Aside from engulfing Tao Qian within the inner and outer, the array, to the incredulity of all onlookers, also captured the Hu Hai Demon Lord from the decaying Blood Flesh Prison attached to the Longevity World.
At that hour, the demon lord had consumed all the filth and flesh, shed all his chains, and gained his freedom.
It was a terrifying demon body that could be compared to Duobao's "Ten Thousand Treasure Demon Body," and what shocked everyone the most was that it had grown thirteen heads.
Hu Hai, had lived.
The Twelve Emperors, had also lived.
Sharing one body, they argued incessantly.
"Ha ha ha... I have come back to life, you treacherous subjects and thieves, daring to usurp my imperial throne, to snatch my kingdom, you should be killed, you must die."
"Hu Hai, a foolish crazy emperor indeed, but look carefully at who restored your life and freedom, this demon body shall be under my control."
"I have not died, ha ha ha, I always knew, Zhao Xuanlang was destined by heaven, who could kill him, who would dare."
"The demon body is complete, even stronger than a proper Daoist Transformation Realm, and since this lord is a tyrant from a fallen nation, unconstrained by the Human Dao, he can quickly flee to the depths of the Great Abyss."
"It makes sense, we can use its demon body and the bloodline connection with the Ancestor Dragon to seek out the dragon's remains within the Great Abyss."
...
Even a single nation with two rulers would be in utter chaos, let alone now, with as many as thirteen mad rulers, all burned insane by the evil poison.
They started arguing with one another, and then the thirteen heads began to gnaw at each other.
I'd bite off your nose, and you'd chew on my eyeball, much to our amusement.
Until the next moment, when the decaying demon body, larger than a mountain range, was captured into the massive array.
Bound immobile at one end of the array, the Twelve Emperors looked distant from each other, beholding the culprit who had led them to such a fate at the other end, the cunning thief of the Spirit Treasure Sect, Tao Qian.
Before they could roar for revenge, within the array the grand Daoist tone echoed once more:
"Today, I invite all gods to witness in the banquet, my disciple of the Spirit Treasure Sect, Tao Qian, with his body and life, saves the world and people, eradicates a century's calamity of the Human Dao Destiny, and shall be greatly rewarded."
"Hu Hai, Liu Pei, Li Wanshou, Zhao Xuanlang, Yang Longxi... and the other thirteen, in life were Human Emperors, after death they turned into Precept Corpse Evil Dragons, bringing disasters without having done any merit, this punishment is due."
When this tonality fell, both sides in the array instantly realized the function of this vast array.
And so, they both froze in place.
The array with this extremely long name had only one purpose:
With Tao Qian taking the main seat, he could resurrect indefinitely, employ various means, possessing infinite mana and countless Divine Powers... Hu Hai and the Twelve Emperors, sitting as guests, were restrained by the array, unable to escape, unable to absorb the Source Sea Divine Qi, only serving as a [Refining Magic Puppet], their Dao Power draining until their remaining souls were obliterated, their True Spirits ground away, their multitudes of sins naturally extinguished.
Within the array the hours were uncertain, days in the Human World, perhaps centuries inside the array, awaiting the person in the main seat to achieve Perfect Merit, when the array would break on its own.
Feeling all this, Tao Qian was both shocked and overjoyed, and in his heart he secretly exclaimed:
"Good heavens!"
"This is letting me use the Demon Lord formed from Hu Hai and the Twelve Emperors as a target for refining, slowly wearing them down to death, and in the process, I can also temper many Divine Powers."
"And besides, not until I have achieved Perfect Merit will the array dissipate."
"The master of that voice must be the Sect Master of my Spirit Treasure Sect."
"Previously, the Twelve Emperors let slip that there is an Ancestor God holding a grand banquet in the depths of the Great Abyss, which even Lingbao Tianzun attends, and now, hearing the Sect Master's words about 'all gods witnessing in the banquet,' could it be that all my previous actions have been observed by the Sect Master, the Heavenly Venerate, and a host of Divine Spirits?"
"Is this now a matter of rewarding merit?"
"The Heavenly Venerate knows me best, aware that although I practice the combined paths of Daoist, Buddhist, and Demon, occasionally delving into heresy and heterodoxy, as well as some Outer Realm God spells, I have been too busy rushing around and had no time to cultivate, a major weakness in magical battles, so could this be an opportunity provided by the Heavenly Venerate to complete this aspect of me?"
