Chapter 280: Chapter 72: Entering the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation Through the Empty Door
Before the Jade Void Palace, the killing intent was palpable.
As Qiu Changtian scanned the surroundings, he saw that leaders from all sides had gathered, various elders like the Elders of Spirit Treasures, Elders of Sins Eradication… All were Nascent Soul Elders of the Kunlun Taiqing Sect, with most being in the mid-phase of the Huaming Rank. There were also a considerable number of Feather Courtyard Rank cultivators, known as the “Footsteps of the Immortal Gates”.
Due to the extreme emphasis on the basics of Qi Refinement, the number of Nascent Soul Elders in Kunlun outstripped the combined total of the Shushan and Penglai factions, and their ranks were generally higher as well.
Although their battle experience might not be as rich as that of Shushan, everyone was adept at utilizing the advantages of their cultivation realms direct Daoist Magic to attack over wide areas from a distance, making it hard for ordinary people to get close. It was quite troublesome.
The Ziwei Master ascended the Seven Stars Platform and began to speak.
To put it simply, his message was “Penglai is in trouble, and Kunlun is here to help,” but he expressed it in an overly long and tedious manner, full of quotations and evidences, arguments, and a litany of nonsense.
Yet, the Kunlun Cultivators seemed to relish it, each one listening with righteous indignation boiling within them, eager to rush to the East Sea instantly and utterly eradicate the wicked members of the Demon Cult.
Listening, Qiu Changtian felt so drowsy he could fall asleep, but when he turned to look at Xu Yinglian beside him, he saw that the cheeks of his junior sister were flushed as she turned her head away.
What’s wrong with her? Qiu Changtian was baffled.
Departure! Following the command of the Ziwei Master, everyone rose into the air at once.
“You lot, follow me,” said Qing Yang True Person, Xu Changqing, approaching the two of them, speaking indifferently.
In the troops heading to the battlefield of the East Sea, the majority were Golden Core True Persons, followed by the Nascent Soul Elders. There were also Foundation Establishment disciples, but most of them were direct disciples of elders brought to gain experience.
Source: NovelFull.com, updated on ṅοѵǤ0.сο
Of course, the combat power of ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples wasn’t significant on the battlefield of the East Sea, so they were mostly under the full-time protection of Golden Core seniors… The Demon Cult’s expedition team was similar in this regard.
Having received instructions from the Ziwei Master, the primary mission of Qing Yang True Person this time was to ensure the safety of Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian, with actual combat being a secondary concern.
Of course, it was mainly to take care of Xu Yinglian, since Chief Qiu’s combat strength was nearly at the level of a True Person at the initial phase of the Soul Storing Rank of the Golden Core.
The Kunlun team traveled eastward, crossing the Divine Land Continent, and finally arrived at the East Sea, stopping at the periphery of Penglai Immortal Island.
Above Penglai Immortal Island, the cold wind whistled, and killing intent was thick in the air—it was clear that the members of the Demon Cult had already set up a large formation in advance, waiting for the arrival of the Kunlun Cultivators.
“Is this the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation?” The Ziwei Master looked shocked for a moment, then sneered, “Send someone to investigate immediately!”
Several Golden Core True Persons quickly left the ranks, circled the edge of the large formation at high speed, then returned to the group.
The Nascent Soul Elders also gathered around the Ziwei Master, listening to the report from the Golden Core True Persons:
“…To the east, the Heavenly Demon Immortal Slaying Sword hangs suspended, to the south, the Nine Nether Slaying Immortal Sword suppresses, to the west, the Blood Sea Trapping Immortal Sword sways, only to the north, the formation stands wide open with no swords in sight.”
After listening for a while from the back, Xu Yinglian asked Qing Yang True Person:
“Grand Elder, if my memory serves me correctly, in the correct north of the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, there should be a Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword. Why is it absent?”
“Ever since the split of the Intercepting Cult, the Heavenly Demon Immortal Slaying Sword fell into the hands of the Heavenly Demon Path, the Nine Nether Slaying Immortal Sword into the Nether Ghost Path, and the Blood Sea Trapping Immortal Sword into the Mortal Life Path,” replied Qing Yang True Person. “These three Immortal Swords have been seen by the world, so their locations are confirmed.”
“Only the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword is rumored to be in the hands of the Hell Path, but it has never been shown to the public, leading us to suspect that this sword has been lost, and the Demon Cult has long been unable to deploy the complete Immortal Slaying Sword Formation.”
“In other words, it can’t be confirmed that Hell Path doesn’t possess the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword,” Qiu Changtian inquired. “Suppose they hide it and set a trap, and when our Kunlun disciples attack through the north, they suddenly bring it out to complete the Immortal Slaying Formation…”
“Then this time, most of us will either perish or be severely wounded,” said Qing Yang True Person gravely. “However… If we hesitate because of this, there’s also a possibility of being confused by the enemy’s mix of truth and deception.”
