Immortality Through Array Formations

Chapter 339: Chapter 337 Big Demon_1

The deep mountains had become a true forbidden land.

Day and night, one could see the blood qi shooting into the sky, and the figure of the blood-colored pig monster perched atop the peak.

The pig monster was refining the potency of the Lifespan Transformation Elixir.

To say it was refining, it would be more accurate to say it was assimilating.

After all, this pill had been formed within its body, forcibly extracted, and now it was simply “returning to its rightful owner.”

The pig monster’s refinement of blood qi was slow, and it seemed like it would take a long time, but no matter how long it took, there would come a day when it would be finished.

As time slowly passed, the blood qi around the pig monster became denser and its aura more terrifying.

The faces of all the cultivators in Tongxian City were clouded with gloom.

Elder Yu and the others looked increasingly solemn.

A storm was brewing, and a great catastrophe was approaching.

Yet Mo Hua was utterly puzzled in his heart.

What was a big demon, why had that pig turned into a big demon, and why did the arrival of a big demon signify a catastrophe?

He had never come into contact with these cultivation secrets before.

So, Mo Hua went to ask Elder Yu.

Elder Yu sighed, “The so-called big demon is a term used by Monster Hunters, referring to extremely powerful, non-human forces that can annihilate an entire city or state boundary.”

“What level of monster beast qualifies as a big demon, then? Something beyond Second Grade?” Mo Hua asked.

Elder Yu shook his head, “Big demons are not simply classified by grade.”

Mo Hua thought for a moment, “Is it based on the grade of the state boundary, then?”

Elder Yu nodded and explained to Mo Hua:

“In a Second-Grade state boundary, a big demon would be Second Grade, in a Third-Grade state boundary, a big demon would be Third Grade… and so on. A powerful monster beast nearing the grade limit of a certain domain is called a ‘big demon.'”

“But why could that pig become a big demon?” Mo Hua wondered aloud.

That pig had only eaten an elder of the Qian Family and had even been on the brink of death at one point – so why did it suddenly become a big demon?

“I don’t know that either,” Elder Yu said bitterly, “Big demons have always been the stuff of legend. No one can say for certain how they come into being… The last record of a big demon in Tongxian City was two to three thousand years ago.”

“Was that big demon killed?”

“No,” Elder Yu shook his head, “The big demon was not killed.”

Mo Hua was startled, “Then how did it die?”

“It starved to death.”

“Starved to death?” Mo Hua was taken aback.

That was a manner of death Mo Hua had not anticipated.

Elder Yu’s eyes held a deep-seated fear:

“It had devoured all the cultivators of Tongxian City, all the monster beasts of Big Black Mountain, and everything edible. Finally, after more than a hundred years without food, it exhausted its blood qi and starved to death…”

Mo Hua gasped, “It ate… all the cultivators of Tongxian City?!”

Elder Yu nodded, “Indeed.”

“Couldn’t it be killed?”

If it could be killed, then the cultivators of an entire city wouldn’t have all been devoured…” Elder Yu gave a wry smile.

“Why couldn’t it be killed?”

Mo Hua was very puzzled.

It was just a Second Grade monster beast, and no matter how strong, there was always a way to kill it.

Even if Foundation Establishment wasn’t enough, there was still Qi Refinement, and if Monster Hunters weren’t enough, there were also Taoist Soldiers. So many cultivators working together could surely wear down the big demon, even if it meant a war of attrition…

Elder Yu pointed to the horizon and said, “Do you see that blood qi?”

Mo Hua looked up and saw the towering blood qi of the pig monster over the deep mountains.

“Is it because… the blood qi is too profound?” Mo Hua speculated after a moment’s thought.

Elder Yu nodded, “The attacks of the big demon are only slightly stronger than those of monster beasts of the same grade, but the most troublesome aspect is its blood qi…”

“The blood qi of a big demon is incredibly profound, almost equivalent to tens of times that of monster beasts of the same grade.”

Mo Hua felt a chill down his spine as he listened, “The blood qi is that profound?”

“That’s not the scariest part,” continued Elder Yu:

“The most terrifying thing is that it can replenish its blood qi by consuming humans. Trying to deplete a big demon with numbers is even more impossible.”

“With the profound blood qi of a big demon, hunting one down is bound to be a lengthy battle of attrition, with casualties being unavoidable.”

“But once there are casualties, it will replenish the big demon’s blood qi. In such a give-and-take, all cultivators will end up in the mouth of the big demon, eaten alive!”

“Unless no one dies, the cultivators would merely be ‘Blood Pills’ for the big demon.”

“But with a big demon as fearsome as this, hunting down a ‘big demon’ without any death is impossible, isn’t it?”

A chill arose in Mo Hua’s heart, and he asked with a furrowed brow:

“So what do we do now?”

Elder Yu shook his head, his tone grave:

“Our only hope is that we are all mistaken, that the pig is not actually a big demon. In that case, the Taoist Court could send a message to the Taoist Court, requesting more Foundation Establishment cultivators to come for an extermination effort.”

“And if it is a big demon?”

“If the Taoist Court confirms that the pig is a big demon,” Elder Yu sighed, “we can only… look for a way to relocate the city.”

“Relocate the city?” Mo Hua was taken aback.

“Relocate the city,” Elder Yu nodded and said:

“All cultivators of Tongxian City must migrate elsewhere and seek a new livelihood. Otherwise, once the big demon has refined its blood qi and begins to hunt for food, starting with monster beasts and then humans, it will eventually, just like two or three thousand years ago, eat through all the cultivators of Tongxian City…”

Elder Yu’s expression was full of bitterness, “This is a natural calamity, even an undeserved disaster, and we have no way to deal with it…”

Mo Hua was somewhat distracted.

