Chapter 601: The Qingluo Array, Three Avatars Converge

Though Qingluo Valley was a haunt of demons and monsters, located on the edge of the Great Snow Mountains where surrounding peaks were perpetually shrouded in snow, ice, and bitter winds with little vegetation, this very valley had forty-nine towering mountains as barriers, carving out a blessed land amid the snowy wastes.

Though demonic sects often dwelled in narrow, desolate places, Fantasy International, mindful of balancing yin and yang, avoided making places overly grim—no howling winds or piles of skulls—so the once sinister Baiman Mountains were transformed into the karst landscapes of Guilin.

Qingluo Valley was already impressive; after this transformation, it became even more picturesque, and players of Qingluo Palace even rated it the Eight Scenic Views of Qingluo.

Hidden within lay wondrous sights: a warm valley that sheltered the wind and gathered spiritual energy; though not as elegant as Emei or as secluded as Qingcheng, it was a nexus of spiritual power. The valley teemed with lush vegetation and radiated a refined, ethereal aura. With a million players in Qingluo Palace, the valley had been vastly expanded, filled with beautiful and elegant scenery. Because the demonic palace was nestled deep within the valley, its terrain was low and flanked by towering cliffs—unlike other sects' lofty spiritual mountains, it possessed a unique charm, making it a must-visit landmark for Western Kunlun landscape enthusiasts.

One of these sights, Sunset Cloud and Snow, was especially beloved: when the sun set over Qingluo Valley, the snow-capped peaks glowed crimson with twilight, dazzling in splendor—the favorite rendezvous spot for female players returning from leveling.

Especially at the valley's entrance, shaped like the narrow, coiled tip of a screw, it was extremely constricted and perilous, but the terrain widened the deeper one ventured.

After traveling hundreds of li into the valley's depths, the vista suddenly opened wide, revealing the demonic palace's entrance.

From the screw's tail to its mouth lay countless arrays and prohibitions; outsiders unaware of the path risked becoming hopelessly trapped. The Western Sichuan Eight Demons, disciples of the Venomous Dragon Patriarch, had combined the valley's natural topography with numerous arrays, making it a place where one man could hold off ten thousand.

Now, as the Heavenly Demons attacked, the Western Sichuan Eight Demons activated the palace's protective mountain array, inviting the Venomous Dragon Patriarch and several demonic titans to preside over the formation—dark demonic clouds gathered, radiating formidable might.

The valley resembled a screw, sealed by arrays: entering through the screw-tail entrance led to a spiral of a hundred narrow passages; once inside the gorge's heart, seven gates appeared—Life, Death, Trap, Annihilation, Drowning, Fall, and Terror.

Within, a faint red light surged, filling the sky and churning like a storm—when the array shifted, it howled like a gale.

The red light erupted like a volcanic blast, transforming into flames stretching for miles, turning the demonic array crimson; players who entered the array instantly turned to white light.

Yet still, endless players from the Heavenly Demon faction, having accepted reconnaissance missions, rushed into the array.

Wu Gui Tianwang, the surviving leader of the Eastern Demon Cult who barely escaped, unfurled his magic treasure, the Seven Emotions Net, hovering above the demonic array. Players who tried to flee felt themselves sinking into an invisible mud vortex, like mosquitoes and bees trapped on a net, gradually losing strength until invisible demonic entities stole their souls and ended their lives.

The Venomous Dragon Patriarch watched from within the demonic palace as Heavenly Demon players surged in like moths to a flame, dying by the thousands without retreating. He frowned inwardly, for no true master from the Heavenly Demon faction had yet intervened.

What cruel methods had the Heavenly Demon employed in the past?

Unable to contain himself, he turned to a monk-like cultivator beside him: "This Heavenly Demon sends only foot soldiers to storm the array—thousands die, yet they never retreat. My array shifts endlessly; each entrant alters its form. How easily can they uncover its secrets? This Heavenly Demon is ever cunning—what hidden tricks does he hold?"

The man was Master Xiaoyue, the exiled disciple of Emei. His Daoist cultivation was supreme; he had long passed his third heavenly tribulation, his spiritual power far surpassing that of the Venomous Dragon Patriarch.

He had observed silently for hours and now spoke: "The Heavenly Demon likely cares nothing for these players' lives. Each carries demonic qi; when they die within the array, their qi accumulates, gradually neutralizing the array's lethal force—preparing the ground for the Heavenly Demon's true scheme. If he continues sacrificing lives to feed the array, it won't take long before he can suppress your formation's operation."

The Venomous Dragon Patriarch felt uneasy and growled: "This Heavenly Demon preys on the weak, ignoring the righteous sects entirely and targeting only our demonic brethren."

Beside him, Shang Shang Heyang's face darkened as he chuckled bitterly: "But this demon is truly formidable. After he turned the Forty-Seven Islands into boiling sludge, I saw his power and sought to evade him, returning to the Alps to forge a new treasure capable of countering him. Yet before I even left Zhongtu, I sensed an invisible killing intent blocking my path—not merely barring my route to the Alps, but forming a celestial net, closing every exit."

"Forced to yield, I accepted your invitation, Venomous Dragon Patriarch, gaining only a moment's respite."

"Yet I still feel that killing intent shrouding the Great Snow Mountains. Outside Qingluo Valley, every direction feels like a flying sword hovering above me. This demon has calculated fate, forcing me here—there must be more. I dread the moment my White Bone Lockheart Hammer will be stolen, my head forged into his Fourth Heavenly Demon General!"

The Venomous Dragon Patriarch fell silent for a long while, then spoke: "Why speak such defeatist words? Righteous and demonic forces now converge in our Dianxi Great Snow Mountains solely to confront this one demon. Even if he possessed the same power as Elder Changmei, he would struggle to escape unscathed."

