Chapter 1193: Being Forced to Take the Initiative
Earlier, Lin Feng was able to hold off the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage, the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage, and the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage, all of whom were Vipralopa Stage demons, all by himself. The Great Void Sect battled the dragons in the Black Sea. This limited the abilities of the demons to render assistance to each other. Hence, the human cultivators were better able to carry out their missions. That had been the situation of the War of the Two Worlds.
Afterwards, while an anomalous change happened in the Black Sea, the humans still had a level playing field against the demons despite the loss in their advantage from that powerful counter-attack.
However, with the arrival of the Hades Tribe, the situation changed completely. The arrival of many powerful Hades Tribe demons in the Divine Lands was undoubtedly a disaster for the human cultivation world.
If Lin Feng left the Lingyuan Mountains to render assistance back in the Divine Lands, the Ancient Ape Demons and the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage would be the happiest.
The initiative was seized by the Hades Tribe. The situation was looking good for the demons.
Even as Lin Feng was pre-occupied with the Hades Tribe, the three of them were still a terrifying force to be reckoned with.
However, these were all within Lin Feng's considerations. Leaving the Ancient Ape Demons and the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage to take care of the Hades Tribe was no different from using the bricks from the east wall to fix the west wall (Translator's Note: Chinese proverb).
Running around to put out fires did not benefit the overall situation. Instead, it was akin to being led around by the demons.
Lin Feng did not want to be a passive party in this situation. If he wanted to turn the tables, he had to seize the initiative.
Hence, when he heard about the return of the Hades Tribe, the first thing Lin Feng did, other than informing the other human cultivators, was to enter the Heavenly Cosmic Ray World.
"Congratulations on completing system main quest 2.2!"
"The reward shall now be given."
As he looked at the two balls of light before him, Lin Feng blinked and said, "I did not expect this. It appears completing the quest has its benefits."
"However, this can be said to a delightful surprise." Lin Feng reached out and took one of the balls of light. Then, he gently tapped the other one. This caused it to turn into a ray of light which flew out of the Heavenly Cosmic Ray World.
That ball of light started to expand and then, it turned into a gigantic, all-encompassing spirit light diagram. The diagram was both simple and extremely strange. One could not tell what it was depicting.
However, the moment the spirit light diagram appeared, the faces of the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage and the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage changed. This made them recall an unpleasant memory.
The Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage's face changed too. He turned to look at the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage and asked, "The aura from this seems similar to that of the seal."
He was normally brazen and now that he had ascended into the Vipralopa Stage, very few things in the world could truly scare him.
However, as he looked at the giant spirit light diagram above his head, an ominous feeling rose in his heart. His intuition told him to stay far away from the spirit light diagram.
Earlier, when Lin Feng ventured into the Barren Expanses in hot pursuit of the Golden Cicada, he once used the Heaven-Slicing Seal to deal with the Earth Dragon King, inflicting a huge defeat on him. This incident was etched in the memory of all demons who witnessed it.
After the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage returned to the Lingyuan Mountains, he specifically described that incident to all-powerful ape demons, including the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage. This made them all wary of it.
In the Ancient Desolate Galaxy, Lin Feng did not use the Heaven-Slicing Seal. However, the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage was mentally prepared for that eventuality.
The Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage could disregard other things, but after the saw the light projection of the Heaven-Slicing Seal from the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage, he started to fear it.
While he did not personally witness it, he too could sense the power from the giant spirit light diagram and immediately, he was on high alert.
"Correct, their auras are from the same source, it is identical to that of the Heaven-Slicing Seal!" The Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage's face turned green. "What's even more problematic is the fact that the seal can only be used on a single target whereas this diagram can cover an entire area."
"Anything it shines on will be affected!"
Light shone from the spirit light diagram, turning into a special world that encompassed a very wide area. It was as if the main peak of the Lingyuan Mountains, which was directly underneath it, was separated from the rest of the Barren Expanses.
Where the light shone, an extremely mystic energy started to activate. This made the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage, the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage, and the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage, who were all on the mountain, feel extremely uncomfortable.
It was as if their Demon Souls and their true forms were being pulled apart by this odd energy.
At this moment, the three Vipralopa Stage demons appeared to have lost control over their true forms.
"Just like the Earth Dragon King all those years ago!" The Heavenly Charms Grand Sage's heart sank. Her body, which was clad in a blurry layer of fog, started to become even blurrier as it faded in and out of sight.
Demon cultivation was different from human cultivation. When demons cultivated, they followed the natural way of the heavens and sought to become one with the heavens and earth. They wished to bring them into their own bodies and eventually, replace them. I was the heaven and earth, the heaven and earth were me.
However, regardless whether it was the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage, the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage, or the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage, their connections to the heaven and earth were very tight and had reached the highest possible level. At their peaks, it was near-impossible to cut them off from the Greater World, as well as to sever the connection between their Demon Souls and true forms.
However, underneath the light from this huge spirit light diagram, the three Vipralopa Stage demons all felt that their bodies were being separated from their souls.
The spirit light diagram was an upgraded version of the Heaven-Slicing Seal Lin Feng had obtained many years ago. It could be used over a wider area and affect more targets!
