A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 259 The Demonic Tribulation Finally Ends
Gu Xu looked at the strange changes in the sky and his expression became solemn. Although he knew that the demonic calamity would not be broken so easily, its power was too astonishing. If it was not stopped, the entire capital city and even the entire human world would probably become a demonic realm.

Thinking of this, Gu Xu summoned the Soul-Cleansing Mirror, the Kui Dragon Ruyi, and the Righteousness-Guarding Demon-Slaying Shuttle in one breath. The three magical artifacts shone with spiritual light, echoing each other and forming a vast net. Runes leaped, lightning bolts surged, and five-colored radiance emanated from them. Yin and Yang energies swirled around them, blocking all the Azure Fiend Demon Spirits outside. Every time they tried to force their way in, they were struck to pieces by bolts of lightning.

However, the dense black mist and gusts of cold wind continued to erode the magic net. Although the magic net remained unmoved, the runes on it began to be slowly eroded. The outermost Bagua runes had become much dimmer, with the Zhen and Li trigrams suffering the most damage.

Seeing this, Gu Xu sneered. This demonic energy really knows how to find the key. The power of thunder and fire is the most effective against demonic energy. Once these two forces are broken through first, the effect of this formation on the demonic energy will decrease by at least 30%.

Knowing the demonic energy's intentions, Gu Xu naturally wouldn't let it succeed. With a tremor of his Azure Thunder Sword, streaks of sword light containing lightning shot into the sky, their target being the Azure Fiend Demon Spirit. Upon seeing the sword light approaching, the latter no longer cared about attacking the magic net and instead tried to dodge. However, just as the Azure Fiend Demon Spirits were dodging, a ball of golden light surged from below. The demon spirits were caught off guard and were struck by the golden light, their figures momentarily frozen. In that brief moment of delay, they were beheaded with a single sword strike.

The demon spirits were separated from their heads, and a wisp of black energy emerged from their heads, attempting to reshape their forms. However, a wisp of pure spiritual energy swirled at the severed point, causing the demonic energy to gather but always collapse at the last step. After three such instances, the demon spirits truly vanished into thin air.

Gu Xu nodded to the golden light controlling the Xuanqiong Formation below, then his figure soared into the sky. Protected by the net formed by the three magical artifacts, Gu Xu traveled smoothly all the way to a height of nine hundred feet above the capital. Before him was a ball of dark Xuan Qi, mixed with a strong bloodthirsty aura.

"This is the resentment left behind by the Demon Star after it devoured all living beings in the world."

Gu Xu pointed his fingers in front of him and chanted an incantation. A pure white light shot out, but the dark black energy did not dodge or evade. It allowed the icy light to strike its body. The icy light melted instantly upon touching the dark black energy. After half a breath, not a trace was left. Instead, the dark black energy grew slightly stronger.

"The ultimate source of this demonic calamity is this thing. No wonder such a great change occurred in the world when the demonic star was destroyed. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined. If this enormous resentment cannot be resolved, once it falls on the capital, all living beings in this world will be reduced to nothingness."

Gu Xu's expression was extremely solemn. This resentment of the living beings had only been activated a few times, yet it had already begun to show its power. Once it was unleashed at full strength, Gu Xu could not guarantee whether he could protect the people below.

“A direct attack is not the solution; the best approach is to resolve this resentment.”

Gu Xu stared at the floating, motionless resentment, pondering possible solutions. After a moment of focused observation, a flash of inspiration struck him. This resentment was essentially a form of the natural energy of heaven and earth. By setting up an array and activating it to dissipate the impurities within, and then refining the primordial spirit with the Soul Purification and Mind Cleansing Mirror, he could break the deadlock.

"Using the Yin-Yang Refining Spirit Array as a base, and supplemented by the Yin-Yang Qiankun Light, it might be worth a try."

After pondering the mysterious jade pendant in his mind for a moment, Gu Xu slowly withdrew his attention. A glint flashed in his eyes as he sent a message to the golden light controlling the formation below, instructing it to guard the capital and not to concern itself with anything else.

Then, Gu Xu formed hand seals, and colorful crystal beads flew out from his body, arranging themselves in specific positions. As Gu Xu slowly placed the Soul-Cleansing and Heart-Tranquilizing Mirror in the center of the formation, the entire formation suddenly lit up, with colorful light flowing continuously. Then, a pure white light shone on the dark black energy. The dark black energy was violently churning when it was illuminated by this light, like oil in a pan being exposed to water. Explosive sounds rang in Gu Xu's ears, mixed with shrill screams and various eerie ghost chants.

"Heaven and Earth are boundless, the profound heart and righteous law, the five elements revolve endlessly, refine!"

Gu Xu formed the final hand seal, and the Yin-Yang Qi around him crisscrossed and continuously melted, finally condensing into a Tai Chi pattern that entered the Soul Purification and Mind Cleansing Mirror. This treasure was originally standing still, but as soon as the Tai Chi pattern entered, it immediately hummed and vibrated, causing the entire Yin-Yang Refining Spirit Array to shake violently. Finally, a black and white vortex shot out from the array and suddenly sucked in the dark Xuan Qi.

