Chapter 286: Formation Shift

Only at this moment did the positioning of the Law of the Jungle truly begin to move.

Jiang Yan looked mysteriously at Xiao Chunwei. “Guess?”

Xiao Chunwei shook his head. “If I kill you, I won’t need to guess.”

His tone carried a hint of regret. “You are very talented, especially in the path of formations. Although I only taught you formations for a few months, you are indeed the only disciple in Xiao’s lifetime.”

As he spoke, he took a step forward. The Yang pole rose beneath his feet, and he regained control of the Yin Manifestation Five Elements Formation.

Those trapped within the confines of the formation were both shocked and furious.

They roared at Xiao Chunwei:

“Xiao, you’re actually not dead! Have the guts to release us, or we won’t let this go today!”

Xiao Chunwei looked at the group with a caring gaze.

“In that case, why shouldn’t Xiao just kill you all now?”

“You—”

His eyes flashed with a cold gleam as he turned to Jiang Yan.

“Today, the stone statue was destroyed, the legacy turned to nothing, and Xiao’s actions have provoked public outrage. It seems I have no choice but to send you all to the Yellow Springs for a chat.”

As the two exchanged words, they both employed techniques to vie for control of the Yin Manifestation Five Elements Formation.

Without the absolute control of the stone statue, Jiang Yan and Xiao Chunwei found themselves evenly matched for a time.

“Since that’s the case, let’s test your strength then.”

Xiao Chunwei gave up contesting the formation and instead attacked Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan used Space Law to evade, retreating a thousand meters before slashing out several streaks of Saber Qi.

Space rippled with countless waves. Xiao Chunwei stepped on the Void, a battle formation diagram engraved before him.

At this point, both had abandoned their claim to the Yin Manifestation Five Elements Formation, choosing instead to settle the outcome with their true strength.

“I’m curious. You clearly haven’t cultivated Dharma Patterns, so how were you able to execute that Divine Ability earlier?”

Xiao Chunwei closed in aggressively. The battle formation diagram shifted from azure to blood-red, and countless giant swords materialized across the heavens and earth.

“I’m also curious. If Divine Abilities are so simple, can’t one learn them without Dharma Patterns?” Jiang Yan cut through these illusory great swords and responded calmly.

“Hahaha, interesting. A blessing in disguise, perhaps. Maybe your body is even more intriguing than the legacy.”

Xiao Chunwei laughed and teleported behind Jiang Yan. Just as he was about to strike, countless War Ruins Engravings surged forth.

The sky trembled violently. The hall, reinforced with a mountain-suppressing formation, could not withstand the impact, and a large hole was torn open in its dome.

The two soared into the firmament, their figures turning into phantom images as streams of light collided back and forth across the sky.

Mountains and rivers shattered, only to rapidly restore themselves.

“The ‘potential’ here is very strong. No need to worry about breaking things.” Xiao Chunwei remarked.

“All Phenomena Ascend in Peace.”

Formation Disks flew in all directions, dyeing the sky in shades of azure and crimson, connecting with the heavens and linking with the earth.

At the four directions corresponding to the Formation Disks, the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird stood guard.

A dragon’s roar and a tiger’s roar tore through the sky. The phantom images of the Four Divine Beasts roared as they charged toward Jiang Yan.

“Using ‘All Phenomena Ascend in Peace’ as a catalyst to borrow a trace of Divine Beast Aura to revive phantom images—quite a clever formation design.”

Jiang Yan transformed the Myriad Soldier Talisman into a shield held before his chest. A massive White Tiger paw arrived in an instant, its terrifying force sending Jiang Yan flying backward.

Though merely phantom images of Divine Beasts, they already possessed considerable power.

After being sent flying by the immense force, the Vermilion Bird flapped its wings and pressed in closely. Sky-scorching flames consumed the firmament, stripping away even the right to breathe.

Utilizing Space Law, Jiang Yan appeared behind Xiao Chunwei, narrowly dodging the Vermilion Bird’s heaven-burning flames.

