The Venerable One: All In, Entire Force Deployed

The initial cleaning of the Array Foundation is a relatively simple task.

All you need to do is remove the remaining Spirit Stone, rinse them with a special Spirit Liquid, and then mark all the damaged areas with paint.

However, these three seemingly simple steps...

In reality, it was extremely difficult, to the point that even the Arhat in the entire temple couldn't help.

The first step is very simple; almost any disciple could handle it.

However, starting from the second step, the difficulty will gradually increase.

It should be noted that even the replaceable Normal Array Foundation used as the Array Foundation of Fifth-Order Grand Array are made of top-quality spiritual materials.

Therefore, although they don't look very big.

Even the lightest piece weighs over 800,000 jin (400 tons), and many others weigh over a million jin (500 tons).

If one doesn't have the cultivation level of Nascent Soul cultivator or a Golden Core Body Cultivator, they almost can't even lift it.

However, the most difficult part is actually the third step.

While the earlier stages could be resolved through cultivation, this final step tests a cultivator's sensitivity to the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power, as well as the Spiritual Sense Strength.

In the vast majority of cases.

Only Fourth-Order Cultivator can rely on their powerful Divine Sense to observe and find the subtle damage.

"Daoist Zhang, don't you find this strange?"

Xiao Chen was puzzled by this. "A large portion of these Array Foundation clearly did not use spiritual materials that can Block Spiritual Sense."

"However, they can still interfere with external Divine Sense from probing, forming a natural barrier."

"This made it impossible to entrust this task to the disciples."

Zhang Shouquan shook his head. "Not surprising at all, there's definitely a reason for this."

He turned around with a smile, left hand on his hip, right hand outstretched. "Want to know what's going on?"

"Give me the books first."

However, to his surprise, Xiao Chen neither refused nor presented the book after hearing this.

Instead, she suddenly widened her eyes and looked him up and down.

A perfectly timed look of surprise crossed his face, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Chen's expression changed. "I always thought you were very skilled in formations."

"So you didn't know either!"

"For such a simple, basic question, I actually have to study the tips and Secret Manual someone else gave me first."

"Are you sure you can handle this? If not, I'll go and call Daoist Gang Yuan back for help."

Um?

Zhang Shouquan was taken aback. "Who are you saying can't?"

Why do you have to doubt my skill level in formations?

He immediately retorted, "How could I not know such a simple, basic question?"

"The art of Path of Arrays is to emulate nature. Each high-level Array Foundation carries the design philosophy of the Array Master and his personal insights into cultivation."

"Fifth-Order Grand Array already involves the understanding of the Great Dao; how could it possibly be something that Third Tier Cultivator can comprehend?"

"Of course, only Nascent Soul True Lord can handle it."

After saying that, Zhang Shouquan proudly raised his chin.

Xiao Chen offered appropriate encouragement. "Wow, you even know this? You're really amazing! I'm impressed!"

Zhang Shouquan turned his head. "Then what do you think?"

He then reached out again, demanding, "Now can you give me the book?"

He hadn't realized it yet.

Xiao Chen hadn't actually agreed to give it to him after answering the question.

But since he already wants the classics...

Xiao Chen stopped joking and went along with it.

Then I started my task of cleaning up the Array Foundation of the formation.

Judging from the previous situation, Zen Master Jing Chi is really working hard. Let's not just joke around, but seriously help him share some of the burden.

It is worth mentioning.

Although Xiao Chen wasn't very helpful in the subsequent repair of the Array Foundation.

But he still listened to the explanation and memorized all the words written in that book.

Since cultivators have good memories anyway, let's memorize it first.

You never know when you might need it.

In addition, after cleaning the Array Foundation piled up in the Warehouse, Xiao Chen also participated in refining spirit ore.

Just like the Illuminating Void Sect did back then, they forcibly used their true essence to repeatedly wash away most of the Impurities in the spirit ore.

Thanks to the exceptional quality of its true essence, the purification effect was quite good, and it was of great help.

Ultimately, with the help of the three of them, Zen Master Jing Chi's efficiency in repairing the Array Foundation was greatly improved.

Over the course of half a month, not only were several damaged Array Foundation repaired in a timely manner, but also a small portion of the previously replaced Spare Array Foundation were repaired.

The most direct manifestation of this was that Zen Master Jing Chi not only had time to rest.

They can even find time to participate in the defensive rotations.

In contrast, the Sea Race ' attacks have been slow to yield results.

They had already estimated that the formation of Universal Salvation Temple was about to collapse, but they couldn't wait for the chain reaction to occur.

At first, the Sea Race wondered if there had been a calculation error.

However, after half a month...

