Chapter 1707: Sealing the Mark

Sailing through the Western Desert.Teleporting to the Northern Sea.Entering the storm zone.

The hurricane howled, and figures streaked through the storm.

Soon after, a golden light flew from ahead, revealing a solemn monk who bowed with clasped hands to Saint Huiguang and others.

“Xingzhi, is luring the fierce beast going smoothly?” Saint Huiguang asked.

“Reporting to Martial Uncle, good news is frequently coming from the front; the meticulously placed baits by fellow cultivators from various sects have all been effective. There are currently no casualties, but no one dares approach the fierce beast, and its true strength remains unknown…” Xingzhi reported the situation in detail.

Saint Huiguang nodded and glanced at the Azure Fox Saint King.

“Old monk, set up the formation here carefully; there must be no mistakes. This battle must be won, not lost!” The Azure Fox Saint King stepped out from the crowd and vanished into the depths of the storm in a blink of an eye.

The others followed Saint Huiguang, flying forward for a while, and from afar saw five celestial pillars standing upright on the sea. There were no islands beneath the celestial pillars; it was unknown what they were anchored to, but cultivators were meditating atop each one. The celestial pillars were made of extraordinary material, forged by the combined efforts of humans and demons. There were also five identical pillars and a group of formation guardians in the south, but they were temporarily unneeded.

Before approaching, the Avatar discerned some clues: “The Golden Rainbow Array, the Elemental Earth Restraint Array... all common Five Elements arrays in the cultivation world.” The Avatar couldn't help but think of the Five Elements Divine Restraints on Emperor's Peak. These arrays were not as profound as the Divine Restraints, but they had the advantage of being manually controlled, making them more flexible, and their creators were all masters.

Saint Huiguang made arrangements: the main controllers of the Five Elements Arrays were all eminent monks of the Buddhist sect. Additionally, various spirit arrays with different functions were set up in the periphery, creating an inescapable net. The array formations were soon completed.

Experts from various factions arrived successively, all following the Buddhist sect's arrangements. Some stayed in the periphery, where the pressure would be lighter. However, others, wishing to experience the fierce beast's might firsthand and reflect on themselves, entered the Five Elements Arrays. The Avatar chose to remain outside, but saw Mo Xingdao summoned into the Five Elements Array by Saint Huiguang.

“This humble monk and the Saint King must control the Five Elements to wield the Five Elements Coronet, making it difficult to be distracted. Once the fierce beast appears, we will need your assistance, fellow Daoist, to lure it into the trap with your puppet,” Saint Huiguang instructed Mo Xingdao.

With the assistance of many cultivators here, and several eminent Buddhist monks presiding over the arrays sharing the burden, two Spirit Transformation cultivators could manipulate the Five Elements Coronet, thus freeing Mo Xingdao's hands. Unlike the hunt in the Eight Scenery View, this time the bait had to continuously engage and adjust with the fierce beast. Others had to wait until the fierce beast was lured to the nexus of the grand array's energy before acting, allowing no room for error; only then could they achieve complete success. Besides the two Spirit Transformation cultivators, only the puppet, skilled in Yin-Yang evasion techniques, could accomplish this.

With the trap set, everyone focused on waiting for the fierce beast to appear. Unnoticed by anyone, someone quietly arrived nearby. Qin Sang was light as a swallow, bobbing on the water, maintaining a safe distance, his gaze fixed on the distance. After a moment of contemplation, Qin Sang slightly closed his eyes and remained still.

Days passed, but unexpectedly, a full month went by without the fierce beast appearing. Just as everyone was lost in thought, worried about a possible mishap, the Azure Fox Saint King finally returned.

“Whoosh!”

A green shadow sliced through the waves and rushed into the grand array. The Azure Fox Saint King's tone was grave as she said, “Be careful, the fierce beast's cultivation might be beyond the early Spirit Transformation stage!”

