The Nine Stars and Three Talents Formation

"Qin Yu, what does the inscription on the sixth pillar say?"

"It records some deeds of the Entropy Clan's activities, but there's nothing noteworthy."

After finishing reading the sixth pillar, Mo Yongxin was about to walk towards the seventh pillar when Qin Yu stopped her with a firm grip.

"You can't touch the pillars behind this. They are off-limits," Qin Yu explained.

"Off-limits? What do you mean?" Mo Yongxin tilted her enchanting face, her eyes filled with curiosity as she stared at Qin Yu, waiting for an explanation.

"These nine pillars form a formation, and the three pillars behind are the triggers of the formation. The ground beneath us is actually a hidden mechanism. If you step on the wrong spot, you'll be trapped in the formation, just like these people."

Qin Yu pointed at the pile of bones beneath their feet. In fact, from the moment he first saw the nine pillars, he suspected it was a formation. As he progressed step by step, he finally figured it out when he reached the fourth pillar earlier.

The Nine Stars and Three Talents Formation was an ancient formation consisting of two formations combined together. The nine stars formed the outer part, while the three talents controlled the changes within. Those familiar with formations knew that one begets two, two beget three, and three beget all things. Three is the number that undergoes the most changes, and breaking the Nine Stars and Three Talents Formation required first breaking the inner Three Talents Formation, which was extremely difficult.

"These Japanese people probably died not only because of their battle with the centipede, but also because they touched this formation," Qin Yu concluded.

Qin Yu had tested the centipede's attacking power and knew that with caution, it could be subdued, especially since these people were military personnel. Their firepower was naturally not something he could contend with.

"What should we do now? We have to pass through the remaining pillars to reach the altar," Mo Yongxin furrowed her brow. She had no understanding of formations, so she couldn't offer any suggestions.

"Do you have any gold or silver items on you?" Qin Yu pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked.

"Will this platinum earring do?" Mo Yongxin reached up and took off an earring, asking.

"That'll work."

Qin Yu took the earring handed to him by Mo Yongxin and glanced at it. The earring was delicate and exquisite, with a gemstone embedded on it, emitting a green shimmer. It was undoubtedly quite valuable.

"Water originates from the north, fire from the south, wood from the east, and metal from the west. Water and heaven unite in the north, fire and earth combine in the south, wood and heaven merge in the east, and metal and earth converge in the west. Earth becomes water in the north, uniting with heaven; heaven becomes fire in the south, combining with earth; earth becomes wood in the east, merging with heaven; and heaven becomes metal in the west, converging with earth. Earth becomes earth in the center, uniting with heaven."

Mo Yongxin stood still, her almond eyes fixed on Qin Yu's movements. She watched as he roamed around, silently reciting something, occasionally pausing to look around, contemplating for a moment, and then continuing to move his feet.

Every time Qin Yu stopped, he would place something down. From a water bottle he took out from his bag, to a piece of wood, a spark of fire, and even her earring, which he placed in a specific spot.

Qin Yu used the method of the Five Elements to decipher the Nine Stars and Three Talents Formation. According to the generation of the Five Elements, everything in the world corresponds to one of the five numbers. Six to ten are considered completion numbers. The Five Elements are the root of all things, and any change is bound by the Five Elements. It's like the Five Elements are the main outline, while the formation is the plot. No matter how intricate and varied the plot is, it ultimately follows the main outline.

"Done." After arranging the five objects, Qin Yu returned to Mo Yongxin's side and instructed her, "When I walk towards the remaining pillars, pay close attention to the five objects on the ground representing the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. If any of them show signs of movement, shout out the corresponding element."

"Okay!"

Mo Yongxin nodded to indicate her understanding. Qin Yu then proceeded to step forward. When he approached the seventh pillar, Mo Yongxin noticed that the piece of burning wood he had taken from the torch suddenly began to flicker violently. She quickly shouted, "Fire!"

Qin Yu's figure froze upon hearing Mo Yongxin's words. He stopped his forward movement and took seven steps to the left. Fire corresponds to the west, and after completing these seven steps, he turned forward again.

"Water."

"Water corresponds to the number one in the north." As the direction changed, Qin Yu took another step towards the north.

"Metal."

"Metal corresponds to nine in the south!"

"Fire."

"Fire corresponds to two in the southwest."

...

