Chapter 642: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

The mystical art of feng shui concealed the will of heaven and defied transformation, forcing living beings into the form of yellow dragons. Even those at the Heavenly Extreme Realm could not escape its grasp. The power of feng shui was extraordinarily enigmatic.

The saying goes: "Fate first, luck second, feng shui third, virtue fourth, and knowledge fifth." That feng shui ranks above virtue and knowledge underscores its profound and mysterious nature. While it might not gather fortune or enhance cultivation speed through merits, its ability to conceal heaven's will and transform beings was testament to its strength. It was a power that defied understanding.

Compared to the vast Dragon-Trapping Urn formation, Gu Qianyou's small feng shui formation was insignificant. Gu Qianyou had only learned the basics, whereas Shenxiu was the master of his lineage. Naturally, there was no comparison.

Gazing at the grand and mysterious feng shui formation before her, Gu Qianyou felt a growing sense of awe.

"Empress, should we wake His Majesty? The situation is becoming increasingly strange," Mr. Corpse asked.

"No need. His Majesty rarely gets to rest. No one is to disturb him," Gu Qianyou stated firmly.

"Understood!" everyone responded immediately.

The yellow smoke spread across all corners of the urn, with only the 'Daguo' position remaining unaffected. Only those in this position were spared from transforming into yellow dragons.

The purple-haired man, while battling Gu Qianyou's formation, felt a profound sense of despair. The distant dragon roars and the yellow smoke signaled the activation of the grand formation, making him realize how much he had missed. The sight of the formation filled him with a deep sense of sorrow.

Nian Youyou, curious about the yellow smoke, moved towards it and attempted to catch some. She reached out and grabbed a wisp, but the smoke was peculiarly resilient. A strand of it entered her body, followed by more smoke that she couldn't control. Her expression changed dramatically.

However, the smoke couldn't penetrate the ancestral divine beast, whose thick hide seemed impervious.

Feeling the strange changes within her, Nian Youyou's pupils contracted, turning from black to golden. She transformed into a heap of yellow sand that floated back, carrying the ancestral divine beast, and exited through the urn's gap.

Once outside, the yellow sand reformed into Nian Youyou, who looked terrified. She observed the wisp of yellow smoke in her palm, which dissipated as if it lost its potency outside the urn.

"What is this?" Nian Youyou exclaimed in wonder.

If Shenxiu had seen this, he would have been even more shocked. First, the ancestral divine beast could resist the yellow smoke, and second, Nian Youyou could transform herself into sand and expel the smoke.

Even powerful figures like Tian Xiao and Yin Luo Ri were affected, unable to resist the transformation. Yet Nian Youyou had managed to evade it?

Two days later, near the former Floating Blood Sea, a group of Great Yan Dynasty experts watched in amazement as the yellow smoke spread and dragon roars echoed.

"Dragons?" The Great Yan experts looked puzzled. Where did these dragons come from, and why were there so many dragon roars? The sound grew stronger and louder.

Some brave experts flew in to investigate.

Concealing Heaven's Will, Defying Transformation—a living person being forcibly transformed into a yellow dragon, even Heavenly Extreme Realm experts couldn't escape this fate. The mystical art of feng shui was too enigmatic!

The saying goes: "Fate first, luck second, feng shui third, virtue fourth, and knowledge fifth." The high ranking of feng shui underscores its profound and mysterious nature. It might not gather fortune or enhance cultivation speed through merits, but its ability to conceal heaven's will and transform beings was testament to its strength—a power that defied understanding.

Compared to the vast Dragon-Trapping Urn formation, Gu Qianyou's small feng shui formation was insignificant. Gu Qianyou had only learned the basics, whereas Shenxiu was the master of his lineage. Naturally, there was no comparison.

Gazing at the grand and mysterious feng shui formation before her, Gu Qianyou felt a growing sense of awe.

"Empress, should we wake His Majesty? The situation is becoming increasingly strange," Mr. Corpse asked.