“In any case, it’s best to follow the arrangements from above.”
Above? Qiu Changtian thought to himself.
It wasn’t following the Master’s arrangements, but rather those from above, probably intending to question the Sect Guardian Immortal from the Kunlun Taiqing Sect.
The Immortal’s command came rather quickly:
Attack from the north gate.
In other words, the Immortal was certain that the Demon Cult no longer possessed the Myriad Avatar Absolute Immortal Sword.
Since it was an incomplete Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, and the enemy was numerous and powerful, if they divided their forces to test the formation, they would end up falling for the enemy’s feint.
Thus, Kunlun’s tactics were also extremely bold, ordering all cultivators to move in teams, the Nascent Soul Rank leading the charge, with the Golden Core Rank following, swiftly attacking the heart of the grand formation.
The remaining three gates, guarded by the Immortal Slaying, Trapping, and Slaying Swords, would not only involve fierce combat with Demon Cult cultivators but also various torments from the grand formation’s mechanisms, almost to the point of extreme disadvantage. Only the north gate, missing the Extermination Immortal Sword, had a weaker formation mechanism, allowing for a main assault.
Qing Yang True Person received the order and immediately led Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian, following the troops in batches into the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation.
As soon as they entered the formation, they were engulfed by a sharp murderous aura, which instantly raised goosebumps all over Xu Yinglian.
Looking at her great-grandfather and senior brother, both of whom were very stern, continuously scanning their surroundings with their divine sense and eyesight, she also forcibly suppressed the timidity in her heart, secretly forming a spell in her sleeve, ready to breathe out Great Bright Fire at any moment.
Qiu Changtian moved his gaze around, observing the grand formation for a moment, and was secretly surprised in his heart.
This Immortal Slaying Sword Formation… how should I put it? In terms of formation, it was very tastefully arranged.
It carried an antiquity, a charm that is rarely employed in modern-day formations.
After transforming into Wei Dongliu, he would see if there was a chance to get a look at the Immortal Slaying Formation Map.
While he was contemplating this, he suddenly saw a group of Demon Cult cultivators approaching from ahead. It was one Golden Core leading four Foundation Establishment disciples, all shrouded in heavy sinister qi and ghostly shadows, and their cultivation methods seemed to be from the Nether Ghost Path.
When the two sides met, they wasted no words and immediately drew their Flying Swords to engage in combat.
Qing Yang True Person’s swordsmanship was decent, but his advantage lay in his higher Cultivation Level, managing to fend off the Flying Swords of the Golden Core Cultivator opposite him.
The four Foundation Establishment disciples of the Demonic Path, seeing that there were only two people on Qiu Changtian’s side, immediately let out grim laughs and brought their Flying Swords slashing down.
Qiu Changtian hadn’t yet made a move when Xu Yinglian already formed a hand seal and puffed her cheeks, the Great Bright Fire billowing out, instantly engulfing those Flying Swords.
The Flying Swords of these four men were not of high Grade Rank, and they had been refined with Demonic Cultivation Methods, which could not withstand the cleansing of True Fire, and were instantly contorted and distorted by the flames.
The fire did not stop there but continued to sweep forward. The Nether Ghost Path disciples’ faces changed simultaneously as they hurriedly used various Sinister Poison Techniques, only to see them neutralized immediately upon entering the fire, completely ineffective.
The Golden Core Cultivator, who was testing blows with Qing Yang True Person, saw his disciples overwhelmed and shouted angrily, throwing from his sleeve a surge of green light to contain Xu Yinglian’s Great Bright Fire.
Xu Yinglian, seeing her Daoist Magic restrained, also felt indignant. With pride rising within her, she stirred up all her True Yuan and pushed the Great Bright Fire with all her might, despite the suppression of the green Daoist Magic, intending to press forward.
Qing Yang True Person immediately intensified his assault, and the Golden Core Cultivator found it difficult to defend. He secretly formed a spell within his sleeve, attempting to activate part of the Immortal Slaying Formation mechanism to first slay this Kunlun Golden Core True Person.
Unexpectedly, Qiu Changtian circled behind him, forming the Jade Pivot Thunder in his hand, and struck the Golden Core Cultivator’s back.
The Nether Ghost Path Golden Core Cultivator was initially protected by his Sinister Qi Evil Techniques, but upon encountering the Jade Pivot Thunder, which was specifically designed to counter Nether Ghosts, he was melted away in an instant, much like snow meeting hot coals.
The Thunder Light didn’t stop; it hit the Golden Core Cultivator directly from the front, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood and black out.
Qing Yang True Person seized the opportunity and shot out a magical treasure, which was a small green dart. It transformed into a streak of light, piercing through the Golden Core Cultivator’s throat.
With the Golden Core Cultivator falling suddenly, the remaining four had no chance of holding out and were quickly cleansed by Xu Yinglian’s Great Bright Fire.