A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 257 Azure Fiend Demon Spirit
Having lost Qi Ye as its anchor, and with its main body repeatedly and severely damaged by Gu Xu's relentless and powerful attacks, the Demon Star was not originally so vulnerable. The main reason was that it had dispersed a portion of its power into the capital city in an attempt to find the dragon vein. However, it now discovered that that portion of its power seemed to be in trouble, its senses were intermittent, and it was rapidly weakening.

Gu Xu unleashed countless sword lights once more, and the surging sea of ​​lightning that had been pushing outwards continued to press down on the demon star. In the void, a crimson demon star swayed left and right amidst the thunder, lightning, and soaring sword lights, like a small boat that could capsize at any moment in a turbulent wave.

"Heaven and Earth are boundless, the profound heart and righteous law, the true martial arts subdue demons, the command to circulate!"

A voice resounded in the mind of the Demon Star. The crimson-purple demonic light surrounding the Demon Star shifted slightly, and a beam of clear light broke through the outer defense, shining directly onto the Demon Star's body. As soon as this clear light entered, it was like water entering a pot of oil, instantly exploding. The Demon Star shuddered violently, and the crimson-purple demonic light suddenly tore the clear light apart. At the same time, the Demon Star instantly grew hundreds of times larger, its speed increased, and it flew towards the sky.

Seeing the Demon Star make this move, Gu Xu's expression remained unchanged. He pointed the Soul Cleansing and Mind-Cleansing Mirror at the Demon Star flying in the sky. At the same time, a white light flashed around him, and he reached out to grab the Demon Star. Strands of pure white talisman chains flew up into the sky from all directions, and their speed was several times faster than that of the Demon Star.

As the demonic star ascended, it sensed Gu Xu's intervention. The spirit of the demonic star immediately released a cloud of crimson-purple demonic light downwards. The clear light shone on it, and although it was quickly refined, it was somewhat slowed down. With this slight delay, just as the demonic star was about to rise directly above the capital, suddenly a series of talisman chains came and bound it.

Sensing the vast profound power emanating from the chains, the spirit of the demon star was shaken. The feeling it got from these talisman chains was very similar to that of the Guardian Demon Shuttle.

"The Xuanxin Sect has gone to such lengths to deal with me. It seems I was careless."

Gu Xu looked at the Demon Star, which was temporarily blocked by chains, and felt a little relieved. He then poured his magic power into the Purifying Soul and Heart Mirror. The clear light shone on the crimson-purple cloud and completely refined it in less than half a breath. The light continued its momentum and shone directly on the Demon Star.

At the same time, Gu Xu used his magic technique to instantly condense the sea of ​​lightning that filled the realm into a Thunderclap Pearl. With a deep shout, he also sent the Thunderclap Pearl toward the Demon Star.

Although the Demon Star was unharmed by the chains, his steps were slowed, which was not conducive to his next move. The Demon Star's spirit always only chose the side that was beneficial to him. Suddenly, the Demon Star lit up, and the crimson and purple demonic light condensed into a beam that shot into the sky, and then spread out in all directions, turning the surrounding hundred-mile sky into a crimson and purple color.

When the talisman chains were illuminated by the crimson-purple demonic light, they immediately emitted wisps of white smoke. After a mournful cry, the chains broke off section by section. In just a few breaths, the chains that were sealing the demonic star were almost completely gone. Seeing this, the spirit of the demonic star urged the demonic star to crash directly into the sky. With a crack, the remaining chains could no longer hold on and were shattered on the spot by the demonic star.

The demonic star immediately soared into the sky, instantly leaping a hundred feet above the capital. Just after the demonic star returned to its position, the crimson and purple demonic light in the sky suddenly moved and then enveloped the area below. Judging from its motive, it seemed to want to shroud the capital in demonic light and directly refine this place.

"That demon star has certainly made a good plan!"

With a leap, Gu Xu appeared in the sky, his body bathed in a clear, watery light that continuously descended towards the capital, forming a protective shield of clear light. The moment the crimson-purple demonic light touched it, it was instantly refined away by the clear light. For a moment, only the clear light and the crimson-purple color remained in the world.

