Chapter 180: Divine Lord Eclipse

“Huala…”

As the Nine Immortals Sect was the premier sect in Qingjiang, having two Elders stationed here was impressive. Their methods were truly extraordinary.

Exploiting the breach torn open before the mountain, they charged into the mountain with furious momentum. Elder Lu was spotted, his spear dancing like a black dragon amidst the demons. Astonishing spear energies swept out a hundred zhang; lesser demons fell, slain by his terrifying spear before they knew what hit them. The Nine Immortals Sect disciples also displayed the prowess of elite disciples. They summoned their Magic Treasures and Magic Treasures. Lesser demons charging towards them couldn’t withstand a single clash, falling in swathes like blades of grass.

Elder Ge took advantage of the opening created by Elder Lu’s fierce spear onslaught and swiftly sped toward the mountainside. Demons screamed overhead, diving down to attack him. Yet, he seemed to ignore them entirely, almost afraid of being delayed. He even bypassed one or two, leaving Elder Lu to fend off attacks and demonic arts assaulting them from all directions. Elder Ge was solely focused on dashing into the mountains!

…

Seeing the Nine Immortals Sect take the lead and charge into Crow Mountain, the other four sects grew anxious.

“The Nine Immortals Sect is being disgraceful, snatching kills right off the bat…”

Elder Xiu of the Leshui Sect inwardly cursed. Gritting his teeth, he barked harshly: “Activate the Lightning Talismans!”

“Aye!” The Leshui Sect disciples answered sharply. Suddenly, they flourished their sleeves, wielding brushes and ink. Hundreds of golden Divine Talismans soared into the air. Close to a hundred disciples activated talismans simultaneously, creating a cloud of over a hundred talismans. They swarmed upward, hovering like a golden cloud drifting over Crow Mountain. They formed seals with their hands, and countless bolts of lightning immediately crackled down from the talismans.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The scene of nearly a hundred Lightning Talismans rising simultaneously and unleashing lightning was indescribably terrifying.

It looked like a forest made of lightning.

The western flank of Crow Mountain was instantly plunged into darkness, rendered dim and colorless by the astounding lightning barrage. The light of the Mountain Protection Array faltered. After all, Crow Mountain differed from the great sects. The sects had Spiritual Veins to replenish their Mountain Protection Arrays promptly. Crow Mountain was merely a normal mountain range; its Mountain Protection Array, battered repeatedly by heavy blows, couldn’t sustain itself. Gaps naturally appeared – a targeted tactic.

“Conceal!” Elder Xiu swiftly commanded upon seeing the cracks appear in the Mountain Protection Array.

Swish! The Leshui Sect disciples moved in unison, each pulling out a green Talisman and slapping it onto their chests. Instantly, the light around them shifted, causing them to disappear from sight. Then, led by Elder Xiu, they charged boldly into Crow Mountain. Overhead, the lightning talismans followed, unleashing endless bolts that instantly turned any demons near them to ash.

Compared to the Nine Immortals Sect, their method seemed even more refined. They didn’t even need to strike; they just charged forward.

…

“So shameless. A bunch of grown men, not one with the decency to yield to us ladies…”

Having witnessed both sects’ tactics, a female Elder of the Yun Huan Sect chuckled reproachfully. Delicately, she tossed a silver bell into the air. She sent a burst of Magical Power toward it; the bell swayed, releasing waves of crisp, melodious chimes that drifted over Crow Mountain. These sounds even bypassed the Mountain Protection Array, filling the air until the only thing that seemed to exist within and outside the mountain was the pervasive ringing.

The lesser demons within the Mountain Protection Array heard the chimes and looked dazed, almost sleepy. After a pause, the Yun Huan Sect Elder outside let out a charming laugh. The lesser demons suddenly ‘woke up’, but their pupils were unnaturally dilated.

Then they surged forward frantically. Some rushed to the Mountain Protection Array’s boundaries, scrambling to disable it.

Countless others started swinging their swords and spears, turning violently on their companions nearby.

…

“Ah, if only those five hundred Dragon Stones belonged to my Duskblade Sect…”

Elder Xiao of the Duskblade Sect shook his head softly, a look of yearning on his face. Then, with a flourish of his sleeve, he commanded: “Activate the Word ‘Dodge’-Sword Art!” The disciples behind him roared their assent. Each summoned their Flying Sword. White vapor, shrouded their bodies. Simultaneously, they shot into the sky, gathered momentum, and then plunged headfirst back down.

Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop!

Like dumplings dropping into boiling water, they vanished underground one by one. Earth churned beneath them as they tunneled relentlessly towards the mountains.

…

“Elder, we…”

Seeing the various sects all deploy their unique methods and charge into the mountain, the Lingwu Sect disciples became frantic.

“Stay calm. Those rushing ahead are not necessarily the first to seize an advantage!” Elder Yue of the Lingwu Sect smiled faintly. He chanted spell formulas under his breath. After a long moment, he suddenly seized the Gourd hanging at his waist and slammed it onto the ground with force. Boom! Pale red mist wafted from the gourd, instantly swelling into a bizarre, dense fog dozens of zhang wide that enveloped all the Lingwu Sect disciples.

Then, the fog seemed to gain a life of its own, flying directly towards Crow Mountain. Meeting the Mountain Protection Array, it paused only briefly before seeping through. The fog exploded in size once more, skimming over the earth as it sped forward.