"No need. His Majesty rarely gets to rest. No one is to disturb him," Gu Qianyou stated firmly.

"Understood!" everyone responded immediately.

The yellow smoke spread across all corners of the urn, with only the 'Daguo' position remaining unaffected. Only those in this position were spared from transforming into yellow dragons.

The purple-haired man, while battling Gu Qianyou's formation, felt a profound sense of despair. The distant dragon roars and the yellow smoke signaled the activation of the grand formation, making him realize how much he had missed. The sight of the formation filled him with a deep sense of sorrow.

Nian Youyou, curious about the yellow smoke, moved towards it and attempted to catch some. She reached out and grabbed a wisp, but the smoke was peculiarly resilient. A strand of it entered her body, followed by more smoke that she couldn't control. Her expression changed dramatically.

However, the smoke couldn't penetrate the ancestral divine beast, whose thick hide seemed impervious.

Feeling the strange changes within her, Nian Youyou's pupils contracted, turning from black to golden. She transformed into a heap of yellow sand that floated back, carrying the ancestral divine beast, and exited through the urn's gap.

Once outside, the yellow sand reformed into Nian Youyou, who looked terrified. She observed the wisp of yellow smoke in her palm, which dissipated as if it lost its potency outside the urn.

"What is this?" Nian Youyou exclaimed in wonder.

If Shenxiu had seen this, he would have been even more shocked. First, the ancestral divine beast could resist the yellow smoke, and second, Nian Youyou could transform herself into sand and expel the smoke.

Even powerful figures like Tian Xiao and Yin Luo Ri were affected, unable to resist the transformation. Yet Nian Youyou had managed to evade it?

Two days later, near the former Floating Blood Sea, a group of Great Yan Dynasty experts watched in amazement as the yellow smoke spread and dragon roars echoed.

"Dragons?" The Great Yan experts looked puzzled. Where did these dragons come from, and why were there so many dragon roars? The sound grew stronger and louder.

Some brave experts flew in to investigate.

As they ventured closer, they saw the yellow smoke enveloping everything. The sight of countless powerhouses transforming into dragons was overwhelming.

Meanwhile, inside the formation, Gu Qianyou's setup continued to hold strong, providing a small haven amidst the chaos. The gap in the urn allowed them to remain unaffected by the yellow smoke, but the tension was palpable.

The purple-haired man, realizing the scale of the disaster unfolding, felt a deepening sense of doom. He had missed the opportunity to avert this catastrophe, and now the consequences were unavoidable. The Realm Lord's plan was in motion, and any failure on his part would mark him as the greatest traitor in the Ageless Realm's history.

Nian Youyou's encounter with the yellow smoke had revealed a potential flaw in the formation. While the purple-haired man was trapped, others began to take notice of the urn's peculiarities.

From a distance, Shenxiu monitored the formation's progress, confident in its success. The transformation of so many powerful beings into yellow dragons was a testament to his feng shui mastery. Yet, the small flaw remained unnoticed, a potential weakness that could unravel the grand scheme.

The stage was set for an epic confrontation. As the Great Yan experts continued their investigations, the truth of the formation's power and its vulnerabilities would soon come to light. The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—hidden forces awaited their moment to strike, ready to exploit any opportunity presented by the unfolding chaos.

Confrontation at the Center

As these powerhouses ventured deeper into the yellow smoke, they too fell prey to its effects. To their horror, they witnessed a bizarre phenomenon—countless yellow dragons converging, merging into larger dragons. Two dragons would touch and seamlessly blend into one, forming a new, larger dragon. This process repeated endlessly, with dragons merging into ever-larger entities.

Astonished, the Great Yan Dynasty experts watched in disbelief. However, it wasn't long before they too were transformed into enormous yellow dragons, merging with the largest dragon.

Yellow smoke engulfed everything, reaching the massive black hole where Nangong Sheng battled the two Wu Clan members. The space around them was in turmoil, unable to withstand the strain of the powerful immortal-level combatants. The area was filled with black holes, and the surroundings trembled violently.

