It had only been a while since Lu Tianzi started refining his eyes, but it had already become a daily routine for him.

Every time he did, Lu Tianzi would feel an intense pain searing through his eyes, as though there was a raging flame burning under his eyelids, threatening to melt down his eyeballs from the inside!

This was not a one off matter either, but something that he would be experiencing every single night.

Had it been most other martial artists of his age, they would never be able to endure such physical and mental torture.

In fact, it would not have been surprising if Lu Tianzi had given up long ago either.

Yet no matter how agonisingly painful it was, Lu Tianzi had not slacked off for a single day. After all, he knew better than anyone else that the path to the pinnacle was one filled with perils.

This persistence of his did not go unrewarded.

In just a week's time, Lu Tianzi could already feel that his eyes were now in a far better condition than before. On top of that, he was also able to sense that he was nearing the threshold of being able to start practicing the Limitless Mirror Eye.

It was also because of this that he was now able to physically see the faint traces of energy flowing through the table top formation.

But even with his refined eyes, the traces of energy were too faint to make out clearly.

Lu Tianzi still had to carefully scan through the entire table top formation, inch by inch, in order to find the point of highest energy density.

There were no two ways about it.

This was the only method he could think of in order to find the core of the formation!

Earlier, Formation Master Beimu had told him to think of a formation as a larger version of an inscription.

However, that was easier said than done!

Inscriptions were constructed from countless inscription runes, with each individual inscription rune possessing a unique property that belonged solely to it, allowing them to interact in a systematic and logical manner.

But those things on the table right now were just identical bamboo tokens!

Just how on earth was he supposed to treat this as an inscription?!

Thus, Lu Tianzi had no other choice but to estimate the core of the table top formation by finding the point of highest energy density.

This was a method that had nothing to do with any comprehensions in the art of formations, and relied purely on his observations.

But because he had no need to ponder deeper about the matter, it also meant that Lu Tianzi was able to quickly arrive at his conclusion.

Lu Tianzi finally locked on to the point of highest energy density within the the entire formation. Be it a coincidence or not, this point happened to be where a bamboo token was placed as well!

There was no doubt about it. This must be the core of the table top formation!

Lu Tianzi was filled with excitement at the moment.

This excitement was born from a mix of triumph over the arrogant Beimu Fei, as well as relief that that his makeshift method actually worked out in the end!

Here it was!

Without hesitation, Lu Tianzi quickly reached out for the bamboo token that he had already locked on to.

"Hmm?" Formation Master Beimu looked at him in confusion.

"What do you think you are doing?" even Beimu Fei warned him with a frown when she saw him reach across the long table.

However, Lu Tianzi merely grinned in satisfaction as he picked up the bamboo token. "This is the core!"

But before he could even turn to look at the reactions of the people in the room, Lu Tianzi felt a sudden rush of energy directly gushing out from the table top formation, escaping through the hole in the formation that he had just created!

Whoosh-!

It was as though the bamboo token in his hand was a powerful magnet, drawing every last bit of energy within the table top formation into it!

That was not the end of it.

After rushing into the bamboo token, this surge of energy did not stop there. It directly passed through the bamboo token, entering Lu Tianzi's body through his hand!

"Nanlu Tianzi!" Formation Master Beimu lost her calm for the first time today as she stood up in shock.

She had seen Lu Tianzi stretch across the table top, but she never expected him to suddenly break the formation in such a forceful manner!

Unfortunately, Formation Master had neglected to inform Nanlu Tianzi that table top formations act differently from actual formations in that energy within a table top formation was compressed into a state of high density.

Anyone who attempted to forcefully break a table top formation would immediately suffer from the resultant backlash from this highly compressed energy!

Formation Master Beimu immediately moved forward.

She needed to save him, or at least prevent him from incurring heavy injuries!

By the side, Beimu Fei was completely dumbstruck by the scene before her.

Had she really been competing with a complete novice?!

How could he not even know that breaking a table top formation would cause him to receive a backlash?

But even so, suffering from the backlash could be quite dangerous for him.

There would not have been much of an issue if it was just an ordinary table top formation.

The problem was that this table top formation was placed by Formation Master Beimu, the top formation master in the kingdom!

Both the stability and effectiveness of the formation were far higher than average, but that also meant that this resultant backlash from breaking the formation would be far higher than average as well!

Within Lu Tianzi's inner world, when this surge of energy entered through his hand, it immediately burst out in all directions, ready to wreck havoc and ravage through his body.

However, before this surge of energy could even start spreading, it was as though a heavy suction force had locked it down, preventing it from bursting out.

Immediately after, the mysterious suction force rapidly increased in strength, forcefully directing this surge of energy upwards – towards Lu Tianzi's eyes!