They have also realized that either the intelligence they obtained from the Human Race Traitor three years ago was problematic in itself.

Either Universal Salvation Temple has already received support.

Ironically, even at this point, there were still some Golden Core cultivator among the Human Race who secretly defected to the Sea Race and acted as spies.

They exchange cultivation resources for helping them gather intelligence.

However, due to their lower cultivation level, information is often transmitted much more slowly.

The Battle of the Shallow Sky Sea ended almost a month ago, and it took several trips to finally deliver the news to His Venerable One.

Of course, there are advantages to delaying it.

That means the content is clearer and more comprehensive.

For example, intelligence reports mentioned that Xiao Chen successfully dismantled the Thirty-Six Revolving Cold Smoke Golden Talisman through Yang Fire Evil and a fortuitous encounter.

The message came from what the Iron Fan True Monarch himself told his disciples.

This was to prove that the Human Race's Fortune was unbroken and that they were still blessed by Heaven, thereby encouraging the disciples to believe that the Human Race would surely win and that this battle would be won.

"Xiao... Chen".

The Venerable One held the intelligence report and softly read out the name of the culprit; "It's you again."

"You killed Huang Er, and you destroyed the Illuminating Void Sect."

"You were the one who saved the Sword Hut, and you were also the one who destroyed the Shallow Sky Sea."

He murmured and shook his head, slowly exhaling a long breath. "So there really are people in this world who can Born to Face Tribulation."

Then he looked up at the starry sky and wondered, "Could it be that fate truly exists in this world, and everything is predetermined by cause and effect?"

His Venerable One didn't believe in this before; he only believed in his own fists and bloodline.

But now, he's really starting to waver.

It wasn't just because of Xiao Chen, but also because back when the decision was made to attack the Compassion Sea.

One of his few close friends Zhe Yuan, had expressed his opposition.

It was a sea spider that had lived for over nine thousand years and possessed strength comparable to a Nascent Soul Great Perfection, but it had always hidden in an extremely deep Sea Abyss in the Far Sea, afraid to come out.

What he said at the time was, "The time is not yet ripe; we have not yet accumulated enough strength."

"It would be best to be patient for a while longer and then completely take that step."

At that time, His Venerable One simply thought he was afraid, and also because he was eager to seize the initiative.

He then gathered the Fourth-Order great demon and Golden Core Sea Fish he encountered along the way, forming a coalition army to attack the Compassion Sea.

But things have developed to this point.

He had to admit, "Perhaps Zhe Yuan is right; I was too impatient."

Actually, this story begins about three hundred years ago.

Long before the abnormal Spiritual Qi was detected on the Compassion Sea side, the Great Demon of the Far Sea had already noticed that the concentration of the Spiritual Qi Tide was changing every morning.

And this change has become increasingly apparent over time.

Under such circumstances, in those unknown places, round after round of bloody competition quickly erupted.

In the vast, Endless Sea, the most primal and brutal process of natural selection began first.

Countless Sea Fish and Sea Beast were defeated in the battle and turned into a pile of minced meat.

However, many more Sea Fish mutated, and many more defeated Sea Fish own kind, plundering their Essence Blood to break through to a higher realm.

To some extent, the Venerable One also enjoyed the benefits of the Spiritual Qi Tide.

Over a period of more than two hundred years, he successively eliminated a total of thirty-three fools who dared to challenge him.

Each one, when placed in the outside world, is equivalent to a Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator.

The number of ordinary Fourth-Order great demon they hunted on a regular basis was countless; they had forgotten the exact number.

Thus, he acquired a vast territory and became a regional overlord.

He even tamed three Giant Sea Beast as pets and mounts to show off his power.

And after absorbing so much Flesh and Blood Essence, the Venerable One finally broke through the limits of his bloodline and took a firm step toward the fifth rank.

But that's precisely where the problem lies.

His extremely thin Dragon Bloodline greatly hampered him, ultimately preventing him from fully overcoming that hurdle.

This is a very big difference between Demon Beast and Human Race.

For Human Race, even those born with Spirit Body need to begin their cultivation by refining Qi Refining.

However, for the Demon Race, as long as their bloodline is strong enough, they can be born with power comparable to Foundation Establishment or even Golden Core.

For example, the Jin Luan Clan possesses power equivalent to that of Golden Core cultivator from birth.

As long as they survive to adulthood, they can directly bypass the bottleneck between the Major Realm and enter the fourth rank without any hindrance.

However, bloodline is also the biggest constraint for all non-pure-blooded Demon Race.

The vast majority of them reach the peak of their lives the moment they reach adulthood.

If one cannot break through the limits of bloodline, even after thousands or tens of thousands of years, it will be difficult to improve even half a step further.

