428: Chapter 427 Golden Entry Reversal

Flowing Fire Sect. Inside Liuhuo Hall.

Gou Feng walked quickly into the hall, bringing with him an old man dressed in grey cloth robes, with a withered face and a taciturn demeanor.

The old man's aura was calm, and he appeared to have no Cultivation fluctuations, looking just like an ordinary Mortal, without any hint of the demeanor of a Great Master of Formations.

Gou Feng bowed to Shen Guhong on the throne, then stepped aside to reveal the old man behind him, respectfully reporting: "Reporting to the Demon King, your subordinate has brought Master Wang, who is skilled in the Pressure Great Array, to the hall."

Shen Guhong lowered his eyes to look at the unremarkable old man below, his brows furrowing slightly, a trace of obvious suspicion flashing in his eyes.

Regarding the success or failure of the Golden Core Competition, and whether the Yao Race could take back the heart of the demon race and reverse the Luck of their tribe, he dared not be the least bit careless.

The old man before him looked too ordinary; it was truly hard to believe that he possessed Heaven-Defying Formation techniques.

Shen Guhong spoke: "This Sovereign has heard that you are proficient in the Pressure Great Array, but words are not proof. Set up a Great Array."

Master Wang's expression was indifferent, neither happy nor sad. Without any unnecessary words, he slowly raised his withered right hand, and an ancient bronze bell appeared in his palm.

Ding—a crisp, low bell sound slowly echoed throughout Liuhuo Hall. There was no violent momentum, but the next second, a boundless, heavy, savage, and overbearing terrifying Pressure instantly swept out from all directions, filling every corner of the hall.

This was pure Formation Pressure, as heavy as a mountain, pressing down until the air was nearly solidified.

The group of Yao Race experts below suddenly bent over, all forced to lower their heads, their Demonic Qi circulating sluggishly, making it difficult to move.

Even Shen Guhong, sitting on the throne, had his expression change suddenly. The Demonic Qi around his body desperately protected him, yet he was still firmly imprisoned by this Formation Pressure; his feet felt as if they were filled with ten thousand jun of molten iron, making it impossible to move a single step.

With just one ring of the bell, an incomplete Great Array already possessed such terrifying power.

A moment later, the Formation master stopped, the Pressure instantly dissipated without a trace, and the hall returned to normal.

Shen Guhong stretched his numb limbs, the suspicion in his eyes completely swept away: "Good! Good! Good!"

"It is truly miraculous! The power of this Formation far exceeds this Sovereign's expectations!"

He completely set aside all his worries, his eyes blazing with sharp light.

With this Formation Great Master secretly setting up the Pressure Great Array to guard the first round of the Qingyun Mountain challenge, all participating Human Race Golden Core Cultivators would have their Movement Techniques and Spiritual Qi restricted by the Formation's heavy Pressure, making it impossible for them to reach the summit on time.

At that time, the entire Human Race would be eliminated in the first round, and the Yao Race would win without a fight, steadily securing the championship of the Southern Territory Golden Core Competition.

As long as they took first place, they could successfully obtain the Yao Race's supreme treasure, the heart of the demon race, and use the power of the supreme treasure to Repair the Yao Race's severed Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence, restoring the increasingly decaying Luck of their tribe.

Shen Guhong looked at Gou Feng and the Formation master, his expression solemn as he ordered in a deep voice: "Gou Feng, all subsequent matters are to be handled by you. You must cooperate with the Great Master to set up the Great Array secretly; do not let any word leak out! In this battle, our Yao Race will surely win!"

"Understood!" Gou Feng accepted the order.

...The days of Cultivation passed very quickly. In the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

Over this past year, Qin Changsheng had been very low-key, Cultivating the entire time within the Cave-Heaven Blessed Land.

He severed all outside distractions, absorbing the pure Spiritual Qi of the Cave-Heaven day and night to temper his own Spiritual Qi and Physical Body.

Under the extreme, day-after-day hard Cultivation, his Cultivation level stepped into the Golden Core Seventh Stage.

His comprehensive combat strength had improved significantly compared to last year, and among Cultivators of the same level, he could be called a top-tier Prodigy.

