Monster Alliance 2

"Spirits of all things, gather! Earth, fire, water, wind! By the law, swift as decree! Gather!" Before Liao Xiaojin's astonished eyes, Zhou Qing's manifested Second Primordial Spirit opened its mouth and spat out a breath of natal essence. The faint golden mist swiftly melted into the Bagua Formation, and then the bagua began to spin at high speed. Vast amounts of heaven and earth spiritual energy were sucked into the formation. Bang! Even the doors were blasted open by the surging spiritual energy. It was clear just how tremendous the Bagua Formation's suction had become after being activated by Zhou Qing's natal essence.

Zhou Qing said rather smugly, "Well? I used my Second Primordial Spirit's natal essence to activate this Acquired Bagua Formation. Though my Second Primordial Spirit hasn't evolved into a Four-Winged Golden Silkworm yet, it's still at the initial Spirit Transformation stage, isn't it? Spiritual energy from nearly a hundred li around has been drawn here. After being filtered through this Bagua Formation, what remains is all pure essence! The benefits to her are beyond words. Damn it, I really made a losing deal today. That Inner Core was supposed to feed my primordial spirit golden silkworm."

"What's the big deal? She's your disciple now, and that makes her my junior sister too. The rich water hasn't flowed into outsiders' fields, has it?" Liao Xiaojin said.

"That's true!" Zhou Qing nodded.

Inside the formation, Zhou Chen was pressed by the red mist transformed from the Inner Core. Her entire body felt as though it were being roasted by flames. Threads of core energy bored into her meridians, bringing agony like ten thousand needles piercing her. Zhou Chen knew that this power was catalyzing and remaking her, so she clenched her silver teeth and guided the core energy into her dantian, transforming it into her own True Essence and demon power. Just as she struggled bitterly to endure it, an immense, incomparable cool aura suddenly poured down from the crown of her head. Zhou Chen felt as though she were lying amidst the clouds. A clear breeze blew past, and she seemed about to melt away into the wind. The fiery aura of the Inner Core perfectly fused with that immense cool aura, forming a lazy yet incomparably comfortable current that raced through her meridians. Every meridian it passed through seemed to widen and become nourished. After bitterness came sweetness, and Zhou Chen was immersed in that exquisite sensation when Zhou Qing's thunderous voice suddenly rang beside her ear: "What are you waiting for? Hurry and draw the essence formed from the heaven and earth spiritual energy and the Inner Core into your dantian!"

Zhou Chen gave Zhou Qing a grateful look and silently circulated her cultivation technique. Liao Xiaojin said enviously, "Master! When will you do that for me too? Let me increase my cultivation a little!" Zhou Qing was instantly choked with anger. "You think it's that easy? It takes my natal essence to activate it. Do you think my natal essence is tap water from a dragon's head, something I can spray out as much as I want?"

After a long while, Zhou Qing withdrew his hand seals. That breath of natal essence had been completely exhausted, and the Bagua Formation stopped spinning. Zhou Chen rose to her feet within the formation. Light glittered in her large, watery eyes, and wisps of pure, faintly fragrant aura wafted from her body. Liao Xiaojin felt a sweet fragrance rush at his face, so comfortable that he nearly moaned. Zhou Qing clapped his hands and sighed. "Excellent! Your cultivation has truly advanced by leaps and bounds. The cultivation arts of your Enchanting Fox Clan really do have their own unique subtleties. That means that demon's magic power is truly unfathomable. Perhaps even I..." Zhou Qing's face turned somewhat ugly.

"Master, didn't Junior Sister say that demon was injured by her Elder? Besides, we're going to rescue people, not to kill someone for revenge. The enemy is in the open, while we are in the dark. What is there to fear?" Liao Xiaojin felt uncomfortable the moment he saw Zhou Qing's expression. "That's right, Master. This can't be delayed. If we're too late, my younger sister might..." Zhou Chen anxiously grabbed Zhou Qing's hand tightly, not daring to think any further. Then she suddenly realized the posture was somewhat intimate and hurriedly released him. Zhou Qing did not notice, merely thinking, What a pity. The Twelve Divine Demon Annihilation Formation is infinitely profound, yet I still haven't comprehended even thirty percent of it. I can't control the Blood-Devouring Divine Saber either. Otherwise, why would I fear some ghost demon?

