Chapter Thirty-Nine: Braveheart (Fourteen)

As soon as Black Crow made his move, the Four Heavenly Kings and the Eight Ghosts of Changyang Mountain found themselves at a disadvantage. They could not help but marvel at Black Crow’s formidable skill—he had mastered the art of assassination to an extraordinary degree.

The way of the assassin hinges on intimidation; the assassin’s craft is to appear and vanish like a phantom, to strike and retreat in a single breath—a tactic of surprise and cunning.

Yet Black Crow, alone, managed to restrain both the Four Heavenly Kings and the Eight Ghosts of Changyang Mountain. He had slain the Golden Dragon Flower Fox Ferret belonging to Mo Lishou, dispatched one of the Eight Ghosts, and reached the pinnacle of the assassin’s art.

Now, the Four Heavenly Kings and the remaining Seven Ghosts were filled with both shock and rage. Had their twelve members remained unharmed, they could have summoned the remnants of the Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Formation to confront their enemy directly.

This formation had been laid by the Star Lords of Heaven’s Court as a precaution against unforeseen events; its power was unmatched, its workings profound. But with one ghost fallen, the formation lacked a guardian for the Wind position, leaving a fatal flaw even before it could be fully enacted.

The Four Heavenly Kings and the Seven Ghosts could only curse their luck in silence, forced by circumstance to take desperate measures and hastily raise the formation.

Mo Lihai knew hesitation was perilous; he shouted, “Initiate the formation!”

The Four Heavenly Kings and the Seven Ghosts stepped onto the traces of the Seven Stars, moving along the lines of the array and chanting incantations.

Black Crow frowned slightly. He had long heard of the might of the Heaven’s Court formations and had no wish to let them complete it. He took action again, moving like a specter between worlds, suddenly appearing beside the Seven Ghosts, intent on reducing their number to six.

Just as Black Crow’s short spear was about to pierce the heart of one ghost, a flash of light intercepted his strike—a bolt of violet lightning.

An ethereal voice echoed through the void, “Nine-four shakes and mud follows.”

Black Crow suddenly felt a chill sweep around him; his hair stood on end, coldness flooding over him, and he immediately fled into the distance.

Sure enough, as he retreated several meters, hundreds of shadowy bolts of lightning struck the spot where he had just stood, gouging a deep, bottomless pit.

Black Crow broke out in a cold sweat, retreating hundreds of yards, his heart pounding as he watched the formation take shape upon the altar.

Upon the altar, light radiated in all directions. North, south, east, and west, starlight sparkled, forming the twenty-eight constellations, which then transformed into the Four Symbols.

The east comprised the seven constellations: Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Sieve—forming the Azure Dragon. Horn was its head, Neck its neck, Root the base of its neck, Room its flanks, Heart its chest, Tail its tail, Sieve its tip. The Azure Dragon resembled a long serpent with a qilin’s head, carp’s tail, long whiskers, antler-like horns, and five claws, summoning clouds as it arose.

The Azure Dragon lay upon a vast green tree, representing Lesser Yang of the east. Lesser Yang divides into Wind and Water; the yang aspect is Wind, the yin is Water.

The west comprised the seven constellations: Legs, Bond, Stomach, Hair, Net, Beak, and Ladder—forming the White Tiger. Legs were its tail, Stomach, Hair, and Net its body, Beak and Ladder its head. The White Tiger was snow-white, with no blemish, wings beneath its ribs, and when it roared, the winds rose.

The White Tiger strode upon a bright white metal, representing Lesser Yin of the west. Lesser Yin divides into Fire and Thunder; the yang aspect is Fire, the yin is Thunder.

The south comprised the seven constellations: Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Zhang, Wing, and Carriage—forming the Vermilion Bird. Well was its head, Ghost its eyes, Star its flames, Willow its neck, Zhang its beak, Wing its feathers, Carriage its windward side. The Vermilion Bird was part qilin, part deer, with a snake’s head and fish’s tail, dragon patterns on its turtle shell back, swallow’s jaws, chicken’s beak, and a brilliant array of colors.

