Chapter 398

The five-headed eight-winged ox-horned fire lizard's entire body was engulfed in crimson Scorching Heaven flames; mysterious runes could harness heavenly thunder's power, heaven-shaking thunder and lightning ravaged the whole

The Slaughter Ghost Sect's supporters and the Shangqing Sect's cultivation mechanical puppets, whose Myriad Soul Banners on their heads were affected, all clattered, releasing surging killing Qi to resist the might of the Scorching Heaven flame, swiftly pulling the myriad sky ghosts into the Myriad Soul Banner's interior space, where a layer of purple-black frost condensed on the banner's face.

"Nine Nether Power?"

Zhou Yi stood on the high-rise of Silver Break City and saw the Myriad Soul Banner's change; his eyes flickered with astonished divine light, his face full of disbelief.

"Master Zhou Yi, is the Nine Nether Power not the same thing as the killing Qi on the ghost puppets?"

Hu Wang heard the words, and a doubtful expression appeared on his face.

On Earth there once existed a legend of the Netherworld's Underworld, which contained the Nine Nether within; even immortals and gods cannot fall, otherwise, upon being struck by one of the Five Declines of Heaven and Man—the ice calamity—carelessness could lead to eternal damnation in the Avici Hell.

In his impression, the killing Qi on ghosts should be the same as the Nine Nether Power, both being terrifying extreme-yin bitter-cold ghostly force.

How could the Nine Nether Power appear when the Scorching Heaven Grand Formation was unleashed, even as the Myriad Soul Banner's power gathered back?

Hu Wang's two pairs of tiger eyes emitted brilliant light, sweeping across the entire battlefield, and he soon discovered the Myriad Soul Banner's change.

In the Scorching Heaven Grand Formation, the five-headed, eight-winged horned fire lizard sat in the crimson-gold sea of fire, spewing endless golden runes from the fire sea above; when these met the black killing patterns emanating from the Myriad Soul Banner, water and fire could not coexist.

The utmost yang, utmost strong power and the utmost yin, utmost cold energy began devouring each other in an instant.

The Myriad Soul Banner's surging killing Qi gathered the myriad sky ghosts into its interior, and the Scorching Heaven flame seized the moment to envelop it, determined to burn the Myriad Soul Banner to ashes.

The ghosts within the Myriad Soul Banner let out earth-shaking wails, the black banner clattered and trembled incessantly, revealing brilliant black runes.

As the Scorching Heaven flame burned longer, part of the Myriad Soul Banner's killing Qi that had originally receded was gradually compressed, solidified, and transformed into purple-black runes, which condensed on the banner's surface to form a woven 'wraith' character.

As soon as the 'wraith' character appeared on the Myriad Soul Banner, the wailing of the ghosts instantly diminished; the entire black banner surged with purple-black light, eerily strange, countering the Scorching Heaven flame.

Hu Wang's pupils contracted sharply; he never expected the Scorching Heaven fire to bring such a change to the Myriad Soul Banner.

"When a person dies, they become a ghost; when a ghost dies, they become a wraith."

"Just as people fear ghosts, ghosts fear the wraith."

Daoist Qingwei gazed at the countless Myriad Soul Banners covered in icy frost, his eyes showing disbelief, and he blurted out.

This is recorded in the Shangqing Sect's Supreme Spiritual Treasure Great Cavity True Scripture stored in the Earth's Shangqing Observatory; he never imagined he could one day witness such a divine trace in the Huanyu realm.

"Nothing is sadder than parting in life, nothing happier than meeting anew."

"The Myriad Soul Banner, since created by the Demon Master, finally has the chance to transform."

Zhou Yi's eyes glimmered with a bright light, and his voice trembled with excitement.

He stared at the purple-black light on the Myriad Soul Banner, and the Demon Master's words echoed again in his mind.

"The Great Dao embodies yin and yang, giving rise to myriad transformations; heaven and earth produce and restrain each other, and yin and yang are mutually complementary."

"Fortune harbors disaster, disaster leans on fortune."

Earth cultivators analyzed the countless yin formations within the Holy Infant Banner as a guide; the Demon Master ordered them to use it as a framework, integrating the Hundred Schools' Netherworld Killing Dao, containing the mysteries of Taiji, concealing the yin-yang creation mechanisms, before forging the Myriad Soul Banner.

