Chapter 3933: Fall
Seeing that the formation's power could actually withstand a single finger-light attack from the Primordial Path old clan leader, Gai Mie said: "If we keep fighting like this, scattered and disorganized like a pile of loose sand, we can never defeat him. Zhang Ruochen, aren't you a perfect circle without flaw? Hurry up and arrange a combined attack formation. With three of us forming a formation, our combat power will surely increase greatly!"
"Use the formation! I don't believe that with the three of us fighting together, we can't even deal with a Heavenly Venerable-rank."
Yu Zhuan urged the Victory Crown, drawing upon the Radiant Divine Radiance, and executed the Twilight of the Gods.
Gai Mie released the Billion-Mile Demon Realm and the Purple Star Sea, while simultaneously manipulating the Demon Ancestor Meridian Axe, and summoning the Demon God Stone Pillar, holding it in his hand and swinging it continuously.
The two unleashed their strongest combat power, buying time for Zhang Ruochen to set up the formation.
Zhang Ruochen released the Earth Cauldron, suspending it above his head.
As his powerful spiritual power spread outward, streams of blood-red rivulets surged from the Earth Cauldron, spreading in all directions like the growth of tree branches.
This was the blood of the Immortal from the Wuchang Ghost City.
Although it had been consumed in many ways, some residue still remained.
Zhang Ruochen used this blood as ink and his spiritual power as a brush, inscribing profound formation inscription patterns in every direction in the void and on the ground.
The formation quickly took shape.
This was the "Heaven-Earth-Three-Talents Formation" he had browsed through in the Sutra Cave of Starry Sky Cliff, the most suitable for a three-person combined attack.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
...
Not far away, the Billion-Mile Demon Realm world that Gai Mie had manifested was continuously shattered by the Primordial Path old clan leader.
In the purple starry sky demon realm, stars fell like rain.
Yu Zhuan's armor and divine robe were both battered and torn, blood flowing like a river, and the Radiant Divine Radiance on his body had dimmed considerably.
The two were indeed formidable, able to hold their own against a Heavenly Venerable-rank for half an hour.
"Boom!"
The demon realm world was completely shattered.
Gai Mie was grabbed by the head and feet by the Primordial Path old clan leader, torn into two halves, and then heavily slammed towards Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen supported the blood-red formation disk above his head with one hand, while pressing out the other, from his palm surging layers of Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seals.
Gai Mie's two severed halves smashed through all the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seals, and together with Zhang Ruochen, were sent flying for over ten miles.
The Primordial Path old clan leader's eyes narrowed, discovering that the blood-red formation disk had not shattered from this. In the moment before Gai Mie's severed body crashed into Zhang Ruochen, Zhang Ruochen had severed his own arm.
His palm still pressed against the center of the formation.
"Is the formation complete?"
Gai Mie's two severed halves quickly recondensed, but the power that the Primordial Path old clan leader had infused into his body was difficult to refine, and a blood line still remained at his waist and abdomen.
"One final step remains."
Zhang Ruochen moved with his divine thought.
The arm that had been supporting the formation disk exploded, turning into a cloud of blood, merging with the formation disk above.
"Whoosh!"
With a flicker of his figure, Zhang Ruochen appeared at the center of the Heaven-Earth-Three-Talents Formation, and the severed arm grew back from the shoulder.
The formation disk, a thousand zhang in diameter, began to rotate slowly.
Zhang Ruochen and Gai Mie steered the formation disk, flying towards the Primordial Path old clan leader.
Yu Zhuan withdrew and charged into the formation.
The three each unleashed their divine abilities and struck out.
Twilight of the Gods, Immovable Wisdom King Fist, and Reincarnation Demon Wheel, almost simultaneously, landed on the Primordial Path old clan leader, forcing him back three steps in a row.
The Primordial Path old clan leader clearly felt that the Heaven-Earth-Three-Talents Formation posed a serious threat to him.
The greatest threat was that the formation twisted the souls of the three into one, their soul power surpassing even his own, firmly locking onto him, causing his speed to decrease drastically.
The Primordial Path old clan leader struck out with the Yellow Spring Seal, and a beam of divine energy surged from his palm, pouring into the seal.
From the bottom of the bronze seal, the eight characters "Life and Death by My Will, Yin and Yang Under My Rule" detached, spinning rapidly.
