Chapter 485 8 Trigrams Demon-Refining Banner (Magic Treasure)

Ye Qingfeng was still young in years, yet remarkably precocious. Having been tutored by his grandfather, he had already learned to recognize a great many characters.

Eldrin spent the entire period of cultivation on Kyushu Island, teaching him daily to recognize the body's meridians and acupoints, while also imparting the knowledge of cultivation runes and script. In the blink of an eye, 1 month had passed.

After finishing Ye Qingfeng's cultivation lessons for the day, he said to Lyra (Person Name), "Through our observations during this period, we have gained some understanding of the 9 Rivers Island."

"I have decided to lend them a hand by going to slay the Bixia Demon King."

"As it should be." Lyra nodded with a faint smile. "I can see 9 Rivers Island is preparing to strike. That Ba Xia Bloodline is no ordinary demon beast. Should we succeed in slaying it, the rewards may prove substantial for us."

"Then go find Lu Yanhe."

No sooner said than done, the 2 immediately headed to Liuchuan Island and found Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe’s eyes lit up at the sight of the 2 approaching. "Have the 2 of you reached a decision?" he asked with evident delight.

"Mm." Eldrin nodded, speaking with detached composure, "Since it involves slaying demons and vanquishing evil, we shall naturally contribute our share."

"With the assistance of you 2, our chances of victory in this battle shall undoubtedly increase by another measure."

Lu Yanhe revealed a smile, thinking to himself that perhaps there truly was a 30 percent chance of success this time.

At this thought, he hastily added, "To be frank, the Baxia Demon King has already entered seclusion to attempt his breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm. It’s likely he’ll undergo his Heavenly Tribulation within 3 months, which is why we’ve already begun preparations to depart."

Lyra's eyes flickered, "Then when shall we depart?"

"It should be in 3 days," said Lu Yanhe.

3 days swiftly passed. On this day, after ensuring Ye Qingfeng was properly settled, Eldrin arrived early at the main hall of 9 Rivers Island.

No sooner had Eldrin stepped into the great hall than he noticed over 50 Golden Core cultivators had already gathered there.

Among these 50-some Golden Core (Cultivation Realm) masters, most were cultivators from 9 Rivers Island and nearby spirit islands. However, the majority were only at the Golden Core, Early Stage (Cultivation Realm) or Golden Core, Middle Stage (Cultivation Realm), with merely 9 having reached Golden Core, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm).

Even with the addition of Eldrin and Lyra, there were only 11 people in total.

Eldrin observed carefully and discovered that among these Golden Core, Late Stage cultivators, only 3 had reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core.

The 3 were respectively a woman in palace attire, a gaunt elder, and Lu Yanhe, the disciple of True Master Jiuchuan.

"You 2 have finally arrived."

When Lu Yanhe saw Eldrin arrive, he smiled and began making introductions. Gesturing toward the woman in palace attire and the gaunt elder, he said, "This is Fairy Liu from Night Illumination Island, and this is the foremost rogue cultivator in our 9 Rivers Island waters—Daoist Liehuo."

Greetings to you all.

Eldrin gave a slight nod, acknowledging their mutual introduction.

After Lu Yanhe finished the introductions, he personally led 11 Golden Core, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivators to an inner chamber.

He set up an Eldritch Barrier before lowering his voice to say, "This time, we’re planning a surprise attack. Most of the other Golden Core cultivators are only here to hold off the demon kings of Boulder Island for us."

"In truth, when it comes to serving as the main force besieging the Bixi Demon King, it would be us 11 Golden Core, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivators."

Lady Liu furrowed her brows, her gaze turning grave as she said, "That Monolith Demon Emperor..."

Seeing her concern, Lu Yanhe said, "Don't worry. The Boulder Demon Emperor will be held back by my master."

Everyone nodded, feeling slightly reassured. As long as the Stone Titan Demon Emperor could be held back, even if they—Golden Core, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) adepts—were defeated in battle, they stood a considerable chance of escaping with their lives.

Even if that Baxia Demon King were to advance to the Demon Emperor realm, it would undoubtedly need to recover from its injuries and replenish its cultivation base immediately after the breakthrough.

However, the rogue cultivator Blazing Fire Daoist was still somewhat concerned and couldn't help but ask, "Fellow Daoist Lu, with merely 11 of us at the Golden Core, Late Stage, our chances of surrounding and killing a Pseudo-Infant Demonic Sovereign remain exceedingly slim."

"Undoubtedly, Lord Jiuchuan must have also left behind a trump card. We earnestly hope you will inform us of what methods he prepared."

The other Golden Core, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivators showed keen interest upon hearing this, clearly eager to ascertain whether the speaker possessed sufficient insight.

"This..."

Lu Yanhe hesitated slightly, his expression shifting subtly as he said, "This matter is of utmost importance. To prevent the demon clan from catching wind and preparing countermeasures, I'm afraid I cannot disclose it to you all in advance."

"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist."

A Golden Core, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivator spoke, his gaze grave as he said, "We are all human cultivators—how could we possibly leak information to the demon race?"

"Indeed, indeed." Another Golden Core, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivator spoke up, his gaze turning grave. "If you don't explain, how can anyone tell whether this technique is truly a fifth-order divine thunder or some mutually assured destruction method?"

Everyone wore grave expressions. Having painstakingly cultivated to the Golden Core, Late Stage, they were esteemed figures wherever they went, and none wished to become cannon fodder for some unknown reason.

