Chapter 160 The Hum-Ha Formation, the Divine Arrow Shocks

The first realm of martial arts, [Essence Absorption and Mortal Transformation], involves cleansing the physical body, retaining its essence, and stepping into the "Essence Absorption" realm. Afterwards, one drinks the essence of heaven and earth, continuing the transformation and accumulating the body's resources.

Li Xian had a red birthmark between his eyebrows, glowing softly, and his eyes revealed double pupils. His body was like a mountain at dawn, surrounded by white mist and radiant light. He seemed like a celestial being.

This transformation.

The effects of the Transformation Phase are more pronounced. The unique and restorative qualities of the Perfect Phase, and the intimidation, brute force, and observational abilities of the Double Pupil Phase are all significantly enhanced.

A hair grows half a hair longer, lifespan increases by ten years, and martial arts advance to a higher level.

A mountain a thousand feet high, a peak ten thousand feet high.

It has already climbed out of the foot of the mountain and is just beginning to show its potential. When it reaches the summit one day, won't it be able to take in the vast scenery at a glance?

...

...

Five of those with infamous names on the Red List have already been removed. The remaining few, having alerted the enemy, have all fled far away and are now impossible to find.

This day.

After finishing his breakfast, Li Xian held the crimson scroll and checked the information on the "Old Man Who Swallowed Children": His surname seemed to be Chu, a peasant from the countryside. During a famine, he ate his own children to survive, which twisted his mentality. He later took pleasure in eating children. His martial arts skills and cultivation level were unknown… He was currently appearing in the "Three Yin Mountains".

After a moment's deliberation, Li Xian decided to eliminate the threat, acting entirely on his own whim.

He summoned the officers of the Martial Arts Hall and ordered them to convey his command to recruit several skilled martial artists from various factions and sects in Qingning County.

Jointly eradicate the "son-swallowing old man".

Li Xian thought of Luo Xia; her origins were shrouded in mystery, but her strength was undoubtedly considerable. So he went to the old house to invite her to join him.

"So you are Wu Wei?" Luo Xia looked at Li Xian in surprise after learning more about her. Half of her face was burned, and her appearance was ferocious. Neighbors avoided her like the plague.

Therefore, he lived a solitary life, with no one to talk to. He was even less inclined to inquire about matters in the city, only knowing that there was a young military officer in Qingning County. He knew nothing about what the officer looked like or what his background was, and had no interest in it whatsoever.

Li Xian smiled and said, "If you come along, I will give you thirty taels of silver."

"Only thirty taels?" Luo Xia looked at her suspiciously.

Li Xian said, "That's quite a lot!"

"To tell you the truth, that old man who swallowed the worm committed heinous crimes. According to my duty, since he came to my jurisdiction, I should have executed him. But apart from that, it was also part of the Cao family's scheme against me."

“This journey will certainly be risky. I suspect you are quite strong and wish to ask for your help. But I also do not want to deceive you and put you in danger without knowing the truth. Before inviting you, I have already gathered several dozen brothers.”

"The old man who swallowed the child has a reward of seven hundred taels of silver. Even if it is handed over to the head and deducted at each level, the amount that ends up in my hands is pitifully small. These brothers have risked their lives with me, and I cannot treat them unfairly."

"If we divide it up, your thirty taels is already my limit. In fact, if we count it carefully, I'm afraid I'll still lose money."

Luo Xia said, "You're quite an interesting person. Since others are plotting against you, why did you still go?"

Li Xian said, "The Cao family can always find a reason and a means to deal with me. Avoiding them will only leave us anxious and helpless. Besides, that old woman who swallowed the child has committed many evils. It is only right for me to kill her."

"Alright!" Luo Xia pulled back her long hair that had been covering her face, revealing half of her fair cheek. If this woman hadn't been so shameless, she would have been a rare beauty. "Your words suit my taste."

“I will not get involved in your feud with the Cao family. But I will take care of this old man who swallows the child for you. I will only charge you fifteen taels of silver, and you can give the rest of the money to your brothers.”

"But there's one condition you have to agree to."

Li Xian was taken aback. Hearing Luo Xia's words, she seemed to want to take over completely. "You tell me."

Luo Xia's eyes gleamed: "You will give me the servants at your disposal. If these thirty-odd men are well-trained and under my command, even if they are second-realm martial artists, I might be able to kill them."

"Oh?" Li Xian said, "These are all my brothers. I can let you use them for now. But... try your best to protect their lives."

Luo Xia said, "That's natural."

