猫咪3.0

The southern army surged forth, and the northern demons gathered.

They too received the news and shifted from attack to defense, laying down defenses one after another.

The first layer was the Ten Thousand Evil Ghost Array!

For fifteen years, both sides developed separately yet in direct confrontation; Xu Yang entered the underworld establishing the Yin Mountain Mansion, while Cihang also had arrangements in the Netherworld.

Now, as strategies were exhausted and blades revealed, a sudden uprising opened the channel between the Dual Realm of Yin and Yang, summoning a million evil ghosts from the Netherworld as minions, and even an old demon like Black Mountain, stepping into the ranks of the Seven Realm Ghost Gods.

The force of evil ghosts was massive, and death was of little consequence. Their Yin Qi was fierce, solidifying into a toxic miasma. If any living being were to come into contact with it, even if they didn’t die, they couldn’t avoid being tainted by the toxic Yin, which would reduce their mana and wear down their Taoist cultivation, making it perfectly suited as the first line of defense.

But…

Xu Yang had ghosts of his own!

“Roar! Roar! Roar!”

From the Yin Mountain Mansion, an immense army charged forth.

Even more formidable than the Ten Thousand Evil Ghost Array!

Leading them was the Great Increment-Decrement Marshal, striding through the wind and fire, wrapped in thunder and lightning, wielding fierce weapons, eyes shining with divine light, six arms and three heads, a hundred zhang tall like a Demon God descending upon the world, taking the vanguard into the formation and sweeping away ten thousand ghosts.

Decades earlier, after Xu Yang’s expertise in Taoism developed the “Thunder Lightning Mana King” trait, his mastery of the Thunder Series reached the pinnacle of this world, understanding the creation powers of thunder—bringing life or death, being both Yin and Yang.

The ultimate state of Thunder Series had the power to split the heavens and pierce the earth, shattering the endless chaos and creating a new world.

While Xu Yang’s mastery of the Thunder Series hadn’t reached such a state, it still had the power to create and transform Yin and Yang.

Therefore, combining many refined Taoist methods, he created the “Thunder Training Ghost Skill.”

With this skill, he trained Underworld Soldiers and Ghost Generals who not only combined Yin and Yang but also possessed the creation power of thunder, able to manipulate the forces of wind, fire, thunder, and lightning. Unafraid of scorching sunlight or raging winds and even unscared by thunderous explosives, they could walk the Netherworld and the world of the living under the clear blue sky and the bright daylight, appearing before the eyes of mortals.

This Great Increment-Decrement Marshal was indeed his proud creation.

Such a thunderous ghost, coupled with the deities of incense worship and embodied as a Ghost God, would not only be formidable today but could also potentially attain a position among the deities of the Netherworld even in ancient times.

Now, Xu Yang commanded it to take the lead, and it did not disappoint him. Wind, fire, thunder, and lightning—it charged directly into the formation.

Although the Ten Thousand Evil Ghost Array was terrifying, it paled in comparison to the Netherworld Ghost God, the Increment-Decrement Marshal.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The earth trembled, an abyss cracked open, and a massive mountain rose from within, reaching tens of thousands of feet in height.

The Dry Mountain Old Demon!

No, it should be called the Dry Mountain Demon God!

One could see the Seven Realm Demon God revealed its true form, the ten-thousand-foot Dry Mountain blocking the path of the ferocious Increment-Decrement Marshal.

Incensed, the Marshal waved its six arms, and the six divine weapons struck the opponent repeatedly, yet the mountain rocks, firmer than metal, sent sparks flying without breaking.

Such an immense mountain was difficult to shake.

This old demon was no longer a mere ghost but embodied half-demon, half-devil, half-ghost, half-god.

The Increase Life Marshal, capable of defeating ten thousand ghosts, had little advantage over such an old demon.

Just like the Black Mountain Old Demon of old, even a Daoist Celestial Master who was a whole realm higher still struggled to slay it.

Now, as a Demon God, even stronger than the former Black Mountain, who could contend with it in the Seventh Realm?

“Dong! Dong! Dong!”

Just as the imposing Dry Mountain stood unmovable, blocking the pass…

From the sky above, the sound of drums suddenly echoed.

Looking up, one saw dense clouds converging, a great darkened sky.

Cumulated thunderclouds, Mingxiao Taoist Temple.

Ten thousand standard Magic Artifacts.

