Translator: CinderTL 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"It seems your talent in formations is quite remarkable," Song Wen remarked, flipping his hand to produce a jade slip, which he tossed to Kang Ling.

"You have one month to successfully deploy this formation. If you fail, don’t blame me for taking drastic measures."

Kang Ling remained unfazed by Song Wen’s threat, having anticipated such a demand.

She accepted the jade slip and began examining it meticulously.

However, her expression grew increasingly grim.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Kang Ling slowly raised her head, her voice dry.

"Senior, while the Blood Refinement Gu Sacrifice Grand Formation is indeed a fifth-rank formation, its complexity ranks among the highest of its tier. Moreover, I have never encountered this type of formation before. A single month is insufficient for me to comprehend it. If you could grant me a year, I would undoubtedly be able to deploy it."

"You have only one month," Song Wen stated firmly, cutting off her plea. He then shifted his tone, adding, "However, if you encounter any difficulties, feel free to ask me. I will answer all your questions."

Kang Ling was momentarily stunned.

If Song Wen could guide her through the formation’s intricacies, it proved he possessed a thorough understanding of it. Why, then, wouldn’t he deploy it himself instead of entrusting it to a complete stranger?

"Don’t overthink it. Focus on mastering the formation as quickly as possible. You don’t have time to waste," Song Wen’s icy voice cut through the air.

Song Wen couldn’t directly guide Kang Ling in setting up the formation, but Bi Xiaoyu could. He was merely acting as a conduit for her instructions.

Bi Xiaoyu possessed a profound understanding of the Blood Refinement Gu Sacrifice Grand Formation. With her assistance, Kang Ling’s comprehension of the formation would undoubtedly be accelerated.

As predicted, thirty days later, under Song Wen’s watchful gaze, Kang Ling began to deploy the formation.

She hovered in mid-air, her expression solemn. Her hands moved in intricate gestures, fingertips flashing with spiritual light as she swiftly conjured talisman after talisman.

The talismans shot forward, plunging into a crimson sphere of blood essence about the size of a human head—Song Wen’s own blood essence.

As the talismans continued to strike, the blood essence gradually began to writhe and pulse.

With a flick of her sleeve, Kang Ling released several spiritual materials Song Wen had prepared in advance—Poria Cocos Marrow, Profound Yin Sand, Bone-Corroding Vine... These materials flew from the ground, one by one, and merged into the blood essence.

Sizzle—

As the final spiritual material was absorbed, the blood essence surged violently, emitting a faint, deep hum.

Fine beads of sweat dotted Kang Ling’s forehead, but her movements remained precise and unwavering. Her hands formed a mudra, and strands of spiritual light, like silken threads, drew forth a crimson line from the blood essence.

The blood thread moved autonomously, like a living entity, tracing twisted and intricate formation patterns across the smooth ground, gradually outlining a massive formation diagram.

The formation patterns glowed a glaring crimson, radiating a chilling Malevolent Qi while subtly resonating with an arcane rhythm.

"Done!" Kang Ling abruptly clapped her hands together. The formation patterns shuddered violently, then erupted in a blinding light, crimson beams shooting skyward and bathing the entire cultivation cave in a scarlet glow.

In the next instant, the blood-red light receded, the formation patterns stabilized, and the complete Blood Refinement Gu Sacrifice Grand Formation finally materialized.

Song Wen’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Kang Ling had succeeded in deploying the formation on her first attempt, exceeding his expectations. He had initially anticipated she would need two or three tries to achieve success.

Kang Ling exhaled deeply, her body swaying slightly from exhaustion. Yet she forced herself to turn and bow respectfully to Song Wen, saying, "Senior, I have fulfilled my mission."

"Well done," Song Wen replied tersely.

Before him, hundreds of high-grade spirit stones materialized, raining down like raindrops along the formation’s perimeter.

He then produced two gu cauldrons.

One cauldron contained ten jellyfish-like Gu insects.

Propelled by Song Wen’s spiritual power, the ten Gu insects flew out of the cauldron and landed at various points within the formation, each settling precisely on a formation pattern.

In another gu cauldron resided the Fifth-Tier Shadow King Gu, its intelligence still clouded.

As soon as the Shadow King Gu emerged, it bared its fangs at Song Wen, its ferocity unmistakable.

Song Wen, enveloping it with spiritual power, guided it to the center of the formation.

He then began to weave magic seals, activating the formation.

With the formation already prepared, activating it was effortless for Song Wen.

As his hand gestures shifted, the Spiritual Qi from the hundreds of high-grade spirit stones rapidly drained, converging into the formation.

The formation patterns instantly awakened, their crimson glow surging anew. Like writhing serpents, the patterns twisted and coiled.

Beneath the ten Jellyfish Gu Insects, the formation patterns rose like coiling snakes, wrapping tightly around their bodies.

Sensing imminent danger, the Jellyfish Gu Insects struggled violently, desperate to break free from the blood-red threads clinging to them like bone-deep poison. But weakened as they were, they stood no chance against the dual restraints of the blood threads and Song Wen’s spiritual power.

Their bodies gradually flickered with a faint, phosphorescent glow.

This glow flowed along the blood threads like trickling streams, converging toward the formation’s center and surging into the Fifth-Tier Shadow King Gu’s body.

Squeak—

The Shadow King Gu let out a piercing shriek, as if in immense pain.

Its body suddenly expanded to the size of a millstone, and eerie crimson patterns began to surface on its pitch-black carapace.

As time passed, the Shadow King Gu’s shrieks ceased, and the ferocious glint in its eyes gradually faded.

While devouring spiritual energy, its strength surged at a visible rate, rapidly breaking through the early fifth-tier bottleneck and advancing to the mid-grade fifth-tier.

Abruptly, the ten Jellyfish Gu Insects began to shrivel, ultimately transforming into ten withered membranes that were completely consumed by the formation patterns.

The entire formation erupted in a blinding crimson light, which then quickly dimmed.

When the blood-red glow completely dissipated, the blood that had formed the formation patterns had dried up, leaving only faint crimson streaks on the ground.

The Shadow King Gu’s malevolent aura had completely vanished. It swiftly shrank to the size of a sesame seed, fluttered its wings, and flew toward Song Wen, ultimately burrowing into his mouth.

A smile curled at the corners of Song Wen’s lips, clearly in high spirits.

He retrieved a storage pouch and tossed it to Kang Ling.

"Here are five hundred high-grade spirit stones as your reward."

Kang Ling caught the pouch, her face lighting up with barely suppressed joy.

Clutching the pouch with both hands, she bowed deeply.

"It is this junior’s honor to have assisted Senior in even the slightest way. Witnessing such a miraculous formation has already filled me with satisfaction. I dare not accept Senior’s spirit stones; please take them back."

Song Wen didn’t reply. With a wave of his hand, the two formation barriers he had erected vanished abruptly.

Without the barriers’ support, loose rocks began tumbling down the vertical shaft.

Song Wen shot skyward, ascending against the falling debris and quickly disappearing from sight.

As the cave gradually filled with rubble, leaving Kang Ling barely enough space to stand, she showed no panic, only profound relief.

She had braced herself for the possibility of being discarded like a worn-out tool, but instead, not only had her life been spared, but she had also received a thousand high-grade spirit stones.

(End of the Chapter)

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