After reaching an agreement, Luo Xia accompanied them back to the Martial Commandant's Hall. Li Xian announced loudly, "Brothers, this person will temporarily serve as the Deputy Martial Commandant for this bandit suppression mission. You will all be under her command."

Thus, Wu Weitang, with a menacing aura, led dozens of men on horseback, armed with weapons, towards the location of the old man who swallowed the child.

Li Xian humbly inquired, "Miss Luo, your strength at the second level of martial arts is formidable. Why are you so confident that you can kill him simply by arranging your troops?"

It's hard to say what realm the Old Man Swallowing Children is at. He may not even have the strength of the second realm of martial arts.

Luo Xia, riding his horse with great flair, readily offered Li Xian his answer: "In a one-on-one fight, these constables are no match for a second-realm martial artist."

"Moreover, the army is clumsy, and if a warrior wants to escape, even a thousand or ten thousand troops often cannot stop him. But people have their own laws, and the army has its own military laws."

"With a large number of people, there are endless ways to use them. Combined with the terrain, trapping and killing martial artists is a piece of cake."

"Furthermore, I will personally oversee the situation. If things turn against us, I will personally intervene. How can those thieves possibly survive?"

Li Xian understood. Luo Xia's strong confidence still stemmed from herself. A large number of people and a well-arranged formation could indeed resist martial artists. But nothing in the world is unchanging. The same formation will have different effects in different environments and under different circumstances.

At this moment, in this place, this situation is sufficient to trap and kill martial artists. However, in a different setting, they might find an opportunity to escape, or even suffer heavy casualties.

Therefore, we need a reassuring balm, a calming needle, and an overall command of the situation.

Luo Xia held a map and arranged the troops in formation. She glanced at Li Xian, her expression somewhat speechless. This young man seemed absent-minded, but in reality, he was secretly observing, and there was a suspicion that he was trying to learn from her.

Luo Xia didn't hide anything, but she also wouldn't actively teach anyone. She simply arranged things according to her own ideas.

This formation is called the "Hum-Ha Formation," and requires two large drums. Fifteen people are the "Hum Generals," and fifteen are the "Ha Generals." The remaining people obey commands and coordinate their actions.

Luo Xia saw that the formation was in place, displaying its formidable power. Luo Xia thought to herself, since this was a scheme by the Cao family, this old man who swallowed children must be quite strong and extremely confident. Such a person only needs to give a signal, and she will walk right into their trap.

They immediately found a suitable spot and shouted, "Light smoke to lure the enemy!"

The old woman, Tunzi, was hiding in the mountains. She was originally a vicious fugitive who was protected by the Cao family and escaped the pursuit of the authorities. Recently, she was dispatched to the vicinity of Qingning. The Cao family told her that the military officer of Qingning County would lead men to strangle her.

Tell her to prepare herself to kill that Wu Weilang.

Having long been at the Essence Devouring Realm, the Old Woman of the Swallowing Seeds was arrogant and didn't take the encirclement seriously at all. Having committed numerous heinous crimes in the past, she was frequently surrounded and hunted down, sometimes by a dozen or even dozens of people.

Yet she always manages to kill and escape.

Seeing the thick fog, he knew that Wu Wei had arrived. Determined to kill him quickly and complete his mission, he let out a long howl and "walked into the trap" as he rushed into the black fog.

He ran down the hill and saw dozens of people ahead. The old man was not afraid and asked, "Who is the military officer?"

Astride his steed, Li Xian declared loudly, "I am Wu Wei. Today I will take your head. You'd better hand it over obediently to atone for your sins."

"Hehe." The old woman was emaciated, her face devoid of flesh, just skin and bones. Her laughter made a "crackling" sound, which was quite sinister. She said, "How coincidental, how coincidental, today I will take your head too."

He charged straight into the formation, forcefully taking Li Xian's head. Li Xian remained calm, having already discerned the old man's strength, and felt relieved. Although this old man was more powerful than Zheng Xuezhang, he didn't seem to be at the second level of martial arts.

Seeing the old man enter the formation, Luo Xia sneered and let out a "humph".

Soldiers suddenly appeared from the side, blocking the old man's path. The old man was furious and about to make a move when Luo Xia let out a "Ha!" The soldiers, obeying her command, immediately responded.

The "Hum-Ha Formation" is both simple and complex. Luo Xia simplified it, using "Hum" for strong attacks and "Ha" for weak defenses.

All the thousands of martial arts in the world ultimately revolve around the concepts of "offense and defense."

