Volume One: The Youth Enters the World Chapter Forty: Trapped

After Qi Liang stepped into the valley, he saw Fang Tian and Zhou Yunshu standing calmly by the spirit pool, their faces composed, as if they had been waiting for him all along. Not a trace of panic could be seen; instead, they watched him with serene indifference.

He frowned, suspicion flickering in his heart. Why were these two still so calm with death looming over them? This unexpected vigilance made Qi Liang stop in his tracks. He did not proceed further, but instead studied his surroundings carefully. Yet nothing seemed amiss—save for the spirit pool itself. But what could the spirit pool possibly do?

Though he couldn’t fathom their intentions, Qi Liang remained cautious, keeping a wary eye on the pair and not daring to strike rashly. Prudence, after all, was never a mistake. If carelessness led to disaster and they managed to escape, the consequences would be intolerable.

Having already encountered one unexpected twist, he could not afford a second. He needed absolute certainty before making his move. Thus, Qi Liang decided it would be best to wait for his companions to arrive. Since the two were already trapped inside and had nowhere to run, he only needed to guard the exit. Like catching turtles in a jar, it would be easy to capture them once reinforcements arrived.

Settling on this plan, Qi Liang leaned against a stone wall, no longer advancing, his face twisted into a mocking sneer as he watched them.

Meanwhile, Fang Tian noticed the black-clad man had halted, no longer approaching, and now stared at him with a half-smile, as if he had detected something. Fang Tian’s gaze sharpened as he studied the figure standing not far away, pondering where his plan might have gone awry.

Upon reflection, he realized things should not have played out this way. The spirit formation he had set was well-hidden—there was no way it could have been discovered. The only other explanation was that he and Zhou Yunshu had appeared too calm, arousing the enemy’s suspicion and making him hesitant to attack. Otherwise, why would he simply stand there unmoving?

Yet, whatever the reason, the current situation was clear: unless they lured the enemy closer, the spirit formation would be useless. He and Uncle Zhou would be left at their mercy, powerless against their fate.

Having weighed his options, Fang Tian knew he could not wait passively for doom to descend.

He took several steps forward and called out to the black-clad Qi Liang, “Hey, why don’t you come in? We have nowhere left to run. Why not finish us off quickly?”

Qi Liang snorted coldly. “Save your breath. I’m not coming any closer.”

“Then are you planning to just wait here? If others find this place, you might lose your chance.”

“Wait? You’ll see soon enough. I promise, your death will be most unpleasant.”

Fang Tian frowned at this. “Soon”? Was someone else coming?

If so, things could get tricky. Should the newcomers be equal in strength to this black-clad man, he would be in grave danger. He might be forced to draw the Heavenly Execution Sword to resolve the crisis.

Moments later, footsteps echoed from outside the valley. Fang Tian knew reinforcements had arrived. As the footsteps drew near, figures appeared and soon stood beside Qi Liang. To his surprise, it was Chen Shikang and his men.

Though Fang Tian was momentarily startled, he quickly pieced things together. The Chen family’s recent behavior had been suspicious; their appearance now confirmed his suspicions.

He had originally planned to lure Qi Liang over with words, but with the Chen family now present, they would surely rush in to capture him. Then, he could activate the spirit formation and, with its power, deal with them all at once.

At the valley’s entrance, the Chen family spoke quietly with Qi Liang, glancing occasionally in Fang Tian’s direction, as if debating their next move. Fang Tian remained composed.

After a brief discussion, the Chen family’s gaze turned collectively toward Fang Tian, malice flashing in their eyes. In the next instant, spiritual energy surged as they charged at him with murderous intent.

“Perfect timing!” Fang Tian declared. “My preparations for you will not go to waste.”

As they closed in, Fang Tian moved to the edge of the spirit pool, channeling spiritual power through his palm to direct the pool’s water into the formation. At once, the array erupted with dazzling blue-green light, spinning into action. The formation expanded rapidly, soon enveloping the entire valley and trapping the attackers within.

Qi Liang and the Chen family, caught in the snare, tried to retreat, only to find themselves unable to move a single step. All they could do was stand helplessly, frozen in place.

Only now did they realize Fang Tian had indeed prepared a hidden trump card—and a formidable one at that.

Inside the formation, Chen Shikang sensed the growing peril and hurriedly asked Qi Liang, “Sir, what do we do? We’re completely trapped.”

“Yes, we are,” Qi Liang replied grimly. “I did not expect this young man to be able to inscribe a spirit formation. This could be troublesome.”

“Do you have a way to break it?”

“There is one way. We must force our way out before the formation is fully activated. Lend me your strength—together, we may be able to shatter it.”

“Understood.”

The trapped group unleashed their full spiritual power, desperately attacking the formation. Under their assault, Fang Tian saw cracks forming in the array. If this continued, they would soon break free and come for him.

“Break the formation? That won’t be so easy!” Fang Tian sneered. Without hesitation, he used his soul force to draw upon the power of heaven and earth, inscribing formation runes directly onto the array.

Like gossamer threads, the essence of heaven and earth coalesced under his command, weaving into the formation’s pattern. One by one, the runes appeared, and the array, once on the verge of collapse, gradually restored itself and began to unleash its true might.

Seeing the formation stabilize and runes appear across its surface, Qi Liang could no longer remain calm. With runes augmenting the spirit formation, breaking it would be nearly impossible.

Even with his cultivation at the fifth stage of Spirit Gathering, it would take a long time to dispel this array—long enough for its attacks to fall upon them.

He had never imagined that in this remote town there would be a formation master—and a youth at that. Had he known, he would never have meddled in these waters.

But now, with no other recourse, he could only feign surrender. “Young friend, please have mercy. If you remove the formation, we’ll depart at once.”

Fang Tian replied with disdain, “Mercy? If I let you go, we’d never leave here alive.”

Qi Liang persisted, “Trust me, I give my word. I would never deceive you.”

Fang Tian shook his head, unmoved.

At a time like this, to show mercy would be the height of foolishness.