The power of the Yellow Spring Seal increased dramatically, the forces of life and death, yin and yang, erupting to their peak, striking towards the blood-red formation disk.
Zhang Ruochen swung his arm, sending the Earth Cauldron flying out of the formation disk.
Yu Zhuan and Gai Mie's divine energy, through the formation, surged towards Zhang Ruochen and the Earth Cauldron.
The power of the Earth Cauldron was driven to an unprecedented level. The Origin Divine Light pierced through the Chaotian Que, transforming into strands of white radiance, illuminating even the Ancient Desolate Ruins City.
"Boom! Boom! Boom..."
The two legendary divine artifacts clashed again and again. If not for the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable's secret patterns and order constraints, they might have already flattened the Chaotian Que.
Yu Zhuan seized the opportunity and struck out with the Victory Crown.
"Pfft!"
The Primordial Path old clan leader was struck by the crown, retreating several miles, spitting blood from his mouth.
Even as a Heavenly Venerable-rank, he could not withstand Yu Zhuan's full-force strike.
"Haha! A perfect-circle-without-flaw level formation master is still quite useful, isn't he? With a formation out, even a Heavenly Venerable-rank can't remain invincible." Gai Mie laughed loudly.
Yu Zhuan, pleased with his successful strike, said cheerfully: "Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power has reached the ninety-first level. His formation mastery is certainly among the top five in the world today."
As the power of the formation gradually manifested, the Primordial Path old clan leader fell completely into a disadvantage, step by step retreating towards the Styx River at the edge of the blood-soil.
"Both of you, lend me a hand."
Yu Zhuan struck with his palm towards the half Ancestor Divine Source embedded in the Victory Crown.
The already fragile remnant source was shattered into powder.
"Boom!"
These powders exploded like a rain of light, spreading throughout the Heaven-Earth-Three-Talents Formation.
Yu Zhuan's divine energy poured continuously into the Victory Crown, the crown's energy fluctuations increasing exponentially.
Zhang Ruochen and Gai Mie exchanged a glance, secretly admiring Yu Zhuan's boldness.
Clearly, Yu Zhuan intended to use the formation's power to stimulate the Victory Crown's might, thereby sealing the deal with a single strike, completely crippling the Primordial Path old clan leader.
The two understood well why Yu Zhuan could have such boldness.
The Ancestor Divine Source embedded in the Victory Crown had been severely damaged before, leaving only half.
Yu Zhuan had already suppressed the Yellow Spring Great Emperor, viewing the Ancestor Divine Source within the Yellow Spring Great Emperor's body as something already in his pocket. Naturally, he wouldn't regret this half Ancestor remnant source.
From this, it could also be seen that Yu Zhuan's earlier promise to hand over the Yellow Spring Great Emperor and the Ancestor Divine Source to Zhang Ruochen was utterly unreliable.
Zhang Ruochen manipulated the formation with his spiritual power while striking out with both palms.
Two beams of divine energy surged towards the Victory Crown.
Gai Mie did the same, unleashing his divine energy.
Combining the power of the three, the Victory Crown erupted with even brighter radiance than the Earth Cauldron, with overwhelming force blasting away the Yellow Spring Seal, landing on the Primordial Path old clan leader, causing his entire body to burst into a mist of blood, leaving only a skeleton, which fell into the Styx River.
They had succeeded!
The Ancestor Divine Source powder on the Victory Crown was also burned away in this strike.
"What terrifying power." Gai Mie said.
"It was merely burning the Ancestor Divine Source in exchange for a killing blow. Now, a second strike is absolutely impossible."
Yu Zhuan no longer feared the Primordial Path old clan leader, charging out of the Heaven-Earth-Three-Talents Formation, holding the Radiant Battle Halberd, and pursued into the Styx River. He wanted to take this opportunity to further cripple the Primordial Path old clan leader.
Gai Mie arrived at the edge of the blood-soil, his arms embracing the void, a large amount of demon clouds appearing around him.
While Yu Zhuan and the Primordial Path old clan leader's skeleton were clashing, he activated the Devouring Heavenly Dao Profound Meaning, swallowing the blood mist floating above the Styx River.