"Perfect Ultimate Happiness, Great Accomplishment of Divine Power, when I emerge from seclusion, the heights my Daoist cultivation could reach are beyond prediction."
Tao Qian realized so much, naturally elated beyond measure.
And the Twelve Emperors, along with "Hu Hai" who had just awakened after years of imprisonment, were struck by a bolt from the blue and fell into boundless horror.
They had no time to struggle, let alone roar in rage.
As the constellations shone brightly, a torrent of divine light surged and churned, and that massive array suddenly sprang into action.
At the final moment, it was the voice of Tao Qian that emanated from within the array.
This young Daoist from Spirit Treasure Sect seemed quite delighted by the chaos:
"Don't panic, Emperors, although I have stirred up such a storm, I am not really adept at Divine Powers."
"It's just that there's no time to practice these spells day in and day out."
"Of course, whether it's from the Daoist, Buddhist Sect, or Demon Sect, heresy and heterodoxy, or even the magic taught by gods from the Outer Realm... I know a little of each."
"This time, however, fortune favors me. I beseech you all for guidance, so that both host and guest may enjoy themselves to the fullest."
In response to him, were the frenzied and furious roars of Hu Hai and the Twelve Emperors.
No wonder they were so enraged; anyone who saw their desperate counterattacks yielding miraculous effects, about to turn the tables on their opponent, only to have the situation change abruptly and fall into a trap themselves, would explode with anger.
Especially the Twelve Emperors of Alchemy, who could only watch helplessly within the array as they were drained of their essence, their destruction fueling the opponent's step by step journey to perfect merit.
Such punishment!
Yet it was a hundred times more cruel than dying on the Dragon-slaying Platform.
...
Once the marvelous array was activated, Tao Qian was immediately immersed in it, unaware of the rising and setting of the sun and moon, the passing of years.
His mind was only aware of records bursting forth.
With each record released, it signified that he had refined a certain Divine Skill to perfection.
Many from the Secret Techniques of Demon Suppression and Thunder Skill to the Divine Spell of Golden Light Body Protection and various Divine Powers from the Scripture of Salvation were at his disposal for selection and gradual perfection.
Or the Demon Sect's myriad techniques, the Sacrifice Sword Technique bestowed by Master Yuan, and other astonishing Divine Skills, none were overlooked; he wished and managed to refine them all.
Moreover, the Buddha Bird Relics or the half-volume "Nameless Buddha Sutra" taught by the Great Abyss Zen Master, everything he could refine, he did so in one go.
In the Cultivation World, there are a few cultivators like Tao Qian who practice Daoist, Demonic, and Buddhist paths.
But no one was like him, greedy and yet able to perfect so much so quickly; he was indeed unique.
How much time had passed was unknown!
Outside the realm, the colossal array that enveloped the battlefield and the various chaotic territories like the tumorous Daoist Field suddenly halted its operation.
The constellations returned to their places in an instant.
When the divine radiance and shine dissipated, a figure appeared within the array.
As the many major powers and Great Divine Powers who had been watching this change cast their gaze upon the opening of the array, among them were Si Xixin, Zhang Jinluan, and Yu Yanshi. Although knowing that Tao Qian would not compete with them for the title of Human Emperor, they still wanted to see what Master Tao, who had received the assistance of so many Human Dao fortunes, would transform into.
When the young Daoist, who had entered the array for several days, reappeared, astonishment rippled in all directions.
Such a True Master!
Merely standing there, his surroundings revealed numerous auspicious signs.
Five Qi to Origin, Three Flowers Gathering at the Top, auspicious light surrounding his body, auspicious mist supporting his form... it wasn't just these auspicious scenes that were visible. Closer inspection revealed a Buddha Ring of golden light behind his head, occasionally revealing compassionate Buddha eyes, resembling a Buddha descended to earth... and then, in a blur, one could see Evil Eyes and Demon Light flickering, as though with the air of a Demon God, as if he could summon the All Heavens Secret Demon with a single command.
What is true attainment in cultivation?
This, right here, is it, and what he has acquired seems to be not just one Daoist Lineage.