Chapter 423: Chapter 318: Myriad Phenomena Five Elements (Part 2)
They had discussed this issue before: whether the Celestial Demon Sect’s Core Formation Demons already knew that the Foundation Establishment cultivator was Fang Yun.
They all believed the possibility was very slim.
And the outcome was just as they expected.
"Quite the response." Lu Yaoling chuckled. He instantly recognized the voice of the Celestial Cloud Sect Leader, Duan Qingyun. "Duan Qingyun, you must understand—the fall of the Celestial Cloud Sect will be your doing alone, all because you refuse to see reason."
He wasn’t saying this for Duan Qingyun or the Celestial Cloud Sect’s leadership. His words were aimed at the disciples, especially the Outer Sect disciples who had yet to break through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. The minds of such disciples were the easiest to sway.
Right now, some of them might already be thinking that their Sect Leader should hand over the Foundation Establishment cultivator he mentioned.
Having said his piece, Lu Yaoling fell silent. He felt those words were enough.
Before speaking, he had genuinely hoped for a surprising concession, but alas, there was none.
"Break the array!"
The easiest way to breach a Third Tier Grand Array was to have a Third Tier Array Master on your side, which would make the task significantly simpler. Without one, they could only rely on brute force.
At Lu Yaoling’s command, all the Core Formation Demons pressed closer to the Celestial Cloud Sect.
From the dense white fog before them, a torrent of fire erupted, forcing a mid-stage Core Formation Demon to fall back repeatedly.
This blaze was the Fire Element Power of the All Things Five Elements Array.
At that very moment, Deng Fusheng, a Second Tier Array Master, was constantly manipulating the Array Plate.
He didn’t need to look outside; a holographic image on the Array Plate clearly showed him the Demons’ positions. The size of each point of light corresponded to the strength of the Demon’s Demon Power.
Just by calling upon a fraction of the All Things Five Elements Array’s power, Deng Fusheng already felt an immense strain.
For the first time, he felt so acutely that his mastery of arrays was completely inadequate.
By trying to channel the power of the Water Elephant while also using the Fire Element Power, he could only attack a single Core Formation Demon. If he were a Third Tier Array Master, he should have been able to attack five Core Formation Demons simultaneously without any issue.
Zheng Chunyu watched her master’s focused, ceaseless manipulations on the Array Plate, studying intently from the side. Occasionally, she would look up from the plate’s display to gaze at the situation in the distance.
The Sect Leader and the Supreme Elder began to engage the enemy.
Under the cover of the Water Elephant, their attacks held a significant advantage.
The Core Formation Demons, intent on Breaking the Array, had to constantly guard against their assaults. After each strike, the cultivators could retreat back into the white fog and await the next opportunity.
’The one who’s missing is the Sword Cultivator, Miao Qinghong.’
As a late-stage Core Formation Demon, Lu Yaoling’s perception covered a vast area. By now, he had already identified the four Core Formation cultivators from the Celestial Cloud Sect who had taken action.
Miao Qinghong’s absence confirmed that she had been successfully lured away by their plan.
Lu Yaoling was secretly pleased. Using their second-weakest Core Formation Demon to lure away Miao Qinghong—a Sword Cultivator comparable to a mid-stage Core Formation expert—was a massive win.
If Miao Qinghong had been here, empowered by the Grand Array, she would have displayed even greater strength, making their goal of annihilating the Celestial Cloud Sect that much harder.
Never mind the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Core Formation cultivators. Just breaking this Third Tier Grand Array of All Things Five Elements would take a very long time. Beyond the white fog, they could see thick earthen walls blocking their path.
Only by breaking through these walls, one after another, could they hope to truly set foot inside the Celestial Cloud Sect.
Breaching the Celestial Cloud Sect’s grounds was merely the second step to its annihilation.
Only with sufficient strength would they then have a chance to slaughter all of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Core Formation cultivators.
Only once all its Core Formation Cultivators were dead could the Celestial Cloud Sect be considered finished.
「Outside the Celestial Cloud Sect.」
Mortals and Loose Cultivators lived here.
The arrival of the Core Formation Demons, the activation of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Grand Array—it was such a massive commotion that it was impossible not to notice.
Many people were now looking toward the Celestial Cloud Sect.
The Celestial Cloud Sect’s Grand Array naturally only covered the sect itself, and its protection did not extend to them.
However, they didn’t need to worry. The Core Formation Demons had no interest in them; Demons cultivated Demon Power, unlike Blood Demons, who cultivated Blood Power.
