After fifteen minutes, Chi Muyao finished his calculations and dispersed the circular compass.

After taking a deep breath, he adjusted his state and looked up at the stars again.

Tang Ming, who had been watching all this time, couldn't help but mutter, "Making a big ruckus out of nothing..."

Mu Ren didn't even look at him. "Then why don't you try opening a compass formation?"

Tang Ming: "..."

What the hell happened to Mu Ren? Why's he always speaking on behalf of that guy from the Yu Chong School recently? 

At this time, Chi Muyao finally made a move. He retrieved some spirit stones from his Qiankun bag and quickly absorbed their spiritual energy. Tossing the residual powder aside, a gust of wind whipped up behind him. Some flag-like thing formed behind him before quickly dissipating. 

Then, he jumped up and into the field of stars. 

People from ancient times had many fantasies about the stars, and cultivators yearned for 'the power to crush the stars' all the more. However, what they didn't know was that each star was humongous. Not to mention Jupiter, even Neptune was larger than the place where they lived.

Therefore, the stars here were not quite right. They seemed to just be glowing stones. Chi Muyao could step on them directly and walk among the stars.

He was like a jellyfish swimming in a sea of stars. With every leap, his sleeves and long hair would lift and descend like frills.

The starry sky was vast, stretching into the blue horizon on all sides.

Like an overturned jewellery box, scattered pearls of various sizes and shine dotted the blue skies.

In the Big Dipper Star-picking Formation, you would have to observe the Big Dipper totem after the formation was activated. Then, you either picked stars from the starry sky or used your spiritual power to surround the designated star.

After his calculations, Chi Muyao carved all of the changes of the stars in his heart. While observing the changes of the totem on the ground, he stepped on star after star in one direction, picking up one of the stars and throwing it towards the totem. 

The first star belonged to the Tianshu position. 

Before the second totem even appeared, Chi Muyao was already on the move. He looked down after arriving at the area derived from his calculations, and calculated the exact star in a breath's time. He picked it up. 

The second star belonged to the Tianxuan position. 

He moved precisely, without hesitation.

 You could almost say he was one step ahead of the formation. 

Chi Muyao had always done better when there wasn't anyone else to interfere with him. It also helped him relax, since he didn't have to purposely waste time like on the first few floors.

Actually, the time it took the totem to change each time was time given for the cultivators to make their calculations.

But the given time was overly long for Chi Muyao. He had already reached the next position and began manipulating the sea of stars before the totem had even appeared.

He clenched his fist in a certain area before opening it abruptly. A star suddenly materialised above his palm.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this star was hidden before. His prior actions indicated he calculated that a star would appear here. It almost looked like he had created the star.

His actions might be low-key, but they caused a big stir in the crowd. Many people gasped in astonishment. "Just how good is his memory?" 

"Can he really calculate that?"

"He's breaking the ninth floor's formation like it's a toy." 

"Why did he join the Yu Chong School then? If he relied on his formation ability to participate in the Grand Selection, the one accepted as Guan Nan Heavenly Venerable's disciple might've been him instead of Xi Zihe."

Discussion erupted in the crowd, but there were no more slandering words. It was as if the people looking down on those from the Yu Chong School before hadn't been them.

Now, their attitude had suddenly changed to, "I already knew there was something different about him", "He's so beautiful, ah" etc. 

People were always fickle beings at  heart.

The last star belonged to the Yaoguang position.

Thus, the formation was broken.

This formation known for making the expressions of cultivators become complicated had actually been rendered simple. Aside from the initial calculations, Chi Muyao didn't expend too much effort.

He easily broke through the formation.

Guan Nan Heavenly Venerable couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Then he looked at Zhi Shan Heavenly Venerable.

 Zhi Shan Heavenly Venerable didn't notice his gaze. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she watched Chi Muyao break through.

 

So Guan Nan Heavenly Venerable continued to prop his chin on one hand and look rather bored without saying anything. 

Who knows? Maybe Chi Muyao could successfully pass through three formations on the ninth floor.

Yi Qianxi was so happy that she wanted to give someone a high five to celebrate, but she quickly hit pause after looking at Yu Yanshu. He was definitely not the right person to celebrate with.

Then she looked on her other side at Xi Huai's group. She deflated like a balloon and decided to give up.

However, she could still savour this moment for a long time to come.

Her shidi was so badass!

On the other side, Ming Shaoluo looked at the formation to see if she could solve it. She always looked at the changing totems before looking at the stars. However, before she could even calculate a general area, the totem had changed again. She couldn't do it as fast as Chi Muyao at all.

In the end, she could only sigh. 

Hearing voices all around her praising Chi Muyao was as pleasing as nails on a chalkboard. 

Although she couldn't get Xi Zihe's love before her rebirth, she was at least the number one beauty in the three realms. Was that title going to be taken away too? 

