Chapter 113: The Great Northern Dipper Formation of the Void Realm

As the old ghost woman had foretold, the hundred sword formations arrayed by the Seven Great Sects and myriad immortals began to stir. The flashes of thunder, fire, and lightning gradually subsided, and suddenly, beams of light as large as several acres shot up from each formation, piercing the sky. The horizon changed color instantly—the sun was concealed, stars appeared, and the various light pillars seemed to connect with the starlight, illuminating the world below. Most dazzling among them were the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper: Polaris, Kochab, Pherkad, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid, each sequentially glowing. The seven beams of starlight pierced the surging tide of demonic fiends, transforming into the constellation of the Big Dipper, spanning thousands of miles. Countless star lines and luminous energies filled the array, producing boundless killing intent.

The heavenly immortal banners rose into the Ninth Heaven, gradually manifesting as the Star God, Thunder Immortal, Lightning King, Catastrophe Dragon, each guarding the four directions. The Four Symbols, the Four Spirits, and celestial officers followed in formation, launching coordinated, devastating strikes.

An endless sea of starlight flooded the sky, intertwining with the constellations of Purple Star, Sun, Military Tune, Heavenly Mansion, Moon, Greedy Wolf, Giant Gate, Heavenly Appearance, Seven Killings, Broken Army, Heavenly Axe, Carrying Ram, Tuo Luo, and Earth Calamity, churning fiercely. The ghost soldiers and heavenly demons suffered massive casualties, bodies falling like rain, blood flowing like waterfalls. Beneath the Heavenly Gate, the corpses of fiends piled up like mountains.

“Old Ghost Woman! What is to be done now?” The Poison Dragon Daoist’s colossal form, stretching a thousand feet, was the largest and most severely wounded. Scales and flesh were torn asunder, and the protective Water Sun Palm was riddled with holes. It seemed the old dragon could no longer endure.

“Do not rush, do not rush. The larger this formation grows, the better it is. You beast, haven’t you noticed? The Supreme Yin-Yang Soul-Seizing Formation of the Young Sect Leader has changed again. The righteous are already struggling to delay! Once the divine array is complete, justice will be served—debt repaid with debt, vengeance with vengeance!” The old ghost woman’s hoarse voice waved her bony hands, driving forth a curtain of shadowy demon corpses to block the star thunder. Her words were also aimed at the nearby old demons and great fiends. These cunning creatures, though invited to assist, sensed the unfavorable situation and prepared to flee faster than anyone else.

Indeed, the demonic formation was formidable. Despite the continuous star thunder and radiant light, it remained sealed and silent. Its black vapors boiled like a cauldron, while at its core a hundred-foot vortex churned and roared, spewing demonic energy into the heavens. The celestial starlight dimmed, and the Big Dipper Void Array trembled violently, as if a monstrous evil was about to be born.

Meanwhile, within the Lianshan Sect, Zhou Qian and five others had endured twenty-three days of confinement in a cave deep within the mountain. During this time, they could only remain inside, receiving meals morning and evening, with someone attending to their waste, but otherwise ignored. Except for Zhou Qian and the cultivating man, the other four had long been dull-eyed and vacant—a state akin to imprisonment.

“This must be a test of our resolve by the immortals. Otherwise, how could it be like this? How could it be so?” Shi Si murmured.

Zhou Qian glanced at him, then closed his eyes again. Compared to the others’ vacant expressions, he was far better. As a martial artist, his steadfastness and stamina were superior. He seized this rare moment to recall his past trials, reflect on himself, and calm his heart. After more than twenty days of introspection, his demeanor transformed—like a sword sheathed quietly, more profound than before.

The cultivating man appraised him with some surprise. Even among sword immortals, to advance in one’s mental state was extremely difficult. Mortals generally only achieved great enlightenment in old age, but he was unaware of Zhou Qian’s anguished sufferings.

Suddenly, the cave entrance burst open, light blinding their eyes, and a voice commanded, “The time has come. You may leave.”

Emerging atop the mountain, they beheld mist and rosy clouds, celestial trees and jade forests—a breathtakingly beautiful scene. All looked around greedily, Zhou Qian included, as was human nature.

He froze, noticing faint damage around the Jade Pavilion, Golden Terrace, and Immortal Mansions. Most severe was a mountain peak ahead, half of it sliced away. Had the Lianshan Sect been attacked by demons these past days? That was Zhou Qian’s first thought.

“Friends, no matter what you face, do not panic. Your lives will not be delayed,” came a solemn voice from a sword light.

Suddenly, Zhou Qian noticed one member missing—the wandering swordsman Xiao Liu. Then the two peasant youths also vanished before his eyes. As he tried to speak, the world spun wildly; before he could recover, a gentle voice spoke—

“Little friend Zhou, it seems you are the disciple taken by my junior brother?”

An elderly robed man sat cross-legged on billowing azure clouds, smiling faintly.

Zhou Qian was taken aback. “May I ask who you are, venerable sir?”

“I am Ai Ruzhen, the sect leader of Qingcheng Sect. That drunkard junior brother of mine is truly undisciplined.”

Startled, Zhou Qian bowed deeply. “Greetings, Immortal Ai!”

“Don’t call me Immortal Ai. By seniority, ‘senior uncle’ fits better.” Ai Ruzhen waved his hand. “Come, little friend Zhou, sit and drink tea.”

Following his instruction, Zhou Qian approached a stone table, half-kneeling, resting on his heels, bowing slightly. On the table lay tea bowls, cups, a tea tray, and a pot from which wisps of steam gently rose, releasing a fragrant aroma.

“This is the unique spirit tea of Qingcheng Mountain. Nephew Zhou, please taste it.” As he spoke, Ai Ruzhen poured tea with fluid grace.