These people weren’t important to the Celestial Cloud Sect, either. Anyone of importance was already inside the sect’s walls.
The Core Formation Demons were certain that once they had completely annihilated the Celestial Cloud Sect, these mortals and Loose Cultivators would understand which cultivation path was truly the best.
Cultivating Spiritual Power was far too inferior. When that time came, the majority of these people would naturally yearn to cultivate Demon Power instead.
"Does anyone know what’s going on?"
"No idea. All I know is that for small fries like us, it’s best to just watch."
"Such terrifying pressure... I can feel it even from this far away."
...
「In the territory of the Celestial Demon Sect.」
Fang Yun was still traveling at full speed, the Eight Spirit Patterns of his Half-Hidden Spirit Boots fully activated.
A Sound Transmission Talisman arrived from Bai Qinying, and Fang Yun read it at once.
The concise message in the talisman immediately expanded into a full report in his mind.
’Core Formation Demons have appeared at the sect. There are seven of them: two late-stage, three mid-stage, and the remaining two are early-stage Core Formation.’
’This means the Celestial Demon Sect has only one Core Formation Demon left on guard—and an early-stage one at that.’
’A lone Core Formation Demon on guard duty won’t be able to leave the Celestial Demon Sect easily.’
Fang Yun analyzed the situation rapidly.
He had no intention of going to the Celestial Demon Sect itself. Even if it had no Core Formation Demon on guard, the Third Tier Grand Array was more than he could handle.
The detection capabilities of a Third Tier Grand Array were formidable. Fang Yun didn’t believe his current stealth techniques could evade its senses.
After receiving this intelligence, he could act with far fewer reservations within the Celestial Demon Sect’s territory.
Fang Yun swapped his Half-Hidden Spirit Boots for his Light Silk Boots, which had nine Spirit Patterns.
The former balanced stealth and travel, while the latter was entirely specced for speed.
With the Light Silk Boots on, Fang Yun’s top speed, when he pushed himself to the limit, already surpassed that of an early-stage Core Formation Cultivator.
He needed to be quick.
His first target: annihilate the Demon Breeding Cave, a subordinate Foundation Establishment Influence of the Celestial Demon Sect.
It was one of the Foundation Establishment Demon influences located close to the Celestial Demon Sect, making it a difficult target under normal circumstances, as reinforcements from the main sect would arrive swiftly.
Now, with only an early-stage Core Formation Demon inside the Celestial Demon Sect, Fang Yun wasn’t worried, even if that Demon abandoned his post and rushed to reinforce the Demon Breeding Cave.
At his current level, only Demons at the mid-stage of Core Formation or higher, or exceptionally strong early-stage Core Formation Demons, could pose a threat to him.
The Celestial Demon Sect had no such experts; that kind of prodigy was typically only found within a Nascent Soul Influence.
When he was thirty li from the Demon Breeding Cave, Fang Yun switched back to his Half-Hidden Spirit Boots.
Quietly infiltrating and annihilating the Foundation Establishment Demon influence was the most efficient and convenient approach.
「Inside the Demon Breeding Cave.」
Within one of the caverns.
Two Foundation Establishment Stage Demons were conversing. One was at the early stage, the other at the mid-stage.
The Demon Breeding Cave had a total of five Foundation Establishment Demons. Now, only the two of them remained; the other three had followed an Elder from the Celestial Demon Sect to the Celestial Cloud Sect’s territory to help annihilate them.
"Once the Celestial Cloud Sect is destroyed, I wonder how much of the spoils our Demon Breeding Cave will get."
"Let’s talk about that after they’re actually destroyed. I think the Celestial Cloud Sect will be tough to take down, especially as they are now."
"Don’t be so pessimistic. The Celestial Demon Sect launched this operation with the Demon Spirit Sect’s cooperation. The chances of wiping out the Celestial Cloud Sect are very high..."
As the two were talking, they suddenly felt a fluctuation of Spiritual Power.
They didn’t even have time to utter a reflexive "Who?"
The life force of both Demons began to drain away rapidly, the early-stage Foundation Establishment Demon’s fading even faster than the other’s.
Two sword strikes to finish two Demons, neither of whom was at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment—for the current Fang Yun, it was far too easy.
He had only found two Foundation Establishment Demons in the entire Demon Breeding Cave.
He remembered that the Demon Breeding Cave was supposed to have five.
It only took Fang Yun a moment to figure out why. The other Foundation Establishment Demons must have already gone to the territory of his Celestial Cloud Sect.
The absence of the other Foundation Establishment Demons offered only one small benefit: it made his work slightly more efficient.
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