Chapter 143: Black Sand Demon Shadow, First Battle Victory
The landscape of the Western Regions was distinct from that of the other great regions of the Spirit Realm. The further west one traveled, the sparser the vegetation became, and a sense of desolation and barrenness permeated the air. When the coalition forces reached the edge of the Black Desert, the scene before them was even more depressing.
Looking out, the world seemed to be reduced to a single color—a dim yellow. Endless sand dunes, like frozen yellow waves, undulated to the horizon. The wind was the constant melody here, whipping up billions of grains of sand, sending them dancing wildly through the air. A shrill whistle, like the simultaneous cries of countless wronged souls and the roars of evil spirits, continuously assaulted the eardrums and the mind. The spiritual energy here was not only pitifully thin but also violent and chaotic. A cultivator's breathing efficiency here was less than 30% of that outside, and it was extremely easy to trigger inner demons. A faint, pervasive, and gruesome aura, emanating from ancient battlefields, permeated the air. Those with lesser cultivation who spent any time there would feel restless, their qi and blood churning, and even their spiritual energy stagnate.
The coalition forces had just arrived at the edge of the black desert and had not yet gone deep into it, but many monks could already clearly feel the tangible, cold and filthy demonic energy coming from the depths of the desert. It was intertwined with the evil energy between heaven and earth, forming a natural and terrifying barrier.
"Amitabha." Master Huijue stood at the front of the coalition forces, chanting the Buddha's name. His voice was quiet, but like a morning bell, it reached everyone's ears clearly, bringing a sense of peace. A soft, warm golden light naturally emanated from his body, enveloping the coalition's vanguard like a vast shield. The unpleasant evil and demonic energy, upon contact with the light, dissipated like ice and snow meeting the sun. "This place has accumulated evil energy for thousands of years, mingling with demonic energy, creating a forbidding zone of its own. Those with weak resolve will be easily swayed by it. Everyone, please maintain a focused mind and avoid distracting thoughts."
Qin Yixuan stood atop the Luanchariot, nodding slightly. She closed her eyes, her vast spiritual consciousness spreading out like mercury pouring down the ground, like invisible ripples, across the vast and dangerous black desert ahead. The consciousness of the Mystic Goddess differed from that of ordinary cultivators. It possessed a more penetrating and purifying nature, capable of penetrating the interference of malevolent and demonic energy to a certain extent. After a moment, she opened her eyes, a fleeting flash of nine-colored light in them. She pointed a finger in a direction deep to the north of the desert, her tone firm, "There, the demonic energy is most concentrated and filthy, almost condensed into substance, and... there are traces of powerful spatial formations concealing it. Although hidden, it cannot escape the Mystic Goddess's perceptive eyes."
With a clear direction, the coalition forces, guided by Qin Yixuan and protected by Master Huijue's Buddha light, began cautiously advancing deeper into the Sea of Death. The black sand beneath their feet was soft and extremely absorbent, making it impossible for ordinary carriages to move forward. Even for cultivators, maintaining their position required a greater expenditure of spiritual energy than usual. The deeper they went, the thicker the surrounding malevolent energy grew, its color gradually shifting from dim yellow to dark, as if even the light itself was being swallowed. Sand and gravel, whipped up by the strong wind, struck the protective aura, making a crackling sound.
Along the way, they began to be attacked by strangely mutated sand beasts, thoroughly corroded by demonic energy. There were enormous demonized scorpions with iron-hard shells that spewed poison; multi-headed sandworms that lurked beneath the sand and suddenly erupted, spraying corrosive mucus; and swarms of fearless demonized sand wolves with glowing red eyes. These monsters mostly ranged in strength from the Qiling to the Condensing Veins realm, with the occasional leader appearing at the Spiritual Mansion realm. They seemed completely unaffected by the evil energy, and instead benefited from the environment to enhance their strength.
However, this coalition was comprised of elite troops drawn from various factions, at least at the Yuandan realm, with extensive combat experience and a tacit understanding of teamwork. Facing these attacks, each team reacted swiftly. Sword flashes, Taoist magic, Buddhist seals, sorcery... all these forces intertwined into a tight web of death, strangling the monsters one after another. The team's advance was not significantly affected. But everyone understood that this was merely an appetizer; the true test lay ahead.
After marching for about a day and a night, enduring dozens of attacks from monsters of varying sizes, they finally approached their target area. The landscape ahead shifted. No longer a monotonous sand dune, a vast forest of bizarre, wind-eroded rocks appeared, composed of countless black, wind-eroded rocks. Some of these boulders were hundreds of feet tall, towering like ferocious monsters, while others were several men tall, jaggedly intersecting each other, forming a complex and deep maze.
