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Deep blue light shone like the stars, spreading gradually across the earth. Soon, the enormous spiritual formation encompassed a full third of the battlefield. It contained eight coiling figures, like snakes or dragons.

This was one of the Three Great Inauspicious Formations.

The Eighth-level Soul-Locking Formation.

Once the formation was complete, it would lock and absorb the souls of all living things within range, then refine them into pure divine power. Combined with its “mother formation”, the Eighth-level Spirit-Boosting Formation, it could then pour the refined energy into an individual’s body, rapidly increasing their power without side-effects.

But all of this was contingent on the person who placed it: they had to be thoroughly versed in Eighth-Level Spirit-Boosting Formations.

After all, that was the “mother foundation” behind the Soul-Locking Formation. Mastering it was far, far harder than just mastering the Soul-Locking Formation. To thoroughly master both eighth-level formations required skill at the grandmaster level, at the very least.

Throughout the entire upper three realms, such grandmasters were rare indeed.

The commanders of the Southern Kingdom refused to believe Su Yiyun could pull off an Eighth-Level Spirit-Boosting Foundation, but even just the Soul-Locking Formation on its own was enough to intimidate them.

“Stop him!” Several of the yao commanders shouted, eyes bloodshot. Once the Eighth-Level Soul-Locking Formation took shape, never mind the ordinary, supreme-level yao soldiers; even Yao Generals like them would struggle to avoid being swallowed up.

When they heard what formation this was, the rank and file yao of the Southern Kingdom’s eyes went red as well.

They no longer paid the surrounding vicious beasts any heed. They simply charged murderously at Su Yiyun.

“You can’t let them cross!” A commander of the river-dwelling vicious beasts roared. He was a beast, but at his level, he’d long since acquired sentience. He was as smart as the next guy.

The beast commanders could tell that the yao commanders were afraid of the formation in the sky. Furthermore, some of them had heard of the Great Inauspicious Formations and understood the Eighth-Level Soul-Locking Formation’s effects. But things had already reached this point, and Emperor Hades had already made his position clear. If they retreated…. They’d die.

They were outnumbered one hundred to one, no, a thousand to one. One way or another, they were doomed.

Even if Su Yiyun finished the formation right that second and swallowed up their souls, they wouldn’t care in the slightest. Only death awaited them in every direction. If they were going to die anyway, they might as well drag the enemy yao down with them.

Vicious beasts and yao collided once more. No matter how hard the yao fought, they couldn’t influence Su Yiyun’s carving of the formation.

Threads of golden divine power lit up at his fingertips, hovering around the formation and perfecting it.

The yao commanders’ eyes were already red and bloodshot. Even if they tried to attack, the beast commanders would stop them.

At that moment, Su Yiyun finished the final stroke of the Eighth-Level Soul-Locking Formation. His movements came to a sudden stop.

“It seems he’s afraid of the recoil after all.” The commanders couldn’t help but mutter to themselves, but before they even had time to relax, a second, brand-new formation appeared overhead.

Roads and gold and silver, nine dragons bowing their heads.

An Eighth-Level Spirit Boosting Formation.

In an instant, the yao commanders were stunned.

To simultaneously place two eighth-level formations…. That was already way past the grandmaster level.

Watching how smoothly and assuredly he drew them, it was clear that this wasn’t his first time placing these two spiritual formations.

“Do you want to die?!” the commanders couldn’t help but roar. Naturally, they weren’t really concerned about Su Yiyun’s life or death. They were just afraid….

Afraid that when this pair of formations appeared, even commanders like them would wind up buried here.

He was obviously Emperor Hades’ one and only closed-door disciple. Why didn’t he know any of Emperor Hades’ ultimate arts? Why was he a formations grandmaster, and one who could draw eighth-level double formations at that? It just didn’t make sense.

“Die?” Without pausing his work, Su Yiyun shook his head and laughed.

The yao commanders naturally weren’t threatening him; they were simply stating a fact.

In truth, these double-formations were heretical, forbidden. The Soul-Locking Formation drained souls, while the Spirit-Boosting Formation used the resulting power to increase another’s divine power. This sort of cultivation boost was naturally unacceptable to the Laws.

The more souls the formation absorbed, the greater the recoil to the user.

The person at the heart of the Spirit-Boosting Formation suffered no recoil, so naturally, the one at the center of the Soul-Locking Formation had to bear it instead. Looking at the sheer vastness of the formations Su Yiyun was currently placing and the number of living beings in range, the recoil was sure to be intense. Most likely, not even a great emperor would be able to bear it, nevermind someone like Su Yiyun. Judging from his aura, he’d yet to even brush against the ruler level.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Soul-Locking Formation’s recoil would kill him instantly.

As a grandmaster formations master, Su Yiyun was, of course, well aware of that. He’d chosen to place the formation anyway, which meant that he was prepared for the consequences. As for who would benefit from the Spirit-Boosting Formation….

Throughout the entire battlefield, there was only one possibility: Emperor Hades himself.

The Ocean Emperor had invited Jiao Hai and Kui Lin into the sky to fight, but even now, they’d shown no sign of crossing blows.

They were simply watching from the sidelines, watching the beasts and yao duke it out.

“Emperor Hades, you’ve never once taken in a disciple before, but this time, you found yourself a good sprout.” As the twin formations appeared simultaneously, even Demon Emperor Kui Lin couldn’t help but sigh with appreciation.

Spiritual formation masters were rare, precious talents in all of the Upper Three Realms. They didn’t need overly high cultivation; so long as their formations were sufficiently powerful, they could boost the strength of entire armies to an enormous degree.

The various factions of the Upper Three Realms had always fought tooth and nail to recruit spiritual formation masters, but in the God Realm, at least, almost all of them wound up in the Supreme Hall.

This only made recruitable formations masters even rarer.

Su Yiyun had placed eighth-level formations, which meant he was already a grandmaster. Even ordinary spiritual formation masters were well-received. As for grandmasters…

Even figures at the level of the Demon Emperor couldn’t resist proffering them olive branches whenever they saw them.

That was because formations grandmasters could create spiritual formations! No one could estimate how much of an impact they could make, or how much their contributions would be worth.

Take, for instance, the man at the helm of the Supreme Hall! Even the likes of the three Realm Emperors had to treat him with the utmost respect and caution.

“He’s not bad.” Emperor Hades accepted the complements calmly, with no sign of emotion. He didn’t care that it was the Demon Emperor himself complimenting his apprentice.

Or rather, he felt that Kui Lin’s compliments were utterly worthless!

Jiao Hai of the Southern Kingdom, conversely, was visibly tense. The soldiers fighting below were his subordinates. If Su Yiyun really activated that Eighth-Level Soul-Locking Formation, it would mean a sharp decline in his kingdom’s forces.

“Emperor Hades, you’ve always been the unsmiling type, huh?” In the face of Emperor Hades’ calm demeanor, the Demon Emperor couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh. “Your disciple is activating the Soul-Locking Formation for the sake of Spirit-Boosting afterward. His target is undoubtedly you. For you to be this calm and composed even now, well, color me impressed!”

“It’s just….” Kui Lin’s tone suddenly changed. “After activating the formation, this disciple of yours is sure to die. You’ve lived this long, but he’s the only closed-door disciple you’ve ever taken in. Aren’t you the least bit upset?”

To his surprise, Emperor Hades suddenly smiled. It was a jeering grin, targeted at Kui Lin. “The only one? Are you certain?”