Chapter 153

“The center of the formation——”

Ning Ning leaned against the tree trunk, winding a strand of loose black hair around her fingers over and over, staring absentmindedly at the waterfall below.

“Where could the formation’s eye be?” she mused.

Unable to come up with an answer, she let out a frustrated sigh, unwinding the hair from her fingertips and tapping the ground with her toe in front of Pei Ji. “Pei Ji, do you have any ideas?”

Ning Ning preferred calling him by his name rather than “little junior brother,” finding it more natural.

Pei Ji, on the other hand, was always formal, never once addressing her by her name.

This time was no exception.

“Senior sister.”

He wore his usual indifferent expression, a face so unchanging it might be mistaken for Botox-induced rigidity if he lived in the 21st century.

In the same flat tone, he said, “We know very little about the secret realm. Whatever I can think of would likely be redundant to you.”

“That’s not true!”

Ning Ning couldn’t bear to discourage her junior brother, so she immediately took a step forward, straightening up from her leaning position.

“Whatever thoughts you have, just share them. We need to discuss everything together!”

Pei Ji sighed softly.

“Firstly, the formation’s eye must be very well hidden, not easily discovered. Secondly, according to the ‘Principles of Formations,’ the eye is usually closely related to the formation’s properties. As for the Water Mirror Formation… the key lies in the water pools or mirror surfaces.”

He spoke without changing his expression, watching as Ning Ning’s face shifted from anticipation to realization and finally to a look that said, “I already knew that.”

After he finished speaking, Pei Ji unexpectedly raised an eyebrow, maintaining eye contact with Ning Ning, a hint of amusement in his eyes as if saying, “See, I told you so, but you didn’t believe me.”

Ning Ning, realizing he had seen through her thoughts, coughed lightly, “It’s not redundant. It’s called being in sync. We thought of the same thing, which is great.”

Cheng Ying, listening for key words, chuckled, “She said you two are in sync!”

Ning Ning couldn’t hear Cheng Ying’s chattering, continuing to analyze patiently, “If it’s related to water, there are so many rivers and lakes in the secret realm. We can’t possibly check each one. But if we’re talking about something special, this waterfall, where no mirror ghosts appear, stands out.”

Earlier, Qiao Yan had explained to her that the waterfall was free from Mirror Ghosts because the Spirit Fox clan needed the water to survive, so they had added extra spiritual energy to this spot while setting up the formation.

When Qin Niang mentioned the formation’s eye, the first place that came to Ning Ning’s mind was here. So, after parting ways with Qin Niang, she quickly came here with Pei Ji.

However, after thoroughly searching the waterfall with high expectations, she found nothing unusual.

Feeling defeated, Ning Ning stood at the mountain peak, watching the torrent below and frowning.

“Speaking of mirrors, there’s nothing particularly noteworthy in the secret realm… We have too few clues.”

They had just arrived in the secret realm and hadn’t even seen the true form of the demon Lord Qi Han. With so little information, it was hard to deduce anything useful.

The only one who could provide clues about the formation’s eye was the missing Demon Lord. But if they encountered him, they might not survive to break the formation.

“I can’t figure it out.”

Ning Ning was dejected.

“Maybe we should go into the water and see the other side of the formation?”

Pei Ji was about to agree when he suddenly paused, drawing his sword, its tip pointing at the dark forest nearby.

The sky was clear, and the dim, hazy moon, like rough frosted glass, was not particularly bright.

Moonlight shone on the treetops, highlighting the pitch-black, tranquil night. A breeze rustled the branches, casting eerie shadows on the ground like menacing spirits waiting for their prey.

Apart from the waterfall’s roar, it was silent. Although it was a summer night, Ning Ning felt a chilling cold. An invisible pressure, like shattered ice, spread through the air, pressing down on her.

She heard a low laugh from the bushes.

Then a figure slowly emerged from the shadows, strolling leisurely towards them.

It was a young man Ning Ning had never seen before, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a tall, sturdy build, like an unmovable mountain.

Even without speaking, his intense spiritual pressure set off alarm bells in Ning Ning’s mind, instinctively putting her on guard.

“The weather is nice tonight, isn’t it? The sky and the moon are quite beautiful.”

The man smiled pleasantly, glancing at the sky, then looked at the two sword cultivators in front of him, raising an eyebrow provocatively.

“I heard… you’re looking for the formation’s eye? How’s that going?”

His smile was sinister, his entire demeanor exuded hostility, and his sharp, triangular eyes looked ruthless.

This must be the Demon Lord Qi Han.

Pei Ji remained in his defensive stance, sword drawn, and pulled Ning Ning behind him.

“Still trying to protect the girl at this point?”

Qi Han laughed, but his expression quickly turned menacing, and his face was clouded with anger.

“Unfortunately, none of you will leave here alive today!”

He was furious.

That idiot surname He had tricked him, escaping with another sword cultivator before the fight even started. Qi Han wanted to chase them, but they quickly vanished.

The surviving demon cultivators reported that Qin Niang had betrayed them and Qiao Yan had escaped, likely revealing the formation’s eye’s secret.

The Water Mirror Formation depended almost entirely on Qi Han’s spiritual energy. If the formation’s eye were destroyed, it would be a devastating blow to him.

But he couldn’t dismantle the formation himself, or the demonic energy on the other side of the water mirror would backlash, killing all his kin except him.

Despite being demon cultivators, they had some camaraderie.

Qi Han wasn’t foolish. He knew someone would come to the waterfall once the formation’s eye was leaked.

The waterfall was too conspicuous and not affected by Mirror Ghosts, unlike other water bodies.

And indeed, the truth was as Qiao Yan knew. This was the spot he had fortified with double the spiritual energy to protect the water source.

As he spoke, demonic energy surged around him.

Lin Qian, outside the mirror, exclaimed, “This is bad! The Demon Lord is very powerful; they can’t possibly win!”

“If they try to escape under the waterfall, they’ll be caught quickly.”