And in the deepest reaches of the stone forest, nestled against the largest of the black stone mountains, loomed a massive fortress constructed entirely of black boulders! Its walls were covered in crude, eerie demonic patterns, a faint crimson glow coursing through them like the veins of a living being. Above the fortress, dense demonic clouds hung low, almost touching the fortress's summit. Blood-red lightning flashed through the clouds from time to time, accompanied by a low, muffled thud like a beating heart. A sickening odor of blood and sulfur mingled, faintly perceptible even from a distance.
"This is it." Ye Li's pupils narrowed. She clearly sensed the resonance and warning from the fragments of the Samsara Mirror in her sea of consciousness, several times stronger than before. She also sensed the shadow demon aura emanating from the depths of the fortress, a shadow demon aura that was the same source as Ling Hao's, but more complex and chaotic. "The demonic core is beneath the fortress, and... I sense a large amount of resentful blood essence and residual energy from space teleportation."
The coalition forces quietly halted behind a sand dune several miles from the stone forest, concealing their presence. Qin Yixuan unleashed her mysterious female power, the "Dongxu Divine Eyes," transforming her eyes into a dazzling array of colors. Like two divine lamps, she meticulously scanned the distant fortress and its surroundings, analyzing its array formations, energy nodes, and the distribution of its internal defenses.
Ye Li quietly contacted a hidden agent of Youge who had been lurking in the Western Regions. A middle-aged man, disguised as a Western Region merchant, with only the Condensed Veins Realm but proficient in concealment and camouflage, used the sandstorm's cover to sneak to the coalition's hiding place. He handed Ye Li a simple map drawn on animal hide using a special potion, which marked the fortress's internal structure, patrol routes, and several suspected key points (such as the energy core, the prison, and the command room).
Combining Qin Yixuan's insights with Youge's intelligence, the situation gradually became clear.
"The fortress is protected by two main formations, the inner and outer." Qin Yixuan retracted his divine eyes, his tone solemn. "The outer layer is the 'Nine Nether Mysterious Demon Formation.' This formation not only distorts perception and creates illusions, but also continuously devours the spiritual power and vitality of intruders, making it extremely difficult to deal with. The inner layer... appears to be the prototype of an ancient blood sacrifice summoning formation, somewhat similar to the one we encountered in the Heavenly Palace, but on a larger scale and more complex structure. Although it hasn't been fully activated yet, the terrifying summoning power contained within can already be sensed."
She paused and continued, "Inside the fortress, there's a Nirvana Realm demon cultivator with a violent aura. He's probably guarding this place, and his strength is probably between the first and second levels of the Nirvana Realm. There are nearly a hundred core demon cultivators in the Lingfu Realm and Yuandan Realm. In addition, there are a large number of low-level demonized monsters, numbering no less than thousands, scattered throughout the passages and the periphery of the fortress."
"Leave the Nirvana Realm demon cultivator to me and Xuannv." Ye Li said in a deep voice. Although her injuries had not yet fully healed and her strength had only recovered about 70%, but with the mystery of the Samsara Mirror and the combat experience of the Supreme Being in her previous life, she teamed up with Qin Yixuan, whose strength had greatly increased and whose divine power could naturally restrain demonic energy, to deal with an ordinary Nirvana Realm demon cultivator guarding the area. Her chances of winning were extremely high.
"Amitabha." Master Huijue stepped forward, clasping his hands together, his eyes gleaming with a resolute Buddha light. "Since that's the case, the task of breaking the outer demonic formation will be left to me and my disciples. We will form the 'Vajra Demon Subduing Formation' and, with the supreme Buddhist teachings, we should be able to subdue these evil demons!"
"Okay!" Qin Yixuan nodded. "Yun Ying, you lead the Heavenly Palace Sword Guards and fellow Taoists from various sects. Once the magic formation is broken, immediately eliminate the demonic cultivators and monsters outside the fortress. We must fight swiftly to prevent them from destroying the inner formation or resorting to desperate measures."
"I obey the order!" Envoy Yunying clasped his fists and accepted the order, his eyes full of fighting spirit.
The detailed battle plan was quickly communicated, and each team clarified their mission. Like a sophisticated war machine, the coalition forces began to operate silently, and a murderous atmosphere permeated the air.
After a moment, it was ready.
Master Huijue led the eighteen carefully selected golden-bodied Arhats. Each of these Arhats had superb cultivation, and the lowest was in the late Lingfu realm. They held various magic weapons (demon-subduing pestles, demon-subduing staffs, prayer beads, golden bowls, etc.), walked out of the hiding place with steady steps, and quickly stood in a relatively open sandy area about a mile away from the fortress according to the mysterious direction.
