Cultivation Begins From The Desert Chapter 558 - 543: Trap!

Clang clang!

A series of crisp tallic clangs rang out continuously.

The "Sky Rending True Demon," sealed within the underground altar for countless years, seed to sense the approaching danger and began to struggle violently.

The tallic clashes were caused by its struggles, making the silver chains binding it sway.

The "Heavenly Gang Demon Subduing Array" is a seventh-tier array passed down from the True Immortal Realm, created by its great powers after years of battling the Demon Race, specifically targeting the True Demon’s Magical Body.

The "Sky Rending True Demon" struggled, which triggered the grand array to draw vast amounts of spiritual qi from within the Do Heaven Immortal Realm, transforming them into dazzling silver light to burn it.

In the past, the "Sky Rending True Demon" would attempt to break free from the "Heavenly Gang Demon Subduing Array" every few years, and each ti it did so, the abundant Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within the Do Heaven Immortal Realm would be consud to suppress it.

This is the fundantal reason why the Do Heaven Immortal Realm can no longer be used for the breakthrough of ninth-layer Nascent Soul cultivators to the Tribulation Period after suppressing the "Sky Rending True Demon."

No one can guarantee that if a cultivator successfully breaks through here, absorbing the massive spiritual energy might provide the "Sky Rending True Demon" the opportunity to escape.

The likelihood of this happening is quite high.

And if this were to occur, even if a cultivator successfully reaches the Tribulation Crossing Stage, they would certainly not be a match for the escaped "Sky Rending True Demon" and might even be devoured on the spot.

Such an event would be an epic disaster for the entire Realm of Spirit!

Now, the Realm of Spirit is no longer like in ancient tis, constantly guarded by multiple True Immortals at the Tribulation Crossing Stage.

Rumble!

The thunder cracked loudly as the "Sky Rending True Demon’s" struggles triggered the second suppression divine technique of the "Heavenly Gang Demon Subduing Array," the "Celestial Spirit Demon-Slaying Divine Thunder."

Huge silver bolts of divine thunder shot forth from thirty-six pillars, forming a sea of thunder that enveloped the "Sky Rending True Demon’s" vast Magical Body.

The terrifying thunder coursed over the "Sky Rending True Demon’s" surface, each bolt creating slight fissures in its tightly closed scales, allowing the silver light to breach and injure the Magical Body protected by its scales.

Witnessing these changes, Zhouyang and the others felt alard.

Although the silver light and thunder were targeted at the "Sky Rending True Demon," they were awed by the imnse power felt at close range.

Eliminating Zhouyang from the equation, Yin Hanguang, Zhu Zizhen, and others were not weak even among Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

Yet, even they, if switched places with the "Sky Rending True Demon," would likely not endure ten breaths before being wiped out.

This demonstrated the formidable strength of the "Sky Rending True Demon’s" Magical Body!

Can this battle be truly won?

Zhouyang questioned himself, then instinctively turned his gaze toward Lu Xuanji.

Lu Xuanji was using a golden pill furnace as a guide, with his own cultivated "Xuan Yang True Fire" as the foundation, employing secret techniques to diligently refine and fuse the Demon Refining Fire released by Zhouyang and the others.

Restricted by his eyesight, Zhouyang only discerned the golden pill furnace as a tier six spiritual artifact, speculating it might be a tier six top-grade artifact but he could not be certain.

With the artifact’s aid, Lu Xuanji had already refined and fused Zhouyang’s "Qianyang True Fla," Yin Hanguang’s "Radiant Holy Fla," and was arduously refining Zhu Zizhen’s "Vermilion Bird True Fire."

It must succeed!

Zhouyang maintained his magical power output, continually delivering "Qianyang True Fla" for Lu Xuanji to refine while silently praying in his heart.

After another two quarters of an hour, Lu Xuanji finally fused the five Demon Refining Flas into one, lding them into a purple-gold fla.

Upon the appearance of this purple-gold fla, the struggling "Sky Rending True Demon" suddenly froze, then its entire body surged with demonic qi, intensifying its struggles.

