No! Hongjun Definitely Has a Conspiracy (Two-in-One Special)

"To be honest with you all, I have already understood the Heavenly Secrets. If we force our way through this Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, Yin-Yang Daoist will die, Qiankun Daoist will die, and Yang Mei Daoist will exhaust his origin and flee into Chaos, never to return to the Primordial World. Even knowing that this will be the outcome, do you still intend to enter the formation?"

"What!!!"

Everyone present couldn't help exclaiming.

"You... how did you know?"

Yang Mei's expression turned strange. Hongjun had actually revealed the Heavenly Secrets?

How strange.

Could he have some other scheme?

Or was this a feint, mixing truth with lies to scare them off?

Yes, that had to be it.

The Heavenly Secrets he'd told them were real, but not entirely. They weren't the Heavenly Secrets of the present, but those of the future.

If they delayed until Luohu's power was fully established, they might have no choice but to return and break the formation. Luohu could naturally bring about such an outcome then.

But Luohu's power wasn't fully established yet. If they were more careful, how could something like that happen?

Hongjun, you old schemer! I don't believe a word you say. You rotten old man, you're full of tricks.

Convinced he'd guessed Hongjun's intentions, Yang Mei gave a cold laugh.

No matter what Hongjun said, he was going to drag him into the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation today.

Either they would live together, or die together. Let's see what he did about that.

"Daoist Hongjun, how did you know?"

Yin-Yang Ancestor and Qiankun Ancestor were both curious. Why could Hongjun describe the outcome of this battle so clearly?

"Because I have already understood the Heavenly Secrets."

Hongjun said:

"The outcome of forcing our way through the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation is predetermined. As long as we engage, this is certain to be the result."

The tribulation had yet to begin, and the Heavenly Secrets were clear. Even though Hongjun wasn't the Great Dao, he could see everything clearly through the Jade Disk of Creation.

The outcome of this battle: two would die, one would withdraw, and one would survive.

The survivor would naturally be Hongjun, while the one who withdrew would be Yang Mei. As for the dead... there was no need to say more. They would be Yin-Yang Ancestor and Qiankun Ancestor.

No matter when this battle took place, its outcome was predetermined.

After all, the Primordial World hadn't yet been thoroughly muddled by transmigrators. Even if Hongjun, as the Great Dao, didn't alter the rules, the Heavenly Dao would still run its course.

This was fate, fate arranged by the Heavenly Dao.

Of course, as the Great Dao, Hongjun could also change those rules at will and alter everyone's fate.

He could do it, but there was no need.

First, arbitrarily changing fate wasn't a good idea. The butterfly effect was real, and it might affect innocent native beings.

Second, why should Hongjun change the course of fate for two damn transmigrators?

In short, transmigrators were all enemies. If he hadn't been awake as the Great Dao, who knew how much energy the world would have had stolen from it?

They'd come to steal energy. Though the transmigrators didn't know it, each and every one of them wanted to kick Hongjun aside, roam the Primordial World, and marry a goddess. Hongjun had no reason to keep them around.

But for the Great Dao to hunt transmigrators itself would also break the rules.

If the Great Dao acted directly, who would send transmigrators here anymore?

And if no transmigrators were sent here, where would Hongjun get all that energy?

So Hongjun wouldn't act against the transmigrators, giving the other Great Daos the false impression that he was asleep. When the harvest came, the other Great Daos would merely assume that the transmigrators had gone too far and awakened him.

Hongjun didn't need to use the Great Dao's power in this battle, because everything followed the Heavenly Dao's original course of fate.

The Heavenly Dao had arranged it all clearly.

This battle was destined to end this way.

"Daoist Hongjun seems to be far ahead of us in understanding the Heavenly Secrets."

Yin-Yang Ancestor smiled, his eyes showing a hint of envy and relief.

What did it matter if he died for the beings of the Primordial World?

Death would be a kind of release, too.

Of course, it would be best not to die.

"Daoist Hongjun, Luohu won't come out, so we have no other choice."

Qiankun Ancestor sighed softly.

How could he not want to live?

But things didn't always go as one wished. Some things were predetermined.

And if they were predetermined, all they could do was face them.

At least they would save the countless beings of the Primordial World.

"That's right. This battle can't be avoided. We're the only ones in the world who can stop Luohu."

Yang Mei nodded.

"We have to enter the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation and deal with Luohu."

Hongjun, no matter how you try to scare me, it won't work. They may believe you, but I don't!

Luohu isn't that strong yet.

The four of us are working together. I can't imagine how we could possibly lose.

