Chapter 2406: Blood Formation

“You are saving your master right now,” said the voice from within the golden talisman.

“But…”

The three demons found it hard to understand. Grand Sages Jinqing and Moluo had clearly been trapped in the Arctic Ice Fields, seized by mysterious bony hands of unknown origin. The two Grand Sages had been missing without a trace ever since. Instead of investigating the mastermind and trying to rescue them quickly, the ‘Immortal’ had ordered them to come here to do seemingly unrelated tasks. Had the mastermind perhaps left the Arctic Ice Fields and entered the Great Lotus Swamp?

The ‘Immortal’ seemed to guess their thoughts. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to reveal some secrets: “What seized your masters might not be a powerful being or a certain force, or even a living creature. It could be the very thing we have been searching for, and now… it’s finally about to appear!”

The three demons exchanged glances, unsure what “that thing” the Immortal referred to was, but they could imagine it must be an extraordinary existence.

“So Master and the others won’t be in danger?” Yuanluo asked, pleased. Since the bony hand wasn’t a malicious entity, given her masters’ power, they surely wouldn’t fall so easily. Instead, they might even gain an advantage.

The Immortal replied, “It’s hard to say right now. We always thought it would appear near the Great Lotus Swamp, and never expected it to emerge in the Arctic Ice Fields! But you must understand, we are not the only ones searching for that thing; it’s something every Grand Sage dreams of acquiring…”

“So we’re doing all this here to mislead the other Grand Sages,” Yuanluo realized.

“Precisely. It’s my oversight; I didn’t anticipate your masters’ sudden disappearance. Now that they’ve been detected, continued concealment would only arouse suspicion. We can only create a diversion,” the Immortal said.

Yuanluo nodded, understanding. Their grand entrance and activities in the Great Lotus Swamp drew countless eyes. The Arctic Ice Fields were already known as a desolate region, and with them attracting attention in the Great Lotus Swamp, no one would specifically focus on the Arctic. This allowed the Immortal to deploy his forces to the Arctic Ice Fields for a full-scale search and rescue of her masters. The ongoing battle between demon sages in the Great Lotus Swamp had already attracted the attention of various factions, allowing them to capitalize on the situation. Yuanluo realized that the demon sage battle in the Great Lotus Swamp might also have been orchestrated by the Immortal.

The ability to simultaneously orchestrate events in the distant Great Lotus Swamp and the Arctic Ice Fields indicated a powerful force at the Immortal’s command, implying that his subordinates included more than just her two demon sage masters. Thinking of this, Yuanluo felt much more at ease.

However…

“What if other demon sages see through our deception?” Yuanluo worried. She wasn’t doubting the Immortal, but rather lacked confidence in herself.

“Heh heh, true and false, false and true; who in this world can truly distinguish them?” The Immortal chuckled, “The Great Lotus Swamp holds countless secrets beyond your imagination. The ancient formation I instructed you to activate is real, so don’t worry.”

Just then, the female cousin couldn’t help but interject, “If that thing is so important, why doesn’t the Immortal descend personally to retrieve it?” She had heard her grandfather say that while there were many demon sages on this continent, none had reached the Heavenly Demon realm. Since this individual was called an Immortal and was mysterious, there was likely a Heavenly Demon supporting him. Just one Heavenly Demon descending would be enough to command all directions, with no one daring to disobey!

The Immortal sighed softly: “The outside world refers to your land as the Lost Continent. As the name suggests, even Heavenly Demons are unsure of your exact location. My ability to contact you is through a unique ancient artifact. This artifact can only bestow a guiding talisman when you undergo the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, during which there’s a celestial resonance. Once you are guided out, you cannot be sent back in… Otherwise, those demon sages back then wouldn’t have dared to burn their bridges, feign obedience, and drive our allies to the Southern Region. To this day, more and more have betrayed us…”

The more the three demons listened, the more alarmed they became, surprised that the Immortal would reveal so many secrets to them.

“However,” the Immortal snorted coldly, “those short-sighted fools will eventually pay the price, and it won’t be long now!”

A chill ran through the three demons’ hearts, and they hastily declared, “We, your juniors, will certainly obey the Immortal’s commands and exert our full efforts to accomplish this task!”

The Immortal hummed in affirmation: “Jinqing and Moluo are loyal and have rendered great service; I will not abandon them. However, if they cannot be found for a while, Crimson Meteorite Mountain and Moonmoss Tundra cannot remain leaderless indefinitely. You three have inherited Jinqing’s and Moluo’s mantle, and I will guide you to the best of my ability.” Crimson Meteorite Mountain and Moonmoss Tundra were two demon sage cultivation grounds that Jinqing and Moluo had painstakingly managed for years. The ‘Immortal’ couldn’t stand by and watch them decline. He had prepared for the worst, and the three demons, led by Yuanluo, were the best choice to govern these two cultivation grounds in the future. This was why he revealed these secrets to reassure them.

