Chapter 3: The Seven Formations

Mu Feng awoke from a deep slumber, finding himself enveloped in darkness. As he looked around, the darkness seemed endless, devoid of any light.

"Where am I? Could it be that I didn't die?"

His heart surged with surprise and joy. His consciousness was intact, and he could still think. Had he truly survived?

"You've been unconscious for three days and three nights. You're finally awake."

A voice emerged abruptly from the darkness, sounding aged and worn yet piercing, as if coming from the void. It commanded respect and instilled awe.

Mu Feng, tinged with fear, cautiously scanned his surroundings, but there was nothing to see but the enveloping darkness.

"Who's there? Who is speaking?" Mu Feng called out into the endless dark.

"Your savior," the aged voice replied, its tone light with a hint of amusement.

"Who are you? Where is Sister Yihan?" Mu Feng asked urgently, his voice echoing in the darkness.

The old voice chuckled. "The injured woman with you? I saw she had a Qinghe Sect identity token on her waist, so I sent her back to your sect."

Mu Feng felt a twinge of annoyance at the word 'sent,' but knowing Yu Yihan was safely back at the sect brought him considerable relief.

Testing his physical state, Mu Feng then asked, "Senior, where are we? Why is it so dark here?"

"Lost your strength, and now don't even recognize the state of your original soul?" the voice replied lazily, sounding uninterested.

"My original soul?" Mu Feng paused, feeling the endless dark around him again. After a moment of reflection, he realized he was indeed within his own soul sea, a familiar and strangely comforting darkness.

"My soul sea is intact! Does that mean the foundation of my soul cultivation remains, and there's still a chance I can cultivate?" Hope flared in Mu Feng, but it was quickly tempered by the memory of his shattered Seven Souls.

"Can I still cultivate?" he asked into the darkness.

There was a long silence before the voice spoke again. Finally, the old man yawned loudly, then asked lazily, "What did you just say?"

Mu Feng, a bit exasperated as his urgency met with the other's apparent sleepiness, repeated patiently, "Senior, am I still able to cultivate?"

"Cough, cough," the elder cleared his throat, his tone becoming serious, "You face two paths: one, to cultivate anew, though living beyond seven years may be difficult; the other, to live as an ordinary person, which could allow you a lifespan of a century given your constitution."

"I choose to cultivate anew!" Mu Feng responded without hesitation. Even if it meant only seven months, he needed the power to resolve the mysteries tormenting him since the battle at Night Raven Ridge.

The elder seemed pleased by his answer and let out a soft chuckle in the dark.

"I can use formations to stabilize and nourish the essence of your Seven Souls, but the consequence is that you must master these formations. Otherwise, a loss of control could obliterate you."

"Once I understand these formations, can I cultivate as normal?" Mu Feng asked, aware of the stakes involved.

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"After setting up the seven formations, you can cultivate as usual. Each formation you control will correspond to the mastery of one of your original souls. But remember, once all seven are connected, you'll need a rare spiritual item to fuse them together," the elder explained, preparing Mu Feng for the challenges ahead.

"Seven formations?" Mu Feng was taken aback; he had assumed there would be only one.

"Scared?" teased the elder.

"Just surprised, not scared," Mu Feng shook his head and added playfully, "I just worry about your ability to set up these formations correctly. I survived Night Raven Ridge, but I might die due to a formation mishap."

"Heh," the elder snorted proudly, "I have set up countless formations in my lifetime without a single failure."

Mu Feng, though outwardly calm, was internally ecstatic. If what the elder claimed was true, that was an extraordinary feat, unparalleled even among the top formation masters of the age.

Had he encountered a hermit of exceptional skill?

But then, he pondered why such a formidable person would go through great lengths to save someone like him. This thought briefly crossed his mind but was quickly dismissed.

Mu Feng chuckled self-deprecatingly. Even if the elder had ulterior motives, he had nothing left to lose.

"Senior, what are these seven formations?" Though not a formation master himself, Mu Feng was curious about any formation that could offer such profound effects.

The elder's proud laughter echoed in the dark. "These are seven extraordinary formations that I discovered over my lifetime, perfectly aligned with the human Seven Souls, bestowed by the heavens themselves..."

Mu Feng listened intently as the elder began to exaggerate the formations' powers, seemingly trying to 'tempt' him.

A thought struck Mu Feng, "Perhaps the elder's purpose in saving me was to test these formations?"

If that was the case, it seemed a mutually beneficial arrangement, and Mu Feng felt a newfound trust towards the elder.

"Senior," Mu Feng interrupted, "I am ready. We can begin the process whenever you are prepared."

"Good!"

The elder's voice faded in the darkness, followed shortly by a creaking noise, like a door opening or bamboo snapping. Mu Feng focused on the subtle sounds, sensing another presence.

"Could it be that these formations require more than one person to set up?" Mu Feng wondered, recalling the elder's claim of flawless expertise.

"Stay calm and do not resist," a cold voice commanded from the darkness. Then, space began to constrict around Mu Feng, giant rings of light overlapping and illuminating countless intricate patterns, transforming the dark space into a dazzling display.

Unfortunately, Mu Feng could not witness this beautiful scene.

A powerful force surged through him, and before he could fully react, a pulling sensation erupted deep within his soul. Then, darkness enveloped him once more, leaving the brilliant patterns to their devices.

Unaware of the external world, Mu Feng remained unconscious.

Meanwhile, atop Night Raven Ridge.

A stunningly beautiful woman stood alone at the summit, her ethereal presence making her seem like a celestial being descended from the heavens. Her appearance made the surroundings seem colorless, as if they dared not compete with her beauty.

She surveyed the remnants of the battle with a sense of loss, biting her lip with a hint of frustration. She had come for an appointment but arrived too late.

Holding a black soft sword she had found, tears mixed with blood stained her lips—whether from sorrow or a reawakening of old injuries, it was unclear.

She stood there for a full day, her departure leaving a chilling aura that seemed to freeze the very air.

But the woman was not the only one feeling melancholy.

Inside Qinghe Sect's inner gate, in the hall where the disciples' soul tablets were kept, a shocking discovery was made.

"Bad news… Mu Feng's soul tablet has shattered."

A shattered tablet signified the death of its owner.

The sect was shaken by the news, filled with regret...

A middle-aged man cared for the unconscious Yu Yihan, his eyes full of affection and worry. He pondered how to break the news of Mu Feng's death to her upon her awakening.

Of course, Mu Feng was oblivious to all this. When he regained consciousness seven days later, the seven formations were complete.

"The formations are set. Your fate is now in your own hands," the elder's aged voice echoed in Mu Feng's mind, sounding much weaker than before.

The formations were in place, but Mu Feng could do nothing but witness them. His consciousness was clear, but he remained in an unending darkness, now marked by seven misty orbs of light—the reconstituted essences of his Seven Souls.

Though the formations had stabilized his souls, they felt strangely alien to him, as if they were no longer part of him.

After the elder's voice faded, the light from the seven souls dimmed, and the soul sea returned to its silent darkness.

Isolated, lonely, and lost...

Mu Feng spent many days in this environment, which, despite its harshness, helped him clear his mind and resolve many of the mysteries that had plagued him since Night Raven Ridge.