Chapter 38

Facing a formidable enemy, the Twelve True Lords remained calm and composed. Their Pure Brightness Dao cultivation method emphasized the cultivation of qi, and in a short while, they had formed the Twelve Celestial Stem Formation, trapping the Vajra King within it.

With the current Daoist attainments of the Twelve True Lords and Xuankong, they would be considered immortals in later generations. Their magical powers were such that even an ordinary palm thunder could split mountains and rocks. No one knew how bizarre the formation they were about to unleash, which involved the thirteen of them wielding dusters and stepping in the steps of the constellations, would be.

However, the Vajra King was unhurried, continuously striking the heads of Divine Benefactor Zhenren and Xuankong with his golden staff.

Xuankong, following Divine Benefactor Zhenren, listened to his guidance on the secrets of the Twelve Celestial Stem Formation, dodging the Vajra King’s golden staff according to the formation. The Vajra King was not surprised; he was waiting for them to complete the formation to see what ultimate formation the Four Great Celestial Masters of Heaven had to offer.

Great Cave True Lord stood at the position of the Rat of the Void and shouted, "Where is the Way of Clarity and Purity?"

The other eleven True Lords responded in unison, "By the standards of filial piety and fraternal duty, cultivation is the method, and practice is essential!" Seeing the grandeur of the Pure Brightness Dao, Xuankong felt a pang of bitterness. His own Laoshan Sect also had a protective mountain formation: the Nine Heavens Thunder Control Formation.

But when he saw how smoothly the Twelve Celestial Stem Formation was executed, and how many demons and monsters it had subdued, he couldn’t help but think of his own sect’s Nine Heavens Thunder Control Formation, which his fellow disciples only used for exercise, never to subdue demons.

No wonder the famous orthodox sects were renowned, while his Laoshan Sect, despite being established for over a decade, remained obscure. The difference was not in the aptitude for cultivation but in the mindset.

Others cultivated to achieve immortality, while the disciples of the Laoshan Sect cultivated to learn a few spells to show off in the secular world.

This was the gap!

Xuankong opened his eyes wide, following Divine Benefactor Zhenren to the position of the Rooster of the Void, determined to observe carefully this time. He wanted to learn from the famous orthodox sects and later reorganize the Laoshan Sect to make it a top-notch immortal mountain.

Xuankong, standing at the formation’s focal point, saw that the Vajra King was not afraid even when trapped in the formation.

Suddenly, the light before him dimmed, as if the space within the formation had detached from the world and floated independently. The Vajra King sneered, "Heh heh," thinking this was just an illusion. Although he did not know what formation the Pure Brightness Dao could set up, he had some idea of the key points and swung his golden staff randomly toward the twelve directions of the Yellow Path.

These twelve directions, corresponding to the twelve earthly branches—Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai—were precisely the focal points of the Pure Brightness Dao’s Twelve Celestial Stem Formation. Great Cave True Lord and Guardian Zhenren deflected most of the attacks, but a few still struck the other True Lords.

Each used their own methods to barely counter the attacks.

After one round of strikes, the Vajra King stood still, his eyes flashing with golden light. The space within the formation was boundless and dark, with only the Vajra King inside.

If it were another great demon, they might have been bewildered and at a loss. But the Vajra King’s true form was a golden-eyed eagle, and in ancient times, no formation could obstruct his golden eyes. The small Twelve Celestial Stem Formation was no match for his sharp gaze. He quickly found the focal point of the Rooster of the Void and swung his golden staff, striking Xuankong with a barrage of blows.

"Don’t panic!" Divine Benefactor Zhenren and the other Pure Brightness Dao True Lords, who had practiced the formation countless times, remained calm. They directed Xuankong to send a thunderbolt from above.

Xuankong’s true essence was already depleted, and he was only standing with the help of the White Dragon’s power. Following Divine Benefactor Zhenren’s direction, he looked up and saw a colorful small flag floating above each of them. The flags, made of unknown material, fluttered without wind in the formation’s space.

Xuankong called out in approval, drawing on the White Dragon’s essence to send a palm thunder to strike the flag.

A thunderclap sounded, and a large rooster appeared from the golden flag, the ancient demon sage. It transformed into a youthful Daoist, wearing a mixed yuan cap, with a puzzled look in its eyes, the very embodiment of the Rooster of the Void, one of the Twenty-Eight Constellations of Heaven.

The Rooster of the Void, having achieved sagehood in ancient times, later joined the Complete Perfection Sect under the tutelage of the Supreme Master of Heaven. It was slain in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation during the Great Tribulation of the Sealing of the Gods. It was then enshrined as one of the Twenty-Eight Constellations by Jiang Ziya, following the orders of the Supreme and Jade Purity. Its original cultivation level was on par with the Vajra King.

However, the one present was not the Rooster of the Void itself but a mere spirit incarnation.

The Vajra King, unwilling to be injured by a mere spirit incarnation, deflected the golden needle in the Rooster of the Void’s hand and was about to strike when he felt a cold wind from behind. Turning around, he saw four Daoists attacking with various weapons.

The one with a green jade headdress and ancient appearance was the Tiger of the Tail, holding a cinnabar cauldron and wearing a tall cap was the Pig of the Room, with a cloud of spiritual energy covering his head was the Snake of the Wing, and the one with immense strength was the Ape of the Beak.

Thunderclaps echoed within the formation as the True Lords guarding each position sent thunderbolts to strike the flags. The Rat of the Void, the Ox of the Metal, the Hare of the House, the Dragon of the Metal, the Horse of the Star, the Sheep of the Ghost, and the Dog of the Metal emerged, transforming into their true forms. They roared and surged forward, pressing the Vajra King.

"It’s you?" The Vajra King’s face tightened as he transformed back into his golden-eyed eagle form and engaged the twelve constellations in a fierce battle.

"How is this formation?" Divine Benefactor Zhenren asked proudly. Since he discovered that his Daoist attainments were inferior to this young man, he had been eager to regain his dignity. Now, with the ultimate protective mountain formation of the Pure Brightness Dao, he felt refreshed.

"You tricked me!" Xuankong gritted his teeth.

The Rooster of the Void had drained all his true essence in a moment, leaving him completely depleted, like a rat in an oil bottle. While Divine Benefactor Zhenren was comfortable and could watch the spectacle, Xuankong had been overworking his true essence.

But seeing the twelve constellations, transformed into giant beasts, steadily overpowering the Vajra King, Xuankong felt a sense of satisfaction.

"Moo!" A bull’s roar came from Guardian Zhenren, who, despite his gentle appearance, was fiercely aggressive in battle. He infused his spirit into the body of the Metal Ox, replacing its spirit and engaging in direct combat.

Xuankong, seeing the Metal Ox’s frenzied form, took a deep breath. "They always say, 'Gentle, gentle, tear it open and sniff it.' I never thought the more gentle someone looks, the more insane they can be. Could it be the mad cow disease?"

Xuankong subconsciously touched his head. Fortunately, he wasn’t feverish and was still far from mad cow disease. The automatic formation was excellent; as long as he maintained the true essence output, he was fine. With his second spirit, the White Dragon, doing the work, he stood beside Divine Benefactor Zhenren, watching the formation, almost ready to sit on a cloud, cross his legs, and enjoy a cup of tea.