Saint Huiguang and Mo Xingdao's expressions turned serious upon hearing this, but they showed no intention of retreating. No matter how powerful this fierce beast was, they had to face the challenge. No one knew when the next fierce beast would arrive, and they couldn't afford to wait idly any longer.

“Fellow Daoist Mo…”

Saint Huiguang shifted his gaze. Mo Xingdao nodded, listened to the Azure Fox Saint King describe the fierce beast's divine abilities, and then flew out of the grand array alone, heading in the direction the Azure Fox Saint King indicated, with a shadow closely following him.

‘Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…’

Gale-force winds and towering waves continuously crashed against the celestial pillars, which slowly sank and plunged into the seabed. Everyone looked up at the depths of the storm, their minds taut with anticipation.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar shook the heavens and earth. Judging by the sound, the fierce beast was still some distance away. Yet the oppressive aura of the roar penetrated the storm, traveling across the water. Everyone felt incredibly suppressed, and many revealed expressions of horror, witnessing such a terrifying fierce beast for the first time in their lives.

“Roar! Roar!”

The roars grew closer and closer. Soon, cultivators skilled in spiritual sight techniques witnessed an anomaly. In the distance, waves surged and churned, and a colossal figure appeared in the storm.

Present were not only human cultivators but also demon kings of the demon race. Upon seeing the fierce beast's immense body, they all simultaneously thought of the renowned Dragon Whale Grand Sage of the Eastern Sea. The Dragon Whale Grand Sage possessed the bloodline of a dragon whale, revered as the Demon Race's foremost Grand Sage, independent of the Saint King Palace. Its true form was that of a dragon whale, its size unrivaled among the Eastern Sea demons, yet compared to this fierce beast, it seemed delicate and petite.

They saw a wall of water advancing towards them at an astonishing speed, and the sea behind it was pitch black. The blackness was the fierce beast's body, resembling a manta ray. Its two fleshy wings stretched endlessly, and a gentle flap would generate colossal waves like mountains, their might comparable to the collapse of heaven and earth, striking fear into all hearts.

In front of the fierce beast, a human figure flickered in and out of sight. Before the fierce beast, this figure appeared exceptionally tiny; a casual wave stirred up by the beast could shatter him to pieces. Yet, he was incredibly resilient, disappearing into thin air whenever an attack neared him, only to reappear ahead. The fierce beast was enraged by this elusive ‘little bug’ and relentlessly pursued him.

“Activate the array!” Everyone simultaneously received Saint Huiguang's warning. The Avatar's gaze deepened slightly as he looked towards the fierce beast, feeling its oppressive aura was even stronger than the one he encountered years ago.

‘Whoosh!’

The figure drawing the fierce beast flashed once more. When he reappeared, he was extremely close to the grand array and rushed through a gap deliberately left for him. As the puppet charged forward, it was suddenly enveloped in a shadow. Startled, everyone looked up and was horrified to find the fierce beast had ascended into the sky at some unknown moment. Its wings were like clouds hanging from the heavens, and its left wing, carrying astonishing wind pressure, aimed at the puppet and struck down fiercely. This was no ordinary wind pressure; it invoked the might of heaven and earth. Anyone else would have long lost the ability to resist, yet the puppet once again vanished into thin air.

The moment the puppet disappeared, a five-colored coronet suddenly appeared above the fierce beast. Comparing their sizes, the disparity was immense, but the fluctuations emanating from the coronet were in no way inferior. Saint Huiguang and the Azure Fox Saint King stood on opposite sides of the coronet. Simultaneously, the five peripheral celestial pillars surged out of the sea. The Five Elements Array displayed five distinct phenomena, clearly separated yet connected through the Five Elements Coronet. Together, all these phenomena formed a colossal five-colored canopy, shading the sky and covering the sun, enveloping the fierce beast from above.

‘Swish!’

The Five Elements Coronet burst forth with streams of light, appearing similar to before, yet possessing different powers. The divine light of positive and negative Five Elements: positive for suppression, negative for annihilation. Previously, the ancient demon had been intent on killing, using only the divine light of negative Five Elements from start to finish. Now, the priority was to imprison the fierce beast.

