Reborn Medicine King

"At that moment, I saw a figure appear in the distance. It was a young man, dressed in white, exuding a strong presence. I told Wan Xin to stay put while I went to investigate. As I approached, I was enveloped by the spiritual energy released by the formation, just like before."    

His eyes flashed with anger as he continued, "That young man was actually an illusion created by that guy. My power was completely suppressed by the formation, as if something here was restraining me, making it impossible for me to use my abilities."    

Jiang Fann asked, "So that human-like spiritual energy can take on a human form?"    

Wan Chengfeng nodded. "At least with my spiritual sense, I didn't notice anything unusual about him at the time. The energy he emitted was indistinguishable from a human's."    

Wan Xin, standing nearby, frowned and said, "Uncle, when you ran over there, I looked in that direction too, but I didn't see anything. I only saw you being restricted by the formation, and then you were taken away by some force..."    

Wan Chengfeng was surprised, frowning as he looked at her. "You didn't see anything?"    

Wan Xin nodded, her gaze firm.    

Hearing this, Wan Chengfeng couldn't help but feel puzzled. "Could I have been hallucinating?"    

"That's possible. Let me explain the situation in this area briefly. The ground beneath us is a massive formation, and on top of that, there are many smaller formations. Some of these are the dangerous types we've encountered before, and others are like the one we're in now. So, in this area, the power of the formations subtly influences your mind. Even though you've reached the Reincarnation Stage, it's not difficult for them to briefly trap you in an illusion."    

Wan Chengfeng was puzzled, "But why didn't his power affect you? Is it just because you can assimilate the energy of the formation?"    

"I'd like to know that too. We'll have to catch him to figure it out."    

Frustrated, Wan Chengfeng said, "Even this girl was unharmed. Is he my nemesis?"    

At this, Wan Xin chimed in, "Uncle, actually... I was pulled into the formation too, and my energy was absorbed. Jiang Fann saved me."    

Only then did Wan Chengfeng notice Wan Xin's weak aura. Her energy reservoir had regained a little strength, but it was still noticeably depleted, much like his own condition.    

He frowned, "It seems to be an issue with our family's bloodline."    

Jiang Fann nodded, then spoke seriously, "I thought the same earlier. I need to warn you—he was assimilating your energy and even your bloodline power. If he had fully succeeded, he could have taken over your body at will. You were unconscious, and with the suppression of this formation, you had no power to resist."    

Wan Chengfeng was utterly shocked. He hadn't expected Jiang Fann to say that.    

"Take over my body? How is that possible?"    

"He clearly saw potential in your abilities, and your advanced cultivation level must have appealed to him. Otherwise, choosing Wan Xin would have been a good option too."    

Wan Xin whispered from the side, "Maybe he's a guy..."    

Wan Chengfeng was clearly in no mood for jokes at this moment. He felt a lingering fear; if Jiang Fann hadn't arrived in time to disrupt the opponent's plan, he might never have woken up again.    

"I'm definitely not the first of my people to reach this place. Didn't they encounter this?"    

Jiang Fann analyzed, "It's hard to say right now because there are many possibilities. Based on my calculations, this humanoid figure might be a formation spirit or the remnant soul of a powerful figure trying to join the ranks of cultivators. It's uncertain when this being entered the realm of cultivation; it might have been just in recent years. Your predecessors might not have been here when it needed a physical body."    

"Another possibility is that, like Wan Xin, your people's qualifications weren't considered by this entity, unrelated to cultivation level."    

"However, the likelihood of it being a formation spirit is low. I personally think it’s more likely a contingency left by a significant figure, a remnant soul or thought, possibly a means for rebirth or resurrection."    

Wan Chengfeng frowned, "If it's purely a test of qualifications, yours are definitely stronger than mine. Why didn't it choose you?"    

Jiang Fann replied, "Only it can answer that for us. The power within the formation has receded. You should quickly restore your spiritual strength. With me here, there's no need to worry about it succeeding. Once we capture it, everything will become clear."    

Wan Chengfeng and his companion nodded, choosing not to say more as they sat down to meditate. Thanks to Jiang Fann's spiritual strength enveloping them, the power of the formation barely affected them.    

At this moment, Jiang Fann was already in communication with Gu Xie, planning to have her take action soon, while keeping Xiao Mo as a backup. With Gu Xie's abilities far surpassing Wan Chengfeng's, capturing the opponent shouldn't be an issue. After all, Gu Xie was adept in dealing with those without physical bodies, significantly increasing their chances of success.    

Gu Xie responded to Jiang Fann in a charming voice, "My power has stabilized completely. If you need me, I'm ready anytime."    