Having made up his mind, Zhou Qing took out a jade tablet and handed it to Zhou Chen. "Yes, this cannot be delayed. We'll set out now. This is an Invisibility Jade Talisman I refined. It can conceal your tracks and aura, so keep it safe. However, its invisibility effect only lasts three hours." Then he taught Zhou Chen the incantation for activating the jade talisman.

"Tut, tut! Junior Sister! Master really treats you well. He even gave you his own Invisibility Jade Talisman. I've followed Master for nearly a year, yet he's never refined one for me," Liao Xiaojin said with a grin.

"What nonsense are you spouting? You're a grown man, and you're competing with a little girl for things. Aren't you ashamed? Besides, didn't I waste a huge chunk of Prime Gold of Taiyi to refine a Flying Sword for you?" Zhou Qing scolded Liao Xiaojin.

Watching two young men of roughly the same age, one of whom was putting on the air of an elder and scolding the other, Zhou Chen found it so amusing that she could not help letting out a giggle.

Good heavens! My junior sister truly deserves to be called a fox spirit! When she smiles, she's far prettier than even Ling Ruoshui, Liao Xiaojin thought.

"Chenchen, is this the place?" Zhou Qing used his Second Primordial Spirit to control the sword, carrying Liao Xiaojin and Zhou Chen over a thousand li in a single hour. Even though Zhou Qing's Second Primordial Spirit was a Six-Winged Golden Silkworm, a prehistoric exotic species, he still found it exhausting. Along the way, Zhou Qing and Liao Xiaojin had racked their brains over how to address Zhou Chen. Calling her Junior Sister felt rather improper when Liao Xiaojin said it, and besides, this was the modern age. Zhou Qing could not call her disciple either, since that would draw too much attention. Calling her by name felt too stiff. Finally, at Zhou Chen's request, Liao Xiaojin would simply call her little sister, while Zhou Qing would call her Chenchen. Though it sounded somewhat intimate, it also carried the sense of an elder addressing a junior, so that was settled.

Looking at the enormous villa before them, which resembled a medieval Western castle, Zhou Qing asked Zhou Chen. When she nodded, Zhou Qing sighed. "Good heavens, what kind of demon is this? It doesn't even know how to keep a low profile, putting on such a grand spectacle. Isn't it afraid of drawing attention? Or does it truly think its methods reach the heavens, enough to look down on all cultivators in the world?" Zhou Qing shook his head.

"Master! My younger sister is inside! I can feel her! Let's hurry and save her!" Zhou Chen hurriedly grabbed Liao Xiaojin and charged toward the enormous villa.

"Are you looking to die?" Zhou Qing grabbed Zhou Chen and Liao Xiaojin. "An extremely powerful formation has been set up around this villa! This demon is no simple character. How could you be so careless?" Zhou Qing silently used his Second Primordial Spirit to inspect the place.

"So that's it! It's the Ten Thousand Ghosts Devouring Yin Grand Formation. This demon is truly audacious beyond measure, daring to do anything." Golden light flashed in Zhou Qing's eyes as he instantly saw through the whole matter.

At the same time, on the other side of the villa, several strange figures were whispering and snickering. A young man with a gloomy expression but rather handsome features asked a man beside him who appeared to be around twenty-four or twenty-five, "Xie Xiaohong, is your information real? The Monster Alliance has turned on itself, and Tianxuan Blood Demon was seriously injured?" The man named Xie Xiaohong smiled. "Don't worry, Group Leader Xiang. Our Xie family's intelligence is unmatched. How could it be false? Tianxuan Blood Demon wanted to seize something from the Enchanting Fox Clan. Ignoring the objections of most demons, he slaughtered the Enchanting Fox Clan clean. Now many demons have withdrawn from the Monster Alliance, and the Monster Alliance exists in name only. This is the perfect chance for us to act. If we wipe out the Monster Alliance, it will be a tremendous merit. Then we can pull a few strings with the higher-ups. Would the Dragon Group leader's position still be able to escape Big Brother Xiang's palm?"

