The Xuanwu phase, the temperature here was bone-chillingly cold.
The surrounding mudflats had all frozen over, emitting cold mist. However, stepping onto them would instantly cause one to sink into the mud, unable to escape.
But aside from these, this place also had a very heavy presence of Corpse Demons.
The mixture of corpse energy and demonic energy made this place particularly eerie and foretold its danger.
At this moment, Senior Bai Daozi was studying the map in his hand, discerning the terrain, landforms, and the arrangement of the formations.
Yun Long and Yun Hu had already taken out their feng shui compasses and were observing their surroundings.
"Yun Long, Yun Hu, how do we break this formation?" I asked.
Yun Long and Yun Hu listened and observed their surroundings.
Yun Hu replied, "In the Eight Trigrams, the northern Xuanwu corresponds to Kan, which in the Five Elements governs water and symbolizes the great yin of the Four Symbols..."
Yun Long chimed in, "Here, it's frozen for thousands of miles, filled with yin and demonic energy. Does this phase perhaps relate to this stone platform?"
This time, even Yun Long was unsure.
The stone platform itself?
I was stunned, and at that moment, Senior Bai Daozi had already walked over.
Holding the map, he addressed us, "That's right, this phase has a detailed explanation on my map. The Xuanwu's core is within this stone platform."
After saying that, he handed the detailed map to Yun Long and Yun Hu for them to study carefully.
Upon examining it, the two exclaimed in wonder, "Such formidable mastery of formations! To have hidden the Vermillion Bird's core beneath the stone platform. Creating such a phase is quite intriguing."
"The one who created this formation is indeed very skilled."
Although this was the work of demonic arts, the proficiency displayed here was something Yun Long and Yun Hu couldn't help but admire. Such skill indicated an extraordinary individual.
As for others, including those like us who only understood a tiny bit, we could only watch them analyze.
However, at this moment, my arm was nudged.
"What? Do you want to study Qimen Dunjia as well?"
Hearing the voice, I quickly turned my head. It was Xia Qiu Xi.
He had approached at some point without my notice.
With his arms crossed, he stood with everyone else, watching Yun Long, Yun Hu, and Senior Bai Daozi analyze the situation.
I smiled, "I do want to study it, but this field of knowledge is too profound, and it requires an astonishing foundation in mathematics. You know, besides cultivation techniques and drawing talismans, I doubt I could ever grasp such a subject..."
I spoke with a smile, but it was the truth.
My talent lay solely in cultivation and drawing talismans; otherwise, I was just an ordinary person.
Qimen Dunjia encompasses a vast array of knowledge and demands extremely high proficiency in numerology.
Although there are special aids like the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for calculation, the sheer volume of computation is terrifying.
Even for the foundational level of Plum Blossom Divination, which only uses birth dates for calculation, it takes me a long time, sometimes requiring a calculator.
Let alone the knowledge of formations, which can range from Taiji and Liangyi to a hundred combinations.
Timing, geography, and human harmony, days, wind direction, humidity, and so forth.
There are dozens of factors that can be discussed, not to mention combining them to create a formation.
I believe this is the most difficult field of study in our profession: Qimen Dunjia.
Therefore, some say that by mastering Qimen Dunjia, one can harness the essence of mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and heavens for one's own use...
Xia Qiu Xi and I chatted for a while on the side, while Yun Long, Yun Hu, and Senior Bai Daozi discussed for even longer.
Finally, Senior Bai Daozi spoke, "Water is like a river. Crossing a river requires utmost gentleness, but to reach the river's source requires firmness. A frontal assault will not work, so we must focus on a single point. Even if it is the Xuanwu's back, we must shatter it today."
He then turned to everyone present and said, "Those with gold elemental spiritual roots, step forward."
Upon hearing "gold elemental spiritual roots," several people stepped forward, about eight or nine of them.
Xia Qiu Xi also pushed me forward, "Opposite side for those with three spiritual roots!"
I rolled my eyes and stepped forward as well.
Including myself and Old Mo, there were ten people.
Senior Bai Daozi looked at us and then said, "This is a frigid land; it covers this phase. To shatter the Xuanwu's core, we must break through this layer of ice. Ice belongs to water, and metal overcomes water. After our discussion, if we all combine our strength and repeatedly attack the Kan position in the north, we can break this phase and open a path to life."
Everyone nodded without a word.
"Senior, we will give our all."
"We won't disappoint you."
"Senior, let's begin without delay!"
"..."
Everyone spoke up, ready to try.
Senior Bai Daozi also nodded.
Yun Long and Yun Hu had already found the Kan position on the stone platform. By using the center of the stone platform as a reference and forming an Eight Trigram, one could easily locate the Kan position.
"Here, everyone attack here later!" Yun Hu shouted, marking a spot on the ground with his moon-wheel artifact. The ice caused a "squeaking" sound as he made the mark.
"Then let's begin!" Senior Bai Daozi spoke again.
The ten of us quickly moved forward.
Old Mo was incredibly excited, "My great saber is already thirsty and restless."
As he spoke, his gold elemental Dao energy began to condense and erupt, extremely potent. Because Old Mo possessed the ultimate spiritual root, his erupted gold elemental spiritual root was even stronger than that of anyone else present. Even though my cultivation was higher than his, in terms of Dao energy attributes alone, I couldn't compare to him.
Many people glanced at Old Mo, feeling the oppressive aura of an ultimate spiritual root.
The Kan position was also the core of the Xuanwu phase.
The ten of us surrounded it, forming a circle. The ground was covered in thick ice and stones, which felt incredibly hard to the touch. Our task now was simply to break through this ice and shatter the stone platform. The mission was simple, but executing it would not be so easy...
As I was thinking this, Li Chun Long, the senior disciple of the Wudang sect standing opposite me, drew his sword. His gaze was sharp, and his Dao energy erupted. With a "swish," his long sword was unsheathed. He immediately unleashed his strongest ultimate skill, "One Sword Yin Yang." In an instant, sword light flashed. With a "boom," a sword qi struck the Kan position. The ice cracked, revealing a massive sword mark. Everyone present was astonished. Li Chun Long truly lived up to his reputation as the senior disciple of the Wudang sect. Coupled with his primary focus on swordsmanship, the power of this strike was truly formidable.
Old Mo beside me did not hesitate, raising his great axe and bringing it down with immense force.
"Boom!" Another cracking sound echoed, but it only added a few more cracks to the ice. Keep in mind, Old Mo's axe could shatter granite with a single blow. Now, it had only produced a few fissures, demonstrating the immense strength of the ice and the ground.
Without further thought, everyone else began to attack. Various artifacts were unleashed upon the ground, bombarding it relentlessly. "Boom, boom, boom!" Explosions continued, each strike powerful, and the ice began to break faster. Some fellow Daoists standing outside also attempted to strike the ice with other spiritual powers and Dao energies. They found the effect to be very weak. Even with the same amount of force, gold elemental Dao energy could create cracks, while Dao energies of other attributes might only scratch the surface of the ice on the stone platform.
However, this was not the most important development. Under our continuous bombardment, the ice-covered mudflats surrounding us began to show abnormalities. Ice monsters, one by one, gradually revealed their true forms...