Chapter 673
Luo Sanxian and Shi Nandang exchanged a few words before allowing the young man driving the carriage to enter the formation and assist in refining the Xian Sword.
Shi Nandang dared not say much more and retreated to stand beside Zheng Fa, his gaze still filled with resentment as he looked at the young man.
After all, his credit had indeed been snatched away.
But with Luo Sanxian's formidable strength and the righteousness of his sect backing him, he felt powerless to resist, even though his heart simmered with indignation.
The young man driving the carriage seemed well-prepared, his techniques smooth and practiced, operating the Tiandi Shensha Great Formation without a hitch.
Shi Nandang's expression grew increasingly grim.
Three days passed, and the refining process reached its final stage.
The seven stars in the sky shone brightly, their cold light piercing like arrows aimed at the Fire God Mountain.
Within the mountain, the earth's fire surged like a tide, the heat washing over Zheng Fa and the others.
At some point, the mist at the mountain's peak began to dissipate.
Zheng Fa looked down the mountain and saw the Eighth Elder of the Chongxuan Sect standing halfway up, surrounded by hundreds of disciples, all sitting cross-legged on the ground, seemingly engaged in intense cultivation.
Yet their faces were filled with fear, despair, and even anger.
Zheng Fa could see his junior sister Ye's body stiffened, tears staining her cheeks, her pupils darting as she gazed up at the mountain peak.
It seemed she had spotted Zheng Fa; her gaze dimmed, then quickly shifted to the Ninth Elder.
The Ninth Elder appeared to notice her look as well. Seeing her expression of despair, he merely cast her a fleeting glance, seemingly indifferent.
Ye's expression grew increasingly bleak, and she slowly closed her eyes.
Other disciples were in even worse states than her.
Zheng Fa was extremely familiar with the Tiandi Shensha Great Formation, even more so than anyone else present.
The so-called Tiandi Shensha Great Formation essentially harnessed the killing intent of heaven, earth, and humanity to condense great power and refine the Xian Sword.
The killing intent from heaven came from the stars.
The killing intent from earth came from the earth veins.
As for the killing intent from humanity...
That was something Zheng Fa found quite familiar.
There were indeed many similarities between Haori Mountain and the Demon Ancestor.
However, Haori Mountain still retained a hint of righteous style, while in the Dazizai Demon Sect, even hundreds of people would barely serve as fodder—though that righteous style was hardly substantial.
After another cup of tea's time, the seven transformation masters controlling the Tiandi Shensha Great Formation also halted their movements.
"Saint Ancestor, the formation is complete," the young man driving the carriage reported to Luo Sanxian.
Luo Sanxian's face twitched, unable to suppress his inner excitement.
Just as he was about to speak, the sky suddenly darkened, causing everyone to shudder as a chill crept from the back of their heads to their hearts.
"What is this...?"
Zheng Fa looked up towards the direction of the Tianhe Sect.
The Tianhe Sect was so far away that they should have seen nothing.
Yet at that moment, the sky resembled a concave mirror, reflecting everything happening at the Tianhe Sect.
It was unclear whether the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor had orchestrated this or if the events unfolding were so earth-shattering that even heaven and earth could not help but bear witness.
From the main hall of the Tianhe Sect, a figure flew out.
Dressed entirely in black, with eyes shining like morning stars, it was none other than the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor.
As he appeared, the sky darkened further, and even the wind seemed to carry a more sinister chill.
The Jiuyou Demon Ancestor gazed at the sky, as if meeting the eyes of the world, seemingly observing all the terrified, angry, and fearful gazes, and he smiled faintly.
Then, with a flick of his black sleeves, a scroll slowly unfurled.
Within the scroll, countless strange runes swirled, sending a shiver down Zheng Fa's spine, and he began to speculate about the nature of this formation.
"Zhuxian Formation Diagram!" Luo Sanxian exclaimed, his voice trembling.
Zheng Fa thought to himself, as expected, and saw the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor point at the Zhuxian Formation Diagram, which then lit up, shooting a beam of light that enveloped the Tianhe Sect.
"Scoundrel!" a sharp voice echoed from the highest peak of the Tianhe Sect. "What have you done?"
Yuan Zhangmen stood within the light beam, his face resolute.
He reached out and grasped the air, a struggling Xian Sword appearing in his palm, and he smiled, saying, "Please, Ancestor, help me achieve the Dao."
As he spoke, the light behind him blazed brightly.
The furious shouts transformed into cries of agony.
In an instant, Yuan Zhangmen's body grew to a height of a hundred feet, surrounded by a terrifying aura that, even as a mere shadow in the mirror, inspired awe.
...
In the Jiushan Realm.
With the Xuanwei Realm undergoing drastic changes, Jiushan News launched a special report.
Yan Wushuang turned back to look at Xie Qingxue, bewildered, and asked, "Is that my father?"
