Ten Thousand Years in Seclusion
Chapter 28:Activate the Heaven-Ascending Ten Tribulations Formation

Chapter 28: Chapter 28:Activate the Heaven-Ascending Ten Tribulations Formation

Elder Li’s brows were tightly furrowed. He pushed off with the tip of his foot, his figure darting onto the dim white-jade staircase like a swallow. Elder Wei followed close behind, the two of them racing upward along the jade steps, one after the other.

It took Elder Li only a short while to reach the end of the Heaven-Ascending Stairway.

There, at the summit, was a roughly ten-zhang-wide platform of white jade, carved from a single piece of cold jade. It merged seamlessly with the nine hundred and ninety-nine jade steps below, as though it had grown naturally from the mountain ridge itself.

Set into the platform on either side were two octagonal bronze plates, each about two chi in diameter and separated by roughly three zhang. Their rims fit perfectly against the white-jade surface, like markings that had naturally emerged from within the jade. There was not the slightest trace of any join or seam.

The bronze plate on the left bore relatively simple patterns. Eight main lines radiated from its center, extending straight toward the eight corners. At each corner, the main line split into several finer branches. They wound their way out of the plate and continued across the white-jade platform like spreading veins on a leaf, covering an area roughly one zhang in radius before sinking together into the staircase below.

The patterns on the bronze plate to the right were far more intricate. Ten main spiral lines wound layer upon layer around its center, like ten tightening whirlpools. As they reached the rim, they split into hundreds of finer branches that spread into the white-jade platform in every direction, covering another area roughly one zhang in radius before all sinking together into the steps below.

Elder Li walked straight to the bronze plate on the left and knelt on one knee before it.

Embedded in the very center of the plate was an object. It was roughly half a chi long and about two fingers wide, flat as a bone, its entire surface a deep, dusky green covered in dark-gold, vein-like patterns. Its upper end protruded from the plate, while its lower end disappeared into the base, with no bottom visible.

He extended his right hand and slowly ran it across the surface of the plate, his fingertips passing over the formation patterns radiating toward its eight corners.

His brows drew together slightly.

He then brought his index and middle fingers together and pressed them against the plate. His divine sense followed the eight main patterns down into the white jade, tracing the connected lines deeper and deeper.

After a moment, he withdrew his divine sense and slowly rose to his feet.

Elder Wei reached his side and was just about to ask when Elder Li raised a hand to stop him.

Elder Li’s lips did not move, yet his voice sounded in Elder Wei’s sea of consciousness.

"Don’t speak. Use voice transmission."

Elder Wei froze for a moment, then immediately understood. He glanced down. More than a dozen elders were looking up at the top of the staircase, each with a different expression.

He immediately replied through voice transmission, "What’s going on?"

Without moving his lips, Elder Li continued through voice transmission, "Something has gone wrong with the core of the Myriad-Jun Formation. The spiritual energy is backed up inside and can’t circulate."

He paused, and a trace of tension crept into his voice.

"I’m presiding over the second test of today’s disciple-recruitment ceremony. If the other elders find out about this blunder..."

Elder Wei asked through voice transmission, "Can it be repaired?"

"Three days." Elder Li replied through voice transmission. "The formation plate needs to be replaced, and the formation patterns re-inscribed. Even at the fastest, it’ll take three days."

"What do we do, then?" Elder Wei’s brows furrowed. "There’s still one final group that hasn’t taken the test."

Elder Li pondered for a long while before finally transmitting his voice.

"Activate the Heaven-Ascending Ten Tribulations Formation."

The Heaven-Ascending Stairway had two formations built into it. One was the Myriad-Jun Formation. The other was the Heaven-Ascending Ten Tribulations Formation.

Elder Wei’s pupils contracted.

"That’s—"

He abruptly clenched his teeth, swallowing the rest of his words. Then he hurriedly switched to voice transmission.

"That’s the formation only activated for the sect’s grand competition!"

