NABC Chapter 2004 Swallowing thousands of miles like a tiger
Chapter 2004 Swallowing thousands of miles like a tiger
Chapter 2004 Swallowing thousands of miles like a tiger
Zheng Hongtao's process of refining the Dragon Ball was unexpectedly smooth. The Dragon Ball seemed to have already recognized his existence, and after only a brief contact, it quickly established an extremely close connection with him.
"Buzz!"
The moment the connection was established, Zheng Hongtao's sea of consciousness trembled violently.
A grand, precise, and extremely complex three-dimensional array slowly unfolded in his mind like a scroll.
Countless runes shimmered like stars, energy flowed like surging rivers, and the power of the five elements, the movement of stars, the undulation of the earth's veins... all these rules blended perfectly, forming a unified and ever-renewing war fortress.
"If this formation is used at full power, it would be no difficult task to trap and kill a fifteenth-level ultimate demonic cultivator who has forged the foundation of the Earthly Origin Dao."
Zheng Hongtao subconsciously made a judgment in his mind, and even vaguely felt that if it was controlled properly, with the mystery of this formation, perhaps even those top demonic cultivators who had forged the Heavenly Origin Dao Foundation and could be called invincible under the Tai Cang Realm would not be unable to meet him.
Of course, this is just a vague feeling.
After all, Zheng Hongtao had never faced such an existence alone before, and if he really encountered it, even escaping would probably be a problem. But in any case, the power of this interconnected array had completely overwhelmed him.
Zheng Hongtao slowly opened his eyes, suppressing the shock in his heart. He glanced at Chen Fei, who was concentrating on setting up a new formation, with a complicated look. He did not disturb him, but quietly moved to Le Boyang's side and stood guard beside him.
Sensing Zheng Hongtao's arrival, Le Boyang turned his head slightly and gave him a friendly look.
Zheng Hongtao took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, forced a smile, and tentatively transmitted his voice to Le Boyang:
"Fellow Daoist Le, Fellow Daoist Chen's mastery of formations is truly divine. I, Zheng, have traveled through various realms and have seen many masters of formations, but I have never heard of anyone like Fellow Daoist Chen, who, at the late stage of the fifteenth level, has set up such an astonishing formation."
"Back in the Xuan Yu Realm, Fellow Daoist Chen must have already been the undisputed number one array cultivator in the realm, right?"
Upon hearing the telepathic message, Le Boyang smiled knowingly and replied with certainty and emotion, "Yes, the number one formation cultivator."
Le Boyang didn't elaborate further; some things are best left unsaid.
Zheng Hongtao keenly sensed the strangeness in Le Boyang's tone, but took it as the pride and admiration of an elder in the sect for an outstanding junior, and did not delve into it. Instead, he continued to flatter him:
"This trip to the Demon Lotus Realm was fraught with danger. It is truly a stroke of luck that I was able to escape from the brink of disaster and meet and fight alongside two fellow Daoists."
Upon hearing Zheng Hongtao mention the lurking dangers, Le Boyang's expression gradually turned serious. He looked up at the six menacing, glaring blood-red demonic spots in the sky, which almost occupied half of the sky, and said in a deep voice:
“Fellow Daoist Zheng is absolutely right. Judging from the current celestial phenomena in the Demon Lotus Realm, it seems that the demonic cultivators have temporarily gained a slight advantage.”
"What Fellow Daoist Le said makes sense."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongtao's expression instantly turned serious. He subconsciously looked up at the oppressive blood-red sky, his voice low and somber:
"The demonic flames are rampant. We must work together more closely and kill as many of these demonic bastards as possible in order to reverse the tide and gain a chance of survival." Thinking of the despair he felt when he was surrounded and killed by three demonic cultivators, Zheng Hongtao felt a strong killing intent and sense of urgency.
Just as Zheng Hongtao and Le Boyang were exchanging telepathic messages, Chen Fei, at the center of the formation, had reached a critical moment.
In the air in front of him, countless mysterious runes in a hazy gray hue had already gathered together, forming the prototype of a constantly twisting and changing array.
Just by looking at its shape, this formation gives people an extremely oppressive feeling, as if looking at it for too long would disrupt the flow of one's own vital energy.
Chen Fei's gaze was calm as he traced a final, chaotic path in front of his chest with both hands.
"Buzz!"
In an instant, the hazy array diagram transformed into a stream of light, which was precisely aimed at the core of the Yin-Yang Transformation Array below, one of its foundational elements.
"Rumble..."
The entire massive, interconnected array trembled violently once again. This tremor was different from the destructive, explosive vibrations that occurred when the array was nested within another array. It carried a deeper sense of distortion and conflict at the level of rules.
As the new deputy controller of the array, Zheng Hongtao immediately and clearly felt this drastic change originating from the very source of the array.
