“This time, quite a few Demon Sect Disciples have infiltrated Gangyang City. Besides the nine Foundation Establishment Disciples already discovered—five from Corpse Refinement Sect: Zhuang Jiushi, Miaodu Jiang, Wang Furren, Silver Corpse Twins; and four from Profound Yin Sect: Old Devil Chen, Zhao Ximo, Liu Laosan, Deng Fanwang—there are also many Qi Refining Disciples, each with formidable Demonic Techniques.”
“Corpse Refinement Sect excels in Undead combat. Their hordes of Black Armored Corpses, Bronze Corpses, Silver Corpses, and Flying Corpses are extremely troublesome.”
“Profound Yin Sect, on the other hand, focuses on refining Soul Banners and commanding Netherworld Ghosts, excelling at setting up Yin Formations that cover the sky and earth!”
“Both Sects are part of the Myriad Demon Cave - Nine Demon Sect, and they cooperate relatively well. If you encounter them, you must do as you did last time: escape as quickly as possible, then promptly report to the Sect.”
Ye Ming added this as Li Mu read the Jade Slip.
After finishing the Jade Slip, Li Mu firmly memorized the appearances of the Demonic Cultivators. He returned the Jade Slip to Ye Ming and asked in confusion, “Senior Brother, what kind of existence are these Nine Demon Sects of the Myriad Demon Cave? Do they have a deep grudge with our Qingxuan Sect?”
“Of course. The Nine Demon Sects of the Myriad Demon Cave: Corpse Refinement Sect, Yin Soul Sect, White Bone Sect, Blood God Sect, Heavenly Demon Sect, Demonic Sound Sect, Heavenly Fiend Sect, Heartless Gate, and Evil Buddha Sect, specialize in Demonic Path Cultivation Techniques. They refine Undead and drive souls, use blood sacrifices to condense evil Qi, and plant demons to attract evil. They are mortal enemies of all righteous Sects. Our Qingxuan Sect, along with Heavenly Evolution Sect, Yu Ling Sect, Tianhe Sect, Hundred Refinements Sect, and the Upper Sect Xuantian Sword Sect, are irreconcilable with these Nine Demon Sects, having been in hostile contention for over a thousand years,” Chang Hong interjected, introducing this to Li Mu.
“That’s right! The sudden invasion of our Sect’s territory by the Disciples of Corpse Refinement Sect and Yin Soul Sect this time must have other motives. The methods of these two Demon Sects are the most vicious. We are most afraid of them slaughtering towns and extracting souls to refine Undead, which is impossible to guard against,” Ye Ming said with a solemn expression.
“We need to find a way to root them out. We must increase the patrol range outside the town,” Li Changfeng suggested.
“First, inform the several Foundation Establishment Families in this town. We need their cooperation to increase the patrol team.”
“We have already sent people to notify the three Foundation Establishment Family Heads. They should be arriving soon.”
...
Not long after, the Heads of the three major Foundation Establishment Families arrived as requested. Everyone gathered and immediately began a mobilization meeting to prevent Demonic Path Cultivators.
As a Managing Disciple of the Spirit Plant Division, Li Mu, who was only at the Qi Refining Seventh Level, was not conscripted as a main combat force and luckily escaped a calamity.
After the meeting, Li Mu fled from the resident compound as if escaping. With several Law Enforcement Disciples in charge of Qingshui Town, dealing with Demonic Path Cultivators was not his turn to get involved, and Li Mu also did not want to get involved.
After the rent collection day ended, the affairs of the Spirit Plant Division were pitifully few. Li Mu took the Opportunity to slack off, hiding in Green Dragon Valley to farm, and in his free time, refining Puppets, studying Formations, and so on.
Every now and then, Li Mu would fly to Xiao Liang Mountain to check on the growth status of the cloud mist spiritual tea seeds.
With the aid of his Heavenly Talent - Identify Myriad Spirits, Li Mu could check the status of spiritual plants in real-time, making him almost invincible in spiritual plant care.
Fifteen days after the cloud mist spiritual tea seeds were sown, the spiritual tea seedlings successively broke through the soil. Looking at the green tea seedlings surrounded by faint white mist, Li Mu felt a great sense of accomplishment.