The Venomous Dragon Patriarch sighed inwardly: both Qingluo Palace and he were merely bait.

They waited only for the Heavenly Demon to bite—then the old demons of Western Western Kunlun, and the righteous Three Immortals, Two Elders, One Son, and Seven True Ones would strike.

At that moment, sudden chaos erupted!

Outside Qingluo Valley, a thunderous roar like a tidal wave surged—blood-river water suddenly flew from the horizon, crashing onto the front of Qingluo Mountain.

Within the blood river, a demonic deity with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes emerged; one arm stretched like a sky-covering canopy, blotting out the valley's heavens. The demon stood in the south, sealing off one entire side of Qingluo Valley. The righteous and demonic players battling above the valley entrance were swept into the blood river—each splash of blood formed a hand that dragged them into the river.

The demon stood on the southern horizon, casting a shadow that covered half of Qingluo Valley. Suddenly, a thousand hands unfurled behind him, each gripping a talisman seal—transforming into an unfathomably cruel and ferocious array!

Behind him, a blood river over a hundred li long floated midair like a ribbon encircling the demon.

"Blood Sea Array!"

The demon's thousand hands struck forward in sequence; each seal unleashed a deadly Blood Sea spell. As the hands danced, the entire Qingluo Valley trembled as if heaven and earth were collapsing.

One hand descended, covering twenty li, cracking and sinking the ground.

A thousand hands fell, completely engulfing Qingluo Valley.

The Venomous Dragon Patriarch felt a sharp pang of dread—the demon's palms opened countless eyes, their shadows clinging to his spiritual throne like death itself.

Behind him, Shang Shang Heyang roared: five skulls from his White Bone Lockheart Hammer flew out, rising with the Seven Emotions Net. The five skulls bit the net's four corners, lunging toward the demon.

But the next instant, six of the demon's countless arms struck out—without resistance, they tore the Seven Emotions Net into six pieces.

Five other arms opened palms lined with demonic eyes, shooting beams of demonic light onto the White Bone Lockheart Hammer. Instantly, Shang Shang Heyang felt his connection to the treasure severed; the five skulls were seized by the demon's thousand hands and instantly refined.

Only now did the Venomous Dragon Patriarch understand why Shang Shang Heyang had been driven to desperation, forced to ally with him against the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon.

His most potent demonic treasure, before this Heavenly Demon's avatar, was as insignificant as an ant—utterly powerless to resist.

The Heavenly Demon had lured him here merely to eliminate him as an afterthought, to complete the Five Demon Cults' titles—never once regarding his White Bone Lockheart Hammer as worthy of notice.

In an instant, the demon's thousand hands slammed into Qingluo Mountain. One-quarter of Qingluo Valley, along with its countless living beings, rare flowers and herbs, demonic palace disciples, and righteous and demonic players, turned to dust.

The demon's might was overwhelming!

The Venomous Dragon Patriarch trembled: had the righteous and demonic factions not already formed a truce to resist the Heavenly Demon, his own Dianxi demonic sect alone would have been utterly annihilated by this General General Xuehe Heavenly General.

"Demonic fiend, how bold!"

From afar, countless flying lights converged. Leading them, a sword beam gathered boundless true fire, its blade blazing with Southern Brightness Taiyin Zhenhuo, piercing straight at the ferocious Thousand-Handed Demon God.

Behind came the Seven True Persons: Linghun the Poor God, Yixiu the Great True One, Zheng Dianxian the Great Madman, Luo Ziyan the Golden Nanny, Yan Yan Yingmu, Lu Xun the Crimson Cloud True One, and Jiang Shu the Demon Subduing True One—all raising their magic treasures and swords, charging toward the blood river.

The righteous True Persons, long waiting, finally struck!

But the blood river ignored them. The thousand hands formed a great array, pressing down upon Qingluo Palace.

As the righteous True Persons raised their treasures to subdue the blood demon, the sky above Qingluo Valley suddenly revealed a demonic eye. It tore through the void, vertically gazing down upon the righteous True Persons. Within its gaze burned boundless demonic flames; smaller demonic eyes slowly emerged. Instantly, the heavens above Qingluo Valley's center were obscured by countless demonic eyes, each emitting a powerful Soul-Sucking Evil Light, stealing the souls of surrounding beings.

In the largest demonic eye, as its gaze moved, life and death collapsed—all living beings died, their souls sucked into the eye.

The Third Heavenly Demon General—Yinming!

Countless demonic eyes shot evil light, blocking the righteous forces—and still had power left to turn toward Qingluo Palace.

The Venomous Dragon Patriarch watched those sinister gazes; his primordial spirit trembled, unstable. Around him, disciples suddenly collapsed, their souls stolen—even the arrays guarding the demonic palace could not withstand the demonic eye's might.

A vast, endless river encircled the demonic eye, hovering over Qingluo Valley, without beginning or end—the River of Oblivion!

General General Xuehe and River of Oblivion sealed off the southern and upper skies of Qingluo Valley…

From the north surged an endless, chaotic tide—within the chaos of wind, earth, water, and fire emerged a demonic deity: the Second Heavenly Demon General—Destruction, also arrived.

Now that the three Outer Realm Heavenly Demon avatars had appeared, a cold snort echoed from behind Qingluo Valley.

Boundless red lotuses bloomed. The Star Demon Lord sat upon a sea of lotuses, flanked by the Sand Child, Chili the Old Buddha, the Corpse-Owner Elder, followed by the Stone Palace Lord and the Iron City Mountain Fu Fu Lao Mo. On the righteous side, the Venerable Chan Master, Master Tianmeng Chan Master, Zhi Gong Chan Master, the Divine Nun Fentuo, and Elder Qi of Emei—all arrived together!

The great righteous-demonic war was about to begin!