Chapter 519: Senior Brother, Let’s Decide the Winner
Ye Anping stood in the center of the formation array, a bloodstained spirit sword in his hand. He watched Gong Yimo, whose body was gradually being dispersed by the wind at his feet, with a hint of dullness in his eyes.
“You’re already dead?!”
Gong Yimo’s dying words echoed in his mind.
Did the “Immortal Descendant” already consider him dead?
Although an Immortal Descendant was an immortal banished to the mortal realm, they were still true immortals, cultivators who had cultivated for millions of years and ascended to the immortal realm through their own tribulations.
Even though they were imprisoned in their mortal bodies and would forget their past, they could briefly return to their immortal bodies before their imminent death and before reincarnation, using their immortal consciousness to observe their mortal life.
This was a type of immortal manifestation.
Si Xuanji’s Star Seer technique could not predict his fate, which he could understand. After all, Great Hero Xuanji was only a demigod, and such power to predict the future was beyond the grasp of ordinary mortals.
Therefore, Xuanji called those who could not be predicted like him “anomalies.”
However, true immortals were omniscient and omnipotent, like players sitting in front of a computer, controlling the “NPCs” in a game. They were equivalent to the sole immortal of a world, able to change anything in the game without restraint.
If even a true immortal doubted his existence, what was he to this world?
Could it be that this world was just an advanced version of a game with slightly higher freedom?
Junior Sister, Xiao Yunluo, Feng Yu Die, Yun Yiyi… were they just insignificant pieces of data in a game?
“Hiss—”
Suddenly, an intense stinging pain shot from his shoulder to his bones and then to his consciousness.
Ye Anping looked to the side and saw that his shoulder, where he had accidentally cut himself with “Demon Eater” during his lapse in judgment, was now oozing black pus. It seemed that killing aura had entered his body.
This sharp pain pulled him back from his doubts about the world. At least the pain was real.
For an ordinary immortal cultivator, this wound would be beyond recovery.
Ye Anping knew this, but he wasn’t panicked at all, because…
Later, he would find Yu Die and have her take a big bite…
No.
Ye Anping quickly corrected his thoughts. It should be that with Yu Die by his side, this injury was nothing to fear.
As for this “Demon Eater”…
Ye Anping glanced at the sword lying on the ground, which had lost its sharpness. A hint of helplessness appeared in his eyes. He was a cultivator who had dedicated his life to destroying demonic cultivators, yet he himself had become a demon at the last moment for killing them.
Wuwuwu—!
Just then, a sharp cry, like a baby’s wail, spread across the sky.
With Gong Yimo’s death, the Blood Sea Array lost its main formation eye. The giant snake eye formed by the earth’s malevolent energy, which the formation had drawn, began to melt, gradually turning into a rotten, blood-red grape that stained the sky.
At the same time, a golden sword intent shot rapidly from the direction of the main gate on the south side of the city, piercing directly into the snake’s eye.
Shua—
The sword pierced directly into the pupil, causing the crying baby sound to become even more piercing.
Scarlet blood gushed out in torrents.
Ye Anping realized that Yun Tianchong outside the city must have sensed what was happening there and had thrown a sword, attempting to directly break the Blood Sea Array at this opportunity.
Now that the main formation eye was gone, this sword strike, in a moment, would indeed break the great formation of Tian Bei City.
But…
It’s best to make the most of everything.
Although the Blood Sea Array required twelve cultivators of Nascent Soul Stage or above to form the array, the other eleven were likely unaware of Gong Yimo’s death.
In other words, even if he replaced Gong Yimo as the main formation eye, the remaining eleven Nascent Soul elders would not stop the formation.
Ye Anping took a deep breath, immediately retracted his spirit sword, and sat cross-legged on Gong Yimo’s not-yet-completely-dispersed ashes. He formed hand seals and said,
“Xue E, help me.”
“Ah…”
Upon hearing Ye Anping’s call, Xue E also snapped out of her conversation with Shen Xin just now. She glanced at Gu Mingxin beside her, who was currently gazing at Ye Anping with hearts in her eyes, thinking he was so handsome. She simply ignored her and scurried to Ye Anping’s side.