At the center of the black hole, Nangong Sheng's clothes were tattered, his back covered in ghastly black scars. His face showed signs of exhaustion and rage. Despite his formidable strength, he appeared on the brink of collapse.

Above his head floated the massive iron book, the Earth Book, emitting gray-white ripples that protected him. However, his opponents were overwhelmingly powerful.

The two Wu Clan members, despite the numerous cracks on their robes, stood strong, leaning on their pitch-black staffs.

Nangong Sheng was being overpowered even with the Earth Book in his possession.

"A mere Celestial Immortal with such power? The small world indeed has its wonders. You've endured the heavenly tribulation at the tenth level of the Heavenly Extreme Realm. If you had reached the eleventh level and become an Earth Immortal, I might be wary. But the gap between a Celestial Immortal and an Earth Immortal is vast. You gave up the opportunities of the small world, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life," the leading Wu Clan member taunted coldly.

The Wu Clan member's aim was to break Nangong Sheng's spirit, but as a former master of a holy land, Nangong Sheng's mental fortitude was unshakeable.

"You're injured too. What's wrong with the small world? You think I'd fear you if I reached the great world?" Nangong Sheng retorted defiantly.

"You haven't ascended, haven't been baptized by the great world, so your strength is significantly weakened. To think you could defeat me with your Celestial Immortal power, even with the unfinished Earth Book, is naive," the leading Wu Clan member sneered.

"Do the Wu Clan always talk big?" Nangong Sheng spat, coughing up blood.

Seeing Nangong Sheng's severe injuries, the Wu Clan member smiled coldly. "You're at your limit. Hand over the Earth Book, and I might spare your life."

"Hahaha, you just can't take the Earth Book, can you? Trying to use such underhanded tactics?" Nangong Sheng laughed maniacally.

"Hmph, since you seek death, you can't blame me!" the leading Wu Clan member scoffed coldly.

With a wave of his hand, blue ripples resembling electric waves emanated from his palm, and he pointed his staff directly at the Earth Book.

"Shattering Soul—"

The Wu Clan leader's attack, fierce and unrelenting, rushed toward Nangong Sheng.

Seeing this move, fear flickered in Nangong Sheng's eyes. Clearly, he had suffered from this attack before. But with no choice but to face it, his panic turned to a fierce resolve. His bloodshot eyes glinted with a ruthless light. He was ready to fight to the death.

"Break—"

Nangong Sheng pointed at the Earth Book, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The book expanded a hundredfold, emitting a powerful force that collided with the Wu Clan's attack.

The clash of these two mighty forces expanded the edges of the black hole once more, sending powerful shockwaves across the ground and disturbing the yellow smoke environment.

"Puh—"

Nangong Sheng spat blood, his face turning pale and lifeless. His body twisted in pain, clearly defeated in this final clash, his expression one of utter defeat, as if his soul was about to dissipate. The Wu Clan leader was also thrown back a hundred zhang, coughing up a mouthful of clotted blood. He was injured but not severely.

The Earth Book fell to the ground between them, out of Nangong Sheng's control.

Nangong Sheng lay limp, seemingly devoid of any strength to continue fighting, looking like a corpse—a fallen immortal due to the Earth Book.

The Wu Clan members smiled in satisfaction, but the leader, sensing the need for caution, exuded a killing intent.

At that moment—

"Roar—"

A thunderous dragon roar shattered the surrounding space. A colossal yellow dragon, fifty thousand zhang long, charged into the black hole. The Wu Clan members, momentarily relaxed, were caught off guard. The dragon widened the black hole and, in a swift move, clamped its jaws onto the now-enlarged Earth Book.

The scene dramatically played out like a classic tale of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

With the Earth Book firmly in its grasp, the yellow dragon turned to flee. The Wu Clan members, now recovering their senses, reacted in fury.

"You beast, how dare you—"