L'hibiscus comme peinture

Chapitre 31

"The Heavenly Stems and Eight Trigrams Formation?" Everyone in the tent asked in surprise, their expressions varying.

"What is that?" Zhao Zhiyang scratched his head, looking completely confused.

"It's Qimen Dunjia. The Heavenly Stems Eight Trigrams Formation is a secret formation of the Holy Immortal Sect, and also its most prized treasure," Jin Xuan explained. That formation is the most powerful Qimen Dunjia technique in the world—the Heavenly Stems Eight Trigrams Formation? It truly lives up to its reputation.

"Qimen Dunjia? I've heard of it when I was traveling the martial world," Wei Ziqi replied. Actually, he had only heard of it and didn't know what Qimen Dunjia was.

"What is Qimen Dunjia?" Zhao Zhiyang asked again, looking confused. Why didn't he understand what they were talking about?

"The gates are based on the eight trigrams, namely the eight gates of opening, resting, life, injury, blockage, view, death, and shock, hence the name Qimen. Dun means hidden, and Jia means instrument. The six Jia and six Yi interact to form Dunjia, which creates a three-tiered method and symbolizes the three powers. The upper layer symbolizes the heavens and arranges the nine stars, the middle layer symbolizes the human world and opens the eight gates, and the lower layer symbolizes the earth and arranges the eight trigrams, establishing the Yin and Yang Dun, one forward and one reverse to arrange the three wonders and six instruments," Ao Jun explained.

Seeing that the crowd still didn't understand, he continued, "The sixty-year cycle, composed of the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches, is a holographic symbol primarily characterized by time. The Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, based on the Later Heaven Bagua, are a holographic symbol primarily characterized by space. Qimen Dunjia combines these two according to certain rules, forming a system that integrates time and space, encompassing Heaven, Earth, Man, and Gods. The ten Heavenly Stems—Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Wang, and Gui—besides their specific meaning representing time, also contain specific meanings. Once you understand this, Qimen Dunjia becomes clear. Jia represents the leader, the marshal, who often remains hidden behind the scenes, hence the name 'Dunjia' (遁甲). Yi, Bing, and Ding are the Three Wonders, the three most capable assistants to the leader. Yi is a civil official, called Riqi (日奇); Bing is a military official, called..." The Moon is auspicious; Ding is responsible for logistical support and is called the Star. The three auspicious elements, Yi, Bing, and Ding, can also be understood as three surprise forces, often relying on them for unexpected victories. Some also explain the reason why Yi, Bing, and Ding are called the three auspicious elements from the perspective of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements: Jia is the commander-in-chief, representing Yang Wood, and is most afraid of being killed by Geng Metal (Yang Metal killing Yang Wood is the Seven Killings, the most ominous); Yi is Yin Wood, like Jia Wood's sister; Yi and Geng combine, and Jia marries Yi's sister to Geng Metal, thus relieving Jia Wood of its threat. Yi can naturally be considered a surprise force implementing a "beauty trap"; Bing is Yang Fire, wood generates fire, and he is like Jia Wood's son, able to kill Geng Metal and protect his father, Jia Wood, so he is also an auspicious element; Ding is Yin Fire, like Jia Wood's daughter, also able to harm Geng Metal and protect her father, Jia Wood, so she is also an auspicious element, and for this reason, she is also known as the "Jade Maiden."

Of all those present, only Jinxuan seemed to understand; the other two simply stared blankly at Aojun from beginning to end.

"It seems the strategist is quite knowledgeable about Qimen Dunjia. I've never heard of it before. After hearing what you've said, I finally understand it a little. You truly are a remarkable person!" Jin Xuan exclaimed sincerely. She really is omnipotent! How many surprises has she prepared for him? How much does she still know that he doesn't?

