Three vows rang out at once, shaking heaven and earth.
The karmic force entwined around the three clan leaders seemed to lessen considerably at that moment.
The Great Dao sensed their vows, and a profoundly mysterious power descended from the heavens, enveloping the surviving members of the three clans.
Ancestral Dragon, Yuanfeng, and Primordial Qilin turned around at the same time and led their surviving clansmen away in three different directions.
The Dragon Clan withdrew to the East Sea, the Phoenix Clan to the Undying Volcano in the south, and the Qilin Clan to the foot of Mount Buzhou.
They withdrew from the stage of the struggle for supremacy over the Primordial World.
Behind them, within the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, the battle between Luo Hou and the four mighty beings continued.
But the three clan leaders no longer had the heart to follow that battle.
They knew only that, from that day forward, the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans would no longer be the overlords of the Primordial World.
Their former glory, their former struggles for supremacy, and their former slaughter would all become things of the past.
The surviving clansmen followed silently behind their leaders, heading toward the places where they belonged.
Their eyes held sorrow, exhaustion, and the relief of a great burden lifted.
The war was over.
Within the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, sword qi crisscrossed, and killing intent soared into the sky.
The four Immortal-Slaying Swords each hung in a different quarter. The killing intent and baleful energy on their blades intertwined into an impenetrable net, trapping Yin-Yang Ancestor, Yang Mei, Qiankun Ancestor, and Hong Jun firmly within the formation.
Yin-Yang Ancestor unfurled the Taiji Diagram, and yin and yang qi became a millstone of interwoven black and white, slowly turning and grinding the sword qi sweeping in to slaughter him to pieces.
As the millstone turned, faint visions appeared of heaven and earth first opening and yin and yang dividing, wondrous beyond measure.
But the sword qi of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation flowed without end, every strand containing Luo Hou's boundless killing intent. Even the Taiji Diagram's yin-yang millstone trembled slightly beneath its impact.
Yang Mei channeled Chaos Qi, forming a chaos barrier around himself.
The Chaos Qi churned ceaselessly, devouring and dissolving all the sword qi that approached.
Yang Mei's Dao of Chaos was unfathomably profound and could devour all things, but the sword qi of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation was too fierce. Each time he devoured it, he had to expend a great deal of magical power.
Qiankun Ancestor protected himself with the power of heaven and earth, gathering it around him into an invisible barrier.
The barrier was as massive and solid as a mountain. Sword qi struck it with the clang of metal against metal, yet could not penetrate it in the slightest.
But Qiankun Ancestor's expression was far from relaxed. He could feel the sword formation's power steadily increasing while his own power of heaven and earth was steadily depleted.
Hong Jun shook the Pangu Banner. Chaos Qi churned ceaselessly across its surface, becoming waves of power like those that had cleaved heaven and earth apart, sweeping aside the surrounding sword qi one strand after another.
The Pangu Banner had been formed from the great axe Great God Pangu used to cleave heaven and earth apart, and its might was boundless. Yet within the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, even the Pangu Banner could not unleash its full power.
Each of the four employed his own means, struggling to hold out within the sword formation.
Though they could withstand the sword qi's attacks, they could not find an opening to break the formation.
Luo Hou stood at the center of the sword formation, the four Immortal-Slaying Swords circling him, his eyes filled with icy killing intent.
"Hong Jun, even with all four of you joining forces, this is all you amount to." Luo Hou's voice echoed through the sword formation, carrying a hint of mockery. "The Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation can only be broken by four saints.
"Though the four of you are not weak, you are still far from being able to break my sword formation."
Hong Jun said nothing, merely watching Luo Hou coldly. His gaze was calm and deep, as though he were looking at a man about to die.
The stalemate continued for a long time.
Luo Hou's Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation was indeed wondrous. The four Immortal-Slaying Swords resonated with one another, forming an almost indestructible barrier.
But Hong Jun could sense that the sword formation was not without weaknesses.
Luo Hou had to sustain it with his own magical power. Once that power was depleted to a certain degree, flaws would appear in the formation.
The problem was that Luo Hou's magical power was unfathomable, and the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying continuously absorbed the energy of slaughter from the battlefield to replenish it. Who knew how long they would have to wait to exhaust his power?
With a thought, Hong Jun decided to hold nothing back.
Three figures suddenly appeared beside him.
All three looked exactly like Hong Jun.
One held a horsetail whisk, his aura peaceful;
one held a longsword, his aura fierce;
one held the Jade Ruyi, his aura profound and mysterious.
They were none other than Hong Jun's Three Corpses: his good corpse, evil corpse, and self corpse.
As soon as the Three Corpses appeared, each flew in a different direction.
