Chapter 303 The Storm Begins (Part 5) Let's look at another suggestion Lin Feiran gave...
At the same time, rain fell on the city, and people fell from the sky in a light drizzle. Amidst a series of panicked screams, they landed on the back of the giant Kun, and were then taken to the water-shaped dojo that had already been repaired not far away.
Gu Yu stood atop the highest water curtain, her hands tucked into her sleeves, watching the people falling with an indescribable expression.
"You must be feeling unwell?" Zhang Siwo stood beside him, her sleeves rolled up as well, a calico cat tucked into her arm.
Gu Yu nodded: "It's not a good feeling."
He was silent for a moment, but couldn't help saying, "It's been a long time since I've seen so many people crawling around everywhere. It's really making my scalp tingle, dizzy, and giving me a headache and nausea."
“…Hmm?” Zhang Siwo turned to look at him, her eyes shining. “A kindred spirit! If I weren’t so bad at fighting, I would have gone outside and given those esoteric monks a good beating long ago. Why would I be stuck here guarding them?”
Gu Yu turned her head and looked at him, her face beaming with the joy of finding a kindred spirit: "Could it be that you are also... a kindred spirit!"
One of them lived a secluded life, having not ventured out for many years, while the other disliked socializing and only cared about his pets. Yet, they found themselves in perfect harmony, wishing they had met sooner.
But precisely because he disliked socializing so much, even when he met a kindred spirit, they would only nod respectfully, always keeping a distance of two or three steps, never getting any closer.
As their eyes met, Miaoshan walked up from behind, also looking down, but her gaze was very different from theirs—it was an innate compassion.
Gu Yu immediately withdrew her sympathetic gaze, walked to Miao Shan's side, patted her clothes, and became more talkative: "Little Miao Shan, how can you let so many people sit on your head? Aren't you tired?"
How can such a small fish support so many people?
"Tsk." Zhang Siwo retracted his thoughts of being a fellow traveler and went to the side with the cat in his pocket.
Miao Shan ignored Gu Yu, looked down, then waved his hand away, replied lightly that she wasn't tired, and jumped down.
"Ha." Zhang Siwo hugged the calico kitten in her arms and said deliberately. "Little kitten, you must be tired from squatting, let me massage your shoulders, okay? What, you don't want to? Why?"
...Because cats don't have shoulders, just like a giant fish never gets tired!
Amidst his barely suppressed laughter, Gu Yu sat down expressionlessly, her face so gloomy that even the runes on her face had faded considerably.
After a moment of silence.
"...I'll fight you to the death, you old man!"
Just moments ago they considered each other kindred spirits, but the next they became enemies. The two were vying for dominance on the water curtain, but compared to the chaos below, it was nothing to brag about.
Many ordinary people fell into the temple and hurriedly got up, but quickly calmed down after seeing the surrounding scenery.
They closed their eyes to adjust to the light before staring in astonishment at the small world built of water-glass, momentarily thinking they had entered a fairyland.
"Is this sunlight?" someone murmured.
How long has it been since I've seen such bright, daylight-like skies?
A child born in the eternal night may think that the sky is always dark and oppressive, never imagining that there is a silent tomorrow beyond the sky.
Some were stunned by the long-unseen sunlight, while others fled in panic, running through the crowd after landing, trying to leave this illusory place. However, before they even reached the edge of the dojo, they were stopped in their tracks by a beast's roar.
Several strangely shaped beasts paced around the dojo, but did not approach, as if they were merely guarding it.
These were the same few spine beasts that had previously tried to attack Lin Feiran but were imprisoned in Rainfall City.
They were originally subdued by Ding Yi, but after a long time in Yuluo City, by a twist of fate, they have now become strange beasts under Miao Shan's command, at her beck and call.
At first, countless people fell, but gradually the number decreased until, by this time, no one else had fallen into Rainfall City.
The roosting beasts that had been wandering around slowly retreated, and Miaoshan stepped out from among them, her hands clasped together in front of her, her expression serene and peaceful, which made people feel calm involuntarily upon seeing her.
The crowd gradually fell silent, and everyone looked on with either confusion or fear.
"Everyone, there is no need to panic." Her voice carried steadily to everyone's ears. "The reason I brought you here is simply to avoid unnecessary sacrifices."
Qi may seem unimportant, but it is the source of life. If it is lost to a certain extent, it will endanger life. This is also the cause of cold syndrome.
Offering it to esoteric Buddhism in hopes of securing future survival is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst.
Some were filled with apprehension, while others simply didn't believe it; however, no one had a chance to speak out.
