Chapter 2396: True Great Way

"Supreme Immortal, what do we do now?"

In the void, gale-force winds raged. A red light and a purple light flew side-by-side, enveloping several figures—Yuanluo and the other demons. Compared to the vast army they started with, only a few remained now, consisting solely of the direct lineages from Scarlet Meteorite Mountain and Moonmire Tundra.

Even in front of their trusted followers, the three demons, including Yuanluo, remained extremely cautious. They unfurled a precious banner to seal off their surroundings before activating a golden talisman to summon the Supreme Immortal.

Just moments ago, they had led the demon soldiers in forming a large array. As soon as they activated it, they sensed a hidden spiritual array deep underground. The two arrays resonated with each other, and a sudden enlightenment struck them, instantly revealing what they needed to do. They then commanded the demon soldiers to operate the array with full power.

This action indeed triggered a response from the underground spiritual array. The two arrays perfectly aligned, initiating profound transformations. Their figures gradually faded within a purple mist. In fact, they hadn't felt anything themselves, believing they were still in place until they suddenly realized that everything around them had changed.

The clear blue sky, the vast reed marsh, and the observing demons outside had all vanished. Unaware that they had fallen deep underground, they only saw an unknown void, where swirling masses of grey shadows danced wildly like a horde of devils, and terrifying gale-force winds roared everywhere.

These gale-force winds, known as the Profound Heavenly Gales of the Nine Heavens, were supposed to exist high above. The demon soldiers even believed they had been transported to the heavens. Before they could react, the grand array began to collapse from its core formation eye, signifying that Yuanluo and her companions had intentionally disbanded it!

Even Void Refinement cultivators had to avoid the edge of the Profound Heavenly Gales. The demon soldiers, with a maximum cultivation of only Nascent Soul, immediately got swept into the winds, panicking and causing widespread chaos as they lost the array's protection. Yet, Yuanluo and the other demons chose to observe indifferently.

No one expected Scarlet Meteorite Mountain and Moonmire Tundra to betray them so quickly. The demon soldiers were utterly disoriented on the spot, struggling merely to protect themselves. Thus, without Yuanluo and her group needing to act directly, these unrelated demon cultivators were flung out by the gale-force winds, leading to the scene witnessed outside earlier.

There were exceptions, of course. The palaces of the White Dragon King and the Pestilence Lord could withstand the gale-force winds and travel against them. To ensure the cooperation of the local powers, Yuanluo and the other demons had made promises to the White Dragon King and the Pestilence Lord. Therefore, it was inconvenient to drive them away at this moment, allowing them to follow behind.

However, keeping up with Yuanluo and her group in the midst of the gale-force winds was not easy for the two palaces. Behind the two streams of light, two inconspicuous specks of light could faintly be seen. The two palaces vigorously pursued, but could only barely manage to stay at the very rear.

Under the precious banner, Yuanluo held the golden talisman and sought instructions from the Supreme Immortal. This area of Profound Heavenly Gales was extraordinarily vast; they had flown for a long time without seeing its end. After disbanding the demon soldiers, they lost their connection to the underground spiritual array. Now, like headless flies, they didn't know where to fly.

Fortunately, the Supreme Immortal quickly responded, "Hmm... you're inside. Did everything go smoothly?"

"Thankfully, no unexpected problems arose, but this junior doesn't know where we are now, nor how to open the great door you mentioned," Yuanluo briefly described their predicament.

The Supreme Immortal had anticipated this. "You can now take out the astrolabe I instructed you to refine."

Upon hearing this, the cousin pair immediately produced a black square disk. It appeared to be forged from metal, resembling a compass at first glance, but its surface displayed various celestial patterns instead of trigrams.

The stars within the astrolabe glimmered faintly. All three demons deliberately avoided looking directly at it, having previously tried and felt it could pull their consciousness in, which was extremely dangerous.

All the stars of the heavens were contained within the small astrolabe.

"I shall impart a method to you; listen carefully..."

Next, the Supreme Immortal transmitted a sophisticated incantation to them. The incantation was not difficult to understand, but as Yuanluo and the other two demons listened further, deep confusion appeared on their faces.

"Supreme Immortal, this method seems to be..." Yuanluo trailed off, hesitating.

The Supreme Immortal scoffed, "This is what you call the old method. If you hadn't all cultivated the minor path of body refinement, it wouldn't be this troublesome."

"You mean our cultivation is the minor path?" The three demons were astonished. It was widely accepted that ancient demon methods had significant flaws, and the cultivation world had long since abandoned the old ways for new ones. It was said that remnants of the old methods still existed in the Southern Realm, but as disciples of Demon Sages, they would certainly not forsake what was near for what was far.

"Of course, it's a minor path!" The Supreme Immortal declared decisively, then sighed, "It's not your fault; minor paths are prevalent in the outside world now. When the Demon Court fell, the ancient sages, in their fear, mistakenly believed a minor path was the true Great Dao, clouding their vision and causing harm even to this day! It's regrettable that now, with the true Dao manifesting, which should be the best time to set things right, there are still some ignorant fools who, for their own selfish interests or the interests of their clan, eliminate dissent and suppress the true Dao..."