Lesser demons and wild spirits along the way were swallowed into the mist before they could react.

The fog grew larger and larger, and its forward momentum grew faster and faster.

…

Instantly, Crow Mountain erupted into chaos. Hiding places all over the rocks and mountaintops roiled with perturbation.

Demon Kings bellowed furiously, lesser demons scampered wildly, yet they were powerless to stop the Five Great Sects’ forceful invasion.

“Truly worthy of being the Five Great Sects…”

Far away at the Dinggui post, Shoushan Sect disciples each cast their own spells, watching the spectacle unfold. They all slowly shook their heads.

“Though the demons gathered at Crow Mountain are powerful and not to be trifled with,” Fang Cun seemed thoughtful, remarking with a slight smile, “and somehow obtained Mountain Protection Magic Treasures, even their lesser demons wield blades and Flying Swords, giving them considerable strength… still, they fall far short compared to the sects!”

“A sect’s heritage spans centuries, even millennia. They possess wondrous Divine Arts refined by predecessors over generations, plus accumulated treasures built up over vast stretches of time…” He continued, “If one merely looks at cultivation realms, these demons might seem comparable. But the sophistication and profound depth… those are things these demons cannot rival.” He gently shook his head. “If the sects ever truly shielded the people thus, what demon would dare cause havoc locally?”

Hearing his words, the surrounding Elders and disciples all looked pensive and nodded in agreement.

Elders Green Pine and Cold Stone, along with Xiao Qingliu, seemed especially moved, as if deeply enlightened by these words.

Only Yu Qingli remained quiet, standing obediently where he was.

“Elder Fang’s insight is truly remarkable, and his lament indeed inspires introspection…” Young Sect Master Xu added his flattery, then his expression turned awkward. “But perhaps now isn’t the time for such sentiments? Don’t you see the Five Great Sects have shifted formation? This is the Five Elements Primordial Array charging into Crow Mountain! Here we sit guarding this position, not even getting a whiff of action… forget about slaying that Demon Hound!”

Fang Cun, interrupted in his moment of emotion, glared back at him unhappily.

Elders Green Pine and Cold Stone also shot him displeased looks. “What’s this panic? Unbecoming of a Sect Leader!”

Young Sect Master Xu felt like weeping. “Lose this wager, and our Shoushan Sect is finished!”

“Are you folks truly planning to sell off our Shoushan Sect, is that it?”

…

“Woof woof woof… awooooooo~~”

With the Five Great Sects deploying their varied techniques and breaching Crow Mountain, lesser demons demon monsters proved utterly incapable of withstanding them, falling like wheat before the scythe in huge swathes. Even the powerful Demon Kings, witnessing the horrific, divine-like abilities of the sects, found themselves powerless to resist. Some struggled even to locate their enemies; others simply couldn’t halt the relentless advance.

Just as a tidal wave of destruction seemed imminent, a heart-rending, savage roar erupted from deep within Crow Mountain…

Though powerful and ferocious, the howl strangely sounded somewhat comical.

BOOOOOOM!

As the howl faded, mountainsides collapsed and colossal boulders shattered. Everyone felt a bone-chilling wave of Demonic Qi blast towards them. Both the Five Great Sects’ disciples battling within Crow Mountain and the demons guarding it recoiled from the aura radiating from the Void like the depths of the netherworld, struggling to breathe under its pressure. They all looked up at the terrifying source of this oppressive power.

A black mass shifted in the distance like a mountain on the move. Two huge, soul-piercing lanterns glowed at its front.

Rubbing their eyes, they realized it wasn’t a mountain at all. It was a colossal wolf—no, a giant hound! It stood forty or fifty feet tall, stretched over a hundred feet long. Its body was thickly covered in jet-black hairs as sharp and foreboding as swords. Its claws were thick as pillars, its maw gaped like an abyss. Around its neck hung a string of human heads! Staring hard, they realized, horrifyingly, those were still living heads. They screamed incessantly…

“This… this is the Divine Lord Eclipse…”

“The Crow Mountain Demon Hound…”

The giant demon’s appearance silenced the entire Crow Mountain.

Countless hearts hammered in terror, overwhelmed by its bizarre, savage aura.

Rumors always said this Demon Hound was at the ‘Demon King’ level, similar to a human Qi Refiner’s Golden Core. But what stood before them now… suggested otherwise…

“Very good, very good…” The giant hound paced forward slowly. Its monstrous jaws opened, yet the voice that emerged was shockingly high-pitched and thin. “Many, journeying from Black River to Qingjiang, overestimated themselves and became my prey. Few dare enough to boldly intrude right to my doorstep…” It paused, its voice dripping with menace and boundless bloodlust. “But it seems feasting on you lot… clears my path to finally pay Qingjiang City a visit…”

A profound, blood-drenched silence fell upon the crowd surrounding it.

Seemingly satisfied by the hush and fear surrounding it, he prepared another declaration…

“OH MAN! FINALLY FOUND IT!”

“BLOCK IT! BLOCK IT! DON’T LET IT ESCAPE!”

“Five hundred! Five hundred!”

“Kill it! DON’T ANYONE STEAL THIS KILL! IT’S MINE!”

Suddenly, the stunned disciples and Elders of the Five Great Sects surrounding it snapped out of their daze! Burning with excitement, they shrieked furiously! Their collective ferocity dwarfed the demon’s! Each charged forward, eyes blazing, jostling recklessly to be the first one to reach it!