He had not expected that things would really become this grave.

He had previously thought that a “Big Demon” was just a more powerful Monster Beast, and that as long as everyone worked together, there would always be a way to kill it. He had not anticipated that a Big Demon would truly signify a “great calamity,” one that would force an entire city of Cultivators to relocate.

But in his heart, Mo Hua knew that it was less “relocation” and more akin to fleeing.

“Where will we relocate to?” Mo Hua asked, “There should be no place nearby suitable for Cultivators to live anymore, right?”

And even if a relocation was to be carried out, it would be impossible for just Tongxian City to move. All the surrounding Little Immortal Cities would need to relocate as well.

If that were the case, there would be even more Cultivators moving, and fewer places available for them to live.

“Typically we would move southwards, closer to the barren frontier, which mostly consists of undeveloped wastelands inhabited by Monster Beasts and Barbarian Tribes.”

Elder Yu sighed, “But life will be very tough if we do that…”

A long and arduous trek, living at the mercy of the elements along the way, dangers unpredictable, the difficulties at the journey’s end are self-evident.

Mo Hua, too, felt a sinking mood.

Hopefully, that Pig Monster isn’t a real Big Demon…

But deep down, Mo Hua faintly knew that wasn’t likely.

Because he had seen the Pig Monster with his own eyes and had once damaged it with a Formation Collapse. He knew the regenerative power of the Pig Monster’s flesh was mysteriously profound, out of the ordinary and close to the Dao, incomparable to any common Monster Beast.

Three days later, a document arrived from the Taoist Court, which stated:

“Taoist Calendar twenty thousand and twenty-four, the Pig Monster causes chaos within the Second-Grade Black Mountain State Boundary.

As verified by the Heavenly Observatory, this is a Big Demon, historically named Feng Xi.

The local Taoist Court Officials should deliberate strategies for peace within their jurisdiction.

If unable to counter the calamity, consider relocation matters.”

Mo Hua learned the contents of this document from Zhang Lan.

When the document arrived at the Taoist Court and Zhang Lan got the news, knowing there was no remedy, he felt rather frustrated and went to drink at a tavern, incidentally sharing the situation with Mo Hua.

“Doesn’t the Taoist Court have any other solutions?” Mo Hua asked Zhang Lan.

“If the Taoist Court had a solution, Big Demons would not be considered ‘great calamities.'”

Mo Hua still didn’t understand, “Can’t the Taoist Court send Golden Core Cultivators to kill that Pig?”

“It’s Feng Xi,” Zhang Lan corrected him, “Once they become Big Demons, they receive a name that enters the history of Tao Cultivation. Historically, pig-like Big Demons are generally called ‘Feng Xi’.”

Zhang Lan took a sip of his drink and sighed, “Golden Core Cultivators cannot come.”

“Are they afraid of death?”

Zhang Lan shook his head, “Golden Core Cultivators, even if they can’t kill a Second-Grade Big Demon, can still escape with their lives.”

“What they fear…” Zhang Lan pointed upwards, “are the laws of the Heavenly Dao.”

“What does this have to do with the laws of the Heavenly Dao?” Mo Hua didn’t understand.

Zhang Lan asked in return, “The state boundary we are in now, what is it?”

“The Black Mountain State Boundary.”

“And the full name?”

Mo Hua had studied geography of Tao Cultivation at the Tongxian Gate. He had learned diligently and remembered clearly, so even though he had left his studies incomplete, he still managed to answer:

“The Cultivation World is comprised of Nine States, with each state divided into territories, and within those territories are Immortal Cities.”

“Tongxian City belongs to the Li State’s Big Black Mountain territory, omits the state name, simply called Black Mountain State Boundary.”

Zhang Lan nodded and asked again, “Which grade?”

Mo Hua hesitated, then answered, “Second Grade.”

“Why is it Second Grade?”

“Because the highest Cultivators here only have achieved Foundation Establishment…”

Mo Hua felt that Zhang Lan was asking the obvious, but also felt Zhang Lan would not be doing so pointlessly. After thinking it over, he slowly said:

“Golden Core is Third Grade, exceeding the upper limit of a Second-Grade state boundary, so they cannot come over?”

“It’s not that they can’t come, but they can’t use any Cultivation higher than Second Grade,”

Zhang Lan explained, “What’s the point of Golden Core Cultivators coming without being able to use their Golden Core Cultivation?”

“What happens if they use it forcefully?” Mo Hua asked.

“If they use it forcefully, they will die!” Zhang Lan said gravely.

“Die?!” Mo Hua was startled.

“Die,” Zhang Lan nodded, pondered for a moment, then added, “So when you say they are afraid of dying and that’s why they dare not come, you’re sort of correct.”

“Why is that?” Mo Hua was still confused.

Zhang Lan sighed, “That is the rule of the Heavenly Dao. When the Taoist Court was established, it designated this place as Second Grade. Thus, all Cultivators here can at most use Foundation Establishment Cultivation…”

“Once they surpass this limit, they will be eliminated by the Heavenly Dao!”

“Are there no exceptions?” Mo Hua asked.

Zhang Lan said decisively, “None!”

“What about higher than Golden Core?”

Zhang Lan replied, “Don’t even mention Golden Core, even those of the Mahayana level, unless they’ve attained immortality, must abide by these Heavenly Dao restrictions. Once they defy these laws, no matter how advanced their Cultivation or how strong their power, they will be directly extinguished by the Great Dao, resulting in death and the loss of their Dao!”

“Even the Taoist Monarch who reigns over the Nine States, will not be an exception!”

“These are the laws of the Heavenly Dao!”

Zhang Lan’s expression became solemn as he said:

“The Heavenly Dao reigns supreme above all things and all the myriad Cultivators!”