The Ancient Ruins, a place said to be formed from the remains of numerous fallen immortals.
It is filled with opportunities, but also teeming with dangers—ferocious beasts, deadly traps, and intricate formations... far more perilous than ordinary places.
Su Luo was naturally familiar with this place, so unlike the others, who treaded cautiously, he strode forward confidently.
Cui Baiquan couldn’t help but ask, “Su Luo, are you familiar with this place?”
“No,” Su Luo replied.
“Then why are you walking so confidently? Don’t get us all killed.”
“If you’re scared, stay away from me.”
Though Cui Baiquan was wary, he didn’t think Su Luo was the type to gamble with his own life, so he didn’t keep his distance.
As they progressed, Su Luo led the way, and the others followed behind him without realizing it. To an outsider, it would seem as though everyone was Su Luo’s subordinate.
The other two members of the Seven Stars Sword Sect paled in comparison, especially Shan Gui, who was usually silent and lacked presence.
If it were someone like Qing Bukuang among the Seven Stars, they would never allow someone to walk ahead of them—it would be a blow to their pride.
But Cui Baiquan was quite pleased. Having someone scout the path for them was not a bad thing.
As they continued, they encountered Lin Xuan.
Without hesitation, the two sides clashed.
During the fight, they accidentally triggered a massive formation.
The ground shook violently, and the mountains seemed to tremble.
Countless swords formed from spiritual energy surrounded them, their tips pointing upward, leaving no gaps.
The sheer magnitude of the event forced everyone to stop and observe their surroundings.
Those who understood formations immediately recognized that this was no ordinary setup.
Someone tried to attack the swords, but they were unbreakable.
“Everyone, perhaps we should stop and figure out how to escape?” Cui Baiquan suggested.
“Agreed,” Lin Xuan nodded.
The infamous reputation of the Ancient Ruins was well-known, so a consensus was quickly reached.
Though the fighting ceased, the two sides instinctively separated within the semicircular formation, each keeping to their own side without disturbing the other.
“Liang Shuanghua, what do you think?” Cui Baiquan touched one of the swords. They weren’t lethal, but they were incredibly sturdy.
“Pessimistic,” Liang Shuanghua replied.
“How pessimistic?”
“I can’t make sense of it.”
That said it all. If even a titled formation genius like Liang Shuanghua couldn’t understand it, it wasn’t just pessimism—it was despair.
“Can’t you think of something?”
“I’ll try.”
Liang Shuanghua had no choice but to give it his all. After all, his life was on the line too.
Moreover, if he could master this formation, he might be able to use it to eliminate the enemy.
On the other side, Elder Yan and Wan Xibo were also studying the formation.
Elder Yan, speaking through Lin Xuan, said, “If I’m not mistaken, this is the Immortal-Slaying Formation.”
“You know it?”
“Well, it’s written here.”
On each sword, the words “Immortal-Slaying” were inscribed.
“Now’s not the time for jokes. I thought you actually knew something. And how could this be the Immortal-Slaying Formation? If it were, we’d already be dead the moment it activated.”
“This is an ancient artifact, and it’s incredibly complex. We’re in trouble,” Elder Yan said, his expression grim. He could understand some of it, but not enough.
The two of them studied the formation for a while but made no progress in finding a way to break it.
Then, something unusual happened. A massive sword materialized above them.
Energy from the surrounding swords began flowing into the giant sword, causing it to grow larger and larger.
Just looking at it filled them with a sense of dread.
The amount of energy concentrated in that sword was overwhelming.
It was like a sword of death hanging over their heads.
If that sword finished charging, the fate of everyone within the formation was all too clear.
Panic set in. Those who understood formations worked frantically to decipher it, while others tried to find alternative solutions.
Days passed—one, then two—with no progress. Anxiety reached its peak.
Those with weaker mental fortitude began to babble incoherently.
Su Luo’s subordinate laughed, “Look at all of you, panicking like this. Pathetic.”
“You’re not afraid of death? Stop pretending!” someone retorted.
“Heh, have you seen our Su Mozi? Calm and composed.”
“Why?”
“This is the demeanor of someone destined for greatness. As his subordinate, I won’t shame him.”
“What a joke. If he could break this formation, then I’d say he’s impressive. But now? Hmph.”
The disdain was palpable.
“We’ll see,” the subordinate replied.
Another day passed, and still, there was no progress.
At this point, the formation masters from both sides began to communicate.
The catalyst was simple: a formation master from the Seven Stars Sword Sect proposed an idea, and Liang Shuanghua from the Heavenly Demon Sect refuted it.
Back and forth, they began openly exchanging ideas.
Their shared goal was to escape, and the massive sword above them was growing more terrifying by the moment, looking as though it could fall at any second.
After another day of discussion, they were no closer to a solution.
Frustrated, Wan Xibo noticed Su Luo idling and suddenly remembered him.
He had been so absorbed in trying to crack the formation that he hadn’t paid attention to Su Luo, especially since they were separated.
Naturally, he assumed Su Luo would be working hard to break the formation.
But now that they were communicating, he realized something was off.
“Hey, why isn’t your Su Mozi doing anything?”
“He doesn’t know formations,” Cui Baiquan replied. He had asked Su Luo earlier and received that answer.
“Nonsense!” Wan Xibo exclaimed. “There’s no way he doesn’t know!”
“What do you mean?” Cui Baiquan asked.
Wan Xibo then recounted previous events involving Su Luo.
“Then why isn’t he doing anything?” Cui Baiquan was puzzled.
Wan Xibo said, “What, you’re not close to him? You don’t know?”
Though they were both members of the Heavenly Demon Sect and part of the Seven Stars, they weren’t close.
Cui Baiquan felt that Su Luo knew him well, but he knew nothing about Su Luo.
“I’ll go ask him.”
“Wait, I’ve thought of something terrifying.”
“What?”
Lin Xuan, Liang Shuanghua, Shan Gui, and the others gathered around to hear Wan Xibo’s theory.
“Su Luo is so calm because he’s already mastered this formation.”
“I don’t believe it!” Liang Shuanghua was the first to object. If even they, the formation experts, couldn’t crack it, how could Su Luo have mastered it?
“You might not have experienced it yourself, but he’s incredibly unpredictable. I suspect Su Luo plans to use this formation to kill us all and escape alone.”
“That... can’t be, right?” Lin Xuan was skeptical.
“Why else would he be so calm? If he’s so skilled in formations, why isn’t he helping? I can’t think of any other reason.”
Cui Baiquan fell silent. It did sound like something Su Luo would do.
From the moment they met, Su Luo seemed to care about no one and respect no one’s pride—not even Qing Bukuang’s.
“I can’t sit still. I need to ask him.”
Wan Xibo pulled him back. “Don’t be rash. Think about it—why would he lie to you about not knowing formations? What good would asking him do now?”
“Then what should we do?”
Wan Xibo was stumped. He didn’t know Su Luo well either.
At that moment, Lin Xuan spoke up. “Maybe I have an idea.”
“Go on,” Cui Baiquan urged.
“A beauty trap.”
Elsewhere, Li Siyi pretended to be working on the formation. She hadn’t approached Su Luo yet, fearing it would raise suspicions from the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Anyone who investigated Su Luo would know about their past, though the details were murky. Li Siyi had even spread several rumors to complicate their relationship further.
The truth was hard to discern.
So she waited. Now that most of the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Seven Stars Sword Sect were communicating, it wouldn’t be suspicious for her to approach Su Luo.
But suddenly, Li Siyi felt as though she was being watched.