During this year, the situation of the world was surging with undercurrents, and the gap in Luck between the Human and Yao Races was widening crazily at a Speed visible to the naked eye.

Within the Yao Race territory, due to the continuous influence of the Spirit-Severing Seed planted by Qin Changsheng, the number of Spiritual Roots in the new generation of the Yao Race plummeted again, making the situation even worse compared to the bleak scene of last year.

Now, among the young demons born across the entire Yao Race territory, it was hard to find a single Spiritual Root. Heavenly Spiritual Root prodigies had been completely cut off, the talent gap in the tribe was becoming increasingly serious, and the entire Yao Race's Luck continued to decay, going from bad to worse.

Shen Guhong was unwilling to accept this, visiting the Yao Race's Dragon Vein Holy Land and the Ten Thousand Demon Altar several times in person, spending endless effort to investigate the root cause, and even joining forces with the Demon Empress to deduce the Heavenly Secrets. However, the Spirit-Severing Seed was hidden and invisible, with no solution or trace. No matter how many methods the two supreme experts of the Yao Race used, they ultimately gained nothing, and could only watch helplessly as their tribe withered away, unable to do anything.

Meanwhile, within the Human Race territory, the number of newborns possessing Spiritual Roots had increased significantly. There even appeared a few newborns with Heavenly Spiritual Roots.

During this year, Qin Changsheng had dispatched his Incarnation Liu Feng to lurk secretly in the Azure Cloud Sect, investigating the Yao Race's movements throughout, and had long since seen through the opponent's layout.

The Formation Great Master recruited by the Yao Race had long since avoided everyone's Detection and silently placed the terrifying Pressure Gravity Great Array secretly along the various mountain paths of Qingyun Mountain. The Formation was hidden and invisible; ordinary Cultivators and Azure Cloud Sect Elders could not detect it at all. They only awaited the start of the Golden Core Competition to strike instantly, letting all Human Race Cultivators fall under the control of the Pressure.

However, these things were not what Qin Changsheng cared about most. What Qin Changsheng cared about most was that today was a new year. Qin Changsheng could extract a Golden Trait again. If he could extract a powerful Golden Trait, then Qin Changsheng's strength would be greatly improved.

[Longevity: +∞] [Cultivation: Golden Core Seventh Stage (110000/1800000)] [Golden Core Grade: Golden] [Cultivation Technique: Five Elements Returning Origin Art (Perfection)] [Vajra Body Refining Art: Perfection] [Spell: Fire Snake Technique (Perfection), Fire Shield Technique (Perfection)] [Sword Flight Technique: Perfection] [Mountain Splitting Blade: Perfection] [Movement Technique: Wind Chasing Lightning Technique, Perfection] [Lifebound Treasure: Dragon Abyss Sword*10] [Golden Core Divine Ability: Law Manifestation Heaven and Earth] [Treasure: Spirit Jade Prayer Mat, dongtian pearl, spirit suppressing pearl, Golden Light Spirit Stone, inner armor, bixia pendant, King's Wristguard] [Spiritual Root: Top-grade Five Spirit Roots] [trait Extraction Count: 1] [trait: Immortality, Substitute Death, Breath Concealment, Exchange, Sharing, Rebirth, Instant Spellcasting, Body Refining, Teleportation, Disease, Teleportation, Poison Resistance, Alchemy, Heart Demon, Insight, Armor Break, Disguise, Disguise, Sensing, Photographic Memory, Affinity, Detection, Spirit Stone] [Heavenly Dao Trait: Cultivation, External Incarnation, Intelligence, Divine Sense, Source of Mana, Mana Absorption, Fire God, Thunder God, Innate Divine Strength, Qi and Blood, Storage Space, Sword God, Enhancement, Blade God, Repair, Bleeding, Sword Domain, Copy, Slow Cultivation, Law Manifestation, Speed, Spirit Seed, Spirit-Severing Seed, Command, Encouragement]

"Extract Golden Trait!" Qin Changsheng did not hesitate at all. As Qin Changsheng's words fell, a golden light appeared on the attribute panel. The next instant, two golden characters appeared before Qin Changsheng. [Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a brand new active Golden Trait: [Reversal]!]