After explaining, Miaoshan sealed Youyou's mouth with a hand seal and sat down to meditate. Her quiet and peaceful demeanor made it difficult for anyone to question her.
Her gaze swept across the room: “Everything has its advantages. Why don’t you all sit down and think with me about why the Tantric sect would help without any ulterior motives? How can such a windfall happen to everyone?”
...
In Xixiang, Dazefu, the yellowish sand was blown by the wind, brushing against the lamplight and scattering soft sounds.
The city was so quiet that the sound of the wind and sand seemed so harsh.
The people in the city had witnessed such a fight, and now they dared not make a sound. They simply looked at the treasure in Lin Feiran's hand with either fear or confusion.
The esoteric monks, tightly bound to the side, looked indignant, their gazes fixed on the high wall, yet they remained silent.
Daze Prefecture is too remote, far from Zhongzhou. Even if the Secret Sect receives an urgent report, the people they send cannot arrive immediately. The prefecture here has long been sent to Yuluo City because of the Secret Sect's involvement, and the cultivators stationed here in the Canxing Domain have long since disappeared.
At this time, Daze Prefecture was taken over by Lin Feiran and many disciples of the Langhuan Sect.
Everyone watched as she pushed open the gates of the prefectural government, climbed the cloud ladder, walked to the solemn Heaven and Earth Bell, and suddenly struck it once.
The sound of the bells during the Qingming Festival immediately spread throughout the five continents, echoing in every valley and town.
After the sound, everyone thought Lin Feiran would do something, but she didn't. She just stood by the Yellow Bell, quietly looking into the deep night, as if waiting for something.
Behind her, a monk in a blue robe slowly approached, then stopped three steps away and did not come any closer.
One person was clearly dressed in black robes, while the other was dressed in blue, but at first glance, it gave the illusion that the light blue was the shadow of the black robes.
A rustling sound occasionally echoed through the city. After about a quarter of an hour, another bell suddenly rang out from the sand valley. It was the same sound of the Yellow Bell of Heaven and Earth, and it was clear from the sound that it came from Dongyu Prefecture.
After a few breaths, the second and third sounds came through... from the Northern Plains to the Southern Bottle Continent, and finally the deep, resonant chimes of the Central Continent.
This was the signal they had agreed upon from the beginning; if successful, they would strike the bell to signal the news.
The five continents resounded with the sound of bells, a pure aura filled the realm, hundreds of birds sang in harmony, and even the sunlight behind the gap in the sky seemed brighter. This was probably the first time since the great war between the two realms.
A pale white light emerged from the bell, and a light curtain rose up, reflecting the scene around the bell.
Of the five states, only Daze Prefecture and Beiyuan were too remote, so Lin Feiran and others were still standing in the scene. In the other three states, there were only the backs of the sect disciples who had taken action. They ran away in the distance, while the esoteric cultivators came from all directions.
Besides the true followers of the esoteric sect, those who also rushed to join the esoteric sect included cultivators, whether human or demon.
Lin Feiran looked at those people, her fingertips rubbing together slightly, but her expression was not surprised.
In her original plan, by joining forces with powerful sects like Mu Chun'e and Zhou Shushu, she could use their numerous disciples to simultaneously transfer the mortals who were going to the esoteric sect for worship. In addition to actually controlling the people, she could also use this as a deterrent.
Among those who offer their vital energy to Tantric Buddhism, besides countless ordinary people, there are also many cultivators of considerable spiritual attainment. Their vital energy is more profound, and the rewards they receive may be even greater than those of ordinary people.
Such a deterrent is not enough to frighten them, so other methods must be used.
Today's actions are also intended to lure them here.
Lin Feiran watched quietly until many people approached the Heaven and Earth Bell, then slowly raised his hand, and spiritual light appeared in his palm.
...
The demon capital, like scattered snowflakes atop the city walls, moved with a flick of the fingertips, causing the rising spiritual light to follow and swirl around.
He calculated the time, then looked down and said, "It's noon. What are your thoughts?"
Suddenly, a voice boomed, "Before you ask us to make a decision, Your Majesty, why don't you explain what 'surrender' means? Does it mean we should all submit to the Demon Capital? In this chaotic world, life and death are not in our own hands. What is the point of ruling a realm?"
Others chimed in, "That's right. The most important thing right now is the dwindling spiritual energy. Without it, what good is it if you capture us all and make us slaves in the Demon Capital? We'll die sooner or later."
Ru Xian chuckled.
"Ruling a realm? I ascended to this position only because it was necessary at the time. I thought so, so I did it, but that doesn't mean I have the leisure to wage war everywhere, and your submission brings me no pleasure whatsoever."