“Ye Anping, are you going to use this formation?”
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Let Gong Yue also taste the power of his own formation. Isn’t that good?”
Xue E nodded and quickly took out the Tian Mo Book Scroll from under her skirt, flipping open the page that recorded the “Blood Sea Array.” She placed the book in front of Ye Anping, acting as a bookshelf.
“Mingxin, stop your infatuation! Come and help! Send your malevolent energy into this formation array.”
“Coming~~”
—
Meanwhile, outside the Tian Bei Chasm.
Of the sword sect’s immortal ships lined up in the sky, two were already engulfed in flames under the siege of numerous demonic cultivators.
The Sword Sect disciples around the immortal ships either flew in the air or stepped on flying swords, engaging in a fierce battle in the sky and on the plains with the Tian Bei City demonic cultivators led by Gong Yue. Everywhere, there were explosions of spiritual energy, flames, ice crystals, and the wailing sounds of clashing swords.
About twenty li away from the battlefield, amidst a sandstone formation, Yun Yiyi, with a bamboo hat covering her conspicuous golden hair, peered at the battle in the sky with her long-distance vision technique, her brows deeply furrowed.
She knew before coming that the Sword Sect, even with their full strength, could not breach the gates of Tian Bei City.
However, she had initially believed that the Moon Shadow Sword Sect was being held back by the city gates and the Blood Sea Array of Tian Bei City.
But the situation unfolding before her eyes was that Gong Yue, with twelve Nascent Soul cultivators and nearly a thousand Core Formation demonic cultivators, had completely held the Sword Sect at bay.
Due to their cultivation experiences, most demonic cultivators had crawled out of piles of flesh and blood, while the Sword Sect, apart from the elders and a few disciples who had experience fighting demonic cultivators, had generally experienced their most intense battles hunting demonic beasts in the Southern Domain or sparring among fellow disciples.
The experience gap was vast.
Even with similar cultivation levels, it basically took two immortal disciples working together to barely kill one demonic cultivator.
Yun Yiyi watched as Sword Sect disciples were shot down one after another by their own flying swords. She clutched her sleeves tightly, knowing that if this continued, the Moon Shadow Sword Sect would only face annihilation.
Elder Tian Xing, standing beside her, wore a troubled expression. He had been ordered by Yun Tianchong to ensure Yun Yiyi’s safe return to Seven Star Pass, and he had initially not wanted to bring her so close to the danger.
But seeing the current situation, he could not help but speak, saying,
“Eldest Miss, please retreat to Seven Star Pass with this old servant. This place is not safe for a prolonged stay…”
“It’s fine.”
“Eldest Miss, please don’t be stubborn… If the Sword Sect suffers this calamity and something happens to you, the Sword Sect will be doomed. Relying solely on the Third Miss…”
“I said it’s fine,” Yun Yiyi retorted with a frown, clutching her collar. “Anping is in the city. He has a plan.”
Hearing this, Elder Tian Xing was slightly surprised and asked,
“Young Master Ye… is in the city? Why didn’t you mention it to this old man and the Sect Master earlier?”
Yun Yiyi sighed and said,
“Jiujiu’s hair and her identity token were sent by him. It was probably meant to provoke my father into leading the Sword Sect to attack Tian Bei City, so I haven’t hidden it. After all, if it’s him, he will definitely have a way.”
Elder Tian Xing heard Yun Yiyi’s reply and furrowed his brows. After a moment of silence, he asked,
“Forgive this old man for his bluntness, but although Young Master Ye is indeed exceptionally talented, it’s impossible for him to reverse such a disadvantage single-handedly. Eldest Miss, by knowing this and not speaking, are you placing the survival of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect entirely on one person?! Immortal-demon warfare is not child’s play… How can you…”
Yun Yiyi refuted him solemnly,
“I know war is no child’s play. Trusting him is one thing. He is one of my grandfather Yun Jian Shang Xian’s personal disciples. After I marry him, I will also be the next Sect Master of the Sword Sect. Furthermore, my silence is more advantageous than disadvantageous.
