Chapter 544: Mastering the Illusion Mist Array
Turns out the Illusion Mist Stones weren’t actually part of the Illusion Mist Array at all.
They were treasures the Mist Stone Pillars had condensed over five hundred years ago, completely separate from the formation itself. That was why Firebrand had been able to take one without affecting the array. Even so, those pillars had stood on Crescent Island for over ten thousand years, constantly absorbing the island’s moonlight and ocean energy before finally producing just three of them.
Each one was an Artifact, and Marcus didn’t need anyone to tell him they had to be extraordinary.
Firebrand hadn’t even bothered checking her own reward. The moment Marcus reached her, she stuffed the triangular stone into his hands with an eager grin.
"Here. Check it out."
"Got it." Marcus accepted the stone as the others gathered around him. Curiosity filled every face as he opened its information window.
The moment he finished reading, he froze. ’...Damn.’
—
Illusion Mist Stone: Artifact. Requirement: Level 50, any class. After absorbing the moonlight and ocean energy of Crescent Island, and being nurtured by both the Illusion Mist Palace and the Crescent Moon Immortal Palace, the Mist Stone Pillars spent ten thousand years condensing this Artifact.
Effect: Recite the incantation and throw the Illusion Mist Stone to instantly create an Illusion Mist Palace within a 1,000-meter radius centered on the user. The user and all party members are unaffected. Any other player or monster who does not know the method to navigate the formation will become completely lost inside it. Duration: 30 minutes. Remaining Uses: 2/2.
—
Marcus stared at the description for several seconds. ’An item like this... actually exists?’
He couldn’t be certain whether the summoned formation would be as powerful as the original, or whether it could trap Divine or Mythic Beasts. Still, based on what they had just experienced firsthand, anyone below Level 80 without special abilities or knowledge of the formation would have little hope of escaping.
’Holy crap...’
If the summoned formation truly matched the original, then it could completely lock down anyone below Level 80.
Even Level 80 experts probably wouldn’t be able to force their way out. The description itself implied they would have to rely on extraordinary luck just to escape before the thirty-minute duration ended. Without that, they could wander inside for days.
In simple terms, against anyone unfamiliar with the formation, it granted thirty minutes of complete battlefield control.
’This thing is ridiculous.’
The entire group stood there in stunned silence.
Artifacts were terrifying precisely because of effects like this. In the right hands, some of them were even more valuable than Divine-grade equipment.
And Marcus wasn’t holding just one. He had all three Illusion Mist Stones, and each one could be used twice. That meant six opportunities to completely dominate a guild war, a siege, or even a nation-wide battle.
Just imagining it made everyone’s hearts race.
Marcus carefully collected the remaining two Illusion Mist Stones while the others stayed alert, watching for any sign of danger.
The instant he picked up the third cloud-white, triangular stone, the three Mist Stone Pillars suddenly trembled.
A massive surge of white mist erupted from them all at once, rushing toward Marcus like a roaring tidal wave.
"Marcus, look out!" the girls shouted almost in unison.
Marcus reacted immediately, instinctively preparing for an attack.
Yet as the mist rolled toward him, he saw no monsters hiding within it. There were no shadows, no enemies, nothing at all.
’Hundred Phantom Light Strike!’ Golden blades of light swept through the mist in a six-meter arc.
’Nothing.’ The attacks sliced cleanly through empty air without striking a single target.
’What’s going on?’ Before he could think any further, the white mist engulfed him completely.
It wrapped around his body, surrounding him from every direction, and then the system notification rang out.
Ding!
[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. By obtaining the third Illusion Mist Stone, you have freed the three Mist Stone Pillars from centuries of continuously nurturing the stones. Their gratitude has triggered a hidden reward. The pillars have bestowed a blessing of Illusion Mist upon you, allowing you to freely traverse any formation or seal related to the Illusion Mist Array. In addition, your vision will never again be obscured by any form of mist.]
Marcus blinked. A reward? The Mist Stone Pillars... were actually thanking him?
He could hardly believe it. His luck had been unbelievable lately, but this still caught him completely off guard.
Before he had time to recover, another notification appeared.
Ding!
[Congratulations, player Stonehaven. Due to your exceptionally high Luck stat, while being enveloped by the Illusion Mist blessing, you have successfully comprehended the hidden skill: Illusion Mist Array.]
Marcus’s eyes widened. He had actually learned... a formation technique.
The white mist continued swirling around him for several moments before gradually fading away. Without wasting another second, Marcus opened his skill window.
—
Illusion Mist Array: Advanced Formation. Maximum Level.
Deploy an illusion formation covering a 50-meter radius over the course of two minutes. Enemies trapped within become hopelessly disoriented, lose all sense of direction, and cannot find a way out. Duration: 10 minutes.
Requirement: Possess at least one Mist Stone.
Additional Effects: With six Mist Stones, the formation evolves into the more powerful Six-Spirit Illusion Array. With nine Mist Stones, it can be upgraded into the Immortal-tier formation, the Nine-Labyrinth Palace.
’Nine-Labyrinth Palace.’ Marcus’s breathing grew heavier as he reread those words.
—
That was the very formation described earlier, the legendary array said to be capable of trapping even immortals. Whether it could truly imprison a Divine Beast was hard to say, but an ordinary Mythic Beast...
There was a real possibility.
His heartbeat quickened at the thought. ’This is absolutely insane.’
Then reality tempered his excitement.
Lamp-Lighter Daoist, an ancient immortal, had possessed only three Mist Stones himself. He hadn’t even been able to deploy the Six-Spirit Illusion Array, much less the legendary Nine-Labyrinth Palace.
That fact alone spoke volumes; Mist Stones were unimaginably rare.
Marcus looked back at the three Mist Stone Pillars, and for one reckless moment, he genuinely wondered if he could dig them up and take them with him.
After a few seconds, he sighed and gave up on the fantasy. That was clearly impossible.
Instead, he silently added another destination to his future plans. One day, he would have to visit Cloud Mist Mountain, and if his luck held out, perhaps he could find more Mist Stones there.