“Thank you, senior uncle!” Zhou Qian respectfully accepted the cup, taking the opportunity to observe Ai Ruzhen. His hair was tied high, sleeves flowing, face kindly with a subtle smile—truly a transcendent immortal, far more refined than the slovenly drunkard daoist.

The tea gleamed jade green. A sip left Zhou Qian feeling light and refreshed, pores opening, as if ascending to the heavens. “Excellent tea!” he praised.

Ai Ruzhen studied Zhou Qian thoughtfully, nodding inwardly. “I only just learned that my carefree junior brother has taken a disciple this time. Truly rare. And you are the key to breaking the formation, which poses a dilemma for me. Since you are still mortal, I worried you might not pass the trial. But now, it seems no problem.”

Zhou Qian blinked. “What trial?”

“To break the demonic grand array, a trace of Golden Crow primal energy must be drawn from your body to summon the Golden Crow’s true form. If your constitution is weak, you might risk your life. But your blood and energy are abundant, so it should be fine.”

Understanding this, Zhou Qian, as a martial artist who had taken elixirs, possessed strength far beyond ordinary people and was unconcerned. Looking up, he saw vast azure clouds racing above, the surrounding scenery blurring, and asked, “Senior uncle, are we heading to the Heavenly Gate?”

Ai Ruzhen shook his head, correcting him. “Not just us. Besides Lianshan, the other five sect leaders have also set out simultaneously. In about seven or eight hours, we will meet at the Heavenly Gate to break the formation.”

Half comprehending, Zhou Qian pressed down on the azure cloud beneath him, curious. “Senior uncle, I’ve seen many sword immortals either riding swords or celestial birds. Is this azure cloud also a kind of treasure?”

“This is my Taoist Supreme Spirit, cultivated from pure Ninth Heaven qi. It can serve as a treasure to command or as a body for cultivation. It is me, and I am it.”

Zhou Qian fell silent; such Taoist profundities were beyond a mortal’s grasp.

“Our Qingcheng Sect has five peaks: Jade Void, Rushing Profundity, Five Dragons, Supreme Element, and Morning Sun. That drunkard junior brother and I share the same lineage, both from Jade Void Peak. When you arrive, you will cultivate there. I will have Qin Yu arrange it for you.”

Zhou Qian nodded, pondering. Within these five branches, there were ranks. Since Jade Void Peak was where the sect leader senior uncle resided, it must be the most flourishing, right? However, soon afterward, remembering this thought, Zhou Qian realized it might have been presumptuous.

“Senior uncle, in this battle between righteousness and evil, can the Seven Great Sects win?”

“The Heavenly Secrets are chaotic, but in the darkness, the righteous path always endures.”

At the Heavenly Gate, the tide of battle turned. The Supreme Yin-Yang Soul-Seizing Formation’s suppression waned, and demonic might surged. Five Heavenly Demons continuously manifested from the vortex, joining the fray against star gods, lightning immortals, and celestial officials. They also connected to the Underworld, summoning ancient ghost kings to aid. These ghosts and demons possessed profound cultivations that even nascent souls could not match. Numerous demonic sect elders employed their sinister arts—evil mists, insect clouds, enchanted pearls—pressuring the righteous sword immortals to desperately hold their ground.

At this moment, several brilliant energies surged into the formation, unstoppable. The six sect leaders had arrived. From deep within the demonic array came a low sigh:

“Has it been completed after all—”

Surrounded by azure clouds, Zhou Qian saw Qingcheng Sect leader Ai Ruzhen’s solemn face. Though he did not wield a treasure, countless streams of immortal qi descended from the cloud beneath him, sweeping away monsters and demons alike, transforming them into surging primal energy. This was the Supreme Taoist Mysterious Heavenly Mansion Light, a secret Qingcheng Sect technique. It obliterated all, with no weaknesses, invincible against anything of later-born nature.

Emei Sect leader Fang Shuming embodied the unity of man and sword, six pure yang immortal swords radiating golden light thousands of feet long, tearing through the void, slashing countless demonic fiends. Even powerful nascent souls could not resist his six-path immortal swords fueled by Emei heart techniques. In swordsmanship, Emei was unparalleled.

The Fire Island master Yuan Yuanzi had transformed into a fire god, wielding pure yang true fire, Taiyi Dao fire, Li fire, Three-Flavors true fire, Southern Bright Li fire, Solar essence fire, Nine Nether blazing flames, and Red Lotus karmic fire. Alone, he upheld a grand ten-thousand-fire array, steadily pressing forward, burning all in his path.

At Little Thunder Sound Temple, Master Puduo stepped upon lotus flowers in the void. With a mere palm strike, he drew nearby demons into his Buddhist kingdom, transforming them into heavenly dragons to augment his Buddhist power. Though seemingly ordinary, he converted the most demons.

These four leaders crushed through hordes of fiends and ghosts, charging to the demonic grand array’s front. Unbeknownst to them, a complex formation appeared above the boundless black mist, spanning tens of thousands of feet of empty sky. The Heavenly Dao Sect leader Miaodao Zhenren and Dragon-Tiger Maoshan’s Xutian Jun stood on either side, guarding the formation’s core.

Golden light shot forth from the six sect leaders’ palms, converging and rising straight to the Great Sun. Due to the duel between Lu Mingzi and Lianshan Sect leader Zhushan Zhenren, the sun’s light flickered uncertainly before suddenly dimming, plunging the world into darkness. After a moment, a hundred-foot-wide beam of Great Sun essence shot from the Ninth Heaven into the grand array.

This formation was an ancient immortal method, born from the Golden Crow’s fall, gathering all the world’s spiritual energy into the Great Sun. The Seven Sects’ master arrayists had jointly refined it into a beacon to summon the Golden Crow.

The true battle was only just beginning—