Chapter 834 : Ancient Guardians and the Eight Banners

"Then this old man shall go."

Tribulation Transcending Divine Monk nodded, then stepped forward without hesitation to take command of the 'Earth Trigram Banner'.

The remaining Sky-Watching Dao Master, Kunxuan the Dao Venerable, and Seven Avians Recluse each took command of the Heaven, Wind, and Separated Flame banners respectively.

With four of the precious banners now commanded, only the Thunder, Water, Mountain, and Marsh banners remained without a master.

As the sixth Demigod Ancestor of the Purple Realm, Peng the Roc Demon Sage understood the gravity of the situation. He immediately entered the Formation and took command of the Lake Trigram Banner.

Thus, only the Water, Mountain, and Thunder banners were left, yet there were no more Demigod Ancestor available.

With no other choice, the group turned their gaze to the most powerful Ninth Layer Nascent Soul cultivators present. While not true Demigod Ancestor, their strength might suffice to hold the line.

Seeing this, the Master of the Drifting Snow Palace decisively declared, "I possess the Quasi-Immortal TreasureDemon-Suppressing Cauldron. With this artifact in hand, I can command the Water Trigram Banner."

"Then the Mountain Trigram Banner shall be entrusted to this old man."

At that moment, a voice carried over. Everyone looked towards its source and saw a stooped, elderly cultivator approaching through the air. For more chapters, visit (audio-novel.com) for the complete novel.

The newcomer was none other than the ancient undying one of the Purple Boundary Demon Race, that Ancestor Black Tortoise who had lived for one hundred seventy thousand years.

This Ancestor Black Tortoise, having lived for one hundred seventy thousand years, had never broken through to the Demigod Ancestor realm due to damage to his bloodline in his early years. However, his Mana was not inferior to that of a Demigod Ancestor, and wielding a set of Formation Flags was well within his capabilities.

Seeing the Ancestor Black Tortoise take action, everyone present breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Only the final set of Formation Flags remains."

Observing this, the Master of the Dao Palace, who presided over the Eight Trigrams Plate, cast his gaze into the depths of the void. His eyes swept over the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor and the Five Venoms Ancient Ancestor.

They could not kill the Second Nascent Soul of the Extraterrestrial Demon God, and could only trap the Eastern Wastes Immortal Physique with the Formation. Since the Human Race had already contributed so many powerful individuals, they could not continue to send peak Ninth Layer Nascent Soul powerhouses into the formation.

Therefore, this final candidate had to be chosen from among the Demonic Monsters.

Among the Primordial Spirit-level Demonic Monsters, aside from the Primordial Ice Silkworm that slumbered year-round, only the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor and the Five Venoms Ancient Ancestor were the most powerful.

Between these two, the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor was a Pure-Blooded True Dragon, while the Five Venoms Ancient Ancestor held the title of Number One of the Unorthodox Path. Both were ideal candidates to guard the Formation.

Seeing the Master of the Dao Palace look his way, the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor decisively charged into the midst of the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon army, shouting loudly, "Face your doom, fiends!"

The assembly was momentarily taken aback. It was Riverlord Chang who spoke first, his expression icy. "That wretch annihilated the lineage of Eastern Sovereign. Now, faced with the Eastern Sovereign's Remnant Husk [the immortal, indestructible physical remains of the Eastern Sovereign], he likely dares not draw near."

"So that is the reason."

Many of the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, a realm beyond Nascent Soul] cultivators present nodded in understanding. Though Eastern Sovereign had fallen, his Immortal Physique [a body refined to an immortal, indestructible state] was eternal and imperishable. It was not impossible for a sliver of his undying will to linger within.

And if even a trace of that primal, instinctual will remained, it would likely tear the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor limb from limb.

"Alas!"

Since the Black Dragon Demon Progenitor refused to act, the Five Venoms Ancient Ancestor could only grit his teeth and descend into the heart of the Formation [a complex magical array or defensive structure].

Seeing eight more individuals take their positions to anchor the Formation Flags [the enchanted banners that control and power a formation], the Master of the Dao Palace let out a heavy sigh of relief. Only then did he speak:

"Now that nine of us shall enter the formation to suppress the immortal and demonic forces, should any among the powers of this world dare to move against our domains while we maintain the grand array, the entire realm shall rise against them!"

"We understand!"

Those present voiced their agreement in unison, a grave solemnity flashing in their eyes.

To enter the formation and suppress the Immortal and the Demon, the worst outcome would be the formation shattering and the cultivators perishing; the best outcome would be being trapped within the formation, unable to escape for who knows how long.

This is because the power of such an Immortal and Demon-level Primordial Spirit [the highest spiritual core of a cultivator, akin to a divine soul] is far too astonishing. Subduing and grinding it away is nearly impossible, and escaping its confinement could take untold years.

If, after the nine of them had made such a tremendous sacrifice, there were still those who would take advantage of their plight from behind, it would be utterly disheartening.

"The Treasure Banner of the Eight Trigrams [a supreme magical artifact embodying the eight trigrams, used for sealing and formation], what a masterful move!"

