Chapter 799: Just This Much

After everyone had left and was no longer visible.

Golden Cicada then opened his eyes, stood up, brushed off the nonexistent dust on his clothes, looked toward Spirit Mountain, revealed a grim smile, and hurried to catch up.

"Here I come."

On a bronze mirror, the figures of the pilgrimage team were clearly reflected.

No flying, no levitating.

Just one step at a time, leaving footprints, they approached Spirit Mountain.

Their target pointed directly at the Great Thunderclap Temple.

Though it seemed unrelated to the Heavenly Court, who could guarantee that after they destroyed the Great Thunderclap Temple, they wouldn't then turn on the Heavenly Court?

When the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold—everyone understands this principle.

A host of immortals and buddhas gathered; the mirror showed the pilgrimage team, and then also reflected the image of the Great Heavenly Demon.

He sat atop the head of a nine-tailed celestial fox, his posture improper, not the kind of proper cross-legged sitting.

Instead, he used the upright ears of the nine-tailed fox as a backrest, legs stretched out, leaning against it.

Fortunately, the nine-tailed fox had grown this large; otherwise, it would truly be difficult to assume this comfortable posture.

The mirror reflected the Great Heavenly Demon's appearance; he seemed to sense it, merely smiled, and remained unmoved.

"Arrogant!"

"Utterly clueless!"

Immediately, several arhats spoke up, appearing as if they wished to instantly battle the Great Heavenly Demon for three hundred rounds.

The arhats of the Great Thunderclap Temple numbered more than eighteen; among them, the relatively famous ones were these Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Subduing arhats, and those with strong strength totaled eighteen.

Far surpassing ordinary arhats, the reason they had not become bodhisattvas.

Primarily because their strength was sufficient, but their Buddhist cultivation was lacking.

To put it in translation, they are simply more irritable.

Placed in many wuxia novels, such irritable monks are usually tools used by Buddhist sects like Shaolin to create grudges with martial artists.

This time, it's not needed, because the Great Heavenly Demon came knocking on their door himself.

"Activate the formation." The Jade Emperor said.

The host of immortals and buddhas dispersed.

Not long after, before Spirit Mountain, the Myriad Immortals and Ten Absolutes Grand Formation opened, opened, radiating splendid light.

The rising aura openly declared the formation's existence.

Challenging the Great Heavenly Demon, daring him: "If you have the ability, come fight me!"

Moreover, the formation enveloped Spirit Mountain; to enter Spirit Mountain, one must break through the formation.

"This is the Ten Absolutes Immortal Formation!" Zhu Bajie recognized the Heavenly Court's foundational formation.

"Not just the Ten Absolutes; it's likely the Myriad Immortals and Ten Absolutes Dual Formation." Golden Cicada caught up with the crowd and said, "These fellows, they also have plenty of spirit."

"What a hassle."

Just by looking at its might, one can see the extraordinary nature of the dual formation.

"What hassle? Break through the formation." Sun Wu rushed forward eagerly, then stopped, saying, "You all stay behind."

Referring to Gao Cuilan and the White Bone Spirit.

"Old Sand, you stay behind to protect them." Zhu Bajie said to Sha Wujing.

Sha Wujing kept making puffing sounds, but everyone knew he understood.

After so long, Sha Wujing had finally opened up a little; at least when Tang Luo, Zhu Bajie, and Golden Cicada spoke, he would act.

Without hesitation, Sun Wu plunged headfirst into the formation.

Ao Yu and the others followed closely behind.

Golden Cicada tidied his clothes slightly, then shouted loudly: "Master, are you here? Your disciple has come to see you; after so many years apart, your disciple misses you greatly."

Upon hearing this, many monks of the Great Thunderclap Temple had grim expressions.

"Wicked obstacle!"

"Not worth pitying in death!"

When angry, they wanted to scold, but the arhats were still rather straightforward.

Like bodhisattvas, they usually only utter "Amitabha Buddha," leaving you unsure whether they are scolding or saying something else.

Golden Cicada seemed to have anticipated the Great Thunderclap Temple's reaction, smiling as he entered the formation.

Upon entering the formation, he immediately felt a chilling wind, black mist spreading.

A bleak aura surged to the heavens, gloom covering the earth.

"This is... the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation; I didn't expect there to be a hidden formation." Golden Cicada was startled, then laughed.

On the surface, it was the Myriad Immortals and Ten Absolutes Grand Formation; I didn't expect it to also contain a Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation.

