"Welcome, Fellow Daoist Qu. I am Feng Sanniang of the Six Linked Halls, responsible for overseeing the formation along with the others." A middle-aged woman around forty years old stood up and said with a smile.
Though this woman could not be called stunningly beautiful, she still possessed some charm.
"So it is Fellow Daoist Feng. Qu greets you." Qu Hun replied calmly, then led Han Li toward the table.
Han Li swept his gaze across the hall, taking in the unfamiliar cultivators present.
A middle-aged scholar with plain features, a charming young wife in her twenties, an elder with clouded gray eyes, and a youth radiating crimson light—along with the woman who called herself Feng Sanniang, there were exactly five people.
However, the young wife was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and she sat close to the scholar in a very intimate manner, clearly they were dao companions.
While Han Li was pondering, Feng Sanniang spoke with a graceful laugh:
"You've come at just the right time, Fellow Daoist Qu. I was just discussing the variations of the 'Grand Six-Escape Water Wave Formation' with the others! If we can practice it thoroughly beforehand, I'm sure we'll all handle the formation much more smoothly when the time comes. But first, allow me to introduce you to the other fellow daoists!" Feng Sanniang was clearly very skilled at socializing. With just a few soft words, she immediately bridged the distance between Han Li and everyone in the hall.
"These two are Fellow Daoist Mao, the talented disciple of Island Master Zhantai of Weixing Island, and his dao companion, Fellow Daoist Xue!" Feng Sanniang first pointed to the middle-aged scholar and the young wife as she introduced them to Han Li.
"Qu Hun? I know quite a few cultivators on Kuixing Island, but I've never heard of you." The middle-eyed scholar glanced coldly at Han Li and said with some arrogance.
For some reason, this middle-aged scholar seemed to take a dislike to Qu Hun, and his opening remark was immediately offensive.
This caused Feng Sanniang's smiling expression to momentarily freeze, but she quickly recovered her composure.
"I was not originally a cultivator of Kuixing Island. I only recently arrived to visit my senior nephew Han, who is settling here. Is it so strange that you haven't heard of my name, Fellow Daoist? Moreover, I am also hearing your name for the first time." Qu Hun countered calmly.
"You..."
"Let me introduce you. This esteemed elder is Fellow Daoist Qing Suanzi, a hidden cultivator of Golden Turtle Island. Though rarely known to others, his wood-attribute cultivation techniques are nearly unmatched within the Foundation Establishment stage! As for Fellow Daoist Yan, he is even more formidable—possessing the Dark Fire Physique, his Pure Yang True Fire is cultivated to a state of perfection."
The middle-aged scholar showed a flash of anger and his face darkened as he was about to say more, but the woman hurriedly interrupted to change the subject.
"Fellow Daoist Qing! Fellow Daoist Yan!" Qu Hun glanced at the elder and the youth, giving them a slight nod in greeting.
Though these two were at the same late stage of Foundation Establishment as the scholar, the pressure they exerted on Han Li was far greater than that of the middle-aged scholar. Their cultivation techniques were clearly extraordinary. Han Li had no desire to offend them easily.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qu!"
"Yan greets you!"
These two did not put on airs either, and they returned Qu Hun's greeting with smiles.
This scene made the middle-aged scholar even more uncomfortable.
Thus, before Feng Sanniang could say anything else, he suddenly stood up and said with a stern face:
"I wish to return to my room for some meditation. We can discuss the formation matters later!"
After saying this, he flung his sleeves and turned to leave the hall. The young wife shot an apologetic glance at the others before following him out.
"Hmph! What is there to be so arrogant about? He just has a master who happens to be an island master!" The youth surnamed Yan flared with crimson light and said irritably.
The expressions of the elder and Feng Sanniang also shifted slightly, but the elder quickly became expressionless again, while Feng Sanniang forced a smile and invited Qu Hun to sit down, seemingly unwilling to discuss the scholar's matter.
"Weren't there supposed to be six people? Could Fellow Daoist Xue also be one of the formation overseers?" Qu Hun asked calmly after sitting down without ceremony. Han Li stood discreetly behind him.
"There is one more—Fellow Daoist Dou from Huaming Island. However, he is said to be cultivating a powerful technique and won't be leaving his room for the next few days." Feng Sanniang smiled and explained.
"Oh, I see!" Han Li nodded and said nothing more.
But Feng Sanniang seemed quite interested in Qu Hun, occasionally asking unrelated questions, which surprised Han Li standing behind Qu Hun. He couldn't fathom what the woman's intentions were.
