chapter 32 The danger of formation ===

Song family's Formation Hall had fallen into disrepair over the years, especially worsening after the death of their ancestor. The central core had been experiencing issues, and in recent years, it became even more severe. "If it happens to be a coincidence!" Verdantius Liu didn't want to reveal too much, giving an ambiguous response. Willorus Song was a shrewd planner, well aware of his son's capabilities. There weren't many people that Ivydan Song admired. Without genuine skills, Ivydan Song wouldn't follow him and address him as "brother." "Dad, our Song family's central core has always had problems. Why not let Big Brother Liu take a look? Maybe he can fix it." Ivydan Song jumped out, reminding his father and suggesting that Verdantius Liu could help inspect the core of the Song family's formation. Verdantius Liu was speechless, and the other Song family elders just rubbed their heads. The core of the Song family's formation was the fundamental foundation of the family, and even Song family disciples couldn't enter. Only a few core elders were involved in maintaining it. "Young Master, remember, it's not allowed. The core of the Song family's formation is our family's top secret. How can we let an outsider peer into it?" The Chief Elder immediately stepped forward to stop them. The issue with the Song family's formation was something they would handle themselves. Besides, they didn't want to rely on the help of an outsider, especially a son-in-law who had been carrying the title of waste. Other elders nodded in agreement, thinking that the Chief Elder was right. The core of the Song family's formation could not be revealed. "Well, then you fix it! It's been so many years, and the problems with the core are getting worse. I haven't seen any good solutions from you. A great opportunity is right in front of you, and will you let it slip away? Do you really want to wait until the Song family completely falls before abandoning these narrow-minded views?" Ivydan Song sneered, and his words made many elders lower their heads in contemplation. Willorus Song raised his eyebrows; although the words were coarse, they were reasonable. Waiting until the day when the Song family completely perished would be too late. "Even so, we can't allow an outsider to enter the core of the Song family's formation." The Chief Elder firmly rejected the idea of letting Verdantius Liu enter the formation's core. "We can't trust the Young Master's one-sided words. This person is just a waste. How could he understand the application of formations?" The Second Elder stepped forward, his tone full of sarcasm. Verdantius Liu's name was well-known, but not in a positive way. Verdantius Liu's eyes turned cold. Throughout the conversation, he hadn't mentioned anything about repairing the formation. On the contrary, they took turns humiliating him. "Song Family Head, I still have matters to attend to. I'll take my leave." Seeing that Ivydan Song was being disrespected, Verdantius Liu suppressed the anger in his heart. Did they really think he was afraid? Breaking through the Second stage of the innate realm, combined with the Ghost pupil, he might not be a match for someone in the Soul washing Realm. Without waiting for their response, he flicked his sleeves and walked away, not wanting to stay a minute longer. "Brother, wait for me." Ivydan Song knew that Verdantius Liu was truly angry, so he hurriedly caught up, wearing a smile. He didn't expect that the Chief Elder and the Second Elder held such deep prejudices against Verdantius Liu. "click-clack..." Loud and violent cracking sounds came from a distance. A building collapsed, and numerous warriors rushed out, alarming the entire Formation Hall. "It's not good! The Formation Hall is about to collapse. Let's run!" Chaos ensued, with people fleeing in all directions. The Song family's Formation Hall covered a vast area, spanning dozens of miles. If the entire structure collapsed, the losses to the Song family would be severe, and it might take decades to recover. Screams! Shouts! ... The crowd was in chaos, and a stampede occurred, causing injuries. The Song family's high-ranking members exchanged glances, seeing a hint of fear in each other's eyes. The Chief Elder took deep breaths. "The Song family is finished!" The youngest elder murmured, realizing that if the Formation Hall was lost, the Song family would decline rapidly. "The central core of the formation has completely collapsed. Family Head, think of a solution quickly. What should we do?" The Grand Elder panicked and urged the family head to quickly find a solution. The central hub of the formation connected the continuous structures, making the entire array interdependent. If the central hub were destroyed, the entire formation hall would cease to exist. Disciples of the Song family stepped forward to maintain order, but their efforts were futile. The collapsing buildings were worsening, extending to this area. Willorus Song was also at a loss. The issue with the central hub of the formation had been under research for decades, and a solution had yet to be found. Now, with more than half of it destroyed, they were helpless. They could only watch helplessly as the buildings crumbled, unable to intervene. "Brother, I beg you, help our Song family. You must have a way, right?" Ivydan Song was on the verge of kneeling, begging Verdantius Liu to help save the Song family and the collapsing Formation Hall. "It's not that I don't want to help. At this point, it's too late to intervene. At most, I can stabilize the formation and slow down its collapse. Then you can figure out a way to repair it." Verdantius Liu shook his head. If he had intervened earlier, there might have been a slim hope, but now even he couldn't do anything. During their conversation, Willorus Song listened intently, and his gaze turned toward Verdantius Liu. "Master Liu, do you really have a way to stop the formation from collapsing further?" In desperation, Willorus Song was left with no choice but to seek help, not truly expecting Verdantius Liu to repair the central core of the formation. "I have a way to stop it, but... why should I help you?" Verdantius Liu sneered. He might give a face to Ivydan Song, but that didn't mean he would extend the same courtesy to his father. The two couldn't be equated. Willorus Song's face turned extremely unpleasant, including