"Things have come to this. We have no choice." Elder Li withdrew his gaze and stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the silent staircase below. "If we want to let this final group continue the test while concealing today’s blunder, this is the only way."

He paused, then added,

"Besides, it’s no different from the Myriad-Jun Formation at the beginning. The only difference is that the spiritual pressure is doubled."

Elder Wei pondered for a moment before replying through voice transmission.

"That is true... But this means the final group is going to have some bad luck. With the spiritual pressure doubled, I’m afraid none of them will make it into the inner sect. But—"

His tone shifted.

"What if someone makes it past the ninety-ninth step? If they discuss the test with the others afterward, it’s bound to get out."

Elder Li’s thoughts turned.

The Heaven-Ascending Ten Tribulations Formation merely doubled the spiritual pressure. By that calculation, the first tribulation, "Inferno," began at the ninety-ninth step, roughly equivalent to the two-hundredth step of the Myriad-Jun Formation.

Given the aptitude of this group, it was not impossible for someone to reach it.

If these people later spoke to the others about what they had experienced during the test, their experience would be completely different from that of the first four groups. It would inevitably raise questions.

"If someone really makes it that far," Elder Li said slowly, "I’ll recruit them into the Formation Hall and then order them to keep their mouths shut."

Elder Wei nodded slightly and replied through voice transmission,

"Excellent idea. Let’s do that."

Elder Li bent down and clasped the object embedded in the center of the Myriad-Jun Formation’s bronze plate between two fingers, then slowly pulled it out.

With a soft click, the object came free.

The silvery-white spiritual energy lingering in the grooves across the plate immediately dimmed, fading away like a severed current.

This was the Spirit Vein Key, an object capable of drawing spiritual energy from the spirit vein beneath Qingyun Mountain and channeling it into the formation, eliminating the need for even half a spirit stone. For that very reason, it was normally kept in the Sect Master’s personal possession, brought out only on important occasions such as the disciple-recruitment ceremony or the sect-wide competition to activate the formation.

Holding the Spirit Vein Key, he rose and walked toward the bronze plate on the right.

At its center was an identical elongated slot.

Elder Li did not insert it immediately. Instead, he turned to Elder Wei.

"Brother Wei," he said through voice transmission, "I’ll have to trouble you to stay here."

As he spoke, he handed over the Spirit Vein Key.

"Once I go down, activate the formation. As soon as this group finishes the test, shut it down immediately."

There was no other choice. Even Elder Li could not make it through the Tenth Tribulation of the Heaven-Ascending Ten Tribulations Formation. If no one stayed behind to shut down the formation, he would have to take the long way back after the test to deactivate it. That would give the whole thing away in front of the other elders.

Elder Wei nodded.

"Sure. No problem."

He and Elder Li were as close as brothers, and they had presided over several disciple-recruitment ceremonies together. No further explanation was needed between them.

"Much obliged."

Elder Li cupped his fists in salute, then pushed off with the tip of his foot and shot down the white-jade staircase.

—

Qi Tian stood at the foot of the staircase, watching as Elder Li landed.

Almost at the same moment, spiritual light began flowing through the dimmed white-jade staircase once more, lighting up one step after another, exactly as it had before.

Elder Liu frowned slightly.

"What happened? Why hasn’t Elder Wei come down yet?"

"There was a minor problem with the formation plate. The spiritual energy got blocked." Elder Li’s expression remained calm as he replied casually. "I just fixed it, but I still had Elder Wei keep watch, just in case."

The elders nodded one after another without saying much more. After all, none of them were Formation Masters, nor were they responsible for overseeing the test. They were only here to watch the proceedings. As long as the test could continue, the matter had nothing to do with them.

Elder Li turned toward the final group of examinees and called out in a deep voice:

"Fifth group. The test begins!"

Qi Tian had been waiting long enough to grow impatient.

The instant Elder Li finished speaking, he had already stepped forward and planted his foot on the first white-jade step.