Fairy Wang Shu's exposition on the Star Dao and the essence of formations lit a lamp in Li Cha's heart. In particular, the dozens of Star Crystals containing pure Stellar Power gave him tangible points of reference. He had originally possessed only a vague idea of how to transform this prison-like valley, but it was now gradually becoming clear.
"Although this place spans only a hundred li and is isolated by the great formation, making it difficult to draw in spiritual energy, misfortune may yet bring blessings..." Standing at the center of the valley, Li Cha swept his gaze across the invisible barriers of the formation and calculated inwardly. "The Qiankun Seal and Sever Formation is connected to Buzhou Mountain. If I can guide it cleverly and borrow a trace of Buzhou Mountain's vast, inexhaustible Pangu divine power to nourish this place, then supplement it with a stellar formation to absorb Stellar Power and feed it back... Gathering the divine power of Buzhou Mountain and the essence of the stars of the heavens within this tiny space, why should I fear being unable to turn it into a supreme Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land?"
Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed. It was not as though Li Cha had never considered finding another dojo. The Primordial Wilderness was vast, with countless famous mountains and great rivers. Kunlun, Shouyang, and Penglai—if he could find it—were all excellent Grotto-Heaven Blessed Lands. Yet those places were intertwined with the karma of future Saints and great powers, with Predetermined Fate hanging over them. Seizing them by force would bring endless future troubles. This place, on the other hand, was a prison, but it was also the place most deeply bound to him by karma, as "certified" by the Heavenly Dao. Moreover, the Qiankun Seal and Sever Formation was a natural barrier that not even Saints might be able to breach by force. If he could successfully transform it, its safety would far surpass any immortal mountain or blessed land beyond.
"This place shall be the foundation of my Yun Hua Dojo!" Li Cha made up his mind and hesitated no longer.
From that day onward, he immersed all his attention into studying the Qiankun Seal and Sever Formation and devising ways to alter it. This was no easy task. A formation laid down by the Heavenly Dao was exquisitely profound; tugging one thread affected the whole. Without damaging its core sealing and defensive functions in the slightest, he needed to graft onto it "blood vessels" and "meridians" capable of drawing in Buzhou Mountain's divine power and stellar power, much like the most skilled physician performing heart bypass surgery.
At times, he measured the Earth Veins throughout the valley and inscribed runes. At times, he flew into the air to observe the shifting stars and calculate where Stellar Power would descend. At other times, he sat silently before the Sacred Spirit Table, calming his mind with tea as he deduced changes in the formation patterns. Shi Qing, Mo Ran, and Dragon Eel were responsible for tending the increasingly lush vegetation in the valley, clearing the Spiritual Spring, and observing Li Cha set up formations from the side. They occasionally gained scattered insights and benefited greatly as well.
Time flew by. Before Li Cha realized it, a thousand years had passed during this focused research. Under his initial adjustments, the valley's spiritual energy had already grown several times denser, and its vegetation more verdant. Yet for the true transformation to occur, it still needed the injection of those two crucial powers.
Just as Li Cha quietly labored at the foot of Buzhou Mountain, attempting to turn his prison into an immortal paradise, an uninvited guest arrived in the North Sea of the northern Primordial Wilderness.
A shadow as black as ink, as though it could devour all light, silently merged into the freezing, boundless Nether Sea. The seawater did not stir at its intrusion. Instead, it became even deeper and more deathly still. Even the cold-resistant demonic beasts of the North Sea instinctively avoided the area.
That black shadow was none other than Demon Ancestor Luohu.
It had been nearly three thousand years since he had left his lair on Mount Sumeru in The West. During those three thousand years, his demonic shadow had traversed many regions of the Primordial Wilderness. He did not directly unleash widespread slaughter. Instead, like the most cunning venomous serpent, he moved among the great clans that had survived the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity or risen anew afterward.
He tempted them with power, sowed discord with secret arts, and corrupted them with Demonic Thought... He spared no method. The All Beings of the Primordial World, who had only just found a brief respite after the Tribulation of Calamity, fell back into conflict and renewed warfare under his covert influence. The East Sea Shark Clan's increasing bloodthirst and lust for slaughter bore the traces of his Demonic Thought's bewitchment. Over the past three thousand years, he had secretly controlled or lured nearly a hundred clans like the Shark Clan into depravity! These clans were scattered throughout the Primordial Wilderness, constantly creating slaughter and sin. The Blood Fiend Energy and Resentment Power they produced flowed toward The West like countless tiny streams, nourishing the Four Swords of Zhu Xian. This also made the Demonic Path increasingly rampant, and Demonic Energy began to spread through certain regions.
And his purpose in personally coming to the North Sea this time was the Kun Clan that dwelled within the Nether Sea!
The Kun Clan had few members, but each was extraordinarily powerful. A Young Kun could swallow rivers and contain seas, while an adult Giant Kun possessed the terrifying potential to devour an entire region of heaven and earth. If he could subdue or demonize them and turn them into war beasts beneath his command, they would provide immeasurable aid to his mad future plan of sacrificing all living beings in the Primordial Wilderness.
However, Luohu had never expected that every one of his movements had long since caught the attention of his old adversary beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.
