"As you wish."
Chu Feng agreed, but he did not begin unraveling the formation right away. Instead, he resumed his examination of the tombstone.
Jie Mubai knew that the tombstone concealed far too many clues, and seeing through it was no easy task. So he did not urge Chu Feng along, choosing instead to study the tombstone alongside him.
However, as time passed, Chu Feng's brow furrowed slightly — and the longer he observed, the deeper the crease between his brows grew.
"Can't see through it?" Jie Mubai asked.
"I can see through it, but unproving it is another matter entirely. I'm afraid I'll need your help, Senior," Chu Feng said.
"This was always a collaboration — there's no need to speak of help. Whatever you need, just say the word," Jie Mubai replied.
"I need materials similar to these. Does Senior have them?"
With a sweep of his wide sleeve, multiple materials materialized before them — some were for laying formations, and some were not. All in all, they were common materials used by Spirit World Masters, though the quality of what Chu Feng required was very high.
Jie Mubai did not hold anything back, nor did he ask too many questions. He simply produced every material Chu Feng had listed.
"Senior, you have all of them?" Chu Feng was somewhat surprised.
"The Seven Realms Sacred Palace is, after all, the most powerful Spirit World Master faction in the entire Martial Cultivation World. We're certainly not lacking in materials," Jie Mubai said.
"After we break the formation, things may become dangerous. We'll need to set up a teleportation formation as well. My abilities are limited, so it would be better if Senior handled the deployment."
As he spoke, Chu Feng swept his sleeve again, and a formation blueprint materialized in the air.
"Your method for constructing a teleportation formation is rather unconventional," Jie Mubai said, his gaze fixed on the diagram with great interest.
For a Spirit World Master of his caliber, setting up a teleportation formation was trivially easy. But Chu Feng's formation blueprint surpassed every method he had ever known — more refined, more elegant. It was certainly more complex, but its effectiveness would be far superior.
"I know that constructing a teleportation formation is simple for someone of your skill, Senior. However, if real danger lurks here, it will be no ordinary peril. So this teleportation formation — I must insist that you build it exactly according to my blueprint," Chu Feng said.
"Rest assured, leave it to me." With that, Jie Mubai immediately set to work constructing the formation.
Following Chu Feng's design required considerable time, but Chu Feng did not sit idle during the process. He continued studying the tombstone the entire while.
Once Jie Mubai completed the teleportation formation, he produced two talisman papers and handed one to Chu Feng. All Chu Feng had to do was activate the talisman, and he would be transported directly into the formation and carried to its safe destination.
"Senior, your efficiency is impressive. Leave the rest to me."
Chu Feng spoke and began forming hand seals.
In the span of an instant, a vast torrent of formation energy erupted from within his body, coalescing into an enormous formation array in the blink of an eye.
At the sight of this, a look of satisfaction appeared in Jie Mubai's eyes.
So Chu Feng's apparent observation had not been idle observation at all. While Jie Mubai had been constructing the teleportation formation, Chu Feng had been working as well — building this formation array inside his own body.
Normally, a formation constructed within one's body would be weaker than one deployed externally. Yet Chu Feng's formation was perfectly attuned to the tombstone. Right now, the tombstone was releasing its own formation energy, and the two meshed like a key and lock — a flawless fit.
The dazzling radiance confirmed to Jie Mubai that Chu Feng had chosen the correct method of unraveling. This formation was always meant to be built internally; an external deployment would have been ineffective.
Whoosh— But as the two formations merged, that eerie wind returned once more — and this time, its force was far more terrifying. Nearly the entire world was engulfed by the bizarre gale laden with sand and stone.
Why "nearly" and not entirely?
Because the area where Chu Feng and Jie Mubai stood remained perfectly unscathed.
"A cleansing sweep?" Jie Mubai sighed. "If anyone else were still out there, I'm afraid their chances would be grim."
He understood clearly that this shower of sand and stone was nothing like the trial they had faced upon entering. Its power was far greater, and it was nearly impossible to counter. Anyone still lingering in this world would almost certainly be killed.
This storm of sand and stone was sweeping away everyone — everyone except those who were unproving the formation.