Intercepting Luo Hou

"Interesting." Ancestral Dragon's lips curved slightly, a trace of amusement flashing through his eyes.

"The restriction contained the power of my Dragon Clan. The instant someone broke it, I sensed it.

To break a restriction jointly laid by us, they do have some skill."

He pondered for a moment, yet instead of becoming angry, he smiled faintly.

The Sha Qi within that seal had always been a thorn in his heart. The Sha Qi of the ferocious beast race was too violent to be purified and could only be sealed away.

But a seal was never a long-term solution. After countless ages, the day would inevitably come when it loosened.

When that happened, if that Sha Qi leaked out, it would become another troublesome matter.

Now that someone had resolved this problem for him, he was happy before he even had time to be angry. Why would he fly into a rage?

"Forget it." Ancestral Dragon smiled lightly. "No matter who broke that seal, they have done me a favor.

With that Sha Qi purified, I have one less worry weighing on my heart."

He shook his head and thought no more of it.

"Let them do as they please."

Ancestral Dragon returned to the dragon throne and closed his eyes.

Within the Domain of Southern Bright Flame, atop the Sacred Parasol Tree.

Primordial Phoenix sat at the crown of the tree, blazing flames surging around her as wisdom gleamed within her phoenix eyes.

She too had sensed the instant the seal was broken. The power of the Phoenix Clan's Nirvana Flame within it had been laid down by her own hand.

"The restriction has been broken?" Primordial Phoenix raised a brow slightly, surprise flashing through her phoenix eyes. "That restriction contains the power of my Phoenix Clan. There are not many who could break it."

She pondered for a moment, yet showed no anger. Instead, a trace of relief appeared on her face.

The Sha Qi within that seal truly had been a hidden danger.

The Sha Qi of the ferocious beast race was too violent. Though it had been sealed away for countless ages, there had been no sign of it dissipating.

At times, she had worried that if something went wrong with the seal and that Sha Qi leaked out, it might trigger another great calamity.

Now that the seal had been broken and the Sha Qi purified, she instead let out a sigh of relief.

"That saves me some trouble." Primordial Phoenix murmured, a trace of approval flashing through her phoenix eyes. "No matter who did it, they have done a good deed for the Primordial World."

She closed her eyes and continued comprehending the Heavenly Dao. The breaking of that seal was like wind passing over water: once the ripples faded, no trace remained.

At the foot of Mount Buzhou, upon Qilin Cliff.

Primordial Qilin sat upon the summit of the cliff, an oppressive might as heavy as mountains radiating from his body.

He too had sensed the instant the seal was broken. The power of earth from the Qilin Clan within it had been laid down by his own hand.

"The restriction has been broken?" Primordial Qilin's voice was as steady as the earth, carrying a hint of contemplation. "That restriction contains the power of my Qilin Clan. Whoever broke it is no weakling."

He fell silent for a moment, yet made no move, merely nodding slightly.

The Sha Qi within that seal truly had been troublesome.

The Sha Qi of the ferocious beast race was utterly incompatible with the Qilin Clan's power of earth. When he had set up the seal back then, he had already felt that it was not a lasting solution.

Now that the seal had been broken and the Sha Qi purified, it had instead settled one of his concerns.

"That is fine." Primordial Qilin smiled faintly. "With that Sha Qi purified by someone, I have one less thing on my mind."

He closed his eyes and continued cultivating.

The breaking of that seal was like a gust of wind through the mountains: after it passed, no trace remained.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the Primordial World, within a deep and secluded cave abode.

A black-robed man sat cross-legged, a sharp and violent aura pervading his body.

Before him floated four longswords. Overwhelming killing intent and Sha Qi radiated from their blades, as though they wished to devour every living being.

Those four swords were the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying.

The Immortal-Slaying Sword, the Immortal-Killing Sword, the Immortal-Trapping Sword, and the Immortal-Ending Sword.

This black-robed man was Luo Hou.

He too had sensed the instant the seal was broken.

Unlike the other great powers, his reaction was not relief, but fury.

"The restriction... was broken?!"

Luo Hou abruptly opened his eyes, a violent gleam flashing through those pitch-black pupils.

His expression darkened terribly, and the aura around him sharpened. As though sensing their master's fury, the four Immortal-Slaying swords trembled in unison, releasing piercing hums.

