Chapter 195

Chapter 195: The Prodigy of the Formation Tower (2)

The moment she registered the words of Myo Jinheo.

The expression on Yan Bilyeong’s face turned rigid.

Initially, the sheer absurdity of the statement left her entirely unable to process it.

Her jaw dropped slightly, her eyes grew wide, and her brow furrowed into a sharp line.

“…”

A brief pause.

Another second passed.

Gradually, the reality of the situation sunk in.

The moment the realization hit her, her complexion began to shift rapidly from crimson to a pale, furious blue.

“…What exactly did you say?”

Her words vibrated with a volatile mix of pure rage and total disbelief.

“A Bronze Formation Contract? You are telling me it is a Bronze Formation Contract?”

The volume of her voice began to rise steadily.

“That particular individual? A member of the Trigram Masters? Signing a Bronze Formation Contract?!”

The final syllable was delivered as a full-blown shriek.

Myo Jinheo flinched back a step, using the edge of his fan to lightly shield his ears.

“Goodness, you are going to rupture my eardrums at this rate.”

“Curse it all! What kind of respectable Trigram Master lowers themselves to accept a Bronze Formation Contract!”

Yan Bilyeong completely lost her temper.

A Bronze Formation Contract.

It represented the absolute bottom tier of the contractual hierarchy within the Formation Tower.

It was a menial task, the type of trivial errand normally assigned to novice, low-tier Formation Masters.

And yet.

That exact request had been claimed by a Trigram Master.

Specifically by Dongmun Mutoe, one of the elite Eight Trigram Masters.

A Trigram Master.

These were the premier authorities of the craft, numbering a mere eight individuals across the entire expanse of the massive Formation Tower.

Every single one held absolute dominion over one of the Eight Trigrams.

They were the true, administrative lords of the organization.

Existing just below the supreme authority of the Yin-Yang Guard, they commanded the respect and obedience of the countless hundreds and thousands of regular Formation Masters.

That status was precisely why this scenario was so catastrophic.

He was a figure occupying the pinnacle of their hierarchy.

The fact that a Bronze Formation Contract amounted to menial labor wasn’t the core issue here.

The true disaster lay in the fact that a Trigram Master agreeing to such a contract constituted a direct, severe breach of the Formation Tower’s Eight Great Edicts.

The Formation Tower’s Eight Great Edicts.

1. Prohibition of leaking contract details (Violation results in sealing of True Qi)

2. Prohibition of contracts with a difference of two or more ranks

3. Prohibition of simultaneous multiple contracts

4. Prohibition of accepting requests under a personal name

5. Prohibition of teaching the Formation Tower’s confidential formations to outsiders

6. Prohibition of killing the client (except in self-defense)

7. Prohibition of withdrawing from an ongoing contract (However, withdrawal is possible upon the client’s death)

8. Prohibition of personal judgment regarding the seven items above

Essentially, the Eight Great Prohibitions.

He had flagrantly disregarded the second decree.

Furthermore, he had done so by taking on a Bronze Formation Contract, an operational tier drastically below his own station.

“Ugh, the man has lost his mind! He is completely out of his mind!”

Yan Bilyeong dug her fingers into her hair with one hand while rubbing her throbbing forehead with the other.

“If this reaches the ears of the Yin-Yang Guard, he is going to face incredibly harsh disciplinary measures.”

“While the Eight Great Edicts are undeniably sacred, considering this entire blunder began due to an oversight by the Ranking Committee, shouldn’t there be some room for compromise or understanding?”

“Understanding? Absolutely not. Regardless of what the Ranking Committee put on paper, he knew! That man, Dongmun Mutoe, is fully aware of his own position. He knows he isn’t some low-level practitioner!”

“Haha. That may be true, but doesn’t the Yin-Yang Guard hold Trigram Master Dongmun in exceptionally high regard? I strongly suspect they won’t make a massive issue out of an incident of this scale.”

Dongmun Mutoe.

The leading Trigram Master of the Illusion Formation Department, whose primary designation involved phantasmal techniques.

Oddly enough, he was an individual who displayed an almost miraculous aptitude for intricate, multi-layered arrays rather than standard illusions.

He retained the unprecedented distinction of ascending to the rank of Trigram Master at the tender age of twenty-three.

Whether looking at the current generation, the one that preceded it, or the ones to follow, he was universally recognized as the most eccentric… rather, the most brilliant prodigy within the Formation Tower, someone destined to eventually join the ranks of the Yin-Yang Guard.

Evaluating the circumstances through that lens, Myo Jinheo’s perspective carried some weight.

It truly seemed improbable that the Yin-Yang Guard would levy any crippling penalties or severe retributions against Dongmun Mutoe for a misstep of this nature.

“Sigh… I certainly hope that is the case. But if fortune works against us, the Yin-Yang Guard might decide to freeze the research endowments of all Trigram Masters for several months, claiming collective accountability or something similar.”