In such a case, it was as if the skies and sun were obscured as if the thunder department itself had descended to the mortal realm.

Atop the cumulus clouds, vague figures could be glimpsed, comprised of Real Man Magicians and True Monarchs leading the way.

The many cultivators, some dressed in neat robes, others with disheveled hair, and still more strongmen with bare chests, forcefully beat the thunder drums with great intensity.

The thunder drums themselves were Magic Artifacts. Every ten clouds held a small drum, every hundred a medium drum, and every thousand a large drum. Strongmen beating the thunder drums in harmony with the cumulus thunderclouds created a fury as if the heavens and earth roared with thunderous sound.

Beyond the thunder drums, there were also the electric realms. Placed upon clouds, with every ten hosting a small, every hundred a medium, and every thousand a large one. As the electricity danced like dragons between the clouds, casting light throughout the sky.

The Duotian Altar!

The Shenxiao Great Array!

In this world when the Supreme Elder Lord opened the heavens, the Three Pure Ones differentiated, but the Mysterious Gate did not divide into the Three Teaching Sects, and there was no struggle for life and death as in the myth of the deities’ conferral.

The progenitor of the Thunder department, Nine Heavens’ Responsive Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Heavenly Venerable, was not the Instructor Wen Zhong from the myth of deities’ conferral but an incarnation of the Primeval Heavenly King of eternal life, a child of the “Primeval Heavenly King” of Jade Pure lineage, and known as the Jade Pure True King.

Thus, the thunder department of this world inherits the Jade Pure Taoist lineage, tracing back to the Duotian as the origin, to the Shenxiao as the tradition. Jade Pure laws dominate thunder; hence the title “Nine Heavens’ Responsive Mansion, the Supreme Jade Pure King.”

The Duotian Altar and the Shenxiao Great Array are genuine teachings of the Jade Pure school. Although they consist only of the Golden Core section, the Array Formation’s technique, when combined with collective strength and following the cosmic order, allows for battle beyond boundaries. It’s not unusual for a Golden Core array to contend against a Demon God.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

As the Altar stood and the Great Array unfurled, the practitioners from all directions lent their strength.

Above the clouds, a person stepped forward with crane-like hair and the visage of a youth, embodying the aura of an immortal.

It was True Monarch Changrong.

He stood upon the clouds, commanding the formation, connecting with the Duotian Altar and executing the divine might of Taoist spells.

“The Heavens are boundless, the Earth is boundless, O Disciples, who set forth the Nine Bulls Creation Skill—once initiated, Heaven and Earth tremble, twice initiated, ghosts and gods are startled, thrice initiated, mountains crumble and boulders split, four times initiated, evil mages’ heads shatter and their lives cease, not dragging a thousand pounds of pressure, when the Nine Bulls create once, both sides will split, respectfully inviting the Six Stars of the Southern Dipper, the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, I serve the Supreme Elder Lord with speed like the law!”

It was—Nine Bulls Creation Skill!

“Boom boom boom!”

“Moo moo moo!”

The Taoist magic urged on, thunder roared, and nine green bulls descended from the sky, with Jade Pure Divine Thunder bestowed upon their horns, transforming into nine ancient thunder beasts, charging directly towards the Mount of a Thousand Zangs.

All at once…

“Rumble rumble!”

The initiation made the Heaven and Earth tremble, startled ghosts and gods, crumbled mountains and split boulders!

The Heavenly Master performed his magic, and with the creation of the Nine Bulls Mountain, assisted by both the Duotian Altar and the Shenxiao Jade Pure forces, even the Mount of a Thousand Zangs, transformed by the Seven Realm Demon God, could not withstand and was struck to pieces, with boulders rolling down.

Within the mountain of a thousand zangs, even a face emerged, a twisted visage of agony, filled with cracks as the rocky body likewise began to shake, ready to retreat back into the Earth and flee into the distance.

“Hmph!”

“Where do you think you’re going!”

True Monarch Changrong snorted coldly and performed another Taoist spell.

“I serve the Elder Lord as the law commands, today I have come to fish the mountain peak, with a golden hook I fish, with a silver hook I fish, fishing up the four corners of the mountain of a thousand zangs, if still it does not rise, let the Nine Bulls lift it, the Yin Nine Bulls, the Yang Nine Bulls, with a heavenly and earth-shaking collision against the mountain gate!”

“Rumble rumble!”