He had plotted over that seal for countless ages.

Unlike the other great powers, Luo Hou had never wished for that seal to remain forever.

To him, that Sha Qi was the finest resource.

His Four Swords of Immortal Slaying needed endless Sha Qi for tempering before they could unleash their greatest might.

And the ferocious beast Sha Qi within that seal had long been his target.

Throughout these great cycles, he had been preparing.

He had studied every detail of the restriction and deduced the operating principles of every kind of power.

He had even secretly left a hidden passage in the restriction, one that would allow him to pass through it without a sound and without alerting the other great powers.

His plan was simple: pass through the restriction, enter the sealed land, and use the Sha Qi there to temper the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying.

At the same time, he would shatter the seal and release the Sha Qi into heaven and earth.

Once Sha Qi spread everywhere, it would inevitably intensify the struggle between the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans.

The more fiercely the three clans fought, the heavier the killing aura of the Primordial World would become, and the stronger his Four Swords of Immortal Slaying would grow.

It was a plan that would kill two birds with one stone.

He had prepared for countless ages and deduced it countless times. Once he had confirmed that nothing could go wrong, he had been about to act.

Yet someone had snatched it from under his nose.

"Who?!" Luo Hou's voice was low and icy, like frost from beneath the Nine Netherworlds.

He abruptly rose to his feet. The four Immortal-Slaying swords circled around him, the killing intent on their blades nearly solidifying into substance.

He closed his eyes and began to calculate.

With his cultivation and his understanding of that restriction, so long as someone had broken it, he would be able to deduce their identity.

The restriction contained the hidden passage he had left behind. By following that thread of connection, he could trace it back to its source.

However—

A moment later, Luo Hou abruptly opened his eyes, disbelief filling them.

"I cannot deduce it?"

His voice carried a trace of shock.

He could clearly sense that the restriction had shattered and that the Sha Qi had been absorbed, yet he could not deduce who had done it.

The heavenly secrets surrounding the one who had broken the restriction seemed obscured by an invisible barrier. No matter how he calculated, all he could see was chaos.

"Impossible!" Luo Hou growled, closing his eyes once more and driving his cultivation to its limits, trying to break through that barrier.

Time slowly passed.

Luo Hou's expression grew uglier and uglier.

He could sense that the barrier was incomparably ancient and incomparably powerful, as though it had come from the moment heaven and earth first opened.

Within that barrier lay a power that even made his heart palpitate.

That was... Pangu's aura?

Luo Hou abruptly opened his eyes, suspicion and shock flashing through them.

Pangu? Pangu had long since transformed into all things and fallen countless ages ago.

How could his aura appear here? Unless... the one who broke the restriction was connected to Pangu?

Luo Hou's expression was frighteningly dark. He stood within the cave abode as the four Immortal-Slaying swords revolved around him, the killing intent on their blades growing ever heavier.

The plan he had laid for countless ages had been snatched away just like that.

That Sha Qi was the key to tempering the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying.

Without it, the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying could never reach the peak of their power.

And after the seal had shattered, every last wisp of Sha Qi had been absorbed by someone, leaving nothing behind.

All his preparations over countless ages had gone down the drain.

"No matter who you are..." Luo Hou's voice was low and icy, as though it came from the abyss of the Nine Netherworlds. "You have ruined my great undertaking. Sooner or later, we will settle this karma."

He drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the rage in his heart before sitting cross-legged once more.

The four Immortal-Slaying swords gradually quieted as well, floating around him as the killing intent on their blades receded somewhat.

Yet a dangerous light still flickered in those pitch-black eyes.

Luo Hou knew that anyone capable of breaking a restriction jointly laid by several great powers, while also concealing the heavenly secrets so thoroughly that he could not deduce them, was certainly no ordinary figure.

When had such a person appeared in the Primordial World?

He had to find out.

But until he did, he could only wait.

Luo Hou closed his eyes and buried that fury deep within his heart.

His plan could not end because of this failure.

Though someone had intercepted that Sha Qi, there was still more Sha Qi in the Primordial World for him to use.

The war between the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans still continued.

So long as the three clans continued fighting, the killing aura between heaven and earth would never cease.

His Four Swords of Immortal Slaying would still have their chance.