“This formation belongs to the wood element, so we need a cultivator with a pure wood spiritual root.” Shi Shuchen’s voice rang out in reminder.
Shen Jingyuan shifted his gaze to the disciples of Medicine Cloud Peak.
Most of the disciples from Medicine Cloud Peak possessed wood spiritual roots. Even those who had other spiritual roots were primarily wood-aligned.
Searching among the disciples of Medicine Cloud Peak was clearly the best choice.
With a wave of Shen Jingyuan’s hand, two disciples immediately flew forward. But as soon as they reached the edge of the formation, a mass of azure energy sent them flying back!
“No. Their wood spiritual roots aren’t pure enough. Find someone else!” Shi Shuchen said coldly.
Shen Jingyuan did not dare delay. He selected two more disciples from Medicine Cloud Peak and sent them forward.
He remembered that these two possessed single wood spiritual roots. Although their spiritual roots had not reached the level of heavenly grade, they were still extraordinarily rare.
However, the moment the two swept forward, before they could even touch the azure radiance, they were rejected without hesitation and sent flying back again!
The expressions of several people present changed slightly.
This formation actually repelled anyone who tried to approach it?
Shi Shuchen’s brows furrowed for the first time. Seeing that Shen Jingyuan was about to replace them with someone else, he hurriedly stopped him.
“According to reason, someone with a single wood spiritual root shouldn’t be rejected again. Since this has happened, I’m afraid that… the power of vitality within the formation has already chosen someone.”
Shen Jingyuan froze. “Already chosen someone? It has a person it recognizes?”
“Yes.” Shi Shuchen did not elaborate. His hands shifted through a series of seals, and the formation disk emitted a faint, warm golden light that fell upon the Azure Radiance Formation.
The next moment, the Azure Radiance Formation lit up with a dazzling golden glow, enveloping the several hundred people before it. Then the radiance rapidly contracted before locking onto a single person.
When the golden light fell upon Yuan Shu, a familiar warmth rushed over her. Instinctively, Yuan Shu sensed that something was wrong.
In the next instant, the golden light withdrew from everyone else, leaving only her enveloped within it.
The entire scene fell silent.
“Guest Elder Yuan!” Elder Hai cried out in alarm, drawing everyone’s attention to Yuan Shu.
The person chosen by the Azure Radiance Formation was Yuan Shu!
“She—she isn’t a fire-element spiritual root cultivator? And her spiritual roots are mixed as well. Why would the Azure Radiance Formation choose her?”
The crowd began discussing it among themselves. Shen Jingyuan was also somewhat incredulous. Only Shi Shuchen kept his gaze fixed on Yuan Shu. In merely an instant, he seemed to have sensed something.
“The power of vitality? As expected, you’re the person chosen by the formation. Are you also a disciple of Medicine Cloud Peak? Come over here.”
Yuan Shu glanced left and right. Seeing no one else, she confirmed that Shi Shuchen was looking at her, and was momentarily speechless.
“Ahem. Well, I’m not particularly skilled in formations,” Yuan Shu said slowly, choosing her words with care.
This concerned Yao Qianci’s safety, so she didn’t dare act recklessly.
She really wasn’t very good with formations.
“It’s true, Peak Master Shi. Although she belongs to Medicine Cloud Peak, she isn’t a wood spiritual root cultivator.”
“It doesn’t matter. The formation chose her, so she can enter it.”
Shen Jingyuan was just about to explain when Shi Shuchen cut him off, affirming the formation’s choice.
“As for your lack of skill in formations… follow me inside. You don’t need to be proficient.”
Now that he had put it that way, Yuan Shu had no reason to refuse.
She had specifically asked the disciples of Medicine Cloud Peak earlier, and apart from Yao Qianci, there was no one else inside the formation.
At least she wouldn’t have to run into that Helan Ying.
When Yuan Shu nodded, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. Shi Shuchen pointed to a spot in front of him, indicating that Yuan Shu should come over.
Then he formed another series of hand seals and began creating an entrance into the formation.
