After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 143

The landscape of the Western Regions is starkly different from other domains of the Spirit Realm. The further west one travels, the sparser the vegetation becomes, and the atmosphere is permeated by a sense of desolation and barrenness. By the time the allied forces reached the edge of the Black Desert, the sight was one that weighed heavily on the heart.

As far as the eye could see, the world seemed to be reduced to a single color—a desolate yellow. Endless sand dunes undulated like solidified yellow waves, stretching to the horizon. Gale-force winds were the constant refrain here, whipping up billions of grains of sand, which danced wildly in the air, emitting piercing screams like the simultaneous cries of a thousand tormented souls or the roar of vicious specters. This continuous assault hammered at the eardrums and spirit. The spiritual energy here was not only pitifully sparse but also violent and chaotic. Cultivators attempting to breathe or circulate Qi would find their efficiency reduced to less than thirty percent of the outside world, and they were highly susceptible to inner demons. The air was thick with a faint, pervasive, tragic Baleful Qi originating from ancient battlefields; it was omnipresent, and even low-level cultivators would feel restlessness, turbulent blood, and sluggish spiritual power after spending too long in the area.

Having just arrived at the edge of the Black Desert, and not yet having ventured deep, many cultivators could already distinctly feel the palpable, cold, and filthy Demonic Qi fluctuations emanating from the desert depths. Intertwined with the Baleful Qi of the land, it formed a terrifying natural barrier.

“Namo Amituofo.” Master Huijue stood at the forefront of the allied forces, reciting a Buddhist invocation. His voice was not loud, yet it resonated clearly in every person’s ear like a morning bell or evening drum, bringing a measure of calm. A gentle, warm, golden Buddhist light naturally radiated from his body, forming a massive, protective shroud that enveloped the vanguard of the army. The uncomfortable Baleful and Demonic Qi dissipated and retreated like snow encountering the sun upon touching the Buddhist light. “The Baleful Qi here has accumulated for millennia and is now mixed with Demonic Qi, forming a perilous desolate territory. Those whose will is not firm can easily be corrupted. All of you must tightly guard your minds and allow no stray thoughts.”

Qin Yixuan, standing upon her Phoenix Carriage, nodded slightly. She closed her eyes, and her colossal Divine Sense, like mercury seeping across the land or an invisible ripple, spread out toward the vast and dangerous Black Desert. The Mystic Maiden’s Divine Sense was different from that of ordinary cultivators, possessing greater penetrative and purifying properties, allowing her to somewhat pierce through the interference of the Baleful and Demonic Qi. A moment later, she opened her eyes, a nine-colored radiance flashing within them. She pointed towards a deep, north-leaning direction within the desert, stating with certainty: “The Demonic Qi is most condensed and vile there, almost solidified… and there are traces of a powerful spatial array concealed, though hidden, it cannot escape the scrutiny of the Mystic Maiden’s Eye.”

With a clear direction, and under the guidance of Qin Yixuan and the protection of Master Huijue’s Buddhist light, the allied forces began a cautious advance into this sea of death. The black sand underfoot was soft and extremely cohesive; ordinary carriages could not move, and even cultivators had to expend more spiritual power than usual to maintain their footing. The deeper they went, the heavier the surrounding Baleful Qi became, its color gradually shifting from desolate yellow to dark gloom, as if the light itself was being swallowed. Sand grains whipped up by the gale struck the protective spiritual shields with a continuous crackling sound.

Along the way, they began to encounter attacks from demonic beasts—sand creatures that had been thoroughly corrupted and warped by the Demonic Qi. There were massive, iron-armored, demonic scorpions spitting toxic Baleful Qi; multi-headed sand worms that burrowed and suddenly erupted from beneath the sand, capable of spraying corrosive slime; and swarms of red-eyed, utterly fearless demonic sand wolves. Most of these demonic creatures ranged in strength from the Spirit Awakening Realm to the Pulse Condensing Realm, with occasional Spirit Mansion Realm leaders. They seemed entirely unaffected by the Baleful Qi and, conversely, could use the environment to enhance their power.

However, this allied army was composed of the elites drawn from various major factions, with the lowest-ranking cultivators being in the Core Formation Realm, and they were rich in combat experience and highly coordinated. In the face of these attacks, the small teams reacted swiftly, with sword light, Taoist techniques, Buddhist seals, and demon arts weaving into a dense net of death that rapidly slaughtered the demonic creatures. The army’s pace was not significantly affected. Yet, everyone knew that this was merely an appetizer; the real test still lay ahead.

After advancing for about a day and a night, enduring dozens of waves of varying-sized demonic attacks, the troops finally approached the target area. The scene ahead changed: it was no longer monotonous sand dunes, but a colossal stone forest composed of countless strangely shaped, entirely black, wind-eroded rocks. The tallest of these giant rocks stood hundreds of feet high, like hideous demonic monsters, while the shorter ones were several people high, forming a complex and dark maze, all jumbled together.

