Across the Primordial World, mighty elders cast their gazes toward Kunlun Mountain.
Within a palace beyond the Nine Heavens, a graceful figure looked toward Kunlun.
"The Immortal Slaying Sword Formation has appeared—and on Kunlun Mountain, no less!"
"Senior Brother Tongtian has made his move. Why?"
"A Sage has unleashed his full power. Could something have happened in the Primordial World?"
At a time like this, it was impossible not to speculate.
In the Primordial World, everyone below Sagehood was as insignificant as an ant. Even if Tongtian made a move, he shouldn't need to use any treasures. Even in a battle between Sages, ordinary spiritual treasures would be more than enough.
But now...
The figure's pupils contracted slightly. With the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation unleashed, chaos would surely engulf the Primordial World!
In the barren Western Lands, billions of miles stretched empty and lifeless, their spiritual energy depleted. Only one Spiritual Mountain shone with brilliant light.
Above the Spiritual Mountain's sanctuary, two poorly dressed Daoists looked beside themselves with joy.
"Senior Brother, the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation has appeared over Kunlun! The Three Pure Ones have fallen out and started fighting!"
"Hahaha! They've even brought out the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation. This must be a fight to the death."
"The Three Sects are splitting apart. Of the Six Sages, only our Western Sect has two Sages from the same sect."
"When that happens, how could our Western Sect fail to prosper?"
"Hahahaha..."
Loud, unrestrained laughter rang out across the Western Lands for tens of thousands of miles, but not a single living being heard it.
Among the Primordial World's Wu Tribe, twelve towering giants looked toward Kunlun Mountain, their eyes filled with confusion.
"Are the Three Pure Ones fighting?"
"That's Tongtian's treasure. How interesting. Is he fighting that Yuanshi fellow?"
"I've never liked Yuanshi, either. He looks like a hypocrite, clearly no good. Tongtian's much easier on the eyes."
The Wu Tribe, too, burst into heated discussion.
High above the Nine Heavens, within a celestial palace,
Di Jun's brow lifted with delight.
"Hahaha! The Sages are fighting among themselves. Excellent!"
"I am the sovereign of the Primordial World, ruler of the rightful order of Heaven and Earth, and yet I am no Sage!"
"Serves them right! I hope one or two of them die!"
In the bitterly cold far north, countless streams of blood and baleful energy surged from a sea of blood.
"The Sages are fighting each other. Hmph!"
Near the center of the Primordial World, two Daoists sat facing each other inside a temple.
"The Sages are fighting. I hope it doesn't affect the Primordial World, or another calamity will befall us..."
At that moment, powerful beings and mighty elders across the Primordial World watched Kunlun Mountain, some delighted, some worried, and some trembling with fear.
With the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation unleashed, only four Sages could stand against it.
Now that such a supreme treasure had appeared, had the Three Pure Ones really split apart? And were they truly fighting to the death?
If so, the Primordial World was bound to face a great disaster!
Perhaps a tribulation was approaching!
The tension atop Kunlun Mountain was no less than that throughout the Primordial World. If anything, everyone there was even more on edge.
The disciples of the Sect of Elucidation were all trapped within the sword formation.
If Tongtian activated the formation now, even if the Sages could withstand it, every Sect of Elucidation disciple would be reduced to ashes!
The Ten Thousand Immortals of the Interception Sect remained incensed. They looked toward the Sect of Elucidation, their eyes still brimming with killing intent.
"The Sect of Elucidation has no virtue! They're despicable!"
"Hmph! The Twelve Golden Immortals stooped to using a vile trick like the Soul Devouring Needle to scheme against Senior Disciple Brother! Senior Disciple Brother had finally managed to stabilize the Soul Devouring Needle, only to be targeted by a Sage and die on the spot!"
"Does a Sect of Elucidation like that still have the nerve to call us fellow disciples? To claim they're the orthodox sect of the Mystic Gate, righteous and honorable?"
"Pah!"
Spits of contempt rang out from the Interception Sect.
Every disciple of the Interception Sect was filled with resentment.
At that moment, Yuanshi's expression was ghastly. His Sect of Elucidation's reputation had just been utterly ruined!
But he couldn't make a move. A Sage might give in to anger, but he couldn't simply disregard Tongtian's threat to his Sect of Elucidation disciples.
The Immortal Slaying Sword Formation had surrounded the entire Sect of Elucidation. With the slightest effort, it could reduce the whole sect to ashes!
His disciples were all blessed with deep karmic fortune and abundant merit.
