C10 Seven Stars Diagram

Wu Shanbao unexpectedly stumbled upon Yan Fei and his group attempting to seize the "Seven Stars Map." Noticing Yan Fei's determination, he seized the opportunity to stealthily follow them and discover what was truly happening.

Yan Fei was the son of Yan Shouye, a magnate from Level One Heaven. He had been accepted as a disciple at Spirit Refining Mountain, and thanks to his father's influence, Yan Fei managed to become a nominal disciple of Liang Cheng. Although they lacked a genuine master-disciple relationship, Yan Fei's seniority on Spirit Refining Mountain was exceptionally high. Among the young elites of Level One Heaven, he was one of the few who were widely admired. His family's influence further cemented his status as a prominent figure on the mountain.

Yan Fei was sociable by nature, befriending people from various backgrounds. While his cultivation skills might have been the weakest among his peers, when it came to being well-informed, Yan Fei was second to none.

Bold as a young calf unafraid of tigers, Yan Fei learned of the Seven Stars Map, protected by a Demonic Beast on Dawnbreak Peak. The map, crafted by a master according to the cosmic elements and principles of yin and yang, was said to guide its holder in any location, using the Big Dipper as a reference. Among the many treasures of Level One Heaven, it was considered a top-tier item.

Yan Fei was deeply intrigued. Knowing his body refining skills were insufficient to claim the map, he rallied his fellow disciples to devise a plan. This was the very group Wu Shanbao had observed departing. Despite their youth, all four were accomplished in the early stages of the Qi Refining Realm. Their exceptional talents had earned them a place at Spirit Refining Mountain, and they were all promising candidates for ascension at the upcoming Heavenly Conference.

However, the Demonic Beast proved to be a formidable opponent. The six of them struggled to gain the upper hand and ultimately had to rely on their treasures to make a narrow escape, preserving their lives. Realizing they were no match for the beast, the four disciples reluctantly accepted Yan Fei's promise of compensation and departed with a mixture of frustration and disappointment.

Yan Fei was a man who never backed down from a challenge. After watching the group depart, he resolved to venture alone into the unknown. Should he fail this time, Yan Fei was determined to devise another strategy to succeed. Such was the essence of Yan Fei's character: once he set his mind on a goal, he would stop at nothing to achieve it, employing any means necessary.

Wu Shanbao stealthily trailed Yan Fei to a secluded cliff deep within the forest, where a mysterious cave entrance emerged before them. The entrance was shrouded by ancient trees, seemingly embodying the cosmic balance of Yin and Yang, making it exceptionally well-hidden.

Yan Fei cautiously circled the cave entrance for quite some time. Once he was certain the Demonic Beast lurked within, he boldly began to look for clues outside the cave.

"You wretched Demonic Beast, you've cost me a fortune in treasures for my senior brother. But the worst part is the blow to my reputation. If I can't find a way to subdue you today, I'll be unworthy of my title as the 'All-Knowing Expert'!" Yan Fei grumbled to himself.

"Yan Fei, perhaps we should invite some Taoist priests from the Spirit Refining Stage? Surely with their help, we can subdue the Demonic Beast," the young man walking beside Yan Fei proposed.

The young man, roughly the same age as Yan Fei, was obedient to his every word. Clad in black, his stout figure stood in stark contrast to Yan Fei's graceful, white-garbed appearance.

"Ge Bin, after all this time you've been with me, do you really think I'd let others reap the rewards of my loss? If we call them in, would there be anything left for me?" Yan Fei retorted.

"But with our current strength, how can we possibly claim the treasure? Let's not act impulsively; this Demonic Beast is quite formidable."

"Rest assured!" Yan Fei declared with confidence.

He then produced a series of glass bottles from his bosom, each one sealed with a talisman, clearly indicating that they had been enchanted by someone of deep spiritual prowess. He had a total of eight bottles.

"Ge Bin, bury these glass bottles according to the principles of the Eight Formation Diagram, and make sure not to remove the talismans," Yan Fei directed.

"Yan Fei, are you planning to use..." Ge Bin asked, his voice tinged with astonishment.