Luo Xia sat atop a high place. She let out a "humph," and the soldiers channeled their inner energy, launching a fierce and powerful attack. Even though the soldiers' martial arts skills were low, their inner energy accumulated little by little.

Moreover, with more than ten people attacking at once, creating a formidable force, it was clearly not a simple matter.

She lets out a "ha" sound, and the "ha" will immediately extend to respond. This is a defensive maneuver, using softness to overcome hardness.

In this way, it seemed as if the old man was barging into the fray. In reality, he was exchanging blows with Luo Xia, who used only two moves, "attack" and "defense," to respond to all changes with unchanging principles, turning the ever-changing into the unchanging.

The two movements, "hum and ha," resembled the left and right arms.

Naturally, it is quite remarkable.

Li Xian thought to himself, "If I were trapped in this formation, what would be the best course of action? This formation has a unique offensive and defensive strategy; only by finding its weakness can it be broken."

After witnessing the "Iron Net Capturing Formation" and the "Three Talents Capturing Formation," he became quite interested in formations. In this world, there is both individual power, longevity, and the power of demons and monsters. There is also the power of collective effort, where the combined strength of many cannot be underestimated.

I sought guidance from books and learned from experienced practitioners. Gradually, I gained some understanding, realizing that every formation was like a "difficult problem." If one couldn't find the key to solving it, one would be constrained by the formation.

Conversely, if the problem is solved, the formation will fall apart. It will be overturned in an instant, and one can easily take on a hundred.

Li Xian watched from the sidelines. The old man was quite skilled, but he quickly ran out of energy. Unable to use many of his martial arts techniques, he tried to escape.

"Beat the drums!" Luo Xia shouted.

Two drumbeats, like thunder, boomed and echoed through the mountains and fields. The drumbeats seemed to have the effect of dispersing internal energy, causing soreness in the joints, draining strength, and making internal energy disperse and difficult to condense.

"Hmm?" Luo Xia frowned. Seeing the old man tumble out of the formation, he actually resisted the drumbeats and fled out of the formation.

The complete "Hum-Ha Formation" consisted of dozens of powerful individuals with "Thunderous Chest Drumming." When they beat the drums, the crowd created a thunderous sound, amplifying the overall effect.

The martial artist, who was supposed to devour the essence of the spirit, was so frightened that his legs went weak. He was completely powerless to resist. However, given his current state of being incomplete, Luo Xia overestimated the effectiveness of the drumbeat.

Seeing that the old man was about to flee, she knew he would be more cautious next time. If things got too difficult, she immediately took out her bow and shot at the old man.

The old man was covered in cold sweat; he felt as if he had escaped death after this ordeal. Hearing the sound of an arrow, he immediately hid behind a rock. The arrow pierced the rock four-tenths of the way, but failed to kill the old man.

Luo Xia frowned and fired another arrow. The old man was fleeing with all his might, darting east and west, making him difficult to kill. Luo Xia's archery skills were superb; several arrows grazed past him, but none of them managed to kill him.

"I'll do it!"

Li Xian took out the Golden Leopard Bow and drew his arrow. His movements were fluid and graceful; he drew the bowstring taut and released the arrow. It sliced ​​through the air and struck the man precisely in the abdomen.

"Excellent archery skills!" Luo Xia's eyes lit up as she glanced at Li Xian.

Li Xian drew his bow again and fired another arrow. The old man was struck by the arrow, but due to his considerable martial arts skill, he still retained some fighting power. He turned around and grabbed the flying arrow.

The arrow struck with tremendous force, propelling her several meters forward. She crashed into a tree trunk, by which time she was panting heavily, her internal energy almost completely depleted.

Li Xian fired another arrow. At a distance of several dozen feet, this arrow struck the previous one precisely, splitting it in two. It then pierced through Li Xian's chest.

Luo Xia's eyes lit up, and she almost clapped her hands in approval. Archery is a basic skill; anyone who can draw a bow can learn it. Diligent study can lead to mastery, and hard work may give one a chance to achieve some success, but "great success," "perfection," and "reaching the pinnacle" all depend on one's natural talent.

At this moment, Li Xian's archery skills were at least at a high level. Such a person would be highly sought after on the battlefield!

"This is..." Luo Xia then looked surprised. Seeing Li Xian's last arrow, she felt a surge of pride.

The arrow pierced through the forest, unstoppable and moving.

[You shot and killed the old man who swallowed the child, your archery proficiency increased by 59]

[Your comprehension of the formation has accelerated the digestion of the essence of heaven and earth, increasing your Essence Consumption Realm proficiency by 1.]

(End of this chapter)