The good corpse helped Yin-Yang Ancestor withstand the sword qi, the evil corpse helped Qiankun Ancestor break the formation, and the self corpse helped Yang Mei hold his ground.
Hong Jun himself channeled the Pangu Banner with all his might, launching a fierce assault on the sword formation's core.
Luo Hou's expression changed slightly.
He had not expected Hong Jun to have severed all Three Corpses, let alone for each corpse to possess strength no weaker than his true body.
With the Three Corpses joining the battle, the pressure on the sword formation abruptly increased.
Seizing the opportunity, Hong Jun brought forth another supreme treasure: the Creation Jade Disc.
The disc was crystalline throughout and radiated the light of chaos. Densely packed runes covered its surface, as though it contained the most fundamental power of creation in all heaven and earth.
The moment the Creation Jade Disc appeared, the entire sword formation trembled slightly, as though sensing some power that countered it.
Hong Jun formed seals with both hands, and the Creation Jade Disc slowly rose to hover above his head.
The runes on the disc lit up one by one. The light of chaos grew ever brighter, becoming a pillar of light that shot straight into the heavens.
"Creation Jade Disc, cleave the heavens!"
With a low shout from Hong Jun, the light of chaos on the Creation Jade Disc erupted, becoming a force like that which had cleaved heaven and earth apart and blasting toward the sword formation's core.
Wherever that power passed, sword qi shattered, and killing intent swiftly melted away like ice and snow beneath the sun.
Luo Hou's expression changed drastically. He drove the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying with all his might, trying to withstand the Creation Jade Disc's power.
But the Creation Jade Disc's power of creation and the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation's power of slaughter were inherently opposed.
Wherever the light of creation shone, the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation's runes began to disintegrate, and the four Immortal-Slaying Swords hummed uneasily.
Boom-!
With a tremendous crash, the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation shattered. The four Immortal-Slaying Swords turned into four streaks of light and flew back to circle Luo Hou.
The backlash from the sword formation's destruction turned Luo Hou's face pale, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Yin-Yang Ancestor, Yang Mei, Qiankun Ancestor, and Hong Jun emerged from the shattered sword formation and surrounded Luo Hou.
Luo Hou's expression darkened. He knew that things would not end well for him today.
But he did not panic. Instead, he smiled coldly and raised a hand, bringing forth two supreme treasures.
A pitch-black spear, its shaft exuding an aura that could destroy everything: the God-Slaying Spear.
A black lotus of twelve grades, slowly turning and exuding an aura of destruction and devouring: the Twelfth-Grade Destruction Black Lotus.
As soon as the two supreme treasures appeared, Luo Hou's aura surged.
With the God-Slaying Spear in hand, his killing intent grew fiercer; with the Twelfth-Grade Destruction Black Lotus protecting him, his defenses grew stronger.
"Hong Jun, do you think you can defeat me just because you broke the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation?"
Luo Hou's voice was cold and arrogant. "Today, I'll show you what the true Dao of Slaughter is!"
Holding the God-Slaying Spear and standing atop the Twelfth-Grade Destruction Black Lotus, he charged at the four.
Wherever the God-Slaying Spear passed, space itself was torn apart. The destructive power at its tip was enough to pierce through anything.
The petals of the Twelfth-Grade Destruction Black Lotus slowly turned, blocking the four men's attacks one after another.
But two fists could hardly contend against four hands.
Though Luo Hou was immensely powerful and wielded two supreme treasures, he ultimately struggled to hold out against the combined strength of Hong Jun, Yin-Yang Ancestor, Yang Mei, and Qiankun Ancestor.
The God-Slaying Spear thrust out, its tip heading straight for Yin-Yang Ancestor.
Yin-Yang Ancestor unfurled the Taiji Diagram, and yin and yang qi became a millstone as he tried to block it.
But the God-Slaying Spear's destructive power was too fierce. It actually pierced the Taiji Diagram's defenses and drove into Yin-Yang Ancestor's shoulder.
Yin-Yang Ancestor grunted, blood spraying as he reeled backward.
Luo Hou turned and swept his spear across at Qiankun Ancestor.
Qiankun Ancestor gathered the power of heaven and earth into a barrier, but the God-Slaying Spear's tip tore through it, leaving a deep wound across his chest.
Qiankun Ancestor retreated, coughing blood, his face deathly pale.
Though Luo Hou had severely wounded Yin-Yang Ancestor and Qiankun Ancestor, he had paid a price himself.
Hong Jun's Pangu Banner slammed into his back, sending his qi and blood churning;
Yang Mei's Chaos Qi eroded the divine light protecting his body, opening a gap in his defenses; Yin-Yang Ancestor and Qiankun Ancestor had also struck back as they were wounded, severely injuring him.
Luo Hou stood in the center of the battlefield, drenched in blood. There was no fear in his eyes, only madness.
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