"Hehe...yes! Strategist, you're truly an extraordinary person, but...I don't understand anything you're saying." Wei Ziqi said, blushing with embarrassment. After a pause, he asked, "But isn't Qimen Dunjia only used by martial arts masters? How could it appear on the battlefield? And since it's a secret formation of the Holy Immortal Sect, how could Yelü Ying know it?" Wei Ziqi immediately bombarded himself with a bunch of questions. Speaking of the Holy Immortal Sect, he naturally thought of Huang Ying, and he learned about Qimen Dunjia from her.

Jin Xuan also had this question. When Ao Jun mentioned the Heavenly Stems Eight Trigrams Formation, he found it strange. Although the Holy Immortal Sect was a Jianghu sect that did not have any dealings with the imperial court, its former leader was a peerless genius, and most of the sect members were also prodigies and righteous people. How could the Heavenly Stems Eight Trigrams Formation have been passed on to another country? Moreover, it was a formation that was not passed on.

"It wasn't Yelü Ying; it was Sheng Chi who set up the Heavenly Stems and Eight Trigrams Formation," Ao Jun explained.

The Strategist and the Princess: Chapter Thirty-Three - Deep Affection! Struggle!

"It wasn't Yelü Ying; it was Sheng Chi who set up the Heavenly Stems and Eight Trigrams Formation," Ao Jun explained.

"Saint Chi? The current leader of the Saint Immortal Sect?" Wei Ziqi exclaimed in disbelief. Jin Xuan also frowned. Was this really related to the Saint Immortal Sect?

"Yes, he's the iron-masked man beating the drum on Tianyue Slope," Ao Jun nodded. Sect Master? He's already the Sect Master, but Tiangan and Tiankun are still in his hands. What right does he have to be the Sect Master? Being the Sect Master is one thing, but he's even come here to help Cangliao Kingdom attack his own country and activate such an evil formation? It seems that it's impossible for him to remain uninvolved in the Holy Immortal Sect.

"The Iron-Faced Man? I noticed that man too. So he's Saint Chi. Does the strategist know him?" Jin Xuan nodded and asked. Not only does Your Majesty know Saint Chi, but you also know the Eight Trigrams Formation and are so knowledgeable about Qimen Dunjia. The most powerful Qimen Dunjia sect in the world is the Saint Immortal Sect. Could Your Majesty be a member of the Saint Immortal Sect?

"I don't know him. I've only met him once."

If you don't recognize him, that means you're not from the Holy Immortal Sect. So how could you possibly know about the Holy Immortal Sect's secret formation?

As if knowing Jinxuan's thoughts, Aojun added, "As for why I use the Heavenly Stems Eight Trigrams Formation, I learned it by chance." She didn't want anyone to know that she was the legitimate sect leader of the Holy Immortal Sect.

"Hmm." Jinxuan simply nodded. It seemed that Jun hadn't told the truth. Everyone keeps secrets, and Jun was no exception.

"Haha... Since the strategist understands this Bagua Formation, we no longer need to be afraid. Next time, we'll make the Cangliao Kingdom pay the price!" The simple-minded Zhao Zhiyang laughed heartily. He understood everything they were saying but hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise until now, finally having a chance to speak.

"No, Mo Jun is powerless to change this formation for the time being," Ao Jun said with a troubled expression.

"What does the strategist mean...?" Jinxuan inquired. He also vaguely felt that since the ruler would order a retreat of thirty miles, it meant that things were far more complicated than they seemed.

Seeing the three people in the tent looking at him with puzzled expressions, Ao Jun sighed and said, "The Heavenly Stems Eight Trigrams Formation was created by the founding patriarch of the Holy Immortal Sect after a lifetime of hard work. It is the most exquisite formation in the world, and it is not something that can be easily broken. The reason why we were able to escape from the formation this time was entirely due to luck. It was because Sheng Chi did not expect that I knew the Heavenly Stems Eight Trigrams Formation, and he was momentarily distracted. At the beginning of the formation's activation, one cannot be distracted even for a moment. Now that the formation has been activated, I'm afraid... These past few days, I have been trying to find a way to break that formation, but I still have no results."

"Is it that terrifying? The strategist has been staying indoors these past few days just to prepare this formation?" Wei Ziqi asked. What if even the strategist can't handle it?

