"Understood!"

At Liu Yunfeng’s command, Qii Feiyun and the others immediately broke from the fray. Forming different Seal Techniques with their hands, they took up positions in four directions, creating a profound and mysterious formation. Faint roars of tigers and cries of dragons seemed to stir in the air.

They were the same men, yet to Song Changsheng, they felt entirely different. The four of them had seemingly merged into a single, indestructible whole, their combined aura overwhelming.

Song Changsheng narrowed his eyes. He looked at Liu Yunfeng and declared, "Legend has it that the Lieyang Sect once received the legacy of a Great Power who specialized in Arrays, and from it, you obtained the method for deploying the Four Symbols Heaven Imprisoning Array."

"Later, a master refined it further, giving birth to the Little Four Symbols Battle Formation. Formed by four people, its power is said to be unstoppable. Alongside the Formless Sword Array, it is hailed as one of your two ultimate techniques. It is claimed that once mastered to the Great Success Realm, it allows a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to battle a Purple Mansion Cultivator."

At this, Song Changsheng paused. He shifted his gaze to Qii Feiyun, a mocking expression on his face. "I’ve already witnessed the Formless Sword Array, and it was nothing special. I wonder... is this Little Four Symbols Battle Formation also just an empty name?"

Qii Feiyun’s face flushed crimson as he roared, "You only broke my Formless Sword Array by a lucky fluke! What’s there to be so proud of? There’s no escape for you today!"

A shrewd glint flashed in Liu Yunfeng’s eyes. He sneered, "Kid, trying to stall for time? Are you hoping someone will come and save you? That old geezer Song Xianyun can barely save himself!"

Despite his ploy being exposed, Song Changsheng remained calm. He had indeed been stalling for time, but not to wait for Song Xianyun to return and save him. Instead, he was using his Eye of Truth to probe the Little Four Symbols Battle Formation for weaknesses.

Though he spoke with contempt and put on an arrogant front, Song Changsheng knew the truth. In reality, both the Little Four Symbols Battle Formation before him and the Formless Sword Array previously used by Qii Feiyun were top-tier Battle Arrays in the Daqi Cultivation World.

Take the Formless Sword Array, for example. A Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator who had mastered it to the Great Success Realm and was equipped with twelve Spiritual Swords could, while unable to defeat a Purple Mansion Cultivator, at least exchange a few blows without issue.

The founding patriarch of the Lieyang Sect had relied on this very technique to dominate Yang Province. It was only by leveraging the resources of the entire province that he was finally able to break through to the Purple Mansion realm and establish the Lieyang Sect.

Qii Feiyun’s defeat that day was, in essence, due to his insufficient aptitude and the low quality of his flying swords. Otherwise, Song Changsheng himself would have been the one to lose.

Although the Little Four Symbols Battle Formation before him was less renowned than the Formless Sword Array, its might was in no way inferior. Once the Array Formation was complete, the auras of the four men within would link together, causing their Cultivation to surge. Even the weakest of them, Huang Liqun, could temporarily wield the combat power of a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

As for Liu Yunfeng, who already had a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation, his power soared to the verge of the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection realm. The pressure on Song Changsheng instantly doubled!

’I should have just used the Godslaying Flying Knife to kill him then and there. Now I’ve just made trouble for myself.’ Song Changsheng felt a pang of regret. He had been too arrogant, failing to notice his opponent possessed a Protective Treasure. If he had deployed the Godslaying Flying Knife immediately, he would never have ended up in this predicament.

But what was done was done; regret was useless. The only thing that mattered now was figuring out how to break the stalemate.

Every Array has a weakness, and Battle Arrays, being a type of Array, have even more. With the aid of his Eye of Truth, Song Changsheng was certain he could break the Little Four Symbols Formation. The problem was time. He knew his enemies wouldn’t give him nearly enough.

"Four Symbols without limit! Shake the mountains and seas, fix the universe in place! Suppress!"

With a great shout from Liu Yunfeng, the group’s hand seals shifted rapidly. Behind them, the faint phantoms of the Four Holy Beasts appeared: the Vermilion Bird, the Black Tortoise, the Cyan Dragon, and the White Tiger.

The Vermilion Bird beat its wings; the Black Tortoise churned the seas.

The Cyan Dragon cried out; the White Tiger roared at the sky.

The four towering phantoms pressed down from the north, south, east, and west, and a crushing weight settled on Song Changsheng. It made the Spiritual Power circulating through his Meridians feel sluggish and impeded.

’As expected of a Battle Array derived from the Four Symbols Heaven Imprisoning Array. It’s slowed the circulation of my Spiritual Power by more than ten percent.’ Song Changsheng’s expression grew grave. A reduction in Spiritual Power circulation was equivalent to a ten percent loss in his overall strength.

Ten percent might not sound like much, but for Song Changsheng, who was already at a disadvantage, it was a crippling blow.

"Hahaha! Song Changsheng, I’m sure you can feel it now! I admit, you’re strong. If you were allowed to grow, you’d surely become a more terrifying figure than even Song Xianming. But you won’t get that chance! Brothers, with me! Let’s take his head!"

With the phantom of the Cyan Dragon at his back, Liu Yunfeng charged toward Song Changsheng with a savage grin. The other three followed suit, brandishing their Magical Artifacts as they closed in for the kill.

Feeling the killing intent radiating from his attackers, Song Changsheng remained undeterred. With a flick of his spear, he met their charge and engaged them in a chaotic melee.

Though he fought fiercely, Liu Yunfeng and the others were greatly empowered by the Array, while his own strength was diminished by ten percent. As their power waxed and his waned, he was gradually forced onto the back foot...

CLANG!

The Covered Water Seal was sent flying by a blow from the iron ruler in Liu Yunfeng’s hand, its Spiritual Light visibly dimming.

As his Magical Artifact was damaged, Song Changsheng felt the backlash. Qii Feiyun seized the opening, and all twelve of his flying swords flared with killing intent, poised to strike him down.

HUMMM—

At the critical moment, the Ink Jade Lotus Platform beneath Song Changsheng’s feet pulsed with an ethereal glow. A spectral lotus flower bloomed, completely enveloping him within its petals.