Tang Jie threw the Alarm Gate Banner onto a corner of the terrace, and next came the View Gate and Stop Gate Banners, creating a triangle. Tang Jie then threw out a large amount of materials.

“Laying a formation?” Even if the monkey didn’t understand formations, it could still tell what Tang Jie was trying. It cried out, “You’re laying a formation in the Water Moon Paradise? Where did you get the materials?”

Tang Jie laughed. “I brought them in, of course. The Mystic Moon True Lord personally examined the contents of my bag and confirmed that there was no problem with them before letting me in. And you also just said that I could do as I pleased. I’ll happily accept and use whatever means I have. Everyone in the Basking Moon Sect knows that I’m proficient in formations, so what’s strange about me laying down one? Sky Driving Dragon Dance Formation, rise!”

As he shouted and waved his hands, a brilliant light rose from the terrace, transforming into a dragon that shot into the air.

The monkey was stunned, muttering, “It’s really a formation, a formation.”

It didn’t know what sort of formation this Sky Driving Dragon Dance Formation was, but since Tang Jie had taken it out, it had to be able to do something. The monkey just didn’t understand how the Mystic Moon True Lord had allowed it.

But the Mystic Moon True Lord was being unjustly accused.

The way of formations was broad and complicated. Although it required materials, materials were interchangeable.

Tang Jie had long ago learned what could be brought into the Water Moon Paradise and what could not.

He had racked his mind to figure out what materials he could bring. Alone, none of them was contraband, but when put together, they became the necessary materials for his formation.

When the Mystic Moon True Lord saw these things, while he felt like Tang Jie was up to something, since nothing Tang Jie was bringing in was banned, he could only let them through.

Once he was inside, Tang Jie knew that it was better to not use it if he could, so he left it as a back-up.

Not even Tang Jie had expected that the time would come where he would actually have to use it.

As the dragon-shaped light danced in the sky, it unleashed a powerful breath that shot toward Tang Jie. This dragon breath burrowed into Tang Jie’s body and disappeared, upon which Tang Jie’s energy began to soar.

“So it was a reinforcement formation,” the monkey muttered.

From the look of it, this formation primarily boosted Tang Jie’s strength so that he had more power to push through the mountain path. This was the formation that was the easiest to use in the Water Moon Paradise. Though there was a risk of being accused of cheating, it was extremely helpful in the here and now.

Tang Jie smiled. “It’s not just reinforcement!”

He took in a deep breath, gripped his saber, and once more charged up the mountain path.

This time, it was a real charge.

There was no pause between his steps. It was clear that the empowerment of the dragon dance allowed him to greatly reduce the time needed to get up the steps.

Meanwhile, the horde of Wind Snakes howled over.

Tang Jie simply laughed and swung his saber at the air. A dragon of light rushed out and swept up the Wind Snakes.

As he swung his saber, he continued to stride forward. Though his progress wasn’t fast, it was still as steady as Mount Tai.

The light dragon turned into a vortex that devoured all the Wind Snakes in front of him, dissipating in the process.

As the light dragon disappeared, Tang Jie unleashed a Matchless Slash.

The biting saber energy cut a resplendent path through the snakes, allowing Tang Jie to continue forward.

After unleashing the Matchless Slash, Tang Jie unleashed another dragon of light.

By constantly switching between the light dragon and his own spell arts, Tang Jie was able to steadily advance.

“Hmph, so that’s your plan,” the monkey grunted.

It could now see that Tang Jie was using himself as a transfer station, constantly throwing out the power of the formation, using it to strengthen himself and exterminate the Wind Snakes. This was also a way of resisting the pull of the Water Moon Paradise, as the environment of the Water Moon Paradise would make it very difficult to utilize the power of the formation otherwise.

Relying on the power of the formation, Tang Jie quickly reached the first 10-meter line. But he had no thoughts about getting the reward, instead continuing to advance. He had no plans on stopping until he reached the summit.

The Wind Snakes continued to charge out in a frenzy, blocking out the sky as they came in wave after wave.

Tang Jie firmly pressed forward, constantly swinging his saber.

From the moment he activated the formation, there was no going back. This was because he had only brought enough materials to use it once.

Under this frenzied assault, the bodies of snakes fell like rain, carpeting the mountain steps in silver. He was no longer stepping on firm stone, but soft and slippery snake bodies.

The spell arts were fierce, but the snakes were fearless. Tang Jie advanced through this torrent of life and death, constantly killing.

He had never killed like this before. Even if these snakes could reincarnate, each reincarnation was actually a new life. After all, they had only the most shallow form of reincarnation, so they did not keep any of their memories. It was their instinct that drove them to constantly charge.

But Tang Jie didn’t care.

Slaughter was one of the Twelve Great Daos, which meant that to slaughter was to heed the will of the heavens.

