Chapter 834: Progress
"Buzz, buzz!"
The imitation Taihua Mirror’s spirit light flashed without cease as large numbers of Red Flame Sect Members walked out from its surface, their strength ranging from Layer IV of the Body Tempering Realm to Layer IX of the Spirit Sea Realm.
As for the Red Flame Sect Golden Core cultivators, apart from those who truly could not extricate themselves and those disciples guarding Green Cloud Cave and Blood Snake Ridge, the majority had followed Shen Mo to Five Dragon Mountain at the first possible moment; now they were either stationed within the stronghold, or else leading disciples in constructing formation fortresses and Teleportation Arrays all along the mountainside!
Besides the Red Flame Sect Members, quite a few cultivators from Jade Spring Mountain and experts hailing from other Immortal Mountains also arrived at the Demon Burial Plain stronghold via the Mirror Realm.
This place had no original designation; for the convenience of the Taihua Mirror’s markings, Shen Mo temporarily chose a name. Back then, it was here that countless Demons had been buried, and like the open wilds it was broad and level, so he gave it this toponym!
Because he had previously made an agreement with the Taihua Mirror, and Shen Mo himself needed the battle strength of powers outside the sect, he did not drive them away, and even provided formation protection free of charge.
Only, if non‑sect cultivators wished to live more comfortably, they had no choice but to expend Spirit Stones to lease cave mansions and cultivation mansions from the Red Flame Sect;
In addition, the Red Flame Sect also established an immortal workshop for buying and selling all kinds of spiritual items at the Demon Burial Plain stronghold...
Whether human cultivators or alien tribe experts, once they engaged in Magic Duels and slaughter, all types of consumption would be tenfold, a hundredfold what it was in peacetime, and they would inevitably need constant replenishment;
The corpses, magic artifacts, and extraordinary materials obtained from slaying Demons also had to be processed!
Although one could redeem various spiritual items from the Mirror Realm, and could travel to and from Jade Spring Mountain and other Immortal Mountains to conduct trade, there would always be people who, for convenience, chose to sell their spoils on the spot and purchase Elixirs, talismans, and other goods; for the Red Flame Sect this was no small source of profit.
As time passed, the Red Flame Sect’s foothold on the southern slope of Five Dragon Mountain’s waist gradually stabilized, and they began to advance toward other directions!
In this period, they inevitably went through blood battles great and small.
Their strongest combat strength, Shen Mo, locked his gaze firmly onto that Thousands Insects Evil Corpse Roc of the Formless Realm named "Mingpeng," preventing it from wantonly slaughtering cultivators on their side.
As for the Class V Demons under this great demon’s command, there were top‑tier Demon Soul Generals such as Fairy Pei Yu and the Ghost Bride, drawn out from the Soul Generals Array, as well as Divine Bridge Realm experts from Jade Spring Mountain and other Immortal Mountains, who stepped forth to deal with them!
Then came the varying scales and tiers of bloodshed between Yuan Dan Realm (Fourth Order), Spirit Sea Realm (Class III), and Qi Gathering Realm (Class II) cultivators, which played out day after day!
Both sides possessed God Slaying Arrays; even Jade Spring Mountain and other Immortal Mountain powers had array diagrams specially bestowed by Jade Spring Fairy—easier to master than the God Slaying Array, requiring little operation to use, though their grade was clearly one tier lower than the God Slaying Array.
Fortunately, the Demons were not adept at the Array Path, and because the Creation Array continuously drew on Demon Mana, it was impossible for them to keep the Creation Array running at all times.
The righteous path forces gained no advantage from the Creation Array, but as long as they relied on the stronghold arrays to block the offensive whenever the Demons drove their big array, it was enough!
Thus, not only on Five Dragon Mountain, but across the entire Corpse Mountain Range, the righteous path forces still held the upper hand.
Each time the Red Flame Sect established a stronghold on the southern slope, they would erect an imitation Immortal Mirror;
So long as the stronghold remained solid and the imitation Taihua Mirror was not destroyed, the safety of the sect disciples and other righteous creatures could be safeguarded to the greatest extent.