Even if the Sword Sect is completely wiped out in this battle, it will be enough to inspire the immortal families of the Southern Domain, whose morale is already low due to the Dao Ancestor’s mortal return. After losing the Dao Ancestor, the Southern Domain needs a stabilizing sect like the Xuan Xing Sect of the Western Regions.”
Elder Tian Xing: “But…”
Swoosh—
Boom—!!
Eight sword lights and spear energy like pythons collided in the sky thousands of feet high, creating a blinding white flash that engulfed heaven and earth.
Elder Tian Xing immediately waved his whisk, forming a spiritual shield around himself and Yun Yiyi, protecting them from the aftershocks of the Deity Transformation stage battle.
Yun Yiyi stepped forward with her right foot, coughed lightly, and struggled to lift her head to look at the sky. She saw Yun Tianchong and Gong Yue, who had been fighting intensely, collide. Her eyes widened instantly.
She saw Gong Yue’s black long halberd directly pierce her father’s abdomen. Even if it didn’t damage his vital points, such a wound was deadly in a Deity Transformation stage battle.
Yun Yiyi took a deep breath and clenched Yun Jiujiu’s identity jade token in her hand. The only thing she could do now was pray for her husband to hurry.
… …
“Roar—!! Hiss— Damn it!!! My kidney again!! Do you demonic bastards have a vendetta against my kidneys?!”
Yun Tianchong coughed out a mouthful of blood. Looking at the halberd piercing his right kidney, his golden eyes were already bloodshot, but he didn’t hesitate. He immediately grabbed Gong Yue’s halberd.
Seven spirit swords formed by sword intent divine abilities instantly shot towards Gong Yue’s back, who was within arm’s reach.
However—
Clang—
They were completely blocked by Gong Yue’s protective spirit shield.
Gong Yue, looking at the bloodstains spreading on Yun Tianchong’s golden robe, his face filled with even more mockery, said,
“Sect Master Yun, I’ve long heard that you are a disgrace to immortal cultivators at the Deity Transformation stage. After this encounter, you truly live up to your reputation! Haha… A battle between late Deity Transformation stage cultivators, and you broke my protective divine sense in less than three hours…”
“You know nothing!” Yun Tianchong roared, “Look at the snake’s eye above your head!!!”
“Hm?!”
Hearing this, Gong Yue noticed that seven of Yun Tianchong’s eight sword intent divine abilities remained, and the eighth spirit sword…
Wuwuwu—!
The wailing of the crying baby echoed throughout the desolate land.
Gong Yue quickly turned his head and saw the snake eye manifestation of the Blood Sea Array being pierced in the pupil, gushing blood. He couldn’t help but click his tongue in displeasure.
He now understood that something must have happened in the city.
But he had no time to care about it now.
As he turned back to look at Tian Bei City, Yun Tianchong seized the opportunity, raised his right spirit sword, and with a horizontal slash of the Inquiring Sword Art.
Screech—
The spirit sword clashed with Gong Yue’s protective divine sense, emitting a grating sword cry.
Although it didn’t injure Gong Yue’s body, it sent him flying back by a hundred feet and coincidentally killed a Nascent Soul demonic cultivator who was fighting a Sword Sect elder.
Yun Tianchong touched his kidney and spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Ptoo—”
Gong Yue also pressed down with his halberd, looking up at Yun Tianchong and retorting,
“So what if you broke my Tian Bei City’s great formation? Now that your protective divine sense is broken, how long can you last in front of me? Even without the Blood Sea Array, I can personally kill this disgrace of the Deity Transformation stage.”
Yun Tianchong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered,
“Heh…”
However, at this moment, a dense blood-red light rose from below the snake’s eye, which should have been pierced by Yun Tianchong’s sword intent divine ability.
Boom—
The blood-red light shot directly below the snake’s eye, and in an instant, it forced out the spirit sword that had pierced its pupil. The wound began to heal visibly.
Yun Tianchong gritted his teeth upon seeing this.
He had sensed that something had gone wrong with the Blood Sea Array and had intended to take Gong Yue’s spear strike to exchange for the great formation of Tian Bei City. This way, even if the Sword Sect was annihilated, if the Taibai Sect arrived later, Gong Yue would not have the great formation of Tian Bei City to use.
