Chapter 487 - 430: Ten Extremes Array

Above the Celestial Vault, the dead silence lasted for no more than three breaths.

Three breaths later!

Those dozen or so figures, the absolute pinnacles of this realm, moved in unison.

They were the absolute finest of Profound Yellow, peak existences who had weathered countless tribulations and waded through mountains of corpses and Blood Seas to reach where they were today.

How could a mere Array, no matter how terrifying its might, make them flinch?

But the instant the group of Great Masters stepped into the Ten Extremes Array!

An indescribable, terrifying tremor erupted from the depths of the ten Array gates!

It instantly caused those dozen figures to freeze in place!

Celestial Extinction Array: The Array was divided into three banners, implicitly aligning with the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Their auras linked, forming a seamless whole. Wherever thunder rolled within the Array, even a celestial Daoist Body would be blasted into a sky full of bloody mist and gore upon contact!

Earth Flame Array: A scarlet banner shadow was hidden within. The moment the banner unfurled, lightning would strike from the nine heavens, and Earth Fire would spew forth! Even if one mastered the Five Elements Escape Technique, they would be trapped like a rat in a hole. Wreathed in tribulation fire, their Dao would vanish and their soul would scatter in an instant, leaving no possibility of rebirth!

Wind Howl Array: Laid out according to the Innate numbers of earth, water, fire, and wind, it contained Innate Xun Wind and Samadhi True Fire. The wind fueled the fire, the fire borrowed the wind’s might, and a million invisible blades were hidden within the gales, converging to slaughter from all directions!

Cold Ice Array: Profound mysteries were hidden within, agitating wind and thunder. Looking up, there were upside-down jagged ice mountains, uneven and ferocious; looking down, there was a forest of Profound Ice shaped like swords and blades, its chill piercing to the bone. Even with a Profound Skill protecting the body, one could hardly escape this killing tribulation of absolute cold.

Golden Light Array: Twenty-one tall poles stood erect, each suspending a Soul-Stealing Treasure Mirror with a lasso on it, concealing killing intent. When the Array was activated, thunder would shake the mirrors. With just a turn or two of the mirror surfaces, blazing golden light would shoot out and lock onto a person. Even bodies of steel and iron would immediately SIZZLE upon being illuminated by this golden light, their flesh and blood dissolving until only a puddle of yellow liquid remained.

Blood Transformation Array: A viscous, foul Blood Sea of ten thousand fathoms churned endlessly. Countless scarlet tentacles suddenly thrust out of the sea, each entwined with terrifying Dao Principles that defiled, corroded, and devoured all things. Once entangled, one’s Magical Power would be tainted, their Magical Treasure’s Spiritual Light would dim and extinguish, and both their physical body and Divine Soul would be completely dissolved, becoming a part of the Blood Sea.

Fiery Flame Array: Three fires converged, capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas! The Samadhi True Fire scorched the soul, the void fire in the air burned the spirit, and the Earth Fire in the stones refined the body. Three crimson banners fluttered within the Array, triggering monstrous seas of fire.

Soul Falling Array: A pale Talisman Paper hung within the Array, painted with bizarre Talisman Seals that hooked and snatched souls. The Talisman Paper moved without wind; with a gentle shake, it ignored all Protective Divine Light and physical defenses to directly seize a living creature’s soul!

Red Water Array: Seizing the essence of Ren and Gui water, it contained the profound mysteries of Tianyi, possessing infinite variations. An Eight Trigrams dharma platform sat within the Array, with three vermilion gourds resting upon it. When the gourds were overturned, foul, bloody water poured down like the Heavenly River, transforming into a boundless scarlet ocean. This water was incredibly vicious; a single drop could corrode a Magical Treasure and defile a Daoist Body.

Red Sand Array: Laid out according to the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, it was internally divided into three qi and hid three dou of red sand. This sand appeared fine and soft, but in reality, every grain was sharper than Divine Soldiers or sharp blades. As the Array circulated, wind and thunder whipped up the red sand, filling Heaven and Earth. One could not see the sun or sky above, could not distinguish directions below, and could not discern friend from foe in the middle. Caught in the red sand, one would be subjected to the death of a thousand cuts in an instant, reduced to fine powder!

...

One breath. Two breaths. Three breaths. In merely a dozen or so breaths of time, those dozen figures who had stepped into the Ten Extremes Grand Array retreated in unison, without exception!

They stood at the edge of the Grand Array, their auras churning and their robes slightly disheveled. Every one of them bore injuries, all bearing the marks of the Ten Extremes Grand Array.

No one spoke. No one took another step forward. They simply stood quietly at the edge of the Grand Array, gazing at the deep blue figure sitting cross-legged in the center of the Array’s core. They gazed at the ten towering Array gates and the ten interwoven, flowing Powers of Absolute Slaying.