In the confrontation between the dark black energy and the pure white light, the dark black energy had gained a significant advantage. Most of the pure white light had already been stained black, and it would be completely corrupted in a few more breaths. At this moment, the sucking force of the black and white vortex made the dark black energy sense a fatal threat. It stopped rolling and began to compress and condense inward, trying to resist the sucking force.

However, Gu Xu thought this was overestimating his abilities. After all, this dark Xuan Qi was not the spirit of the Demon Star. It was just choosing the safest method for itself based on its instincts. But this was exactly what Gu Xu wanted. Although the dark Xuan Qi compressed and condensed in this way, it temporarily blocked the formation's refining, but it also sacrificed its own power.

Gu Xu looked at the wisps of profound energy scattered in the void. With a turn of his magic power, he saw the wisps of profound energy being continuously swallowed by the black and white vortex. After being refined by the Soul Purification Mirror and the Yin-Yang Refining God Array, in just a few breaths, more than a dozen black crystals floated out from the array, with exquisite and profound runes engraved on them.

This substance is a crystallized resentment, which is the most poisonous thing for cultivators. Even a slight contact with it will take several times longer to neutralize. However, this crystallized resentment has now been doubly sealed. If we find a pure yang place to refine it for another ten years, it can be completely destroyed.

Gu Xu saw that the dark Xuan Qi had condensed into the size of a fist. His eyes flashed, and he casually slashed with his sword. A bolt of lightning struck the dark Xuan Qi. Although the strike did not directly cleave the Xuan Qi, it caused it to release a lot of resentment, which drifted in all directions. The black and white vortex took this opportunity to absorb it again and refine it once more. In just a short while, there were more than a hundred resentment crystals in front of Gu Xu.

While Gu Xu was dealing with the dark Xuan Qi, Jin Guang and the others below were also operating a magic array to continuously kill any fish that had escaped the net, with the Qing Sha Demon Spirit being the main target.

"Just now, Senior Brother Gu Xu sent a message saying that the higher-ups will handle this. We only need to protect the capital. Everyone, the rise and fall of the righteous path depends on this battle. I hope you will all work together to meet this calamity and protect the peace of the world!" Yan Chixia and the others solemnly agreed. They knew they couldn't help Gu Xu, so they could only solve his worries. As the golden light continuously activated the array mechanism, with everyone working together, the Xuanqiong Yaotian Array suddenly lit up. Countless light spots and talismans rose into the sky, like starlight scattering, illuminating the surrounding area for hundreds of miles. The dozens of demonic spirits that suddenly attacked were not able to react and were pulverized by the array mechanism. Then, they were instantly annihilated by the ensuing magical power.

"Master Tianyun, I'm entrusting the black mist to you. As for the yin wind, I'll leave it to Senior Brother Yan. The rest of you, hold your positions and annihilate all the demonic spirits!"

Jin Guang quickly laid out his tactics, only to receive a message from Gu Xu that he knew this demonic calamity was just the beginning and the most vulnerable time. If he was not dealt with in time, once the dragon vein was infected, there would be no way to save the situation. Among the demonic calamities, the dense black mist, the fierce yin wind, and the azure demon spirit were the three most difficult things to deal with.

The dense black mist is called "Soul Fusion," which can devour the souls of living beings and turn them into walking corpses. The malevolent wind is called "Bone Shaving," which can completely shave off one's flesh and bones once it strikes the body. It is extremely powerful. As for the remaining Azure Fiend Demon Spirit, it is the most agile creature, skilled at possession. Once possessed, it will replace the original human nature and become completely human, walking freely in the world.

Although Jin Guang believed that the Xuanqiong Formation could block these three things, he felt that since his side already had the advantage, why be trapped in a defensive posture? The best defense is offense. If he could clear away this strange omen, he might be able to help relieve some pressure on Senior Brother Gu Xu.

Upon hearing Jin Guang's instructions, neither Tianyun Zhenren nor Yan Chixia objected. After temporarily handing over the array mechanisms they controlled to Jin Guang, the two of them attacked the Soul-Melting Black Mist and the Bone-Scraping Fiery Wind, respectively.

"Since this thing is called Soul Fusion and is also a mist, it must be based on absorbing spiritual energy. This is exactly what counters my Cloud Light Heaven Technique. It seems that Sect Master Jin Guang did not assign it randomly. He has indeed thought it through."

Master Tianyun glanced at the golden light that was guarding the central point, then looked away and at the black mist that was constantly surging towards the magic array. He unfurled the Cloud Gathering Banner in his hand, and saw clusters of snow-white clouds flying out from the array. When they collided with the black mist, the two sides were immediately like fire and water. One absorbed the mist, while the other guarded its essence. Although it appeared that the supernatural powers and spells used by Master Tianyun were gradually being devoured by the Soul-Melting Black Mist, Master Tianyun did not show any panic on his face.

"This black mist is merely stealing spiritual energy by instinct. With the Cloud Gathering Banner in hand, I can easily deceive it with a little trick."