"Hmph! If Ling Fei hadn't always been suppressing me, I, Xiang Hui, would have become leader of the Dragon Group long ago. Why would I still be a mere deputy now?" "Exactly, exactly! Ling Fei only secured the leader's position because his master is Kunlun's sect leader and because of the power of the Ling Lineage!" the two young men beside him chimed in.

Xiang Hui's face darkened as he shouted, "What do you know? You only just joined the Dragon Group. Ling Fei's cultivation is also extraordinarily profound. He's already at Qi Induction Late Stage and nearly at Spirit Transformation. Hmph! As for lineage power, our Xiang family is no weaker than the Ling family. Kunlun may be the nominal leader of the righteous sects, but we of Shu Mountain do not buy Kunlun's account. Still, his cultivation truly is astonishing. Among the third-generation disciples, only Senior Brother can contend with him. But Senior Brother only knows cultivation. Recently, he went to investigate Junior Brother Zhao Liang's attack. We did not come here to fight Tianxuan Blood Demon. The Monster Alliance has many enemies, and once news of its internal strife gets out, people will definitely come seeking revenge. We'll fish in troubled waters, seize a few treasures, and perhaps even obtain some demon Inner Cores. Those are excellent items for greatly increasing cultivation. You! Xie Xiaohong! You! Liu Zhihua! You! Lu Hongchen! If you see any lone demons or people later, we will form the Four Aspects Sword Formation and strike together. Do not leave any survivors!"

"Kill people too?" Xie Xiaohong asked in confusion.

Xiang Hui gave a sinister smile. "Would anyone who comes seeking revenge against the Monster Alliance be simple? They'll certainly have plenty of good things on them. Even if we kill them, no one will trace it back to us. What are you afraid of? We'll stay here and wait for someone to break open this Ten Thousand Ghosts Devouring Yin Grand Formation. Then we'll quietly follow them inside. Be careful, and don't let anyone discover you!" The three immediately nodded. "Big Brother really is brilliant!"

"Chenchen! Xiao Jin! This Ten Thousand Ghosts Devouring Yin Grand Formation is an exceptionally vicious formation of the demonic path. It uses the underground yin veins as its foundation, driving the souls of sixty-four living people into them and arranging them into a convergence of eight yin forces. It can summon and command the resentful ghosts within several hundred li. It is vicious beyond compare. Why has no cultivator come to deal with it? That is truly strange." Zhou Qing was deeply puzzled.

"Master, the Monster Alliance had an agreement with humans before. As long as demons did not throw the world into chaos, neither side was to interfere with the other. That is why no one came to deal with it," Zhou Chen explained.

"So that's how it is. But since this Ten Thousand Ghosts Devouring Yin Grand Formation is gathered from purely yin veins, my Samadhi True Fire is precisely its nemesis. I'll use true fire to burn an opening. Chenchen, enter invisibly. Xiao Jin, stay behind and provide support. Understood?" Zhou Qing instructed.

"Why do I have to stay behind? Let's all go together. With more people, it'll be easier to deal with any fighting, won't it?" Liao Xiaojin asked.

"Didn't Chenchen say it? There are only four demons inside, and that great demon is seriously injured. Master can handle it if he encounters it. What I fear is that there may be other unforeseen changes. Transform and stay behind to keep watch. With the speed of a Vampire Earl, surely no one can do anything to you in terms of speed. Even if you encounter an expert, you can escape. But it's best not to clash with anyone. Wait for us to return. If anything happens, burn this talisman, and we'll know. We'll rush back as quickly as possible."

Seeing Zhou Qing's grave expression, Liao Xiaojin knew he was serious. He accepted the talisman Zhou Qing handed him and nodded in acknowledgment.

Xiang Hui suddenly shuddered. "Someone has gone in. Hurry, follow them inside!" Four figures suddenly flashed out of the darkness and rushed straight toward the opening Zhou Qing had burned through the Ten Thousand Ghosts Devouring Yin Grand Formation.

Since I have something to do tomorrow and need to go out again, I'm posting another chapter today. However, I may make up for it tomorrow night when I return.