With his cultivation at the fifteenth level and his understanding of the rules of heaven and earth, he instantly understood the function of this new nested formation after a slight perception.
"Distorting Yin and Yang, reversing the rules!"
This formation may not be as effective as the Starry Sky Immortal Slaying Formation in terms of direct killing power, but it is probably even more troublesome.
At the same time, Zheng Hongtao also clearly felt a heavy pressure, like an invisible mountain, suddenly descending upon his soul.
This pressure did not come from external attacks, but rather from the entire interconnected array itself.
With the nesting of new formations, the structure of the grand formation becomes more complex and the rules more intricate. Naturally, the burden on the soul required to maintain its stable operation also increases accordingly.
However, feeling this pressure, Zheng Hongtao was not annoyed at all; instead, a look of relief flashed in his eyes.
He understood that this pressure was a responsibility he had to bear as one of the core members of the formation.
This sense of heaviness is precisely proof that he has been truly accepted by this powerful, interconnected formation and has become a part of it.
In this treacherous Demon Lotus Realm, what is a little pressure compared to relying on such a powerful formation and standing shoulder to shoulder with teammates like Chen Fei and Le Boyang?
A glint flashed in Zheng Hongtao's eyes. Instead of trying to relieve the pressure, he actively circulated his cultivation technique, pushing his strong spiritual power to its limit, and steadily withstood the descending pressure of the formation.
Not only that, he went a step further, carefully extending his own soul to actively communicate with the subtle workings of the array, sharing the work of sorting out rules and guiding energy that originally required Chen Fei, the main array operator, to personally control.
"Hmm?" Chen Fei, who was at the core of the formation, immediately noticed this change.
Feeling that Zheng Hongtao not only steadily withstood the pressure but also took the initiative to share some of the burden of the array's operation, Chen Fei's lips couldn't help but curl up slightly, revealing a genuine smile.
Thanks to Zheng Hongtao's initiative in sharing the burden, although the newly nested Yin-Yang Reversal Collapse Array brought about considerable rule conflicts, the shaking amplitude of the entire linked array was much smaller than Chen Fei had anticipated.
Zheng Hongtao promptly quelled and calmed many subtle energy disturbances.
In just over ten breaths, under Chen Fei's guidance and Zheng Hongtao's assistance, the violent tremors of the formation quickly subsided.
The hazy, chaotic aura gradually subsided and perfectly integrated into the grand formation system. The entire interconnected grand formation regained its stability, but its aura was deeper and more dangerous than before.
With the formation stabilized, Chen Fei slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over Le Boyang and Zheng Hongtao. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he spoke:
"Grandmaster, Fellow Daoist Zheng, the great formation is complete. As for the distribution of spoils from the subsequent killing of demonic cultivators, I think there is no need to argue about it anymore."
The lotus seeds and demonic essence we obtained will be divided 50/50 among the three of us. My master, fellow Daoist Zheng, and I will each take one share. It's simple and fair. Let's not bring up the 80/20 split again.
"no!"
As soon as Chen Fei finished speaking, Le Boyang shook his head without hesitation and refused, his tone unusually firm:
"Chen Fei, you set up this formation, you killed the main force of the demonic cultivators, and Fellow Daoist Zheng and I were mostly there to assist. If we split the spoils 50/50, how can we be at peace with ourselves?"
Wouldn't that be us taking advantage of you immensely? An 80/20 split, with you taking 80%, and Fellow Daoist Zheng and I sharing the remaining 20%, is already the limit; we absolutely cannot do more."
"Fellow Daoist Chen, Senior Le is absolutely right."
Zheng Hongtao quickly chimed in, his expression sincere, "What we gained from killing the demonic cultivators is merely a minor matter. Strengthening our strength and surviving in this realm is the fundamental goal. Your willingness to share 20% of the spoils with us is already a great favor; we must not be modest any further."
Chen Fei looked at the two resolute individuals, shook his head helplessly, and wanted to persuade them further: "Grandmaster, Fellow Daoist Zheng, since we are companions, we should share the good fortune. The power of the formation also requires everyone's joint efforts to maintain, how can we..."
"Alright, Chen Fei."
Le Boyang interrupted Chen Fei directly, his face showing an unusually serious expression: "There's no need to discuss this matter further. If you still acknowledge me as your grandmaster, then listen to me."
Seeing that Chen Fei was about to speak, he softened his tone, but still said firmly:
"How about this, let's compromise and split it 70/30. You take 70%, and the remaining 30% will be distributed between me and Fellow Daoist Zheng based on our actual contributions in each battle."
Zheng Hongtao quickly added, "Fellow Daoist Chen, Senior Le's method is excellent. A 70/30 split is perfectly reasonable, so please don't refuse any longer."