Seeing this situation, Zhouyang and the others displayed expressions of delight.

Evidently, the "Sky Rending True Demon" sensed the threat of the purple-gold fla, prompting its desperate attempts to break free from the "Heavenly Gang Demon Subduing Array."

Lu Xuanji himself was thrilled, hurriedly shouting, "Fellow Daoists can increase the magical power output; Lu needs more True Fla as fuel!"

Upon hearing his words, Zhouyang and the others promptly increased their magical power output, releasing more True Fla for him to refine.

When the purple-gold fla expanded to half an acre in size, Lu Xuanji let out a low shout, swept his hand, and directed the purple-gold fla to transform into a purple-gold phoenix, charging at the altar-bound "Sky Rending True Demon."

A wondrous scene unfolded; wherever the purple-gold phoenix passed, the silver light and thunder from the "Heavenly Gang Demon Subduing Array" spontaneously parted, seemingly conscious, unwilling to deplete their power against the purple-gold phoenix.

As the purple-gold phoenix descended upon the "Sky Rending True Demon’s" colossal Magical Body, the demonic qi boiling on the Magical Body dissipated instantly as if mist under the blazing sun.

After a short while, the scales on the surface of the Magical Body—which even the "Celestial Spirit Demon-Slaying Divine Thunder" could not shatter—cracked open inch by inch under the scorching of the purple-gold fla, transforming into ashes.

Success!

It really succeeded!

Zhouyang widened his eyes, watching this scene, his heart suddenly beat several tis faster.

The Purple Gold Fla ford from the fusion of five kinds of Demon Refining Fires was unexpectedly effective, even a True Magical Body like the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon," forged by the upper-rank Demon Race, couldn’t withstand its blaze.

Lu Xuanji laughed out loud on the spot: "Hahaha, the calculations of the sect’s predecessors were indeed correct. The Demon Refining Fire, ford by collecting five Supre Yang Fires, can indeed restrain the self-regeneration ability of a True Magical Body!"

"Over ten thousand years! The sect’s plan for over ten thousand years, the efforts of dozens of generations, are finally coming to fruition in my hands!"

Lu Xuanji couldn’t help but be excited; the most crucial step in his plan was whether the fused Demon Refining Fire could break the defense of the True Magical Body of the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon." Only by breaking this defense first is there hope of killing this True Demon of the Demon Race.

And the Purple Gold Fla easily breaking the defense of the True Magical Body of "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" was evidence enough.

"Continue, Fellow Daoists, please continue to increase the output of magical power, do not give this villain any chance to recover!"

With Lu Xuanji’s urging, Zhouyang clearly felt the magical power that Master Baiyang injected into him increased, causing him bitter distress.

He knew that, in the face of the temptation of success, Master Baiyang, who was already determined to sacrifice for the great cause of the sect, would not care about his life or death.

Helplessly, he could only take out the spirit elixirs and spiritual objects that Lu Xuanji had given him to protect his ridians and dantian, and silently endure everything.

Ti slowly passed, and clusters of Purple Gold Fla continuously flew from the golden pill furnace in front of Lu Xuanji and landed on the True Magical Body of "Heaven-Sundering True Demon."

In just half a day, the enormous True Magical Body of "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" had already been refined by the Purple Gold Fla by nearly half.

During this process, no matter how "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" struggled, it couldn’t escape the silver chains binding it.

It seed that if they continued like this, "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" would undoubtedly die this ti.

But will everything really be so simple?

Zhouyang expressed doubt.

Yin Hanguang also frowned tightly.

Zhu Zizhen’s eyes were full of worry.

Master Jinyang’s eyes flickered.

Only Lu Xuanji’s expression remained unchanged, but the heavy look in his eyes showed that his heart was not as serene as it seed.

After all, this was a renowned True Demon of the Demon Race, one that even a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal couldn’t kill and could only seal using an array.

An entity like this, even if it could be killed, couldn’t possibly be without any power of resistance from beginning to end.

Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone a powerful True Demon of the Demon Race.

Although everyone harbored worries in their hearts, no one would express words that would demoralize others at this critical juncture.

Despite Lu Xuanji always appearing amiable, don’t think he is genuinely a kind-hearted person.

When it cos ti to kill, he never hesitates.

Whoever dropped the ball at this ti would be reckoned with by him later, unless he died here.

This fact was well understood by the cultivators he had invited to help.

So, despite having their own plans, no one would act unwisely before the point of no return was reached.

Another day passed, and only the most resilient head of the enormous True Magical Body of "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" remained under the refining of the Purple Gold Fla.

This is because it was a True Demon with sky-high cultivation. If it were an ordinary Demon Race or Demon Beast, it would have long been utterly dead.

At this point, Zhouyang couldn’t help but wonder if he had overthought the situation.

With only a head left, and with the "Celestial Spirit Demon Suppression Array" restricting and suppressing it, even if the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" had formidable power, it wouldn’t likely be able to stir up any significant trouble!

However, despite these thoughts, he did not let down his guard.

Those who walk a hundred miles are halfway at ninety; until the final dust settles, he dared not relax his vigilance.

And what happened next seed to verify so of his suspicions.

Faced with only the fierce head remaining, Lu Xuanji spent a considerable portion of the day without being able to refine that sinister head.

"Push harder; it’s just the last bit left. Everyone, increase the magical power output!"

Lu Xuanji seed to sense sothing, and couldn’t help but urgently urge everyone to increase the magical power output loudly.

But it was fine when he didn’t speak; once he did, Zhouyang imdiately vomited blood and collapsed to the ground due to the intensified magical power injected by Master Baiyang.

Despite this, Master Baiyang still didn’t stop the magical power infusion.

Zhouyang, seeing this, as if he had expected it, smiled bitterly and said, "Senior, don’t waste your efforts. This junior’s ridians are already shattered, the dantian is broken, even if Master Baiyang continues to infuse more magical power, it will be of no help!"

The ridians were shattered, and the dantian was broken. Such injuries, if inflicted on cultivators below the Golden Core Stage, would likely result in imdiate death.

However, Zhouyang, being a Golden Core Stage Cultivator who had previously consud various spiritual elixirs and objects ticulously gathered by Lu Xuanji, was temporarily free from life-threatening worries.

Nonetheless, with shattered ridians and broken dantian, his magical power could neither be stored nor transmitted, rendering him effectively a cripple.

Master Baiyang was well aware of this, yet he still held onto a glimr of hope.

Now, hearing Zhouyang’s words, despite his reluctance, he had no choice but to cease transmitting magical power.

Lu Xuanji witnessed this scene, his expression changed, then he took a deep breath and said solemnly to Master Baiyang, "Junior Brother Baiyang, it’s up to you now!"

Depend on Master Baiyang?

Zhouyang was slightly stunned, his gaze turned upward to the small nascent soul above him.

At this mont, due to the massive infusion of magical power, Master Baiyang’s nascent soul had beco nearly transparent, the result of severe depletion of its original essence.

Looking at Master Baiyang’s physical body behind him, if not for sensing the residual vital energy, Zhouyang might have thought his body had already passed away.

Could such a Master Baiyang still be of any use?

Just as this thought crossed Zhouyang’s mind, he imdiately understood the aning behind Lu Xuanji’s words.

He saw Master Baiyang’s nascent soul above his head suddenly move, transforming into a beam of white light that charged into the altar.

Rumble!

A terrifying explosion erupted; a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator self-destructed his nascent soul right before Zhouyang’s eyes.

Because it was too close to the altar, when Master Baiyang self-destructed, the "Celestial Spirit Demon Suppression Array" promptly activated its defense chanism, sealing most of the explosion’s energy within the array, though the aftermath still caused Zhouyang to die once.

Indeed, he died once!

The "Yuqing Immortal Talisman," bought at the cost of 1.5 million low-grade spirit stones, was automatically triggered due to the waves of aftermath.