Inside the palace, True Man Tianyun, Yan Chixia, Sima Sanniang, True Man Muyang, Fang Kong, and others were all stationed in their respective areas. From above, it was a magnificent and wondrous array unlike anything they had ever seen before. However, the person in charge of the array was missing. At this moment, the array was riddled with holes under the attack of the demonic spirits. If it weren't for the fact that everyone inside the array possessed extraordinary cultivation and had the assistance of various magical artifacts, the situation would probably have been out of control.

"Has Sect Master Jin Guang not arrived yet?"

With a light wave of his jade ruler, Master Tianyun annihilated a purple-horned demon spirit amidst flashes of cloud light.

Apart from the sect leader Jin Guang, no one else could unleash the full power of the Xuanqiong Yaotian Formation. It was more than enough to deal with ordinary demon spirits, but there were many demons with deep-seated evil among them, especially the dozen or so blue-faced and fanged demon spirits, which were even more powerful than the purple-horned demon spirits.

Just now, these dozen or so Azure Fiend Demon Spirits suddenly appeared, and the Yin-Yang Refining God Formation set up by Yan Hongye, Zhuge Liuyun and others was destroyed by them in an instant. More than ten people were unable to dodge in time and died on the spot. If it weren't for the support of Yan Chixia and others behind them, the subsequent losses would only have been greater.

Now, these seniors are confronting the Azure Fiend Demon Spirits, but as time goes by, more and more Purple Horned Demon Spirits are beginning to evolve into Azure Fiends under the influence of demonic energy and nourishment of blood energy. In just a short while, more than twenty Azure Fiend Demon Spirits have appeared, which has brought great pressure to Master Tianyun and the others.

Seeing that the Xuanqiong Formation was gradually losing its strength, Yan Chixia's expression also became solemn. They were not afraid of the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit, but the disciples were hard to protect. Once the last defense was broken, the consequences would be unimaginable, especially since the hidden dragon vein would be exposed.

"Sect Master Jin Guang is on his way. We must hold on for a little longer and not let the demonic spirits break in, otherwise we will suffer a crushing defeat, all living beings will be afflicted, and the righteous path will be overthrown!" Yan Chixia said to Tianyun Zhenren with a resolute expression.

As he spoke, the flames of the Crimson Flame Sword in his hand swirled, transforming into a fire dragon. With a raised head and a dragon's roar, it surged forward, instantly engulfing several of the foremost demon spirits. They let out a few miserable howls, leaving only a pile of black ash behind, which was then blown away by the shockwave and disappeared without a trace.

Outside the Xuanqiong Formation, the leading Azure Fiend Demon Spirit roared in anger upon seeing this, then gave an order to the Azure Fiend Demon Spirits behind him. The Azure Fiend Demon Spirits immediately rushed towards the Xuanqiong Formation. Upon seeing this, Tianyun Zhenren's expression changed. He then waved his jade ruler, and clusters of cloud light rose around him. With a flick of Tianyun Zhenren's magic power, they directly attacked the Azure Fiend Demon Spirits.

However, just as the cloud light was about to fall on the few Azure Fiend Demons, a strange and evil chant suddenly rang in everyone's ears. Yan Chixia immediately said in a deep voice, "It's the Heavenly Demon Transformation Sound again. Everyone, quickly close your five senses and do not let the demonic sound enter your ears!"

Although the Heavenly Demon Transformation Sound unleashed by the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit was not as powerful as that of the Demon Star, it was sufficient to deal with those with slightly weaker cultivation. Currently, only True Person Tianyun and Yan Chixia in the formation were unaffected. Upon hearing this, the others all guarded their minds and closed their five senses.

Master Tianyun watched as his auspicious clouds and celestial light were slowly dissipated by the baleful aura. He couldn't help but sigh. Because he was inside the magic array, he dared not recklessly use the Cloud Gathering Banner. If the magic weapon clashed with the array, the consequences would be beyond his ability to bear.

"Master Yan, you can hold off those few Azure Fiend Demons for now. I can use the Cloud Pattern Heavenly Lock to block them for a while."