After confirming that the cloud mist spiritual tea was growing well, Li Mu cast a Breeze Summoning Rain spell, watering the spiritual tea field with spiritual rain to replenish moisture, replacing the Spirit Stones that the Formation had almost exhausted. After confirming the Formation was fine, he rode his sword and flew towards Green Dragon Valley.
Half an hour later, Li Mu arrived above Green Dragon Valley.
However, Li Mu did not rush back to the valley. Instead, he patrolled the surrounding area, searching for suitable areas to set up a Lightning Summoning Array.
After this period of observation and preparation, Li Mu had simulated a plan for setting up the Lightning Summoning Array. Now, all that was left was a suitable area to set up this Formation.
To maximize the effectiveness of the Lightning Summoning Array, it was best to perform it during a thunderstorm. Coincidentally, the past few days had been continuously overcast, and the Heaven and Earth Lightning spiritual power and Water spiritual power were active, making it the perfect time to set up the Lightning Summoning Array and attract Heavenly Lightning.
To avoid the attention of the Senior Brothers in Qingshui Town, Li Mu had no choice but to delve deep into the Lingtian Mountain Range, bypassing several Second-Order Yao Beasts, and finally selected a thousand-zhang isolated peak to set up the Lightning Summoning Array.
With a wave of his hand, Li Mu flung hundreds of Sentinel Spider Puppets from his Storage Pouch. The Puppet Sentinel Spider swarm quickly dispersed, bringing an area of five miles into secret surveillance.
Li Mu retracted his Divine Sense with satisfaction, then lightly patted his Storage Pouch, and several Second-Order Profound Iron Swords flew out like fish.
Soon, seven Second-Order Profound Iron Swords transformed into 'vigorous' sword-brushes, cutting giant stones, carving Formations, etching Formation Eyes... The seven Mystic Iron Swords cut stone like mud, simultaneously performing different 'operations' with close coordination and extremely high efficiency.
Broken stones flew, and with 'crackle, crackle' sounds, rocks rolled down, and mountain rocks crumbled... On the peak of the isolated mountain, violent noises reverberated continuously.
About an hour and a half passed.
The open rocky ground on the mountaintop had changed into another scene. Several acres of rocky ground were leveled, with dense Formation patterns carved into the surface. In the center stood eighteen-foot-tall stone pillar Formation posts. The Formation patterns merged into one, exuding a mysterious, powerful aura.
Seeing the Lightning Summoning Array completed, Li Mu smiled contentedly. He recalled the seven hardworking Mystic Iron Swords and put them back into his Storage Pouch. Then, he took out another Storage Pouch, and one by one, three-tier lightning stones flashing with blue lightning flew out. Following them, a lightning tung wood carved into a spherical shape also flew out, landing one by one into the concave pits of the central Formation Eye of the Lightning Summoning Array.
The lightning tung wood sphere finally landed in the innermost central Formation Eye position, and suddenly a 'sizzle' of thunder sounded. A blue 'lightning python' suddenly shot out from the center of the lightning Formation, quickly traversing the entire Formation pattern once, connecting the entire Formation and instantly activating the entire Lightning Summoning Array.
The activated Lightning Summoning Array emitted terrifying lightning power, poised for action.
Li Mu formed Formation incantations with both hands, and his Divine Sense entered his storage grid. A blue beast skin book appeared out of thin air, slowly flying above the Lightning Summoning Array.
Li Mu stared at the blue lightning book, preparing to fully activate the Lightning Summoning Array.
【Lightning Spirit Talisman Book (Sealed)】
【Grade: Fifth-Order Spirit Treasure】
【Properties: Lightning Element Revival, Spirit Bearing and Consciousness (Sealed), Artifact Spirit Controlling Lightning (Sealed), Lightning Self-Generation (Sealed)】
【Status: Lightning Element dissipated, Spirituality lost, Spirit transformed into Mortal】
【A Talisman Treasure Book refined from the belly skin of a Sixth-Order Lightning Yao Beast Emperor and the essence soul of a Lightning Flood Dragon. It suffered catastrophic damage, its Artifact Spirit was annihilated, its Spirituality dissipated, and it degraded into a mortal object. It can only be repaired by gathering millions of lightning forces, and a new Lightning Spirit can be nurtured by gathering tens of millions of lightning forces. This Talisman Treasure Book records a complete Fifth-Order lightning-type Talisman Legacy, and a large amount of lightning element spiritual power can gradually manifest the content of the Talisman Legacy.】
With the miraculous effect of his Heavenly Talent - Identify Myriad Spirits, Li Mu took another look at the current state of the Lightning Spirit Talisman Book. He immediately stopped hesitating and fully activated the Lightning Summoning Array.