“Continue…” the Immortal finally said indifferently.

The three demons respectfully assented. Yuanluo retracted her hands, and the golden talisman in her grasp gradually faded, its light receding as it merged into her body. She looked at her cousins and said gravely, “Let’s begin!”

The two demons nodded, then flew to Yuanluo’s sides, one to her left and one to her right. Yuanluo waved her hand, put away the treasured banner, and purple mist rapidly enveloped them. The three demons lined up in the purple mist, sat cross-legged, and began to cast their divine abilities.

***

Outside the purple mist, the changes in the battle formation were nearing completion. An boundless demonic aura enveloped the sky above the reed marsh, with shadowy figures discernible within. This battle formation was too grand and too complex. The demon cultivators observing from outside tried to deduce its workings, but after analyzing only a small part of it, they felt dizzy and dared not continue. In fact, due to the immense scope of the battle formation, each demon cultivator could only see a portion of it, making it impossible to deduce the entire scheme. Even so, demon soldiers continually broke away from the formation, expanding its reach further outward. This formation had already surpassed the imagination of all the demons. None could discern its full power, and knowing that it was merely an array set up by the subordinates of demon sages only deepened their awe for the sages.

‘Thump!’‘Thump!’

The demon soldiers settled into their positions, and the battle formation gradually fell silent. Then, a muffled drumming sound began. The demons scanned their surroundings and realized the sound came from the core of the battle formation, from the purple mist. It wasn’t a drum, but the earth itself vibrating.

‘Thump! Thump! Thump!’

The vibrations continued, growing clearer with each beat, like the throbbing of the earth.

‘Whoosh!’

Visible waves appeared in the reed marsh, accompanied by the rustling of water, and dense splashes of water sprayed forth.

“Oooo…”

From within the purple mist, a powerful horn blast sounded, seemingly echoing the earth’s vibrations. Even the furthest demon cultivators could feel their hearts throb in sync with the horn.

‘Bang! Bang! Bang!’

Their qi and blood surged uncontrollably within them. The demon cultivators present, whose physical bodies had undergone countless refinements and polishes, found even their powerful physiques unable to resist the sound’s influence. It must have been the horn blown by the cousins, but even as descendants of Grand Sages, they couldn’t possess such immense power. There was only one possibility: the horn had awakened something—perhaps a grand formation, or a powerful entity. This barren reed marsh truly concealed a great secret!

All the demons held their breath, staring at the battle formation and the purple mist. Just then, a demon cultivator suddenly cried out in alarm, “Look over there!” Following his pointed direction, the surrounding demon cultivators saw the distant waves of reed flowers suddenly collapse in swaths. Nearby demon cultivators quickly moved out of the way. It wasn’t the reeds falling, but the marshland beneath collapsing. In the blink of an eye, a wide chasm had formed, and it was expanding at an increasing speed. Looking along this chasm, it was precisely the direction one of the demon soldier teams had departed. No one knew what they had done.

Soon, commotion erupted all around; the ground was cracking in all directions. The earth was tearing apart, and the marshland was sinking!

‘Thump!’‘Crack!’

The earth trembled once more, this time more violently than ever, accompanied by a thunderous roar. The demons watched in stunned silence at the shocking scene. Beneath the demon soldiers forming the battle formation, the boundless reed marsh suddenly sank into the ground, revealing an enormous void in the earth.

‘Crack!’‘Splash…’

At the edge of the void, lake water poured in, and earth and rocks continuously collapsed. The chasms had already connected with the void, and the land continued to collapse at an astonishing rate. After this event, this reed marsh, which had existed for countless years, would be utterly transformed!

Simultaneously, dazzling spiritual light shot forth from beneath the ground. The blue light was incredibly brilliant, outshining the purple mist and torches, illuminating the entire sky! The spiritual light, reaching from heaven to earth, emitted mysterious fluctuations, unlike anything the demons present had ever encountered. Instinctively, they squinted their eyes. Although they didn't know exactly what was happening, such a grand display indicated something extraordinary beneath.

Just then, a sharp-eyed demon cultivator noticed that the demon soldiers within the formation, bathed in the spiritual light, were gradually fading. They rubbed their eyes, confirming it wasn't an illusion; the figures were indeed fading, transforming into mere phantoms in an instant.

“Where are they going?” Whispers and discussions arose all around.

Black Silence Demon King’s eyes gleamed, and he immediately led his subordinates toward the palace of the Plaguelord of Miasma. The demon cultivators in the palace also noticed them, and the Plaguelord of Miasma’s voice came from within: “So, Fellow Daoist Black Silence has also arrived.”