Moreover, without any need for Teleportation Arrays, one could freely travel between the various Immortal Mountains of the Corpse Mountain Range, Jade Spring Mountain, and Five Dragon Mountain through the Mirror Realm—not only conveniently and swiftly, but also saving a massive expenditure on materials for building Teleportation Arrays and on Spirit Stones for teleportation.
As for the areas near the strongholds, they would construct cheap, small‑scale Teleportation Arrays within the formation fortresses, so that they could swiftly reinforce or evacuate when encountering Demon incursions.
Of course, the current situation was special.
The Taihua Mirror, as Jade Spring Fairy’s Lifebound Magical Artifact, would cease providing such conveniences to the masses once the campaign against the Corpse Mountain Range was complete. In the future, the Red Flame Sect would still have to build Teleportation Arrays connecting Jade Spring Mountain, Blood Snake Ridge, and Five Dragon Mountain—but that would be a matter for after the great war!
...
"Crack!"
"Boom!"
"Hum!"
"Rushing, roaring..."
At the former Hou Corpse Cave relic on the southern slope of Five Dragon Mountain, Shen Mo had assumed a Three-headed Six-armed form. One hand gripped the Demon Slaying Sword, one hand shook the Soul Refining Flag, while his remaining arms did not pause as they continuously formed seals, unleashing to the fullest the ferocious might of the million‑Soul General great array!
The origin power within the bodies of one Demon Soul General after another, and of ordinary Soul Generals as well, was constantly drawn out by the great array, circulating into profound and intricate runes;
The entire great array was shrouded beneath a mass of Demon Cloud and demonic light, transforming into billions upon billions of thunderbolts, savage weapons, flames, yin winds, and other visions of slaughter, which ceaselessly assaulted the distant Formless Realm Thousands Insects Evil Corpse Roc "Mingpeng"!
The great demon, now vaguely humanoid, was seen to be composed entirely of countless ugly, nauseating, slender worms, which swayed like hair and beard in the wind;
Whenever he cast Spells or drove his Skills, those hideous worms would raise their heads and roar, emitting shrill screeches that made people dizzy and nauseated—a method that directly attacked the soul, bearing a subtle resemblance to Soul Curse techniques.
However, Shen Mo had the Soul Generals Array to protect him, and he also possessed no few magic Skills that warded off assaults on the soul, so naturally he did not fall prey.
As the dark, oppressive visions of slaughter surged toward the Thousands Insects Evil Corpse, his body lit up with dense layers of Magical Barriers... Under the violent collision, a corner of the Soul Generals Array was directly shattered, the bodies of a great many Soul Generals exploding and returning to the Soul Refining Flag; and that Formless Realm great demon fared no better, a large swath of the slender worms on his body dying!
At the same time, the God Slaying Array formed by the Demons under the Thousands Insects Evil Corpse was likewise assailed by the Red Flame Sect Members’ great arrays and the stronghold arrays in concert; no longer able to be maintained, it collapsed and exploded in midair, with heavy casualties.
"Ssss, rustle..."
The Thousands Insects Evil Corpse Roc Mingpeng opened his mouth as if speaking, yet no sound emerged from within; instead, a strange screeching arose from the countless fine worms on his body.
The next instant.
The surviving Demons all raised their demonic light and Demon Clouds, fleeing into the distance under the cover of the Thousands Insects Evil Corpse...
From within the Red Flame Sect Members’ great array and the stronghold array rose waves of cheers. Soon, countless figures flew out from the arrays, commencing the collection of Demon corpses and spoils scattered across the ground!
Shen Mo shook the Soul Refining Flag, withdrawing the majority of the Soul Generals, and watched the Thousands Insects Evil Corpse Roc Mingpeng depart, without pursuing to the bitter end.
Bound by his current cultivation level, the Soul Generals Array’s might had already reached a bottleneck; at present he was simply incapable of completely slaying this Formless Realm great demon.
In theory, the God Slaying Array could continuously elevate its power;
With a certain number of Class VI experts serving as array cores, and vast numbers of strong cultivators acting as array bases, after employing Blood Sacrifice methods, it could even reverse‑slay True Immortals!
But the number of Soul Generals that Shen Mo could summon from the Soul Refining Flag and command was, after all, limited.