Yan Fei nodded, "I refuse to believe that this creature can slip through my fingers! Get to work quickly and don't rouse the Demonic Beast."

Ge Bin meticulously buried eight bottles in alignment with the Eight Formation Diagram, while Yan Fei placed a peach wood token within the formation. Concerned that the formation's power might be insufficient, he also buried three peach wood swords around its perimeter.

Having completed their preparations, both Ge Bin and Yan Fei were brimming with confidence.

"Yan Fei, if you had these tools at your disposal, why didn't you bring them out sooner?"

"How else could I show those senior brothers what I'm capable of if I revealed everything too soon? Moreover, the Heavenly Fortune Array can only be used three times, so I need to use it sparingly!" Yan Fei, gazing at the entrance to the Demonic Beast's cave, continued, "Ge Bin, I'm entrusting you with the task of drawing the Demonic Beast out of its lair! Just lead it into the array, and I'll be able to trap it inside!"

"Fine! But make sure you release me from the formation quickly! I won't be able to hold out for long!"

"Don't worry! I'll open the formation gate at the nearest spot for you. Once you've shaken off the Demonic Beast, hurry into the cave and secure the treasure."

...

Wu Shanbao observed Yan Fei's flurry of activity from a distance. Unfamiliar with the intricacies of the formation and the treasure, he couldn't grasp their purpose and could only watch in silence.

As Ge Bin approached the cave entrance, Wu Shanbao's heart began to pound.

Standing before the cave, Ge Bin picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it into the depths. The stone seemed to vanish into an abyss, taking an age to echo back.

"Demonic Beast, show yourself! Hand over the Seven Stars Diagram today if you know what's good for you! Otherwise, I'll demolish your den and leave you without a home!" Ge Bin declared, drawing a steel sword and striking at the ancient tree by the cave entrance.

These were no ordinary trees, and Ge Bin's act of vandalism did not go unnoticed by the Demonic Beast inside.

A thunderous roar erupted from within the cave, startling both Ge Bin and Yan Fei.

"This is bad! Why has the Demonic Beast become enraged?" A sense of alarm washed over Ge Bin as he hastily made his way back to the safety of the formation.

A chilling breeze swept through, and a Demonic Beast sprang from the cave. Towering at nine feet tall and stretching ten feet in length, the Demonic Beast was sheathed in skin as thick as a rhinoceros's hide.

Before Ge Bin could get a good look at the Demonic Beast, it roared again and charged at him. Ge Bin, having never encountered such a spectacle, screamed for help and sprinted toward the formation.

Yan Fei was equally startled. They had previously attempted to subdue the Demonic Beast at the cave's entrance, but had been overwhelmed before they could witness its full majesty. Now, not wanting to provoke the beast further and uncertain if the formation could contain it, Yan Fei was relieved he had placed peach wood swords around the perimeter.

With the situation escalating, Yan Fei couldn't afford to hesitate. As the Demonic Beast entered the formation, he swiftly formed a hand seal and began to chant.

Activating the formation, the talisman on the bottle at its base shone brightly. Beams of intense light soared into the sky, converging above the peach wood token Yan Fei had buried, creating a brilliant white disc.

The disc spun rapidly, emitting a powerful gravitational pull that attracted everything within the formation.

Realizing it had been ensnared, the Demonic Beast let out another bellow. Its four pillar-like legs dug in, trying to move out of the formation.

Yan Fei knew they were in trouble; the Demonic Beast's raw strength was overwhelming the Heavenly Fortune Array's magical power. Resolute, he bit his middle finger and quickly dabbed his blood on the spirit talisman, then shouted, "Rise!" and cast it into the formation.

Drawn by the array's pull, the life-bound blood talisman flew swiftly toward the disc.

Upon contact, the peach wood sword outside the formation emitted three intense beams of red light. The beams struck the disc within the formation, merging with the white light and enlarging the disc to twice its size, its color shifting to a deep, blood-red.

The disc's rotation accelerated, and the Demonic Beast, unable to maintain its stance, slid toward the token enveloped by the red disc.