When the number of soul puppets devoured by the Myriad Soul Banner's independent Netherworld space reaches a certain amount, the evil killing energy peaks and undergoes a slow transformation, solidifying the killing Qi into Netherworld power.

Now, under the coercion of the golden heavenly purple fire within the Scorching Heaven Grand Formation, the Myriad Soul Banner sensed danger and actually entered the transformation stage ahead of time.

The Grand Taiji Formation within the Myriad Soul Banner's space was activated, manifesting the Primordial Yin and Yang energies.

Within extreme yin lies yang, and yang surrounds extreme yin; the power of extreme yang is like life, able to hasten the emergence of consciousness in the soul puppets within the Myriad Soul Banner, enabling them thereafter to cultivate the supreme ghost arts and become true ultimate yin soldiers and yin generals.

The Demon Master had said so.

When the ultimate yin soldiers and yin generals within the Myriad Soul Banner cultivate to a certain level, they can detach from the banner and exist independently, becoming the true left and right arms of Earth cultivators.

Zhou Yi gazed at the Myriad Soul Banner undergoing gradual change, pondering in his heart.

The Scorching Heaven flame of the Scorching Heaven Grand Formation is mighty; only Myriad Soul Banners possessing a million soul puppets can undergo transformation, while those lacking sufficient soul puppets cannot withstand the flame's power and turn to ash before they can transform.

Boom boom boom.

Under the cover of the Scorching Heaven Grand Formation, whether it was the Slaughter Ghost Sect cultivators supported by the Huanyu headquarters or the Shangqing Sect's full deployment of cultivation mechanical puppets, all were subjected to tremendous destructive force.

The terrifying Scorching Heaven flame's indiscriminate attack struck down every cultivator covered by the Scorching Heaven Grand Formation, burning them to death.

"Haha, burned well."

The voice of Wu Feng from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion rang out in the air.

The greater the might of the Scorching Heaven Grand Formation, the higher the merit of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in this battle; he spent vast amounts of heavenly essence to enable his son Wu Yong to rise to a high position within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion's upper echelons.

The five—Feng Yuxiang, Chu Mengji, Zi Tian Du, Long Zhan Tian, and Lei Ze—now control the manifestation of the Scorching Heaven Grand Formation, instantly shifting the balance that originally leaned toward the Shangqing Sect and Slaughter Ghost Sect to their side.

What does this indicate?

This signifies that the Scorching Heaven Grand Formation's restraint over the Myriad Soul Banner is absolute; as long as the Myriad Soul Banner is suppressed, they still have hope of defeating the Slaughter Ghost Sect and the Shangqing Sect.

"Is it still burning well?"

Upon hearing this, the leaders of the Fuyang Sect, Bibo Palace, Tianlong Gate, etc., turned extremely grim.

The disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion constitute only one-fifth of the allied cultivators; now, with the Lu Yan Valley and Taiyin Shengdi cultivators shielding their retreat, the Purple Mansion cultivators defecting, the allied cultivators on the battlefield are reduced to the five major powers: the Fuyang Sect, Bibo Palace, Tianlong Gate, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and Fenglei Pavilion.

As for the small sects that were roped in, they are negligible and hardly participated at all.

On the whole battlefield, for every disciple of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion who dies, the combined deaths of the other sects' cultivators amount to four.

Whoever loses, it is certainly the other forces that suffer a loss.

In this attack on the Shangqing Sect, the main actors are the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Lu Yan Valley, who are luring the Taiyin Shengdi; Lu Yan Valley seeks revenge, while the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion fears that the Shangqing Sect's promotion of the penguin jade slips will affect its business in the Primordial Lingyu.

Having received the order from the Taiyin Shengdi to attack the Shangqing Sect in exchange for major benefits, they have not yet tasted any gain; if the sect's disciples continue to suffer indiscriminate attacks from the Scorching Heaven Grand Formation, at least ninety percent will perish.

If the Shangqing Sect is breached, it's still fine; the huge benefits could fill the massive pit of fallen sect cultivators, and the Huanyu headquarters of the sect might not blame them, possibly even rewarding them.

But if all the young disciples of the sect perish here while the Shangqing Sect remains unconquered, these high-ranking officials cannot escape death by a myriad of faults.

In Huanyu, regardless of the faction, young cultivators are certainly the fresh blood of sect development.