They were well aware that with their current cultivation, they could not kill the Primordial Path old clan leader. But they could continuously cripple him to the point where he was no longer a threat.
Zhang Ruochen stood calmly within the formation, not participating.
He only tightly gripped the Mani Pearl, activating ten thousand miles of Buddha light, blocking the strange curse power in the Styx River.
It had to be said, the Primordial Path old clan leader was truly formidable. Even when crippled to just a skeleton, his combat power was still not inferior to Yu Zhuan's.
"You devour everything, aren't you afraid of backlash?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Gai Mie's towering figure exuded a majestic aura that could swallow mountains and rivers, saying: "As a demon, I am the fusion of all evils and malevolence. From the moment I set foot on the path of cultivation, I have been backlashed by various powers. I have long tempered a demon heart as firm as a rock. I am the source of all evils, the master of all malevolence. Why should I fear backlash?"
"Demon cultivators like the Heavenly Mother are destined never to comprehend the true essence of the demon path, and can never become the Fourth Demon Ancestor. Half-Ancestor is her fate, while I have infinite possibilities."
"Roar!"
The Primordial Path old clan leader could not tolerate his blood energy being devoured by Gai Mie. After repelling Yu Zhuan, he struck out with a ten-thousand-zhang-long dark great hand seal, striking towards Gai Mie at the edge of the blood-soil.
Devouring his blood energy was weakening his power.
Zhang Ruochen steered the Heaven-Earth-Three-Talents Formation, while simultaneously activating the Imperial Talisman, manifesting a small world of formation patterns and talisman patterns, clashing with the descending dark great hand seal.
The Heaven-Earth-Three-Talents Formation shattered, and Zhang Ruochen was sent flying back, landing on the blood-soil.
Gai Mie thought that Zhang Ruochen's block of this strike would buy time, and Yu Zhuan would soon arrive to continue holding back the Primordial Path old clan leader.
But what came was not Yu Zhuan, but the Yellow Spring Seal.
Gai Mie's pupils violently contracted. Demonic energy and rules surged within him. He no longer dared to continue devouring blood energy. Pushing forward with both hands, the vortex-shaped black hole before him struck towards the Yellow Spring Seal.
"Boom!"
The Yellow Spring Seal smashed through the black hole, pierced through the demonic energy and rules, and landed on Gai Mie.
Gai Mie was already severely injured. Taking this strike, his physical body could not withstand it, turning into bloody fragments, even his bones breaking countless times.
Zhang Ruochen released his spiritual power, wrapping around Gai Mie's remnant body, and immediately retreated towards the Xiongxiao Demon God Palace.
Gai Mie's remnant body quickly recondensed. They saw the Primordial Path old clan leader's white bones floating in the blood mist, absorbing all the blood energy and rule divine patterns back, flesh growing out, his combat power returning to the Heavenly Venerable-rank level.
And Yu Zhuan, stepping on the Life and Death Double Coffin, sailed on the Styx River, heading towards the depths of the void filled with blood seas and nether energy.
It turned out that during the chaotic battle just now, at the end of the Styx River, in the depths of the void, a faintly visible ink moon had appeared.
The ink moon was slightly blue, and the aura it emitted caused the blood sea and nether energy in the void to violently churn.
All cultivators present felt subtle fluctuations in their internal rules and divine energy. Especially their souls, which seemed to be pulled out of their bodies, flying towards the ink moon.
Gai Mie's eyes went wide, saying: "Could it be that the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror truly exists?"
Zhang Ruochen was also secretly astonished, but a trace of worry appeared on his face.
Yu Zhuan stood on the coffin lid, looking back. The blood-soil was getting farther and farther away, and the three could not possibly catch up to him.
A faint smile appeared on his handsome face: "Brother Ruochen, Brother Gai Mie, hold off that old fellow for a while. Once I retrieve the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror, we will comprehend the secret of immortality together."
"Hmph!"
Gai Mie's eyes flashed with killing intent.
If not for the Primordial Path old clan leader standing by the Styx River, he would have already pursued.
The Primordial Path old clan leader glanced into the depths of the Styx River, then looked at Zhang Ruochen, saying: "With just the two of you, you are no match for me. Hand over the eleven old clan leaders, and I will spare your lives."
