When Conrad Wolf ordered his men to smash down the wall of Ian Song’s little courtyard, it had already drawn quite a bit of attention. But intimidated by Conrad’s aura, no one dared come close.
Later, when their group attacked the formation, the commotion drew even more eyes.
Especially given the aura they gave off—some people judged that all six were experts above the Out-of-Body stage, so no one dared approach recklessly.
Once Conrad Wolf’s group entered the formation, two especially curious Golden Core cultivators couldn’t hold back any longer. They teamed up and cautiously crept to the collapsed courtyard wall.
"It’s the Calamity Sword Maiden!" someone exclaimed, eyes lighting up as Raina Quinn arrived.
Seeing Raina Quinn, Old Man Tanner greeted her with a friendly smile.
"Greetings, Old Man Tanner." Raina Quinn smiled back, her presence calm and assured.
Li An and Wang Xing, a bit nervous, bowed to her as well. The Calamity Sword Maiden, Raina Quinn, was a direct disciple of the Calamity Blade Sect. Her swordsmanship was so formidable, she was said to be invincible among Out-of-Body cultivators.
Just then, an old man in a brocade robe stepped over—slightly chubby, red-faced, white-haired, and exuding a faint immortal air.
"Old Man Tanner!"
"It’s Old Man Tanner!"
Seeing the white-haired elder, the two quickly bowed. "Junior Li An, Junior Wang Xing greet Old Man Tanner."
The old man waved his hand. "No need for all that!"
Raina Quinn was also a little stunned. The Calamity Blade Sect was powerful, but even its total assets didn’t exceed ten thousand top-grade spirit crystals—and that was after thousands of years of accumulation. But this Nine Heavens Black Tortoise Array burned through one top-grade spirit crystal every hour; twelve per day, three hundred sixty per month. Even the Calamity Blade Sect couldn’t afford it.
"Old Man Tanner, what’s the Nine Heavens Black Tortoise Array?"
Li An asked curiously. Old Man Tanner was a pretty famous Divine Transformation expert in the Outer City—a loose cultivator with broad, eclectic knowledge: artifact forging, alchemy, formations, you name it.
On the first day of every month, he gave public lectures at Moonview Pavilion. Anyone who wanted to listen could come, and the topic depended on his mood.
"Old Man Tanner, is it true the Nine Heavens Black Tortoise Array burns through resources?" Raina Quinn asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
So every first of the month, seats at Moonview Pavilion were nearly impossible to get.
This had gone on for fifty years, so Old Man Tanner’s reputation in the Outer City was sky-high.
After a brief silence, Old Man Tanner spoke: "The Black Tortoise is a legendary divine beast—said to have the strongest defense in existence. The Nine Heavens Black Tortoise Array, also called the Black Tortoise Spirit Array, is so powerful that even Divine Transformation experts find it nearly impossible to break. The catch is, it burns through resources at a terrifying rate. Otherwise, every major sect would use it for their mountain guardian formation."
"Even Divine Transformation experts can’t break it!"
Hearing Old Man Tanner’s explanation, Li An and Wang Xing couldn’t help clicking their tongues in awe.
"Even if the Nine Heavens Black Tortoise Array burns resources, big sects should be able to afford it, right?" Just then, a clear voice rang out. A young woman in a green dress arrived, flanked by two sword attendants.
"It’s the Calamity Sword Maiden!"
Seeing the young woman, Old Man Tanner greeted her with a friendly smile.
"Greetings, Old Man Tanner." The young woman smiled back.
Li An and Wang Xing, a bit nervous, bowed to her as well. The Calamity Sword Maiden’s name was Qin Xiaoyu, a direct disciple of the Calamity Blade Sect. Her swordsmanship was so formidable, she was said to be invincible among Out-of-Body cultivators.
"Old Man Tanner, is it true the Nine Heavens Black Tortoise Array burns through resources?" the Calamity Sword Maiden asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
Old Man Tanner smiled proudly. "Just one top-grade spirit crystal per hour, that’s all!"
Old Man Tanner let out a weird laugh. "Heh, the person who set up this formation is at least Earth-rank in array mastery. Even the Prime One Church would try to recruit someone like that!"
Raina Quinn’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. The Calamity Blade Sect controlled an entire province, but its top formation master was only at the Profound rank. If they could recruit this Earth-rank master, the sect’s power would soar.
As for offending the Duke of Qi Residence, the Calamity Blade Sect wasn’t afraid of a mere duke. After all, the sect had a late Fusion-stage powerhouse sitting in residence.