Even Fairy Liu spoke up, her expression slightly grave as she said, "This battle concerns life and death. I hope you will not conceal anything from us, Fellow Daoist."

"Do not be anxious, young friends."

Just as Lu Yanhe was caught in a dilemma, a white-haired elder with a youthful countenance approached.

The moment they caught sight of that figure, the assembled guests straightened their expressions and promptly bowed in reverence, saying, "We pay our respects to the True Lord."

"There is no need for formalities."

The newcomer was none other than True Lord Jiuchuan. Stroking his beard with a faint smile, he cast a glance over the crowd and declared, “You are all heroes of the human race, prepared to shed blood and lay down your lives in battle. It is only right that I withhold nothing from you.”

"This old man did indeed make 2 preparations: 1 being the 8 Trigrams Demon-Refining Banner (Magic Treasure), the other being the Gengjin Demon-Slaying Sword Talisman."

After Lord Jiuchuan finished speaking, Eldrin’s eyes flickered slightly. The Gengjin Demon-Slaying Sword Talisman was a great supernatural treasure talisman, its power comparable to a full-force strike from the Nascent Soul, Early Stage. If used in a surprise attack, it might truly be capable of slaying a demon emperor.

The 8 Trigrams Demon-Refining Banner (Magic Treasure) was a set of formation flags designed for the Nascent Soul, Early Stage (Cultivation Realm). Comprising 8 individual banners, this set could be jointly activated by cultivators at the Golden Core, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm). When unleashed, its power was sufficient to trap a Demonic Beast Emperor at the Nascent Soul stage, or even temporarily contend against 1.

"This 8 Trigrams Demon-Refining Banner (Magic Treasure) possesses extraordinary power, requiring our joint efforts to activate it."

Lord Jiuchuan distributed the formation flags to everyone, his expression grave as he declared, "This is a treasured spiritual artifact I have safeguarded for countless years. When you wield it, take utmost care not to let it be damaged."

"We understand."

Everyone nodded, their faces lighting up with joy as they felt their confidence in this expedition had grown substantially.

Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, True Lord Jiuchuan added, "To prevent any leaks, all of you must swear a Heart Demon Oath."

"So it shall be."

Everyone had sworn a heart demon oath before taking a formation flag for themselves.

Eldrin discovered that neither he nor Lyra had been allotted any formation flags. All 8 formation flags had fallen into the hands of the Golden Core Realm masters from the 9 Serenities Sea.

However, this was to be expected. After all, both of them were outsiders who had only recently arrived in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World, so naturally they weren’t as well-established as the local Golden Core cultivators.

Chapter 1 The biting cold wind howled through the mountain pass, carrying with it the scent of blood and decay. A young man in tattered blue robes knelt amidst the snow, his fingers digging deep into the frozen earth. His name was Lin Feng, and he had been a disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect for 10 years. "10 years," he whispered, the words forming a pale mist in the frigid air. "10 years, and I'm still stuck at the third level of Qi Refining." He closed his eyes, reaching inward to feel the meager spiritual energy circulating through his meridians. It was a trickle, barely enough to keep him warm in this harsh environment. Other disciples who had entered the sect with him had long since reached the Foundation Establishment realm, while he remained at the very bottom. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his skull. Countless strange symbols and characters flooded his mind, swirling and coalescing into a golden book that seemed to imprint itself upon his very soul. 《The Code of Laws for the Myriad Realms》 The title burned behind his eyelids. As he focused on it, text began to unfold within his consciousness. [Host bound successfully. The Code of Laws for the Myriad Realms is now activated.] [Primary Mission: Uphold justice in the cultivation world. Current progress: 0%] [Initial reward: Divine ability - Karmic Vision] Before Lin Feng could process this information, hurried footsteps approached from behind. He turned to see a sneering face he knew all too well - Senior Brother Wang, who had bullied him for years. "Well, if it isn't our resident waste," Wang said, his voice dripping with contempt. "The sect leader has ordered all disciples to contribute 10 spirit stones for the upcoming alliance conference. Since you're so... disadvantaged, I'll be generous and only take 5 from you." Lin Feng's heart sank. He only possessed 7 spirit stones in total, accumulated over years of menial tasks and saving. These stones were his only hope for breaking through to the next level. As Wang reached for Lin Feng's storage pouch, something strange happened. Lin Feng's vision shifted, and he saw shimmering threads of light connecting Wang to various objects and people around them. 1 particularly dark thread seemed to pulse with malevolent energy. [Karmic Vision activated. Target: Wang Jian. Crime: Theft of sect resources. Evidence: 1,540 stolen spirit stones hidden in his quarters. Recommended punishment: Confiscation of illicit gains, deduction of 3 years' cultivation base.] Without thinking, Lin Feng spoke the words that appeared in his mind. "Wang Jian, by the authority of the Code of Laws for the Myriad Realms, your crimes are known. Return the 1,540 spirit stones you've stolen, and accept the deduction of 3 years from your cultivation base as punishment." Wang's face paled dramatically. "How... how could you know?" he stammered, stepping backward in fear. But it was too late. A golden light descended from the sky, enveloping him completely. When it faded, Wang had collapsed to the ground, his cultivation significantly weakened. From that day forward, Lin Feng's path as a cultivator would never be the same. The waste of the Azure Cloud Sect had awakened, and the world of cultivation would soon learn to tremble at the name of the Karma Judge.