Chapter 596 : The Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation

"Since all are assembled, let us prepare to act."

Magnus the Virtuous spoke with calm authority, then addressed the gathered cultivators, "How fare the preparations for your formation banners?"

"I have brought over seven thousand banners, a more than sufficient quantity,"

Eldrin Chen replied. The banners mentioned by Magnus the Virtuous were for deploying the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation [a legendary formation designed to harness the collective power of countless cultivators].

This Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation originated from the Eastern Sea cultivation realm and is renowned as one of humanity's most potent formations for combating demonic and monstrous foes.

Its power lies in its ability to converge the spiritual energy of myriad cultivators, fusing their combined might to unleash a force of staggering magnitude.

To deploy the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation requires ten thousand second-rank formation banners. Each banner requires the combined efforts of one Foundation Establishment cultivator and one hundred Qi Refinement cultivators to activate.

If ten thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators and a million Qi Refinement cultivators join forces to activate it, the formation can severely suppress the protective miasma of the Demonic Fiend Qi Ridge [a mountain range saturated with demonic and fiendish energies], allowing the high-ranking cultivators to focus their efforts on breaching its defenses.

Hearing that Eldrin Chen had brought over seven thousand banners, the others nodded in approval. Representatives from the major immortal clans of the six nations within the Ji Province quickly added with slight smiles, "We, too, have brought a sufficient number of banners."

After a collective tally, they discovered they had brought over fourteen thousand banners in total—more than enough to deploy the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation.

Seeing that the formation flags were sufficient, Magnus the Virtuous spoke again, "I wonder if the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation still requires a Fifth Rank [the fifth level in a cultivation hierarchy] formation master to preside over it. Is there a suitable candidate among you?"

The various True Lords exchanged glances. Finally, Thalion Chen stepped forward and said, "Leave this formation to this old man. You all focus on dealing with the Ridge of the Black Fiend."

"Very well."

Eldrin Chen nodded. Although his and Lyra Jiang's mastery of formation arts was superior, for the two of them to preside over this formation would be an excessive use of their talents.

Since the decision to act was made, the group did not delay excessively. After merely three days of rest, they began their assault on the Ridge of the Black Fiend.

A million cultivators gathered in one place, channeling their combined power to activate the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation. In an instant, countless dazzling rays of five-colored light converged into one, clashing against the protective barrier of Demonic Fiend Qi [a malevolent, corrupted form of spiritual energy] surrounding the Ridge of the Black Fiend.

For a moment, the light within the Ridge of the Black Fiend dimmed considerably, making the entire ridge seem to tremble on the verge of collapse.

And in that very instant, a pitch-black demonic banner unfurled, tearing through the void. It anchored the boundless Demonic Fiend Qi, forcefully holding back the divine might of the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation.

"It's the Black Malignancy Demon Banner."

Magnus the Virtuous furrowed his brow and murmured, his expression turning grave. "Activate the treasure ships."

That Black Malignancy Demon Banner was a superior-grade demonic treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact forged with malevolent energies]. Using such an object as the core array artifact unleashed a truly astonishing force, one that even a Great Perfection Nascent Soul True Lord would find difficult to breach.

Fortunately, in this battle, the assembled forces had poured their all into the effort. The power unleashed by the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation was not one whit inferior to a Fifth Rank, High Grade defensive array, allowing them to face this demonic spring [a natural wellspring of corrupted spiritual energy] anchored by the demon banner without the slightest fear.

However, the cultivators' spiritual power was finite. Despite stockpiling vast quantities of Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] and supplies, it could not compare to the endless, surging tide of malignant energy [corrupted spiritual force] from the demonic spring.

The only path was to apply even greater force, to breach the protective miasma [a poisonous, energy-saturated fog] of the Ridge of the Black Fiend as swiftly as possible, thereby minimizing their losses.

Thus, nearly two hundred Fourth Rank war treasure ships [massive vessels equipped with siege-grade formation arrays] flew forth. The spiritual energy stored within their hulls began to gather rapidly, and arrays of glowing formation runes lit up in quick succession.

Though war treasure ships were cumbersome and posed little direct threat to agile Golden Core cultivators, the power of the formation arrays mounted upon them was formidable indeed.

Among these two hundred vessels, even the weakest could unleash a strike comparable to the full-force blow of a Golden Core, Late Stage expert. The most powerful, the Fourth Rank, High Grade war treasure ships, could unleash attacks possessing seventy percent of a Nascent Soul True Lord's might.

With all two hundred ships attacking in concert, volley after volley of divine abilities [supernatural techniques powered by cultivation] raining down, the combined force they unleashed was enough to give even a Late Stage Nascent Soul expert pause.