"Yes." Ao Jun nodded affirmatively. The most terrifying thing wasn't the formation, but...

"There's still something I don't understand. Although many of the disciples of the Holy Immortal Sect have eccentric temperaments, they are still considered a reputable sect. Why does the Heavenly Stems and Eight Trigrams Formation look so evil and terrifying?" Jin Xuan asked the crucial question. The two were indeed of one mind; she had only just begun to think about it when he asked it.

Ao Jun glanced at Jin Xuan meaningfully and replied, "That's because Sheng Chi used the Blood Soul Technique."

"Blood Soul Technique?" all three exclaimed in surprise. Although they didn't know what it was, they knew from the name that it was something evil.

"Yes, the so-called Blood Soul Technique is an evil technique that uses the resentment of a recently deceased person before their soul dissipates, and uses their blood soul to create a powerful spell. Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, in the Western Regions, an evil god, for personal gain, slaughtered an entire city and used the souls of all its inhabitants to activate the Blood Soul Technique. Wherever the blood soul went, nothing grew, and no one survived. The most terrifying thing was not death itself, but the excruciating torment one suffered before dying. Because it was so cruel and evil, it was lost for a long time. I never imagined that Saint Chi would know it and apply it to the most righteous Heavenly Stems and Eight Trigrams Formation. Its power far surpasses the Blood Soul Technique activated by the evil god back then." Ao Jun still described this terrifying evil technique in a calm and collected voice. She had seen the Blood Soul Technique in 'The Travels of Feng Yan' and was truly shocked at the time. She never imagined that there could be such a heartless and insane person in the world, using such an evil method to harm innocent people. Unexpectedly, not long after, she actually encountered such a person.

"This is utterly inhuman! I suppose the blood souls Saint Chi used this time were from the soldiers of the Cangliao army who just died in battle?" Jin Xuan said angrily. Such an inhumane formation, Yelü Ying actually used it. Hmph, he truly lives up to his name, 'Devouring Flame Evil Lord'.

"Hmm." Ao Jun nodded. Yelü Ying deliberately let tens of thousands of Cangliao soldiers who led the charge die without coming to their aid. Was he really that heartless? Those were his subordinates who had fought alongside him for many years!

"How dare Yelü Ying, the crown prince of a nation, disregard the lives of his soldiers and treat human life as nothing! And that Sheng Chi, the dignified leader of the Holy Immortal Sect, not only betrayed his country but also learned such evil and crooked methods, causing the deaths of so many people. Their actions are truly outrageous!" Wei Ziqi's handsome face turned red with anger, wishing he could devour those two people alive right now.

It was quite a surprise to Ao Jun that Zi Qi, who was usually so mild-mannered, would become so angry.

"Damn it, I'm going to kill them right now!" Zhao Zhiyang said, and was about to rush out. Did he even consider whether he could actually kill them?

"Zhiyang, stop right there! Do you think you can kill them? Not to mention that their martial arts are far superior to yours, you would have been killed before you even saw the hundreds of thousands of troops in Cangliao!" Wei Ziqi grabbed the enraged Zhao Zhiyang and shouted out the truth.

The reality was harsh. Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhiyang deflated like a punctured balloon, muttering, "Then what can we do? Is there really no way to deal with them?"

Jin Xuan's brows were furrowed so deeply they could trap several flies. He said weakly to Ao Jun, "Strategist, not only are we helpless against them, but even if our army escapes this time, we might not be able to escape next time."

The 'God of War' truly lives up to his name; he sees things more clearly and further than others. Although she was full of admiration for Jin Xuan, the Prince Jin, who had been so powerful and intimidating since their first meeting, now appeared so pale, weak, and helpless, causing Ao Jun's heart to ache. She didn't understand why she felt this pain and only wanted to comfort the man who had caused her such heartache.

