Formation—The Illusion

"I see, this must be a formation," Hao's clarity began to sweep over him as he pieced together the intricate details, causing his brow to furrow less intensely.

"What kind of formation is this? It's not a mist, nor a barrier. This should be the one Yu Rui mentioned—the Illusion Formation. But how to break free from it?"

His brows furrowed once more as he contemplated the situation before him. He was certain he was ensnared within a formation, but the method to escape remained elusive.

"Do I need to eliminate someone? Which faction? Or perhaps both?" Engaging in thoughts, he fell into silence, each possibility swirling in his mind.

Amidst the screams and shouts that enveloped him, Fang Hao rose to his feet, a more calm expression on his face. "I'm certain I won't meet my death here. Injuries, though—perhaps," he muttered to himself.

Without hesitation, he dashed toward an enemy adorned with the emblem of a serpent on their armor. Swiftly maneuvering, he executed a well-timed strike that caught the foe off-guard, stabbing him from behind.

The wounded enemy spun around, attempting to retaliate, but Fang Hao skillfully parried the blow and severed the man's hand with the lotus petals.

A final swift slash to the neck ended the enemy's life, leaving him to bleed out.

A faint sense of disgust washed over Fang Hao, swiftly replaced by the realization that this was a fabricated environment.

"I shall treat this as an opportunity for training, and find a way to escape," he affirmed, using the formation to hone his skills while seeking a way out.

Gazing into the distance, he spotted a towering medieval structure, an intuition whispering that the answers might reside within.

Outside the formation, the outer elder responsible for it wore a perplexed expression.

While he couldn't exert direct control over the events inside, he sensed a disruption—a hint that one of the two effects of the formation had been breached, specifically the hypnotic aspect.

Surveying the expressions on the faces within, he detected a calm face that triggered a surge of intuition. He knew this was the individual that had broken free.

As he turned to the sect master for a discussion, he noticed that he was already walking towards Fang Xiong.

Realizing Fang Hao's identity, the outer elder chose to remain silent; he didn't want to end up like the Mission Elder.

Even though lower realm cultivators believed the Mission Elder had no injuries after the attack, and appeared fine but was that the truth?

The outer elder knew the elder's soul had been wounded, an injury requiring a period of recovery. Maintaining a façade of normalcy, he proceeded with his duties.

Sect Master Zhang Wei arrived beside Fang Xiong, his gaze sweeping over the Illusion Formation and the myriad expressions etched on their faces.

Some displayed pain, others were tearful, and some exhibited anger—each harbouring a range of emotions. Amid the sea of reactions, his attention was on Fang Hao.

Observing Hao's rapid sequence of emotions—confusion, panic, pain, confusion once more, and finally a furrowing of his brows before calming down—Sect Master Zhang's curiosity was piqued.

"Oh?" The Sect Master's interest was piqued as he directed his gaze towards Fang Hao before turning to examine Fang Xiong.

"Are you absolutely certain this is your kid?" His tone carried a weight of seriousness.

"According to my uncle, you once bore an expression of uncontrollable fury, your anger unrelenting within this very formation." A faint chuckle followed, his speech taking on a more lighthearted tone.

"Zhang Wei, now that we're on the topic of family, your uncle shared those very words with me as well. It seems you share the same sense of humour," Fang Xiong initially displayed a touch of annoyance, but his irritation quickly transformed into hearty laughter.

"Don't compare me to him. I do things my own way. I don't need to be looked after," Zhang Wei retorted, displaying annoyance this time before letting out a sigh.

"Regarding your daughter, I'm aware as well. It was an accident, and I ensured it was. We certainly don't want any discord between us," he said, shaking his head.

Deep down, he regarded Fang Xiong as a friend. After all, they were of the same generation and the only ones to attain their current cultivation realms—everyone else had already perished.

"If it isn't a mistake, then the situation must be serious. Tell me about the world where my daughter now resides," Fang Xiong said with a grave expression.

"Yes, it's dire. We have already suffered significant losses among our cultivators, but..." Zhang Wei paused, his gaze meeting Fang Xiong's, grappling with the decision of whether to divulge further.

"Go on, you know you can't leave me hanging like that," Fang Xiong's frustration grew, prompting Zhang Wei to quickly respond.

"The enemies do not hail from the smaller realm. It's another middle-ranked world, possessing comparable power to ours. They have discovered it and are invading it to weaken us."

"Now this is something new. Are we on the brink of a potential conflict with a middle-ranked world?" Fang Xiong's expression turned serious, recognizing the significance of the situation.

"Perhaps. As of now, it remains confined to that world. However, similar to the past incidents, if it were to expand, we must be ready. '' Zhang Wei continued.

''Many talents may fall, while others will emerge, much like how you and I once did," Zhang Wei explained, his gaze scanning the talented individuals before coming to a pause on Fang Hao.

"Your son is quite particular. I sense there's more to him than meets the eye, but I won't delve too deeply into it, even if it goes against the usual rules. Consider this as my way of apologizing," he stated, then walked back to join the inner circle of elders.

Some of them were attending to the unconscious youths, for whom this trial marked the end of their path with this sect.

If they couldn't withstand this trial, they had no fate with the sect.

After all, they were the Falling Stars Sword Hall, one of the most formidable sects spanning all middle-ranked worlds.