At this moment, within the core of the Star Palace Archipelago, Netherdeep Demon Venerable gazed at the grand formation in the void above, his brow furrowed with grave concern.

He did not interfere with that Eight Trigrams Treasure Formation [a legendary sealing formation powered by the eight trigrams]. A struggle of this Immortal and Demon magnitude was not something his level could meddle in; even a Demigod Ancestor [a cultivator who has transcended mortality but not yet achieved full immortality] would be mere cannon fodder, let alone a Ninth Layer Nascent Soul [the pinnacle stage of the Nascent Soul realm] cultivator like himself. The complete novel can be found at http://www . audio-novel.com.

For him, the most urgent task was to tear open the defenses of the Cosmic Star Archipelago.

The Extraterrestrial Demon God [a powerful demonic entity from beyond this world] had long ago laid contingency plans. Once freed from the suppressive power of the Cosmic Star Archipelago's Formation [a structured array of power used for defense, attack, or sealing], the Extraterrestrial Demon God could rend the Eight Trigrams Treasure Formation and release that Second Nascent Soul [a profound technique allowing a cultivator to forge a second, independent spiritual core].

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By then, with a powerful Second Nascent Soul like the Eastern Sovereign's Immortal Physique [a legendary body constitution endowed with innate immortal qualities] coordinating an attack from both inside and out, the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [a celestial-grade demonic being from beyond] would be confident of completely tearing open the Demon Abyss Heavenly Scar, transforming it into a Void Passage [a permanent, unhealable rift in reality] that could never be mended.

Once the Void Passage was opened, the Purple Realm would be gradually devoured and utterly consumed unless, within an extremely brief span of time, an Immortal like Jiang the Sovereign Emperor appeared to reseal the Heavenly Scar once more.

With this thought, the Netherdeep Demon Venerable waved his hand dismissively, his expression icy as he declared, "Begin the assault. This time, we shall definitively breach this Zhou Heavenly Stars Grand Formation."

"Kill…"

As the words of the Netherdeep Demon Venerable fell, one Treasure Ship after another surged forth, charging towards the Zhou Heavenly Stars Grand Formation.

This battle differed from the one a Millennium prior. Now, the Extraterrestrial Demon God forces had nearly emptied their nests, committing over two hundred Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] Demonic Cultivator to the fray, their momentum aimed at shattering the Cosmic Star Archipelago in a single, decisive strike.

Faced with such overwhelming power, even the inner Star Archipelago struggled to maintain a complete defense. Breaches were torn open in numerous places in a short time, allowing many Primordial Spirit Demonic Cultivator to pour into the outer regions.

Among the island chains near the direction of the Vermilion Bird Star Sector, a section of the void was rent asunder. Hundreds of War Treasure Boat emerged, their decks bristling with seven or eight figures whose presence was akin to that of Demon God.

One among them, with horns upon his head and a majestic form clad in dragon-scale battle armor, murmured with an air of indomitable authority.

"Purple Realm, your Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor has returned."

"Tremble, you whelps who dared besiege this Emperor in times past."

"They come with ill intent."

Beyond the Vermilion Bird Star Palace Archipelago, Maris the Sea Steader gazed at the archipelago deep in the void, his expression turning grave.

Not far from him stood three others: Magnus the Virtuous, Lyra Jiang, and Verdant Consort. Each wore a look of solemn apprehension.

Magnus the Virtuous drew a deep breath and spoke, "They have eight Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use demonic or unorthodox methods to cultivate]. We are likely no match for them."

"Fortunately, the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [demonic beings from beyond this world] at the mid and late Primordial Spirit stage are being held back by the Fellow Daoist [a respectful term for fellow cultivators] in the inner perimeter. Otherwise, we would stand no chance in this battle."

Lyra Jiang's eyes turned icy, a sharp killing intent flashing within them. "A Millennium [a period of one thousand years] ago, we also triumphed against a stronger foe. This battle is not unwinnable."

"It is not that simple."

Maris the Sea Steader shook his head before continuing, "Setting aside the fact that we lack Brother Eldrin's strategic genius, even if we had such skill, we likely lack the raw power."

"The Extraterrestrial Demon God [powerful demonic deities from beyond this world] have mobilized their full force. Just for our Vermilion Bird Star Sector, seven or eight Primordial Spirit have come. The other star palaces beyond the spiritual perimeter likely face similar numbers."

"With the situation so dire, how can this battle possibly be fought?"

Hearing this, the assembled crowd fell into a speechless silence.

Although this battle was a calamity unseen in three Millennium, the Purple Realm had made thorough preparations. Every outer star palace was garrisoned by a Nascent Soul Dao Lord, and even the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] Demonic Monsters stood ready to intervene at any moment.

Yet, judging by the situation at the periphery alone, there were no fewer than twenty Primordial Spirit Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use demonic or unorthodox methods to cultivate power]. How, then, could this battle possibly be fought? Find this and other novels at audio-novel.com (official site).