Beside her, Mu Ren was still exclaiming, "En. He did a very good job.”

He acted like Chi Muyao's performance was all thanks to his instructions. Even though he clearly didn't see eye to eye with Chi Muyao before, he had been humbled into becoming one of Chi Muyao's admirers.

Normally, Tang Ming would definitely say a few words at this time, but he was surprisingly silent. He didn't dare to look at Ming Shaoluo either.

Everyone was obviously too busy looking at Chi Muyao to compare him to her, but she still felt like she was being scrutinised.

She was no longer the centre of everyone's attention.

However, everyone quickly noticed something amiss. Chi Muyao failed to leave the formation. He was trapped within. 

Inside the formation, Chi Muyao too seemed very puzzled. He looked up at the stars, then at the Big Dipper totem, checking again and again that he had broken through the formation correctly. Why else would he not be transported out?

At this moment, the stars in the sky changed. The trajectory of a few stars became different from what he had calculated.

He quickly noticed this and tried to control the formation from within. 

Just as he used his spiritual energy to control the abnormally changing stars, he was repelled back by the energy contained in the formation. He crashed heavily to the ground, his body even bouncing a bit before coming to a stop. He struggled to turn onto his side, coughing out a mouthful of blood. He was obviously seriously injured.

Something was wrong with the formation!

This formation had been tampered with, and was now changing into a killing formation.

Guan Nan Heavenly Venerable quickly stood up. "The Heavenly Execution Formation!"

Other people were also shocked. Zhi Shan Heavenly Venerable frantically stood up and tried to go into the formation to help, but Guan Nan Heavenly Venerable stopped her. "You don't understand formations. Not only will you be of no help, you would require the junior to divert attention to protect you."

Xian Yue Heavenly Venerable also recognised the formation. She stood up as well. "This formation is expanding outwards! If you go in now, the barrier will lift, allowing it to expand even faster. When the stars in the formation cover the sky above the Nuan Yan Pavilion, this killing formation will devour the entire Sect!"

Xian Yue Heavenly Venerable was right. This killing formation was very aggressive. A demon star was born, displacing the auspicious star and changing the heavens.

Constant change remains transient, not abiding by the rotation, turning life into death.

The devil formation was no longer willing to be bound within the confines of a small room. It charged outward in a brawny stance. The entire Ninety-nine Glazed Glass Pagoda was shaking violently. The earth trembled, and cracks appeared in the barrier.

Zhi Shan Heavenly Venerable had always been gentle in both mannerisms and words, but she had lost her cool now. In a trembling voice, she asked, "What should I do then, just watch him die in the formation?!"

The Golden Core stage cultivator who had been supervising the situation in the Pagoda was scared silly by the stars surging out and attacking the barrier. He was so frightened that he blurted out, "S-seal the formation! We must not let the formation expand to the outside. I-if we get it under control now, the only casualty will be him. But who knows how many will die if it gets out here!"

Only those who understood formations knew how terrifying this formation was!

It could absolutely not be allowed out!

 Or else this place will become a graveyard!

From the ferocity displayed by the formation, it could be seen that the person who tampered with it was definitely above the Nascent Soul stage. Their skill in formations was also extremely high, otherwise the changes wouldn't have been so clever that Chi Muyao and Guan Nan Heavenly Venerable weren't able to sense anything amiss at first.

As soon as he spoke, a strange fire ignited on his body that couldn't be extinguished with spells. The person who set the fire was obviously aiming to take his life. The fire raged savagely, swallowing his entire person in an instant.

In the end, it was Guan Nan Heavenly Venerable who extinguished the fire with a wave of his hand. However, the Golden Core stage disciple still had burns all over his body.

Someone hurried over to help heal him. Originally shooting a furious glance at Xi Huai, they wilted and looked away once they saw the state he was in.

Xi Huai glared at them and spat out, "If something happens to him, I'll send the entire Nuan Yan Pavilion to the Underworld with him!"

With that, he looked at the barrier with Shukuang in hand, ready to break it and head in to save Chi Muyao.

Others might be afraid of the power of this formation, but he wasn't.

Guan Nan Heavenly Venerable knew this matter couldn't be left as-is. There were still some disciples within the Ninety-nine Glazed Glass Pagoda, and they were all elites since they could persist until now.

However, this formation must not be allowed to spread. So he announced, "I will go in to help him. After I enter, all of you can seal the barrier with spells."

Before Guan Nan Heavenly Venerable even finished or Xi Huai could go in, they discovered that the formation had been sealed from the inside. They couldn't even see what was going on in there anymore.

Xi Huai wanted to break the barrier with his sword, but he was blocked by the barrier Zhi Shan Heavenly Venerable threw down. She said to him, "It's Chi Muyao. He's sealed the formation from within using all his cultivation. If you forcefully attack, you'll be harming him."

