Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 614 - 373: The Great Battle (Part 1)

"Hmm!?"

"This...!"

"Formation!?"

Lord of the Five Thunders and the gathered Calamity Immortals’ gazes sharpened, as they saw that for ten thousand miles around, in all directions, the same scene unfolded.

The thunder roared mightily, myriad Taoists gathered, each Divine General majestic!

From all sides, covering ten thousand miles, they were encircled like trapped beasts.

This was... a Formation!

A vast Immortal Spirit Great Formation enveloping ten thousand miles of territory, its might unknown and immeasurable!

Their million Celestial Soldiers had advanced with great fanfare only to fall unknowingly into such an array.

A long-premeditated plan, waiting like a hunter for the hares!

They had walked right into the net, trapped and surrounded!

The situation became clear in an instant, and all immortals changed color.

And right then...

"Boom boom boom!"

The heaven roared, the earth resounded, Heavenly Thunder activated Earthfire, turning into a purgatory in a flash.

Strongmen beat the drums, and the sound of thunder resonated.

Heavenly Girls turned their mirrors, sending flashes of lightning streaking rapidly.

Moreover, Mana Altars conducted incantations, connecting heaven and earth.

Each flying boat, each warship, became a node in the array, illuminating the firmament with brilliant light, stirring up Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire, and raining down explosive lightning.

Under such a bombardment...

"Ah!!!"

"Bang!!!"

Cries of agony and despair, explosions and shattering sounds merged in an instant.

The three armies of the Heavenly Court, the four departments assembled, were struck by Heavenly Thunder, left desolate in a blink.

"Heavenly Thunder Earthly Fire!"

"Damn it!!!"

Lord of the Five Thunders’ expression was as dark as water, a mix of shock and rage.

In past battles, his Thunder Department would always begin by invoking Heavenly Thunder to strike down, strengthening their presence, probing the real from the fake, intimidating the enemy, and breaking the opposition’s formation, a strategy that killed three birds with one stone and held many advantages.

But now the tables had turned, and they were on the receiving end of the tactics that they used to employ, repaid in their own coin.

This feeling...!

Lord of the Five Thunders, caught between shock and anger, dared not speak further. He immediately switched from offense to defense, ordering the thirty-six generals and the Thunder Department’s Celestial Soldiers to withstand the neverending lightning, reducing casualties among the troops.

But that only lessened the casualties.

Although the Thunder Department specialized in Thunder Series spells, caught within the enemy’s formation, they could not avoid being at a disadvantage.

The Thunder Department was skilled, but was the enemy any less so?

The opponents’ Thunder Series spells were no less formidable than theirs and, with the addition of the array’s power, they held the home ground’s advantage.

In this offensive and defensive struggle, even as the Thunder Department did their utmost, they could only minimize losses, unable to change the overall situation. Still, Celestial Soldiers fell at every moment, and even the battle lines of the three armies were on the verge of collapse.

"The Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire are too fierce!"

"We must either break the formation or withdraw the troops!"

"First, we must move out of the formation to regroup and fight again!"

"How can we get out with the array’s encirclement?"

"Heavenly Net and Earthly Trap can be used to choke their formation!"

"What use is a net within the array forces?"

"This array is at most seventh rank; we all attack together!"

The gathered Calamity Immortals exchanged glances and finally settled on a plan.

"Heavenly Gang Earth Sha, brilliant starlight, follow us and break through the array!"

"The thirty-six generals, defend the base, withstand the Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire!"

"We need the Lord of the White Tiger Star to act, to restrain the core!"

Then, the Five Lords of the Dipper Department and the seven great Calamity Immortals of the Fire Virtue and Plague Departments, leading one hundred and eight Mahayana, launched a fierce attack out of the array, while the five generals of the Thunder Department and thirty-six generals held their ground against the raging Heavenly Thunder, Earthly Fire, and the array’s onslaught.

The Five Lords of the Dipper Department, the Southern Dipper in charge of Si Ming and distributing wealth, the Northern Dipper of Lian Zhen, Wugong Star and Po Jun, aside from Wugong Star, who was newly promoted, the rest were all at least Three Calamities in cultivation, with Si Ming and the distributor of wealth even at the fourth and fifth ranks, the mainstay of the Dipper Department.

If the Dipper Department was so formidable, the Fire Department and Plague Department were no less impressive, with the Fire Virtue and Plague Deities both being Five Calamity Immortals.

With such seven immortals joining forces, who could contend against them?

But just then...

"Screech!!!"

A cry pierced the Ninth Heaven.

It was a phoenix, its fiery plumes dazzling, its tail feathers a vivid collage of colors, bursting forth from the array with overwhelming force, its expansive wings spreading across the sky, fanning out myriad rivers of flame while carrying the Five Colors Divine Light, heading straight for the seven immortals of the Heavenly Court.

"What audacious vermin!"

"A mere grain of rice, yet it dares to shine with brightness?"

