Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 377 The war begins

A cold mountain wind swept through the pass, carrying with it an overwhelming stench of blood.

With a blood-red aura swirling between his fingers, Shi Yu skillfully peeled away the essence of flesh and blood from a still-warm body.

The bones and flesh of mortals are merely pure resources in his eyes.

The Demonic Sect has talented individuals.

After all, not every genius can have a smooth life. Most villains are actually unlucky, either losing their families or suffering oppression.

On the contrary, it is extremely rare for someone like Chen Ye, who comes from a demonic sect but still walks the righteous path, to be one in ten thousand lucky individuals.

Shi Yu was the less fortunate one.

Born into a poor family and having endured many hardships, he could always turn the rotten and incomplete secret manuals that those powerful families and sects disdained into something magical.

Despite having no renowned teachers to guide him, he became self-taught and highly skilled.

Moreover, Shi Yu was different from those cultivators of the underground demonic sects. He would go to the surface every now and then to kill people and practice his skills. He was bold enough and smart enough that he would never stay in one place for long, and he killed very carefully.

He specifically chose ordinary people who died and no one cared to practice his skills, so he always lived a very comfortable life, to the point that he looked down on the so-called Eighteen Venerable Masters.

A group of demons who only dare to hide underground and wait to die are nothing compared to him.

Shi Yu believed that he was the real genius, and that if given several hundred years, he might be able to ascend to heaven in broad daylight.

Now that the Demonic Sect is launching counterattacks on all sides and making all sorts of small moves, Shi Yu is thriving. With so many "fellow practitioners" providing cover, he becomes even more inconspicuous and easier to hide.

He's been incredibly lucky lately, managing to intercept and kill a rogue cultivator at the Profound Realm, from whom he obtained a Soul Cleansing Flower.

This treasure was truly a gift from heaven, and Shi Yu broke through to the Nascent Soul realm thanks to this extraordinary encounter.

Once you reach the Lesser Longevity Realm, you no longer need to worry about lifespan. When your physical body decays, you can simply replace it with another one.

But who would have thought that just when he was at his most triumphant, the Yunlu Immortal Sect activated the Great Five Elements Heavenly Punishment Formation.

The cloudless sky was replaced by a dazzling, flowing light. Shi Yu felt a chill run through his body, as if a deity in the heavens had opened its eyes and was looking down upon all living beings.

He was just one of the masses, like an ant in the eyes of the gods.

Therefore, Shi Yu's first reaction was to use a spell to conceal his form, instantly turning his entire body transparent, and even his scent disappeared completely.

It's as if Shi Yu doesn't exist in this world.

This was a supernatural power he had developed on his own; as long as he didn't engage in strenuous exercise, he could enter a state of near-nothingness. Using this method, Shi Yu escaped death multiple times and even killed powerful opponents on more than one occasion, turning them into his prey.

He thought he could escape this time, but a bolt of heavenly fire shattered his illusions.

The other party can see him and can pinpoint his location precisely.

A single celestial fire is nothing special; this kind of Five Elements magic is quite common.

Shi Yu casually slapped it away.

But what followed was a sky full of falling fire!

A meteor shower, covering half the sky, hurtled towards him with an aura of destruction.

Shi Yu reacted extremely quickly, his body surging with bloodthirsty energy, instantly condensing into a blood-red bone shield covered with strange beast patterns.

Amidst the deafening roar, the falling heavenly fire exploded into countless sparks on the beast bone shield.

Once or twice is fine, but this magic weapon has been refined by Shi Yu for many years and has absorbed the essence of countless people's blood, so its protective and life-saving effects are considered top-notch.

Shi Yu was still thinking that as long as he could withstand this attack, he could escape underground.

There was an underground fissure nearby, which was his escape route.

However, Shi Yu discovered that the falling fire from the sky seemed to have no end in sight. Not only that, but countless bolts of lightning were also brewing within it, striking down at him amidst the heavenly fire.

The ground beneath his feet was also constantly writhing, the rocks turning into soft mud that swallowed his feet and then squeezed and ground his flesh into a paste.

These are all the most basic Five Elements spells, but the sheer number of them makes them difficult even for cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage to handle.

Shi Yu felt as if he were facing an attack by millions of righteous cultivators, and he could only defend, with no way to resist.

The bone shield trembled violently, cracks appearing amidst the endless barrage of spells.

Shi Yu was also shaken so badly that his blood and qi surged. He accidentally brushed his robe with the overflowing magic, and it was instantly charred black.

Shi Yu knew he couldn't hold on any longer; he could only endure a few more moments before he turned to dust.

He had no idea what kind of trap he had fallen into; the formation was far too terrifying.

Shi Yu could only destroy the magical shield, and the massive burst of spiritual energy instantly neutralized most of the relentless bombardment of spells.

Taking advantage of this opening, Shi Yu transformed into a streak of light and entered the underground passage, thinking that no matter how many spells there were in the sky, they couldn't penetrate the rock layers and land on him.

The narrow underground passage did indeed block most of the spells' pursuit, but when Shi Yuluo's feet touched the dark underground, he found himself sinking into quicksand again, with countless stone spikes growing on the surrounding rock walls, piercing towards his body.

Shi Yu's eyes widened in disbelief. Even this couldn't get rid of him?
Just how large is the area covered by this formation?!
Shi Yu had no answer; he only felt that he was facing the most terrifying crisis since he began cultivating. Shi Yu was struggling to defend himself, pushing his movement techniques to their limits and unleashing all his secret arts. Thick, almost tangible waves of blood swirled around him, blocking the attacks of the stone spikes.