"To surrender" means to join the Demon Capital and swear never to associate with the Secret Cult.
The demon race has never been used to beating around the bush, and this was said very bluntly, leaving no room for maneuver.
The crowd, which had been whispering, fell silent again. Qiu Tong also began to waver, not because she disagreed, but on the contrary, she was very supportive of this approach.
It wasn't just because of personal grudges, but also because she and Qingyao were both very wary of the Secret Sect. If they were allowed to grow stronger, no one could say for sure what would happen in the future. In order to protect themselves, the Fox Clan would have no choice but to join, and the consequences would be even more unpredictable.
However, they alone cannot accomplish anything. If someone like Xue were to step forward today and unite the already scattered demon race into one, perhaps they could achieve something.
The others had different thoughts and were weighing their options just like her. They knew that if they chose Ru Xian, there would be no chance to back out.
In the silence, Ru Xian raised his hand, and specks of spiritual light fell from his palm. He continued, "Those who surrender need not worry about the depletion of spiritual energy. At least until the Tantric sect completely collapses, the spiritual energy in the demon realm is still sufficient."
Upon hearing this, someone immediately retorted: "How is that possible! Currently, only the Spirit Well in the Demon Capital is still usable. Although its spiritual energy is relatively abundant, how can it possibly support the entire Demon Realm?!"
Unlike humans, the demon race has no time to worry about wishes or the future; they have more pressing "present" issues to address.
Once you reach the level of a cultivator, it's no longer possible to replenish your body with food; you can only rely on spiritual energy.
If human cultivators lose their spiritual energy, they can at least return to the mortal realm and survive on food. But it's different for demons. They only have spiritual veins in their bodies. Without spiritual energy to replenish them, their bodies will gradually weaken until they die.
Spiritual energy is to the demon race what fish and water are to each other. Humans envy the demon race for being born with spiritual veins, but for them, it is also a kind of constraint.
Now, the spiritual energy is gradually thinning, and the only place where it is abundant is where the two wells of surging spirit are located.
The Spirit Well of the Sea is located on the seabed, and the sea creatures can transform themselves and sink into it. However, other tribes can only enter the sea by magic. Now that the well is controlled by the sea creatures, it is difficult for them to fight against it.
Right now, the only thing we can rely on is the Spirit Well in the Demon Capital, but it's simply not enough.
Everyone's calculations were wrong, but Ru Xian spoke up and replied.
"Who said we had to support the entire demon realm?"
He looked up, his voice unusually calm: "Among you, haven't some already joined the esoteric sect?"
The implication is that they are being coerced into making a choice by using spiritual energy as leverage, and that those who join the esoteric sect will not receive the nourishment of spiritual energy.
The crowd below the city walls erupted in excitement once more, and discussions began to rise.
Someone asked again, "This is clearly a dead end. If we all surrender to the Demon Capital, how many tribes can the Spirit Well support? Then we'll choose you, the Secret Cult..."
"Has the Tantric sect promised you spiritual energy?"
Ru Xian didn't speak, but Ping An interrupted her.
"The spiritual energy is gradually decreasing, firstly because they have absorbed most of it, and secondly because of this sky-covering cloud curtain. The yin and yang of heaven and earth are out of balance, so spiritual energy cannot be generated. Don't you all understand this principle?"
Someone looked at her and said, "How can you prove that this canopy is related to the esoteric sect? The Holy Maiden once said that this canopy will eventually be broken by the Dao Lord, bringing hope of life. Now you are ignoring it and blaming the calamity entirely on the esoteric sect. Have you ever thought about the lives of your many people?"
They hadn't promised any spiritual energy, simply because the matter was unsolvable. They believed that when the Dao Lord broke through the celestial barrier, Yin and Yang would reappear, and spiritual energy would naturally arise!
Ru Xian lowered her eyes, her fingertips swirling with spiritual light, and spoke.
"Who says there's no solution?"
He stepped forward so that everyone could see the light in his palm.
"The spiritual energy in the demon realm has always been more abundant than that in the human realm. However, thanks to certain individuals, the boundary gate was broken, and the spiritual energy flowed into the human realm, causing most of it to be lost. But since the demon race is small, the remaining spiritual energy can be gathered together and is not insufficient."
The clamor paused, and someone asked doubtfully, "You mean, gathering spirits?"
Ru Xian nodded: "Yes, Gathering Spirits."
Someone laughed angrily: "Do you think we haven't thought about it? The demon realm is vast and sparsely populated, with spiritual energy scattered everywhere. Do you know what kind of cultivation level or what kind of magic array is needed to gather the spiritual energy of the world?"