"That's our Master," Xie Qingxue replied, her voice tinged with surprise.
She had speculated about what her Master intended to do, but now she understood that he not only sought to break free from the Ancestor's control but also aimed to turn the tables, using the power of the Demon Ancestor's formation to seize control of the Zhuxian Sword?
Beside them, Elder Han sighed, "The Zhangmen truly has grand ambitions."
Yan Wushuang's facial muscles twitched, muttering, "If he really succeeds, I won't even dare to retort when he scolds me..."
Xie Qingxue felt speechless and turned to glance at him.
She saw her junior brother staring intently at their Master in the light, his shoulders tense, and upon closer inspection, his hands were tightly clasped together, fingers twisted into knots.
Xie Qingxue shook her head and suddenly noticed the portal to the Jiushan Realm opening, two figures darting out.
She knew it was Zhang Zhenren and the Jiushan Ancestor setting off.
It seemed that the Tiandi Shensha Great Formation at the Chongxuan Sect had also reached a critical juncture.
...
The Tiandi Shensha Great Formation had long since reached its final stage, yet even Luo Sanxian was too preoccupied with the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor in the sky to focus on the Xian Sword, his face ashen.
The Jiuyou Demon Ancestor pointed at the light beam formed by the formation diagram, which brightened and then began to swell, directly enveloping the Tianhe Sect for miles around.
From a distance, even without the aid of the mirror in the sky, Zheng Fa could see a jade pillar standing on the ground, propping up the heavens.
He felt puzzled.
He could see what Yuan Zhangmen was trying to do.
But what about the Demon Ancestor?
The Jiuyou Demon Ancestor suddenly looked up, smiling at the sky, and softly said, "Today, one of the five sects will fall. Four remain."
Zheng Fa calculated in his mind. According to the news from the Head of Mingde, the Tianhe Sect had not been completely exterminated—disciples below the transformation stage had been dispersed by Yuan Zhangmen.
This did not mean that the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor was a benevolent figure.
To be honest, cultivators below the transformation stage had little impact.
The problem was, it seemed that apart from the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor and Yuan Zhangmen, there was no one else left in the Tianhe Sect... The fate of the transformation stage cultivators in the Tianhe Sect, aside from Xie Qingxue, was all too predictable.
It was no surprise that the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor had been lurking in the Tianhe Sect for so long, especially with Yuan Zhangmen's cooperation.
On the other hand, the Tianhe Sect's techniques, once reaching the transformation stage, carried the risk of being controlled by the four ancestral masters.
Becoming the sword master only heightened that risk.
Neither the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor nor Yuan Zhangmen would let these transformation stage cultivators off easily.
But others were unaware of the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor's whereabouts; they only knew that in just a few days, the Tianhe Sect had turned into a dead zone, and how could they not be terrified?
"Zhuxian Formation Diagram..."
Luo Sanxian continued to murmur softly.
Zheng Fa's gaze fell upon the formation diagram.
The Jiuyou Demon Ancestor had almost wiped out the Tianhe Sect so easily, and the primary reason was this formation diagram.
The Zhuxian Formation Diagram seemed to exert an incredibly strong control over the Zhuxian Four Swords, rendering the four ancestral masters nearly powerless to resist.
The Tianhe Sect's legacy was essentially built upon the Zhuxian Four Swords and the Qingping Sword, and now that legacy was on the verge of being severed.
While Zheng Fa was busy analyzing, Shi Nandang beside him asked, his voice trembling, "Master, what is this Zhuxian Formation Diagram? What does the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor mean by there being four left?"
Everyone turned their eyes to Luo Sanxian, their expressions flickering.
The Tianhe Sect had dominated an era, yet in a single night, it had been annihilated.
Even if Yuan Zhangmen had betrayed them, it was still shocking.
What concerned them even more was that the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor seemed unwilling to stop, instead turning his sights on their four sects.
Just as Luo Sanxian was about to speak, the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor gently caressed the Zhuxian Formation Diagram.
From the highest peak of the Tianhe Sect, three flying swords shot up from the mountain's core, joining the Zhuxian Sword in Yuan Zhangmen's hand, piercing the clouds.
Suddenly, a mournful cry echoed through the sky.
Zheng Fa looked up and saw the Xuanwei Fetal Membrane revealing itself before everyone, trembling as if it could not bear the weight.
"What is he trying to do?!"
Luo Sanxian's tone grew increasingly agitated, as if he were watching a madman.
"They say the Tianhe Sect is tyrannical, but I see him as merciful," the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor's voice was low, even somewhat gentle, yet to others, it sent chills down their spines. "But I am not."
"I come to this world to bring a slaughtering calamity."
At this point, he flipped his palm, and four swords flew out, pointing towards the four sects.
"When my sword formation unites, it will be the day of the four sects' demise, and the immortals and gods will bow their heads."
Zheng Fa's heart was filled with confusion:
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