Chapter 751
Xuan Ding and the others were all Dao Guo cultivators, seasoned by countless experiences, and they were not people who lacked resolve.
Upon hearing the words, they cast aside their previous grievances and unleashed their abilities, directing their attacks toward Master Yan.
Zheng Fa felt a pang of anxiety for Master Yan.
As the master of the Xian Jian (Immortal Sword), he understood the limits of the Tian He Fa (Heavenly River Technique):
Using the Xian Jian alone, Zheng Fa would likely be no more than a loose immortal.
Only by combining various techniques could one hope to match a true immortal.
Faced with so many true immortals, even Zheng Fa would not be able to escape.
Yet Master Yan let out a light laugh, exuding confidence, and pointed his immortal sword toward the sky.
In an instant, the Zhu Xian formation diagram in the sky expanded to thousands of miles, like a black-and-white thin blanket covering the entire camp.
Zheng Fa felt the light before him flickering, and when he looked back at Master Yan, he found that he had vanished without a trace.
Only Xuan Ding and the others remained, exchanging bewildered glances.
Master Yan's voice echoed in the void: "Patriarch of the Nine Nether, I invite you all to appreciate the Zhu Xian Sword Formation!"
As his words fell, Zheng Fa felt the space before him shatter and transform like a kaleidoscope.
Turning his head, he could no longer see Xuan Ding and the others.
Activating his Dong Xu Ling Yan (Void Spirit Eye) to survey his surroundings, he was met with numerous rifts in space and time.
It felt as if he were caught in a vortex, spinning uncontrollably.
Even though he had already achieved corpse dissolution, the sensation still made him feel nauseous.
The Zhu Xian Sword Formation continued to shift for a full half an hour before it finally ceased its transformations.
Zheng Fa looked around, seeing only faint glimmers of light, with no sun, moon, or stars to indicate where he was.
He slowly descended to the ground, and his consciousness probed into the Zao Hua Yu Tie (Book of Creation), where he received a spiritual message from Ni Chang Yuan Jun:
"Please inform the four sects, we are trapped in the Zhu Xian Sword Formation!"
He wanted him to send a message?
Zheng Fa pondered for a moment, took out a communication talisman, and tossed it into the air.
The talisman spun in the air but surprisingly returned to Zheng Fa's hand.
It seemed the communication talisman was unusable; no wonder Ni Chang Yuan Jun sought his help.
However, the Tong Jian (Universal Mirror) was a new thing—was the Zhu Xian Sword Formation unprepared for it?
Zheng Fa was still unclear about the situation.
He thought for a moment and replied, "Where are you trapped, Yuan Jun?"
Ni Chang Yuan Jun replied joyfully, "The Tong Jian is indeed useful! I can't quite tell where I am, but I’m with Tai Shang Dao Li San Xian, and there’s no danger to my life."
It seemed the Patriarch of the Nine Nether only wanted to keep them there?
He didn’t know if it was due to a moment of weakness that he couldn’t kill them, or if he had other plans.
Zheng Fa asked a few more questions and found that Ni Chang Yuan Jun's situation was similar to his own; neither of them knew where they were, but she had encountered a group of disciples from the four sects.
Seeing that he couldn’t glean any more information from Ni Chang Yuan Jun, Zheng Fa decided to pick a random direction and walked forward.
He had no idea how long he walked, but suddenly, a light appeared ahead.
His spirits lifted, and he became more alert. Upon closer inspection, it was the old monk Zhi Tong.
Surrounding Zhi Tong were a group of people, disciples from various sects, with the most being from Tai Shang Dao and Hao Ri Shan.
They were gathered beneath a cliff, where a small tree grew at an angle above them.
The group was looking around in a panic, clearly unsettled.
Zhi Tong had already spotted him and looked over.
Zheng Fa hurried a few steps forward and greeted, "Master Zhi Tong."
Zhi Tong nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on the surrounding darkness, his brow furrowed, seemingly too preoccupied to engage in conversation.
"Shi Shang Ren!"
"Shi Shang Ren!"
The disciples from Hao Ri Shan were calling out excitedly, their voices filled with enthusiasm.
Hearing their calls, Zhi Tong snapped back to attention, glancing at Zheng Fa in surprise, and said, "I didn’t expect what Yun Shizhu said to be true."
It was clear that Zheng Fa's popularity among the Hao Ri disciples puzzled Zhi Tong.
Zheng Fa nodded to the Hao Ri disciples and turned to Zhi Tong, asking, "May I ask, Master, where are we now?"
Zhi Tong thought for a moment and replied, "Within the sword formation."
"Is there a way out?"
Zhi Tong slowly shook his head and added, "I don’t know. But the Patriarch of the Nine Nether is no ordinary figure; having set this trap, how could he allow us to leave easily?"
Though they were adversaries, Zheng Fa had to admit that the monk spoke the truth.