"Why would he do this?!" Xi Huai was about to lose it.

“Because he also noticed the formation trying to encroach outside. He didn't want there to be any more casualties, so he decided to seal it and try to break through himself.”

"Did he hear you guys talking? Didn't you see how just trying to change the formation caused him to cough up blood?!"

"No, he can't see the outside world, or he wouldn't have gone to sleep in front of everyone. Only we can see him. He...sealed the formation of his own volition.”

Zhi Shan Heavenly Venerable's heart ached as she replied. Her eyes became red-rimmed. Seniors like them had less consideration than a young Foundation Building stage disciple like him.

Some people thought about sacrificing others, and some people thought of sacrificing themselves.

Zhi Shan Heavenly Venerable didn't stand idle after replying. She started injecting spiritual energy into the formation to help Chi Muyao stabilise the formation and reduce its power so that Chi Muyao could have room to manoeuvre.

The other two Nascent Soul stage seniors followed her lead.

Xi Huai felt like his heart was being clenched. A suffocating distress gripped him.

Was he going to lose him...before they were even truly reunited?

The person he looked so hard for was right before his eyes, yet he could do nothing but watch that person face the danger alone, not even able to stand by their side.

That person was him.

But not him.

The sight of him injured made Xi Huai want to lay waste to everything in sight.

His remaining rational mind told him that he couldn't do that. What he could do after calming down, was to help stabilise the formation.

Guan Nan Heavenly Venerable had already descended from the ninth floor audience stand, planning to enter from the inside.

Xi Huai's group was unfamiliar with the tower, so they would only waste time by heading in. That's why they chose instead to stay with Zhi Shan Heavenly Venerable and the other two Heavenly Venerables, using their spiritual energy to suppress the formation.

Xian Yue Heavenly Venerable said to Ming Shaoluo and the others, "Go tell all the disciples to hide themselves. I will use Sound Transmission Talismans to inform the other houses of the invasion. This intruder must have other intentions, this being but a distraction."

"Okay!" Ming Shaoluo and the others came back to their senses and left quickly.

Moments like these weren't the time to act spoiled.

Yi Qianxi noticed that something was off about Qiuqiu. When she reached for it, it spread its wings, chirped, and suddenly vanished.

Unlike others, it was Chi Muyao's soul-bound spirit beast. It could instantly teleport to its master's side, and now it was already in the formation, looking for Chi Muyao. 

It knew that a single careless mistake could mean death, but it still decided to remain by Chi Muyao's side. 

Yi Qianxi wanted to help suppress the formation, but she was chased off by the Golden Core stage seniors in charge of evacuation.

For the first time in her life, she realised the importance of strength.

If you weren't strong enough, you wouldn't be able to save the people you cared about.

Inside the formation, Chi Muyao was sure at this point that this formation had been tampered with.

He even knew who did it.

‘The one who guards the coffin’, Su You.

Su You could be said to be the number one devil of this world. Even though he was the oldest among those still active in the cultivation world, he liked to pretend to be a youth, always having a bell tied to his hair.

That bell was far from ordinary. It was a coffin that had been refined. The pattern on the bell was the corpse-suppressing pattern used for the coffin, and the bell itself stored a corpse.

Su You had tried and failed to reach the Demigod stage many times. He failed not because his cultivation was insufficient, but because of the internal demon he was plagued by.

He even became mad because of his internal demon, warping his way of thought from the norm. He committed all sorts of evil deeds only for the satisfaction of himself and the person in his coffin.

This person cooperated with Xi Huai in the early stages of the original novel, but later disagreements caused the relationship to break down. Xi Huai took advantage of a time when his internal demon was acting up to kill Su You.

If he didn't do that, there were few who could be Su You's opponent in the cultivation world. 

This person's cultivation was just too high. After the subsequent deaths of the Nuan Yan Pavilion Sect Master and Xi Lin, he became the number one expert in the cultivation world.

Right now, Chi Muyao regarded the change in the formation not with fear, but frustration.

He clearly saw Su You outside the formation, so he should've known that Su You was here for some purpose. He should have alerted the Nuan Yan Pavilion, but he didn't.

Of course, that was because he didn't know how to explain himself. Was he supposed to say that he knew Su You was a big bad guy because he had read the original novel?

Come to think of it, it was good that he was the one to run into this formation. It would serve to ameliorate his earlier mistake.

He had to break through this killing formation and stop it from spreading at all costs. Him as the sole casualty was enough.

So what if he died here? He’d face death with no regrets. He was never from this book, so he shouldn't stay here anyway.

Little did he know his decision cost Xi Huai half his life.

At least he could be comforted by a dream when he hadn't yet found Chi Muyao.

If Chi Muyao was gone, Xi Huai would go mad.