In the span of a dozen or so breaths, a full eighteen Spirit Eyes had appeared across the ten-thousand-zhang underground expanse.
The weakest among them were mid-grade Spirit Eyes, and three of them were actually high-grade Spirit Eyes.
These eighteen Spirit Eyes appeared to follow some particular pattern of arrangement, scattered throughout the subterranean space — fifteen mid-grade Spirit Eyes encircling the perimeter, while the three high-grade ones were positioned right at the center.
The overall layout seemed to conceal some profound mystery.
The sight of all eighteen Spirit Eyes erupting simultaneously was nothing short of spectacular, and everyone was struck speechless with shock.
After the initial thrill and astonishment wore off, the crowd quickly realized there was a serious problem.
A single mid-grade Spirit Eye would be enough to draw the intervention of first-rate powers fighting over it. Now with eighteen Spirit Eyes appearing at once — and three high-grade ones among them — this was no longer something the first-rate powers could swallow on their own. It was entirely possible that even top-tier sects like the Qingyang Divine Temple, the Tianwu Holy Land, and the Wuhua Hall would be drawn into the fray. The Star God Palace might even send people.
This was guaranteed to shake the entire Southern Region — perhaps even the entire Star Realm.
And the name of Maple Forest City would become known throughout the land.
"It's over, it's completely over!" someone muttered through twitching lips.
Though his words were vague, everyone present understood what he meant — that whatever fortune lay here was now completely beyond the reach of their sects.
"The arrangement of these Spirit Eyes... Could it be... Could it be the Eighteen Stars Grand Formation?" A man in the crowd swept his gaze around, eyes blazing with shock.
"The Eighteen Stars Grand Formation?" Someone eyed the man with suspicion and exclaimed, "This friend is an expert in formations?"
"I know a thing or two..." The man nodded.
Curiosity piqued, the crowd turned to him and asked, "Since you understand formations, tell us — what is the Eighteen Stars Grand Formation for?"
The man's face had gone pale, his expression grim. After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "I can't say for certain that it's the Eighteen Stars Grand Formation. After all, that formation has long been lost. It appears to be something from the Ancient Era — the records contain only a few brief lines of description, nothing comprehensive."
"An Ancient Era formation!" gasps erupted throughout the crowd.
The Ancient Era and the Primordial Era — these were two exceptionally special periods. It was said that during those times, the tides of heaven and earth fluctuated wildly and the power of natural laws was incredibly dense, giving rise to many mighty figures. But as time passed, the power of laws grew increasingly thin, making it ever harder for cultivators to advance.
Yet anything connected to the Ancient or Primordial Eras was invariably something breathtaking.
So upon learning that the Eighteen Stars Grand Formation was a wondrous formation from the Ancient Era, everyone's interest was thoroughly roused, and they were eager to learn more.
Yang Kai's expression shifted slightly. He looked at the man and said, "Might your surname be Gong?"
"A Gong family member from Tianhe Valley?" someone immediately cried out.
To recognize an Ancient Era formation at a glance meant this man's attainment in formations must not be underestimated. And across the entire Southern Region, only the Gong family of Tianhe Valley had delved deeply into the art of formations — every member of the Gong family was a formation master.
During his time in the Four Seasons Land, Yang Kai had crossed paths with Gong Wenshan of the Gong family and experienced firsthand their mastery of formations, which was why he had asked.
"Whoa... It's you, you killing—!" The cultivator standing beside Yang Kai seemed to finally snap out of his daze, and with a fright, hastily retreated a few steps away from Yang Kai.
The others all wore horrified expressions and backed away as well.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai found himself standing alone in empty space.
Yang Kai touched his nose. "I'm just here to look around. There's no need for everyone to be so tense."
He hadn't expected these people to be so wary of him.
Seeing that he seemed approachable enough and wasn't radiating any killing intent, the crowd relaxed a little.
"Brother Gong..." Yang Kai turned back to the man who had spoken.
The man smiled ruefully. "My surname isn't Gong... but I suppose you could say I'm half a Gong family member."
This left everyone confused.
The man explained, "My wife is from the Gong family, so I learned a fair bit of formation theory from them."
"Ah, so that's it!" Understanding dawned on the crowd, who figured the man was likely a live-in son-in-law — which explained his knowledge of formations.
"Tell us about the Eighteen Stars Grand Formation, friend," Yang Kai said. "I'm quite curious what this formation does."
"The Eighteen Stars Grand Formation — a wondrous formation of the Ancient Era, requiring extremely strict conditions to deploy. As you can all see, it demands eighteen Spirit-infused objects, and they must be sources capable of continuously generating Spirit Energy. Spirit Eyes are the ideal foundation for it!" The Gong family's son-in-law grew visibly solemn the moment he began discussing formations, speaking with fluent authority that spoke to a solid foundation and commanded trust. "As for the function of this Ancient Era formation..."
He paused briefly, then continued: "It is meant for suppression and sealing!"
"Suppression and sealing?"
"Sealing what?"
The crowd was thrown into confusion.
"I don't know." The man shook his head, then turned to look at Duan Yuanshan. "City Lord Duan, was there anything unusual about this place in the past?"