"Form a formation!" Master Huijue shouted, taking the lead and throwing a string of ancient Bodhi prayer beads into the air. The eighteen Arhats moved simultaneously, reciting the Diamond Sutra. The vast, pure Buddhist vows and their own spiritual energies surged forth, intertwining and converging in the air!
Buzz——!
A mighty Buddhist chant seemed to echo from the heavens. A gigantic golden swastika Dharma seal, over a hundred feet in diameter and immeasurably solid, emanating an aura of boundless light, warmth, righteousness, and compassion, suddenly took shape above the Arhats! The seal slowly spun, its Buddha light growing more intense with each rotation. The chanting grew ever more powerful, as if countless phantom Buddhas were appearing around it, chanting sutras!
"Vajra subdues demons, destroys evil and reveals righteousness! Go!"
Master Huijue put his fingers together like a sword and pointed them forward!
The huge golden "卍" seal was like a seal of a god endowed with life. It carried the supreme will to purify all evil and crush all demonic obstacles. It roared, tore through the air, and with an unstoppable force, slammed heavily into the "Nine Nether Mysterious Demon Formation" on the outer layer of the fortress, which was rolling with black demonic energy!
Boom——!!!
It was like thunder exploding from the sky! It was like a landslide!
Buddha's light and demonic energy, these two inherently opposing forces, collided fiercely and fundamentally! Gold and black intertwined and annihilated, erupting in a blinding light and destructive energy shockwave that spread wildly in all directions, shattering the nearby black stone forest and sending the black sand on the ground flying dozens of feet high, like a sandstorm!
The sturdy Nine Nether Mysterious Demon Formation, under the impact of the extremely strong and masculine Buddhist Supreme Formation, let out a wail like a dying beast. The light of the formation twisted and flickered violently, and the magic patterns on the surface shattered and dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye. The light of the entire formation dimmed rapidly, and it seemed that it was about to collapse!
"Enemy attack! Activate the formation with all your strength! Wake up all the demon slaves! Get ready for battle!" Inside the fortress, the alarm bells rang long and shrilly, mixed with the angry roars of the demon cultivators.
However, just when the outer magic formation was about to crumble and was about to be completely broken, Qin Yixuan moved!
She didn't leave the carriage, simply raising her delicate hand and gently pressing it in the direction of the fortress. There was no earth-shattering sound, but above the Nine Heavens, it was as if an invisible portal had opened. A beam of divine female light, pure to the extreme, imbued with the supreme purification and laws of life, descended like a sword of judgment from the Nine Heavens, like a spring of life nourishing all things. Ignoring distance, it descended with incredible precision, directly onto the faintly glowing, yet not yet fully activated, prototype of the Blood Sacrifice Summoning Array within the fortress!
laugh--!
Like a red-hot iron piercing ice and snow! The inner blood sacrifice formation didn't even stand a chance to struggle; it instantly crumbled before the completely overwhelming power of the mysterious goddess! The countless evil runes that comprised the formation wailed and twisted, dissipating in wisps of green smoke amidst the divine light. The vast and foul blood-colored energy accumulated at the core of the formation was also swiftly purified and neutralized by the divine light, transforming into harmless spiritual energy that dissipated.
The inner and outer layers of the formation were broken almost at the same time!
"Ah! My formation! Who is it?!" A furious roar, filled with heartache and rage, erupted from the deepest reaches of the fortress. A ferocious figure, swathed in monstrous demonic energy, with flying red hair and a hideous face, soared into the sky. It was none other than the guardian of this place—the Red-Haired Demon Lord! He felt the formation he had painstakingly cultivated for years destroyed, especially the destruction of the inner blood sacrifice formation, driving him nearly insane.
However, just as he rushed out of the fortress and had not yet seen the full appearance of the attacking enemy, a cold and dead gray sword light and a lively and sacred nine-colored light arrived in front of him at the same time, like a long-awaited poisonous snake and a dragon!
Ye Li's "Six Paths of Reincarnation Sword: Silent Asura Path" was silent, but it pointed directly at the core of his demonic soul. Wherever the sword passed, it seemed as if even the surrounding demonic energy was frozen and ended; Qin Yixuan's "Xuannv God Binding Rope" came later but arrived first, transforming into dozens of nine-colored light bands that seemed to have life, weaving through space and blocking all possible directions for him to dodge. The purifying power flowing on the light bands made the demonic energy around the Red-haired Demon Lord melt away with a "sizzling" sound.
