Chapter 179: Ultimate Ten Thousand Immortals Formation

He Zheng’s voice, seeking credit, came from the spirit talisman.

"Zhang Zhiliang has an eccentric personality. It took me considerable effort to persuade him this time. Naturally, the contribution points required will be higher than the 10,000 points I mentioned previously for working under Gong Boyu. It's 13,000 contribution points. This is a rare opportunity. If you're interested, Daoist friend, contact me as soon as possible!"

The spirit talisman then fell silent.

"Just an additional 3,000 contribution points? No problem. Thank you, Daoist friend!" Li Fan pondered for a moment before giving He Zheng a positive reply. One reason was to get closer to Zhang Zhiliang and then find a way to become his formal apprentice. The other was to seize this opportunity to officially join the Myriad Immortals Alliance. There were many benefits to joining the system. Compared to the over 10,000 contribution points spent in the blink of an eye during his seclusion, these 13,000 points were well worth it.

As soon as the message was sent, He Zheng replied immediately: "In that case, to avoid any delays, Daoist friend, please hurry to the Dharma Transmission Plaza and wait for me. I'll take you to meet Zhang Zhiliang first, then we'll secure the spot quickly. Be aware that even though it's just a minor formation repairer position, there are quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators eyeing it!"

Li Fan replied, "Then I shall trouble you, Daoist friend!" He then left the Sky Profound Mirror and went to the Dharma Transmission Plaza to wait for He Zheng. Upon arrival, he saw He Zheng already waiting.

"You've gone to a lot of trouble, Daoist friend!" Li Fan said to He Zheng.

"Haha, no need to be so formal. Since I'm the one who introduced you to the Myriad Immortals Alliance, it's only natural for me to look after you. Besides, it's mutually beneficial. Who knows, I might need your help with something in the future!" He Zheng waved his hand dismissively.

He then added, "Zhang Zhiliang isn't on Myriad Immortals Island right now. Recently, an island suddenly emerged from the seabed in the western waters of the Congyun Sea. Zhang Zhiliang, Gong Boyu, and the others are all on that island. It might be a year or two before they return. You'll come with me to see them, and we'll secure the spot first."

Li Fan nodded. "An island emerged from the seabed? And several formation masters from the Strategy Formation Hall are on the island? Have they discovered some sect ruins?" Li Fan asked as he followed He Zheng towards a tree-like teleportation array.

He Zheng shook his head. "It's not sect ruins, just an ordinary island. Over 3,000 years ago, for some unknown reason, the entire island sank into the ocean. Now, it has re-emerged. Strangely, this island seems to have originally been a garrison island for the Myriad Immortals Alliance, yet there are no records of it. The island's protective formation reactivated after the island resurfaced. That ancient protective formation is quite different from the ones used today. That's why several formation masters from the Strategy Formation Hall have gone there to observe," He Zheng explained.

Using the teleportation array, the two arrived at a massive island, resembling a primeval forest, filled with all sorts of trees. This island was more than ten times larger than Luli Island.

"The island is located over five hundred li west of Spirit Wood Island." Li Fan and He Zheng conversed as they flew towards their destination.

"Could it be that formations from a thousand years ago were more powerful than current ones? Why would several formation masters specifically go there to observe?" Li Fan voiced his confusion.

"Haha, Daoist friend, you might not know this, but the defensive formations commonly used within our Myriad Immortals Alliance are not static," He Zheng explained slowly. "The Myriad Immortals Alliance has always been at odds with the Five Elders Council. If a set formation remained unchanged for over a hundred years, there's bound to be a risk of leaks or easy, large-scale breaches. Therefore, our defensive formations undergo minor changes every two hundred years and major changes every thousand years. Minor changes involve adjusting the subtle layout of the formation while keeping its underlying logic intact. Major changes, however, involve completely reconstructing an entirely new formation. The previous formation set is then sealed away and no longer used."

"So, the protective formation operating on that island, being 3,000 years old, is a rare find. Its power is ordinary, but those proficient in formations can, by observing the subtle details, reverse-engineer the corresponding Myriad Immortals Grand Formation."

Li Fan was stunned upon hearing this. "The corresponding Myriad Immortals Grand Formation?"

He Zheng hesitated for a moment before quietly explaining, "This Myriad Immortals Grand Formation doesn't refer to the Myriad Immortals Array on Myriad Immortals Island. Rather, it refers to the true Myriad Immortals Grand Formation, formed within a given province, using the protective formations of all cities and islands as nodes, and with the Myriad Immortals Array of the central island or Lingtian City as its core, amplified. Once this Myriad Immortals Grand Formation is fully activated, it covers an entire province, and its power is unimaginable. It's said to have a record of slaying a Dao Integration Immortal Venerable. However, the resources it consumes are immense, and it can only be activated with permission from the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters. It's generally only used during major wars, such as when the Five Elders Council invades."

Li Fan, having just begun to grasp the basics of formations, imagined the scene in his mind and couldn't help but gasp. "No wonder the Myriad Immortals Alliance goes to such great lengths to build protective formations in most cities within its territory. So that was another layer of consideration."

Just then, He Zheng happily added, "We've also speculated privately that this might not even be the complete form of the Myriad Immortals Grand Formation. The true form of the Myriad Immortals Grand Formation is probably that immense formation that covers all of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's territory, using the fully activated Myriad Immortals Grand Formations of each province as nodes. But this is purely our speculation during our leisure time. Such a formation would be terrifying. Once activated, it would likely cause immense destruction across the entire cultivation world."

Li Fan fell silent after hearing this. *Given the Myriad Immortals Alliance's modus operandi, this ultimate form of the Myriad Immortals Grand Formation must exist. And the fact that the Xuanhuang Realm, despite being almost entirely divided between the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council, can still maintain superficial peace, is telling. Besides those elusive Immortal Venerables of Longevity, the existence of this ultimate Myriad Immortals Array is probably a crucial factor.*

After Li Fan fell into deep thought, the two traveled in silence.

Soon after, the sunken and re-emerged island came into view. Even from afar, Li Fan could sense that the island's humid atmosphere hadn't dissipated. Most of the buildings on the island were remarkably intact. However, after a millennium underwater, their surfaces were covered with seaweed and moss. On the streets, countless fish, now out of the water, were flopping and struggling for survival. Outside the island, Li Fan could faintly see a golden formation barrier.

"I wonder what caused this island to sink 3,000 years ago. And why has it suddenly re-emerged now?"