The light barrier was thick and somewhat turbid. Although not as completely opaque as the yellow mist had been, it was still somewhat blurry and indistinct.
Moreover, besides this outer barrier, there seemed to be several more layers within. At the center of the light barrier, a pillar several zhang tall was faintly visible, its surface covered with ancient patterns and inscriptions. What exactly they depicted, the group could not make out clearly.
For whenever their spiritual sense touched the barrier, it was completely repelled, unable to penetrate even a fraction.
Even more strange were the countless slender, seven-colored light ribbons that drifted and wandered between the barriers, as if alive, creating an exceptionally eerie sight.
The others had now noticed all this as well, and couldn't help but click their tongues in wonder.
Han Li's expression, however, darkened slightly, a flicker of doubt passing unconsciously through his eyes.
Although he didn't know much about ancient formations, he had seen many in Xin Ruyin's various texts and records. The aura and appearance of the formation before him didn't seem like any of those ancient methods. Instead, it carried a certain sinister quality.
Thinking of this, Han Li turned his head slightly to glance at Shi Die nearby.
He saw her observing the great formation with curiosity, her face showing no unusual expression.
This eased Han Li's mind somewhat. He was not particularly confident in his own knowledge of formations, and he privately mocked himself for misjudging.
"Alright! The hour grows late. Brother Han and the others have traveled far—you should all get some rest. We'll begin formally breaking the formation tomorrow! Looking at this formation, it won't be something that can be broken in a short time!" Hu Yue said considerately to Han Li and the others.
Hearing this, Han Li also felt genuinely weary from the long journey, so he didn't voice any objection.
That Fairy Shi, however, upon seeing the true face of the formation, seemed eager to give it a try. But since Hu Yue had spoken, she said nothing more.
The group flew back to the stone houses.
Since there weren't enough rooms, Han Li and the others simply gathered some earth and built several mud huts. After using their stone-transformation techniques to turn them into proper stone dwellings, they officially moved in. Then, along with Shi Die, they approached the vicinity of the light barrier to begin their calculations and attribute testing.
The entire process of breaking the formation was very slow.
Especially at the beginning, both felt at a loss for where to start. They frequently encountered difficulties that couldn't be solved, sometimes spending several days without making the slightest progress.
But no matter what, a formation was lifeless—people were not!
Given enough time to study and deliberate, even the most bizarre formation would eventually be broken by human ingenuity.
Under the joint efforts of Han Li and this woman, this so-called ancient formation was no exception. Its secrets were gradually uncovered bit by bit by the two of them.
In the process, Han Li's impression of this female cultivator surnamed Shi underwent a great change.
Although somewhat haughty, she truly possessed considerable skill.
She was intimately familiar with all manner of formations, both great and small, that circulated in the outside world. When calculating a formation's layout, her mind left no gaps, her attention meticulous beyond measure. This left Han Li quite impressed!
In his view, while this woman's theoretical attainment in formations still fell short of Xin Ruyin's, it wasn't by much.
Yet between his admiration and puzzlement, Han Li couldn't help but wonder.
How was it that every formation expert he knew was a woman? Did female cultivators possess some innate talent for formations?
However, compared to Xin Ruyin, this Fairy Shi seemed somewhat theoretical in her approach.
Though she could discourse eloquently on every aspect of formation theory, her actual methods for breaking formations were rather limited—just the same few techniques over and over. If they proved ineffective, she could only stare blankly, helpless.
Han Li's own half-baked knowledge of formations was naturally far inferior to hers in terms of calculation and deduction.
He was quite self-aware, and didn't argue with her on that front. Instead, he simply brought out the various formation-breaking techniques he had learned from Xin Ruyin, applying them where appropriate. This surprised her quite a bit!
Thus, after reaching an understanding, Han Li and Fairy Shi fell into a natural division of labor: she would calculate and locate the formation's weak points, and then he would devise ways to break them.
This arrangement not only dramatically accelerated their progress, but also allowed both to learn much they had previously lacked. Both were greatly satisfied with the outcome.
As for Jin Qing and the others, who couldn't contribute at this stage, they simply meditated and cultivated their qi within the stone houses, quietly waiting for the two to break the formation.
