Chapter 631
As the morning light began to appear, Nangong Wan stood in the center of the lake, with the golden thread on her fingertips digging into the bottom of the lake like a swimming dragon. She closed her eyes and concentrated, sensing the damage to the formation after the impact of the Swallowing Star Serpent last night - the formation pattern had been broken in several places, and the spiritual power of the earth veins had leaked out. If it was not repaired in time, the shielding effect of the mountain protection formation would gradually weaken.
Fu Shaoping stood on the shore, holding the star core crystal taken from the giant beast in his hand. The crystal glowed with a cold blue light in the morning light. He said in a deep voice: "The star power in this beast's body conflicts with the formation. If it is used directly to repair it, it may be counterproductive."
Nangong Wan opened her eyes and retracted the golden thread into her sleeve: "The star core must be refined first, otherwise the Star God can use it to sense our location." She raised her hand and waved, ripples appeared on the lake, and the formation pattern torn by the giant beast last night was revealed like a wound, and strands of star power were still eroding the foundation of the formation.
Fu Shaoping nodded and took out a few scales that he had peeled off from the Star Devouring Viper: "These scales can resist the erosion of star power. Perhaps they can be embedded in the center of the formation to enhance defense."
Nangong Wan thought for a moment, then lightly tapped the lake with her fingertips. A golden light rose from the bottom of the lake, transforming into a virtual array disk floating in front of the two. She used the golden thread as a pen to draw a new array pattern in the air: "Since the Star Lord has sent out the sea beasts of the patrol, it means that he has roughly locked onto this sea area. We need to change the array from 'concealment' to 'confuse' to make him misjudge our position."
Fu Shaoping understood, and the silver flame in his palm ignited, wrapping the star core crystal in it and refining it. The crystal twisted and screamed in the flames, and finally turned into a pool of flowing star plasma. He shouted in a low voice, and the silver flame suddenly contracted, refining the star plasma into seven tiny star nails.
"Beidou Soul Nailing Technique?" Nangong Wan raised an eyebrow, "You actually know this ancient technique."
Fu Shaoping grinned: "I learned it from an old madman in my early years." He flicked his finger, and seven star nails flew to the lake and were nailed into the seven positions of the array. In an instant, the starlight trajectory of the entire array was distorted and changed, and the originally clear Big Dipper pattern turned into a chaotic nebula.
Nangong Wan said no more, and formed seals with his hands. The golden threads shot into the bottom of the lake like a rainstorm, connecting the broken array patterns one by one. At the same time, Fu Shaoping embedded the reverse scales into the reefs at the four corners of the lake shore. The natural runes on the scales resonated with the array stones left by the ancient cultivators, forming a layer of dark blue light film covering the original barrier.
At noon, the sun was blazing in the sky. Nangong Wan bit his fingertips, and a drop of blood fell into the center of the lake. The moment the blood touched the water, the entire formation shook violently, and the new formation pattern spread out like a living thing, perfectly merging with the old formation. The starry sky reflected on the lake was completely distorted, as if countless stars were swimming disorderly in the deep water.
Fu Shaoping wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned, "Even if the Star Lord himself calculated, he would only think that we fled to the 'Thousand Star Islands' at the other end of the Chaos Star Sea."
Nangong Wan panted slightly, her face slightly pale, but her eyes were calm: "Not enough." She pointed to a reef area on the east side of the island, "That is the node of the earth vein. If we set up a 'Mirror Flower Water Moon' illusion array, even if the Star Lord sends people to the island, they will fall into an endless illusion."
Fu Shaoping picked up the broken knife, and the silver flame danced on the blade: "Let's go, and get it done before dark."
As the sun sets, the entire island is shrouded in a double array. The outer layer is the "chaos nebula array" that distorts the star tracks, and the inner layer is the hallucinogenic "mirror flower water moon array". If a cultivator observes from the outside, he will only see a hazy mist, and the figures that occasionally flash through the mist are actually false illusions simulated by the array.