What the Supreme Immortal said afterward deviated from reality, leaving the three demons utterly confused. They only understood one thing: the Supreme Immortal also had adversaries in the outside world, and this involved a dispute over the Great Dao.

The core of this doctrinal dispute seemed to lie between the old methods and the new methods! Yet, it was widely accepted that the path of the old methods was broken; not a single current Demon Sage, including the two behind them, had achieved enlightenment through the old methods. Why then did the Supreme Immortal insist that the old methods were the true Dao?

However, this was not the right time to ask questions. The three demons quickly grasped the content of the incantation, then heard the Supreme Immortal say, "Summon your Dharma Idols."

The new demon methods used Dharma Idols to nourish the physical body, constantly drawing power from the idols during cultivation. Given the three demons' cultivation levels, their physical bodies were nearly at their peak, and their Dharma Idols were already mere shells. Once the Dharma Idols fully merged with their physical bodies, it would signify their true entry into the realm of Demon Sages.

Obeying the command, the three demons summoned their Dharma Idols: a fiery spiritual bird and two purple rhinos, one large and one small. Though majestic, the idols were as ephemeral and illusory as phantoms.

*Crack, crack, crack...* The three demons circulated the vital energy and blood within their bodies, their bones popping. As their physical essence poured into their Dharma Idols, the idols immediately solidified, regaining their majestic power. In contrast, their main bodies became much weaker.

The three Dharma Idols encircled the astrolabe. Closing their eyes and focusing their minds, they silently activated the incantation, instantly feeling their consciousness stretched infinitely, falling into the boundless starry sky.

Vast, desolate, silent... This feeling was not unfamiliar, as the new methods also utilized astral power for body tempering. However, compared to their usual cultivation, this was a completely different sensation; it must be what practicing ancient demon methods felt like.

The Supreme Immortal had them simulate ancient demon methods through this incantation, and it was effective. The astrolabe began to change, starting to shine with starlight. The three Dharma Idols bathed in the starlight, yet their consciousness roamed aimlessly and boundlessly through the starry sky.

Suddenly, they sensed a mysterious power emanating from the astrolabe before them, guiding them towards a certain direction.

"Found it!" Yuanluo exclaimed softly, her voice filled with delight.

Before her words fully faded, the astrolabe in front of them rotated, its pointer aiming directly behind Yuanluo.

*Swish!* The astrolabe suddenly shot forth a beam of white light. The light pierced through the precious banner's seal and disappeared deep into the Profound Heavenly Gales.

Yuanzhen and the other demons, who had been on alert, were startled. They looked up sharply and saw that where the white light pointed, the Profound Heavenly Gales were slowly parting to either side.

Behind the gales was absolute darkness, and then ethereal light emerged, reminding them of starlight in the night sky. The starlight grew brighter and brighter, as if something was about to appear.

"Go!" Yuanluo's command came from within the precious banner. Yuanzhen and the other demons immediately carried the banner and flew towards the starlight.

The Profound Heavenly Gales swirled, opening a path for them. Gradually, they finally saw the scene deep within the starlight.

Within the starlight stood two towering doors, with no walls or pavilions around them. The doors simply stood there abruptly, immensely tall, like a celestial star gate. The demons seemed extraordinarily tiny before them, able only to gaze upwards.

The doors were covered in chaotic carvings, like traces left after a great battle. However, the doors themselves were undamaged and currently sealed shut.

Soon, the demons discerned some unusual patterns from the chaotic markings.

"This is a pig..." "That looks like a spiritual swallow!" The demons made their own discoveries; the doors had originally been adorned with images of spirit beasts, now identified as pigs, swallows, bats...

"The Northern Seven Mansions!" Yuanzhen exclaimed softly, realizing that the star gate was actually adorned with the Northern Seven Stellar Officials: Dou Muxie (Dipper Wood Sea-Creature), Niu Jinniu (Ox Gold Ox), Nu Tufu (Girl Earth Bat), Xu Rishu (Emptiness Sun Rat), Wei Yueyan (Rooftop Moon Swallow), Shi Huozhu (Encampment Fire Pig), and Bi Shuiyu (Wall Water Gryphon)!

At that moment, the precious banner in the midst of the demons suddenly unfurled, revealing Yuanluo and the other two demons. They held the astrolabe, facing the star gate directly.

The next moment, a brilliant starlight shot from the gap between the star doors, and the doors slowly began to open.

The starlight was dazzling, and even using their spiritual eye abilities, the demons couldn't clearly see the scene inside. They were all secretly astonished.

As soon as a gap appeared in the star gate, Yuanluo gave a command, and the demons filed in.

Shortly after they entered the star gate, the Crystal Palace and the Cloud Gold Pagoda were drawn by the commotion. They arrived one after another, paused briefly outside, and then entered the star gate.