But how did this suddenly happen…
Gong Yue also didn’t know what was happening in the city, but he thought that his excellent adopted son had probably dealt with the trouble. He chuckled heartily:
“Hehehe… Hahaha— Sect Master Yun, it seems you will die in vain…”
“… …”
“Coincidentally, I’ve had my fun too.”
Gong Yue flicked his long halberd, and it instantly transformed into a dark purple arc of light. He retreated another three hundred feet, raised his spear towards the sky, and summoned bloody thunderclouds with his malevolent energy.
Yun Tianchong, seeing his posture of preparing to use Tian Bei City’s great formation, panicked:
“Don’t even think about it!!”
The eight sword intent divine abilities reappeared, transforming into eight green rays of light, shooting directly towards Gong Yue’s chest.
However, they were all blocked by a protective spirit shield dozens of feet away.
The surviving Nascent Soul demonic cultivators also gathered behind Gong Yue, forming a defensive formation together, seemingly unwilling to fight the Sword Sect head-on.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, Yun Tianchong immediately shouted,
“Sword Sect disciples, heed my command! Form the Nine Spirit Sword Formation!!”
With his order, the Sword Sect disciples and elders who were still entangled with the Core Formation demonic cultivators quickly broke free from their opponents and gathered behind Yun Tianchong. Using their spirit swords as magical artifacts, they pooled their spiritual power and expanded it.
A massive formation diagram appeared in mid-air, and golden spiritual light instantly illuminated the desert, which had been darkened by smoke and dark clouds, turning it as white as snow.
Shields formed by spiritual energy were stacked in front of Yun Tianchong, enveloping all the surviving Sword Sect disciples.
However, Gong Yue scoffed disdainfully,
“Back then, Nancheng City and tens of thousands of Imperial Sect disciples couldn’t completely block my malevolent formation that converged four spiritual脉, and your mere eggshell, Sect Master Yun… Do you look down on Nancheng City?”
Yun Tianchong naturally knew that although the Nine Spirit Sword Formation was the Sword Sect’s spirit-taming great formation, it was still vastly inferior to Nancheng City and tens of thousands of Imperial Sect disciples.
However, if he didn’t retort, their morale would crumble, and they might not even withstand the first blow.
The Sword Sect’s attack on Tian Bei City was a self-sacrificing act. He hadn’t expected to return alive, but if it ended with Gong Yue not even being seriously injured, he would still be unwilling.
“Damn it, my father is Yun Jian Shang Xian!! Who does that Nancheng City think it is?!”
“Heh…”
Gong Yue pointed his halberd at Yun Tianchong, signaling Gong Yimo, who was forming the formation in the city, to make his move.
Instantly, a beam of malevolent energy condensed in the center of the snake’s vertical pupil and transformed into a pitch-black feather arrow that devoured all light within a hundred-mile radius.
The light emitted by flames could disperse darkness.
But this feather arrow was like a burning black flame, emitting black light, plunging everything in its path into chaos.
Yun Tianchong felt everything in his vision turn into nothingness, but he didn’t falter. He immediately moved his sword intent divine abilities in front of the Nine Spirit Sword Formation. At worst, he would lose a divine ability forever.
As long as he withstood this blow, he would still have a chance to kill Gong Yue.
“Roar ah ah ah ah ah—!!”
Yun Tianchong couldn’t help but shout, trying to overcome the fear of facing imminent death.
Time seemed to stretch several times. He felt like he had been hit by Granny Si’s Moon Illumination divine ability, and for a moment, he thought Granny Si had come to help.
However, after waiting for a long time, he still did not feel the pressure of being directly hit by the Blood Sea Array.
Yun Tianchong was confused. The Sword Sect elders behind him, who were preparing to die, and the disciples were all confused.
In the next moment, the black light gradually dissipated, and everyone could finally see the desolate land outside Tian Bei Chasm again.
But unlike before, the sand in front of them, stretching all the way to the entrance of the chasm, had all turned into molten glass. And the more than a thousand demonic cultivators who had been confronting them had vanished as if evaporated.
???
