Castle of Black Iron

For a few days, Zhang Tie had been immersed in the bizarre experience of formation bead. During this period, Zhang Tie finally realized why immortal emperors could be killed by a formation of common immortal generals in Motian Realm. Because of the formation bead that didn't exist in the world that he came from.

In Taixia Country, the foundation of knights' formation was the connection of three-in-one knights' consciousness. However, after experiencing the effect of the formation bead, Zhang Tie discovered that the so-called connection of three-in-one knights' consciousness was most fundamental for knights' formation. By contrast, the formation connected by beads was the most effective one.

With the help of formation beads, all the immortal generals' consciousness, spiritual energy and battle qi were connected and overlaid. Besides, the formation would see another increase in the three aspects besides pure addition. In addition, special unified attacking and defensive skills could be developed. In this way, it was possible for the formation of low-level immortal generals to kill a powerhouse.

The formation bead that Huang Baimei gave to Zhang Tie was Winning Formation Bead. When in need, immortal generals on the airboats could instantly form a "Fatal Winning Formation" through connection. Fatal Winning Formation could increase the attacking and defensive strength of each unit by 10 to 20 percent individually. As for the details, it depended on the population of immortal generals and the other conditions. The more immortal generals were connected, the more powerful some immortal generals were in the formation, the more strong the battle qi of the fatal formation would be. Meanwhile, Fatal Winning Formation was featured by two unified attacking and defensive skills, called Variable Fatal Strike and Golden Wind Break respectively.

In Taixia Country, if Zhang Tie was just a shadow knight in his three change realm, even with the help of these knights on the airboat, it was nothing different than seeking for death if they wanted to fight a heavenly knight face-to-face. However, in Motian Realm, with the help of Winning Formation Beads, Zhang Tie realized that the formation of them could have a chance to fight a heavenly knight at least; instead of being an overwhelming slaughter.

If one wanted to combine himself with the formation bead, he or she had to cultivate a secret method called Burning Spirit Sutra, which was widely spread over Motian Realm. Every immortal general was familiar with it. With the passionate guidance of Liu brothers, Zhang Tie soon "recalled" this sutra as he started to taste the subtlety of formation bead.

Curiously, there was neither formation bead nor Burning Spirit Sutra in Taixia Country. According to Liu brothers, formation bead and Burning Spirit Sutra had been spread for tens of thousands of years in Motian Realm, which might have already existed since the birth of Motian Realm. All the formation beads in this world originated from Mountain Ruins. In Motian Realm, formation bead was more advanced than element crystals, silver secret items or weapons in human-level immortal outfits. Winning Fatal Formation bead was a preliminary earth-level immortal outfit, which was pretty precious. There were high-end heavenly-level immortal outfits such as the whole set of formation beads that demons used to kill Rune Emperor, which were rarer and well-known across the world.

Through formation beads, Zhang Tie knew better about the immortal outfits on different levels in Motian Realm. In Taixia Country, far-ancient secret items were simply divided into silver secret items and golden secret items. It appeared that Motian Realm carried forward a more complete division. In this world, there were professional immortal outfits appraisers. Besides being divided into heavenly-level immortal outfits, earth-level immortal outfits and human-level immortal outfits, each level was further divided into preliminary rank, middle rank, high rank and perfect rank; namely 12 ranks in total. Zhang Tie was really shocked by such a detailed division.

Besides faintly feeling that the so-called earth-level immortal outfits were golden secret items, Zhang Tie was muddle-headed about the division of these immortal outfits, Therefore, he determined to have good learning about the division and criteria of these immortal outfits. Such knowledge could never be learned in Taixia Country. It could definitely match a high-end cultivation method in value.

From a certain perspective, the entire Motian Realm was a huge treasure bank which was waiting for Zhang Tie to explore. After coming to this world for a short period of time, Zhang Tie had already acquired a lot.

...

On March 29, the 3584th year of the calendar of Emperor NvWa, the fifth day since the airboats departed Heavenly Square City, it was Zhang Tie's second time to be on duty outside the airboats. Soon after the daybreak, Zhang Tie had already put on his flight suit and flew off the airboat.