“How could I miss such a grand occasion!” Black Silence Demon King narrowed his eyes, gazing at the battle formation. In a short time, the silhouettes of the demon soldiers had become extremely faint, and even the purple mist and torches within were on the verge of disappearing.

“Such an opportunity is rare; please, Fellow Daoist, take me along,” Black Silence Demon King cupped his hands.

“Naturally, I won’t go back on my word, but Moonmoss Tundra has given an order: there’s a limit to the number of participants. I hope Fellow Daoist Black Silence understands…”

Black Silence Demon King did not argue. As long as he could enter, that was enough. He asked, “How many can I bring with me?”

“Two.”

“You two, stay close to me. For the others, I will try to guide you,” Black Silence Demon King selected two subordinates. One was the bipedal wolf-demon, and the other was Mei Shan Yuanjun. The bipedal wolf-demon was undoubtedly Black Silence Demon King’s confidant. Mei Shan Yuanjun, due to her clear background and meticulous execution of Black Silence Demon King’s orders, was considered far more reliable than other demon kings in his eyes.

Under the envious and jealous gazes of the other demon kings, Mei Shan Yuanjun followed Black Silence Demon King, flying into the spiritual light behind the multicolored golden pagoda. Before her figure disappeared into the spiritual light, a hint of worry flashed in Mei Shan Yuanjun’s eyes. Just now, she had secretly tried to contact Qin Sang several times but received no response. By conventional logic, with such a massive army on the move and such a grand commotion, Sky Cloud Spire couldn’t possibly be unaware.

At this moment, the demon soldiers, purple mist, and torches within the spiritual light all vanished simultaneously. Subsequently, the palaces of White Dragon King and the Plaguelord of Miasma almost simultaneously entered the spiritual light, then also gradually faded away like the demon soldiers. Seeing this, the other demons could no longer hold back and rushed towards the spiritual light. The collapse continued, and as the spiritual light expanded, more and more demon cultivators rushed in, but unexpectedly, they did not fade and disappear like the others. The demons were puzzled, wondering what was missing. For them to just give up now was absolutely impossible! Even if they didn't understand the full reason, knowing where this spiritual light came from was enough. Immediately, some demon cultivators plunged into the depths of the earth.

***

Bloody Abyss. Here, blood mist permeated the air. The blood qi was denser than before, and a faint bloody scent mingled with the fragrance, adding an eerie chill to the Bloody Abyss.

Inside Ghost Hidden Grand Sage’s Cave Dwelling, just like outside, dense blood mist floated, and the scent of blood was exceptionally strong. Although it was a demon sage’s cave dwelling, it lacked luxurious decorations, being merely a crude stone grotto. The rocks of the grotto walls were saturated with blood mist, appearing in a vivid blood-red color. This was clearly a blood grotto! There wasn’t even a cloud-couch here; it was completely empty except for a figure seated cross-legged on the ground.

This person was extremely emaciated, with disheveled hair, deeply sunken eye sockets, and a loosely draped cultivation robe. The hands protruding from the sleeves were mere skin and bone, with long, pale fingernails matching the skin. Sitting there, he resembled a mummified corpse that had been dead for a very long time. No one would likely imagine that the renowned Ghost Hidden Grand Sage looked like this.

Ghost Hidden Grand Sage had been seated here for an unknown number of years, completely devoid of any aura. Around him, the ground was marked with grooves forming a complex pattern. Fresh blood flowed within the grooves. This blood, containing vigorous life force and terrifying power, was none other than Ghost Hidden Grand Sage’s own. The blood and grooves formed a bizarre blood formation. For years, it had continuously consumed Ghost Hidden Grand Sage’s blood, transforming a demon sage into his current state.

Suddenly, a brilliant crimson light erupted. The blood formation suddenly activated, countless runes danced within the crimson light, and a mysterious power surged out of the cave dwelling, silently dispersing into the world. Ghost Hidden Grand Sage’s fingers trembled. He abruptly opened his shriveled eyes, his deep-set gaze fixed intently on the runes in the crimson light. His profound vision seemed to pierce through the blood formation and the void, reaching into the distant unknown.

A moment later, a flicker of exhaustion crossed Ghost Hidden Grand Sage’s eyes, and he slowly closed them. Then, his chest subtly rose and fell, as a hint of life returned to him. The blood in the formation began to flow back into his body. His shriveled skin gradually plumped up and regained its luster, and his sunken features returned to normal. He transformed from a mummified corpse into a majestic middle-aged man.

When he opened his eyes again, the exhaustion had vanished. He glanced down, and the grooves on the ground were erased. Immediately, Ghost Hidden Grand Sage suddenly appeared above the Bloody Abyss, gazing northward. Shortly after, he manifested in the Arctic Ice Fields. Wind and snow raged!