Looking at Le Boyang's unquestionable gaze, Chen Fei smiled helplessly and cupped his hands, saying, "Since Grandmaster and Fellow Daoist Zheng insist on this, then Chen Fei will accept it. We will follow Grandmaster's words and split it 70/30."
Seeing that Chen Fei finally relented, Le Boyang and Zheng Hongtao both smiled, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed.
With the matter settled, Chen Fei did not delay any longer.
With a flick of his sleeve, he collected the pure demonic energy and several primordial lotus seeds left behind by Ji Ruifeng and Zou Ziqian after their deaths.
Then, he closed his eyes again, his mind sinking into the dozens of primordial lotus seeds in his sleeve, using their unique resonance to sense the locations of other people who possessed lotus seeds in the outside world.
As his mind and the lotus seeds merged deeply, the picture composed of countless points of light and shadow once again appeared clearly in Chen Fei's sea of consciousness.
Chen Fei quickly scanned the map, and he had already decided on his next move.
Prioritize finding and gathering cultivators from the Tianhai Pass side; if more like-minded individuals can be gathered, the strength will naturally be greater.
However, if there are no fellow cultivators nearby, they continue to hunt down lone or small groups of demonic cultivators, using war to sustain war, constantly weakening the enemy's strength while increasing their own.
However, upon closer inspection, Chen Fei's brows furrowed slightly.
It's unclear whether it's due to the regional distribution when they first entered the Demon Lotus Realm, or because most of the cultivators from Tianhai Pass didn't operate in this area, or... the cultivators in this area had already been killed or wounded in the previous fierce battles.
Within Chen Fei's perception range, the number of light spots representing cultivators was quite small, and most of them were concentrated in extremely distant locations.
On the contrary, the light spots representing demonic cultivators, with their violent and cold aura, were more numerous in the surrounding area.
Chen Fei slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Le Boyang and Zheng Hongtao beside him and said in a deep voice, "Grandmaster, Fellow Daoist Zheng, it is difficult to find any trace of our cultivators nearby, but there are quite a few demonic cultivators. Our next step is to clear out the surrounding demonic threat."
Upon hearing this, Le Boyang and Zheng Hongtao's expressions tightened, and they immediately nodded: "Okay!"
Chen Fei said no more and quickly formed hand seals.
The massive, interconnected array suspended in the void instantly withdrew all its brilliance, transforming into a chaotic-colored dragon pearl, which sank into the earth's veins below with a "whoosh" and disappeared without a trace.
The next moment, a powerful yet gentle force surged from the earth's veins, gently supporting Le Boyang and Zheng Hongtao.
"let's go!"
Before Chen Fei could finish speaking, the three figures blurred and vanished instantly, rushing towards the nearest demonic cultivator's light spot.
Beyond the Thousand-Petaled Demon Lotus Realm, in the depths of endless void.
Liao Ruiheng leaned lazily against a magnificent throne carved from jet-black magic jade, the crimson hem of his robe hanging down, fluttering slightly in the void.
His gaze landed precisely on a figure in a green robe speeding across the vast world below.
As for the battles raging in other areas, he seemed to have lost interest, not even glancing at them out of the corner of his eye.
Moreover, as the ruler of the Thousand Lotus Demon Realm, Liao Ruiheng could easily see through the core secrets of that interconnected array if he so desired.
But he didn't.
Liao Ruiheng even deliberately concealed his deep connection with the Demon Lotus Realm, relying solely on his demonic eyes to quietly observe and carefully savor the scene.
Liao Ruiheng enjoys this process.
Enjoy the subtle anticipation when facing the unknown, and savor the unparalleled pleasure and satisfaction that comes from using your own wisdom and experience to unravel the mystery step by step, deducing, analyzing, and judging, and finally understanding its essence.
Directly using permissions to view the answer? That would be far too boring.
Just like savoring a delicacy that requires slow cooking and careful preparation, if you know all the recipes and steps before you taste it, you've already lost most of the enjoyment.
"It's truly unexpected that the art of array cultivation can play such an amazing role on such a frontal battlefield." Liao Ruiheng gently shook a blood-red glass cup that had appeared in his hand at some unknown time, looking at the amber-colored nectar rippling inside, and sighed softly, seemingly unintentionally, yet with profound meaning.
Kuang Yezhou, who exuded an aura as radiant as the sun, remained calm and did not respond to Liao Ruiheng's words.
Because Liao Ruiheng's statement is actually incorrect. Chen Fei's current performance within the Demon Lotus Realm is simply due to the special rules of the Thousand-Petal Demon Lotus Realm, which suppress the power and soul of all cultivators and demonic cultivators who enter.
Normally, on the original continent, in a direct surprise attack, array cultivators are not entirely useless, but they are indeed greatly restricted and cannot exert the same effect as Chen Fei in the Demon Lotus Realm at this moment.