In the midst of the curse spell’s sound, thunder reappeared, lightning like a dragon startled the heavens and fell, turning into myriad hooks and ropes, catching the four corners of the Dry Mountain, making it difficult to escape.

Soon after, Yin and Yang moved together, as eighteen Thunder Bulls thundered forth, heavily striking at the base of the mountain.

“Bang!!!”

A thunderous roar shocked Heaven and Earth, as the thousand zang high mountain collapsed with a boom. It was shattered at its roots, the very foundation of its formation, by the joint Thunder Series of Yin and Yang Nine Bulls.

Once the formation’s footings were destroyed, the high mountain fell. Even as a Seven Realm Demon God, it was as if without root or duckweed.

“Roar roar roar!”

Increment-Decrement Marshal roared. With six arms wielding weapons, he charged into the collapsing mountain, digging out a jade-like mountain core and swallowed it whole into his belly.

Dry Mountain Demon God—dead!

The Seven Realm Demon God fell from this world.

With that, the Ten Thousand Evil Ghost Array also dissipated.

The grand army surged forward, marching in parallel from the heavens to the earth, heading straight for the second formation.

Five days later, in the capital city, at the location of the mana altar.

Three haggard Demon Wolves arrived, each bearing numerous scars.

“It’s no use!”

“Those Taoists are too formidable!”

“That Mingxiao Taoist Temple’s Duotian Altar, Shenxiao Great Array, it’s like they have boundless mana to squander.”

“That Jade Pure Divine Thunder, stroke after stroke, in combination with those Taoists’ Taoist magic and curse spells, we hadn’t even made our move when half of us had already perished.”

“Lucky for me, I ran quickly. Had I been any slower, I am afraid I would have met the same fate as Dry Mountain by now.”

“The enemy is numerous and mighty. That old Changrong with his Mingxiao Taoists aiding him, each major Taoist Sect also produced their treasured artifacts, in addition to Guo Bei Academy’s Sword Cultivators and Martial Artists, not to mention all sorts of peculiar and terrifyingly powerful magic artifacts, as well as the ghostly armies of the Yin Mountain Mansion. We couldn’t hold them off, truly couldn’t withstand them.”

“Also, that Phoenix Song Mountain’s Qingluan, she, along with a bunch of old Taoists, set up some kind of formation that summoned the Nanli Vermilion Bird. A burst of flames dissipated my formation. How could I defend against that?”

The three Demon Wolves looked battered, covered in wounds, and as they peered down at the Pudu Cihang below the mana altar, their eyes showed dissatisfaction.

In this era, the Taoist arts were flourishing, and demonic and evil skills were always a step below the righteous mana points, even for those who had broken through to the Seventh Realm.

So, facing the desperate southern Cultivators who had gathered in full force, fighting a life or death battle, they simply could not hold their ground and within five days were beaten back to the Capital Region.

Their demon followers suffered heavy casualties.

Even they, as Demon Gods, nearly perished on the battlefield.

No, not nearly, one was already dead.

This caused the remaining three demons to contemplate retreat.

They had already entered the Seventh Realm and could shatter the Broken Void, ascending to the Upper Realm at any moment. The reason they lingered in the human world was because of the temptation of the Duotian Altar by Pudu Cihang, who promised a share of the sustenance of the souls of the living beings of the south.

But now, the tempting sustenance had turned into a tough bone, difficult to gnaw on, let alone potentially risking their lives.

No matter how important the mana point was or how delightful the sustenance, it couldn’t compare to one’s life. Unless Pudu Cihang could turn the tides, these three demons were unwilling to keep up their futile resistance.

Facing the three demons who bore an almost threatening posture, Pudu Cihang merely smiled, lifting his eyes northward and muttered to himself, “The sixth day has passed!”

With that, he lowered his gaze back to the demons, brought his hands together in a pious gesture, and said with compassion, “Amitabha, lay down the butcher’s knife, turn around for the shore of salvation!”

“You!!!”

The three demons’ faces changed, ready to react.

But unexpectedly, a vast Brahma Sound surged like a tide, instantly engulfing everything.

At the same time…

In the south, Guo Bei, Mount Jilei, Mingxiao Taoist Temple.

Above the Nine Ceremony High Altar, Xu Yang remained calm, with a Taoist Scripture in hand, still finding leisure to read.

Nailhead Plowhead, Seven Arrows Curse Spell. Now, on the sixth day.

The sixth day, the sixth arrow, the sixth round of curse spell, was about to strike!