The next instant, all the effects regarding the Golden Trait Reversal appeared on the attribute panel. [Reversal: Golden Trait] [trait Effect: Actively triggered, can forcibly reverse all Formation, halo, buff, and debuff type Heaven And Earth effects, flipping all target objects and ranges of influence.]

The moment he saw the trait's ability, Qin Changsheng's eyes were full of joy. He had long known the Yao Race's previous layout like the back of his hand. The Yao Race had spent a huge price to invite a Formation Great Master to hide a Pressure Great Array on Qingyun Mountain; its Formation effect was extremely vicious, specifically targeting Human Race participating Cultivators. Once the Great Array was opened, endless gravity Pressure would be fully applied to the Human Race Cultivators, suppressing the Human Race Cultivators' Spiritual Qi circulation, Physical Body Speed, and climbing Movement Techniques layer by layer, making it difficult for Human Race prodigies to reach the summit of Qingyun Mountain within the time limit, eventually leading to the entire group being eliminated in the first round. Meanwhile, the Yao Race Cultivators knew the mysteries of the Formation in advance and had their own methods of avoidance, completely unaffected by the Pressure, allowing them to easily pass the first round of trials and steadily occupy the advantage to win the championship, attempting to use this to seize the heart of the demon race and reverse the decaying Luck of their tribe.

But with the [Reversal] trait in hand, all of the Yao Race's vicious calculations instantly became a complete joke. As long as he quietly triggered this Golden Trait when the first round of the mountain climbing trial of the Golden Core Competition began, he could directly reverse the effect of the entire Qingyun Mountain Pressure Great Array. The terrifying gravity Pressure originally targeting the Human Race would instantly and completely reverse its target objects, being fully applied to all Yao Race participating Cultivators. The Formation that originally protected the Yao Race and suppressed the Human Race would, in turn, firmly suppress the Yao Race prodigies, making them bear the shackles of ten thousand jun of gravity, unable to move a single step. By then, the Human Race Cultivators would not be affected by any negative effects and could still climb the mountain for the trial normally, easily passing the first round. Conversely, the group of Yao Race prodigies would be firmly trapped by the Formation they had set up themselves, burdened and with sluggish Spiritual Qi; no one would be able to successfully reach the summit of Qingyun Mountain. The conspiracy that the Yao Race had painstakingly prepared for a whole year would ultimately bury themselves. The heart of the demon race, which they longed for and pinned the hope of the entire tribe's survival on, would from then on be completely out of reach for the Yao Race.

Looking at this Golden Trait, Qin Changsheng decided to let Hu Nan participate in the Southern Territory's Golden Core Competition head-on. Meanwhile, he would secretly cast the Golden Trait Reversal, letting all the Yao Race people be eliminated in the first round.

...Flowing Fire Sect. Liuhuo Hall. Many Yao Race experts were all gathered here. "Bang!" A loud noise exploded. Shen Guhong suddenly raised his hand and slammed it heavily onto the jade stone table, the hard surface instantly cracking with several fine lines. He stood up abruptly and questioned sternly: "What did you say? The number of newborns with Spiritual Roots born in the Human Race territory this year has skyrocketed by more than five times?"

Pressure swept through the entire hall, and the group of Yao Race experts all shuddered, burying their heads lower, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Shen Hu, kneeling in the hall, was tense and trembling, not daring to hide anything, gritting his teeth as he reported truthfully: "Reporting to the Demon King! Not only has the number of newborns with Spiritual Roots across the entire Human Race territory skyrocketed by more than five times, but this year, more than a dozen Heavenly Spiritual Root Cultivators were born, each with extraordinary talent, and they have been key recruits and cultivated by the various major Sects of the Human Race!"

"What!" "How is this possible?" "How could the Human Race have so many Heavenly Spiritual Root Cultivators appear in one year?" "Didn't we, the Yao Race, place a curse on the Human Race?" "Could it be that the Human Race has an expert who can break our Yao Race's curse?" The eyes of the many Yao Race experts were full of confusion.

Their Yao Race experts had once cast a curse on the Human Race, allowing only one Heavenly Spiritual Root Disciple to appear in the Human Race territory every ten years. But now, within the Human Race, more than ten appeared in a single year. Moreover, the number of people possessing Spiritual Roots within the Human Race territory had also increased significantly.