Just as Luohu infiltrated the Depths of the North Sea, found the Kun Clan's habitat, and prepared to use supreme demonic arts to bewitch or forcibly control the Kun Clan's leader—
"Buzz!"
A clear Dao chime rang out. Dazzling purple radiance tore through the darkness of the Nether Sea, transforming into a whisk that carried the supreme Dao intent of purifying all demons and stabilizing Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind as it struck directly at Luohu's back!
"Old Man Hongjun! How dare you ruin my plans!" Luohu roared in shock and fury, swinging a palm behind him. Boundless Demonic Energy condensed into a giant claw that blotted out the sky and collided head-on with the whisk!
"BOOM!!!!"
An indescribably terrifying burst of energy erupted in the depths of the Nether Sea! Hundreds of millions of tons of seawater were instantly vaporized or forced aside, creating an enormous vacuum. Undersea mountain ranges collapsed, while swathes of space shattered! The entire North Sea trembled as though the end of the world had arrived!
Two figures clashed madly at the center of the destructive energy. Above Hongjun's head floated the Fragment of the Jade Disc of Creation, while he wielded the Pangu Sail. Purple qi stretched for thirty thousand li, Dao Follows Nature, and he evolved wondrous methods of the myriad heavens. Luohu's demonic might overshadowed the world, phantom images of the Four Swords of Zhu Xian circling him. The aura of slaughter and destruction filled every inch of space, and his demonic arts were strange and tyrannical.
This Dao-Devil War at the farthest reaches of the North Sea was far more intense than anyone could have imagined. Both sides were peerless great powers at the Peak Quasi-Saint realm, and every gesture drew resonance from the laws of the Primordial Wilderness.
The battle continued for an unknown length of time. In the end, a muffled impact sounded. Hongjun's Daoist robe was stained with blood, and he staggered backward, clearly having suffered severe injuries. He looked deeply at Luohu, whose Demonic Energy was growing ever stronger, then at the Giant Kun below, whose minds had already been initially corrupted by Demonic Energy and whose eyes were gradually becoming frenzied and chaotic. Knowing that the situation could not be salvaged, he immediately transformed into a Purple Rainbow, tore through space, and fled far away.
"Hmph, consider yourself lucky you ran fast!" Luohu did not pursue him. His goal for this trip had been the Kun Clan. Although Hongjun's interference had prevented him from controlling them perfectly, the overwhelming Demonic Energy he had released had already contaminated the minds of most of the Kun Clan.
The Giant Kun, which had once roamed peacefully through the Nether Sea with vast and tranquil auras, now had blood-red eyes. They let out violent screeches and began attacking everything around them indiscriminately, even tearing into and devouring one another. They had completely become demonic creatures that knew only destruction and slaughter!
Luohu watched the scene with satisfaction. Although he had not achieved complete success, gaining a group of powerful demonized Kun beasts still made the trip worthwhile. He failed to notice that, at the edge of the chaotic battlefield, a small and weak Young Kun had not been corrupted by Demonic Energy. Terrified, it slipped into a bottomless crack in the seabed and narrowly escaped disaster.
Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, within Purple Cloud Palace.
Daoist Hongjun sat cross-legged upon a cloud bed, his face pale and his aura fluctuating unstably. Clearly, the battle in the North Sea had injured him severely. The Fragment of the Jade Disc of Creation floating before him also shone somewhat dimly.
"Luohu... His demonic might grows greater by the day, and the Four Swords of Zhu Xian are exceptionally fierce. By my strength alone, I can no longer restrain him..." Wisdom and concern flickered in Hongjun's eyes. "I must join forces with three fellow Daoists before there is any chance of victory."
His divine sense crossed endless voids and contacted several Innate God-Demons who were friendly with him or possessed great strength, including Qiankun Ancestor, Yin-Yang Ancestor, and Great Immortal Yang Mei. He explained Luohu's danger and requested that they join forces to slay the demon.
However, few answered. Many great powers had not personally experienced Luohu's threat. Some harbored wishful thoughts, while others sought only to protect themselves and had no desire to become involved in a conflict that appeared unrelated to them.
In the end, only Qiankun Ancestor, who had long-standing grievances with Luohu and possessed an upright temperament, and Yin-Yang Ancestor, whose nature was kind and pure, clearly declared their willingness to help.
Yet Hongjun knew well that Luohu possessed the Zhu Xian Sword Formation, which could not be broken without four Saints. Even with Qiankun and Yin Yang, they still lacked one crucial figure capable of countering a corner of the sword formation. He placed his hopes on Great Immortal Yang Mei.
Yang Mei's response remained the same. "Fellow Daoist Hongjun, I have no wish to interfere excessively in the affairs of the Primordial Wilderness. Though Luohu is evil, he has his own fate. Forgive me, but I cannot help with this matter. Fellow Daoist, you should seek someone else."
Upon receiving Yang Mei's clear refusal, Hongjun furrowed his brow. Gazing at the rolling Chaos Qi beyond the palace, a shadow could not help but rise in his heart. The path to slaying the demon seemed far more difficult than he had imagined. Where could he find the final person needed to break the formation? His gaze involuntarily swept across the Primordial Wilderness once more before finally lingering for a moment in the direction of towering Buzhou Mountain.
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