Xiao Chunwei reacted swiftly, immediately distancing himself and protecting his body with a defensive formation diagram, ensuring ordinary attacks could not harm him in the slightest.

Jiang Yan closed his eyes, sensing a trace of divine essence emanating from the Divine Beasts, an ethereal aura enveloping his entire being.

The Four Divine Beasts would not give Jiang Yan a moment to catch his breath, poised to launch their assault.

“Replace death with life, Yin and Yang float in ascension.”

“Life and Death Yin Yang Formation—rise!”

Under the enhancement of the True Word Leveling Method, the hastily conceived formation instantly blazed with brilliant light.

Four phantom images of Divine Beasts, composed of black and white hues, slowly rose.

They stood tall and majestic, with prominent horns and imposing stature. Every wisp of their aura was nearly identical to the Divine Beasts summoned by Xiao Chunwei, differing only in the origin of their Laws.

It was precisely this realization that left Xiao Chunwei utterly shocked.

“You’ve comprehended the essence of my Divine Beasts?”

Jiang Yan manipulated his own four beasts, engaging in fierce combat with Xiao Chunwei’s four, and replied, “Was it difficult?”

Upon hearing such words, Xiao Chunwei felt a surge of anger rising within him, which he forcibly suppressed.

“Aptitude is merely a gift from heaven; only those who survive dare call themselves geniuses.”

“Oh? Then you wouldn’t happen to lack both aptitude and the ability to survive, would you?”

“Hah, sharp tongue.”

As the Divine Beasts clashed, both men shifted to other offensive methods.

The trapped individuals within the hall used their Spiritual Power to sense the outside world, all expressing astonishment.

“To think that young man could grasp the essence of formations on the spot and instantly craft a Four Beasts Formation.”

“This youth possesses extraordinary talent. If he manages to survive today, he is bound to achieve great things in the future.”

“Unfortunately, that seems unlikely~”

Others sighed.

In truth, their concerns were not unfounded.

Xiao Chunwei was formidable, and over ten thousand years, he had engraved countless lethal formations—his cunning was evident.

He deployed each grand formation for only an instant, preventing Jiang Yan from stealing their secrets while also achieving the element of surprise.

His methods were highly sophisticated, with formations emerging one after another in rapid succession. Even with the Cosmic Great Deduction Dao Spirit cleansing his mind, Jiang Yan could not possibly learn everything with just a fleeting glance.

“Let this master teach you another lesson: the strength of formations lies not only in the formations themselves but also in the formation master’s ability to adapt and transform them.”

Though your aptitude is exceptional, allowing you to see through the essence of my formations in a short time, facing the endless stacking and transformations of countless formations, you still cannot be my match.”

Jiang Yan continuously used Space Law to escape the encirclement of formations, while Xiao Chunwei provoked him with words, harboring ulterior motives.

“The essence of formations lies in transformation?”

Jiang Yan murmured, abandoning evasion and instead launching a fierce assault toward Xiao Chunwei.

Seeing Jiang Yan so easily agitated, Xiao Chunwei sighed. “After all, he’s just a young man.”

“Old fool, prepare to die!”

“How impolite.”

“Sacrifice of Life and Death to the Vast Heaven!”

A terrifying Divine Ability descended upon the heavens, erasing the original colors of the world, leaving only black and white.

“Hah, you’ve used this once before. Did you truly think I wouldn’t be prepared?”

Xiao Chunwei’s formation diagram beneath his feet flickered, and his figure instantly vanished from the spot.

The so-called Divine Ability killing move had landed on empty air!

“Your fate is exhausted. Bring out whatever means you have left, or you won’t get another chance.”

Xiao Chunwei continued to provoke Jiang Yan with words.

Anger is merely a hindrance in war; life-and-death combat is not like anime, where rage boosts Combat Power—unless one is a genius possessing the Crimson Nether Mark.

The essence of formation lies in its variability—in endless transformations, unbound by rigid structures, and unaffected by external influences in its offensive methods.