As night fell, Nangong Wan sat by the lake to regulate his breathing, and suddenly whispered, "This formation can only last for half a month at most."
Fu Shaoping threw a piece of wood into the campfire, and sparks crackled: "Half a month... is enough for us to recover 80% of our strength."
The sea breeze blew by, and the distorted stars reflected on the lake surface swayed slightly, as if silently mocking the Star God who was thousands of miles away.
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At dawn, a faint ripple appeared on the edge of the mountain protection formation. Nangong Wan's fingertips suddenly tightened the golden thread, she opened her eyes and looked at the sea - a green bamboo raft was breaking through the mist and slowly sailing towards the island. On the raft stood a slender figure, with white clothes whiter than snow, a jade flute hanging from his waist, and his clothes fluttering in the morning breeze, like a banished immortal.
Fu Shaoping stood with his knife in hand, his eyes as sharp as an eagle. But the man seemed not to notice the guard, and saluted through the barrier, his voice as clear as a spring: "I am Ye Qingge, the owner of Qingming Island. I have sensed the fluctuations of the formation here, so I came to pay a visit."
Nangong Wan's fingertips moved quietly with golden lines, detecting the other party's aura - the spiritual power was as clear as the moonlight, without any evil spirit, but resonated faintly with the veins of the island. She looked at Fu Shaoping, who nodded slightly and raised his hand to remove a gate.
When Ye Qingge stepped onto the beach, there was not a single grain of sand on his feet. He claimed to be the last descendant of the "Tianyin Pavilion" three hundred years ago. After the demise of the sect, he took the remaining scrolls and fled into the Chaos Star Sea. He used the sound of the flute to harmonize the earth veins and opened up a cave on Qingming Island a hundred miles away. The island is shrouded in the sound barrier of "The Rising Sea Song" all year round. There is a "Star Washing Pool" in the center of the island, which can purify the violent star power, so it has not been invaded by the Star Lord's forces.
"Three days ago, I saw the corpse of the Star Devouring Viper floating on the surface of the sea, and I knew that there was a master here." He took out a jade box, and inside the box lay a few shiny pills. "This is the 'Qingxu Dichen Pill', which is made with the water from the Xixing Pond. It can help the two of you heal the injuries caused by the backlash of star power."
Nangong Wan took the jade box, and the golden thread quietly wrapped around the pill to check it. After confirming that it was non-toxic, he nodded slightly and said, "Master Ye, are you here just to give me the medicine?"
Ye Qingge chuckled, and a jade slip flew out from his sleeve. On it appeared a star map of Chaos Star Sea. "The Star Lord has recently activated the 'Nine Star Compass', causing sea beasts to riot and the sound barrier of Qingming Island to be breached. I see that your formations are mysterious, and I would like to invite you to participate in the 'Heavenly Sound and Earthly Veins Formation' - combining the power of the three islands, we may be able to counter the Star Lord's spying."
Fu Shaoping stroked the broken sword and suddenly asked, "Why did Tianyin Pavilion fall?"
Ye Qingge's eyes dimmed: "Because of a volume of "Star Meteoric Chart"... the Pavilion Master discovered the secret of the Star Lord stealing the spiritual power of heaven and earth, and was killed by him." He raised his hand and pointed to the lake in the center of the island, "And the ancient runes at the bottom of this lake are exactly the fragments of "Star Meteoric Chart"."
At noon, the fog dissipated, and Ye Qingge said goodbye and left. Nangong Wan stared at his back and whispered, "What he said is true. The ground veins of Qingming Island are indeed connected to the Xixing Pool."
Fu Shaoping caught the green jade slip and suddenly smiled: "Not all the people in this Chaos Star Sea are enemies."
The waves surged gently, and the bamboo raft gradually moved away. Ye Qingge's flute sound drifted in with the wind, like a clear spring washing over the barrier of the formation, and it actually made the golden light of the mountain protection formation more condensed.