Gai Mie said: "He is going to retrieve the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror. Are the eleven old clan leaders more important than the Six Paths Reincarnation Mirror?"
"Ah..."
Yu Zhuan's miserable scream came from the Styx River.
Zhang Ruochen and Gai Mie's expressions changed simultaneously. Activating their divine eyes, they pierced through the nether energy.
They saw Yu Zhuan's entire body burning with blue flames, frantically fleeing back towards the blood-soil.
"Brother Ruochen, save me! It's a curse, a curse..."
Yu Zhuan's delicate, jade-like face had already been burned beyond recognition, becoming hideous and terrifying.
Zhang Ruochen had never imagined that an Indestructible Infinite peak powerhouse could scream so miserably, could be so terrified. He could not imagine what kind of immense pain he was enduring.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was about to activate the Mani Pearl, he saw Yu Zhuan turn into white bones, and moments later, turn into ashes.
"Boom!"
The Victory Crown fell, crashing onto the Life and Death Double Coffin.
A transcendent titan who could contend with a Heavenly Venerable-rank had thus perished in an instant before Zhang Ruochen and Gai Mie's eyes, even his Ancestor remnant soul burning away completely.
This was terrifying to the point of despair!
Zhang Ruochen couldn't help but ask: "Does a Half-Ancestor have such power?"
Gai Mie's eyes were full of fear. He shook his head, saying: "I have seen Ba Er at his peak. He was not this strong. The Heavenly Demon during his Half-Ancestor period might have been able to do this. Although Yu Zhuan's combat power had reached the extreme of the Indestructible Infinite peak, he was not at the Heavenly Venerable-rank realm. To die in an instant like this..."
Such a curse made Zhang Ruochen seriously doubt that even activating the Mani Pearl at his current realm could block it.
Even using the "River Map" to unleash the Heavenly Mother's three strikes would likely not be a match for the caster.
What great terror was hidden in the depths of the Styx River?
"Let's go, leave this place immediately." Zhang Ruochen sent a voice transmission to Chi Yao.
Gai Mie looked at the sky filled with blood-colored dust a hundred miles away. Within the dust, countless formation and killing lights flowed and shuttled. He said: "I'm afraid we can't leave."
The Primordial Path old clan leader collected the Victory Crown and Radiant Battle Halberd into his hands to refine them, not in a hurry to act, saying: "You are right. You cannot leave today."
"Zhang Ruochen, I gave you a chance earlier. Why didn't you cherish it?"
Zhang Ruochen, with his powerful state of mind, quickly calmed down, saying: "Old clan leader, are you so sure you have us cornered? If I am not mistaken, the power of that curse will greatly diminish once it leaves the Styx River, right?"
"So what? Do you think this old man cannot deal with you with just my own cultivation?"
The Primordial Path old clan leader said: "When the Great Radiant Remnant Soul Possession Body was still around, it could barely fight me. The two of you? Hmph, far from it!"
"Let's go, into the Xiongxiao Demon God Palace."
Zhang Ruochen and Gai Mie rushed towards the gates of the Xiongxiao Demon God Palace.
Behind them, the Primordial Path old clan leader pursued closely, his speed far surpassing theirs. Part of his body transformed into long rivers of heaven and earth rules, spreading towards the two first.
Before this, Chi Yao had already used her cultivation technique advantages, Ancestor Divine Energy, and Ancestor Rules to resonate with the secret patterns and order left by the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable, opening the path to the Demon God Palace.
"Chen Ge!"
Chi Yao formed hand seals with both hands, supporting the Twenty-Layer Heavenly Domain.
Above the Twenty-Layer Heavenly Domain, there were also Thirteen-Layer Heavenly Domain shadows. These heavenly domain shadows connected with the secret patterns and order of this place, as if they had grown together naturally.
Zhang Ruochen understood her intent. Stopping behind Chi Yao, he struck her back with his palm.
"Whoosh!"
The Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal manifested in his palm, and thick divine energy surged towards Chi Yao.
Chi Yao's body immediately erupted with Five Elements Chaos Divine Energy, rushing out from the top of her head, piercing through the Thirty-Three-Layer Heavenly Domain, drawing upon all the Ancestor secret patterns and order around the Xiongxiao Demon God Palace.
All the power, at this moment, surged towards the pursuing Primordial Path old clan leader.