To say Zhouyang wasn’t heartbroken over the loss of 1.5 million low-grade spirit stones would be a lie.

After all, this was the most extravagant expenditure on spirit stones in his lifeti.

However, the heartbreak lasted only briefly, as the changes on the field drew his attention.

Following the self-destruction of Master Baiyang, the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the long-unrefinable true demon head finally cracked slightly.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Xuanji drove the purple-gold fla, ford from the fusion of four supre yang fires, into the cracks, allowing it to penetrate and burn the interior of the true demon head.

Without Zhouyang’s "Qianyang True Fla," the purple-gold fla naturally lacked so of its previous power, but the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" was also weakened, and even this diminished purple-gold fla could still harm it.

Seeing this, Zhouyang couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Though he was now a cripple, he sincerely hoped that Lu Xuanji would succeed in refining the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon."

As Lu Xuanji had once told him, exterminating the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" would rid the entire Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm and the Spirit Realm of a threat.

Any sane cultivator at this mont would, like Zhouyang, genuinely wish for Lu Xuanji’s success.

Taking lessons from previous experiences, Zhouyang wisely decided to struggle and crawl gradually backward while Lu Xuanji and others focused on refining the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon," aiming to distance himself from the altar.

Lu Xuanji and the others naturally noticed Zhouyang’s subtle movents.

But at this point, Zhouyang, now a cripple with shattered dantian and ridians, was of no concern to anyone.

Perhaps, when the matter succeeded, Lu Xuanji would rember his earlier contributions and take him back to help find spiritual elixirs to heal his injuries.

But until then, no one would care if he lived or died.

Zhouyang understood this well, so he didn’t even call for help.

Thus, two more hours passed, and Zhouyang, relying on crawling, finally moved several hundred zhang away, sowhat distancing himself from the altar.

By then, the remaining head of the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" had completely refined into ashes, leaving only a silver seal in its place.

"Celestial Dragon Soul-Sealing Seal!"

Upon seeing the silver seal, Lu Xuanji’s eyes flashed with fervor, and he stated the origin of the silver seal in one breath.

Being used by the Tribulation Crossing True Immortal Master Yan Hua to suppress the demon soul of the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon," its quality was naturally extrely high, truly a Tier Seven Middle Grade Immortal Artifact.

The Profound Sun Immortal Sect, in its zeal to eliminate the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon," might be primarily aid at restoring the Do Heaven Immortal Realm and aiding sect mbers in reaching the Tribulation Crossing Stage.

But it was unbelievable that there was no desire for this "Celestial Dragon Soul-Sealing Seal."

It’s not just the "Celestial Dragon Soul-Sealing Seal"; even the entire set of Tier Seven Array "Celestial Spirit Demon Suppression Array" is an invaluable treasure.

Yet those who covet the "Celestial Dragon Soul-Sealing Seal" are not limited to Lu Xuanji alone.

Yin Hanguang and Zhu Zizhen, one human and one demon, also fixed their eyes without blinking on the silver seal, a flash of greed fleeting through their eyes.

This is a Tier Seven Middle Grade Immortal Artifact!

Even if you traverse the entire "Spirit Realm," you might not find five of such high-grade immortal artifacts, which Nascent Soul Stage cultivator could not be tempted?

However, while they were tempted, this human and demon remained rational, knowing that with Lu Xuanji, a Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul "Half-Step True Immortal" present, and Master Golden Sun on the side, even if they joined forces, it was impossible to seize this item from Lu Xuanji.

Not to ntion, if they wanted to leave the "Do Heaven Immortal Realm," they would have to rely on the token in Lu Xuanji’s hand to activate the teleportation array.

"Elder Lu, be careful of deception!"

Yin Hanguang slightly opened his mouth, and as Lu Xuanji cast the Treasure Collection Technique towards the silver seal, he couldn’t help but remind him.

Even though he knew that Lu Xuanji, an old cultivator over three thousand years old, would have his own defenses without needing his reminder.