the Chief Elder and others. "Young man, you dare to insult our family head." The Second Elder jumped out, ready to confront Verdantius Liu. With the collapse of the Song family formation, their economic source was gone, and the anger surged. Verdantius Liu's words had infuriated the Second Elder. "Insult? You are not even worthy of being insulted by me." After saying this, Verdantius Liu turned and left. He had no interest in the life or death of the Song family. These people looked down on him, thinking that he was beneath them. Little did they know, he couldn't be bothered to give them a second glance. From a distance, there were violent rumblings, and another building collapsed. It was one of the Song family's most lucrative formations, generating hundreds of thousands of gold coins daily. "You insulted our Song family and want to leave so easily. What do you take our Song family for?" The Second Elder intercepted Verdantius Liu, releasing a strong killing intent. "Do you want to attack me?" Verdantius Liu's eyes narrowed. In the face of the dense killing intent, he could easily handle someone at the fifth stage of the innate realm, especially with the Ghost pupil. "I won't kill you; I'll just teach you a lesson so you know your place." Filled with rage, the Second Elder sought a way to release his pent-up emotions. Without hesitation, he moved to strike, a palm descending towards Verdantius Liu. Ivydan Song tried to intervene, but it was too late. "Dad, stop Second Elder. Only Brother Liu can save us." Ivydan Song begged, hoping his father would stop the Second Elder. The life and death of the Song family now rested solely on Verdantius Liu's shoulders, and the Formation Hall was on the verge of collapse. As another building collapsed, filling the air with dust, the ongoing events went unnoticed by the outside world, which was already in chaos. In the underground world, a terrifying roar echoed, signaling the imminent collapse of the central core. "Looking for death!" Verdantius Liu released an overwhelming killing intent. Despite Ivydan Song kneeling and pleading, he was determined to kill the Second Elder. The Song family was doomed, and Verdantius Liu had no intention of showing mercy. "I beg you, Brother Liu, please spare him." With a thud, Ivydan Song suddenly knelt down. With the death of the second elder, the Song family was completely finished. They would definitely become enemies with Verdantius Liu, and there would be no end until one side perished. The sword energy swept through, tearing apart the ruthless aura formed by the second elder's palm. In the realm of the formation, Verdantius Liu effortlessly killed nine individuals at the Fifth Stage of the Innate Realm. Willorus Song's eyes narrowed as he realized the danger. This strike was flawless; even he couldn't find any flaws in it. The Soul-Washing Realm was deployed, and an endless gale surged, enveloping the second elder to protect him and prevent any mishap. "Hmph!" Nevertheless, the sword energy effortlessly tore through the defensive formation set up by the Soul-Washing Realm. The blade appeared within an inch of the second elder's neck. With another step forward, blood would be spilled on the spot. "It's not Ivydan Song kneeling down to plead for you; you're already a dead man." Retracting the long blade, in the final moment, withdrawing the force, Verdantius Liu spared the second elder's life. The second elder was frightened to the core, drenched in cold sweat. At that moment, he believed he was surely doomed. Everyone present wore terrified expressions, including Willorus Song, their faces filled with incredulity. Even a Soul-washing Realm expert like the second elder could not stop Verdantius Liu from killing, leaving them bewildered. After all, the second elder was at the Fifth Stage of the Innate Realm! "Just a while ago, Brother Liu effortlessly killed nine individuals at the Fifth Stage of the Innate Realm with a single stroke." Ivydan Song stood up, no longer concealing the truth. He wore a bitter smile and a hint of helplessness. Verdantius Liu had already exposed his aura of the Innate Realm, making it impossible to hide any longer. "What!" Struck as if by lightning, Willorus Song's lips trembled uncontrollably. Killing nine experts at the Fifth Stage of the Innate Realm with one stroke—only someone at the Ninth Stage of the Innate Realm could accomplish that. The elder's mouth was filled with bitterness. He was only at the Sixth Stage of the Innate Realm and couldn't achieve such a feat. He had mocked Verdantius Liu just a while ago, but looking back, it seemed that the mockery should have been directed at themselves. Ignoring the crowd, Verdantius Liu turned and walked away, causing a powerful tremor. Numerous cracks spread in all directions, resembling the aftermath of a strong earthquake. "Young Master Liu, please stay." Willorus Song could easily see that his son had not lied. Verdantius Liu had indeed changed, and perhaps he could truly repair the core of the formation hall and save the Song family. "Does the Song Family Head have more business?" Turning around, Verdantius Liu's face revealed a sneer. This time, no one dared to speak; they silently looked at their family head. "For what happened just now, I, on behalf of the Song family, apologize to Young Master Liu. Please, for the sake of the younger generation, extend your help to our Song family." After saying this, Willorus Song bowed deeply, his head almost touching the ground. It was a gesture of great respect from a junior to a senior. The elder wanted to stop Willorus Song, but the words were stuck in his throat, unable to come out. "What benefits do I have in helping your Song family?" Verdantius Liu smiled coldly, without the playacting from the second elder just now. If they had negotiated properly and considered Ivydan Song's face, he might have been willing to help. However, the situation had changed. Ivydan Song pleaded for mercy for the second elder, returning a favor. Their relationship was limited to this; they were just ordinary friends. "As long as Young Master Liu promises to prevent the destruction of the formation hall, I can tell you the shocking news that concerns the life and death of your Xu family." Willorus Song stomped his foot. For the sake of the Song family, he could only reveal that piece of information, which he had not intended to disclose before.