The five-colored streams of light instantly enveloped the fierce beast's entire body. Its black form immediately became vibrant and multi-hued, as layers of halos contracted, resembling successive cages. Not only that, but as the Five Elements Coronet unleashed its might, sounds of tearing air continuously echoed. Dragon-like iron chains shot into the array, connecting in pairs, crisscrossing, and entwining the fierce beast's body, also imbued with restrictive power. The Avatar was also one of those manipulating the iron chains.

Additionally, there were various other phenomena. Everyone worked in an orderly manner, and all the arrangements successively took effect, sealing off this area and the fierce beast that had crashed into it. Before this, anyone aware of the trap's full scope would have considered the cage impregnable.

However, what they witnessed next was a shocking sight. Just as the cage was forming, the fierce beast roared like thunder, and a vast surge of mist and waves suddenly erupted from its body, rushing skyward like a breached river, its power sufficient to shake heaven and earth.

‘Bang, bang, bang…’

More than half the iron chains snapped, the celestial pillars swayed, and while the Five Elements Coronet remained relatively stable, the two Spirit Transformation cultivators' bodies trembled.

Mo Xingdao appeared in the distance, watching the scene before him with lingering fear. Luring the fierce beast had been fraught with peril multiple times, exhausting all the treasures given to him by the two Spirit Transformation cultivators. He took several pills, rapidly recovered, and simultaneously flew towards the battlefield.

Just as he was about to merge with the grand array, he suddenly heard a spiritual transmission: “Fellow Daoist Mo, do you have the Numen Rhinoceros Immortal Fruit with you?” It was Qin Sang, who, seeing the opportune moment, decided to trade now!

Mo Xingdao paused slightly, his eyes flashing with surprise. “Did you bring the Five Elements Pill, fellow Daoist?”

After a brief exchange, Mo Xingdao remained on the periphery of the battlefield, remotely controlling his puppet to assist everyone. At this point, the clash between the two sides had reached its most intense stage. The fierce beast unleashed its immense power, but the other side had meticulously set up a trap, with Spirit Transformation cultivators overseeing it. How could it be easily breached? After the initial scramble, they gradually figured out the fierce beast's attack patterns and quickly adjusted. The chains converged and snapped, over and over countless times. The Avatar and others manipulating the chains were also greatly exhausted.

“Prepare to merge the arrays!” Saint Huiguang solemnly warned. This was a critical step that would determine victory or defeat. If successful, there would be a fifty percent chance of capturing the fierce beast alive. Of course, merging the arrays also carried hidden dangers.

“Fellow Daoist Liu…” The Avatar looked at a tall, slender Daoist nearby. This person was an elder of the Qiongying Sect, reportedly from an overseas immortal island. The cultivator surnamed Liu understood and took over control of the iron chains from the Avatar. Similar rotations were occurring elsewhere.

Those relieved retreated to recover, but the Avatar retreated further and further, then plunged headlong into the depths of the storm zone without looking back, making his escape. Some noticed his actions, their eyes wide with disbelief. Despite it being a critical moment for merging the arrays, the Azure Fox Saint King still cast a glance, a flicker of disdain in her eyes, choosing to ignore him.

Just as Mo Xingdao felt bewildered and perplexed, a voice suddenly echoed in his ear: “Fellow Daoist Mo, I trust you are well.” The voice was close at hand. Mo Xingdao's spine tensed, a chill ran through his body, and he whipped his head around to see a figure had appeared beside him at some unknown point.

“You…” He had never imagined Qin Sang would dare to let his true body appear! No, it wasn't his true body. It was an illusory figure formed by spiritual consciousness. This wasn't a simple spiritual consciousness manifestation; it had actually condensed into a true form! Mo Xingdao fully extended his spiritual sense, growing even more alarmed. This person's true self must be nearby, yet he had felt nothing at all.