Cultivators who defy heaven in their training, contending with heaven, earth, and others, can reach the Earth Origin Realm before thirty, even attain the peak, and have a chance to ascend to the Heavenly Spirit Realm.

This is like a pyramid: the further one progresses in cultivation, the fewer cultivators able to break through.

Among Earth Origin Realm cultivators, breaking through to the Heavenly Spirit Realm is one in ten thousand; for Heavenly Spirit Realm cultivators to break through to the Myriad Laws Realm, it is even harder—only one in a hundred thousand.

While the supreme experts of Huanyu's major factions are indeed cultivated, far more are the countless cultivators who, after accumulating over long periods, level by level, form the formidable foundation that establishes a sect.

Kill, kill, kill—give me a vicious kill.

The Chief Officer Wan of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion saw the Slaughter Ghost Sect's strong cultivators and many black-clad figures of the Supreme Clarity Sect falling on the battlefield, his face lit with excitement. If this continues, it's only a matter of time before all enemies are slain.

He excitedly shouted toward the sky, as if victory were beckoning to him.

«Taiyin Shengdi, Reed Flame Valley, Purple Mansion—no matter, once the Ash-Heaven Grand Formation is unleashed, all monsters and spirits will turn to ash. »

A generation's heavenly pride, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion—who could rival it?

Chief Officer Wan's side, Qingkun hurried over and took the chance to flatter him.

Chief Officer Wan, hearing this, was overjoyed; previously he had deemed Qingkun foolish and unwilling to bother with him, but now he actually found him somewhat pleasing.

«Chief Officer Wan, with the Ash-Heaven Grand Formation unleashed, no one dares to contend. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wins a total victory; everything of the Supreme Clarity Sect now belongs to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. »

«The Chief Officer will surely be promoted to Elder of the Inner Cabinet, his authority greater than ever. »

Wu Feng seized the opportunity and hurriedly flashed to Chief Officer Wan's side, quickly offering praise.

The Ash-Heaven Grand Formation can already turn the tide of battle; Wu Yong is an assistant in refining the Ash-Heaven Grand Formation, and the merit of his son, big or small, still needs Chief Officer Wan to personally report.

Whether Wu Yong's status can rise within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion depends entirely on the Chief Officer Wan present.

«Chief Officer Wan. »

Under the Ash-Heaven Grand Formation, the battlefield's advantage has reversed; all disciples of our four sects have already joined the battle.

«The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion's twenty thousand disciples stationed outside the battlefield to provide support need not guard against sudden incidents; let them join the great battle. »

The Chief Officers of the Fuyang Sect, Bibo Palace, Fenglei Pavilion, and Tianlong Gate, accompanied by their sect elders, approached; upon hearing Wu Feng and Qingkun's words, their faces darkened.

The Chief Officer of Tianlong Gate, Long Xiu Ao, was by nature hot-tempered; angered, he opened his mouth and spoke at once.

Inside the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion's camp, Chief Officer Wan, fed the words of Wu Feng and Qingkun, felt a surge of delight, already feeling elated; but suddenly stimulated by Long Xiu Ao's words, he felt somewhat displeased.

He lifted his gaze and scanned the twenty thousand Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion cultivators awaiting battle outside the field; upon seeing the cultivators on the battlefield, under the cover of the Ash-Heaven Grand Formation, falling together with the figures of the Supreme Clarity Sect and the Slaughter Ghost Sect, his heart began to waver.

He looked at the high-level cultivators of the Fuyang Sect, Bibo Palace, Fenglei Pavilion, and Tianlong Gate, his face showing embarrassment.

If he does not let the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion's twenty thousand cultivators join the battle, the four sects will surely cause trouble; but if the Pavilion's remaining twenty thousand cultivators enter the area covered by the Ash-Heaven Grand Formation, they will surely be sacrificed in vain.

Now Chief Officer Wan is in a dilemma.

Just now, when cultivators of other sects were slain by the Ash-Heaven Grand Formation, he felt nothing; but now that it's his own cultivators' turn to fall, he begins to feel a pang of pain.

«Hmph. »

«Your head must have been kicked by a donkey. »

«Under the Ash-Heaven Grand Formation, all cultivators will be burned to ashes; victory is already a matter of time. »

Why must we add more innocent casualties?