While trying to find the core of the table top formation, Lu Tianzi had concentrated so much that he had involuntarily activated a rudimentary version of the Limitless Mirror Eye.

However, since he had not truly started practising the technique, it was extremely limited in nature, and was only able to improve his vision and grant him the ability to see through energy flows.

Even so, it had been sufficient to help Lu Tianzi locate the point of highest energy density within the table top formation.

That was good and all.

But when Lu Tianzi picked up the bamboo token, breaking the table top formation and causing a surge of energy to rush into him in the form of a backlash, his eyes were still active then.

Due to that very reason, his eyes had subconsciously locked on to the foreign wave of energy as a new source of nourishment, prepared to start on a new session of refinement!

This surge of energy split into two separate waves, directly entering his two eyes without the slightest bit of inhibitions.

"Argh!"

Lu Tianzi could not help but groan in agony as an intense pain swept across his eyes!

This backlash energy from the formation was far stronger than the original amount of energy required during refinement of his eyes, which meant that the pain he was feeling was far more intense than usual as well.

Unfortunately, this backlash energy was not his own.

It was simply impossible for him to cut the supply of energy whenever he wanted.

Similarly, it was impossible to stop the activation of his eyes while in the midst of refinement.

Out of options, all Lu Tianzi could do was to grit his teeth and endure the pain!

At this point, Formation Master Beimu had already arrived before him.

Due to some unknown concealing treasure on this Nanlu Tianzi, she was unable to send her perception into his body to investigate his current state.

Thus, Formation Master Beimu immediately placed her palm against his forehead and sent her energy into his body.

She was intending to directly probe his inner world with her own Essence energy, so as to aid him in overcoming any turmoil in his inner world that could be caused by the backlash.

"Hmm?" Formation Master Beimu frowned, as though sensing something amiss.

It was as though every last bit of energy that she sent into Nanlu Tianzi was immediately being sucked away, causing her to immediately lose her connection with it.

This way, there was simply no way for her to understand what was happening within him!

"What's going on? What's wrong with Nanlu Tianzi?" General Nanbai Zhaoyu asked.

Just like Lu Tianzi, he had no idea that forcefully breaking a table top formation would result in an energy backlash.

Even so, he had sensed a huge wave of energy surge into Lu Tianzi from the table top formation.

After which, Lu Tianzi groaned out in pain and then Formation Master Beimu immediately moved in.

General Nanbai Zhaoyu obviously could tell that something was wrong, but he wanted to know exactly what was wrong!

If something happened to this youngster while under his watch, then he would have to answer to the Nine Suns Sect, City Lord Nanlan, as well as his own father!

"I don't believe I will be helpless in such a situation!" Formation Master Beimu placed her other palm over the hand that was already pressed against Lu Tianzi's forehead.

If the rate at which she was sending in energy was not enough, then she would just double the output!

As long as she completely filled up Lu Tianzi's inner world with her Essence energy, surely she would be able to figure out what was going on!

But unknown to Formation Master Beimu, at this very moment, Lu Tianzi's eyes were still hungrily absorbing all the foreign energy that had entered his inner world!

All the Essence energy that Formation Master Beimu was desperately sending into his body was no exception, being directly used up as a source of fuel to refine his eyes!

The refinement process was never meant to be carried out with such a huge amount of energy.

Lu Tianzi's eyes were suddenly subjected to an unprecedented level of stress, as though they were about to collapse on themselves at any moment!

But even so, they still continued to steadily absorb the large amount of energy that was running through them right now.

No, rather than steadily absorb energy, it would be more accurate to say that they were absorbing the energy at a ridiculously fast rate!

By now, Lu Tianzi had already lost all awareness of his surroundings.

It was taking him everything he had in order to even remain conscious, preventing his mental state from collapsing from the pain.

"Ahhhh!"

Lu Tianzi could no longer hold it in anymore, involuntarily letting out a scream in agony.

"Just what is happening right now?" General Nanbai Zhaoyu was finally reaching the limits of his patience.

Since Formation Master Beimu wanted to personally handle the problem, General Nanbai Zhaoyu had held himself back from doing anything.

After all, if he acted despite the other party's wishes, it could be seen as outright distrust towards the prestigious formation master's capability.

That might affect his chances of completing the trade later.

However, Lu Tianzi's condition only seemed to be getting worse by the second!

At this point, General Nanbai Zhaoyu could no longer afford to continue sitting and watching by the side!

But just as he was about to take action, Lu Tianzi's scream suddenly ceased.

There was a split second of silence, where there was an unnerving calm within the room.

However, it was immediately followed by a powerful shockwave that exploded out from Lu Tianzi, sweeping across the room in all directions!