With each shout from Mo Yongxin, Qin Yu's position shifted. In the span of a cup of tea, he had taken thousands of steps. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as the pauses between shouts grew longer. Towards the end, he would contemplate for more than half a moment after each pause.

"We're almost there." Mo Yongxin felt anxious for Qin Yu from behind. They had already passed eight pillars, and the final pillar was not far away. Just a few more steps and they would reach the altar.

"Wood, is it three in the east or eight in the northeast?" Qin Yu lifted his left foot, hesitating and uncertain. He didn't dare to step down because the variations of the Nine Stars and Three Talents Formation were too complex. Calculating the numbers in the Nine Palaces was extremely difficult.

"Let's take a gamble!" There was no turning back at this point, and considering the time and effort they had already invested, Qin Yu didn't want to give up. He directly took a big stride of three steps towards the east with his raised left foot.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!" With each step, Qin Yu carefully observed the surroundings for any anomalies. It was only when everything seemed normal that he let out a long breath of relief. With these three steps, he had completely crossed the ninth pillar.

Before him, the nine chains converged above the altar. The entire altar was covered in dense inscriptions. Qin Yu didn't hesitate and walked up the steps onto the high platform of the altar.

"What is this...?"

Qin Yu's mouth gaped wide open. On the high platform, there was a jade plate filled with golden liquid emitting a rich and intoxicating fragrance. Within the liquid, tiny blood-red creatures were slowly swimming.

Qin Yu's approach startled the creatures in the plate. The once-slow swimmers suddenly went into a frenzy, turning the entire plate into a bloody red color, no longer the previous golden hue.

"They're nourished with Dragon Crystal Liquid... This is so extravagant!"

It's no wonder he swore in disbelief. Dragon Crystal Liquid was the essence nurtured by the veins of a dragon. Even a single drop was extremely precious. Yet these people from the Entropy Clan used a plate of Dragon Crystal Liquid to nourish these unknown red creatures.

Dragon Crystal Liquid was pure to the core and couldn't tolerate any impurities. Those who obtained Dragon Crystal Liquid would use jade vessels to contain it to prevent the loss of its miraculous effects. However, the effectiveness of this plate of Dragon Crystal Liquid nourishing the red creatures had already been greatly diminished.

"What is the origin of these red creatures that makes the Chao Clan willing to use precious Dragon Crystal Fluid to nourish them?" After calming himself down, Qin Yu began to contemplate. Since the Chao Clan was willing to sacrifice such a valuable substance like Dragon Crystal Fluid, these red creatures must hold significant importance to them, far surpassing the value of the fluid.

The red creatures were the size of fingernails, moving in clusters. Qin Yu couldn't distinguish their heads from their tails and couldn't observe their detailed features closely. Luckily, he had a set of lockpicks in his pocket. He took out a longer key from it and dipped it into the fluid, intending to scoop one up and examine it closely.

With a slight lift of the key, three or four red creatures were inadvertently flicked out and landed on the stone platform. It wasn't Qin Yu's fault; these creatures were small and moved quickly. He had merely lightly prodded the cluster with the key.

A few red creatures hopped on the stone platform for a moment before becoming motionless. Qin Yu didn't dare touch these unfamiliar creatures with his hands and continued using the key to pick up one of them for closer observation.

"They died so quickly?" Qin Yu was astonished. This particular red creature had been out of the golden fluid for only a moment, yet it showed no signs of movement. However, it made it easier for him to observe.

The red creature was a few centimeters long. If one were to say it resembled a fish, it lacked fish scales. Its overall color was blood-red. Qin Yu observed it carefully and finally managed to discern its head. Surprisingly, the creature had no eyes or mouth but had two long red whiskers resembling antennae. They were extremely thin, and he wouldn't have noticed them if he hadn't observed closely.

Just as Qin Yu was still observing this red creature, a black figure hiding in the corner suddenly rushed out. Taking several swift steps, the figure reached Mo Yongxin's side. Before Mo Yongxin could react, the figure's left hand curved around from behind her, gripping her neck, while the other hand drew a triangular dagger and held it against her throat.

"Ah!" Startled by the sudden attack, Mo Yongxin couldn't help but scream. Her cry caught Qin Yu's attention, and he quickly turned his head, only to see a man dressed in black holding Mo Yongxin's neck.

"It's you." Qin Yu's face turned grim as he spoke.

"That's right, it's me. Quickly bring me the jade disc, or I won't be gentle with Miss Mo!"