Currently not used for the main attack, but rather for Immortal-Losing Divinity, Immortal-Destroying Soul, Immortal-Trapping Form, Immortal-Weakening Qi, Depriving Immortals of Their Original Essence, and Damaging Immortals' Limbs.

Simply put, it weakens from all angles without blind spots.

It turns a strongman who originally felt no pain into an extremely weak patient in an instant.

Golden Cicada's body swayed twice, then he simply sat down, murmuring words under his breath.

Buddhist chants rose and fell, holding fast to his original mind, his very self, resisting the erosion of the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation.

Golden light appeared behind his head and on his body, making him seem like a golden great Buddha.

Causing the monks of the Great Thunderclap Temple to glance and have their eyes twitch.

Such Buddhist wicked obstacles, rebels—how could their Buddhist cultivation be so profound?

"If this wicked obstacle is not removed, the three realms cannot find peace!" an arhat said, placing Golden Cicada at the same height as Tang Luo.

The implication was to deploy the grand array treasure, the Primordial Golden Dipper, and directly smash Jin Chanzi to death first.

"The Primordial Golden Dipper can only be used against the Great Heavenly Demon."

However, the three presiding over the array — Emperor Gouchen, Emperor Qinghua, and Bodhisattva Manjusri — simultaneously refused.

Before the Great Heavenly Demon Tang Xuanzang dies, the array will only spare a tiny fraction of power to suppress the scripture-fetching team.

The rest, all of it, is used to deal with the Great Heavenly Demon.

They would not make the mistake of falling short at the final step, ruining everything at the last moment.

Of course, the various demons of the scripture-fetching team are not to be underestimated either, so suppressing them so they cannot become variables is also necessary.

The treatment Jin Chanzi receives, the others of the scripture-fetching team naturally have as well.

Zhu Bajie and Ao Yu joined forces, constantly roaming, hoping to find some nodes to reduce the array's power, even if only by a thread.

To contribute to breaking the array.

Sun Wu, without a second word, mindlessly smashed outward; when one staff treasure shattered he produced another, as if both strength and staff treasures were inexhaustible.

Unfortunately, whether it was Jin Chanzi guarding his original heart and inherently consuming the array's power, Zhu Bajie and Ao Yu searching for nodes, or Sun Wu's indiscriminate attacks.

Their influence on the array could all be described as minuscule, like a huge wave stirred up in a vast ocean.

At first glance, it seemed an overwhelming might.

But viewing the whole ocean, it only counted as some harmless ripples.

"The Great Heavenly Demon still hasn't entered the array?"

"Could he be scared?"

The scripture-fetching team entered the array, while Tang Luo remained leisurely in the sky, making many gods and Buddhas anxious.

What if the Great Heavenly Demon suddenly turns tail and flees?

The array is already fully laid out; activating it, just maintaining it is an enormous drain.

Even with the Heavenly Court and Great Thunderclap Temple joining forces, they can only sustain the array for one year.

After one year, it will dissipate on its own.

One year is not very long for ordinary people; for the myriad gods and Buddhas, it is even shorter.

What if the proud Great Heavenly Demon suddenly becomes shameless at this moment?

"Don't panic, the scripture-fetching team is entirely in our hands; the Great Heavenly Demon will definitely act." Things having come to this, they could only comfort themselves so.

Fortunately, Tang Luo did not let the situation the gods and Buddhas feared most occur.

He stood up, stretched lazily: "Alright, our karma is exhausted; you may go."

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, the Immortal Who Presses Down the Dragon, trembled, nearly crying; she could finally leave.

That day she obtained an elixir, her lifespan extended, and was just about to shake herself off, but unexpectedly was captured and served as a mount for two full years.

She had already trained a body that was both fast and steady, making the ride more comfortable.

Now, the bitter days are over.

Tang Luo stepped through the void, departing from the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's head, striding into the grand array.

Upon entering the array, he received the same treatment as Jin Chanzi.

Gloomy wind rustles, chill qi invades; black mist spreads, obscuring sun and moon. Vast and undulating, dim and dark. Grim qi rushes to the heavens, gloom penetrates the earth. Soul-destroying, spirit-shattering,

Though you cultivate a thousand years it becomes a painted cake; damaging the spirit, losing qi, though you escape ten thousand calamities, hardship ends in a lost footing.

