Volume 4: The Revelation Unveiled Chapter 500: Formation Magic

If Wu Kong and the others knew that the Medicine Buddha had returned to Mount Ling, they would surely be able to guess what was happening to Xiang Liu at this moment. Although Buddha Tathagata’s scripture was powerful, its greatest weakness was the need for constant recitation. Now that Tathagata had disappeared for over three hundred years, the various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas scattered across the world no longer had Tathagata as their leader in their hearts.

Xiang Liu was under severe constraints; it was the loss of these constraints that caused him pain.
Yuan Shi had an idea. He took out the Creation Furnace, recited a spell silently, and a peacock flew out, spreading its wings and crying out to the sky, its voice filled with joy of freedom.
Xuan Nu seemed to have an epiphany and said to Xiang Liu, “You’ve been in a dream for tens of thousands of years—time to wake up now. Is it really pleasant to be a puppet?”
Xiang Liu raised his head and snarled, “You think you can control me? I won’t help you! What can you do?”
Yin and Yang felt extreme disgust upon seeing Xiang Liu. They had remained silent throughout, but now they condensed a realm with just a finger, enclosing Xiang Liu within it. This realm was under Yin and Yang’s control, and they determined life and death within it. Inside, Xiang Liu felt no trace of the power of the Five Elements, only an indescribable discomfort. Suddenly, it felt as though iron bands were tightening around his body, his nine heads bursting with pain as all his blood rushed to his head.
At that moment, Yin and Yang’s voices reached his ears, “How much do you know about this formation?”
Xiang Liu gathered all his strength to utter two words: “Nothing!”
With a thought from Yin and Yang, one of Xiang Liu’s heads exploded, blood coloring the realm red as streams of it flowed down along the energy barrier.
Yin and Yang asked again, “How is that?”
Pain-stricken and too weak to speak, Xiang Liu could only shake his head.
Yin and Yang cast another spell, causing another head to explode. Now, Xiang Liu’s body seemed much smaller, likely due to excessive blood loss.
Wu Kong felt distressed and said to Yin and Yang, “This method is improper.”
Yin and Yang replied, “I’ll spare his life. But he was one of those who caused harm to the Seven Divine Apes back then, which is why I hate him the moment I see him.” Wu Kong was speechless—Yin and Yang was simply venting their anger.
Yin and Yang stopped asking Xiang Liu questions. With another thought, three more of his heads shattered. Wu Kong waved his hand and said, “Enough! If you hate him so much, his life doesn’t matter. Don’t ruin everything.”
Yin and Yang retracted the realm, and Xiang Liu fell out, collapsing weakly on the ground. Wu Kong reached out to Yuan Shi and said, “Give me a few life-saving pills.”

Yuan Shi took out a few immortal pills and threw them into Xiang Liu’s mouth. He smiled bitterly—Laojun, who crafted these pills, surely never imagined they would end up in Xiang Liu’s stomach. Fortunately, Xiang Liu still had a will to survive; he gulped down the pills without thinking and dared not look at Yin Yang again, instead closing his eyes and silently cultivating his energy. Once a formidable figure who had joined forces with the Phoenix to drive the True Martial Qilin into flight, he was now at the mercy of others. Seeing that Xiang Liu’s injuries had stabilized, Wukong said, “Xiang Liu, after all, you’re considered one of the five great kings. You know very well what kind of person Tathagata is. Why go to such lengths to become an enemy of the whole world over a stubborn obsession?” Xiang Liu merely chuckled and replied, “I simply won’t help you. What’s the problem with that?” Xuan Nu sighed and said, “Wukong, stop wasting your words. There are people in this world who are inherently evil. Do you believe it or not?” Wukong remained silent. Whether human nature is inherently good or evil has been a debated topic since ancient times, but he believed that at birth, people have no inherent good or evil—all habits are acquired later. Xiang Liu’s current state and mindset were largely due to his wicked master, the Bodhisattva Ni Li. Yuan Shi said, “My senior sister is right. Such people do exist—those who harm others without benefiting themselves feel much better. The world is full of wonders.” Unexpectedly, Xiang Liu spat out a mouthful of blood and said, “Nonsense!” Wukong asked urgently, “Which part is wrong? Did I offend you?” Xiang Liu replied, “The reason I’m willing to risk my life doing this isn’t as you say—‘How can sparrows understand the ambitions of a swan?’” Wukong looked at Xiang Liu and couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Xiang Liu was already extremely ugly, and after being tortured by Yin Yang, he now looked utterly terrifying—like a fried demon dragged out of hell, coated in fresh blood. Yet it was from his mouth that such words came, making the atmosphere even more bizarre. Huang Jiao the Great Immortal snapped angrily, “Who are the sparrows, and who is the swan?” Xiang Liu replied, “You people who cling to the old ways are naturally short-sighted sparrows. My master Tathagata has ambitions that surpass even the heavens. If he isn’t a swan, then who dare claim to be one?”

To Wu Kong, Xiang Liu’s words carried a distinct flavor. Most people in the world, who understood reason, regarded the Tathagata as evil. Though he had emerged from heaven, his actions provoked widespread anger, earning him contempt from all. Yet even such a person was regarded by Xiang Liu as an idol to emulate. Xiang Liu’s reluctance to help others stemmed not from any other reason but from his loss of spiritual devotion and desire to follow the Buddha. Still, he truly approved of the Tathagata’s actions. Given this, it was difficult to change his true nature.