And in the deepest part of the stone forest, nestled against several of the largest black stone mountains, stood a colossal fortress built entirely from black megaliths! The fortress walls were covered in rough, grotesque demonic runes, where faint dark-red light flowed like the veins of a living thing. Above the fortress, thick demonic clouds hung low, almost touching the highest turrets. Crimson lightning occasionally flashed within the clouds, accompanied by a low, dull thud like a beating heart. A sickening mixture of blood and sulfur was faintly discernible even from a great distance.

“This is the place.” Ye Li’s pupils constricted. She clearly sensed the resonance and warning from the Samsara Mirror fragments in her sea of consciousness, which was several times stronger than before, as well as the Shadow Demon aura emanating from the fortress’s depths—an aura that was of the same origin as Ling Hao’s but more corrupted and chaotic. “The core of the Demonic Qi is below the fortress, and… I sense a large amount of resentful blood essence energy, as well as residual energy from a spatial transfer.”

The allied forces halted quietly behind a sand dune several miles from the stone forest, concealing their presence. Qin Yixuan employed the Mystic Maiden Divine Ability, the “Eye of Void Penetration.” Her eyes transformed completely into a nine-colored hue, like two divine lamps, meticulously scanning the distant fortress and its surroundings, analyzing the layout of its arrays, energy nodes, and the distribution of internal defense forces.

Meanwhile, Ye Li quietly contacted the hidden agents of the Shadow Pavilion (You Ge) who were already operating in the Western Regions. A middle-aged man, disguised as a merchant from the Western Regions and whose cultivation was only at the Pulse Condensing Realm but who was skilled in concealment and disguise, used a sandstorm as cover to sneak to the allied forces’ hiding spot. He handed Ye Li a crude map drawn on animal skin with special medicinal liquid, marking the fortress’s approximate internal structure, patrol routes, and several suspected key nodes such as the energy core, prison, and command center.

Combining Qin Yixuan’s insight with the Shadow Pavilion’s intelligence, the situation gradually became clear.

“The fortress is guarded by two main arrays, inner and outer,” Qin Yixuan withdrew her Divine Eye, her tone grave. “The outer layer is the ‘Nine Hells Profound Demon Array.’ This array can distort perception, create illusions, and continuously devour the spiritual power and vitality of intruders; it is extremely troublesome. The inner layer… appears to be the rudimentary form of an ancient Blood Sacrifice Summoning Array, somewhat similar to the one we encountered at the Heavenly Palace, but much larger in scale and more complex in structure. Although not fully activated, one can already feel the terrifying summoning power it contains.”

She paused, then continued, “Inside the fortress, there is one Nirvana Realm demonic cultivator. His aura is violent, and he should be the commander of this stronghold. His strength is likely between the First and Second Heaven of the Nirvana Realm. There are also approximately a hundred mid-level demonic cultivators in the Spirit Mansion and Core Formation Realms. Furthermore, there are thousands of low-level demonized creatures scattered throughout the fortress corridors and outer perimeter.”

“The Nirvana Realm demonic cultivator will be handled by the Mystic Maiden and me,” Ye Li stated gravely. Although her injury had not fully healed and her strength was only about seventy percent restored, by relying on the profundity of the Samsara Mirror and her supreme combat experience from her previous life, coupled with the collaboration of the much-strengthened Qin Yixuan, whose divine power naturally countered Demonic Qi, they had a strong chance of defeating an ordinary Nirvana Realm initial stage commander.

“Namo Amituofo.” Master Huijue stepped forward, joining his palms together, his eyes shining with firm Buddhist light. “In that case, the task of breaking the outer demonic array shall be entrusted to this old monk and my disciples. We shall form the ‘Vajra Subduing Demon Grand Array,’ and with the supreme Buddhist Law, we should be able to counter such heresy and evil.”

“Good!” Qin Yixuan nodded. “Yun Ying, lead the Heavenly Palace Sword Guards and the fellow Taoists from the various sects. Once the demonic array is broken, immediately cleanse the outer demonic cultivators and creatures, and you must act quickly to prevent them from destroying the inner array or taking desperate measures.”

“By your command!” Envoy Yun Ying cupped her fist in acceptance, her eyes burning with fighting intent.

The detailed battle plan was quickly disseminated, and each team was clear on its mission. The allied forces, like a precision war machine, began to mobilize quietly, the air filled with a pervasive killing intent.

A moment later, preparations were complete.

Master Huijue led eighteen carefully selected Golden Body Arhats. These Arhats, all accomplished cultivators at least in the late Spirit Mansion Realm, held various demon-subduing artifacts  Vajra Pestles, Demon-Vanquishing Staffs, prayer beads, golden alms bowls. They marched with steady steps out of their hiding place and swiftly took their positions in an arcane formation on a relatively open patch of sand about a mile from the fortress.

“Form the Array!” Master Huijue let out a low roar, and was the first to toss a string of ancient Bodhi prayer beads into the air. The eighteen Arhats moved in unison, chanting the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra. Vast, mighty, incomparably pure Buddhist Vow Power and their own spiritual power surged out, intertwining and converging in the air!

Om—!