The immortals’ eyes focused intently, only Fire Virtue laughed out loud, sweeping his Li Fire Ground Flame Banner with his hand, intending to collect the myriad flowing fires.

As Calamity Immortals, they could see that this phoenix was extraordinary, possessing the capability of the Tribulation Realm, not someone the ordinary could contend against.

But they were far from ordinary themselves, with Fire Virtue Star Lord of the fifth rank of calamity, who decisively acted to subdue the phoenix with fire. Discover hidden tales at empire

Unexpectedly...

"Screech!"

The phoenix cried out again, its tail feathers glowing brilliantly, in fact displaying blue, yellow, red, white, and black lights.

The Five Colors emitted light, within which a treasure could be seen, astonishingly also a banner of a glaze color, harmonizing the Five Elements within.

Indeed...

"Li Ground Flame Light Banner!?"

Fire Virtue Star Lord shook the Fire Element Treasure Banner, just having gathered the flowing fire from the sky, when he saw five divine lights shining brilliantly, casting their glow directly on his Fire Element Treasure Banner, instantly reinforcing the Five Elements prohibition repeatedly, preventing the magical treasure from unleashing its potential.

Looking intently, he saw the phoenix unfold its wings, with five shining tail feathers supporting a glazed treasure banner—the Heavenly Secret Treasure, Ground-Departing Flame Light!

Within the Heavenly Secret Realm lay Ancient Immortal Treasures, and this Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner was one of them.

This banner contained the Five Elements, mixed with Yin and Yang, holding the power to invert Qiankun and all laws; countless Calamity Immortals had entered the realm to comprehend its principles.

As a Five Calamity Immortal of the Heavenly Court, Fire Virtue Star had also entered the Heavenly Secret Realm and contemplated the Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner, even basing his work on it to imitate and refine the superior immortal implement in his hands—the "Li Fire Ground Flame Banner!"

But now...

The other party actually refined an imitation of the Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner?

He, Fire Virtue Star Lord, a Five Calamity Immortal and a superior Artifact Refining Immortal Master, personally comprehended its principles to master the method of fire and refined a Li Fire Banner. Who was this person able to incorporate the complete Five Elements and refine an imitation of the Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner?

Could it be an Eighth Order Artifact Refining Immortal Master?

How is that possible!

Fire Virtue Star was filled with doubts and uncertainty, his hands gripping the Li Fire Banner tightly, resisting the inverting power of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements of the Ground-Departing Flame Light.

And looking at that phoenix...

Within the Immortal Spirit Mech Armor, Phoenix Song sat cross-legged in the void, concentrating fully, channeling immortal power, and controlling the glazed treasure banner before her.

Ground-Departing Flame Light, Xu Yang’s masterwork.

Centuries ago, after advancing to Artifact Refining Immortal Master through the Pill Origin Gathering, Xu Yang began collecting materials, preparing to imitate the Heavenly Secret Treasure Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner.

Although he had never entered the Heavenly Secret Realm nor contemplated the Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner, the realm had existed for many years, with countless Calamity Immortals venturing inside, and many had meditated upon the Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner.

Additionally, there were Artifact Refining Immortal Masters, superior to Fire Virtue Star Lord, who had imitated the Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner, passing it down as an artifact refining heritage; in Ancient Times, there were even similar heritages.

Xu Yang painstakingly collected the materials and, with the enhancement of his own Five Elements constitution and various special traits, he finally managed to imitate the Ground-Departing Flame Light Banner after several failures.

He then replaced the original Five Elements execution, embedding it into the heart of White Jade Capital as the core of the mech armor, successfully elevating White Jade Capital to Top-Grade Immortal Spirit Mech Armor.

Being the Wandao School’s number one prodigy, with the Phoenix bloodline and the colorful feathers of the Five Elements, Phoenix Song, aside from him, was the most suited to pilot White Jade Capital. Therefore, this treasure was unquestionably handed over to her.

Phoenix Song mobilized Mahayana Immortal Power, and the Spirit Communication Precious Jade inside the treasury evaporated, transforming into vast immortal power to aid myriad magical treasures, driving the power of the Ground-Departing Flame Light, causing the glazed treasure banner to shine brightly.

In this way...

"!!!!!"

Fire Virtue Star gripped the Li Fire Banner tightly, clenched his jaw, his face became fierce, and despite the force of the Five Calamities pressing down, he still struggled to break free from the Five Elements prohibition. The treasure banner trembled, as if a wild dragon, about to slip out of his grasp.

Originally, with his Five Calamity level of cultivation, facing the White Jade Capital, which only had the power of two or three calamities, he would never have been in such a passive state.

But unfortunately, his Li Fire Banner was but an imitation of the Flame Light Banner and attributed to fire alone; facing the White Jade Capital that encompassed the complete Five Elements, truly an imitation of the Flame Light Banner, it was like a counterfeit meeting the genuine article, the bootleg confronting the original, utterly under control and helpless.