“Sizzle!”
The Lightning Summoning Array, containing vast lightning spiritual power, erupted like a 'volcano', spewing out a thick blue electric snake that passed through the Lightning Spirit Talisman Book and soared towards the sky.
The sky immediately changed 'color'. Stimulated by the lightning snake, countless thunderclouds gathered, and 'rumble, rumble...' thunder continuously roared. Lightning snakes flashed out from the thunderclouds, beginning their 'counterattack'.
Not long after, streaks of blue lightning snakes, like heavy rain, furiously struck down towards the Lightning Spirit Talisman Book suspended in the center of the lightning Formation. The world instantly changed color.
...
Countless high-grade Yao Beasts around the isolated peak turned their heads, chilled with fear.
Looking into the sky, thunderclouds were dense, and countless lightning electric snakes furiously struck down at one spot, as if some shocking Prodigy had been born, angering the heavens, causing the sky to collapse and the earth to crack, bringing down heavenly punishment.
In Qingshui Town, countless Loose Cultivators looked up, gazing in the direction of Tianlong Peak, all startled by the magnificent thunderstorm.
“Heavens! What happened? Is a Demon King Undergoing Tribulation?”
“A Lightning Tribulation doesn’t look like that! What kind of Demon King could survive such a tribulation lightning?”
“It doesn’t look like a Lightning Tribulation! It looks more like a rare treasure appearing!”
“The Lightning Tribulation seems to be happening at Tianlong Peak, not far from us. Should we go take a look? Maybe we can coincidentally encounter an Opportunity and pick up a rare treasure.”
“A Qi Refining Fifth Level going to Tianlong Peak? That’s not going to encounter an Opportunity, but to seek death!”
“Forget it! It might be a Demon King Undergoing Tribulation, and there must be other Yao Beasts guarding the surroundings!”
“It’s definitely not a transformation tribulation!”
...
Watching the continuous thunderclouds in the sky, the Cultivators of Qingshui Town discussed animatedly, with many Cultivators quietly leaving the town and rushing towards Tianlong Peak.
In Qingshui Town, within the Qingxuan Sect’s resident compound.
Ye Ming, Chang Hong, Li Changming, and a group of Managing Disciples gathered, gazing at the boundless thunderclouds in the sky, feeling unsettled.
“Senior Brother Ye, in your opinion, is that thundercloud a Demon King Undergoing Heavenly Tribulation?” Chang Hong asked Ye Ming.
“It shouldn’t be. The lightning is too dense, and all the thunderclouds are converging in one direction to unleash lightning spiritual power. It doesn’t resemble a Demon King’s transformation tribulation at all. Besides, the True Disciples of the Sect are not to be trifled with. A Demon King would definitely not dare to approach the Sect’s jurisdiction so closely, let alone undergo tribulation right under our noses,” Ye Ming frowned and denied.
“Then it should be a rare treasure appearing, Senior Brother, should we go take a look!” Li Changming suggested.
“If we leave, Qingshui Town will be unguarded. What if Demonic Cultivators attack the city then? Such Heaven and Earth Lightning spiritual power is no small matter, we should not get involved!” Ye Ming thought for a moment and denied.
“What if those demon brats rush over and gain benefits, then use the rare treasure to attack the city?” Li Changming asked back, unwilling.
“Junior Brother Li, rest assured! It’s definitely not a rare treasure appearing. Look, those thunderclouds have form but no power, unlike actively unleashing lightning spiritual power. Instead, it seems to be controlled by the power of a Formation, passively unleashing lightning. It should be the work of a master setting up a Formation. So, if those Demonic Cultivators dare to go up and disturb, they will definitely not fare well. Let’s stay put and not join the commotion,” Ye Ming gazed at the thunderclouds for a long time, then suddenly realized something and explained with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Chang Hong and Li Changming followed Ye Ming’s line of thought and checked the distribution of the thunderclouds.
The situation seemed to be just as Ye Ming had said. The trajectory of the thunderclouds was not controlled by the forces of heaven and earth or the flow of wind spiritual power, but was drawn and gathered by an unknown force...