Three months later, on a particular day, Han Li and Shi Die summoned everyone to the front of the hill.
After all this time of diligent work, the formation had finally been broken down to its last barrier.
Once this restriction was removed, that strange stone pillar would be completely exposed to their eyes.
The light barrier now looked vastly different from when Han Li had first seen it.
Not only had its area shrunk by nearly half, its color was no longer the original murky yellow but had turned to a fiery crimson. Even standing a short distance away, one could feel a wave of scorching heat rushing forth.
Even more startling were the seven-colored light ribbons that had been within the barrier walls. They had now transformed into countless winged fire serpents that writhed and crawled across the barrier's surface, ceaselessly spitting out fine tongues of flame.
"What kind of demonic creatures are these?" Jin Qing asked in astonishment upon seeing this sight.
The others wore equally startled expressions.
"The Winged Evils—fire-attribute spirit demons of extreme rarity. They can only form in very special places, and their lifespans are terribly short, often lasting only a few hours before dissipating on their own. However, the demon fire they are born capable of spitting rivals our cultivators' pill fire in power. They are particularly fond of devouring mortals' souls and cultivators' primordial spirits, making them exceedingly troublesome to deal with. This final restriction is clearly designed to create a Three-Sun Ground here, which is why these fire spirits can endlessly regenerate without cease. If any cultivator ignorant of this were to forcibly break the restriction, they would surely fall prey to these Winged Evils," Shi Die explained with a hint of pride.
After all, it was she who had first identified the origins of these rarely known "Winged Evils."
"Winged Evils?" Upon hearing that these things devoured primordial spirits, Jin Qing and the others couldn't help but blanch.
"Since you've called us here, you two must already have a method for breaking it. Please don't hesitate to give us instructions," the usually taciturn Cultivator Jian said unexpectedly.
The others were momentarily stunned, then all turned their gazes toward her and Han Li.
Han Li offered a faint smile but said nothing. Shi Die, however, beamed and said in a sweet voice:
"Senior Han and I were also quite troubled at first, but after several days of discussion, we finally devised a proper method to break this restriction. However, it will require everyone's assistance."
Though her appearance was rather plain, her voice was remarkably clear and melodious, lending her a sudden touch of charm.
"Just tell us, Fairy Shi. Whatever you and Fellow Daoist Han instruct, we'll do exactly as you say," Hu Yue said with a chuckle.
At this, Shi Die didn't stand on ceremony and began giving orders directly.
"To break this formation, we need several water-attribute magical artifacts that can counter its properties. Senior Han and I have managed to gather a few. If each of you takes one of these artifacts and stands at the positions we indicate, then once Senior Han breaks the barrier, you can use them to eliminate any Winged Evils that slip through."
"Fellow Daoists, you must not use your magical treasures to attack these spirit demons. These are innate fire spirits that we cultivators normally avoid at all costs. And absolutely do not let them get close to you, or it will be extremely troublesome," Han Li added slowly from the side.
Seeing Han Li's grave expression, Hu Yue and the others exchanged glances, all growing solemn as they acknowledged his words.
Then Han Li produced a small ruler, a miniature hammer, and a little three-pronged fork from his person, distributing them to Jin Qing, Qu Hun, and Cultivator Jian respectively. Meanwhile, Shi Die took out a blue silk handkerchief and gave it to Hu Yue.
Next, under Shi Die's guidance, they took up their designated positions around the area. Shi Die herself hurried to the perimeter, drawing out a short sword artifact, and focused her full attention on Han Li's movements.
Han Li did not act hastily. Instead, he carefully surveyed the surroundings once more, ensuring no errors, before finally raising both hands. Dozens of blue formation flags, formation discs, and other water-attribute formation tools flew from his storage pouch, hovering in the air around him.
Without a word, Han Li flicked his fingers lightly, and a series of soft "pfft" sounds followed in quick succession.
Every flag and disc shot outward to positions surrounding the red light barrier, then descended slowly according to a precise pattern.
Those that were flags drove their poles directly into the ground several inches deep. Those that were discs floated steadily several inches above the earth, forming an imposing and solemn array.