Therefore, Chen Fei's achievements in the Demon Lotus Realm can be described as unique and unrepeatable.
"If the demonic cultivators in that area don't have time to leave, they will all be killed one by one!" Kuang Yezhou said calmly, his gaze sweeping over a certain area of the world below.
"Yes……"
Upon hearing this, Liao Ruiheng's lips curled into a playful smile. He took a sip of the fine wine in his cup, his voice carrying a lazy, magnetic quality: "Just thinking about it gives me a headache... There was clearly a fairly capable little guy nearby, but when he sensed something was wrong, he ran away first. What a coward."
His tone was nonchalant, as if he were commenting on a play that had nothing to do with him, showing no concern whatsoever for the life or death of those demonic cultivators.
In Liao Ruiheng's eyes, whether it is an ordinary fourteenth-level demonic cultivator or a fifteenth-level cultivator who has forged the Heavenly Origin Dao Foundation, as long as they are trapped in this Thousand-Petal Demonic Lotus Realm, they are all just pawns on the chessboard.
Liao Ruiheng certainly has the right to be so indifferent.
Unless, in a short period of time, more than 30% of the Black Fiend City demonic cultivators he led perished.
Only such enormous losses could attract the attention and lead to accountability from the higher-ups of Black Fiend City.
But right now?
Within the Thousand-Petaled Demon Lotus Realm, the demonic cultivators of Black Fiend City still held an absolute and overwhelming advantage in the overall situation. The number of dead cultivators far exceeded the number of dead demonic cultivators.
With the overall situation already decided, no matter how many kills Chen Fei and his group could manage, eliminating some demonic cultivators in a localized area would be insignificant to the overall battle.
This minor loss is far less important than the interesting toy that Liao Ruiheng found here.
Within the Thousand Lotus Realm, at the entrance to a deep, narrow, and massive canyon with sheer cliffs on both sides.
Three figures appeared out of thin air; they were Chen Fei, Le Boyang, and Zheng Hongtao.
Ahead of them, there was a group of eight demonic cultivators who had just arrived at the entrance of the canyon and seemed to be preparing to pass through.
These eight demonic cultivators varied in strength: two were at the mid-stage of the fifteenth rank, four were at the late-stage of the fifteenth rank, and two were at the peak of the fifteenth rank.
With such a lineup, they would be a formidable force in most situations.
Almost the instant Chen Fei and his two companions appeared, the eight demons simultaneously sensed their presence, abruptly stopped, and turned to look at them in unison.
When they sensed the undisguised aura of a fifteenth-level peak cultivator emanating from Zheng Hongtao, their expressions tightened slightly, but that was all. After all, they held an absolute advantage in overall strength.
However, in the next instant, a rich and pure lotus seed energy, almost tangible, violently impacted their minds.
"Such a large number of Origin Lotus Seeds? How could they be found in a late-stage fifteenth-level cultivator?"
"No, something's wrong!"
The expressions of the eight demonic cultivators changed drastically in that instant.
Something unusual is definitely going on; this is highly abnormal.
Without giving the eight demonic cultivators any time to think or weigh their options, Chen Fei's figure had already transformed into a phantom, charging alone directly towards the eight demonic cultivators whose auras were intertwined.
Le Boyang and Zheng Hongtao followed closely behind, the three forming a simple triangular formation, their momentum unstoppable.
"go!"
Suddenly, someone let out a sharp roar, and in the next instant, the eight demonic figures almost simultaneously unleashed astonishing speed, fleeing frantically in unison.
When Chen Fei saw that the eight demonic cultivators had not scattered and fled separately, but instead gathered together and fled in the same direction, his eyes lit up slightly.
In the eyes of the demonic cultivators, they left out of caution. Since that was the case, there was no need for them to flee separately; staying together would give them greater strength should anything happen.
Chen Fei suddenly increased his speed by another three points, following closely behind the eight demonic figures like a shadow.
The two pursued and fled at lightning speed, instantly disappearing into the deep, narrow canyon.
The canyon is dimly lit, with towering cliffs on both sides, jagged rocks, and complex terrain.
Just as Chen Fei caught up to the Eight Demons by less than a hundred feet, he formed a hand seal and pressed it down hard on the ground beneath his feet.
"Boom!"
The earth trembled violently, and a dazzling five-colored light shot into the sky. The phantom of the stars in the heavens condensed above the canyon, and the chilling killing intent of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword instantly permeated every inch of space.
Furthermore, a hazy, unsettling, and chaotic aura quietly descended, causing the yin and yang rules within the canyon to become disordered.
The eight demonic cultivators, who were fleeing for their lives, suddenly felt a sinking sensation all around them, as if they had fallen into an invisible swamp, and their speed dropped drastically.
(End of this chapter)