If Tongtian really killed them all in one fell swoop, the Interception Sect would likely suffer a great calamity as well!
Tongtian—how could he dare? How could he lose all reason like this?
Could Lin Changqing really be dead?
At that moment, Yuanshi's expression grew even more grim as he turned to look at Juliusun.
The killing intent in his eyes was overwhelming!
"Third Brother, you mustn't!"
"There's still room to resolve this. Nephew Changqing is blessed with great fortune. He can't have fallen so easily!"
Yuanshi had finally given in completely.
But Tongtian was still furious.
"Even so, Changqing was gravely injured, and his soul was annihilated. How could there be any chance of bringing him back?"
Tongtian roared, his eyes filled with even deeper grief.
As he spoke, the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation rumbled into motion.
Ten thousand sword beams surged like towering waves, churning Heaven and Earth, tearing through the void, and reflecting the countless laws of the cosmos!
Ten thousand mighty rivers descended with a roar. The world grew bleak, and even the Primordial World itself was torn apart by the formation's power!
This was the Primordial World's foremost killing formation. With the slightest movement, Heaven and Earth shattered and the myriad laws fell silent!
"Third Brother, the Three Sects should be one family. Don't let the Primordial World make a laughingstock of us."
At that moment, from the black-and-white palace that had remained silent, as if it had nothing to do with the matter, the shadow of an old Daoist slowly appeared.
The black-and-white Taiji Diagram illuminated Heaven and Earth, encompassing mountains and rivers across millions of miles and enveloping all of Kunlun.
In an instant, the probing divine senses that had reached out from across the Primordial World were cut off. The world torn apart by the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation also slowly stabilized beneath the flow of yin and yang energy.
Hiss!
Gasps rang out throughout the Primordial World.
That was the Taiji Diagram!
The Sage Taishang had made his move, too!
Had the Three Pure Ones truly fallen out? Had a great battle begun?
Everyone had seen it: beneath the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, Kunlun's mountains and rivers crumbled, Heaven and Earth fell silent, and the myriad laws vanished into nothing.
At that moment, everyone felt a constant, ominous sense of danger.
A battle among the Three Pure Ones—the Primordial World was about to descend into chaos!
Yet within Kunlun Mountain, everything was now stable.
The Sage Taishang sat high upon a black-and-yellow meditation cushion, the Taiji Diagram above his head stabilizing Heaven and Earth and concealing the heavenly secrets. He held the Mysterious Yellow Exquisite Pagoda in his hand, its black-and-yellow energy filling Kunlun as it warded off the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation.
"Senior Disciple Brother! Changqing is dead. He was my disciple for a million years, and you watched him grow up!"
"Are you really going to ignore everything and speak up for that villain, too?"
At that moment, Tongtian was truly enraged.
He was angry because Taishang had stepped in. If Taishang sided with the Sect of Elucidation, their entire scheme would fall through.
But Taishang slowly shook his head. He looked meaningfully at Tongtian, then at the Immortal Palace of the Interception Sect.
Tongtian froze slightly, a faint sense of unease rising in his heart.
Could Senior Disciple Brother have seen through the scheme between Changqing and me?
Who could have guessed that Taishang would then turn toward the Sect of Elucidation, a trace of indignation appearing in his eyes?
"Disciples of the Sect of Elucidation, you disobeyed the laws of the Three Sects. Second Brother, are you willing to discipline them yourself?"
Taishang's question made Yuanshi furrow his brow.
The unspoken meaning was clear: if you don't discipline them yourself, I will do it for you!
"...Senior Disciple Brother, my Sect of Elucidation disciples were in the wrong. I'll discipline them myself!"
No matter how much Yuanshi favored his disciples, he had no choice but to speak up. If he truly angered Senior Disciple Brother, none of these troublemaking disciples would get off lightly.
Taishang nodded slowly, but Tongtian refused to let the matter drop.
"Senior Disciple Brother! Disciplining them is for Yuanshi's failure to keep his disciples in line. But what about Changqing?"
Tongtian continued to roar, killing intent surging in his eyes.
It was as if, with the slightest provocation, he would activate the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation and take them all down with him.
After all, even Taishang might not be able to protect so many Sect of Elucidation disciples.
"What do you want?!"
Yuanshi frowned and scoffed. Tongtian kept pressing him relentlessly, infuriating him.
Just an ordinary Mystic Immortal disciple, an insignificant being born after the creation of the world—was he worth a bond forged over countless eons?
Utter absurdity!
And yet he had no choice but to answer Tongtian's demand.
"One Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir. Changqing still has a chance. I'll go save him."
Before you continue