Silence. A long silence. Only the rumbling sounds of the ten flowing Powers of Absolute Slaying within the ten Array gates echoed slowly in this void.

...

At the center of the Array’s core, a speck of golden light quietly emerged on Qi Yun’s shoulder.

The golden light slowly condensed, transforming into a palm-sized miniature figure with vivid features. He sat on Qi Yun’s shoulder, his two little legs dangling. The miniature golden robe he wore was much clearer than before; even the hidden patterns on it were faintly visible.

Cai Shen. This Emperor’s True Spirit, who had slumbered for a long time, finally awakened at this moment.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned, then gazed at the Ten Extremes Grand Array that covered ten thousand miles. He looked at the ten towering Array gates and the ten interwoven, flowing Powers of Absolute Slaying.

He blinked his small eyes; evidently, he was aware of everything that had transpired during this time.

"Can this... stop them?" he spoke, his voice retaining its usual lazy tone, yet it carried a rare trace of seriousness.

Qi Yun did not turn his head. He continued to watch those dozen frozen figures outside the Array, then gently shook his head.

"It can’t," Qi Yun said, his voice as calm as if he were stating the simplest of facts.

"The absolute finest of the vast Profound Yellow...

"If a single Array could stop them, it would be underestimating the heroes of this world far too much."

Cai Shen furrowed his brow. He looked at the ten Array gates and the ten Powers of Absolute Slaying, feeling the terrifying pressure that was enough to shatter the courage of any Great Master.

"With the Nine Great State Monarchs from the Gods Sealing List, plus that Holy Essence Wenqu Star Monarch acting as the main Array controllers..." he muttered, light flashing in his small eyes as if he were calculating something. "Under ideal conditions..."

Qi Yun completed the second half of his sentence. "This Ten Extremes Array can stall them for six hours at most."

Cai Shen froze. Six hours? He snapped his head around to look at Qi Yun. "Six hours? Isn’t the gap between that and sixty years... a bit too vast?"

Qi Yun did not answer. In the depths of his cyan gold eyes, there was not a single ripple. There was only a profound, condensed calmness, like a boulder that had endured for eternity.

"It can’t stop them," he repeated, his voice still calm. "There is no difference between six hours and fifty-nine years."

Cai Shen fell silent for a moment. Then, he looked at Qi Yun, gazing at the starlight-like glow slowly igniting within the depths of those cyan gold eyes. "Then you..."

Qi Yun did not answer; he merely sat down slowly with his legs crossed. The movement was incredibly slow—so slow that every detail was clearly visible. The hem of his Deep Blue Daoist Robe gently brushed past the void, the patterns on the corners of his clothes slowly unfurled, and his dark hair cascaded over his shoulders.

"So I must, within these six hours..." He paused.

In the depths of his cyan gold eyes, two blinding divine rays suddenly flared! Like a newly born sun, they rose fiercely in the center of this Ten Extremes Grand Array that shrouded ten thousand miles!

"Find a way," he continued. "To completely extinguish their desire to step into the Celestial Court!"

As his voice fell, Qi Yun slightly closed his eyes. His Heart and Spirit completely sank into the depths of his Purple Mansion, sinking into that vast ocean that bore everything he had learned in his life.

The moment his Heart and Spirit sank into his Purple Mansion, a phantom slowly emerged behind his back. The phantom was initially extremely faint, so faint that it was almost imperceptible. But as Qi Yun’s Heart and Spirit sank deeper, the phantom became increasingly solid, clear, and vast.

Chaos remained undivided; purity and turbidity remained unseparated. Earth, fire, wind, and water surged and roared within, while the sun, moon, and stars went through cycles of birth and destruction. Countless indescribable patterns of Dao Rhyme intertwined, coiled, and evolved within that chaos.

Cai Shen looked at that increasingly solid phantom of Daluo Heaven, light flickering in his small eyes. He knew what Qi Yun was thinking.

The Venerable Dao Foundation, the peak of a Great Master, was indeed an invincible existence below that of a True Monarch. But wanting to use this to stop the Cultivators of the entire Profound Yellow Origin Realm was far from enough. One or two Great Masters could be killed. Eight or ten Great Masters could be blocked. But what about the Cultivators of the entire Profound Yellow? That overwhelming tide of Escape Lights, those countless figures converging from all directions, those billions upon billions of living beings ignited by greed and madness! They could not all be killed. They could not be stopped.

Deterrence did not rely on slaughter. It relied on making them truly afraid. Truly terrified. Truly retreat.

The phantom of Daluo Heaven grew increasingly solid. In the center of that chaos, Qi Yun’s seated figure resembled an Ancient God who had existed since the creation of the world, quietly scrutinizing his own Dao path.