“It seems to be true! Senior Brother Ye, with your Wisdom Eye, you truly discovered the truth.”
“Senior Brother Ye is amazing!”
Having figured out the situation, everyone’s spirits lifted, and they all expressed admiration to Ye Ming.
Ye Ming smiled and waved his hand, continuing to gaze at the thunderclouds, very curious as to who had set up such a large Formation and what they intended to do by attracting such a massive scale of thunderclouds?
Tianlong Peak
Li Mu stood beside the Lightning Summoning Array, witnessing countless lightning snakes striking down, continuously converging vast lightning spiritual power towards the 'Lightning Spirit Talisman Book' suspended in the center of the Lightning Summoning Array. His face, illuminated blue by the lightning, showed a happy smile.
Because lightning spiritual power possesses powerful soul-destroying properties, Li Mu dared not casually scan with his Divine Sense and could not specifically ascertain the real-time status of the Lightning Spirit Talisman Book.
However, through the ability of his Heavenly Talent - Identify Myriad Spirits, Li Mu could see that the Lightning Spirit Talisman Book was absorbing lightning spiritual power, repairing its own damage at a visible speed.
It was just a pity that the few thunderclouds attracted by this Lightning Summoning Array were not powerful enough, and probably could not meet the power required for the Lightning Spirit Talisman Book to give birth to an Artifact Spirit again.
Time flew, and half an hour passed.
The thunderclouds attracted by the Spirit Gathering Array became weak and powerless, gradually dissipating, with no more lightning falling.
Seeing this, Li Mu formed a spell, sending a stream of spiritual power into the Spirit Gathering Array, halting its state. He then reached out, drawing the Lightning Spirit Talisman Book, which was suspended in the center of the Lightning Summoning Array, with lightning snakes flowing around it and emitting powerful lightning spiritual energy, into his hand.
At this moment, the Lightning Spirit Talisman Book was completely new. Its originally dilapidated beast skin pages were filled with a large amount of lightning spiritual power, and the blurred Talisman lightning patterns had become clear, emitting a powerful lightning spirituality.
Li Mu was overjoyed. He felt that the Lightning Spirit Talisman Book had fully recovered, except for not having a new Artifact Spirit born. He immediately immersed his Divine Sense and injected true essence to refine it.
Just then, Li Mu received a warning from a Sentinel Spider Puppet that it had been triggered.
Without hesitation, Li Mu released his Divine Sense, recalled the lightning stones and lightning tung wood used to set up the Lightning Summoning Array, put them all into his Storage Pouch, then his body flickered, using the Five Elements Earth Escape Technique, and his figure disappeared into the ground.
Not long after Li Mu’s figure disappeared, two black-robed Foundation Establishment Cultivators landed one after another, frowning as they surveyed the Lightning Summoning Array before them.
“We arrived a step late. I wonder who set up this grand Lightning Summoning Array here. The method of setting up the Formation is good, but I don’t know what it’s for,” a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with a grim face and pale complexion said in surprise, examining the lightning Formation.
“They should have just left not long ago, the scent hasn’t dissipated yet!” another burly Foundation Establishment Cultivator sniffed hard, indicating.
“Eh!” The pale-faced Foundation Establishment Cultivator exclaimed in surprise, having discovered something, and reached out towards a certain patch of grass.
The next second, a palm-sized spider Puppet flew out from the grass, directly into the hand of the pale-faced Foundation Establishment man.
Seeing this spider Puppet, the two exchanged glances, immediately understanding the reason they had been discovered. Their nerves tensed, and they looked around, perhaps the person hadn’t left yet.
They vigilantly looked around for a long time, seemingly finding nothing. The two exchanged a knowing glance.
“Nothing found, they must have left!” the pale-faced Foundation Establishment Cultivator said.
“Let’s go! We’ve wasted a lot of time,” the burly Foundation Establishment Cultivator suggested indifferently.
The pale-faced Foundation Establishment Cultivator nodded, and then the two flew up and headed west.
After a while, under a patch of grass, Li Mu lifted his Ink Concealment Spirit Cloak, revealing himself. The two Foundation Establishment Cultivators had arrived too quickly, so he hadn’t dared to cast a spell to leave, and had to temporarily hide with his Ink Concealment Spirit Cloak.
Li Mu put away his Ink Concealment Spirit Cloak and was about to leave when he suddenly looked up, his expression turning ugly.