At this point, the demons outside had all entered the underground, seizing demon soldiers and interrogating them about the movements of Scarlet Meteorite Mountain and Moonmire Tundra.

The blue-robed youth was the fastest, leading the way, but several streaks of light were hot on his heels.

Glancing upwards, the blue-robed youth's expression subtly hardened. He lowered his gaze, his vision filled with darkness, yet some kind of ripple lingered within it.

*Swish!* The blue-robed youth suddenly stopped, then moved sideways, instantly appearing at another spot. He raised his palm, and a faint blue light emanated from his palm, resembling ripples on water under sunlight.

As the blue light rippled, the blue-robed youth sensed an invisible barrier in the void. Touching the barrier, he faintly perceived the aura of the Profound Heavenly Gales from the other side.

Had he not learned about the situation on the other side from the demon soldiers, the blue-robed youth would not have dared to rush in. Now, however, he had fewer reservations.

The blue-robed youth quickly glanced around, seeing a few other demon cultivators making similar moves. He no longer hesitated and stepped through the barrier.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...* The Profound Heavenly Gales swept towards him. The youth's robe flapped violently; the blue robe was a magical garment, and as it billowed, it dispelled the impact of the gales.

The blue-robed youth surveyed his surroundings, seeing the gale-force winds everywhere. He frowned slightly, then immediately performed a divine ability: his ears inflated to the size of cattail fans. With a gentle flutter, the blue-robed youth immediately understood and headed straight for the star gate.

Afterward, more demon cultivators entered, each displaying their unique abilities, and one after another, they discovered the location of the star gate.

Before long, the blue-robed youth arrived before the star gate and quickly discerned that the Northern Seven Stellar Officials were depicted on it.

"Huh? These celestial patterns... could it be..." The blue-robed youth hesitated.

By comparison, ancient demon methods placed greater emphasis on celestial patterns, and this gate didn't appear to be a recent creation. Could this be the ruins of an ancient demon cultivator?

"Perhaps only such ancient ruins could have remained hidden in the Lotus Crossing Great Marsh for so long! Could the two Great Sages from Scarlet Meteorite Mountain and Moonmire Tundra be trapped in here?" the blue-robed youth mused, his expectations immediately diminishing.

Ancient ruins would certainly contain treasures and inheritances related to ancient demon methods, which held little significance for them. Only if they were fortunate enough to obtain treasures of the Demon Sage level or even greater rarity might they gain some enlightenment.

However, his true objective was not here, and he believed the few individuals behind him shared the same sentiment.

The second demon cultivator arrived at the star gate just as they saw the blue-robed youth entering. Subsequently, more and more demon cultivators arrived, all of them top-tier experts, who would observe the gate for a moment before entering.

However, after the first wave, the number of arriving demon cultivators sharply decreased.

It turned out that most demon cultivators were blocked by the Profound Heavenly Gales, which posed a considerable problem even for Void Refinement cultivators.

Lacking the blue-robed youth's powerful strength and divine abilities, they were immediately disoriented upon entering. Unable to sense the star gate's direction, they could only brave the Profound Heavenly Gales and search around. By the time they found the star gate, they were already far behind.

As for some arrogant Nascent Soul demon cultivators who dared to follow in, hoping to benefit from the chaos, they couldn't even stand firm amidst the gale-force winds.

Nearly all the attracted Demon Kings had entered. The remaining demons outside were powerless to resist the Profound Heavenly Gales, yet unwilling to leave. Many lingered stubbornly.

"This place is probably going to turn into a lake!" The demons noticed that after the reed marsh collapsed, water from all directions was converging.

*Swish, swish, swish...* *Rumble!* The water transformed into countless waterfalls, pouring down. The Lotus Crossing Great Marsh had no shortage of water, and it flowed in continuously. Despite the enormous cavern, it would soon be filled. A layer of water had already accumulated underground and was rising at a visible rate.

"Huh? The fluctuations of the Profound Heavenly Gales have disappeared..." a demon cultivator exclaimed in surprise. "I've lost the sensation too!" "Perhaps the secret realm has closed again. We can't even get in; it was never something we could covet!" "What a pity..."

Opportunities were fleeting. The demons, resigned, flew out of the underground cavern, only then realizing the extent of the destruction they had caused; the once flourishing reed marsh was now gone without a trace.

Most demon cultivators, knowing their chances were hopeless and fearing getting caught in a later Demon King battle, chose to leave the troubled area. A few, however, remained to observe.

As time passed, the water level below steadily rose, eventually completely filling the cavern and leveling with the surrounding water, transforming into a vast, boundless lake. The lake water covered all traces, and everything seemed to have returned to peace. Yet, for a long time, none of the Demon Kings emerged from below, as if they had all been swallowed by that underground grand array.

Some, growing impatient, left one after another.

Still, some demon cultivators remained steadfast, though none of them noticed that after the lake had filled, subtle fluctuations occasionally swept across the area, as if someone from a distant place had cast a glance, observing but not taking action.