Master Tianyun feigned weakness to trap the enemy like a turtle in a jar. Seeing that Master Tianyun's side was weak and easy to bully, the black mist immediately poured most of its power into this area, greatly relieving the pressure on other places. Seeing this, the others, without waiting for Jin Guang's instructions, immediately expanded the range of the formation outward. In just a moment, the entire formation increased by three-tenths, covering an area of ​​a thousand miles.

As the black mist surged toward him, a glint flashed in Tianyun Zhenren's eyes. He then gently shook the Gathering Cloud Banner, and a crack appeared on the banner's surface. From within, silver chains shot out, crisscrossing and spanning the sky, directly locking the Soul-Melting Black Mist inside.

Sensing the threat, the black mist immediately abandoned its attempt to absorb the cloud light and charged towards the chains. However, how could True Person Tianyun stand idly by? He pointed his jade ruler forward, and a dazzling white light shot out from the tip of the ruler, rushing into the black mist with a whoosh. Then, a shocking explosion rang out.

The black mist was immediately torn into several pieces, and rolling waves of air surged outwards, but they were all blocked by the cloud light chains. Before the dissipated black mist could reassemble, the array mechanism flowed and separated it. Then, with the power of everyone's magic, in just a few breaths, only the last wisp of black mist was still holding on, but under the cloud gathering banner of True Person Tianyun, it gradually showed signs of dissipating.

While Master Tianyun was dealing with the Soul-Melting Black Mist, Yan Chixia on the other side also faced the Bone-Slicing Gale. Although there was a magic array blocking it, Yan Chixia could still feel the power of the gale. The wind howled and swirled like thousands of sharp blades cutting through the air. Anything outside the magic array that was hit by the gale was instantly crushed into dust. Yan Chixia's expression became solemn.

After pondering for a while, Yan Chixia's Crimson Flame Sword suddenly trembled, and a series of fiery birds flew out. In the blink of an eye, the fiery birds had arrived in front of the fierce winds. Seeing this, Yan Chixia turned his sword, and the fiery birds cried out and rushed towards the fierce winds. However, at this moment, the fierce winds seemed to be guided and neatly arranged into four rows, with two fierce winds in each row. The fiery birds flew into them, but failed to break into the fierce winds. Instead, they were trapped in the gaps between the fierce winds. Moreover, the rotation directions of the adjacent fierce winds were completely opposite. The fiery birds could not advance or retreat. In just a few breaths, the flames dissipated.

Yan Chixia watched the invisible flames vanish and felt relieved. Although Li Feng was spiritual, it was ultimately just a low-level technique. The Flaming Bird had not only been a test but also left a trace. The Flaming Bird was formed from the essence of the Crimson Flame Sword. As long as the sword was not destroyed, these Flaming Birds would not perish. With the Flaming Birds supporting him, Yan Chixia was very confident that he could defeat Li Feng in one fell swoop.

After a few more tests, Yan Chixia had a better understanding of the situation. He blocked the attack and took out a stack of crimson talismans from his sleeve. With a burst of magical power, the talismans connected to form a talisman bridge, leading directly to the fierce wind at the very front. Seeing that the talisman bridge was open, Yan Chixia flipped his wrist, and the blade of his sword swept across the talisman bridge. A flash of crimson light appeared, and a beam of fire passed through the talisman bridge and landed on the fierce wind at the very front.

This wind was originally clashing with the Xuanqiong Formation. Suddenly sensing the threat, it immediately tried to change position. However, a ray of light shone down from the sky, and the wind's movement suddenly slowed down. With this pause, the firelight struck the center of the wind, and with a boom, the entire wind suddenly turned into a pillar of fire soaring into the sky. The fire was propelled by the wind, and the wind amplified the fire's power. In just a moment, the wind was broken apart, and the adjacent winds were also ignited by the traces left by the Flaming Bird. In just a few breaths, all eight winds were ignited, and from the sky, it looked as if eight huge pillars of fire had suddenly appeared.

Seeing that True Man Tianyun and Yan Chixia had broken through the black mist and yin wind one after another, Jin Guang was greatly encouraged. He shouted and his body flashed with mysterious light, continuously raising the power of the great formation. The others followed suit and raised the formation power. The Xuanqiong Formation was like an inverted transparent bowl, and the Qing Sha Demon Spirits were trapped inside. Under the dual attack of the formation power and supernatural powers, the Qing Sha Demon Spirits died one after another in the formation.

Just as Jin Guang and the others annihilated all the signs of demonic tribulation in one fell swoop, high in the sky, Gu Xu continuously activated the Yin-Yang Refining God Array. The black and white vortex stubbornly absorbed the wisps of demonic energy, taking more than half an hour to break through the dark Xuan Qi. The rest was just a matter of time.

"At most three hours, this resentment will be temporarily purified."

Looking at the resentful clouds that had lost all momentum, Gu Xu felt a little relieved. The affairs of this realm were largely completed, and he didn't have much time left to stay here.

(End of this chapter)