Wu Kong cast a complex glance at Xiang Liu. Once one had a fixed nature, it was hard to alter. Imposing one’s own will was not the true intention. Yet if no measures were taken, the success of Yuan Shi’s sealing ritual would be uncertain. What could be done?

Seeing Wu Kong in trouble, Xuan Nu said to Xiang Liu, “Well, since you refuse to speak, alas, we have no choice but to use the soul-searching technique. It’s extremely painful—just endure it.”

A look of shock flashed across Xiang Liu’s face. “What? You actually know such a sinister spell?”

Xuan Nu smiled. “Among all spells in the world, there’s no such thing as good or evil—only how they’re applied.”

Xiang Liu quickly waved his hands. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk. But what good will it do? This formation can only be created or destroyed; it cannot be sealed.”

Yuan Shi said, “You don’t need to worry about anything else. Just tell us how you set up the formation back then.”

Xuan Nu snapped, “If there’s even a single lie, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Yuan Shi replied, “If he lies, I’ll surely tell.”

Xiang Liu steadied his emotions and recounted in detail how he set up the formation from start to finish. The eight pillars of the formation each had unique characteristics. It took him nearly an hour to finish speaking.

Yuan Shi listened very attentively, nodding occasionally and frowning at other times. After hearing everything, he sat cross-legged on the ground, deep in thought. Everyone knew Yuan Shi was pondering a way to seal the formation, so they stood quietly nearby, afraid of disturbing his thoughts.

At that moment, Wu Kong saw the peacock flying back from the horizon. Staying there was boring, so he went up to it and asked, “Where have you been?”

The peacock’s eyes were now clear and bright, clearly free from the constraints of the Tathagata’s scriptures. It replied, “Of course, I went to look for the Great Peng. But I couldn’t find him at Qi Tian Ling, so I went to Wudang Mountain instead.”

“Wudang Mountain?”

“That’s right. The qilin, along with its two sons and the Great Peng, is practicing there with Zhen Wu and Zi Wei. It’s very beneficial for those young ones,” said the peacock.

Wu Kong nodded. “Brother Peacock, you’ve finally escaped from the clutches of evil. Congratulations!”

The peacock said, “Because of me, my father lost his life. I truly feel guilty.”

Wukong also sighed and said, “Elder Phoenix faces death fearlessly, which is admirable and regrettable. But this was destined, and it’s not your fault. Besides… I’ve heard that Phoenix possesses the art of nirvana; perhaps there will be a great surprise.”
The peacock seemed confused and said, “The art of nirvana, wandering between life and death—I know nothing about it. I hope for the best, as you say.”
At that moment, Yuan Shi opened his eyes. Without any sign of surprise, he remained calm and said firmly, “Let’s head to Qingqiu Mountain first!”
Xuan Nu was somewhat pleased and asked, “Have you figured it out?”
Yuan Shi nodded and said, “The eight formations are connected. We must start from the east in order.”
Everyone set off for Qingqiu Mountain. Yuan Shi led the way, with Wukong and Yin Yang guarding his sides. Xuan Nu, having put away Xiang Liu, followed closely behind the peacock. Huang Jiao the Immortal also joined without hesitation, along with twenty-seven saints, all following closely behind. The matter of Yuan Shi setting up the formation was of great concern to him as well. He was originally the beautiful Queen Mother of the West, who was exploited by Tathagata throughout her life and ultimately vanished into nothingness. If it weren’t for her secret techniques and cunning, she would likely have been completely destroyed.
Cutting off Tathagata’s source for cultivating his third body was just Huang Jiao’s first step. Without a third body, and with only Bodhisattva Ni Li, Huang Jiao wouldn’t have much to fear. If he could also unite the people of Qitianling, eliminating Tathagata would be only a matter of time. That was his ultimate goal.
Yuan Shi, Yin Yang, and Wukong arrived at Qingqiu Mountain first. Yin Yang turned around, pointed at Huang Jiao and the others behind him, and shouted, “Back a hundred li!” Huang Jiao’s expression changed. He knew Yin Yang was acting for Yuan Shi’s sake, but he truly had no ill intentions. Being ordered like that made him feel uncomfortable.
Xuan Nu said, “Since we share the same enemy, ten li should be enough.”
Seeing Xuan Nu intercede, Yin Yang stopped pressing his demands, but he continued to face Huang Jiao, staying highly vigilant.
Xuan Nu and the peacock did not climb the Pillar of Heaven but watched from afar. Yuan Shi stood atop the pillar, with only Wukong slightly closer to him, ready to act swiftly in case of emergencies.
Yuan Shi had already figured out these eight formations, but he still felt a bit uneasy. Such formations were at the level of heavenly arrays, and the formations he had mastered before rarely reached such heights. Above all earthly arrays was the Yin-Yang Chaos Array—a gap he would likely never be able to cross in his lifetime.
Once he made up his mind, Yuan Shi acted quickly. Although the formation seemed complex, his movements were astonishingly fast. He moved through the array like the wind, performing countless array-setting techniques, altering numerous array nodes, and adjusting several foundation points.
Soon, Yuan Shi stopped and asked, “How is it?”

This question of “how” was actually directed at Wukong. Wukong understood immediately and stood there, sensing quietly. There was no force of creation in the golden sky and silver earth, but due to the formation activated by the Tathagata, it was filled with a force that counteracted creation. After a long while, Wukong showed surprise and joy, saying, “It really works!”