Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2344 Chapter 1073: Viviparous Demon

The expedition grew significantly more arduous from that point onward.

Without the scholar, the Eight Diagrams Exorcism Plate, and the ability to foretell fortunes and misfortunes, the very environment—the soil, the mountain stones, the grass, and the trees—became unnervingly strange and perilous. Uncertainty loomed over whether malevolent spirits were lurking in ambush or if toxins were secreted within them.

True Man Situ let out an internal sigh.

He should have foreseen this possibility earlier. The scholar was, in fact, the linchpin of their quest and ought to have received greater vigilance. Yet, he never anticipated that the scholar would be 'taken down' so early in their undertaking.

Indeed, the precise nature of what enticed the scholar to falter remained an enigma that deeply troubled True Man Situ's mind.

Ancient texts within Mystery Valley offered scant information regarding the Evil God.

Furthermore, their collective experience in confronting Evil Gods was critically insufficient.

The path ahead was obscured by a thick fog, and the peculiar laws governing this domain were utterly unfamiliar. A moment's lapse in concentration could precipitate a dire and irreversible misstep.

True Man Situ softly exhaled.

"We shall proceed one step at a time..."

Deprived of the scholar's guidance, they were compelled to rely solely on their own telekinetic abilities for divination.

It wasn't just True Man Situ; every cultivator present had to commence independent observation and hazard assessment of their surroundings. This was the sole recourse for maintaining a semblance of safety.

However, this shift also heralded an intensified drain on their divine thought.

Throughout this expedition, they were all utilizing their primordial spirits, and the depletion of divine thought signified a gradual exhaustion of their capabilities.

This situation might very well be an element of the Evil God's insidious strategy.

Yet, at this juncture, True Man Situ possessed no bandwidth to fret over such matters.

Simply managing to reach the vicinity of the Evil Embryo could be deemed a success. Prior objectives, such as meticulously adhering to the plan, circumventing all dangers, and conserving their strength, had transformed into an unattainable extravagance.

"Do not hold back, everyone. Unleash your full might."

True Man Situ commanded, and subsequently produced a Red Gold Lamp. He employed the lamp's clear luminescence to erect an additional protective barrier for the group, aiming to thwart any further instances of individuals succumbing to temptation, akin to the scholar, and having their primordial spirits corrupted.

The Six Yang Red Gold Lamp.

This represented the pinnacle of heavenly secret treasures, which True Man Situ had painstakingly acquired after the loss of the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp over a decade prior, during the tumult in Li State City.

The Qiankun Clear Light Lamp stood as Mystery Valley's foundational treasure. It harnessed the principles of Qiankun to manifest as a radiant light, capable of storing heavenly secrets, discerning causality, governing life and death, and possessing boundless, wondrous functions.

However, it was currently instrumental in sealing the fate and causal links of a particular individual.

This constituted a heavenly secret of utmost confidentiality, the revelation of which would invite catastrophic disaster upon Mystery Valley.

This matter was forbidden from discussion or utterance, destined to be carried to the grave.

True Man Situ resolved to simply let it go, choosing not to dwell on the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp any longer.

Yet, in the absence of the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, a tangible substitute was necessary, a readily available treasure to 'fill the void'.

The Six Yang Red Gold Lamp served as this provisional artifact, drawing upon the yang energy of the cosmos to provide protection and ward off malevolence.

Its remarkable capabilities were, naturally, far inferior to those of the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, but under the prevailing circumstances, it remained exceptionally valuable.

The golden lamp's radiance expanded, bathing them in an aura of Six Yang, instilling a sense of warmth in all present.

The remaining participants also ceased their reservations.

A Taoist priest bit his tongue, drawing blood to anoint his Peach Wood Sword, thereby activating its power to repel malevolent forces.

A Buddhist monk produced his prayer beads, etched with protective Sanskrit script.

The True Man in white robes, possessing a countenance of serene beauty, summoned the Three Pure Ones Bell.

The elderly woman, in turn, invoked the Six Ding and Six Jia formations to encircle and safeguard her.

The three brothers, sharing a common spiritual lineage with the old woman, had mastered mystical escape arts. Upon activation, divine thought armor materialized around them, rendering them impervious to blades and spears.

Within the Divine Thought Taoist Sect, the number 'three' is imbued with mystical significance, and those who embody this pattern often experience unique advantages.

Particularly the three brothers, if bound by kinship and acting in concert, while practicing certain Taoist mystical arts, could achieve amplified results with diminished effort. The efficacy of their spellcasting could, at times, manifest unpredictable and miraculous outcomes.

Consequently, high-ranking cultivators in the Cultivation World often showed preference for blood-related disciples when taking on apprentices.

Certain practitioners of the Demon Path, who refined slaves, adopted a similar approach, showing a particular inclination towards mystical numbers such as three, five, and seven.

The last individual encountered was a stout man adorned with intricate runes. He was a distinguished 'Body Refinement Master' of the Divine Thought lineage, utilizing runic powers to safeguard his spiritual essence.

The remaining four Heaven Void Ancestors, though not yet actively engaged, were subtly channeling their divine thought power, bracing for any unforeseen perils.

Thus, the company pressed onward.

As they journeyed deeper, they drew nearer to the heart of the Barbaric Wilderness Abyssal Swamp, the very origin of the Evil God. The oppressive black aura intensified, and the malevolent thoughts grew more profound.

The surrounding environment progressively transformed into a more hostile domain.

The lurking evil spirits, employing stealth for their ambuscades, exhibited escalating strength.

Nevertheless, owing to the collective endeavors of the group, the majority of critical situations were navigated without significant incident.

The spectral adversaries that obstructed their path were also vanquished.

Despite the outwardly smooth progression, True Man Situ's countenance became increasingly somber.

The Feathered Immortals, assembled within the Qianxue State Boundary, were accomplished practitioners of the Divine Thought Technique. Outside their sacred grounds, they stood as preeminent figures of the Divine Way, capable of subduing entire regions and eradicating all manner of evil spirits, specters, and monstrous entities.

The other four Heaven Void Ancestors, while perhaps not as refined in their divine thought techniques, possessed truly formidable divine thought capabilities.

Collectively, this contingent, when unhindered and fully unleashing their divine thought techniques, presented an exceptionally potent force.

The vast majority of vile spirits were utterly outmatched.

However, True Man Situ possessed an innate understanding: this expedition was far from straightforward. His extensive lifespan and profound experience with divine thought had alerted him to deep-seated, hidden dangers. He recognized that the more they vanquished, the more vulnerable they became.

The divine thought of cultivators, it was known, was exceptionally susceptible to depletion. This posed a particular vulnerability in the face of the Evil God; they were all operating with out-of-body primordial spirits, and the use of telekinetic abilities further dissipated these spirits, making replenishment or recovery impossible.

Once their psychic energy was exhausted, their telekinetic powers would inevitably fail, leaving them exposed to impending doom. Furthermore, primordial spirits were inherently susceptible to 'corruption' or 'pollution'.