Formation Broken, Body Perishes

As a cultivator, one refines their body through formations and cultivates the Dao with their body. Based on their own formations, they can unleash forbidden power. The might of this is truly unimaginable; after integrating with diagrams evolved from formations, one can rapidly boost their magic power.

Yellow Springs and Netherworld are the cream of the crop among these formation cultivators, integrating their own laws into formations to further stimulate their power.

Xuanhuang felt the formations shift, and boundless yellow and black Qi appeared. He couldn't help but feel strange. While this wasn't his own Xuanhuang Qi, it originated from the same source, stirring his heart. This was the best place for his cultivation. Before he could finish marveling, the yellow and black Qi rapidly vanished, condensing into one spot. He was greatly alarmed, thinking, "Not good." Instantly, he felt the pressure of the Great Dao, and his Xuanhuang Qi trembled before calming down. Fortunately, the two hadn't merged.

Due to the formations, Yellow Springs and Netherworld felt a step closer to the Great Dao. They also sensed the similarities between themselves and Xuanhuang, as well as their potential destiny. They fell silent, for they were two individuals. Even if there was a chance to advance further, neither was willing to take that step; merging into one person might mean neither of their memories would be preserved.

Xuanhuang cast aside his idle thoughts and, bringing Pangu, quickly maneuvered left and right, directly leading him to the formation's core, where Yellow Springs and Netherworld were already poised.

Pangu gazed at the two burly figures, a surge of fighting spirit erupting within him. As the first being in Chaos, Pangu possessed his own arrogance, inviolable confidence, and strength. It was only due to a moment's carelessness that he almost lost face.

The yellow giant wielded the Xuanhuang Banner, attacking Pangu. Pangu also mobilized power and aura comparable to Yellow Springs, punching towards the sweeping banner. Pangu's punch was full of vigor, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks.

This time, Pangu wrapped his fist with the Rule of Strength, and a glow appeared around his fist. They collided silently, and an invisible force spread outwards. Xuanhuang's robe fluttered, and the Xuanhuang Banner was blown aside by the strong wind, yellow Qi scattering everywhere. He discovered that the punch had actually caused a corner of the banner to dissipate. Yellow Springs rolled up the banner and struck Pangu with a staff. Pangu forcefully swung his arm to block, and the staff was repelled. The Xuanhuang Banner was, after all, a formation artifact, not an offensive one. However, one had to acknowledge the strength of Pangu's golden body.

Seeing this, Yellow Springs attacked Pangu with a straightforward punch. Their fists met, and both retreated a step. This was a direct clash between the power of strength and the Great Dao Power.

Neither gained an advantage, and they began to guard against each other. It turned out neither was easy to deal with. They quickly began fighting, trading punches and kicks, their attacks simple and direct.

Pangu's advantage was his tough physique, while Yellow Springs benefited from the constant condensation of yellow Qi to replenish damage. For a time, they fought to a standstill.

Pangu hefted the Pangu Axe and said to his opponent, "Good, good! It's been a long time since I've had this much fun. Let's go again." Pangu found that with every bit his golden body was damaged, the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art circulated faster, continuously repairing and subtly showing signs of improvement. He rejoiced and no longer needed weapons, resorting to a bare-fisted brawl. Yellow Springs, however, secretly lamented, feeling as though Pangu had suddenly become stronger.

Netherworld on the other side was also having a tough time. In his eyes, Xuanhuang was a strange Daoist who didn't attack but merely prevented him from getting close to Yellow Springs. His Light of Nirvana couldn't even get near the opponent, being blocked by the Xuanhuang Qi emitted from the Exquisite Pagoda, which also continuously absorbed the Netherworld Qi drifting from him. What kind of fight was this? The opponent was like a turtle in its shell; even with sharp teeth, he had no way to bite.

Yellow Springs thought, "If this continues, the advantage of my unique formation cannot be brought into play, and we might be defeated one by one." An idea struck him. Silently, during the fight, he switched positions with Pangu.

Seeing Pangu throw another punch, he thought, "Good opportunity." Then, Pangu's power flew towards Xuanhuang and Netherworld. Within this unique formation, Yellow Springs and Netherworld were of one mind. They roared in unison, "Unique Formation, activate! Yin Yang, unite!" The yellow and black Qi combined, forming a Two Forms Array, trapping Xuanhuang inside.

Trapped within the Two Forms Array, Xuanhuang felt a sense of dread. The Exquisite Pagoda, which could normally absorb Netherworld Qi, couldn't protect his Xuanhuang Qi; it was constantly being refined by the Two Forms Array.

Pangu saw this and knew it was bad. He no longer cared about anything else. He possessed the Three Sky-Opening Axes, but had never unleashed their full power, not for any other reason than his body couldn't withstand the resulting harm.

Pangu didn't hesitate and shouted.

"Sky Opening!"

"Earth Splitting!"

"Sky Rend!"

