64: Spirit Ascension Array

Within the range of the Soul Extraction and Blood Refining Array, the sound of painful wails echoed throughout the entire Purple Maple Immortal City.

The pain of soul extraction and blood refinement was far more terrifying than the legendary death by a thousand cuts; this was one of the main reasons why a terrifying resentment would remain after a city was refined.

Within the Tang Family estate, members of the Tang Family fell to the ground in agony, struggling and wailing.

Beneath the purple maple spirit tree at the center of the Tang Family, the Grand Elder, whose face was pale and lifeless with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, touched the purple maple spirit tree beside him with a complex gaze.

"My Tang Family prospered because of you. We should have cared for you for a lifetime and helped you advance and grow, but today my Tang Family has reached a dead end, so I can only apologize to you."

After patting the purple maple spirit tree with eyes full of reluctance, the Grand Elder looked toward the group of Black-Robed People in the sky with a gaze full of resentment.

"Spirit Ascension Array! Rise!"

The Grand Elder took out a Formation Plate and frantically injected Qi into it.

An emerald-green Formation rapidly expanded with the purple maple spirit tree as its center.

In the next second, an emerald-green flame ignited on the purple maple spirit tree and quickly spread to the entire canopy.

In an instant, the massive purple maple spirit tree blazed with towering green flames, for a moment even overshadowing the blood-red light of the Soul Extraction and Blood Refining Array.

A vast amount of green spiritual energy then surged from the green flames on the purple maple spirit tree, rapidly pouring into the Great Elder of the Tang Family's body.

The Great Elder of the Tang Family's cultivation also rapidly rose from the Late Stage of the Golden Core to Golden Core Perfection, continuously surging toward the Nascent Soul Stage.

"Damned old thing! To think he still had a Spirit Ascension Array hidden!"

In mid-air, a Black-Robed Person's expression turned gloomy as he watched the Great Elder of the Tang Family's aura continue to soar.

The Spirit Ascension Array is also called the Living Being Array; it is a special Formation that extracts the life force of spirit plants to briefly boost one's own cultivation.

This Formation has two fatal flaws: first, once the Spirit Ascension Array is used, the spirit plant acting as the Formation base will surely die.

Second, as the Cultivator acting as the vessel for the spiritual energy, once the Spirit Ascension Array is used, their cultivation will never advance again in this life.

Furthermore, this Formation harms the harmony of heaven, and the Cultivator serving as the vessel may likely have their lifespan reduced because of it.

Therefore, unless driven to a desperate situation, basically no one is willing to use this kind of Formation.

"Quickly, stop him!"

A Black-Robed Person roared and then drew a black long saber, slashing toward the Great Elder of the Tang Family.

At the same time, the Flood Dragon Puppet nearby, which had half its bones broken, also charged recklessly toward the Great Elder of the Tang Family.

"Heh! Too late!"

Feeling the surging spiritual energy within his body, the Great Elder of the Tang Family sneered at the incoming attacks.

In an instant, the Great Elder of the Tang Family reached out his right hand, which glowed with green light, and grabbed the saber light slashed by the Black-Robed Person, crushing it directly with a forceful squeeze.

Then, facing the Flood Dragon Puppet charging head-on, he raised his hand, took out a long spear, and threw it with force toward the Flood Dragon Puppet's head.

The long spear in his hand turned into a streak of light, instantly piercing through the Flood Dragon Puppet's head and destroying the Puppet core within.

"Now it's your turn!"

The Great Elder of the Tang Family waved his hand to recall the long spear and, carrying a murderous intent that reached the heavens, charged into the Black-Robed Person's Formation alone.

Outside Purple Maple Immortal City,

Zhang Daobai and Lin Luoxue watched the blazing purple maple spirit tree, their hearts filled with confusion.

Purple Maple Immortal City, which had just been filled with blood-red light, was now enveloped in a green light full of life force.

"The purple maple spirit tree is burning?" Zhang Daobai murmured uncertainly.

