The Four Swords of Zhu Xian

Neither bronze nor iron, neither copper nor steel; once hidden beneath Mount Sumeru. Without reversing yin and yang to temper them, how could water and fire hone their edges? The Immortal-Slaying Sword was sharp, the Immortal-Killing Sword brought death; the Immortal-Trapping Sword sent red light flashing everywhere. The Immortal-Severing Sword changed in countless wondrous ways, staining the robes of Great Luo immortals with blood.

The powerful sword energy seemed capable of bringing the four people present to their deaths in an instant.

"Wasn't the Immortal Execution Sword Formation supposed to be unfinished? Weren't four people supposed to be enough to break it? With power like this, four people would hardly be enough!!!!"

The four Ancestors' expressions changed dramatically.

"Retreat!"

Seeing this, Old Ancestor Yang Mei didn't dare stay any longer. He flashed away from the place with the other two Ancestors.

Shi Chen had already used the Innate Supreme Treasure Shi Chen Bamboo Flute to reverse time and flee the moment he saw the formation's power.

Faced with power like this, he had nothing but the Shi Chen Bamboo Flute. If he didn't run, was he supposed to wait for death? Aside from his Innate Supreme Treasure, he had nothing to his name as an Ancestor-level figure.

It was mainly because he had emerged too late. If he had emerged at the same time as the other Ancestors, then after several epochs of cultivation, he wouldn't have been in such a sorry state, no matter what.

After the four Ancestors left, Luohu finally breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Fortunately, this was Mount Sumeru, in the West. With the Western ley lines supporting him, he had been able to scare the four of them away.

If they'd been somewhere else, things would have been touch and go for him today.

But he hadn't expected that old bastard Hongjun to be so despicable, actually trying to use others to stop him. Hmph. Next time, he'd make Hongjun pay.

Far away on Jade Capital Mountain, Hongjun sneezed.

"These people..."

Hongjun's mouth twitched. What could he say? He just couldn't find a decent person to deal with.

Yang Mei would make accusations at the drop of a hat, and abandon his allies just as readily.

Wonderful.

"Ah, I'll let you run wild for a while longer."

Hongjun shook his head and thought to himself.

Using Great Dao Power to capture the transmigrators now wasn't the wisest choice.

The Great Dao stood behind the systems. Although he was invincible in his own world, he still had to wait until they'd handed over everything they had.

That way, he'd come out ahead either way.

The best time to reap the rewards was after the systems had spit out all their energy. If he alerted them now, the systems might self-destruct, and he'd lose a great deal of resources.

Besides, he hadn't squeezed all the value out of them yet.

Even in death, they should die with a purpose—for instance, by transforming into the Dao, becoming part of the Dao within the Primordial World and helping complete the world.

"Still, the Great Dao behind Yang Mei is far too poor, isn't it? It didn't even give him a system. Did it really send him here empty-handed, expecting to get something for nothing? Or does it have that much faith in Yang Mei's talent, thinking he can reach Primordial Unity without a system?"

Hongjun shook his head, a cold smile on his lips.

He couldn't tell whether this Great Dao thought too highly of Yang Mei or too little of him.

Getting something for nothing? It must be dreaming.

A thousand years later.

"So, you three came back just like that? Where's Daoist Shi Chen?"

Hongjun regarded the three battered Ancestors with an odd expression.

They'd taken Shi Chen along, and all four of them had been scared off...

He'd known this would happen, but seeing the three of them in such a sorry state in person nearly made Hongjun burst out laughing.

"Daoist Hongjun, this is your fault. If you'd gone with us, why would we have had to seek out that bully who only picks on the weak, Shi Chen? And how would this have happened?"

Yang Mei reproached Hongjun:

"The Four Swords of Zhu Xian cannot be broken unless four people arrive together. That is no empty claim—and they have to be powerful. Someone like Daoist Shi Chen simply wasn't up to it."

This time, he was determined to take Hongjun with them, no matter what.

The main problem was that Shi Chen had been utterly useless. As soon as he'd seen how strong their opponent was, he'd fled, reversing time before anyone else.

What had happened had left Yang Mei stunned. He couldn't believe this was the same Shi Chen who had charged to the front when they faced Pangu.

"Ah, Daoist Yang Mei, I hardly know what to say."

Hongjun pretended to calculate for a moment, then looked at them with an air of helplessness.

"Please, Daoist Hongjun, speak freely. We have faith in your calculations."

Old Ancestor Qiankun glanced at the other two Ancestors. When he saw that neither seemed inclined to speak, he had no choice but to speak up.

"Ah, then I'll say it. You three were all frightened by Luohu."

Hongjun looked at the three of them and shook his head as though he couldn't help it.

"Let me ask you: did you see an array diagram in the Immortal Execution Sword Formation?"

"There was no array diagram."

Yang Mei shook his head.

Hongjun nodded.

"Then that explains it. Without an array diagram, the Four Swords of Zhu Xian are nothing more than four sharp swords—at most, top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. Luohu merely used the vast ley lines of the West to unleash their sword energy, making them seem powerful and imposing, even as though you were facing heaven and earth. But in truth, they were all show and no substance."

"What!"

Old Ancestor Qiankun cried out.

"You mean he bluffed us?"

"That's right."

Hongjun nodded.

When Yang Mei heard this, his expression changed. He bitterly regretted it; he hadn't expected to let such a great opportunity slip away.

Hongjun continued:

"But by now, it's too late to kill Luohu."

"What do you mean, Daoist Hongjun?"

Old Ancestor Yin-Yang furrowed his brow slightly.

"Because his scheme has already been exposed. So, to increase his strength, he's now uprooting some of the Western ley lines and turning them into the Immortal Execution Array Diagram."

"Surely not! Would Daoist Luohu really do something so mad?"

Old Ancestor Yin-Yang was aghast.

If the West lost its ley lines, its once-fertile lands would become barren in an instant. And uprooting the ley lines meant... meant there'd be no chance of them growing back.

"Heh, Daoist Yin-Yang, you still underestimate Luohu. He wants to destroy the world. What wouldn't he do?"

Hongjun sneered.

"By my estimate, he'll now speed up his efforts to stir up conflict among the three clans."

"Then we must hurry and stop him."

Yang Mei said solemnly:

"This time, Daoist Hongjun, you must come with us. Otherwise, even if we die fighting in the West, we will never return!"

This time, he was truly determined to see it through.

Luohu was so powerful. Once the momentum of the Heavenly Dao took hold in the future, what chance would they have of surviving?

So they had to get Hongjun to the West and kill Luohu.

As for Hongjun, if he wasn't a fool, he'd know what choice to make.

Yang Mei believed that if he used the three of their lives to pressure him, Hongjun would surely go.

"..."

The smile on Hongjun's face froze.

Why did Yang Mei still think he was plotting against him?

But after a moment's thought, he said to himself:

"Since the three of you are so determined, I suppose I'll have to risk my life and accompany you. Let us go together."

Hongjun sighed, then put on a smile.