Chapter 376 The Extra Person
This team of a thousand people had already been gathered in advance, waiting for the arrival of the Heavenly Fortune Sword, and they stayed on the five mountain tops for several more days.
Fortunately, the grand array arranged by the Zhao family was well-hidden, and the Array Eye was made using a Magical Treasure at the Demi Immortal level.
So, even if an expert in the Divinity Transformation Realm looked in from the outside, they would only see this thousand-strong group as scattered weeds or trees.
This Magical Treasure of Demi Immortal level used to set the Array Eye was meant to absolutely kill an expert of the Divinity Transformation level.
Such an array to absolutely kill an expert of the Divinity Transformation level, just its Array Flags alone counted over a thousand.
Every ten Array Flags needed a main flag.
Those main flags were controlled by Nascent Soul Powerhouses, while the Vice Banners were controlled by Foundation Establishment cultivators.
These past few days, Tian Lin had already become familiar with the leading Nascent Soul cultivator.
This Nascent Soul cultivator was obviously someone from the Zhao family, but Tian Lin unexpectedly discovered that although this Nascent Soul cultivator from the Zhao family was of aristocratic family origin, his status seemed to be lower than Zhou Shoufan—unfortunately, Zhou Shoufan was so silent and reticent, his status was not apparent.
"It's here!"
At noon that day, Tian Lin and the others, who were guarding the Vice Banners, were eating coarse grains when lights began to illuminate the entire horizon from afar.
Tian Lin saw clouds like a grand curtain blanket the mountain tops from the horizon.
"The array you were taught these past few days, do you have it clearly memorized in your hearts by now? This time, to seize the Immortal Artifact from the hands of a Divinity Transformation powerhouse concerns not only your futures but your lives. If any of you falter, don't blame this old man for being merciless!"
The leading Priest Zhao harshly glared at the surrounding cultivators, his severe attitude starkly different from when he encouraged everyone previously.
A few days ago, he told these cultivators that there's nothing particularly frightening about Divinity Transformation powerhouses, since the Immortal Extermination Array was designed to deal with Immortals.
Though strong, Divinity Transformation powerhouses could never escape the attacks of the Immortal Extermination Array.
But now that it came to the critical moment, he warned everyone without any ambiguity that if any mistake occurred, the whole army could be wiped out.
Fortunately, the cultivators present were at least in the Late-stage Foundation Establishment; to reach such a level of cultivation, talent aside, just their mindset made them among the best of humans.
So, despite their fear, no one ran away in the face of battle.
Everyone focused their gaze on their captain, and Tian Lin, too, looked at the striking figure of Zhou Shoufan.
Zhou Shoufan stood on a rock, clutching an Array Flag without a word. The mountain wind fluttered 'her' skirt, revealing a pair of long, smooth legs.
No one knew what she was thinking, and no one had the leisure to guess her thoughts—because, as the cloud layers rolled like a grand curtain and shrouded the mountain top, a squad of seven appeared in everyone's eyes.
On the mountain top, four people from the squad of seven were carrying a stone coffin.
But could there really be a stone coffin over a hundred meters long?
This gigantic stone coffin was clearly a sword with a scabbard.
Such a sword, even at first glance, its sword scabbard emanated an aura of Dao. If the entire sword were drawn from it, the skyrocketing Sword Qi would likely level the surrounding mountain tops!
But since it's a Demi Immortal Artifact, ordinary Divinity Transformation cultivators couldn't possibly draw it out.
Furthermore, its existence wasn't prepared for mortal cultivators but was a tribute from the court to their Immortal ancestors.
"Six people were agreed upon; why is there an extra one? Where did that old man carrying a sword come from?"
Priest Zhao slightly frowned and transmitted his voice to several Nascent Soul cultivators beside him.
Perhaps due to nervousness, he accidentally transmitted the message to the wrong person, and even Tian Lin heard his voice in his mind.
But this wasn't the time to think too much!
The grand array had been set up for several days, and the thousand-some people had been waiting for several days.
The plan was already in motion; how could it possibly be abandoned midway because of an additional person?
Everyone watched as the four people carrying the sword struggled along the mountain path.
Then they watched as the group of seven walked into the encirclement of the grand array.
At last, at this moment, Priest Zhao waved the main flag in his hand.
As the main flag swung, the dozen or so cultivators beside him began to stand up with the Vice Banners.
And as those dozen or so cultivators stood up with the Vice Banners, other Nascent Soul Powerhouses also waved their main flags—in an instant, thousands of people and a thousand Vice Banners began to move.
With a 'rumble' sound, a massive fog erupted from the mountains, enveloping the seven people carrying the sword.
First, the curtain-like clouds in the sky were dispersed by the array, followed by the rolling tribulation clouds gathering in the sky.
As the tribulation clouds collided, a massive tribulation thunderbolt instantly descended from the sky, aiming at the Divinity Transformation powerhouse soaring into the sky.
As the tribulation thunder fell, the soaring Divinity Transformation powerhouse removed his Daoist robe mid-air.
He tossed the Daoist robe into the air, and it instantly extended infinitely, becoming a giant curtain that could hide the sky and the sun.
This sky-concealing Daoist robe not only blocked the sunlight but also the tribulation thunder.
Those like Tian Lin waving their Array Flags on the mountain top only felt the world instantly change from day into black night, surrounded by darkness.
"Insignificant ones, don't you know this Immortal Sword is a tribute presented by His Majesty to the Immortals? How dare you try to seize it?"
With a Daoist robe concealing the sky, the Divinity Transformation powerhouse in the sky, supporting the 'heavens' with one hand, shouted downwards: "Speak, which aristocratic family do you belong to? Do you not fear being obliterated by the court and having your house exterminated?"
There was no response to the Divinity Transformation powerhouse from below; instead, the leading Priest Zhao waved the array flag again.
As his array flag waved, the other main flags and Vice Banners simultaneously released lightning strikes, and instantly thousands of tribulation thunderbolts were launched from the thousands of banners, all striking the Divinity Transformation powerhouse.
Yet the Divinity Transformation Realm is the pinnacle of mortal cultivation, practically a land god.
This Divinity Transformation powerhouse gestured with his hands, and a Tai Chi Diagram emerged from them. This Tai Chi Diagram withstood the thousands of tribulation thunderbolts, and not only that; as it circulated its Yin and Yang, the absorbed tribulation thunderbolts were released from the Tai Chi Diagram.
Thousands of tribulation thunderbolts instantly rained down onto the earth.
The oppressive force of the tribulation thunder made the Foundation Establishment cultivators holding Array Flags on the ground change their expressions. Seeing the tribulation thunder descending towards them, their Dao hearts wavered.
"What's the panic! The Immortal Extermination Array will shield you."
By this time, Priest Zhao had to shout out loud.
Sure enough, the clouds generated from the ground enveloped mid-air and instantly blocked the tribulation thunder for everyone.
Those tribulation thunderbolts, reflected back by the Divinity Transformation powerhouse, hit the fog like a punch into cotton and couldn't harm the thousand cultivators holding Vice Banners below.
Seeing this, the Foundation Establishment cultivators holding the Array Flags breathed a sigh of relief, their confidence soaring.
Thus the thousand people unhesitatingly expended the True Qi within them, continually waving their Vice Banners.
For the next day and night, this area was filled with rolling thunder.
The Divinity Transformation powerhouse lived up to his name; the Immortal Extermination Array couldn't get the better of him for a while.
However, the Immortal Extermination Array was nonetheless formidable; no matter how hard the Divinity Transformation powerhouse tried myriad tactics, he couldn't escape the Killing Array and could only struggle at death's door.