While its strength against a target was as strong as a single Heaven-Slicing Seal, it can envelop a much wider area. All targets within the area would feel as if they had been sealed off.
Lin Feng left the Heavenly Cosmic Ray World and stood on top of Mount Yujing. He looked down on the main peak of the Lingyuan Mountains and he placed his palms together and performed a gesture. Then, the humongous Mount Yujing came crashing down as it squashed the Lingyuan Mountains.
The Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage roared in fury. The light images of tens of thousands of apes started to roar into the skies as an infinite amount of demonic aura rose into the heavens.
The demonic aura and light shadows gradually formed the shape of a humongous ape. Compared to the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage, who had revealed his true form, it was even larger.
When the huge ape appeared, the void started to distort. It stood at the bottom of Mount Yujing and it lifted its hands up as it sought to forcibly resist Mount Yujing.
Many white spots shone from the body of the giant ape and its powerful strength stopped Lin Feng's Mount Yujing from descending any further.
The Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage and the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage looked in fury at Lin Feng. The Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage roared and the giant ape, formed from the demonic powers of the Lingyuan Mountains, tried to grab at Dimensional Seal (spirit light diagram).
However, the ape grabbed nothing. Its claws appeared to have passed through air and water as it sliced across the diagram. No matter how his huge claws flailed, the diagram was like a reflection in a water body; it would always regain its usual shape after a while.
The Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage's heart sank. "I can't touch it..."
The moment the Dimensional Seal's power activated. Even if the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage and the other demons left the area, its effects would persist.
Unlike the Heaven-Slicing Seal, which disappeared upon use, the duration of the effect of the Dimensional Seal depended on how long it could exist.
Lin Feng looked at the Lingyuan Mountains underneath him and said calmly, "It does live up to its name as the ancestral home of the Ancient Ape Demons. The Emperor of Extremity, Shenyuan, put much effort into it. Had the Hades Emperor not broke through it once, it would probably be even stronger."
Under the protective powers of the Lingyuan Mountains, the powers of the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage and the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage were affected, but they could still stabilize their Demon Souls. Their Undying Demon Souls and their true forms had yet to truly separate.
However, the two leaders of the apes felt as if they had hit rock-bottom. They could clearly feel that once they left the Lingyuan Mountains, the Dimensional Seal's powers would kick in.
Before they could free themselves from the power of the Dimensional Seal, their Undying Demon Souls and their true forms would separate. Their demonic powers would fall massively. Even if they did leave the Lingyuan Mountains, their powers would be greatly affected. Perhaps they could still be matched by just a few people, but it would hardly affect the overall situation.
Furthermore, if they pursued Lin Feng after he left the Lingyuan Mountains, he may counter-attack, which would be lethal to them.
The Dimensional Seal could not be broken, and the two ape demons could only stay obediently in the Lingyuan Mountains. All they could do was to wait for the Dimensional Seal's effects to wear off before they could do anything.
What made them even angrier was that no one knew how long the effects of the Dimensional Seal would last.
Compared to the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage and the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage, the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage was in an even more perilous position.
Right now, her Undying Demon Soul and her true form were truly separated. Her true form appeared to have lost control.
In the Twelve Sages Heavenly Revolving Formation, one could see a cloud twisting about non-stop. In it, one could see a shadow, which flashed with light.
Controlled by the Dimensional Seal, the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage's true form was not only sealed, but her other powers were affected too. Her powers fell greatly.
In that ball of clouds, one could see starlight flashing non-stop. The Twelve Sages Heavenly Revolving Formation was pushed to its maximum.
However, the Two Elements of Creation Formation, stabilized by the Crucible of the Divine Lands, suddenly activated. It turned into a panel of light and enveloped the Twelve Sages Heavenly Revolving Formation, stopping her from escaping.
The Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage's face turned green. While he was forced by the Dimensional Seal to stay on the Lingyuan Mountains, he could still muster enough strength to defend the Lingyuan Mountains as long as he did not leave the Lingyuan Mountains.
However, regardless whether it was out of rage, or out of mutual dependency, he had no choice but to use all the power of the Lingyuan Mountains to attack Lin Feng.
By his side, the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage was too frustrated. Where his feet touched, the void twisted and trembled. They turned into a vast energy like a whirlpool.
The whirlpool landed in the center of the giant ape's palm, which then grabbed towards Mount Yujing.
However, Lin Feng had prepared for it. The Two Elements of Creation Formation, stabilized by the Crucible of the Divine Lands, burst with light that descended to the bottom of Mount Yujing. Together with Mount Yujing, they squashed the palm of the giant ape.
The Twelve Sages Heavenly Revolving Formation freed itself. Immediately, the light shadows of the Immemorial Celestial Dragon, the Hun Dun, the Golden-Feathered Great Roc, and the Extreme Spiritual Divine Monkey appeared. They turned into the Mythical Time-Space Revolving Formation as they tried to help the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage escape.
However, Lin Feng tapped the peak of Mount Yujing lightly with his foot and in the next instant, he was already before the demonic spell formation.
In the next instant, he released his powerful Heaven-Destroying Sword Qi, which sliced up into the sky and straight toward the Twelve Sages Heavenly Revolving Formation.