"Though I, Yin-Yang Ancestor, am no good person, I know what must be done... This is not only for the countless beings of the Primordial World. Even if we don't act now, we'll surely die at Luohu's hands someday. If our fate is already set, then what does it matter if I, Yin-Yang Ancestor, die for the countless beings of the Primordial World?"

Yin-Yang Ancestor continued:

"Why not give it our all? Perhaps there's still a chance we'll survive! The Heavenly Dao has fifty paths, but only forty-nine are fixed; one escapes its grasp. We still have a sliver of hope."

"Your righteousness is admirable, fellow Daoists. I respect you!"

Hongjun bowed to Yang Mei, Qiankun, and Yin-Yang.

To be honest, he felt a bit more respect for Yin-Yang Ancestor now.

Of the four, perhaps he was the only one who truly had the beings of the Primordial World in mind.

Of course, Qiankun Ancestor was good, too. He cared about the common folk as well.

As for Yang Mei... Hongjun didn't know what to make of him, but he could see that Yang Mei didn't only want to change his own fate. He wanted to change the fates of his two old friends as well.

It would've been even better if he weren't so hostile toward him.

It turned out that transmigrators could be good people, too.

"Fellow Daoists, Luohu has set up this formation. It cannot be broken unless four people each take one of the four swords. Anyone beyond that number won't be able to help, and might even die needlessly. Moreover, Daoist Wangshu's fate does not lie here. In my view, Daoist Wangshu should hold the line outside. What do you think?"

Hongjun gave Wangshu a deep look.

He had to admit that she was beautiful, and her whole body radiated the Dao of Taiyin.

But her fate didn't lie in the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation. It lay in transforming herself into the moon.

"Ha ha ha ha, Daoist Hongjun, are you worried that Daoist Wangshu might get hurt?"

Yin-Yang Ancestor laughed heartily.

That was right. This old brother had misunderstood, thinking that Hongjun's deep look meant he had feelings for her or something.

Hongjun: "..."

"Daoist, don't speak nonsense. The Heavenly Secrets are clear: Daoist Wangshu's fate does not lie here. I am merely following Heaven's will, so nothing unexpected happens."

But somehow, that explanation made things worse...

Wangshu's face flushed, and her limpid eyes turned toward Hongjun.

Hmm... Daoist Hongjun really was different now, and this wasn't some transformation technique, either.

"Ahem, Yin-Yang, we should at least spare Daoist Wangshu's feelings. Some things are better left unsaid, even if we all know."

Qiankun Ancestor cleared his throat twice and patted Yin-Yang Ancestor on the shoulder, then gave Hongjun a look that said, I understand.

Hongjun: "..."

You understand, too?

"Uh..."

Everyone present was speechless.

Yang Mei was even more speechless. So this was what the old Ancestors of the Primordial World were like?

He suddenly felt that changing the habits of his previous life all these years had been a mistake.

"Enough idle talk. The Four Swords of Zhu Xian together are already equal to an Innate Supreme Treasure. Now that the Immortal Execution Array Diagram is bolstering them, their power has increased several times over."

Hongjun's expression grew serious. He said earnestly:

"We must be careful and not get trapped in that formation."

Hongjun smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoists, I look forward to sitting down and discussing the Dao after we defeat Luohu."

Hongjun truly looked forward to it. With fate already set, could they become the one who escaped its grasp?

Hongjun now acknowledged Yin-Yang Ancestor and was willing to call him a fellow Daoist.

Those novels had all been nonsense. Weren't all these early Ancestors of the Primordial World people who cared deeply for it?

They had their own selfish motives, of course, but they could have stayed out of sight and fled into Chaos when facing Luohu. That would have let them survive.

Yet, after learning their fate, they still stepped forward without hesitation, ready to die for the countless beings of the Primordial World.

People like them deserved to be called fellow Daoists by Hongjun.

"Ha ha ha ha, Daoist Hongjun, I look forward to it as well. I'll take the southern entrance."

Yin-Yang Ancestor laughed heartily, then headed toward the southern entrance of the formation.

He was remarkably carefree.

"Ha ha, I look forward to it, too. Take care, fellow Daoists!"

Qiankun Ancestor cupped his fist and smiled, then entered through the western entrance.

Yang Mei Ancestor glanced solemnly at Hongjun before choosing the northern entrance.

Once everyone entered the formation, Luohu would surely die!

Then he wouldn't have to live in constant fear anymore.

So many times, when he was cultivating, a heart demon had appeared. Every time, Yang Mei Ancestor saw the same scene.

He himself was cut down by Luohu, then burned his last trace of origin to flee into Chaos, and then... Hongjun looted his belongings through tears.

After this battle, that nightmare could finally end.

Without a doubt, Hongjun would enter from the eastern side.