But these spells seemed endless, and as his spiritual energy was rapidly depleted, Shi Yu's body began to suffer continuous injuries.

"Damn it! This can't go on! We'll be worn down to death!"

Shi Yu's eyes were fierce but also filled with despair. He was shrouded in the formation, unable to run away or hide, and couldn't even find his opponent. He couldn't even fight to the death.

Just as another wave of Geng metal energy transformed into a giant sword slashed down, forcing his blood river to scatter and his robe to shatter, Shi Yu couldn't help but think: Should I abandon my physical body and escape with my soul?
It is true that those in the Nascent Soul Realm can escape using their divine soul, and Shi Yu has also prepared a replacement physical body.

However, he was worried that even if he were to possess another body now, he would not be able to escape the range of this formation, because his place of rebirth was not too far from here.

If he can't escape, then he'll really die here.

Just as he was in despair, a dark figure suddenly appeared in front of him. Shi Yu didn't care whether this person was friend or foe; this was the only chance, so he charged forward first.

But as soon as he made a move, the man said, "Don't be impatient, you'd better stay where you are."

Shi Yu wouldn't listen, but his body remained frozen in place uncontrollably.

A giant sword formed from the sharp energy of Geng metal slashed down towards Shi Yu, who was unable to move. Shi Yu thought he was doomed this time, but unexpectedly, the blurry shadow spoke, "Time stands still here."

The voice was much slower than the golden sword, yet before the golden sword could strike Shi Yu's head, it was frozen in mid-air.

Time seemed to stand still, and only Shi Yu and the dark figure before him could move.

The shadowy figure said to Shi Yu, "Take this with you, and you might still survive."

A jade plate the size of a palm flew over, and Shi Yu realized that he could move again. He quickly reached out and caught it.

With just one glance, he knew that the jade plate contained an exquisite array that could be activated by spiritual energy.

Shi Yu couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"

The dark figure did not answer, but only reminded, "You don't have much time left, asking this is pointless. Remember to return to the surface later, then this jade plate will be of use."

After saying this, the shadowy figure disappeared, and the frozen time resumed its flow, while the magical attacks from all directions continued without pause.

Shi Yu quickly circulated his spiritual energy, using his last bit of strength to break through the Five Elements spells and return to the surface.

Whoever that person is, we have to give it a try now.

The jade plate was activated by spiritual energy, and it immediately transformed into a hazy light that enveloped Shi Yu, isolating him from the endless Five Elements spells, finally giving him a chance to catch his breath.

Moreover, Shi Yu also sensed that there were two other formations that seemed to be echoing him from afar, forming the Three Talents Formation.

The five elemental spells that landed on the formation could only create ripples, completely unable to break through the formation's protection.

Only a formation can counter a formation, and Shi Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Sure enough, I am a chosen one, always able to turn misfortune into good fortune at crucial moments.

The only question is who that dark figure was and why they came to the rescue.

"Now is not the time to consider the causes and consequences. We don't know how long this formation can hold out. We should think of a way to escape first." Shi Yu raised his head, trying to carefully distinguish where the five elemental spells came from and what methods could be used to break them.

However, when he looked up, he saw a huge phantom in the sky.

Judging from its outline, it resembles a jade ruyi that is larger than a mountain.

As Shi Yu watched in shock and despair, the jade ruyi crashed down.

The protective formation around Shi Yu shattered instantly, along with Shi Yu's physical body.

What kind of chosen one, what kind of genius, all turned to ashes under this earth-shattering blow.

The other two formations were also affected and shattered into millions of fragments. The people guarding the formations suffered the same fate as Shi Yu.

Shortly after the formation shattered, two demonic figures flew towards the Yunlu Immortal Sect at an extremely fast speed.

Endless Five Elements spells chased after the two, but could not cause any harm.

Countless shadowy figures appeared before these spells, using their own bodies as shields to protect the two demonic figures.

One of the demonic figures was the same person who had given Shi Yu the array jade plate earlier. He said, "This Great Five Elements Heavenly Punishment Array is truly powerful. I thought they could hold out a little longer and buy us some time, but unfortunately, they are ultimately insignificant little guys."

Another demonic figure laughed, "Hehe, if the Yunlu Immortal Sect were so easy to deal with, I would have wiped them out long ago. Feilian, if we want to deal with the righteous path, we will ultimately have to rely on ourselves."

“Indeed, Fellow Daoist Hu Chang is right. However, are you sure you want to start a war with the Yunlu Immortal Sect at this time? And even more so, are you going to directly attack the Yunlu Immortal Sect’s mountain gate?”

"This wasn't my choice. I've been setting up in the Western Territory for a long time, but there's no way I can escape. It's only thanks to that poisonous woman Youluozi knowing the power of this Great Five Elements Heavenly Punishment Formation that I was able to gather my subordinates in time, and now I can still fight against the Yunlu Immortal Sect. Moreover, you and I both know that this is the beginning of the war between good and evil. In that case, how can I not choose a battlefield that will terrify the world?"

Lord Feilian shook his head and said, "It's a pity that Youluozi is never willing to show his true abilities, and this may well be a trap."

The Tiger Lord sneered and roared, "So what if it's a trap? I'll tear down their Cloud City and smash that March Lake into three hundred Moon Lakes. Let's see what schemes that Youluozi can come up with then."

(End of this chapter)