However, when she asked Qu Hun if he understood the "Grand Six-Escape Water Wave Formation," Qu Hun, under Han Li's instruction, naturally denied it completely.
So the woman smiled and said that none of the others knew it either, and began explaining the intricacies of the formation to the three of them.
What a surprise—Feng Sanniang turned out to be a rarely-seen formation master!
...
Although the middle-aged scholar seemed to be at odds with everyone else, he did return to the hall on the second day to listen to Feng Sanniang explain the key points of overseeing the formation.
After all, the Six Linked Halls had invited them precisely to oversee this formation!
Three or four more days passed, and the other cultivator who had been in seclusion finally appeared. He was a bald giant standing seven feet tall, with a face full of rugged features, looking extremely fierce. However, his manner of speaking was quite straightforward, and he got along well with everyone.
Thus, after listening to Feng Sanniang's explanation of the formation's intricacies, Han Li and the others would frequently have the sea vessel stop, then fly out to the nearby waters to continuously practice the variations and coordination of the "Grand Six-Escape Water Wave Formation," so they could successfully trap the demonic beast in one go, making everyone happy.
As a result, the sea vessel naturally couldn't travel very quickly, but the Six Linked Halls didn't seem to be in any hurry. Though they stopped and started, Feng Sanniang remained smiling throughout, without the slightest hint of urging them on.
But once they had practiced the formation's variations to absolute perfection, Feng Sanniang wasted no more time and had the sea vessel proceed at full speed.
One month later, the sea vessel finally dropped anchor and stopped beside an unnamed barren island roughly ten li in size.
Han Li and the others disembarked under Feng Sanniang's lead.
Just as they set foot on the island, a blinding golden light flew in from the sky. After circling once before them, the golden light dissipated, revealing an elder with a pale golden complexion, staring at them expressionlessly.
There was no magical fluctuation emanating from this person. He seemed like an ordinary mortal without any cultivation, yet also like someone whose immense power was so deeply concealed it could not be perceived at all. This made Han Li's heart skip a beat.
"Subordinate Feng Sanniang pays respects to Elder Miao!" Feng Sanniang stepped forward without hesitation and bowed deeply to the elder, her face showing a look of reverence.
At this point, Han Li and the others standing behind her naturally realized this person's identity and all stepped forward to pay their respects. A Core Formation cultivator was not someone they could afford to slight.
"No need for formalities! Feng Sanniang, you've done well this time, bringing these helpers here promptly! Have they practiced the formation thoroughly? The demonic beast we must deal with this time is formidable—we cannot afford to be careless!" The elder said slowly, his expression unchanged.
"Rest assured, Elder. All the fellow daoists have thoroughly mastered the various variations of the 'Grand Six-Escape Water Wave Formation' and will definitely be able to trap this beast!" Feng Sanniang said confidently.
"Good! Fellow daoists, the Six Linked Halls needs your assistance. As long as you all do your utmost, our hall will certainly not treat you unfairly." Elder Miao swept his gaze over the scholar and the others, his expression softening into a genial look.
"Rest assured, Elder. We will do our utmost!" Before anyone else could speak, the middle-aged scholar jumped in first, wearing an ingratiating smile.
Seeing the scholar's fawning manner, the others showed subtle expressions of distaste but could only echo similar sentiments.
Elder Miao was clearly satisfied with everyone's attitude. He nodded slightly and continued:
"The grand formation was set up half a day ago. You only need to go and oversee it. Meanwhile, Elder Gu is currently engaging the demonic beast in the nearby waters. I will lure the creature over to the formation now. By tomorrow morning, we should be able to draw it into the formation, and then it will be up to your skills. Rest on the island for a while first!"
With that, Elder Miao transformed into a streak of golden light and flew into the sky, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
"Fellow daoists, you've all heard what Elder Miao said. Everyone rest for half a day and restore your spirits. Tomorrow there will be a fierce battle!" Feng Sanniang turned around and said solemnly.
By this point, the others naturally had nothing more to say and all nodded in understanding.
But just then, Qing Suanzi, who had spoken very little throughout the journey, suddenly asked in a flat tone:
"Fellow Daoist Feng, throughout the journey we've asked you what kind of demonic beast we're dealing with, but you've always been evasive. Now that we're to act tomorrow, shouldn't you finally tell us the truth?"
At this old man's question, the others couldn't help but feel a stir of curiosity, all fixing their gaze on Feng Sanniang.
They shared the same question. What kind of fierce and rare demonic beast was this, worthy of the Six Linked Halls mobilizing such resources and planning for so long? An ordinary sixth-rank demonic beast certainly wouldn't warrant such an effort!