"It looks like it. However, I can feel that it seems to be releasing life force; it should be some kind of secret technique."

Lin Luoxue's perception was stronger than Zhang Daobai's, allowing her to vaguely sense the condition of the purple maple spirit tree.

"Eye of Appraisal!"

Seeing this, Zhang Daobai immediately activated the Eye of Appraisal and looked toward the burning purple maple spirit tree.

[Spirit Plant: Purple Maple Spirit-Gathering Tree]

[Detailed Information: A Rank Four Wood-attribute spirit plant. It has the effects of gathering Qi, nourishing the spirit, and clearing the mind. purple maple spirit fluid can condense within its trunk, used to assist in Alchemy.

Note: It is currently rapidly burning its Origin life force.]

Burning Origin life force?

After reading the appraisal information, Zhang Daobai finally understood what those towering green flames were.

"Hm!? The Soul Extraction and Blood Refining Array is broken?"

Just then, Lin Luoxue suddenly noticed that the Soul Extraction and Blood Refining Array shrouding the sky above Purple Maple Immortal City had suddenly vanished.

This was clearly because the Formation had been destroyed; after all, it couldn't be that those Evil Cultivators had a change of heart and deactivated it themselves.

"It seems someone from the Tang Family must have made a move," Zhang Daobai guessed while looking at the purple maple spirit tree.

The purple maple spirit tree belonged to the Tang Family, and now that the Soul Extraction and Blood Refining Array was broken, it was clearly related to the anomaly appearing with the purple maple spirit tree. Thus, the person who acted was likely a member of the Tang Family.

"After the failure of the city refinement, those Evil Cultivators should be retreating as well."

Lin Luoxue spoke while keeping her gaze fixed on the walls of Purple Maple Immortal City.

"Yeah, it's time for our harvest."

Zhang Daobai gripped the Formation Plate in his hand, feeling both anticipation and nervousness in his heart.

Within Purple Maple Immortal City,

The Evil Cultivators who were plundering on a large scale all stopped what they were doing after seeing the Soul Extraction and Blood Refining Array broken.

And when they felt that terrifying aura from the Great Elder of the Tang Family, which was almost comparable to the Nascent Soul Stage, they turned and fled without a second thought.

What a joke! An existence comparable to the Nascent Soul Stage could kill them more easily than crushing an ant.

Now that people had been killed and good things had been snatched, what was the difference between staying here and seeking death if they didn't run?

Most of these fleeing Evil Cultivators, just as Zhang Daobai had predicted, fled toward the west of Purple Maple Immortal City.

After exiting Purple Maple Immortal City, a portion of the Evil Cultivators entered the mountain forests to the northwest.

"Get ready! They're coming!"

Zhang Daobai looked at the sound transmission talisman he had obtained from an Evil Cultivator and spoke to remind Lin Luoxue.

"Okay! Be careful in a moment."

Lin Luoxue nodded and urged Zhang Daobai.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on fighting them head-on. Just using Formations and Talismans to temporarily trap them will be enough," Zhang Daobai said with a smile.

After controlling the 'human stick' Evil Cultivator on the ground to send a message of safety to the group of Evil Cultivators coming out of Purple Maple Immortal City, Zhang Daobai tossed him aside.

Soon, a group of Evil Cultivators emitting a thick scent of blood quickly flew over.

"One, two, three..."

Zhang Daobai quickly counted the number of people and, finding that there were indeed twenty-three, nodded to Lin Luoxue beside him.

Once this group of Evil Cultivators entered the range of the Formation Zhang Daobai had set up, Zhang Daobai quickly controlled the Formation Plate and activated the hidden Formation.

"Golden Light Armor Formation, activate!"

In an instant, a golden light lit up from the ground. Before these Evil Cultivators could react, they were enveloped within the Golden Light Armor Formation.

"Oh no! It's an ambush!"

Seeing the suddenly rising Formation, these Evil Cultivators reacted instantly.