While Tang Jie had comprehended many things over the years, he had yet to comprehend the Dao of Slaughter.

This could only mean that he had killed too little.

Since this was the case, he might as well do as the monkey had said and kill to his heart’s content!

Fight a bloody battle all the way to the summit!

Whether he comprehended anything or not, at least he would have carved his own bloody path!

With this thought in mind, Tang Jie kept swinging his saber.

The farther he went, the slower he became.

As he climbed higher and higher, the transmission channel of the formation lengthened, weakening the power that was ultimately carried to Tang Jie.

He was halfway up, but the formation’s reinforcement had already fallen by a third.

This meant that his ascent slowed, and the attacks of the Wind Snakes intensified.

More and more Wind Snakes were breaking through the attacks and approaching Tang Jie.

Although they couldn’t break through his steely skin, there was no stopping the chilling sound of their fangs biting down.

Tang Jie started with one Reaping Wind Snake on him, and the number accumulated until his entire body was covered in snakes.

Blood once more flowed down his body, bite marks covering every inch of his skin.

But Tang Jie was unmoved, continuing to slash and advance.

He no longer had a reason to retreat.

Forward!

Charge!

With resolve in his eyes, Tang Jie climbed.

70 meters!

75 meters!

80 meters!

85 meters!

As Tang Jie climbed higher and higher, his feet became heavier and heavier, but the blazing flames he unleashed became fiercer and fiercer.

Even the monkey was rather dumbfounded by this sight.

By now, the power of the Sky Driving Dragon Dance Formation had weakened so that it could only provide Tang Jie with a third of its original power.

It seemed like the formation’s effect would disappear before he could reach the summit.

The monkey couldn’t help but shake its head and sigh. “He probably won’t make it. Reaching the summit is too hard without comprehending Slaughter.”

The true goal behind these last 138 meters was actually to have the climber comprehend the Dao of Slaughter.

Those who comprehended Slaughter would also grasp a sliver of Destruction, and only then could one truly kill the Wind Snakes, leaving them no chance of reincarnation.

This was the only way to reach the summit.

For this reason, the way to get to the summit of Water Moon Peak was essentially to increase one’s power by a tier and then comprehend Slaughter.

Accomplishing these two would allow one to conquer Water Moon Peak.

Alas, in the last one thousand years, only a scant few had managed it.

Tang Jie had not comprehended Slaughter, perhaps because his nature was too tenacious, and the slaughter before him was not able to affect him. There was also the fact that he had comprehended the Dao of Life recently. However, in these circumstances, relying solely on a formation to reach the summit was just too difficult!

As the monkey sighed, Tang Jie climbed another 10 meters.

There were only forty-some meters left of the 138 meters.

But these forty-some meters were like an impassable barrier.

“There’s no going any higher.” The monkey shook its head.

“Not at all!” Tang Jie laughed.

He put away his saber.

His hands formed numerous signs, and then he thrust his hands forward and roared, “Heavenly King Mara Incantation!”

A giant hand appeared, and under Tang Jie’s control, it pushed forward, squashing the Wind Snakes to death.

While controlling the giant hand, Tang Jie pushed forward with all his might.

He had stopped using the light dragon, instead using the last bit of reinforcement power left to press forward.

But this attack was extremely taxing on him.

The monkey shook its head. “He can’t last until the end.”

Its thousands of years of experience and insight allowed it to see that even if Tang Jie drew on all his strength, the best he could do was another 20 meters, at which point his spiritual energy would run out, the Heavenly King hand would disappear, and he would end up surrounded by Wind Snakes.

By that point, he might not even have the strength to go down the mountain.

“This… is basically seeking death!” The monkey didn’t have it in it to insult him.

Sure enough, Tang Jie made it another twenty-some meters before the giant hand disappeared.

Tang Jie was at the end of his rope, and his body was now covered in bloody holes that even exposed the bone in some places.

The monkey shouted, “Tang Jie, you’ve lost! According to the rules, so long as you give up on the rewards for this section of the path, I can rescue you and bring you back to the terrace.”

Tang Jie looked up, and his body rippled with red energy. “Did I ask you to save me?”

The Blood Refining Spirit spell!

“Hm?” The monkey was taken aback. “I didn’t think you still had a way of stimulating your power. But it’s just a little trick that can’t deal with the Reaping Wind Snakes. There’s still no way for you to make it up.”

Tang Jie smiled. “I recall you saying that I could use anything, right? That’s perfect. I just so happen to have this.”

He opened his hand, revealing a small pearl.

“That’s…” The monkey was dumbstruck, and then it understood, crying out, “A Heavenbane Lightning Pearl… You mother–”

Boom!

A powerful explosion ripped through the mountain.

If formations won’t do the job, then just bomb the place!