The battlefield fell silent in an instant, with only the gurgling sound of boiling glass bubbles.
Yun Tianchong had no idea what had happened until he saw Gong Yue’s upper body floating above the sea of glass, his lower half gone.
Gong Yue looked at the direction of Tian Bei City in disbelief.
Why did the malevolent art, which should have been directed at the Moon Shadow Sword Sect, hit them instead?
Did someone replace his adopted son and control the formation eye?
Impossible!
The main formation eye of the Blood Sea Array was a secret technique, only passed down to Gong Yimo in his lifetime. Some people had deduced his great formation’s diagram before, but he had silenced them all.
In other words, even if Gong Yimo was killed, there was no way anyone else could control Tian Bei City’s great formation.
Then only one answer remained.
His adopted son had betrayed him…
Why?
Gong Yue’s eyes widened, and he roared through gritted teeth,
“Yi… Yimo!!!!”
Swoosh swoosh—
Before he could finish speaking, the eight sword intent divine abilities plunged down from above, turning the shattered Gong Yue into fragments in an instant, completely burying him in the scorching glass lake.
Yun Tianchong, although he didn’t know what had happened, at least Gong Yue was dead.
Did the Sword Sect win?
Did the demonic cultivators have an internal conflict? Or did it just miss its target?
The Grand Elder of the Sword Sect also stepped forward, a look of confusion on his face, and asked,
“Sect Master… what is this…”
“… …”
Yun Tianchong opened his lips to say something, but didn’t. He took a deep breath. Regardless of the reason, this was good news.
Now, he had to spend a few days breaking through the gates of Tian Bei City, entering it, and then finding that “Elder Liang” to make him pay for his second daughter’s death!!
“All disciples, heed my command!! Follow me, and break the city!!!”
With another order, Yun Tianchong took the lead, recalling the eight sword intent divine abilities to protect himself, and transformed into a golden light, charging rapidly towards the city gates of Tian Bei City.
However…
Yun Tianchong had expected that even without Gong Yue, it would take a day or two to break through the gate restrictions of Tian Bei City.
But when he arrived at the city gate, he was stunned again.
The south gate of Tian Bei City was like an empty city. The city gate was open, and the gate tower was gone, seemingly sliced off by something. The city walls were piled high with the corpses of Tian Bei City’s guards. The entire city gate was eerily silent.
“… …”
When the Sword Sect elders and disciples behind him arrived and saw this scene, they thought Yun Tianchong had broken through Tian Bei City’s gate without a sound in the time it took to burn a stick of incense. They all looked at their Sect Master with newfound admiration.
Only the Grand Elder felt something was amiss. The gate restrictions of Tian Bei City were very strong.
Even a late Deity Transformation stage cultivator would absolutely not be able to open it without a world-shattering effort, but only a stick of incense had passed since they caught up. They hadn’t heard any commotion.
But the Grand Elder still couldn’t help but ask,
“Sect Master, did you do this?”
“… …”
Yun Tianchong hesitated, feeling a chilling premonition. Although it was beneficial to the Sword Sect, with the gate wide open, he was afraid it might be a trap and felt hesitant to enter.
After a moment of silence, Yun Tianchong closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, saying,
“Elder Hu, all demonic cultivators inside the city are to be killed without mercy. Don’t let any of them escape!”
“… Yes.”
Yun Tianchong hesitated for a moment, but then leaped into the city and arrived on the wide brick street leading to the City Lord’s mansion on the south side.
At this moment, many demonic cultivators were still stunned, staring blankly at a Deity Transformation stage immortal cultivator with eight spirit swords circling him, holding a golden spirit sword and landing on the street.
Yun Tianchong looked at these people and saw several young children only up to his hip.
In this situation, the children reacted the fastest. Sensing his immortal cultivator identity, they all got scared and ran towards the alleys.
He ignored the demonic path rogue cultivators and rushed forward, grabbing a fleeing child’s shoulder and lifting him up.
“Ah!! Waaah waah waah!! Mommy!! Mommy!!”
Yun Tianchong frowned and said,
“Where is the newly arrived Elder Liang of Tian Bei City?!”
… …
