Chapter 160 Map Fragments
He picked up the black iron scroll. It looked ordinary at first glance, but upon closer inspection, he saw that it was engraved with intricate patterns and blurred handwriting. The patterns ended abruptly at the edge, and the words were even more difficult to recognize.
After pondering for a moment, he speculated: "This seems to be a fragment of a map."
Based on limited clues, he came to a preliminary conclusion.
Shangguan Jiannan secretly speculated in his heart that the words engraved on the iron scroll were obscure and difficult to understand, and it was obviously just a part of a fragment of a certain scroll. So he put it aside and turned his attention to studying the two books of martial arts.
Suddenly, the one-foot-long short sword beside him trembled slightly, and then returned to calm.
His eyes focused on the "Sword Techniques" and "Array Formations", he whispered to himself.
These two sets of skills originated from the golden ring in the skeleton. Although the "Sword Technique" only contains a few moves, it is unpredictable and far beyond his current understanding.
"Let's see what's so unique about this formation."
Shangguan Jiannan put down his sword skills and turned to open the "Array Formation".
On the title page, the theories of the Five Elements and the Eight Trigrams are vividly displayed, and a mysterious world of heaven and earth slowly unfolds.
"When the heaven and earth were first created, the Great Dao evolved, the One Yuan was born, the two yin and yang divided the heaven and earth, the three stars connected, the four images took shape, and the five elements and eight trigrams operated in between."
The words reveal the origin of the formation - the laws of heaven and earth, and its power is enough to shake the heavens and the earth.
The brief introduction has already made Shangguan Jiannan fascinated. As the pages are turned, the formation knowledge with pictures and texts is presented one by one.
Although he was new to these words and patterns, they were surprisingly easy to understand, as if there was a force guiding him to explore deeper.
In the following time, Shangguan Jiannan concentrated fully and studied word by word. The detailed annotations interspersed between the pages benefited him a lot and he had an unprecedented deep understanding of the battle formation.
Finally, he closed the book, unable to hide the shock on his face.
The senior's research on battle formations was so advanced that it made Shangguan Jiannan's eyes light up, as if he had opened a door to a whole new world.
When he first came into contact with the ancient book, he realized that the depth of knowledge contained in it far exceeded his imagination.
The pages were yellowed, but they were densely covered with detailed annotations, and every obscure part was explained, making his learning path unusually smooth. He was secretly glad that these annotations were like bright lights, guiding him to avoid countless detours.
In this ancient book, the mysteries of seals and formations were explained vividly, which amazed Shangguan Jiannan. He couldn't help but sigh: "The wisdom of the ancient sect is indeed extraordinary!"
At this moment, Shangguan Jiannan's face was full of excitement. The mysterious seals in the netherworld aroused his infinite longing and desire in his heart.
His interest in this book "Array" became more and more intense.
Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, Shangguan Jiannan has returned from the underworld for more than half a month.
During this period of time, he put aside all distractions and focused on studying, putting cultivation aside for the time being.
"Array" became his everything.
As the craze for exploring the netherworld gradually faded, peace returned to the sect, and the disciples, full of passion, devoted themselves to cultivation once again.
However, this tranquility in Shangguan Jiannan's life was completely broken by the visit of one person.
In the early morning, the Tianjian Sect woke up from its slumber. Voices gradually rose inside and outside the sect. Disciples shuttled among them, talking a lot, especially those inner sect elites who had entered the netherworld and returned with a full load. They were full of envy.
Although the journey to the netherworld was risky, it was also fruitful. The newly added secret treasures and techniques in the martial arts pavilion ignited the disciples' enthusiasm for cultivation, and the entire sect was in an uproar.
However, this tranquility was suddenly broken by an unprecedented powerful spiritual energy, which surged in like a raging tide, carrying a heart-pounding pressure, and instantly swept across the entire Tianjian Sect.
The disciples were horrified and the elders looked solemn. The power was so strong that it was enough to shock people.
"Who are you? How dare you go wild in the Tianjian Sect!" On the square, an angry shout exploded like thunder. It was the sect leader Yin Wuqing. His voice was so powerful that it shocked everyone.
As the voice fell, the panic in the hearts of the disciples subsided a little, and they all looked towards the source of the voice. They saw Yin Wuqing and elders such as Long Qianshan quickly gathered together, with confusion and vigilance on their faces, and walked quickly towards the center of the square.
In the air, the fluctuations of spiritual energy became stronger and stronger, as if there was an invisible sword, cutting through the void wantonly, releasing a biting chill.
This blatant provocation made everyone's heart tighten, and they all looked up at the unknown source.
"Who are you, master? Please show yourself!"
Yin Wuqing spoke again, his voice revealing unquestionable majesty, trying to force out the person behind the scenes.
As his words fell, the entire sect seemed to be waiting for an answer, and the air was filled with tension and anticipation.
At this moment, the fluctuations of spiritual energy in the air suddenly weakened, and then a figure slowly appeared. Although the face could not be seen clearly, the extraordinary aura made everyone present feel an unprecedented sense of oppression.
This scene made the already tense atmosphere even more solemn. The fate of the Tianjian Sect seemed to be quietly rewritten at this moment.
The spiritual energy surged like a tide, instantly filling the sky, accompanied by terrifying rolls.
Amidst the exclamations, a figure slowly took shape. It was Guo Cheng.
Yin Wuqing watched this scene from afar, his brows furrowed, his heart full of confusion: "Why is he here, and so flamboyant?"
"Long Qianshan, Yin Wuqing, show up!"
Guo Cheng stood in the void, with violent spiritual energy around him and an overwhelming pressure sweeping around him.
Then, a thunderous roar broke through the sky, shaking every inch of space.
An old man in a gray robe, his face covered with frost, was filled with rage, as if he could freeze everything. His figure appeared and disappeared in the void, causing the disciples below to turn pale and panic.
Shangguan Jiannan hid in the crowd, his face gloomy, his eyes fixed on Guo Cheng in the air, his heart was filled with fear and turmoil: "Could it be that he came for the Slaughtering Heaven Sword?"
As the thought flashed through his mind, his face turned even darker, a mixture of fear and uneasiness.
As Guo Cheng shouted angrily, the ground shook slightly, and two figures rushed out and soared into the sky.
Above the void, Guo Cheng's steps were like the wind, as if he was walking on an invisible staircase, approaching step by step.
Yin Wuqing and Long Qianshan followed closely behind, standing in the void, confronting Guo Cheng. The distance between them was several feet and the atmosphere was heavy.
"Elder Guo, why is this happening?" Yin Wuqing's face was frosty, his voice was low, and his eyes were full of vigilance.
Long Qianshan also responded with caution. After all, the other party was a top powerhouse in the Temple of War God and his strength should not be underestimated.
"Hand over Shangguan Jiannan!" Guo Cheng's voice was like thunder, resounding through the sky. His eyes were like torches, scanning below, looking for Shangguan Jiannan's trace.
Below, Shangguan Jiannan was shocked when he heard the words, and his face turned pale as paper.
Shangguan Jiannan's expression suddenly changed, and he said in a deep voice: "Sure enough, it's for the Slaughtering Heaven Sword."