Simultaneously strengthened countless times, as if countless endless blades, layer upon layer, wanting to shave off "fixating on the Three Flowers," annihilate "the Five Qi in the chest."

Ordinary heavenly soldiers and generals, once entering the grand array, let alone enduring, in a single breath would turn into a pool of pus.

Even those named on the Investiture of the Gods list would truly perish, body and Dao extinguished.

Tang Luo stood quietly, making it hard to judge whether there was any effect.

The three presiding over the array exchanged a glance, decisively unleashing killing intent.

In the void, a bright yellow disc of light appeared amid the sound of surging waves, a great river sweeping in.

Golden specks dotted the river.

Primordial Golden Dipper!

Indeed, this river is the Primordial Golden Dipper transformed.

Facing the onrushing torrent, Tang Luo casually raised a hand, lightly gripped, and the bright yellow torrent before him instantly shattered.

Not turning into splashing water, but truly shattering, forming no offensive momentum at all.

With one strike, the Primordial Golden Dipper representing the array's killing intent was completely destroyed by Tang Luo.

Not only that, violent power poured out, and the enveloping grand array trembled.

Manjusri, Gouchen, and Qinghua — the three bodies shook simultaneously, each vomiting a large mouthful of blood, their auras wilting; the heavenly soldiers and gods and Buddhas around them maintaining the Nine Bends Yellow River Array fared even worse.

The weaker cultivation ones directly perished, body and spirit utterly destroyed!

However, the surrounding gloomy wind and bleak qi did not disappear, only weakened by a degree.

The Nine Bends Yellow River Array is a concealed array, and is combined with the Myriad Immortals and Ten Absolutes; it will not shatter alone.

Even if the array instrument Primordial Golden Dipper is destroyed, it can still exert its function.

Merely the power must decline to become a normal Nine Bends Yellow River Array.

"Oh, the Demon Venerable truly covers the sky with one hand." Jin Chanzi opened his eyes, mocking, "You gods and Buddhas are useless. Might as well kneel and apologize. I'll put in a few good words for you before the Demon Venerable, so you can die more cleanly."

"..."

The crowd of gods and Buddhas hated it to the point of grinding their teeth, yet had no leisure to attend to Jin Chanzi's side.

Fully driving the array.

On that side, Tang Luo crushed the Primordial Golden Dipper; the instant the grand array trembled, heaven and earth changed color.

Heaven and earth inverted and rotated, chaos everywhere, thunder roaring and lightning flashing wildly, intending to reduce everything to dust, to pulverize Tang Luo's limbs.

Heaven Severing Array!

Doubtful mist heavy upon heavy, thunder above fire below, raging flames burning, red banners beckoning, earth fiend fierce flames.

Earth Fierce Array!

Wind aids fire's momentum, fire swells wild wind, yin wind like knives, slicing through sinews, bones, flesh and blood.

Wind Howl Array!

Ice mountains soar into the sky, shadows envelop, mountains attack, within them wind and thunder, above ice mountains like wolf teeth, below ice blocks like swords and blades.

Cold Ice Array!

Wild wind rolls up black sand flying, heaven and earth without light stirring killing might, twenty-one streaks of golden light black sand manifest in the wild wind, shining upon one spot, golden light flashes, transforms into pus and blood.

Transform Blood Array, Golden Light Array!

Also Blazing Flame Array, Fallen Soul Array, Red Water Array, Red Sand Array simultaneously activate.

The Ten Absolute Arrays, originally are a grand array jointly composed of minor arrays, one array after another, one layer after another.

And now, the Ten Absolute Arrays' killing moves once-overlaid and activated, power boundless, every inch of space permeated with dense killing intent, touch it and die.

Facing the Ten Absolute Arrays with killing moves activated.

Tang Luo just raised his gripped right hand, five fingers spreading open again, slightly curling, fiercely waving outward.

All of everything, twisted and shattered, like a picture scroll, seized by Tang Luo and torn to shreds.

Also like a calm lake surface, stirred by him until the water surface shattered, water splashing flying, even vaporizing.

All killing moves of the Ten Absolute Immortal Array, abruptly vanished without trace.

Li Jing, Taibai Jinxing, Puxian and others presiding over the Ten Absolute Immortal Array, on the spot collapsed, faces golden-paper pale, breath faint as gossamer.

"Nothing more than this." Tang Luo withdrew his hand, gaze piercing through layer upon layer of arrays, looking toward the sky full of gods and Buddhas, "Any more?"