The Vermilion Bird spread its wings over blazing red flames, representing the Greater Yang of the south. Greater Yang divides into Heaven and Lake; the yang aspect is Heaven, the yin is Lake.

The north comprised the seven constellations: Dipper, Ox, Maiden, Void, Danger, Room, and Wall—forming the Black Tortoise. Room and Dipper formed its head, Danger, Void, Maiden, and Ox its body, Wall its serpentine tail. The Black Tortoise was both turtle and serpent; the black serpent had a dragon’s head, phoenix wings, and a python’s body. The tortoise had a dragon’s head, an ao’s shell, and a qilin’s tail, embodying longevity and spiritual power.

The Black Tortoise rested upon a vast blue-black ice, representing the Greater Yin of the north. Greater Yin divides into Mountain and Earth; the yang aspect is Mountain, the yin is Earth.

The Four Symbols were anchored on the second tier of the altar—wood, fire, metal, and water. Extreme yin birthed yang, so water generated wood, the rising yang produced fire, extreme yang birthed yin, so fire produced metal, rising yin produced water. Thus harmony was achieved, and the cycle of yin and yang continued.

With the Four Symbols manifest, the Eight Trigrams were formed: Heaven for Qian, Earth for Kun, Thunder for Zhen, Wind for Xun, Water for Kan, Fire for Li, Mountain for Gen, and Lake for Dui.

The Seven Ghosts of Changyang Mountain each took their position; the Wind position was guarded by the Hunyuan Pearl Umbrella.

As the Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Formation took shape, the situation changed again. In an instant, the black mist that had begun to corrode the second tier of the altar was swept away by the heavenly light emitted from the formation.

The demonic fetus let out a wailing scream, withdrawing all the black mist into its coffin, terrified by the workings of the formation beneath the altar, and could not help but gasp in horror.

The Four Heavenly Kings and the Seven Ghosts let out a long sigh of relief. They had not anticipated the Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Formation to be so powerful, able to completely repel both the demonic fetus and the unknown demon. Alas, the formation was incomplete and could only be used defensively; otherwise, they could vent their rage and reduce the unknown demon to ashes, satisfying their vengeance.

“Do you intend to keep resisting?” Black Crow sighed softly, as though gazing upon a group of the dead.

“Hmph! Do you recognize this formation?” The hot-tempered Mo Liqing spoke first. “If you can break it, I’ll kill myself right here!”

Black Crow laughed inexplicably, a wild laughter that made the Four Heavenly Kings inhale sharply and sent chills through the Seven Ghosts.

“I don’t know what this formation is called, but I know you’re frightened and uneasy,” Black Crow said with a calm, mocking smile.

“Pretending, are you? You don’t even know what kind of formation this is, yet you act like you’re about to break it and enter. What a joke, ha ha ha!” Mo Liqing, seeing him as a fool, mocked Black Crow without restraint.

“Ha, ha ha, foolish! What are you laughing at?” Black Crow spat disdainfully.

Mo Liqing’s face changed, his eyes bulging like bronze bells as he shouted shamelessly, “Your grandfather laughs—so what? If you’re bold, come and hit me! Hey, you can’t reach me, you just can’t. Isn’t it infuriating? Isn’t it frustrating? Ha ha ha!”

Black Crow’s expression was a spectacle in itself; he had not expected Mo Liqing to be so utterly ridiculous, almost like a madman.

Mo Liqing was about to continue his taunts, but Mo Lihai intervened, unable to bear it. He gently patted Mo Liqing and shook his head, saying, “He’s right—the ones who are anxious and afraid are us.”

Mo Liqing looked at Mo Lihai in confusion, not understanding why his elder brother spoke so. Mo Lihai sighed and said softly, “We may be safe within the formation, but we’ve lost the initiative. Now, the advantage is entirely his. He only needs to observe our formation and find a way to break it. Moreover, our Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Formation lacks a guardian for the Wind position and relies on my treasure for a temporary substitute, leaving a great flaw. If we continue like this, it cannot last.”

Black Crow narrowed his eyes, circling the altar again and again, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce all things.