The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood, and the surrounding land had turned blood red.
On the blood-red earth lay countless skeletons, not just of humans, but also a large number of animal remains.
These skeletons were devoid of any flesh or blood, as if they had died a long time ago, yet the bones themselves looked fresh.
Even the leaves of the surrounding trees, which should have been lush and green, were stained with a layer of blood red, creating a scene that was a true depiction of hell.
On the other side, the Xi Long Yuan appeared starkly out of place against the surrounding environment. The lake water there remained crystal clear, though it was emanating peculiar blood-red light beams.
These beams crisscrossed, forming a massive hexagram that hovered above the Xi Long Yuan.
At each intersection of the light beams, a white skeleton floated, totaling twelve white skeletons.
These skeletons were all in a uniform kneeling posture, as if pleading for something.
Their clothing was entirely absent, making it impossible to determine their identities. The only conclusion that could be drawn was that these twelve individuals were likely the architects of the great formation.
"What… what is going on here?"
"Was the entrance formation destroyed or not?"
Just then, Gui Wu recovered her senses and approached Ye Cangtian, asking slowly.
The blood-red light continued to flicker, indicating that the formation was still active, yet there were no figures to be seen in the vicinity.
Could it be that the Guang Ming Dian, after meticulously setting up the formation, had withdrawn before seeing the results?
This seemed highly unlikely!
From the twelve white skeletons within the hexagram, it was evident that those who came to destroy the entrance formation were undoubtedly individuals who were prepared to face death.
They had fought desperately to destroy the entrance formation, so why would they retreat before completing their mission?
Yet, the reality was perplexing!
"I'm not sure. I'll go down and take a look to see what the situation is."
Ye Cangtian remained silent for a moment before finally making his decision.
"Are you crazy? Didn't you see the hexagram is still active?"
Upon hearing this, Gui Wu became agitated. The fact that the Guang Ming Dian dared to use this formation to break the other indicated that the formation they had set up possessed immense power.
How could a mortal like Ye Cangtian withstand the formation's attacks?
"It's fine. This formation has been active for a long time. Through constant conflict, it must have suffered significant depletion. The remaining power should be negligible now."
"Besides, no matter what, I have to go down and see for myself…"
Ye Cangtian spoke slowly. The situation at the entrance had become so bizarre that he had to make an attempt.
Moreover, if the entrance formation was not destroyed, he was the only one who could ascertain its strength.
Hearing this, Gui Wu wanted to say more, but she saw the resolute look in Ye Cangtian's eyes. She knew that no matter what she said, she couldn't stop him.
After convincing Gui Wu, Ye Cangtian cautiously approached the Xi Long Yuan.
The moment his foot stepped into the water, the hexagram's blood-red light suddenly flared, instantly activating a blood-red spiritual energy shield.
The shield repelled Ye Cangtian and completely enveloped the entire lake surface.
"What is this? A seal? Weren't they trying to destroy the formation?"
Seeing Ye Cangtian being thrown back, Gui Wu rushed forward to investigate. Only when she found Ye Cangtian unharmed did she speak with some surprise.
From her perspective, the formation did not seem to cause any harm to people. It acted more like a barrier, prohibiting anyone from approaching.
Besides this, she also noticed no confrontation occurring between the hexagram and the entrance formation, which led her to this conclusion.
"It's not a seal; it's likely a self-preservation mechanism of the formation."
Ye Cangtian glanced at the hexagram, his expression growing serious.
Perhaps Gui Wu's attention had been solely focused on Ye Cangtian, so she had missed something.
However, Ye Cangtian's gaze was fixed on the area around the hexagram, and he had observed every subtle change.
Just as the hexagram's blood-red light had flared, he clearly saw that the twelve skeletons at the nodes of the hexagram were all entwined with blood-red threads as thin as a strand of hair.
These red threads extended downwards into the Xi Long Yuan.
If his assumptions were correct, the hexagram was using these blood-red threads to contend with the entrance formation.
"Then what should we do now?"
Listening to Ye Cangtian's words, Gui Wu inquired.
"There's no good method. We can only forcefully break through the protective shield and then figure it out…"
Ye Cangtian glanced at Gui Wu, then took out his Dragon Soul Blade and slowly approached the protective shield, gathering spiritual energy throughout his body.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ye Cangtian made a few simple attempts, but each time he was repelled by the shield.
Furthermore, as he increased his force, the rebound force also grew, eventually even causing him, with his physical condition, to be thrown about disoriented.
Gui Wu watched from the side with wide eyes. Through the fluctuations of spiritual energy, she could completely sense the power Ye Cangtian was exerting.
Even so, the protective shield only rippled slightly. Its defensive capabilities were astonishing, and it was possible that even with their combined efforts, they might not be able to break it.
However, she did not stop Ye Cangtian. She could tell that Ye Cangtian would not give up.
"Nami, lend me the Golden Trident."
After failing multiple times, Ye Cangtian finally withdrew his Dragon Soul Blade and called out to the Qiankun Bag for help.
The next moment, Nami unhesitatingly tossed out the Golden Trident.
Holding the Golden Trident, Ye Cangtian stepped forward again. He tentatively swung the Golden Trident.
Instantly, a massive gap was torn open in the entire protective shield.
"This…"
As expected of a divine artifact of the Merman tribe! It appeared ordinary but was far beyond what the Dragon Soul Blade could compare to!
While Ye Cangtian marveled internally, seeing the gap rapidly closing, he didn't hesitate and darted into the opening.
"Wait for me!"
Seeing Ye Cangtian risking his life, Gui Wu, who had just recovered, became extremely anxious.
But she was still a step too late. By the time she rushed forward, the protective shield had already returned to its original state, and she could only wait anxiously outside.
On the other side, Ye Cangtian, who had entered the protective shield, immediately felt his spiritual energy being slowly devoured by the hexagram.
Without a word, he directly consumed several Spirit Gathering Pills refined by Yao Bao'er to replenish his depleted energy.
At the same time, he first dove into the Xi Long Yuan and found the twelve blood threads connected to the white skeletons, severing them one by one with the Golden Trident.
To his surprise, the blood threads were easily severed, but after a short while, they would reconnect.
"It seems the twelve skeletons are the foundation of the formation. To destroy this formation, the foundation must be destroyed!"
Upon hearing Nami's reminder, Ye Cangtian didn't hesitate. He immediately rushed out of the water, gathered his spiritual energy, and launched a powerful strike towards one of the skeletons.
Crack!
A crisp sound made Ye Cangtian's arm go numb.
The Golden Trident, which had always been invincible and incredibly sharp, failed to destroy the skeleton. It only managed to cleave a gap into it.
Such a scene was truly unbelievable for him.
However, despite his surprise, the gap indicated that if he increased his attack power, it might be possible to destroy the skeleton.
Boom!
The next moment, a deafening roar erupted. Destroying just one skeleton produced a sound akin to an explosion, and the entire formation trembled in response.
Concurrently, a corner of the hexagram completely dimmed, and the blood color of the formation's surrounding protective shield also faded significantly.