Jiang Fann was at a loss for words, worried that Gu Xie might continue teasing him, so he quickly withdrew his spiritual sense.    

Meanwhile, in the secluded space, Xiao Mo looked at Gu Xie with surprise. It was the first time she'd seen Gu Xie act this way; previously, Gu Xie had always been cold, even towards Guo Lin. Gu Xie had mostly been in a state of cultivation and hadn't interacted much with Jiang Fann.    

Xiao Mo quietly asked, "Do you and the boss have something going on?"    

Unfortunately, her question was met with silence from Gu Xie, who didn't answer.    

In the distance, Guo Lin seemed unfazed by the situation, continuing to plant spiritual herbs in the garden. These herbs were acquired by Jiang Fann from the Thunder Sect's garden, and there were quite a few. This was part of his duties.    

Xiao Mo was cautious not to offend Gu Xie and avoided asking too many questions. She still couldn't quite figure him out and feared his wrath might consume her. Gu Xie's abilities were constantly improving, and with the power of divine blood, it was easy for her to enhance her own skills. All she needed was to absorb a few experts like herself to reach the pinnacle of her realm. However, Jiang Fann had restricted her from doing so.    

Jiang Fann focused his spiritual sense on the jar containing the poisonous insects, carefully sensing the spiritual strength within. He was in a good mood, as Mo Jiuyou's recovery was progressing well. Relying solely on his own efforts to restore his physical form had been effective, and with the support of the Natural Aura, his appearance had fully recovered.    

It seemed it wouldn't be long before he regained about eighty percent of his strength. If he needed expert assistance, he wouldn't hesitate to call on this ally. Although perhaps not as skilled as Xiao Mo, this expert was still a formidable force and a valuable asset.    

Jiang Fann helped Wan Chengfeng and another to restore their spiritual strength. Once they had recovered to about seventy or eighty percent, he had them stand up. Since they likely wouldn't need to take action soon, having enough power for self-defense was sufficient. The priority was to make the most of their time, as Jiang Fann had other plans to consider, especially the situation in the Nine Desolations, which required his careful attention.    

Jiang Fann led the two to the center of the formation, locating the spot where the guy had vanished, and activated the teleportation array.    

Upon re-entering that unique space and sensing the surrounding spiritual strength, Wan Chengfeng was taken aback. "How... how is this even possible?"    

Jiang Fann explained, "The main formation above continuously absorbs spiritual strength from the restricted area, modifies it, and channels it here. This should be the core of the formation. Almost every teleportation array leads here, and that guy was moving back and forth through this."    

"But it's a shame that the spiritual strength here can't be absorbed."    

"These reserves are left by the big shot for themselves. No way they'd let outsiders just take it."    

As Jiang Fann spoke, he and the others carefully observed the space. He wasn't about to waste time; the last time he was here, he didn't get a chance to look around because the humanoid activation had appeared and distracted him.    

This time, Jiang Fann instructed Lin Zhan and Xiao Ai to enter the formation beneath their feet, urging them to channel their spiritual strength to quickly examine the peculiarities of this core. If they could harness the power above, he could reverse-engineer it to pinpoint the other person's location.    

After all, this was the core of the main formation, and controlling it here would be twice as effective with half the effort.    

Seeing Jiang Fann standing still, Wan Chengfeng asked directly, "Have you been here before? And what do you mean by the power within the formation?"    

Jiang Fann said, "It's a very unique kind of spiritual strength, extremely powerful. When my own spiritual strength comes into contact with it, it immediately disintegrates, completely overpowering mine. And this kind of power isn't just in this formation; it's present throughout this entire area. I still haven't figured out what it is."    

Upon hearing Jiang Fann's description, Wan Chengfeng spoke up, "I think I've heard of what you're talking about."    

Wan Xin, who was nearby, added, "Great-grandfather told me about it too. It should be the same thing. He said there are invisible creatures in this valley that can sneak up and attack without warning. They're very strong, but their power dissipates after just one strike. They can launch a surprise attack at any time, which makes them really tricky to deal with."    

Wan Chengfeng nodded, indicating he had heard the same thing as Wan Xin.    

Jiang Fann asked, "Did he ever mention how to deal with them?"    

Wan Xin shook her head and replied, "I always thought Great-grandfather was just trying to scare us. He never explained how to handle them. He just kept telling us not to enter the valley because it's too dangerous."    

However, Wan Chengfeng chimed in, "That was just a warning to keep you out of the valley. He did tell me about their strategy back then. They used formation flags to release spiritual strength in other areas, which would distract those creatures. But regular formation flags can't withstand even one attack from those creatures, so they had to prepare a lot of them before entering."