Upon hearing the message from True Person Tianyun, Yan Chixia immediately nodded. Then, a flash of crimson light appeared on his body, and the Crimson Flame Sword in his hand transformed into a streak of crimson light, shooting into the sky. Suddenly, a burst of blazing sunlight appeared in the sky, and sword lights rained down, slashing towards the several Azure Fiend Demon Spirits that were crashing into the magic array.

This move is called "Ten Thousand Suns Sword Rain," a sword light that Yan Chixia condensed with his magic power over twenty years. Its power is immense, containing a vast amount of blazing sun power. Even Qi Ye would have no choice but to retreat if he encountered it. This was originally a backup plan that Yan Chixia kept in case of emergency, but this time, in order to cooperate with Tianyun Zhenren, Yan Chixia had to reveal it in advance.

As the Rain of Ten Thousand Suns Swords fell, the countless demonic spirits lingering around the magic array were instantly annihilated. Their screams filled the air. In the blink of an eye, the swords flashed, and within a few breaths, most of the demonic spirits perished. Only Qing Sha and a few purple-horned demonic spirits remained; the rest of the lower-level demonic spirits were wiped out. "Hero Yan's move is truly formidable! It's an eye-opener!"

Fang Kong and Mu Yang Zhenren and the others all looked at Yan Chixia with amazement. Fang Kong, in particular, believed that his swordsmanship was already extraordinary. Although it was not as good as the Xuanxin Orthodox School, he did not think that the difference was too great. What he saw today deeply shocked him.

Seeing Yan Chixia slay countless demon spirits and intimidate the few Qing Sha that were charging into the magic array, causing the attack to slow down, Sima Sanniang took this opportunity to form hand seals and cast spells. Strands of white light extended to the broken magic array, and the array's power circulated, continuously mending the gaps in the array.

Upon seeing this, the leading Azure Fiend Demon Spirit outside the formation had a glint in its eyes. Then, it opened its mouth and spat out a ball of crimson-purple demonic light that transformed into a sharp sword and shot towards the gap in the formation. The Azure Fiend Demon Spirits seemed to know the power of this thing and immediately dodged it, looking at the sharp sword with great fear.

Just as the sword was about to strike the magic array, two sword lights, one red and one blue, crashed down from the sky. With a single, intersecting slash, the red-purple sword was instantly cut into several pieces, which were then swirled by the sword light and scattered into a ball of light.

"Gan Jiang and Mo Xie!"

Sima San Niang exclaimed in surprise, and the others also looked up. They saw a golden figure slowly descending from the sky, with two crimson and blue swords swirling around him, radiating crimson and blue light.

"Sect Master Jin Guang!"

When Master Tianyun saw the golden light appear, he felt a little relieved. He nodded to the golden light and his hands moved faster. The others were also invigorated when they saw the golden light arrive. The reason they were at a disadvantage was firstly because they were worried about the safety of their disciples, and secondly because they were not absolutely certain that they could eliminate all the Azure Fiend Demon Spirits. If even one of them escaped, it could cause unpredictable consequences. Therefore, they had no choice but to adopt this delaying tactic.

However, now that the golden light has arrived, they can switch from defense to offense and fully unleash the power of the Xuanqiong Yaotian Formation.

Jin Guang nodded to the people inside the magic array, then turned to look at the leading Azure Fiend Demon Spirit. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and with a soft shout, golden talismans shot out from behind him. As they moved forward, they emitted a dazzling golden light. Several demon spirits that were nearby were caught off guard and were struck by the golden light, instantly turning to ashes and perishing.

Although Jin Guang gained the upper hand from the very first move, he did not linger in the fight. He moved in an instant and arrived inside the formation. He nodded to Sima San Niang, who was repairing the formation. The latter understood and immediately withdrew her magic power. As soon as Sima San Niang withdrew her magic power, Jin Guang immediately summoned the "Chongzheng Fangtian Seal".

Once this treasure was unleashed, it immediately resonated with the Xuanqiong Formation, its spiritual light flashing and its formation energies rising, restoring the previously riddled formation to its original state almost instantly.