You don't intend to let the twenty thousand cultivators of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion be given away for nothing, do you?

Qingkun stood behind Manager Wan, seeing his uncle's troubled face and inability to decide, he immediately felt he had seized a good opportunity to achieve merit.

When his father sent him to assist, he had been repeatedly instructed.

He must definitely cling tightly to his uncle Manager Wan's thigh.

Now Manager Wan is being pressured by the high-level elders of the four great sects and cannot make a decision, presenting an opportunity to speak up for his uncle.

However, as soon as he said that, Manager Wan was startled.

He was about to turn and scold, but suddenly saw Qingkun's whole body, like a kite with its string cut, fly backward and crash into the ground, forming a human-shaped pit; before he could get up, blood spilled from his mouth.

"The matter between Manager Wan and the high-level elders of the four great sects is not for you to interfere."

"Something without rules."

Wu Feng's cold voice rang out across the whole space.

Manager Wan, seeing the sudden change in the scene, felt extremely satisfied and praised Wu Feng with a glance, acknowledging that the person he cultivated is wise.

The high-level representatives of the four great sects represent the faces of the Support Yang Sect, Bibo Palace, Wind Thunder Pavilion, and Heavenly Dragon Gate; even he cannot directly offend them.

Qingkun's insulting words mean the four great sects will certainly not let it go.

If it weren't for Wu Feng taking the opportunity to strike and seriously injure Qingkun, Qingkui would definitely not survive today.

"Hmph, Wu Feng's steward striking was truly a good opportunity, picking up a life for Qingkun." The Support Yang Sect's Feng Heavenly Flower's expression eased slightly, his voice tinged with mockery.

"Fellow Daoists, do not be angry."

"A junior who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth."

"No need to quarrel with him."

"I, for that nephew who doesn't understand the rules, apologize to you fellow Daoists."

"After this battle, returning to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I will surely punish him severely."

Manager Wan, hearing Feng Heavenly Flower's words, showed an embarrassed expression and opened his mouth to apologize.

"Inadequate for success, excessive for failure."

"How did my wise sister educate this nephew? She probably just focused on cultivation and messed up his brain."

"No merit at all, first place in causing trouble."

"After the war, it will definitely be sent back and not used again; with this thing, nobody can control it."

Manager Wan truly thought, glanced at Qingkun crawling up from the pit on the ground, feeling no pity at all, but rather anger welling up.

"Damn it, Wu Feng, you dare to blast me in front of my uncle."

"I won't let this end with you."

After Qingkun crawled up from the ground, he circulated his cultivation technique to fully repair his shaken five viscera and six bowels; once no more blood flowed from his mouth, he vigorously wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth and roared in dissatisfaction.

His whole body's battle power surged, the surging Spiritual Power gathered above his head, a giant spear that holds up the sky, a hundred zhang tall, aimed at Wu Feng to shoot, scaring the Wu Feng beside him silly.

Qingkun is at the great completion of the Earth Origin Realm, one minor realm higher than Wu Feng; moreover, Qingkun was born under the strong experts of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion's high level, so his cultivation technique is incomparable to Wu Feng's.

As Qingkun's upright, sky-hanging giant spear appeared, Wu Feng felt as if facing death directly.

Damn

How could Chief Clerk Wan have such a nephew? He scolds others for being brainless, yet he himself is an idiot.

At this critical moment, I saved your life, yet you want to kill me.

I feel so weary, my wounds are utterly exhausting.

Wu Feng dared not confront Qing Kun's attack head-on, hastily shifting behind Chief Clerk Wan.

Damn it, what madness are you acting up again?

Hurry up and retreat.

Seeing Qing Kun's actions, Chief Clerk Wan noticed the senior members of the Four Great Sects all staring at him with sneering faces, which made him furious, and he immediately shouted in anger.

"Uncle!" Qing Kun felt deeply dissatisfied and prepared to argue.

He saw Chief Clerk Wan's eyes flash with a stern light, reluctantly withdrew his killing move, then flicked his sleeve and left the battlefield.

Before leaving, Qing Kun didn't forget to give Wu Feng a fierce threatening glare.

"How arrogant this Qing Kun is!"

Chief Clerk Wan, who do you say we should follow?

Seeing this, the chief clerk of Bibo Palace, Nangong Fei, showed a teasing expression.