Chapter 133 The Great Array Is Formed and the Beast Tide Arrives
After putting away the Canglan Umbrella, Yu Qingtan took out Gao Shen's Nine Python Profound Fire Cover. After purifying it with the Purification Spell, she refined it into her own ancient treasure.
The Nine Python Profound Fire Cover was only equivalent to a Lower Grade ancient treasure, and its power had greatly diminished since the nine fire pythons were shattered.
Using Spirit Stones could slowly restore it, and it would probably take about three years to return to its original state. To accelerate the recovery process, Third Stage fire-attributed Spiritual Materials would be needed, and Third Stage Spiritual Fire would be even better.
"This is also a good treasure!"
Yu Qingtan stored it away with satisfaction, then she proceeded to check the Storage Bags and Spirit Beast Pouches she acquired from the previous floors, including those from Gao Shen, Pang Hui, and others.
The Spiritual Beast Blazing Fire Lion that belonged to Gao Shen had also perished with Gao Shen's death, as most spirit beast contracts are master-servant contracts.
Altogether in these Storage Bags, there were six hundred and thirty thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones, three hundred and sixty Medium Grade Spirit Stones, and eight Upper Grade Spirit Stones.
Thirty drops of Second Stage Spirit Dew and forty-five pieces of Second Stage Wasteland Crystal.
Various equipments, Elixirs, Talismans, and Spiritual Materials worth over one million Spirit Stones in total, most of which Yu Qingtan had no use for.
There weren't any Cultivation Techniques or Spell Jade Slips, but there were some cultivation books that could be of some use to Qingtan.
Yu Qingtan's knowledge of cultivation came from various books, such as the time when she obtained three pieces of Soul Nurturing Wood from old Taoist Gao of the Extreme Path Demon Sect, which she did not recognize at the time. It was only later, after seeing it in a book, that she knew it was the precious Soul Nurturing Wood.
The Soul Nurturing Wood could be made into Nourishing Soul Incense, which had a growth effect on Divine Sense. When she was in Tianxiang Immortal City, Yu Qingtan often burned Nourishing Soul Incense while playing the Soul Cleansing Tune and casting the Soul Cleansing Technique to nourish her soul.
Now her soul had become comparable to that of a Cultivator at the peak of late Foundation Establishment, with a Divine Sense coverage of up to one hundred and ninety zhang.
Speaking of old Taoist Gao, from Gao Shen's belongings, Yu Qingtan also deduced that Gao Shen was a relative of Real Man Huoyun from the Extreme Path Demon Sect.
Destroying the Identity Jade and other identifiable items, Yu Qingtan collected the purified spoils of war into her System Space or the Qianzhu Lianbi Necklace.
After sensing for a while, she finally cleaned away the Blood Tether that had been placed on her due to the killing of Ru Yao.
Yu Qingtan took out the supreme quality Spiritual Artifact Baiyu Pipa and a Pipa Music Score obtained from Ru Yao and started to practice playing the pipa.
Although she had never played before, her mastered level Zither Art made it easy for her to learn and she picked it up quickly.
After practicing for half a day and achieving a basic level of proficiency, she stopped.
After casting a Purification Spell and Soul Cleansing Technique on herself, Yu Qingtan began to close her eyes and rest her spirit.
...
Inside Thousand Beasts Mountain, there was no distinction between day and night.
When nearly a day's time was about to pass, Li Daoyi called everyone out.
"Mission accomplished, we have successfully set up the Third Stage Five Elements Rotation Array and the Great Four Directions Thunder Fire Talisman Array," said Huang Zhangjie of the Huangs, unable to hide his pride on his face.
This was his first time independently setting up a Third Stage Great Array.
"The Spirit Stone Cannons have also been set up, and the Puppets are ready," added Wu Guang, who had come out earlier.
"You have all worked hard," said Li Daoyi, even though the costs had been shared.
"Here are the Jade Tokens for entering and exiting the Great Array, everyone can try them out!"
Huang Zhangjie handed out a Jade Token to each person; they all tried them and indeed were able to smoothly pass in and out of the light membrane formed by the array.
After a brief conversation, everyone's expression turned grave as they looked towards the small castle's exterior.
Dense footsteps approached from all around, sending slight tremors through the ground.
"They're coming!"
As the sound grew louder, the dark mass of beasts became faintly visible in the thick fog outside the small castle and then gradually came into focus.
Leading the beast horde were five enormous saber-toothed tigers, three zhang tall, with their drooping eyes, white foreheads, and protruding tusks, exuding the aura of Third Stage Heavenly Demons.