His Venerable One encountered such a problem.

He was a Flood Dragon, but one whose bloodline was not pure, even somewhat Flood Dragon.

Reaching the fourth rank was already a struggle, and it had essentially exhausted the potential within his bloodline.

This caused him to be stuck on the edge of the fifth tier, and he remained stuck there for more than 30 years, unable to break through completely.

Under these circumstances, the Venerable One also had a serendipitous encounter.

He unexpectedly obtained a Storage Ring left behind by Human Race cultivators during the Great Exploration Period.

They also found a nautical chart and a legacy inside.

Thus, it was discovered that there were many islands and Spirit Vein far to the west, including a large Spirit Vein comparable to a fifth-order one.

Meanwhile, a large Human Race also lived there, many of whom were cultivators.

It's just like how Human Race think that Demon Race are treasures from head to toe, and can all be used as spiritual materials.

For Great Demon, Human Race cultivators are simply natural Blood Food.

If we can devour enough Human Race cultivators, we can then seize that pseudo- Fifth-Order Spirit Vein.

The Venerable One would have a greater chance of breaking free from the shackles of bloodline and ascending to become Fifth-Order Demon Venerable.

And he has the ability!

Although he only took half a step, he still gained power far exceeding the limit of the fourth tier.

As long as the Spirit Transformation doesn't occur, no one in the Compassion Sea can stop him.

With this thought in mind, the Venerable One visited his few close friends, seeking their help to jointly invade the Compassion Sea.

As a result, Zhe Yuan rejected him.

The others, having grown much stronger over the past century, turned their backs on him and engaged in a fierce battle.

The Venerable One is very strong; he successfully swallowed the first few traitors whole.

But when he arrived at the last place, he did not find his old friend, but instead encountered another predator who had taken over the nest.

They engaged in a fierce battle the moment they met.

Unfortunately, that predator was also quite powerful, almost on par with the Venerable One.

The fierce battle lasted for half a month, and finally, the Venerable One was severely injured and on the verge of death, and won with great difficulty.

Although he suppressed his injuries by devouring his opponent, he was still severely weakened.

He will be almost unable to engage in any more intense battles, and it will likely take decades to fully recover from his injuries.

In the past, His Venerable One would have had no choice but to hide in a corner.

But now things are different; he knows that in the far west, there is a place called the Sea of the Compassion Sea.

There is plenty of Blood Food there, as well as many things called pills and Spirit Liquid that can help heal injuries.

If he can take that place, he can quickly recover from his injuries and advance even further!

On one hand, they hide, hoping to avoid being discovered by another apex predator and thus become its prey.

On one hand, there are expeditions to hunt weaker Human Race and gain opportunities for advancement.

His Venerable One set off for the west side almost without hesitation.

After all, although he was injured, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, and he was still stronger than many ordinary Fourth-Order great demon.

Moreover, in the Far Sea, while Fourth-Order great demon are not exactly abundant, they are not difficult to find.

As long as he can gather enough cannon fodder for his own use, victory is not just wishful thinking.

In fact, the initial situation almost entirely aligned with His Venerable One's plan.

The raid went exceptionally smoothly. Just as the Bloodline Memory and the inheritance had described, those Human Race cultivators were greedy, short-sighted, and fought their own battles.

With just a little cultivation resources, one can easily recruit many traitors.

There were even fools like the Illuminating Void Sect who were swayed by petty gains and willingly allowed themselves to be used by him.

Under such circumstances.

His Venerable One successfully collected a considerable amount of fourth-tier Wood-element Spirit Liquid, which greatly accelerated the recovery speed of his injuries.

If things continue smoothly from here on out, that would be wonderful.

But things in this world often don't go as he wishes.

A guy named Xiao Chen suddenly appeared out of nowhere, completely disrupting his plans and causing him to perform a series of astonishing feats.

In the end, he almost single-handedly pushed the invasion to the brink of failure.

He even wasted a precious golden talisman that he had obtained from a ruin in his early years.

His Venerable One only regretted that he was not at his peak condition and could not personally crush this despicable little thief to death.

If he hadn't been injured, none of this nonsense would have happened.

"Alas, one wrong step leads to another."

His Venerable One sighed deeply, "The tide has turned, and fate is sealed."

Now, the Compassion Sea Human Race are united and advancing triumphantly.

The Sea Race, however, had lost the initial momentum that came with their sudden appearance, and various minor problems began to surface due to their hasty assembly.

Given this shift in power dynamics, continuing the stalemate would make it difficult to see any hope of victory.

"But I'm not willing to accept this."

His Venerable One's voice trembled almost imperceptibly.

His voice was very low, so low that almost only he could hear it. "Rather than make a humiliating exit, let's go all out!"