In the early morning when the sea fog covered the sky, a ship made of black iron broke through the waves and slowly sailed towards us. The bow of the ship was carved with a dragon head, and the purple flag at the stern fluttered in the sea breeze. Fu Shaoping stood at the bow, his green robe rustling in the sea breeze, his right hand always on the long sword at his waist.
There were seven small islands in front of him arranged in a circle, and several people were waiting on the reef platform in the middle. Nangong Wan's voice rang in his ears: "All the people coming this time are Purple Mansion Realm cultivators, you have to be careful."
Fu Shaoping narrowed his eyes, gently stroked the blood stains on the scabbard with his fingers, and whispered: "It's a good time to try out the new skills I've acquired."
On the reef platform, several island owners were occupying different places. The owner of Canglang Island was a burly man, wearing iron armor and carrying two short spears crossed on his back. He stared at Fu Shaoping and sneered, "I heard that you killed the Star Viper? You are quite capable."
The owner of Huanyue Island was a veiled woman, sitting cross-legged on a floating jade stone. A wisp of light purple spiritual energy was wrapped around her fingertips, and she whispered, "Fellow Daoist Fu has a lot of murderous aura, it seems that he has experienced a lot of fighting." The owner of Xuangui Island, who was leaning on a rattan stick, was a white-haired old man, and the pattern of tortoise shells could be vaguely seen on the reef under his feet. He looked at Fu Shaoping carefully and suddenly said, "Young man, are you practicing the Silver Dragon Heart Method?"
Only the master of Qingming Island nodded to Fu Shaoping. He wore a green long sword on his waist. Taking advantage of the opportunity of passing by, a jade talisman quietly fell into Fu Shaoping's hand, which read: "Tie Zhan was entrusted by someone to test your strength."
Before the party started, Tie Zhan suddenly stepped forward, his double halberds flashing coldly in the sun: "Newcomer, according to the rules, you have to fight three moves!"
The halberd blew up the waves, and Fu Shaoping saw that this move had a hidden meaning. Just as he was about to draw his sword, the vine staff of the Black Turtle Island Master suddenly crossed between the two of them, and a tortoise-shell-shaped light curtain separated the two.
"If you want to compete, go to the sword testing platform." The old man pointed to a flat reef not far away, "There is a protective formation there."
Tie Zhan put away his halberds and sneered, "That's exactly what I want!"
Fu Shaoping gripped the hilt tightly, and heard Nangong Wan's voice in his ear: "He is testing your skills. But if you don't fight, it will be difficult to gain a foothold here."
The sea breeze blew by with a salty and humid smell, and Fu Shaoping remembered his master's advice: "The key to the Silver Dragon technique is to hide your strength. Don't show it until it is absolutely necessary."
"Please." He walked towards the sword testing platform, the protective soft armor under his robe glowing faintly with green light.
Nangong Wan stood at the outskirts of the crowd, and the golden thread in his sleeves had already laid a formation on the seabed. The clouds in the sky were low, as if foreshadowing that this competition would not end easily.
Fu Shaoping stepped slowly onto the sword-testing platform, and the rocks beneath his feet vibrated slightly. He noticed that the platform was covered with sword marks of varying depths, each of which recorded past life-and-death battles. The sea breeze suddenly stopped, and the surroundings fell into an eerie silence.
Tie Zhan crossed his twin halberds in front of his chest, and the aura of the Purple Mansion Realm was fully released. An iron-gray aura shone all over his body, and fine scales appeared on the surface of his skin. "Boy, let me show you the real Canglang Halberd Technique!" Before he finished speaking, the twin halberds had turned into two silver rainbows that broke through the air.
Fu Shaoping was not in a hurry to draw his sword. He took a half step back with his left foot, and gently pushed the hilt of the sword with his right thumb, revealing an inch of cold light. Just when the tip of the halberd was three inches away from his throat, a dragon-like sound of the sword suddenly sounded. A silver light flashed, and the long sword came out of the sheath three inches and returned to the sheath in an instant, so fast that it made people think it was an illusion.