"Five Heavenly Demons, saber-toothed tigers!"
Behind the five Heavenly Demons, there was an endless swarm of demonic beasts, with about forty thousand gathered below the small castle because only so many could fit.
Among them, there were roughly four hundred Major Demons of the Second Stage, and the rest were of the First Stage.
The quality of the beast horde far surpassed the one that attacked Suichuan Immortal City before.
The group was mainly composed of ferocious beasts like saber-toothed tigers, Black-Backed Bears, Two-tailed Leopards, Thornwood Jackals, Carapace Wolves, and flying demonic beasts such as Tiger Sparrows following the saber-toothed tigers.
Of the five saber-toothed tiger Heavenly Demons, four were at the early stages of the Third Stage and one was at the mid-stage.
The four Third Stage early saber-toothed tigers approached from the east, south, west, and north, while the mid Third Stage saber-toothed tiger was also in the west.
Each Third Stage saber-toothed tiger was followed by three Tiger Sparrows in the late stages of the Second Stage.
The Third Stage Five Elements Rotation Array had been activated earlier, but although it could block the attacks of Third Stage Heavenly Demons, it had its limits.
If left to the assault of the five saber-toothed tiger Heavenly Demons, it was feared the formation would not last even a quarter of an hour before it broke.
"Brother Yin, dare you join me in meeting the enemy to the west?" Li Daoyi asked.
"What's there to fear!" Yin Cen said with a solemn face.
"Then let's leave the other three sides to Brother Jiang, Brother Fang, Brother Dongye, Brother Fu, Sister Zhu, and Brother Wu. The other demonic beasts below the Third Stage will be left to Brothers Huang and Qing! Come, drink to victory!"
Li Daoyi took out a jug of Spiritual Wine and ten cups, opened the lid, and the clear liquid divided itself into ten streams to fill the ten cups.
The other nine each took a cup, and Li Daoyi, picking up the last cup, was the first to drink it all in one go.
Only then did the others follow suit and drink.
It turned out to be a Second Stage Spiritual Wine.
Then, Li Daoyi and Yin Cen flew west on their swords, Jiang Yueli and Fang Ling flew east, Dongye Chuhua and Fu Nian flew south, while Zhu Yan and Wu Guang flew north.
Seeing that their side had just arrived and had not yet had the chance to attack, the Second Stage humans on the other side had the audacity to come out to meet the battle. The mid Third Stage saber-toothed tiger roared, "You measly Second Stage humans, how dare you act so rampant in front of me, Hu Sanniang! Hu Chi, Hu He, Hu Wan, Hu Le, finish them quickly for me. Roar~"
It turned out to be a rugged female voice; after speaking, a large roar issued forth, bringing with it a gust of wind filled with cutting vigor that blew towards Li Daoyi and Yin Cen.
At the same time, with a wave of her front paws, blades of white gold followed the gusts of wind and enveloped Li Daoyi and Yin Cen.
Saber-toothed tigers are among the top tier of demonic beasts, with physical strength exceeding that of ordinary cultivators in Body Cultivation for the same tier, and they are also proficient in gold, wind, and sound Spells.
Hu Sanniang was currently using the Tiger Wind Technique and White Tiger Golden Light Slash.
Hu Le, who was at Hu Sanniang's side, did the same and released both Spells.
The moment they exited the formation, Li Daoyi released his Spiritual Beast, the Sword Wing Bird, to deal with the Tiger Sparrows, while he and Yin Cen focused on Hu Sanniang and Hu Le.
Confronting the Tiger Wind Technique and White Tiger Golden Light Slash, Yin Cen took out a small yellow tower. The tower instantly grew in size, blocking in front of Li Daoyi and Yin Cen.
The Spell attacks from Hu Sanniang and Hu Le hit the tower, causing it to shake but without any damage.
It turned out to be an Ancient Treasure comparable to a mid-stage Third Stage precious instrument, the Mini Profound Yellow Tower.
According to legend, the Profound Yellow Tower is also an Immortal Artifact.
Clearly, the Mini Profound Yellow Tower was a replica crafted in the likeness of the Profound Yellow Tower.
Many Ancient Treasures, ancient Taoist Instruments, are replications of Immortal Artifacts, as if the ancient human race instrument refiners liked to do such things.
As Yin Cen blocked the attacks, the five swords of Li Daoyi had also been unsheathed, forming the Five Elements Linked Sword Formation. As the Mini Profound Yellow Tower rose, angling towards Hu Sanniang and Hu Le, Li Daoyi also charged into the fray.