, several were already Golden Core Realm cultivators. Their combined pressure was not something ordinary cultivators could withstand comfortably.

Yet Ye Wuxie remained standing. His robes fluttered under the pressure, but his expression didn’t change.

"If you have something to say, say it. There’s no need to rely on numbers to intimidate people."

Huo Tianyu’s eyes narrowed as he smiled coldly.

"You have some courage. I just hope you can maintain that courage tomorrow."

Ye Wuxie looked directly into his eyes, but didn’t answer.

As if he knew that other part wouldn’t dare to make a move.

They were still inside Blazing Flame City. Nei

Their sects had forbidden their disciples from fighting openly inside the city and causing unnecessary trouble.