Over half a month later, atop Yellow Dragon Mountain on the border of Li Prefecture in the Kingdom of Yu, amid a complex of magnificent pavilions and towers, a burly man in his early forties with sparse eyebrows was pacing back and forth through a grand hall, a hint of anxiety showing on his face.
After a short while, the man dropped into a rattan chair, picked up a cup of tea from the table, and took a small sip, just managing to quiet his troubled mind for a moment—when suddenly a streak of red light shot in from outside, circling and dancing around the ceiling of the hall.
The man's expression changed. He reached out and made a grasping gesture toward the red light, and it immediately descended into his palm, transforming into a ball of raging flames.
The man immersed his consciousness in the flames, but his face quickly darkened.
After a moment of silence, the man, whose complexion had turned rather livid, reached into his bosom and produced a small azure bell.
Without a word, he extended a short, thick finger and struck the bell.
A clear, resonant chime rang throughout the hall, its echoes carrying far and wide into the surroundings. In response, chimes rang out across the entire summit of Yellow Dragon Mountain, and beams of multicolored light rose from the complex of pavilions. Cultivators in various attire hurriedly flew out from within and, with well-practiced coordination, dispersed in all directions.
Before long, a thick, eerie green mist had spread across the surroundings of Yellow Dragon Mountain, transforming the area within several dozen li into a strange sea of jade-green fog.
At this point, several more cultivators had appeared in the hall where the sparse-eyebrowed man stood—three men and one woman, all at the Core Formation stage.
Two of the men, both in their thirties, looked exactly alike; they were a pair of twin brothers. The third man wore a Daoist robe and held a horsetail whisk—a middle-aged Daoist priest.
The sole female cultivator was petite in stature, with exquisitely delicate features.
The four of them stood on either side of the burly man, all wearing grave expressions.
"Senior Lu, has the army of Dharma practitioners truly arrived so quickly? The last report said the column heading this way was still being held up at Senior Bu's position. Could it be that in a mere seven or eight days, Senior Bu's 'Celestial Wind Mystic Wave Formation' has been broken? Surely there must be some mistake." The female cultivator asked hesitantly, her face full of disbelief.
"A mistake? I wish the fellow who sent the transmission talisman had made a mistake. But this talisman was sent by Bu Tuozi himself, and he has been gravely wounded. The fleeing cultivators, along with their pursuers, will be arriving at our Yellow Dragon Mountain before long. Abandon any hopes of avoiding this. We won't be getting reinforcements—we'll have to face the enemy on our own." The sparse-eyebrowed man let out a cold laugh and spoke in a grim tone.
The four Core Formation cultivators before him could only exchange glances, forced smiles on their faces as they acknowledged his words.
Just as the man was issuing a series of commands, directing the four to take separate actions in preparation for the impending battle, another streak of red light suddenly shot into the hall. This gave the man and the others a start, and they exchanged wary glances.
The man was momentarily stunned as well, but his hand didn't hesitate for an instant as he reached out and snatched the transmission talisman.
The flames flickered in his palm as he listened to the message within the talisman, and an extraordinary expression crossed his face.
"Senior Lu, what's happened? Have the Dharma practitioners already broken through to this point?" The female cultivator finally couldn't help but ask upon seeing his expression. The other three's faces tightened simultaneously, their eyes filling with solemnity.
"No! It's our reinforcements. Three fellow Daoists at the Nascent Soul stage are right outside the grand formation. Hong Ling, you four go and welcome the three seniors at once—invite them here." The man broke into a broad smile, forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart, and spoke slowly.
The four Core Formation cultivators were overjoyed at this news. They immediately accepted the order, bowed to the man, and left the hall to welcome the three Nascent Soul fellow Daoists.
...
Meanwhile, outside the perimeter of the green mist, three figures were hovering high in the air, carefully examining the protective grand formation before them.
These three were none other than
Since they would be relying on this grand formation to contend with the Mulan Dharma practitioners, after sending out the voice transmission talismans, the three of them gazed silently at the sea of mist, each attempting to discern its secrets.
Setting aside whether the formation was truly formidable or not, the seemingly boundless expanse of mist stretching out before them alone conveyed an extraordinary sense of majesty.