This highlighted a fundamental misunderstanding the general public possessed regarding the inner workings of the Formation Tower.

It was widely believed that the institution and its practitioners were driven solely by material wealth.

To be more accurate, however, their true obsession was the mastery of the Formation itself.

Just as practitioners of martial arts strived toward the pinnacle of Ascension to Immortality via ‘The Martial’ to converse directly with divine entities, the ultimate goal of a true Formation Master was to elevate the ‘Formation’ to its absolute zenith, thereby trapping and regulating the natural order entirely within the frameworks of the Eight Trigrams, the Nine Palaces, and the Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.

Currency was merely a practical tool utilized to relentlessly advance that understanding.

It was a resource needed to fund theoretical research and acquire the rare Formation Stones and exotic ingredients necessary to test those theories.

“Regardless, just wait until that fool returns to the tower. I am going to throw him directly into the Eight Yang Five Yin Formation myself to guarantee he never pulls a reckless stunt like this again.”

Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly to steady her fraying nerves, Yan Bilyeong directed a far more composed gaze back toward Myo Jinheo.

“Putting that aside, his return shouldn’t be long delayed, correct?”

“Naturally… Given that it is merely a Bronze Formation Contract, he ought to wrap it up rather swiftly, shouldn’t he? For someone of Trigram Master Dongmun’s caliber, executing it should be simpler than draining that cup of lukewarm tea over there.”

Myo Jinheo snapped his fan shut.

“After all, what could possibly go wrong during a routine Bronze Formation Contract?”

“True enough. Still, where exactly did his assignment take him?”

“He mentioned his destination was in the vicinity of the River Capital.”

“The River Capital? According to the intelligence briefs I reviewed earlier this week, that entire region has been plunged into utter chaos lately.”

“How severe could it possibly be?”

Myo Jinheo turned his eyes back toward the viewing ‘window’.

There did appear to be some manner of disturbance unfolding within the River Capital, as the local True Qi of the Formation Dao was heavily distorted, obscuring their vision entirely.

Even so, that wasn’t a cause for major alarm.

The vast expanse of the Jianghu was an environment where thousands upon thousands of such conflicts erupted on a daily basis.

It occurred yesterday, it was happening at this very moment, and it would continue tomorrow.

“The situation might demand attention only if a genuine environmental catastrophe were to manifest.”

Yet even in the face of natural disasters, events like severe storms, tectonic shifts, or volcanic eruptions posed no real threat to a practitioner of Trigram Master level.

The only real danger would be if the heavens themselves collapsed.

“An environmental catastrophe? Have you not laid eyes on this document yet?”

『Eight Directions Avici Prison ― A Preliminary Thesis on Complex Layered Formation Dao Based on the Theory of the Grand Ultimate Returning to One』

“This piece of work right here is the real catastrophe. And you are telling me he unleashed a design like this right next to the River Capital?”

Yan Bilyeong remarked, aggressively gesturing with Dongmun Mutoe’s latest piece of theoretical ‘insanity’ which she held in her grasp.

“That entire territory is going to be transformed into a waking nightmare.”

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

She jabbed her index finger repeatedly against the specific quadrant Myo Jinheo had been monitoring.

Fixing her gaze squarely on the coordinates of the River Capital, her features twisted into a dark scowl.

“A. Waking. Nightmare.”

Fwoosh-.

“Fascinating.”

This world never ceases to provide entertainment.

Having successfully shattered the frosty enclosure, I found myself suddenly dropped into the depths of a Scorching Hell.

Upon my initial arrival, this area had manifested as a perfectly normal mountain summit, but it had rapidly shifted into an environment that simmered with the intensity of a high-pressure, superheated steam bath.

Fwoosh, fwoosh-.

The tips of my hair singed instantly, and the surface of my skin began to char to a deep brown.

Had I not immediately erected my Super True Qi Field to repel the ambient thermal energy, my physical form would have already vaporized into a scattering of cinders.

․ Dismantle the Bandit Alliance.

├─ Progress: 100%

└─ Reward: History +1, Trust with Bae Dal-pae slightly increased

On the bright side, the destruction of the Bandit Alliance was now entirely wrapped up.

To be completely precise, the task had been wrapped up on my behalf.

There was no doubt that any surviving hostiles had been completely wiped from existence by the combination of the previous array and this current trap.

They harvested exactly what they sowed.

If one enters into a flawed agreement, death is the inevitable outcome.

Such is the unyielding doctrine of the Murim, the foundational law of existence.

․ Defeat all members of the dispatch team from the Heavenly Formation Dao Alliance hired by the Bandit Alliance.

├─ Progress: 0%

└─ Reward: History +1, a Relationship with the Heavenly Formation Dao Alliance will be formed

“…”

My remaining objective lay clearly defined before me.

The operatives contracted by the very degenerates who had just been vaporized—the reinforcement squad sent by the Heavenly Formation Dao Alliance.