With a crisp "ding" sound, the short halberd in Tiezhan's right hand suddenly broke into two pieces, and the half of the halberd head rotated and pierced into the reef. The whole audience was in an uproar.
"What a fast sword-drawing technique!" The head of Huanyue Island couldn't help but exclaim. A strange color flashed in her eyes under the veil, and the purple spiritual energy on her fingertips unconsciously accelerated its flow.
The Black Turtle Island Master narrowed his eyes and tapped the ground with his cane. Four tortoise-shell-shaped light curtains suddenly rose around the sword-testing platform, completely covering the two of them. "Since we are sparring, I will set up some protection, and you two can use your skills to your heart's content."
Tie Zhan's face was gloomy. He threw away the broken halberd and took out a long halberd that was completely black. There were dark red lines wrapped around the halberd, like dried blood. "You are proud enough to force me to use the 'Blood Dragon Halberd'."
Fu Shaoping finally pulled out the long sword completely. The blade was long and narrow, silver-white, with only the edge of the blade glowing with a faint green light. He held the sword with both hands, with the tip of the sword pointing diagonally to the ground, making a seemingly simple but mysterious opening move.
Just as the two were about to fight again, the Qingming Island Master suddenly shouted, "Wait a minute!" He leaped onto the sword-testing platform, and the green long sword drew an arc in front of him. "Today is a gathering of island masters, not a time for life-and-death battles. Why not do it another day?"
Before he finished speaking, something strange happened. The sea suddenly surged violently, and a water column with a diameter of more than ten feet shot up into the sky. A huge black shadow could be vaguely seen swimming in the water column, emitting a suffocating pressure.
"It's the seventh-level sea beast 'Xuanming Jiao'!" Nangong Wan's face suddenly changed, and the golden threads in her sleeves instantly intertwined into a net. She looked at Fu Shaoping and found that he was staring at the black shadow in the water column, and his hand holding the knife was shaking slightly - not because of fear, but because of the uncontrollable fighting spirit.
The Black Turtle Island Master had a solemn expression on his face, and slammed his cane heavily on the ground: "Everyone be careful, this beast might be coming for the spiritual power fluctuations of the sword test platform!"
The water column exploded, and in the water, a giant dragon with a pitch-black body appeared. It had a single horn on its forehead, four claws under its belly, and its cold vertical pupils flashed with greed. The dragon's mouth opened wide, and a dark green poisonous mist gushed out, instantly corroding the protective light curtain at the edge of the sword test platform.
Tie Zhan's face turned pale, and he took a few steps back unconsciously. Although he was a Purple Mansion cultivator, he knew that a seventh-level sea beast was equivalent to the strength of a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.
Just as everyone was panicking, Fu Shaoping suddenly sheathed his sword. He took a deep breath, and a silvery-white light began to radiate from his body. The light became brighter and brighter, and finally condensed into an illusory silver dragon behind him.
"The true form of the silver dragon?!" The Qingming Island Master exclaimed, "You actually succeeded in practicing it."
Fu Shaoping did not answer. He slowly drew out his long sword, and this time, the blade was wrapped with silver-white dragon-shaped spiritual energy. Facing the approaching Xuanming Jiao, he took a step forward, and the sword light poured down like a galaxy.
"Silver Dragon Broken Sea!"
The moment the knife light and the dragon shadow collided, the blinding light made everyone close their eyes. When they opened their eyes again, they saw a gully a hundred feet long split in the sea surface, and the sea water could not close up. The Xuanming dragon's horn was broken into two pieces, and it was screaming in pain and fleeing to the deep sea.
On the sword-testing platform, Fu Shaoping knelt on one knee, his long sword inserted into the reef to support his body. The shadow of the silver dragon had dissipated, but the fire of fighting spirit was still beating in his eyes.
Tie Zhan stood there in a daze, and the Blood Dragon Halberd in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. He realized that the opponent had not used his full strength in the previous competition. (End of this chapter)