Yuan Shu guessed that the reason the Azure Radiance Formation had chosen her was because she possessed the power of the underground spiritual vein.
She had once interacted with the underground spiritual vein and could be considered its benefactor. Since the formation absorbed the spiritual vein’s power, it naturally felt a special dependence on her.
That was why it had chosen her from among so many people.
“Guest Elder Yuan, you must bring the Peak Master out!” Elder Hai wiped at the corner of his eye and gave her a solemn reminder.
Yuan Shu nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
Putting everything else aside, given her relationship with Yao Qianci, how could she hesitate when there was a chance to save him?
Shi Shuchen changed his hand seals once more. Two streams of azure light enveloped the two of them, and in the next second, they vanished simultaneously.
Yuan Shu’s vision blurred for a moment. When it refocused, she found herself in an illusory, pale-azure space.
Her feet were firmly planted on solid ground. Looking down, Yuan Shu discovered that she was standing within Shi Shuchen’s dark-colored formation disk.
The formation patterns twisted upward into the air, transforming into defensive barriers. The formation disk was like a flying vessel with astonishing defensive power, sailing through an ocean of formations.
Turning her head, Yuan Shu saw Shi Shuchen standing not far away, staring expressionlessly into the depths of the formation.
Blades and spikes of wind formed from the formation came rushing toward them. They vanished abruptly in front of Yuan Shu, only to suddenly condense before Shi Shuchen and slam fiercely into the defensive formation patterns in front of him.
The formation disk rocked violently, causing Shi Shuchen to frown. He turned his head and couldn’t help looking at Yuan Shu.
“Miss Yuan, come over here.”
He directed Yuan Shu forward until she stood in the center at the front of the formation disk.
Sure enough, the azure wind blades and wind spikes attacking the formation disk vanished completely the instant before they struck Yuan Shu!
Shi Shuchen raised his brows and glanced at Yuan Shu again.
“Miss Yuan, do you perhaps possess something that causes the power of vitality to fear you—or favor you?”
He was somewhat curious.
The underground spiritual vein of the Falling Immortal Sect was no easy opponent. Even Sect Master Qu Qing had to endure attacks from its spiritual power when approaching it.
There was even less need to mention this formation, which had been condensed from that very power.
Even he, a Soul Formation expert, was attacked indiscriminately by it. Yet, unexpectedly, Yuan Shu was an exception.
The attacks within the formation did not target her at all. It was truly an unusual sight!
“I don’t know.”
Yuan Shu did not want to reveal her relationship with the underground spiritual vein. Since Qu Qing presumably hadn’t told anyone about it either, she simply responded with a blank denial.
After asking several questions without receiving any useful answer, Shi Shuchen said nothing more. He merely advanced a few steps until he was closer to Yuan Shu.
Taking advantage of the Azure Radiance Formation’s special treatment of Yuan Shu, he reduced the number of wind blades and wind spikes striking the formation disk.
Yuan Shu also noticed that all those wind blades and wind spikes were avoiding her. Meanwhile, Shi Shuchen had to control the formation disk while simultaneously dealing with the attacks from the formation.
She frowned and glanced at the three-step distance between herself and Shi Shuchen. After a moment’s thought, she deliberately walked three steps toward him and positioned herself in front of him.
As expected, the wind blades stopped attacking Shi Shuchen, allowing him to control the formation disk more effectively.
Shi Shuchen let out a quiet breath. “Thank you.”
Yuan Shu turned to glance at him and gave a slight nod.
The change occurred when the environment within the formation shifted.
They had traveled only halfway when the originally dim, pale-blue space suddenly changed. The surroundings instantly grew dark.
A tremendous gravitational force appeared out of nowhere within the space, crushing downward along with the formation disk!
Yuan Shu suddenly felt her blood stagnate, and her body froze.
Immediately afterward, the formation disk began to rock violently!
Caught off guard, Yuan Shu was thrown into the air by the formation disk before crashing heavily back down.
At the critical moment, a startled cry suddenly came from beneath her.
“Miss Yuan, watch out!”