Ling Aojun was always the kind of person who did what she wanted. She didn't care what was wrong with not doing what she didn't want to do, and disregarded the fact that there were other people in the tent. She reached out and grasped Jin Xuan's slightly cold hand, sitting on the edge of the bed and gazing at him. Besides this, she didn't know how else to comfort him. In the past, when she was unhappy, Xue would hold her hand like this with her equally small hand, and at that moment, she wouldn't feel so sad. Now she was doing the same thing.

Touching Ao Jun's small hand, even colder than his own, the usually calm and composed Jin Xuan felt a jolt run through him. A warm current flowed through his heart, and a long-dormant place within him seemed to have been opened, radiating a brighter light than before. His hand unconsciously grasped that smooth, delicate hand, and his deep eyes gazed into those magnetically drawn black eyes before him. Even if it were an abyss, he would willingly be drawn into it. He knew he could never let go of those hands again, but they were both men; how could he face this mutated emotion? If she knew his feelings for her, would she look down on him? How would the world view him? Never before had he experienced such a turbulent inner struggle.

The two sat on the bed, gazing at each other 'affectionately,' leaving the other two in the tent in a predicament, unsure whether to leave or stay. Wei Ziqi and Zhao Zhiyang could only stare blankly at their most admired prince and strategist. Coming to their senses, they exchanged a glance. The naive Zhao Zhiyang scratched his head in bewilderment, while Wei Ziqi looked thoughtfully at the two seemingly lost in their own world: the deep affection and struggle in the prince's eyes were so obvious. Had the prince fallen in love with Jun? And Jun? Did she love the prince? Would she accept love between two men? And what about himself? Did he have a chance to compete with the prince? A barrage of questions made his head spin. He shook his head repeatedly, trying to shake off these troubling questions, but they seemed determined to contradict him, relentlessly surfacing.

In the end, it was Zhao Zhiyang who saved him. Seeing Wei Ziqi shaking his head repeatedly, Zhao Zhiyang said in a loud voice, "Ziqi, what's wrong with you? Do you have a headache?" He looked at him with a silly expression.

The loudspeaker snapped the two people who had been staring at each other back to their senses. Ao Jun was fine, but the cold-faced prince was not so comfortable. His handsome face turned bright red, even his ears were as red as if they had been boiled, which made his pale face look more rosy. He didn't dare to look at Ao Jun at all, and could only look at Wei Ziqi, who had been mentioned, in order to cover up his embarrassment.

The moment Ao Jun came to his senses, he looked at Wei Ziqi. Suddenly, all six eyes were fixed on him, making him wish he could disappear into a hole. His face turned even redder than Jin Xuan's. He glared at Zhao Zhiyang, who was somewhat bewildered. Wei Ziqi then stammered, "No, nothing..." Seeing they were still staring at him, he changed the subject, saying, "Your Highness just said our army can't escape next time, is that true? Isn't it true that as long as we don't enter the formation, we'll be fine? Although we can't break through that formation, we shouldn't be trapped again, right?"

The truth is cruel as it may be, but it had to be said eventually. He sighed and said, "Your Highness is right. Another reason our army was able to retreat safely from the formation this time was that the Blood Soul had not yet taken shape and was not very powerful. Moreover, it had not yet officially merged with the Heavenly Stems and Eight Trigrams Formation, and it still needed to lure our army into the formation to be effective. Now that the Blood Soul has awakened, its power will become greater and more terrifying. There will be no need to lure our army into the formation anymore; it can directly trap our army. And when the time comes, once the righteous and the evil merge into one, it will be the most powerful, evil, and terrifying formation in human history. Its power will be enough to destroy the entire world, and there will be endless suffering and devastation."

"What? That terrifying formation is only like a newborn baby, not yet fully formed?" Wei Ziqi's eyes widened in disbelief. The scene from that time still terrified him. He couldn't even imagine how terrifying it would be once it was fully formed...

“That’s right,” Ao Jun nodded directly.

"Strategist, what should we do now?" Jin Xuan asked humbly. He only knew a little about Qimen Dunjia, let alone the Blood Soul Heavenly Stem Eight Trigrams Formation, which he knew nothing about. Now he could only rely on Jun, and he trusted her.