Chapter 113: The Heartbeat Formation Test

Despite her wandering thoughts, Mu Baiyun’s combat instincts remained sharp. As he tilted his body slightly, Ji Yao’s Ziru sword was parried by his Listening Thunder sword, which then leveraged its momentum to press and deflect her strike.

Ji Yao’s force was neutralized by his simple movements; Mu Baiyun had not even employed his spiritual energy. Given the disparity in their cultivation levels, Ji Yao offered no reminders. Whatever his reasons for holding back, that was his business. When the weak face the strong, the first priority is to invite contempt. Whether the opponent’s lack of effort was genuine or not, closing the distance was the only opportunity she had.

Ji Yao was unsure if invoking her formation now would succeed, or if success might merely be the result of his intentional cooperation. Still, given this rare chance to spar with the senior brother of the Lingyun Sect, she would be doing herself a disservice not to cherish it.

Competing in speed would yield little, even with the aid of her cultivation techniques and her Wind-Walking Boots. Ji Yao decided to weave sound into her formation. Sonic waves were not something one could avoid simply by dodging, unless one were to completely seal their five senses.

Following the direction of his deflection, Ji Yao leaped off her Star-Sky Disk. With a single-handed mudra, a formation pattern rippled out from the disk, manifesting at the spot beneath her feet.

Seeing this, Mu Baiyun naturally assumed she had begun to set her formation. He was about to step into the pattern instinctively, but was stopped by a warning from Mo Daoyan, who was observing from the sidelines.

"Do not deliberately test the formation. Let it be natural. React as you would, and let us see how far this girl can take it."

Although Mo Daoyan did not specialize in swordsmanship, his cultivation had reached the Transformation of Divinity stage, and his insight was profound. He was curious; Ji Yao’s method of forming arrays was clearly different from the conventional techniques he had seen.

Mu Baiyun took the advice to heart. With a flick of his Listening Thunder sword, he sent a surge of sword qi to shatter the ground where the pattern had been laid, then stepped away from the spot.

Ji Yao did not linger after setting the first pattern. She retreated several steps, appearing to move haphazardly, yet with every few paces, she planted another formation mark. As she retreated, she observed Mu Baiyun’s actions. Undeterred, she steadied her footing and lunged diagonally, closing in on his left side.

Mu Baiyun dodged to the right, neither hurried nor slow. Ji Yao pursued him relentlessly, planting a new pattern every time she neared him, occasionally releasing a sword strike accompanied by a sharp, ringing hum.

As they dodged and pursued, they soon circled the open space. Ji Yao’s footwork was akin to lotus blooms appearing with every step, and with each movement, she etched a new pattern into the ground.

Mu Baiyun did not destroy every mark she made, only occasionally striking out with his sword. Even so, the clearing was soon riddled with pits. Because the patterns Ji Yao set would fade within a breath, the ground appeared pockmarked rather than inscribed.

Judging that the time was ripe, Ji Yao ceased her pursuit. The Star-Sky Disk rose to support her once more. With a swift burst of movement, she darted across the field as if teleporting. Every time she paused, a piercing flute note rang out, accompanied by sword light that whistled toward Mu Baiyun.

Soon, the area was filled with a web of interlocking sword light. For Mu Baiyun, the offensive was easy to handle and dodge, thanks to his cultivation level and the speed afforded by his spiritual roots. However, even the easiest defense requires time. For an average Foundation Establishment cultivator, this duration would be dragged out, not to mention the agonizing, sharp sound that frayed the nerves.

A clear, melodic tune began to play, soothing the initial irritation. Yet, as the agitation faded, one realized they were already enveloped by the formation. The patterns Ji Yao had previously tread upon flared to life, including those within the pits.

As the light dispersed, the Star-Sky Disk rotated a foot above Ji Yao’s head. She stood quietly within the glowing array, playing her green jade flute with a calm, indifferent expression.

Watching her, Mu Baiyun felt an inexplicable surge of anxiety. The formation was complete, and it was clear his earlier attempts to disrupt it had failed. Now, it was his turn to test it.

Composing himself, he swung his sword at the air beside him. The force was minimal, but the feedback he received was a series of jarring, discordant sword hums echoing from all directions. The sonic waves caused no physical damage, but they struck directly at his hearing and his sea of consciousness.

Mu Baiyun swung again, this time with fifty percent of his power. The formation rippled like water but did not collapse. The feedback, beyond the assault on his consciousness, carried a tangible weight; had he not been wearing his protective dharma robes, he would have been covered in lacerations.

Ji Yao’s brows were furrowed tightly. She held the Qingyue flute against her elbow, her hands already weaving new mudras.

For the next strike, Mu Baiyun exerted seventy percent of his power. The formation patterns shuddered violently but held firm. The sonic feedback, now augmented by sword qi, began to slice through his protective aura.

Ji Yao’s brow locked even tighter. Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead, her lips pressed firmly together as her fingers flew through the mudras. Sensing her strain, Mu Baiyun hesitated, and as the aftermath of his attack dissipated, he held back his next move.

Ji Yao, determined to reach the limits of her formation, called out firmly, "Senior Brother Yun, do not worry—continue!"

Understanding her resolve, Mu Baiyun hesitated no longer. He sealed his sense of hearing and swung his sword with ninety percent of his power. A surge of lightning-infused sword qi tore at the formation.

After holding for about five breaths, the formation finally shattered under the blow and slowly dissolved. Ji Yao turned deathly pale. The light from the Star-Sky Disk vanished, and the disk shrank to the size of a palm, falling into her arms.

Ji Yao could no longer sustain herself; she staggered back a few paces, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and collapsed, her strength completely spent.

"Junior Sister!" Alarmed, Mu Baiyun sheathed his sword and moved in a blur to catch her before she hit the ground.

"I’m fine, I’m fine! My spiritual energy is just exhausted. It looks worse than it is," Ji Yao said, waving a hand weakly to reassure him.

Mo Daoyan arrived at her side, catching her wrist to check her vitals with a pulse of spiritual energy before nodding at Mu Baiyun.

"You silly girl, how reckless! To push yourself until your spiritual energy is completely spent—aren’t you afraid of damaging your meridians?"

Ji Yao struggled to retrieve a pill bottle. Mu Baiyun took it from her, poured out a pill, and placed it between her lips. The soft contact of her blood-stained lips caused Mu Baiyun’s pupils to contract, his fingers trembling involuntarily for a fleeting moment.

*Master, if I didn't push through, the backlash would have been even worse,* she thought. More importantly, she couldn't risk triggering her internal poison in front of them. She kept these thoughts to herself, not daring to speak them aloud.

"Still," she murmured, "I am quite satisfied with the effect of the formation."