The illusory figure held a jade bottle in its hand, smiling as it looked at Mo Xingdao. Mo Xingdao remained silent and took out the Numen Rhinoceros Immortal Fruit. Confirming both parties' treasures were genuine, the illusory figure flashed and vanished, its destination unknown, leaving only the words: “Thank you for your cooperation, fellow Daoist. We shall meet again!”

Mo Xingdao remained silent, looking at the fiercely contested battlefield. He wasn't sure if the two Spirit Transformation cultivators had discovered Qin Sang. Finally, he turned to gaze at the endless storm, remained silent for a moment, and let out a faint sigh.

In the distance, the true body and the Avatar converged, put away their treasures, and departed without reluctance, piercing through the air.

“There were no demon kings in ambush…” Qin Sang was somewhat surprised. To avoid further complications, he chose to trade now, shrewdly selecting the critical moment of the array merge. He had expected the Azure Fox Saint King might order her subordinate demon kings to set an ambush, and Qin Sang wouldn't have minded casually killing a few demon kings to enrich his treasury. Unexpectedly, the Azure Fox Saint King truly upheld her promise.

Little did he know, despite bearing the title of Saint King, the Azure Fox Saint King lacked the actual power of one. Her bloodlust was too severe, and she neglected external affairs. While the major demon clans of the Eastern Sea feared her, their obedience was only superficial; in reality, they secretly colluded and feigned compliance. The Azure Fox Saint King had few reliable demons under her command, and other demon kings might not have been willing to offend a powerful enemy for her sake.

The journey was unimpeded. After exiting the storm zone, Qin Sang stopped thinking further and returned directly to Luye. Spirit gathering arrays, pills, spiritual materials... All the various treasures were put away, but Qin Sang did not inspect them first. There was one matter he had long been impatient about, waiting only for his Avatar's return.

Luye changed direction, heading directly west along the edge of the Northern Sea, until it neared the storm zone, stopping in an uninhabited area to the west. Qin Sang and his Avatar flew out of Luye and entered a desolate mountain range. This was the location Qin Sang had specifically chosen to summon Outer Demons.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Two figures flew above a basin. The Nethermoon Guards stationed in the basin sensed their arrival and flew up to salute.

“Patrol the surroundings; no one is allowed to approach!” Qin Sang commanded in a deep voice, landing on the ground.

In the basin stood several black, square high platforms, their material indistinguishable. There were seven high platforms in total, surprisingly arranged according to the positions of the Big Dipper constellation. There were no visible connections between the platforms, yet an inexplicable spiritual aura constantly flowed among them.

This was precisely the ritual altar required by the 'Heavenly Demon Reflection Sutra.' More accurately, it was a special array capable of breaking through an invisible barrier to summon Outer Demons. Qin Sang flashed to land at the position directly opposite the ladle's handle. The Avatar also moved closer, standing behind Qin Sang. While serving as a protector, it was also ready to take his place or avert disaster at any moment.

Qin Sang sat cross-legged on the ground, his mind drawn inward. He meditated for a long time, silently performing the secret technique from the 'Heavenly Demon Reflection Sutra.' The next moment, one of the seven high platforms glowed with black light. Above the platform, within the black light, a mass of black mist twisted erratically. Then, the second high platform showed an anomaly. The order in which the platforms transformed did not strictly follow their distance from Qin Sang; no clear pattern could be discerned.

As more and more platforms transformed, masses of black mist enveloped Qin Sang. His consciousness subsequently plunged into a deep haze, seemingly pulled by a strange force into the depths of boundless void. He heard strange sounds, not human voices, as if many peculiar energies were gurgling and flowing within the void. His mind remained clear; he did not get lost because of this, focusing on recalling the sutra. According to the sutra's description, when the secret art was complete and touched upon the Outer Demons, there would be a special sensation.

However, as time passed, and the secret art was completed, Qin Sang did not sense anything unusual. Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Qin Sang suddenly felt a chill descend upon him.

“It’s here!”