"Heaven and earth are boundless, the profound mind and righteous law, the two polarities of heaven and earth, the four symbols give birth to spirits, the thunderbolts of the heavens, the demonic aura is swept away, by decree!"

After the Golden Light True Incantation was recited, the Xuanqiong Yaotian Array flashed with light that soared into the sky. Yin and Yang energies were arranged in the air, the four symbols were arranged, and blue thunder and purple lightning flew across the sky. Sharp sword light pierced through the air, and a murderous aura instantly enveloped the area for hundreds of miles.

"Fellow Daoists, please take your positions and do not move around at will!"

After Jin Guang finished speaking, he sent a message to Tianyun Zhenren. After the latter replied, Jin Guang formed a hand seal, and thousands of sword lights shot out from the Xuanqiong Formation. The sword lights were accompanied by purple lightning and blue thunder. When the Qing Sha Demon Spirit tried to dodge, cloud-patterned chains suddenly appeared all around, trapping it. After being slashed by the sword lights, it was left with only black ash after a few miserable screams, which then drifted away in the wind.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of Azure Fiend Demon Spirits had been wiped out, with only six still fleeing. However, under the sealing of the Xuanqiong Formation, their deaths were only a matter of time.

A few moments later, the leading Azure Fiend Demon Spirit was horrified to find itself all alone. Before it could make a move, Jin Guang and the others unleashed their abilities, sending more than ten divine powers at it.

Upon seeing this, the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit's expression changed drastically. It opened its mouth again and spat out another ball of crimson-purple demonic light to protect itself. The dozen or so divine powers that struck it did not cause any ripples. However, the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit was also in great pain. The continuous use of crimson-purple demonic light caused its magic power to be consumed very quickly. If it were before, it would not have been a problem, but for some reason, the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit felt that its magic power recovery speed had become very slow.

"Could it be that something has gone wrong with my main body?" The Azure Fiend Demon Spirit suddenly had this guess, but its main body's cultivation was extraordinary, and it had never encountered such a situation when it swept across the heavens. If it really had encountered trouble, it would not be a good thing for it.

These demonic spirits, though called subordinates of the Demon Star, are actually its provisions. Once the main body feels its magic power is insufficient, it will devour them. However, since they have gained sentience, none of the demonic spirits are willing to become the main body's food. Therefore, in order to survive, they will actively hunt living beings for the main body to ensure their own survival.

"If I am truly defeated, it will not be a good thing for me. These righteous people will not let me stay. If they can lend me a hand at a crucial moment, perhaps I will have great fortune in the future."

Thinking of this, the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit's eyes flashed red, clearly indicating that it had made a decision. Just then, the crimson-purple demonic light could no longer hold on and was broken by the array power and the divine abilities of the Golden Light and others. Just as the divine abilities were about to strike, the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit roared, and its aura suddenly surged, its body growing several times larger, like a small hill, and its size continued to expand.

"Master Tianyun, use the Cloud Gathering Banner to lock its form. Sect Master Fang, use sword energy to sever its brow chakra. Master Muyang, use Samadhi True Fire to nail the demon spirit's limbs. Senior Brother Yan, Senior Sister, use the Suppressing Yuan Talisman!"

Upon seeing this, Jin Guang's expression changed. He knew exactly what the other party was planning. If it was allowed to self-destruct, the entire capital city, except for the area within a hundred miles of the imperial palace, would be completely destroyed.

Thinking of this, Jin Guang, while manipulating the formation, methodically sent messages to the individuals. Upon hearing this, Tianyun Zhenren and the others acted according to his instructions. The formation power flowed, and a Yin-Yang pattern landed above the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit. The Yin-Yang Qi released a binding force, hindering the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit's movements.

With a flash of spiritual light, Master Tianyun summoned the Cloud Gathering Banner, which enveloped the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit in clusters of cloud light, revealing only its brow and limbs. Upon seeing this, Fang Kong trembled his sword, channeling all his magical power into it. With a whoosh, the sword transformed into a bolt of lightning and flew away, striking the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit squarely between the brows. At the same time, Master Muyang and the Yan Chixia couple also attacked together.

(End of this chapter)