In fact, he learned the phrase "go all out" from his Human Race's tradition.

His Venerable One likes these four words very much, because he has reached this place today through one life-and-death battle after another.

Since we've already suffered heavy losses, we might as well take one last gamble rather than retreat.

If we can win this gamble, we can take down Universal Salvation Temple.

The previous losses are no longer important; he will devour the Blood Food to heal his injuries, thus winning everything directly.

With the Compassion Sea as his new territory, he can then accumulate even more power and build an even stronger force.

Then, following the directions mentioned in the materials seized over the past few years, we continued westward, heading towards the legendary Storm Sea, and even the Southern Domain and Central Region.

To conquer more territory, acquire more Blood Food, and gain greater power.

Thus, they can seize the initiative and gain an advantage in the upcoming major changes.

Only in this way can he avoid missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity due to injury.

After all, the Endless Sea is simply too vast.

The Venerable One is not naive enough to believe that he alone could encounter Human Race relics and think of hunting Human Race cultivators for Blood Food.

He must accomplish the above series of objectives before other top predators realize this opportunity.

After careful consideration.

Instead, His Venerable One became even more determined to take the plunge.

Next, he will stake everything and lead all the Great Demon in a personal charge into battle.

The Daoist Sect cultivators were still patrolling the perimeter; they certainly wouldn't have imagined he had the courage to Mutual Destruction.

This is his best chance to turn the tide before the Human Race is fully united.

"Order to halt the attack."

His Venerable One's gaze hardened. "Tell everyone, it's time for this war to end."

"We will rest for six hours, and then at midnight, I will personally lead everyone to attack the Universal Salvation Temple formation."

After clarifying the situation and giving instructions to his subordinates...

His Venerable One then sat atop the Nautilus and gradually clenched his fist.

It was only at this moment that he began to feel silent anger over Shallow Sky Sea's defeat.

In other words, all those useless trash had already died in battle; otherwise, he would have loved to devour them all alive.

In particular, he only obtained three gold talismans in total from that ruin.

I used one card in the middle, so I only had two left.

It's simply unacceptable that such a precious item was wasted.

Once it's done, he'll definitely capture Xiao Chen and pay with his life.

It was soon past midnight.

Before launching the attack, His Venerable One, unusually, stood before the Demonic Beasts to give a pep talk. "The success or failure of the past three years hinges on this one battle."

"I hope to see everyone at their bravest tonight, and to share the Blood Food hidden within the formation with you all before sunrise."

"Furthermore, all the rewards I promised you after the victory will be doubled!"

"Charge!"

At his command, the demons below became excited.

You should know that His Venerable One had promised them an extremely generous reward.

If it could double again, it would be an unimaginable fortune, even for Fourth-Order great demon.

Moreover, they all firmly believed that the Venerable One, who was practically Half-step Demon Venerable, would never deceive them.

In fact, in this respect, the credibility of Demon Beast is stronger than that of Human Race who go back on their word.

Even His Venerable One did not lie completely.

Although he promised far more spiritual items than he already possessed, he did not completely deceive his Demonic Beasts.

After all, only the Great Demon who survived could receive the reward.

At that time, only a small fraction of them will likely be qualified.

Furthermore, the large sum of money gained from conquering Universal Salvation Temple would be enough for him to fulfill his promise.

As for failure, there's naturally no need to worry about rewards.

So after six hours of peace...

In the dead of night, under the dim moonlight, the Sea Race launched their final battle against Universal Salvation Temple.

"Thump! Thump!... Thump!"

At midnight, the Bronze Bell bell rang nine times in succession, each sound louder than the last, its sound echoing throughout the entire Universal Salvation Temple.

All the monks were awakened by the sound of the large bell.

After a brief moment of bewilderment, they quickly realized that a major crisis was looming.

Even Xiao Chen and the others who were refining spirit ore were alerted. They quickly came out of the small courtyard and saw an unforgettable scene.

The Nautilus, towering over three thousand feet tall, crashed head-on into the Universal Salvation Temple's grand formation.

Its enormous size was almost like a moving mountain.

With every gesture, they can cause extraordinary destructive power.

On either side of it, dozens of Sea Race Great Demon swarmed out!

They all revealed their true forms, almost all of them reaching hundreds of feet in size.

One of the silver ribbonfish, nearly two thousand feet long, descended from the sky.

It was almost as if the Milky Way had fallen from the sky above Universal Salvation Temple.

"Hiss~!"

Almost everyone gasped in horror at that moment, staring in disbelief at the apocalyptic scene.

Everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of pressure.

Without a doubt, the Sea Race have come out in full force this time, ready for a final battle.