Transcendence

"You have plenty of demonic banners on hand, Fellow Daoist. Why not refine a few more here to weaken the power of the demonic restriction near the transcendence grand formation as much as possible...?" Bai suggested. Readily heeding the advice, Qin Sang refined six more demonic banners in succession within the underground cavern. Once a portion of the demonic fire was sealed away within these seven demonic banners, the form of the demonic restriction upon the ground changed dramatically. Though the black web did not collapse, its strands grew noticeably thinner than before. By this time, Bai had already activated the power of all eight spirit pillars on the altar. Around the altar, sheets of luminous rain rustled down, turning into a sweet drizzle that countered the demonic restriction and prevented it from recovering. Bai swiftly cast incantation seals in rapid succession and leaped out from the altar, speaking in an urgent tone. "Follow me, Fellow Daoist!" Stowing the demonic banners, Qin Sang hurried after him. To transcend all the dead souls within the Ghostland, the power of this single altar was insufficient. With this altar at the center, four secondary altars were situated along the Ghostland's perimeter in the four cardinal directions, together forming the grand formation. Now, Qin Sang and Bai had to activate each of these altars one by one, weakening the demonic restrictions surrounding them. The two flew at full speed and located the second altar. Unlike the central altar, this one bore only four spirit pillars. The process went just as smoothly. After collecting the demonic fire, the pair rushed on without pause to the next one. After continuous toil, they arrived before the final altar, which was also the closest to the entrance of the Ghostland. The spirit pillars on the other altars were likewise covered with cracks, but fortunately none had crumbled as a result. The transcendence grand formation should be able to activate without a hitch. With practiced ease, the two forced out the demonic fire, collecting the flames and refining the banner. At last, the final magic treasure was finished! Qin Sang retrieved the demonic banner. Just as he was about to bring out all eighteen demonic banners to inspect them, he suddenly felt the ground shudder beneath his feet. He quickly looked toward Bai, only to see that Bai had already fully activated the spirit pillars upon the altar and darted over to Qin Sang's side in a flash. "Move!" Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly as he cast a glance back at the altar. The spirit pillars erupted with intense light. The restrictions within the altar were thoroughly stimulated by Bai, their ripples suffusing the Ghostland. At the same time, in the unseen depths, something in the other directions seemed to resonate with the altar's restrictions. The other four altars had already been activated; the transcendence grand formation, sealed away by dust for countless years, was finally unleashed at this very moment! Together, Qin Sang and Bai darted toward the hiding spot they had chosen beforehand. As they flew, the phenomenon brought forth by the transcendence grand formation erupted, shaking the entire Ghostland. From the center and four quarters of the Ghostland, pillars of light burst forth almost simultaneously, shooting straight toward the clouds. Yet upon reaching a certain height, demonic restrictions abruptly materialized in midair, clamping down and firmly barring the pillars of light beneath them. It was not only where the pillars of light rose. Where the formation's altars stood, and even all around the perimeter of the Ghostland, demonic restrictions manifested one after another, like a seamless, gapless net enveloping the entire Ghostland. Meanwhile, within the Ghostland, the five altars linked to one another. Peculiar ripples suffused the land, and amid the grayish-white ghost mist, faint, milky-white light drifted about. Countless dead souls were awakened. When the souls drifting out from the skeletal remains made contact with this white light, the madness upon their faces vanished. One after another, they revealed serene expressions, feeling a peace they had never known before. Comforted and soothed, their ferocity was gone. A moment later, as if sensing some kind of call, these dead souls drifted in unison toward the five altars, seeking the source of that tranquility. By now, Qin Sang and Bai had reached their hiding place. Bai waved his palm to stir the ghost mist into a barrier, while Qin Sang brought out the Red Yuan Gauze, waiting for the opportune moment. Very little of the Red Yuan Gauze's power remained. Under ordinary circumstances against cultivators of the same realm, he only needed to tap into a small