After three successive, coordinated barrages from the ships' attack formations, their stored spiritual energy now mostly depleted, the protective miasma shrouding the Ridge of the Black Fiend finally began to waver and crumble, teetering on the brink of collapse.

Yet, the Ridge of the Black Fiend lived up to its reputation as a forbidden land for demonic cultivators. Even after such a sustained assault, its defenses stubbornly refused to fully give way.

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly, and he spoke, "It is not enough. Use Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] to power the formation once more."

"This..."

The expressions of the assembled cultivators shifted subtly. Once a Fourth Rank War Treasure Ship [a massive, magically fortified vessel designed for large-scale warfare] exhausted its ambient spiritual energy, a single full-powered activation required one hundred thousand Spirit Stone. With nearly two hundred such ships before them, a single coordinated volley would consume twenty to thirty million Spirit Stone.

Yet, seeing Eldrin Chen's resolute determination, none dared to defy him. They could only continue to channel energy and unleash the ships' attacks.

Six more successive volleys were fired, depleting close to two hundred million Spirit Stone. The faces of many grew pale. Such relentless expenditure in such a short time had already consumed over half of the spiritual currency they had stockpiled for the war.

However, under this frenzied assault, the miasmic barrier grew increasingly thin and tenuous, pressed to the brink of collapse by the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation.

Clearly, the Demonic Fiend Qi [a malevolent, corrupting energy born from demonic sources] within the demonic spring had also been severely depleted and could not recover its potency in a short time.

Seeing this opportunity, Magnus the Virtuous declared in a resonant voice, "The Demonic Fiend Qi within the spring cannot recover swiftly. Let us strike now!"

As his words fell, he activated an ancient scroll that unfurled across three thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], unleashing boundless Harlan Qi [the righteous, awe-inspiring energy associated with the virtue of Magnanimity] to press down upon the foe.

This treasure was named the Harlan Ancient Scroll, one of Magnus the Virtuous's three bonded Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a magical artifact intimately connected to a cultivator's life force and cultivation base], and its grade had already reached the Upper Tier of the Fifth Rank.

Moreover, this treasure was supremely effective at countering Demonic Fiend Qi [the corrupt and malevolent energy cultivated by demonic practitioners], momentarily suppressing the Black Malignancy Demon Banner and causing it to tremble violently.

"You whelps! If you do not exert yourselves now, do you intend to wait for them to breach the formation and slaughter you all?"

At that moment, Black Malignancy Ancient Ancestor could no longer remain idle. Channeling the power of the demonic formation to resist Magnus the Virtuous, he simultaneously called upon his subordinate demonic cultivators.

Seeing the situation turn dire, those demonic cultivators had no choice but to continuously expend their own spiritual power to fuel the formation in place of the demonic spring, striving to hold back the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation.

Witnessing the Demonic Fiend Qi gradually stabilizing its footing under the resistance of these cultivators, Eldrin Chen and the others naturally could not stand idly by.

Thus, the twelve True Lords unleashed a relentless barrage—one Spiritual Treasure [an enchanted artifact of significant power] and divine ability after another—causing the Demonic Fiend Qi to shudder violently once more.

"It is not enough."

Seeing both sides locked in a stalemate, a grave expression settled on Eldrin Chen's face. If this dragged on until the demonic spring recovered its power, this battle would likely descend into a protracted and bitter struggle.

With this thought, he raised his voice in a commanding shout, "Comrades, hold nothing back! Unleash whatever means you possess, and do so swiftly!"

Following his words, the several True Lords of the Chen Clan led by example. One fifth-rank spiritual talisman after another was hurled relentlessly at the Ridge of the Black Fiend [a mountain ridge suffused with dark, malignant energy], their potent energies expended without regard for conservation.

This amounted to a full seventeen fifth-rank Spirit Talismans [enchanted paper slips imbued with powerful spells], among which several were of a grade as high as mid-fifth-rank.

Seven of these mid-fifth-rank Spirit Talismans were crafted from the hide of the Verdant Jade Demon Emperor and inscribed with Eldrin Chen's Innate Divine Abilities [unique, heaven-bestowed powers], specifically the Water-Fire Divine Lightning [a devastating lightning technique born from the fusion of opposing water and fire energies]. Their power had already brushed against the threshold of the late Nascent Infant [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul, or Golden Core, transforms into an infant-like spiritual form] realm.

It could be said that regardless of victory or defeat in this battle, the Chen Clan's treasured reserves of Spirit Talismans were nearly exhausted.