Dong Bongsu observed his immediate environment with absolute composure.

The surrounding space burned with a ferocity that would make the mythical underworlds seem pleasant by comparison.

Despite utilizing his Super True Qi Field to carefully prevent any stray embers or blistering air from penetrating his defenses, the ambient temperature surged higher by the second.

At this accelerating pace, perhaps fifteen minutes?

That appeared to be the absolute threshold of endurance.

Even with that constraint, he dedicated his focus to analyzing the terrain.

He required an accurate sense of direction.

He needed to pinpoint the location of the surviving adversaries and determine which path would lead him out of this labyrinthine array.

—Are you searching for my presence?

An intrusive voice suddenly echoed directly within his consciousness.

No, this was something far deeper than a standard sound transmission technique…

‘Could it be the sentient consciousness of the array itself?’

The overarching intent generated by the collective formation was broadcasting its thoughts directly to him.

Simply put, the mastermind who constructed this trap was communicating with him.

“…”

—The premise is straightforward. If you manage to shatter all eight of my constructed barriers, you will earn the right to face me in person.

“…”

—Though, naturally, that is an impossible feat. This specific application of the Formation Dao is, by its very design, an utterly impregnable masterpiece.

“…”

—For what reason do you remain silent?

There was simply no utility in offering a verbal reply.

Thump, thump.

Dong Bongsu merely maintained his steady stride forward.

—Perhaps you lack the power of speech… In any case, you appear to have grown arrogant simply because you managed to unravel a solitary Cold Yin Ice Wind Formation. However, within this Scorching Heat Rakshasa Formation, the localized Yang energies are amplified to their absolute maximum. This forces the bedrock to simmer like an active crucible until the atmosphere itself ignites, transforming the entirety of the spatial coordinates into pure conflagration. Furthermore, consider what transpires when your fragile physique, having only just acclimated to a state of absolute zero, is abruptly subjected to this extreme thermal shock. It triggers a Collision of Opposing Extremes. While water and fire stand as natural antitheses, they are fundamentally linked by Qi. The exact instant these polar temperatures collide within you, your physical form will fail to withstand the pressure and tear itself apart. By virtue of this mechanical marvel…

A textbook example of a verbose talker.

Thump, thump.

—Because of the instantaneous thermal fluctuation, your skeletal structure will fracture, your flesh will rip away, your internal systems will liquefy, and your eighty-four thousand pores will violently dilate and constrict in rapid succession. Ultimately, every individual pore across your entire anatomy will violently detonate.

The terrain beneath his boots was steadily shifting to a glowing, incandescent red.

The atmosphere warped violently, and a dense, shimmering heat distortion rose from the earth, heavily obscuring any clear view of his surroundings.

The local vegetation and forestry had vanished into drifting soot, and the solid rock formations were actively liquefying into a viscous sludge.

‘This ought to provide an adequate environment for a field test.’

Fwoong-.

With a casual, sweeping motion of Dong Bongsu’s arm, a radiant luminescence expanded outward from his position.

The boundary settled at a precise radius of 5 meters.

『Shield of Faith Lv.1』

[Active][Buff][Radial]

—Conviction shall serve as your enduring resolve and protective bulwark. It projects unadulterated sacred energy to safeguard the perimeter surrounding the Champion. When infused with a significant collective devotion from those who place their trust in the user, it further inherits the property to purge malevolent forces. While it represents the Champion’s foundational defensive measure, it possesses limitless adaptability tied directly to the current Faith Level.

Mana Cost: 10 MP/min

Casting Time: Instant

Cooldown: None

Range: 5m

Base Damage Reduction: 10 (+Faith Bonus)

The blistering heat that had been aggressively irritating the surface of his skin immediately grew manageable.

Simultaneously, owing to the supplementary ‘Faith Bonuses’ cascading down upon him from above, he recognized that the skill’s efficacy far outstripped his initial projections.

Naturally, this barrier alone lacked the raw capacity to entirely negate a thermal environment of this magnitude, but when layered in tandem with his Super True Qi Field, the defensive synergy proved remarkably potent.

Maintaining this defensive posture, perhaps a full hour?

He was now capable of enduring the elements four times longer than his previous estimate.

Even so, he entertained no desire to linger in this location a moment longer than necessary.

The standard procedure dictated that once a field test reached its conclusion, one must advance immediately to the subsequent phase.

Dong Bongsu moved.

Slash-.

—You shall suffer the consequences…

His strike cut cleanly through a specific node within the wavering heat haze.

To be precise, he severed the primary spiritual artery regulating the array.

His physical form slid effortlessly into the spatial rift that tore open like the maw of a predatory beast.

He departed without offering a single word of acknowledgment.

‘The voice indicated a total of eight barriers.’

He had already dismantled two.

That left six remaining obstacles.

Once those were cleared.

That talkative architect would be forced to settle the account.

Compelling someone to endure tedious monologues is an annoyance that demands a steep price.