Chapter 1578 : Banner of 10 1000 Souls

Boom—! After shattering the cosmos, the group seized half of the fractured universe. In that fleeting moment, the remaining half surged like countless rivers converging into the sea, wholly refined into the Demon Lord’s body. Hummm—! A resonant roar followed as the Demon Lord, clad in dark imperial robes, slowly rose within the endless dimensional void. 3 crimson rays of karmic sin illuminated the vast expanse, marking his presence like an ancient world-ending demon standing firm across infinite dimensions. “Did he succeed?” whispered the Vajra Arhat, voice tinged with shock. Eldrin (Person Name) furrowed his brow slightly, his gaze intense as he murmured, “No, it seems he’s still half a step short.” In that moment, he sensed that although the Demon Lord’s power now far surpassed a dual Taiyi foundation, it still fell short compared to the legendary Ancestor of 10 1000 Spirits from ages past. “Exactly,” nodded Xuan Yu Daoist, observing the scene. “By tearing away half the cosmos, we prevented him from fully sacrificing the universe. His current strength should be comparable to an 8-Calamity Earth Immortal.” Hearing this, the group felt a wave of relief. Had the Demon Lord achieved a triple Taiyi foundation, they would have had no choice but to retreat in defeat. But since he hadn’t taken that critical step, he hadn’t undergone a qualitative transformation. Considering this, the Liyan Spirit Goddess declared, “In that case, today we shall utterly annihilate this demon.” Without delay, she summoned the South Ming Li Fire, capable of incinerating all things, aiming to refine the Demon Lord completely. “South Ming Li Fire?” Facing this assault, the Demon Lord replied calmly, “It is indeed 1 of heaven and earth’s supreme flames, but your cultivation is insufficient to unleash its ultimate power.” “Today, I shall show you what true, peerless demonic flames truly are.” With a flick of his sleeve, the Demon Lord summoned a blinding demonic blaze. This fire, akin to the flames of the 9 Netherworlds, radiated a chilling, Yin-cold energy that actually suppressed the South Ming Li Fire. “9 Nether Demon Flames!” Eldrin (Person Name)’s expression shifted slightly upon seeing this. The 9 Nether Demon Flames ranked ninth among the 10 Great Flames of Heaven and Earth, while the South Ming Li Fire held the third position. Yet, in their clash, the latter was being overpowered—clear proof that the Demon Lord’s current cultivation firmly suppressed the Liyan Spirit Goddess. Without hesitation, Eldrin (Person Name) joined the fray. With a sweep of his sleeve, he summoned boundless Pure Yang Heavenly Flames to aid the South Ming Li Fire against the demonic blaze. Combined, their forces managed to hold back the overwhelming might of the 9 Nether Demon Flames. “Pure Yang Heavenly Flames?” The Demon Lord’s pupils contracted sharply, a flicker of killing intent surfacing. The Pure Yang Heavenly Flames stood at the pinnacle of celestial Yang energy, ranking second among the 10 Great Flames. Had the Sun Heavenly Emperor not attained enlightenment through the Solar Great Dao, this flame might have contended for the top spot. Crucially, it countered all corrupt energies in the world, making it a natural bane to all demonic and ghostly cultivators. Once fully matured, it posed a significant threat to demonic practitioners. “Die!” Stirred by rising fury, the Demon Lord unleashed a brilliant sword ray, slashing toward Eldrin (Person Name). But the others weren’t idle. In that instant, Zi Xuan Daoist, the Vajra Arhat, and Xuan Yu Immortal all sprang into action, resolved to fight the Demon Lord to the death. Though the Demon Lord’s combat prowess was staggering—brushing against the realm of 8-Calamity Earth Immortals—the 5 opponents were no pushovers. Among them, 4 possessed combat strength equivalent to a dual Taiyi foundation, capable of holding their own even against a triple Taiyi expert. Despite his overwhelming power, the Demon Lord hadn’t fully entered that domain. Facing such a coordinated assault from powerful foes, he found himself struggling to hold ground. “Troublesome,” the Demon Lord muttered coldly, seeing he was outnumbered. With another sleeve flick, an ancient formation diagram unfurled. Upon it, the Blood Demon Soul-Slaughtering Sword, Heavenly Demon's Immortal-Slaying Sword (Magic Treasure), and the Heart Demon God-Annihilating Sword erupted with boundless killing intent, forming an immense sword formation that enveloped the group. “The 3 Demons Immortal-Slaying Formation again!” Zi Xuan Daoist summoned the Kui Bull Heavenly Drum to block, yet found the formation’s power overwhelming—even his Taiyi immortal weapon couldn’t fully withstand it. “This formation requires 3 Taiyi experts to break. Let’s join forces and shatter it first,” Zi Xuan Daoist declared, stepping into the formation once more. The Vajra Arhat followed suit, charging into the fray. The Liyan Spirit Goddess glanced back at Eldrin (Person Name), and seeing no intention to enter, she too stepped inside. Noticing this, Xuan Yu Daoist directed his 9 Heavens Galaxy Star-Sand Sword toward the Demon Lord while transmitting a message to Eldrin (Person Name): “Can you hold on, fellow Daoist?” Eldrin (Person Name) waved his long sleeves, unleashing the Tianli Twin Swords in a fierce slash toward the Demon Lord. “No problem. I can still fight.” “Good. Then let us fight side by side.” With those words, Xuan Yu Daoist summoned the boundless power of the stars, manifesting 9 Star God avatars that advanced to surround the Demon Lord. Eldrin (Person Name) watched, his eyes narrowing in appraisal. Xuan Yu Daoist, a long-cultivated Earth Immortal at the Great Perfection stage, lived up to his reputation. This divine ability, “Stars Derive My Dao,” created 9 clones, each with combat power rivaling a Great Perfection Earth Immortal. Though these avatars couldn’t wield supreme treasures, their combined force could unleash astonishing might, enough to rival a half-step Heavenly Immortal with a single Taiyi foundation. Meanwhile, facing the 2 opponents, the Demon Lord sneered arrogantly. “Xuan Yu, you brat, after all these years, you’ve made little progress.” “If this is all you have, then remain here forever.” With a sweep of his sleeve, he summoned an utterly black demonic banner. Soaring into the void, it unleashed a tide of Dark Fiend Qi (Spiritual Root) that engulfed the endless emptiness. “Kekeke!” Amid shrill, ghostly wails, tens of thousands of spectral souls poured from the banner, charging toward the group. Xuan Yu Immortal swiftly activated his divine abilities to block, his expression grave as he warned, “Be careful! This is the demonic path’s ultimate treasure—the 10 1000 Souls Banner!” “Hmph!” Eldrin (Person Name)’s face darkened as he summoned boundless thunderous power. Instantly, billions of lightning bolts flooded the void, the domineering Pure Yang Divine Thunder incinerating everything in its path. Countless ghosts shrieked and turned to ash in moments. Demonic cultivators often employed vile, extreme materials to forge their treasures, sparing no depravity. In contrast, righteous cultivators meticulously selected rare treasures for refinement, resulting in artifacts of superior quality. Thus, while demonic practitioners often possessed more numerous treasures, they were also far more fragile by comparison.