This was Heaven's will.

Even though he knew there was a ninety-nine percent chance he would die, he still entered the formation without hesitation, prepared to meet his end...

Of course, only Yang Mei thought that everything he was doing went against Heaven, changed his fate, and won him a sliver of hope—a chance to remain in the Primordial World.

"Daoist Wangshu, if any Daoist should fall, you must immediately take their place."

Hongjun turned to Wangshu and reminded her.

"I understand, Daoist Hongjun. Go ahead."

Wangshu nodded.

Of those present, Hongjun, Qiankun, Yang Mei, and Yin-Yang weren't truly good people.

But there was one difference.

If any one of them became a Saint, they would leave the other Daoists a way to live. Only Luohu, if he became a Saint, would never leave anyone a chance to survive!

They had come here claiming to seek justice, uphold righteousness, and protect the Primordial World, but really, they wanted to stay alive.

Only by surviving could they better protect the countless beings of the Primordial World, after all. LOL.

Hongjun was the exception, of course. He didn't live in the Chaos Purple Cloud Palace; he'd come purely to experience life.

And what he'd gained from that experience was his fellow Daoists.

This was the first time he'd felt the simple, unadorned atmosphere of the Primordial World.

There was the forthright Yin-Yang and Qiankun, Yang Mei, who was always trying to show off and scheme against him, and Wangshu, whom he'd "just met" a thousand years ago.

Wangshu truly cared about the Primordial World and had come for the sake of its countless beings, but... with her strength, going in to take the lead would just be throwing her life away.

Hongjun, Great Immortal Yang Mei, Yin-Yang Ancestor, and Qiankun Ancestor all entered the formation together. Luohu immediately activated the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation.

The four divine swords of slaughter immediately blazed with ten thousand rays of red light. Streams of sword qi capable of shattering Chaos surged from the four swords.

Every strand of sword qi was equivalent to Luohu's full-power attack.

That was what made the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation so terrifying. Even when wielded by a Saint, it could amplify the Saint's sword qi without limit.

That was why the saying that the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation could only be broken by four Saints was no exaggeration.

Fortunately, the one presiding over the formation wasn't a Saint, but merely a Quasi-Saint. Otherwise, any Quasi-Saint who entered would probably turn into a pool of blood in an instant.

In an instant!

The formation filled with endless sword qi howling like a gale, churning with the power of Heaven and Earth. The forces of Chaos, Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind surged forth.

Thunder crashed, mountains and rivers trembled, red light flared, silver snakes of lightning danced, and in the blink of an eye, misty clouds obscured their vision.

The violent winds of sword qi were enough to make a Great Luo Golden Immortal vanish in an instant.

Sword qi crisscrossed, and Heaven and Earth lost their color; the sun and moon dimmed.

At that moment, tens of thousands of figures outside the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation watched the battle within, their hearts shaken.

They were cultivators who had hurried over after hearing the commotion.

Among them were members of the Dragon Race, Qilin Race, and Phoenix Race, as well as rogue cultivators and innate beings from all over.

An innate being at the Great Luo Golden Immortal level accidentally touched the sword-qi gale from the Absolute Immortal Sword and instantly turned into a pool of blood.

The eastern entrance through which Hongjun had entered was the Immortal Slaying Gate!

Before him stretched an endless torrent of raging sword qi.

Facing the boundless sword qi, his expression remained calm. With a wave of his hand, a pitch-black banner appeared in it. He tossed it into the air, and it transformed into a colossal object that blotted out the sky.

A gray, chaotic aura spread outward from it. The enormous banner trembled slightly, and endless Chaos Sword Qi shot out from it, no less powerful than the Immortal Slaying Sword Qi.

This treasure was called the Pangu Banner!

With the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Pangu Banner, Hongjun could protect his body from the Immortal Slaying Sword Qi.

Yin-Yang Ancestor entered through the Immortal Slaying Gate, where the Lesser Immortal Sword presided over slaughter. Anyone swept by its sword light would instantly be reduced to the Dao; their souls would shatter.

Yin-Yang Ancestor wore a confident expression. He swept out his hand, and a black-and-white Dao diagram he had prepared in advance appeared out of nowhere. It was none other than the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Taiji Diagram!

The Taiji Diagram was said to suppress primordial chaos, increase fortune, and stabilize Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind.

As soon as the diagram appeared, Heaven and Earth split into black and white. The clear rose and the turbid sank, while a golden bridge emerged, stabilizing Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind beneath the Lesser Immortal Sword.

Waves of treasure light illuminated a world stretching thousands of miles, filling it with rosy clouds and auspicious vapors, as if Heaven had bestowed merit when Pangu created Heaven and perished.