portion of the treasure's power for disguise, which was manageable enough. But to hide from the senses of a Nascent Soul Patriarch, he had to activate the treasure's full might. Doing so would cause irreversible damage each time, and Qin Sang estimated he could use it two or three times at most. Thus, ever since obtaining the Red Yuan Gauze, he had treasured it dearly, bringing it out only at critical junctures like this. "It has begun!" Bai whispered. Qin Sang looked down at his feet and found that the mountains of bones were actually "melting" from the inside out. At the base of the skeletons, the aura of the demonic restriction was growing increasingly violent. Suddenly, the familiar black web incinerated the bone mountain completely, leaving itself fully exposed. Startled, Qin Sang leaped into midair, and Bai was just as swift. Now, demonic restrictions emerged both above their heads and beneath their feet. Even though the power of the restrictions was not aimed at them, it still made Qin Sang's heart clench in apprehension. From where they stood, they could not see what was happening at the altars and could only wait anxiously for the outcome. At the central altar of the transcendence grand formation. The underground cavern had vanished, replaced by a massive crater. The altar lay exposed, with an enormous formation of light rotating slowly around it as countless profound runes surfaced. Creaking noises sounded continuously from the spirit pillars, their fissures growing ever more pronounced, yet they still seemed able to hold on. Under the grand formation's relentless assault, the demonic restriction on the ground—already drastically diminished in power—could hold out no longer, and the light formation forcibly tore a breach through it. The same scene played out at the other altars as well. This triggered a chain reaction. As one waned and the other waxed, the demonic restrictions could no longer suppress the transcendence grand formation. The transcendence grand formation continually battered the demonic restrictions, phenomenon after phenomenon emerging as the entire Ghostland began to shake violently. Outside the canyon. Old Devil Mou had laid down a spirit formation and was waiting patiently for his prey. Suddenly, the canyon trembled. The source of the tremors clearly came from deep within the Ghostland, and even the mass of Nine Nether Demonic Fire was affected in some way, dancing wildly. Old Devil Mou was greatly shocked. Rising abruptly to his feet, he stared fixedly toward the Ghostland, his expression shifting rapidly. "Could that person have triggered some restriction?" Old Devil Mou was filled with suspicion and unease. Yet the entrance was blocked by the demonic fire, and inside was thick with ghost mist; he could see nothing at all. Deep inside the Ghostland, the fracturing of the demonic restrictions finally spread beneath Qin Sang and Bai's feet. The two exchanged a glance, knowing the great upheaval was upon them. Bai pinched an incantation seal, coalescing a thick layer of ghost mist around them. Qin Sang pointed a finger at the Red Yuan Gauze; the red light within the magic treasure swirled, transforming into a veil of red gauze that enveloped them both, masking their aura. Just as their actions were completed, the earth shook and the mountains trembled. The spirit pillars of every altar detonated almost at the exact same instant, and the altars collapsed alongside them. White light flared brilliantly, the pillars of light turning several times more solid than before, their terrifying impact slamming violently into the demonic restrictions. The demonic restrictions, already teetering on the brink of collapse, were finally shattered by the formation at this moment. With no further obstruction, the pillars of light shot straight into the firmament! Together with the pillars of light, countless dead souls broke free from the prison that had trapped them for uncounted years. Having long since lost their sanity, the expressions on the dead souls' faces seemed somewhat dazed. Yet the pillars of light did not travel far. Upon breaking free from the demonic restrictions, they suddenly burst apart, and a faint sound of chanting scripture actually began to resonate. Listening to the scripture and bathed in white light and runes, the dead souls melted away like snow amidst peace, vanishing from the mortal realm. None knew where they ultimately went, or whether they truly could return to the cycle of reincarnation. At the same time, the demonic restrictions surrounding the Ghostland crumbled one after another, the tyrannical aftershocks sweeping across all directions. Bai had tampered with the formation when activating it, and the very first place to bear the brunt was the canyon entrance.