Listening to everyone's discussion, Shen Guhong's expression was also very bad. He completely did not understand why the Human Race's Luck was flourishing, with Spiritual Root prodigies exploding in number, and even the extremely rare Heavenly Spiritual Roots appearing one after another? In contrast, their Yao Race had not had a single Heavenly Spiritual Root young demon born all year, and the number of newborns with ordinary Spiritual Roots had plummeted by more than ninety percent, almost completely cut off.

The Yao Race, which once dominated the Southern Territory and produced many prodigies, was now completely disconnected and withering away day by day. One flourishing and one decaying, the gap was stark. It was estimated that in a few decades, without the need for Human Race experts to take action, their Yao Race would collapse on its own.

Shen Guhong forcibly suppressed the panic in his heart, his eyes instantly becoming fierce and cold. His sharp gaze swept over all the Yao Race experts below, and he spoke in a deep voice: "The Human Race prodigies are rising rapidly and will surely become a major threat to our Yao Race in the future! Who is willing to lead people to sneak into the Human Race territory and kill all those newly promoted Heavenly Spiritual Root Disciples, cutting off the momentum of the Human Race's rise!"

Killing the Human Race's Heavenly Spiritual Root prodigies and cutting off the momentum of the Human Race's rising Luck was the only way to slow down the Yao Race's decline for the moment.

Liu Feng knelt down, his expression solemn and firm, and requested the order in a loud voice: "Reporting to the Demon King, your subordinate is willing to go!"

Liu Feng was Qin Changsheng's External Incarnation. At this moment, Qin Changsheng letting Liu Feng come out to accept the mission was to fool Shen Guhong, allowing the Human Race's Heavenly Spiritual Roots to grow rapidly. By the time Shen Guhong realized it later, those Heavenly Spiritual Root Cultivators would already be the backbone of the Human Race.

"Good, Liu Feng, you immediately take people to kill the Heavenly Spiritual Roots!" "You must not let any Heavenly Spiritual Root Disciple enter the Heavenly Sword Sect and Azure Cloud Sect!" Shen Guhong trusted Liu Feng very much. After all, this Liu Feng was the Third Elder's confidant and was loyal to their Yao Race. With Liu Feng taking action, there would definitely be no mistakes.

After Liu Feng withdrew, Shen Guhong's gaze turned and fell on Gou Feng below: "Gou Feng, is the Great Array all prepared?"

Gou Feng immediately stepped forward upon hearing this: "Reporting to the Demon King, everything has been fully prepared. The Pressure Great Array has long been secretly set up along the entire ancient mountain climbing path of Qingyun Mountain, layered and hidden, invisible; no one in the Azure Cloud Sect has detected a thing."

"This Formation is specifically tailored for Human Race Cultivators. Once the competition starts and the Great Array is fully activated, as soon as any Human Race Cultivator steps into the range of Qingyun Mountain, the Heaven And Earth Pressure they bear will instantly skyrocket three times!"

"Three times the gravity Pressure will imprison the Physical Body and lock the Spiritual Qi. Even a top expert at the Late Stage of the Human Race's Golden Core would have their Movement Techniques and Spiritual Qi suppressed to the extreme, making it impossible to move at full Speed!"

When these words fell, all the Yao Race experts in the hall were shocked, completely setting aside their worries. This Formation was extremely vicious and was a death trap tailored for the Human Race. No matter how strong the Human Race prodigies were, they could not resist the Heaven And Earth Formation Pressure. It was absolutely impossible for them to reach the summit of Qingyun Mountain within one hour.

Shen Guhong heard this, and a trace of joy flashed in his eyes. With this deadly Formation, the Human Race would surely be eliminated in its entirety, and the Yao Race winning the championship was a certainty! As long as they took the Golden Core Competition championship and seized the heart of the demon race, they could reverse the desperate situation of the tribe's decaying Luck and continue the glory of the Yao Race!

Shen Guhong issued the order: "Bing'er, Gou Feng, I order you two to lead ten top Yao Race prodigies to participate in this Southern Territory Golden Core Competition!" "You must bring the heart of the demon race back to our Yao Race!" Shen Bing and Gou Feng both bowed in salute simultaneously.