The four sects had planned meticulously.
They had devised a grand scheme to reverse the five elements to suppress the Zhu Xian Sword Formation.
They had intended to rely on their own methods to seek the treasures of the Tian He.
It all sounded good in theory, but now it seemed like a dream— the Patriarch of the Nine Nether's control over the Zhu Xian Sword Formation far exceeded the four sects' imagination!
After hearing Zhi Tong's words, the disciples from the four sects began to stir restlessly.
Zheng Fa asked again, "Is there any way for you to contact the other immortals?"
Zhi Tong sighed, "I cannot. I cannot sense the presence of the other masters."
Zheng Fa glanced at Zhi Tong, a thought forming in his mind:
Could it be that each true immortal had been deliberately separated?
Ni Chang Yuan Jun was with Li San Xian.
He had encountered Zhi Tong.
This meant that Yun Zhen Xian and Xuan Ding were likely not in the same place either.
The Patriarch of the Nine Nether seemed indifferent to where the disciples of the four sects were; he had simply scattered the four true immortals, but for what purpose…?
Clearly, it wasn’t to host a banquet.
No, the Patriarch of the Nine Nether was specifically waiting for the true immortals of the four sects?
So when Yun Zhen Xian tried to leave, Master Yan appeared?
This meant that the Patriarch of the Nine Nether likely didn’t care about cultivators below the true immortal level; for instance, when Li San Xian left, Master Yan hadn’t shown himself.
Zheng Fa’s thoughts were in turmoil, but he maintained a calm exterior, as he couldn’t reveal his connection to Ni Chang Yuan Jun.
Zhi Tong seemed to have realized this as well; his expression grew increasingly grim as he said in a low voice, "You stay here and protect the disciples. I will see if I can find a way out."
Zheng Fa nodded, watching as Zhi Tong soared into the sky.
A brilliant light radiated from him, the Buddhist light piercing through the heavy darkness like countless fine needles.
In the pitch-black void, every detail became clear under the illumination of the Buddhist light.
Zheng Fa looked up and saw the sky filled with interconnected symbols, resembling a birdcage.
They were like birds trapped in a cage, finding it hard to escape.
Yet Zhi Tong did not give up; he quietly chanted a Buddhist mantra, and a Buddha's form began to materialize behind him.
This Buddha had a kind and gentle expression, holding a wisdom sword.
Upon seeing this Buddha, a wave of reverence surged within Zheng Fa’s consciousness.
Looking at the surrounding disciples from the four sects, he noticed their faces reflected admiration, longing, and even fervor.
Not to mention the anticipation in their eyes.
The Buddha behind Zhi Tong lifted its gaze, raising the wisdom sword and striking at a point in the void, exclaiming, "Open!"
Even though the sword was not aimed at him, Zheng Fa could feel the overwhelming power of a true immortal's full strike.
To be fair, if he faced that sword himself, he might not be able to block it.
The talisman cage seemed unable to withstand it either:
Before everyone's eyes, two "bars" formed from runes were cleaved in half by the wisdom sword!
Not just him; the disciples from the four sects were all ecstatic.
Zhi Tong glanced at them but said nothing, instead flying toward the opening.
Zheng Fa’s heart raced, and he silently followed, with the other disciples from the four sects closely behind, eager to escape.
Outside the cage was still a sea of darkness, even darker than before.
Even Zhi Tong, a true immortal, moved cautiously.
At this pace, not only Zheng Fa but even any random Yuan Ying cultivator could keep up.
The group huddled together, flying for a long time, all filled with hope.
After an unknown distance, Zhi Tong suddenly halted, looking up.
A small tree was growing at an angle on the cliff above them.
Everyone froze, not daring to speak.
The cliff, the branches, the patterns on the leaves—all clearly told them:
They had returned.
...
"Master, we are trapped by a lake; no matter which way we go, we end up back where we started!"
In the Zao Hua Yu Tie, Ni Chang Yuan Jun's message revealed a sense of urgency.
Zheng Fa shook his head and looked at Zhi Tong, who was beside him.
The monk didn’t look at Zheng Fa; a flash of Buddhist light appeared beneath his feet, and he stepped outward, vanishing in an instant.
Zheng Fa knew this was a secret technique of the Buddhist sect, Shen Zu Tong (Divine Foot Technique).
It was said that when mastered to the highest level, one could traverse the mysterious realms in a single step, which sounded like boasting.
Yet it was indeed an incredibly powerful technique.
But moments later, Zhi Tong's vanished figure reappeared before Zheng Fa and the others.
His face was ashen, as if he were unwilling to accept defeat, and he changed direction, stepping out again, only to return once more.
Zheng Fa watched him try about ten times, feeling disheartened.
Zhi Tong tried a few more times before finally giving up, his expression dark as he landed beside the group.
It was clear that he too was at a loss, unable to find a way out.
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