The Red-Haired Demon Lord was both shocked and enraged. He hadn't anticipated the enemy's strength, not only its sheer power, but also the combined might of two beings comparable to those at the Nirvana Realm, their coordinated attack flawlessly orchestrated. He exerted all his might, unleashing crimson demonic flames from his body as he attempted to resist and break free. The demonic flames surged, scorching and distorting the surrounding air before colliding fiercely with the gray sword intent and the nine-colored rays of light.
Boom boom boom!
High in the sky, energy explosions erupted like fireworks, their terrifying shockwaves suffocating the allied cultivators charging below. The Red-Haired Demon Lord was a formidable force, his Second-Level Nirvana Realm cultivation unleashing its full force, his demonic skills uncanny and ruthless. However, facing Ye Li's annihilation sword intent, imbued with the true meaning of reincarnation and specifically designed to counter vitality, and Qin Yixuan's Mystic Goddess power, seemingly born to purify evil, he was constantly thwarted and defeated. His vaunted demonic flames were greatly diminished by the Mystic Goddess's light; his uncanny movements were thwarted by Ye Li's predictable sword movements and the God-Binding Rope.
Below, as Master Huijue led the Arhat Corps to completely crush the remnants of the outer demonic formation, Envoy Yunying gave the order, and the elite coalition forces rushed into the fortress like a flood, shouting and killing with earth-shaking shouts! The demon cultivators and monsters that had already been alarmed and poured out from all parts of the fortress immediately collided with the coalition forces!
The battle instantly reached a fever pitch! The vast interior of the fortress seemed incredibly crowded. Swords flashed, Daoist magic roared, Buddha's light shone everywhere, demonic energy surged into the sky, and demonic shadows loomed. Demon cultivators were slain constantly, while allied cultivators were injured or even killed by the demons' frenzied counterattacks. Blood quickly dyed the black ground and walls of the fortress red.
However, the coalition's individual strength, equipment, and coordination far surpassed those of these demon cultivators, most of whom relied on demonic energy for their own strength. The Buddhist disciples and Heavenly Palace Sword Guards, in particular, possessed a significant restraining effect against demons. From the outset, the tide of battle tilted in favor of the coalition.
The battle in the sky didn't last long. The Red-haired Demon Lord, under the tacit cooperation of Ye Li and Qin Yixuan, could only hold out for a little over half an incense stick before Ye Li seized a flaw and launched the annihilation sword intent like a thorn in his flesh, piercing through his demonic shield and fiercely slashing at his demonic soul core!
"No!" The Red-Haired Demon Lord let out a shrill, unwilling cry, feeling his life force and consciousness being rapidly devoured by a cold, deadly force. At the same time, Qin Yixuan's Mysterious Lady Binding Rope wrapped around him like a spirit snake, tightly binding him. Powerful purifying divine power surged into his body, accelerating the dissipation of his demonic energy and the annihilation of his consciousness.
In the end, the Demon Lord who had dominated the Black Desert for many years, in despair and resentment, his demonic soul shattered, and his body turned to ashes under the purifying divine light, his body and soul destroyed!
The commander was killed, and the already disadvantaged fortress defenders' morale collapsed, their defeat a crushing defeat. Some of the remaining demon cultivators attempted to resist stubbornly, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, while others attempted to escape, but under the coalition's ironclad encirclement and targeted crackdown, they were ultimately annihilated.
In less than two hours, the fierce fighting gradually subsided, and the coalition forces completely occupied this important Shadow Demon stronghold deep in the Black Desert.
While clearing the battlefield, the coalition forces discovered several massive pools of blood deep within the fortress, emitting a strong, bloody stench. These pools contained the remains of gifted monks, yet to be fully refined, as well as numerous evil artifacts containing essence, blood, and residual souls. They also found fragments of jade slips and animal skin scrolls inscribed with phrases such as "Altar of the Ten Thousand Bone Cave," "Ceremony of the Lord's Advent," and "Stabilization of the Eclipse Realm Passage," along with a crude map depicting a portion of the Ten Thousand Bone Cave's interior and a massive bone altar.
These discoveries not only confirmed that this place was an important transit station and pre-processing point for the Shadow Demons to collect and transport the essence, blood, and souls of geniuses, but also further pointed out that the Ten Thousand Bone Cave was their true core nest in the Western Regions, and the terrible rituals they were performing.
The initial victory removed a crucial obstacle, secured crucial intelligence, and boosted the morale of the coalition forces. While there were casualties, they were still acceptable given the gains. Qin Yixuan once again unleashed his divine powers, healing the wounded and rescuing the souls of the departed.
After a brief rest and replenishment, the coalition forces, carrying the captured evidence and intelligence, left the black desert stained with demonic blood and marched resolutely towards the even more dangerous and mysterious Ten Thousand Bone Caves, known as the forbidden zone for living beings. The true test was about to begin.
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