His Heart and Spirit sank into that vast ocean, sinking into the countless Magic and Divine Techniques he had once traversed, comprehended, and mastered.

In the beginning. Those were the days when he was still in the Qi Refining Realm, struggling to survive in the Outer Sect.

Clear Wind Technique. That most elementary of Magic could transform him into a Clear Wind, coming and going formlessly.

Basic Sword Qi. That extremely crude Dharma Gate could only unleash a three-foot Sword Qi, barely able to cleave even a bluestone.

He looked at those initial, crude, and even somewhat ridiculous light and shadows of Daoist Skills without a shred of contempt in his eyes. That was his starting point. It was his first step in climbing out of the abyss, step by step, from being an Outer Disciple who was no better than an ant.

Then came the Magic that had accompanied him through his most difficult years.

Master of Profound Mysteries. The Dharma Gate he obtained from Ling Master, which helped him besiege enemies and accumulate his first pot of gold.

Gathering Form and Scattering Qi. The life-saving Divine Technique that allowed him to escape death countless times, conceal his tracks countless times, and find a glimmer of hope in certain-death situations countless times.

Nether Spring Bone Technique. The foundational technique that allowed him to truly begin mastering the power of life and death and commanding thousands of Soul Spirits.

Sand Iron Skill. The profound method that allowed him to use Iron Sand as weapons, integrating both offense and defense.

Profound Nether Qi Bottle. The sinister method that allowed him to extract and refine Nine Earthly Yin Fiends, condensing them into Profound Nether Erosive Qi.

Wood Element Command Skill. The Qimen Secret Technique that enabled him to borrow the power of mountains, rivers, and vegetation to evolve myriad variations.

Nameless Sword Skill. The Fundamental Sword Technique that allowed him to merge various types of Magic with the Sword Dao, transforming Ten Thousand Laws into a single strike.

One light and shadow after another swept past the depths of his Heart and Spirit. Every light and shadow was a piece of the past. Every light and shadow was a life-and-death ordeal. Every light and shadow was a power he had finally mastered only after stepping over countless corpses and wading through endless Blood Seas.

Then, there were those tyrannical Divine Techniques he truly mastered only after reaching Foundation Establishment and entering the Inner Sect.

Nanming Li Fire Sword Technique. That Extremely Yang and Fierce method that fused Demon Fire and Sword Dao; with a single strike, it could burn the heavens and boil the seas.

Soul Refining Banner—Human Emperor Banner—Gods Sealing List. That Supreme Treasure which began as an ordinary Soul Banner, metamorphosing and sublimating step by step, ultimately bearing his ambition to command the Divine Dao.

Mo Flood Dragon Technique! It could spontaneously sense malicious divination or tribulation qi directed at him, and trace them back through karma. Later on, it could even follow karma to cause a backlash that would divine the caster.

And others like Mastering All Skills, Heaven-Reaching Talisman, Avoiding Tribulation Curse, Daluo Decree, Seizing Profound Intent, Ten Thousand Laws Incarnation, Omen Star Shining High, Forbidden Celestial Rules...

...

One light and shadow after another. One Divine Technique after another. Like countless rushing rivers, they converged, intertwined, and surged in the depths of Qi Yun’s Heart and Spirit!

The light and shadows were so dense and vast that they almost burst his Heart and Spirit! Yet he remained seated in the center of Daluo Heaven, utterly Immovable. In the depths of his tightly shut eyes, that cyan gold divine ray had become so blazing that it almost overflowed from his eye sockets! That was the sign of pushing his Heart and Spirit to the absolute limit, the ultimate deduction exhausting all his wisdom!

Cai Shen sat quietly on his shoulder, looking at that face that had turned slightly pale from the extreme deduction. He looked at the fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead and the madly swirling light in the depths of his tightly shut eyes. He didn’t speak. He simply kept him company in silence. He knew that at this moment, Qi Yun was undergoing a tribulation without smoke or blood, yet far more perilous than any slaughter.

An unknown amount of time passed. Perhaps it was just an instant. Perhaps it was several hours. Just when Cai Shen was beginning to worry if the Great Masters outside the Array might break through this Ten Extremes Grand Array early, Qi Yun abruptly opened his eyes!

In those cyan gold eyes, the divine rays that were originally blazing to the extreme suddenly erupted at this moment! Cai Shen squinted, blinded by the sudden divine rays. When he reopened his eyes, he saw Qi Yun suddenly lift his head. The slightly fatigued light in those cyan gold eyes from the extreme deduction had completely vanished. In its place was an unprecedented clarity that pierced through the eternal fog.

"I have it!" Qi Yun stood up slowly. His Deep Blue Daoist Robe fluttered fiercely in the wind. His cyan gold eyes shone with boundless brilliance.

...