After entering the Brokenstars Ocean, the airboats had slowed down to about 250 miles per hour, at which speed the airboats could timely avoid from the air-floating mountains drifting there.

When Zhang Tie flew off the airboat, the first ray of sunshine had just reached the airboat in the front of the fleet in the distance. There was a rolling cloud sea below the airboats, which was covered with rose gold color by the first ray of sunshine. So many air-borne mountains were looming in the cloud sea. The clouds were driven by wind and slid over the airboats, leaving undulating white lines in the sky behind airboats. What a fairyland!

Even Zhang Tie was shocked by such beautiful scenery as he felt like being a monk or a hermit.

"Head, I'm here..." Zhang Tie contacted Huang Baimei using the formation bead in his mind sea.

After combining with the formation bead, if the immortal general wanted to keep its function, they had to consume their spiritual energy and battle qi constantly. However, they couldn't keep using it for a long time. In addition, after losing the formation beads, the formation's power would be weakened. Even Zhang Tie felt this item was much more convenient than remote-sensing crystals. His voice could enter the opposite's ears instantly regardless of distance just like how Zhang Tie contacted Heller.

Because of formation beads, Ji Yuelan and the others were all in quiet cultivation these couple days while preserving their spiritual energy and battle qi. As a result, Zhang Tie felt much more tranquil.

Soon after receiving Zhang Tie's message, Huang Baimei had flown towards Zhang Tie from above the fleet, leaving some words to Zhang Tie, "Despite being dangerous, we're safe for a time. However, we've already entered the core region of Brokenstars Ocean. Watch out..."

"I see, head, don't worry..."

"Hmm, as long as you notice something abnormal, contact the others immediately; don't try to show off your ability!" Huang Baimei warned as he took another look at Zhang Tie, adding, "After a few days, we would be able to leave Brokenstars Ocean!"

"Hmm, I see, I won't show off my ability!" Zhang Tie promised like an innocent baby.

Huang Baimei then nodded and returned to the airboat.

As for all the immortal generals below wind immortal generals, it meant a great consumption for them to fly one day by the flight suit using their battle qi, not to mention that they had to keep formation beads in working condition, which meant greater consumption. Therefore, it was absolutely not an easy job for them to be alert outside the airboats for one day; of course, it was an exception for Zhang Tie!

Watching Huang Baimei returning to the airboat, Zhang Tie took two hours to circle around the fleet from thousands of meters to tens of thousands of meters away so that people in the airboats could see him through the command module and those portholes.

Although Zhang Tie was just disgusted to do that, it was indeed the most effective means to make people reassured by having them see a powerful immortal general of their own side patrolling outside the fleet.

After entering the Brokenstars Ocean, the immortal generals' intention had spread over the other airboats.

After circling the fleet for two hours, Zhang Tie directly ascended to tens of thousands of meters high in the air where he applied a hiding rune to himself and flew with the fleet in the easiest manner. At the same time, he started his cultivation by constantly capturing the two bizarre energies in the void using his spiritual energy.

Soon after Zhang Tie extended his spiritual energy, he had been able to observe everything within 60 miles without any blind angle. Additionally, he could see clearly everything within hundreds of miles.

At that time, Zhang Tie completed multiple tasks at the same time: he spared one consciousness to control his spiritual energy and spared another to control his flight and lotus-flower eyes. Meanwhile, he spent most of his efforts in cultivation.

Although Zhang Tie was on duty alone, he could definitely provide greater protection to the entire fleet even than a heavenly knight.

Not knowing why, the two energies in the Brokenstars Ocean were evidently more energetic than that in the other places. Therefore, Zhang Tie could cultivate much easily. Only after a short while, Zhang Tie had been immersed in his own world as he became as trivial as a particle of dust in the universe because of the effect of his hiding rune. High-end knights could not sense him at all without eyes.

The entire fleet was safe and sound for over 10 hours. After night fell, Zhang Tie suddenly woke up and exited cultivation as he let go of the two energies in the void. Eyes sparkling, he threw a glance at the pitch-dark sky in the distance, where he found something abnormal...