Sure enough, upon hearing his reminder, Lu Xuanji did not stop his spell, and he laughed heartily, saying, "Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Yin, rest assured, I have a asure in my heart."

As his words fell, the silver seal in the altar had already been captured by his spell, transforming directly into a silver stream of light flying towards his hand.

Yet, at this mont, an unexpected change occurred.

The silver seal suddenly took a turn mid-flight, redirecting itself towards Master Golden Sun.

"Junior Brother Jin Yang, you... No!"

Lu Xuanji’s face changed as if realizing sothing, and instead of questioning Master Golden Sun, he quickly summoned a crimson gold short spear to pierce towards the silver seal.

Unfortunately, he acted one step too late.

As soon as the silver seal flew near Master Golden Sun, without giving him ti to react, it released a burst of silver spiritual light that enveloped him.

Under this silver spiritual light, the expression on Master Golden Sun’s face instantly froze, as if ti had been suspended.

Then, a flash of black light erged from the silver seal, burrowing into Master Golden Sun’s head.

Possession!

Zhouyang watched this scene, and the word suddenly flashed in his mind.

Yes, possession.

At this mont, the previously unclear areas suddenly beca apparent to Zhouyang and the others.

It turned out that the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" was not without the power to resist, but had never intended to resist in the first place; its earlier struggles were rely to mislead everyone.

In fact, it had long ago demonically tainted and refined the "Celestial Dragon Soul-Sealing Seal" that suppressed its demon soul, but its true magical body was still sealed and bound by the "Celestial Spirit Demon Suppression Array," leaving it unable to escape.

This action by the Profound Sun Immortal Sect provided it with a great opportunity to escape—by cutting off its own arm, discarding its painstakingly cultivated true magical body, hiding its demon soul within the "Celestial Dragon Soul-Sealing Seal," and then using Lu Xuanji’s hand to break free from the "Celestial Spirit Demon Suppression Array."

No matter how powerful the "Celestial Spirit Demon Suppression Array" was, it was ultimately just an inanimate object. After the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" abandoned its true magical body, the array could no longer sense any traces of demonic qi and naturally would not prevent the "Celestial Dragon Soul-Sealing Seal" from leaving.

And now, as soon as the "Celestial Dragon Soul-Sealing Seal" was out of the "Celestial Spirit Demon Suppression Array," the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon" demon soul concealed within it imdiately selected Master Golden Sun, the weakest and easiest to deal with among the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, as its possession target.

As for why it targeted Master Golden Sun and not Zhouyang, it was naturally because Zhouyang’s cultivation was too weak for it to even consider.

Clang!

A clear ringing sound awakened Zhouyang from his thoughts.

It turned out that the sound was from Lu Xuanji angrily summoning the crimson gold short spear, striking the "Celestial Dragon Soul-Sealing Seal."

The crimson gold short spear Lu Xuanji summoned was also a Tier Seven Immortal Artifact, but it was only a Tier Seven Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact.

The "Celestial Dragon Soul-Sealing Seal," although not specialized in direct confrontational attacks, was nonetheless a Tier Seven Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact, intrinsically superior to the crimson gold short spear.

In his haste, Lu Xuanji was unable to penetrate its defense at all.

anwhile, the speed of "Heaven-Sundering True Demon’s" possession of Master Golden Sun was terrifyingly fast.

In less than ten breaths, Master Golden Sun, a Fifth-Layer Nascent Soul cultivator, was completely overco, his hard-cultivated nascent soul becoming the first feast upon the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon’s" liberation.

"Truly delicious!"

"It’s been over ten thousand years, over ten thousand years since I’ve tasted a human cultivator’s nascent soul!"

"Foolish humans, as gratitude for your help in freeing , I will devour your nascent souls in one gulp, sparing you the endless wailing like that poor fool just now!"

The voice, brimming with delight, slowly erged from the mouth of Master Golden Sun—no, now it should be the "Heaven-Sundering True Demon"—stunning the two remaining Nascent Soul Stage cultivators and the Tier Six Demon King, causing all their faces to change dramatically.