Chapter 059

Chapter 59: Breaking Through One by One

After hearing Senior Brother Zhao’s words, Yun Xi quickly grasped his meaning. They would employ a divide-and-conquer strategy, first allowing the swarm of sand gerbils into the formation. This would suppress any noise, preventing stronger demon beasts from being attracted.

They would then eliminate the first-order sand gerbils section by section. Although these beasts were manageable for the four of them, the sheer numbers meant a significant drain on their spiritual energy. Cooperation was crucial—any mistake could result in exhaustion, making them easy prey.

Finally, they would confront the second-order sand gerbil. Though stronger, they would face it four against one. With formations and talismans, victory was still within reach.

Yun Xi made a swift decision and spoke decisively, “I understand Senior Brother Zhao’s intention. But if we’re to trap that second-order sand gerbil, we must use mid-grade spirit stones. If we let it inside with only lower-grade stones powering the formation, it would quickly shatter my formation disk, leaving us with nowhere to retreat.”

Hearing the mention of mid-grade spirit stones, the other three sucked in a breath. A single mid-grade stone required a thousand lower-grade stones. Even disciples with savings rarely kept such precious resources on hand.

Yun Xi spread her hands helplessly. This was the shortcoming of formation disks—they required ample spiritual energy to function properly. Had their cultivation been higher, they could have simply drawn their swords and rushed forward without these complications.

Senior Brother Zhao took a deep breath and exchanged a glance with Hua Xuan Zi. Both knew that if they couldn’t overcome this hurdle, their path of cultivation would halt here. Determined, they each brushed their storage bags, revealing three mid-grade spirit stones apiece.

Hua Xuan Zi grimaced in pain, saying, “I saved these for my Foundation Establishment pill.”

Senior Brother Zhao nodded solemnly in agreement.

Yun Xi accepted the stones with a smile, reassuring them, “Don’t worry. If there’s any left, I’ll return them.”

Zong Hao scratched his head, worrying aloud, “Yun Xi, we’re still short three stones!”

“Check the storage bags of those three we defeated earlier. If it’s not enough, we’ll fill the gap with lower-grade stones, though someone will have to constantly monitor the formation.”

Yun Xi swiftly searched through the bags they had acquired. Her divine sense was the strongest, allowing her to manage both combat and formation control simultaneously. Fortunately, luck favored them. They discovered one mid-grade spirit stone each in the bags of Qian, Li, and Zhang, treasures painstakingly saved. Perhaps this had been the trio’s motive in targeting Hua and Zhao.

“Excellent! Now we have enough,” Yun Xi announced. “I’ll open the formation and let the sand gerbils inside. Hurry and meditate to recover. Don’t spare your pills or stones—we have a fierce battle ahead!”

As she spoke, her hands deftly replaced the almost-depleted lower-grade stones on the formation disk with mid-grade ones.

The moment the stones were replaced, the formation flickered briefly, allowing the sand gerbils, including the second-order leader, to rush inside.

Yun Xi quickly activated the division rune, splitting the formation into nine compartments. The four of them stood safely in the center, surrounded by eight sections containing the sand gerbils.

Scanning the arrangement with her divine sense, Yun Xi grasped their situation clearly, then held a lower-grade stone to begin her recovery.

Within half an hour, all four opened their eyes, checking their supplies and preparing for the upcoming battle.

Exhaling gently, Yun Xi asked, “Everyone ready?”

“Yes!” came the collective response.

“We’ll split into pairs, covering each other’s backs as we eliminate the gerbils.”

“Understood!”

“Follow me into the formation,” Yun Xi instructed, selecting the compartment with the most sand gerbils. Clearing the largest group first was critical to avoid facing overwhelming numbers later, when fatigue and lapses in concentration could be deadly.

The moment they entered, the sand gerbils surged toward them, sensing fresh meat.

Senior Brother Zhao took the lead, his sword radiating golden spirit energy as it sliced open a clearing. Swiftly, the four took their positions, unleashing their skills against the swarm.

Yun Xi seized the chance to hone her skills. As Zong Hao swung his fire-infused sword continuously, Yun Xi rapidly unleashed various spells—Fireball, Golden Arrow, Ice Spike, Lightning Strike, and Binding Vines. She focused on instant casting and perfect accuracy.

She even mastered combining spells, first drenching the gerbils with a Waterball that exploded mid-air, followed immediately by a Lightning Strike, maximizing damage. Sand gerbils struck by lightning fell twitching to the ground, swiftly dispatched by Zong Hao’s follow-up strikes. Senior Brother Zhao harvested any that escaped, their teamwork seamless.

After nearly an hour, this compartment was finally cleared, leaving the four exhausted and collapsed on the ground. The sand gerbils relied on sheer numbers, and a single mistake risked being overwhelmed. Their robes were torn from repeated close calls.

After catching their breath, they quickly resumed meditation to replenish their energy.

Yun Xi used this opportunity to quietly advance her cultivation to the sixth layer of Qi Refining, carefully masking it as a natural breakthrough after intense combat, which brought comfort to her exhausted companions.

After recovering their spiritual energy and restoring their strength with some food, Yun Xi opened the next compartment.

The four battled relentlessly from morning until afternoon, and continued through the night. Eventually, nearly all the first-order sand gerbils had been slain, leaving only the formidable second-order leader.

“Should we rest overnight and face the second-order beast tomorrow?” Zong Hao suggested, seeing the others’ exhausted expressions.

All three shook their heads firmly. “We can’t!”

Confused, Zong Hao asked, “Why?”

Yun Xi revealed the formation disk, explaining, “Take a look at the stones.”

Upon seeing the stones, Zong Hao fell silent. The nine mid-grade spirit stones were visibly dimming, over half their energy already consumed. If the second-order sand gerbil realized something was wrong and attacked overnight, the formation wouldn’t survive until morning.

Senior Brother Zhao spoke decisively, “Let’s rest for an hour, recover fully, and then make our move.”

Although uncertain, he knew retreat wasn’t an option. Having already invested so many precious resources, failing to defeat this second-order sand gerbil would leave him unwilling to accept the loss. They had no choice but to fight on bravely.

“When we attack, Xuan Zi and I will distract the second-order sand gerbil. Meanwhile, you two must quickly eliminate any remaining first-order gerbils. Once they’re gone, we can focus fully on the leader without worrying about being attacked from behind.”

“Understood!” Yun Xi and Zong Hao immediately nodded, aware this wasn’t the moment for heroics.

Yun Xi reminded gently, “Remember, the sand gerbil’s weak points are its belly and eyes. Pretend to aim at its belly to draw attention away, then surprise it with a strike to the eyes.”

Senior Brother Zhao and Hua Xuan Zi nodded earnestly, grateful for the strategic reminder.

Seeing everyone ready, Yun Xi declared firmly, “I’m opening the formation now!”

As the isolation formation opened, the four charged without hesitation, striking before the sand gerbil could even react.