Unless he was willing to forsake this superior immortal implement, otherwise...

"Brother Dao, do not panic, I am here to aid you!"

Another Five Calamity Calamity Immortal, Lord Plague God, shouted loudly, throwing out a green Plague Stamp, hurtling towards the Five Colors Phoenix.

It was none other than the Plague Lord’s treasured artifact—the Xing Tian Stamp!

"Despicable villain!"

A harsh shout rang out as the Thunder Fire Whip came whistling through the air, also with an overturning seal, colliding with Plague God’s Poison Stamp.

"Boom!!!!"

With a loud explosion, the two stamps collided, the Thunder Fire Stamp flipped and returned, and the Xing Tian Stamp spun in the air.

But it was the Lord Plague God who had the upper hand.

Being a Five Calamity Immortal, even if he had held back and not used his full strength, he was not someone who could be matched by a Thunderbolt Overturning Sky General with merely the power of one or two calamities.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort from Lord Plague God, the Xing Tian Stamp activated again, casting a dim green light, spreading a poisonous miasma that enveloped the Five Elements Caifeng.

"Boom!!!"

A loud boom sounded, and the thunder and fire from the heavens turned back again, further empowered by the Array Power, as Heavenly Thunder and Earthly Fire struck together, piercing through the thick poison and directly hitting the Xing Tian Stamp.

"Bang!!!"

A loud crash echoed as thunder and fire splashed in all directions, causing the Xing Tian Stamp to topple a second time, its green surface now marred with large swathes of scorch marks.

Though it was a treasured item of the Plague Lord, it was only a Superior Immortal Implement, so how could it not be damaged by a full-powered strike from the Thunder and Fire Celestial General?

The Plague Lord retracted his Magical Treasure, gazing at the scorched marks with great heartache. He immediately mobilized the power of plague and poison, redirecting his offensive towards the Thunder and Fire Celestial General.

But the Thunder and Fire Celestial General, with his towering thousand-foot stature covered in wisps of blue smoke, had just launched a powerful strike, recklessly clashing with the Five Calamities Plague Lord and sustaining no small amount of damage. Although it did not collapse there and then, its temporary rigidity presented a grave vulnerability.

Lord Plague God, with his venomous eyes, seized the opportunity and aimed to break one of the enemy’s fingers.

Seeing this, the other calamity-immortal levels also made their moves, intercepting the remaining divine generals to protect and escort him.

The Southern Dipper’s Si Ming and Si Lu, and the Northern Dipper’s Liang Zhen and Po Jun all possessed strength above three calamities and were extraordinary in their own right. Even the newly promoted Wugong Star had the power of a single calamity. With the five great calamity immortals making their move, they were enough to block more than ten divine generals.

Wandao School now had but twenty-four Mahayana practitioners, even counting sworn allies like the Peony Fairy and True Person Ziyang, the number did not exceed thirty, and some were needed to maintain formations and suppress the Five Lords of the Thunder Department and the thirty-six generals. The remaining forces arrayed against the five great calamity immortals were indeed at a disadvantage.

Now with five immortals exerting their full strength, the generals being intercepted, and no one to block the Plague Lord’s action, the Xing Tian Stamp burst forth aggressively, with its green poisonous miasma intoxicating like fragrance, aiming for the damaged and immobile mech body of the Thunder and Fire General.

At that moment...

"Buzz!!!"

In the void, the Array abruptly changed, a Sprit Light descended, capturing the body of the Thunder and Fire General and sweeping him away.

"Huh!?"

Lord Plague God’s strike missed its mark, and his brow furrowed. He glanced upwards at the White Jade Capital in the celestial realm and, although he let out a cold snort, he did not pursue the matter and instead turned towards the other calamity immortals.

Although he didn’t succeed in slaying his target, making the enemy retreat still served his purpose. With one major combatant lost on the opposite side, the balance of power began to tip.

Seizing the opportunity, Lord Plague God went to assist others, aiming to magnify the advantage.

Yet unexpectedly...

In the Ascension Academy, a solemn monument stood tall,

Carved with inscriptions of the divine generals’ venerable names, each shimmering with the light of the Void Spirit.

Suddenly, the words "Thunder Fire Rebellion" flashed, and within the void, a Sprit Light manifested, revealing a giant figure.

"Bang!"

The Thunder and Fire Celestial General landed, his mech’s form rapidly disassembled, and a multitude of damaged Magical Treasures detached from it. Then, a vast sprit light surged towards them, carrying numerous Magical Treasures that flowed into the mech as if rivers into the sea.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In the blink of an eye, the mech was replenished, all battle damage vanished, and the Thunder and Fire Celestial General leaped up, his thousand-foot body merging with the Sprit Light and disappearing in an instant.

Within Heavenly Court, high atop a nine-tiered throne on the monumental pedestal, a statue of imposing presence sat in detached observation of the battlefield.