Ru Shan raised her eyebrows, a subtle smile playing on her lips: "Yes, I didn't know what kind of ability it would take to do that before, but now I can see it for myself."
He raised his hand, his eyes flashing: "Let me see with you all what the other path Lin Feiran has offered looks like."
With fingers spread, the spiritual light swirling in his palms scattered like shattered stars. At first, there were only specks of light, like fireflies in the night. But as it fell, the light surged like a long stream flowing backward, until it passed the city wall below and transformed into a galaxy, crashing down with a roar.
The moment it hit the ground, the spiritual light rippled outwards, and streaks of light suddenly appeared on the ground. These streaks flowed and swirled, like swimming fish, eventually converging into an extremely complex and wide magic array.
Everyone stood there stunned, their eyes filled with astonishment.
The next moment, a beam of light shot straight into the sky, enveloping the entire demon capital like a pillar of light.
As Ru Xian stood in the light screen, he looked up, his eyes filled with interest and satisfaction. He thought, this is what Lin Feiran can do.
"This is a spirit-gathering array. When it operates, it can gather the surrounding spiritual energy." He paused, then smiled with a hint of boastfulness, "The surrounding area refers to a radius of several hundred miles."
Upon hearing this, everyone was even more startled, and some people immediately mounted their magical artifacts and rose into the air to look around.
The spiritual energy, which was originally formless and colorless, was now surging towards this place at a terrifying speed, like grains of sand forming a tower. The sheer quantity of it was almost solid, and as it piled up, everyone's vision was even distorted for a moment.
Just from being refreshed by this lingering breeze, many demon cultivators whose spiritual veins had dried up felt invigorated, and dared not imagine how abundant the spiritual energy must be in the demon capital.
Surprised, Ru Xian's gaze shifted again, looking towards the distant part of the demon realm, and she said, "The demon realm has more than just this one magic array."
At this moment, he was no longer intimidating the crowd. His voice rose at the end, his pupils contracted slightly, revealing a visible joy—the pure excitement of showing off his treasure, which did not allow for any opposition.
His gaze fell straight into the boundless night, where identical arrays of light appeared one after another: the Fox Clan's Qingqiu, the Sea Clan's Jihai, the Bear Clan's Shougu, the Spirit Flower Clan's Jingyangpo, and the nearby Luoyu City...
The formations activated everywhere, illuminating almost half of the demon realm.
Xuanzhen couldn't care less about her grief at this moment. She stared blankly at the light screens, her lips slightly parted in surprise.
Ru Xian chuckled softly a few times, his eyes shimmering in the dazzling light. He watched for a long time, seemingly enjoying the view, before finally speaking with a slight tilt of his head.
"Those who surrender may reside in a city with a spirit-gathering array, but the price is that they must join the Demon Capital in declaring war on the Secret Sect."
“Apart from the Demon Capital, the magic arrays of the other cities are all under our control. If these tribes are unwilling to follow the Demon Capital, then they should raise this issue now, and the Spirit Gathering Array can be stopped at any time.”
He stood within this dazzling curtain of light, his gaze trembling.
Everyone looked at the whistling spiritual energy and was utterly astonished.
Just then, a beam of light flew over and landed directly on the city wall. Turning around, the newcomer was dressed in green, with a quiver of arrows around his waist. With each step, a crisp sound of white jade rang out. It was none other than Bi Qing, whom we hadn't seen in a long time.
She turned to look down, raised her eyebrows and said, "Luoyu City is willing to stand with the Demon Capital, advance and retreat together, and work together with one heart."
Once the Spirit Gathering Array is activated, it seems like there are two paths to take, but in reality, everyone has no other choice.
The spiritual energy from all over the world is being absorbed into these cities. If they don't agree, they might die outside the city before the esoteric sect breaks through the sky barrier. In addition, the cities that Lin Feiran chose are almost all local overlords. Who would dare to launch a strong attack?
There's no need to dwell on the numerous doubts; given such a forceful approach, any verbal sparring is pointless.
The choices everyone makes are no longer surprising. As Ru Xian thought of this, her eyebrows rose slightly. Almost every step she took was in line with Lin Feiran's expectations. Although she didn't know the situation in the human realm, at least the demon realm was temporarily at peace, just as she had hoped.
Many people below the city looked at the magnificent spiritual energy and relaxed their shoulders.
"I am willing to stand with the Demon Capital, advance and retreat together, and work together with one heart."
Author's Note: [Heart emoji]
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