A series of axe shadows moved along mystical trajectories, striking the Two Forms Array. A strange, black-hole-like power erupted, splitting the Two Forms Array apart. But before they could cheer, the unique formation replenished the yellow and black Qi at a speed comparable to the axes' advance, re-enveloping Xuanhuang, who hadn't escaped the formation in time. Even the strange power generated was refined and rapidly dissolved.

Pangu was greatly shocked. His hands were trembling slightly. These three axes had eighty percent of their power, yet they had only temporarily broken the great formation, and only for the blink of an eye.

"Attack the formation's core, the Eight Trigrams Platform is... it!" Xuanhuang's somewhat weak voice echoed from Pangu's Sea of Consciousness. Pangu knew Xuanhuang must have used his divine abilities; he had never seen him display them in all these years. "Six advances to two, three advances to five, five is earth, in the central palace. The palaces of the Eight Trigrams return to the central palace every four steps."

Following the numbers of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, Pangu felt himself step and turn, as if entering another space. An Eight Trigrams Platform appeared, surrounded by yellow and black Qi. Two Daoists sat cross-legged on the two centers of the Yin Yang fish, which revolved in a mystical trajectory.

Perhaps sensing the approaching danger, two spiritual energies, one black and one yellow, floated from the heads of the two Daoists, twisting to form a being resembling a Xuanhuang demon god, its yellow and black Qi flowing, exuding supreme might.

Pangu's spirits soared upon seeing this. Another worthy opponent.

Just then, Xuanhuang's voice sounded in his mind, "That demon god is all show and no substance; it cannot leave the Eight Trigrams Platform by more than a foot. Don't get entangled with that demon god. I have already held off those two. Quickly break the formation's core."

The demon god, seeing Pangu not approaching, seemed to understand his intentions and roared furiously.

Yellow Springs and Netherworld, who were setting up the formation, felt the demon god's roar but were helpless. It could be said that they and Xuanhuang were mutually trapping each other.

Pangu knew he couldn't afford to delay. Gathering his last bit of spirit, energy, and essence, he wielded the Pangu Axe and unleashed the three Sky-Opening styles. Axe shadows rained down, carrying the power of rules, striking the Eight Trigrams Platform. Although the platform was protected by an invisible force, the first axe shattered it. The second axe dispersed the demon god, and the third axe touched the Eight Trigrams Platform.

With a "boom," the Eight Trigrams Platform shattered. The ferocious demon god also vanished into smoke. Pangu was not unscathed; his body couldn't withstand the backlash of the three Sky-Opening styles. His body cracked, revealing shocking bloodstains, and half of his right hand, which held the Pangu Axe, was shattered.

Yellow Springs and Netherworld on the Eight Trigrams Platform each spat out a mouthful of blood, their expressions withered. Just as they were about to speak, their faces changed drastically, and they roared, "Xuanhuang, that bastard, how ruthless!" Their life force then rapidly began to fade.

It turned out the demon god at the Eight Trigrams Platform was connected energetically to the two outside the formation. When one was strong, the other was weak. Xuanhuang's strongest divine ability was defense. If not for the mutual restraint between him and Netherworld and Yellow Springs, almost no one could have broken his defense.

In the midst of crisis, he suddenly had an epiphany. Relying on his years of comprehending the Way of Non-Action, he cast out large amounts of Xuanhuang Qi, letting the Two Forms Array devour it. However, the situation wasn't entirely unfavorable; the large amounts of Xuanhuang Qi also devoured Yellow Springs and Netherworld. The two sides began to restrain each other. To suppress Xuanhuang, Yellow Springs and Netherworld had to draw heavily on the energy of the Eight Trigrams Platform, significantly weakening its defensive power. This also gave Pangu an opportunity. Moreover, Pangu possessed the Rule of Strength, which could break anything; otherwise, the outcome might have been different.

When Pangu shattered the Eight Trigrams Platform, Yellow Springs and Netherworld's Primordial Spirits within the platform lost contact with the Two Forms Array. The Yin Yang Qi that had been suppressing Xuanhuang Qi became masterless and was instantly devoured by Xuanhuang in large quantities. Yellow Springs and Netherworld were powerless to reclaim it.

Xuanhuang felt that after this battle, his magic power had surged from the mid-stage Hunyuan to the late-stage, with faint signs of breaking through the late-stage Hunyuan realm. This was truly a blessing in disguise.

Xuanhuang entered the formation's core and saw Pangu meditating and recovering. He bowed and said, "Many thanks, fellow Daoist."

Pangu also stabilized his injuries and said calmly, "Thank you, fellow Daoist."

Xuanhuang looked at Yellow Springs and Netherworld on the Eight Trigrams Platform and shook his head helplessly. He noticed that their life force was gone, and the Primordial Violet Qi within them had dissipated. If not for the residual spiritual energy in the formation, their Dao bodies would have vanished.

Xuanhuang felt great sorrow. They were all Chaos Demon Gods born from the Great Dao, yet they had to kill each other here. With a wave of his sleeve, Yellow Springs and Netherworld turned to dust. He murmured, "Dust to dust, earth to earth."