Self-Destruction

Hongjun's expression remained as still as an ancient well. Above his head, the Jade Disc of Creation cast down ten thousand streams of clear light, making him appear sacred and inviolable.

"Luo Hou, even at death's door, you still dare sow discord."

"Three fellow Daoists, this demon is already an arrow at the end of its flight. Though this Sword Formation of Immortal Execution is perilous, if the four of us join forces and suppress the four swords separately, we will surely break the formation!"

"Once the formation is broken, Heaven's Way will surely bestow boundless merit upon us, helping us attain the Primordial Origin Realm!"

Upon hearing the four words "attain the Primordial Origin Realm," the doubt in the eyes of Yin-Yang Ancestor and the other two was instantly replaced by greed and longing.

They had been stuck at the Peak Primordial Golden Immortal for far, far too long. For that sliver of opportunity to attain the Dao, any risk was worth taking!

"Fellow Daoist Hongjun is right. Do not listen to this demon's wild ravings! Attack!"

Five-Elements Ancestor roared and was the first to sacrifice the Five-Elements Pagoda. It transformed into a streak of five-colored divine light and shot toward the Immortal Execution Sword Gate in the east.

"I'll break the Immortal-Slaughter Sword!" Yin-Yang Ancestor stepped upon the Taiji Diagram and charged southward.

"Leave the Immortal-Trapping Sword to me!" Heaven-and-Earth Ancestor held the Heaven-and-Earth Cauldron above his head as he charged westward.

A cold glint flashed through Hongjun's eyes, too fleeting to notice. Holding the Pangu Banner, he unhurriedly flew toward the Severing Immortal Sword Gate in the north.

"Since you are so eager to seek death, I shall grant your wish!"

Seeing the four enter the formation, the vicious light in Luo Hou's eyes surged. He suddenly spat a mouthful of origin demon blood onto the formation diagram.

"Immortal Execution brings sharpness, Immortal Slaughter brings ruin; wherever Immortal Trapping goes, crimson light rises! Severing Immortal holds endless transformations—Great Firmament immortals shall stain their robes with blood!"

"Kill!"

Rumble—!

The great formation began operating in full. Hundreds of millions of strands of Chaos Sword Qi, like a violent storm, swept toward the four within to grind them to pieces.

And just as this earth-shattering battle erupted.

Outside Mount Sumeru, within a spatial fault folded countless times over.

Dijiang led the eleven ancestral witches, watching everything inside the formation with cold eyes like the most patient hunters.

"Big Brother, when do we make our move?" Zhu Rong looked at the sword qi filling the sky, his hands itching.

"Not yet."

A cruel smile curled Dijiang's lips. "Wait until Yin-Yang and the others are forced to self-destruct. Wait until Luo Hou and Hongjun have exhausted all their trump cards and both sides are wounded."

"Hongjun wants to scheme against everyone beneath heaven. Today, we'll play the oriole waiting behind!"

Within the Sword Formation of Immortal Execution, Chaos Sword Qi surged like an enraged sea, wave after relentless wave.

This peerlessly murderous formation, hailed as the Primordial World's number one killing formation, had finally revealed its terrifying fangs—fangs that could make even Sages tremble—under Luo Hou's mad activation at the cost of draining the Western Continent's earth veins dry.

"Sss, sss, sss—"

The first to fail was Five-Elements Ancestor, who was attacking the Immortal Execution Sword Gate in the east.

Though the Five-Elements Pagoda above his head was a Supreme-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure, before the indestructible Immortal-Execution Sword Qi, its five-colored divine light was stripped away and shredded layer by layer.

"Fellow Daoist Hongjun! Break the formation quickly! This old Daoist can't hold on much longer!"

Five-Elements Ancestor's hair hung loose and disheveled. Deep sword wounds that exposed bone covered his body as he cried out in terror.

Yet Hongjun, within the northern Severing Immortal Sword Gate, had the Jade Disc of Creation above his head and the Pangu Banner in his hand. He swept aside every incoming strand of sword qi. He appeared to be breaking the formation with all his strength, but in truth he handled it with ease and had no intention of offering aid.

"Fellow Daoist Five-Elements, do not panic. This poor Daoist is doing all he can to restrain the demon. Hold on a little longer!" Hongjun's calm voice carried over.

"Hold on? With what am I supposed to hold on?!"

Five-Elements Ancestor watched in despair as the primary Immortal-Execution Sword Qi, thick as a mountain range, came crashing down.

"Crack!"

The Five-Elements Pagoda let out a mournful cry and exploded into fragments.

"Hongjun! You despicable wretch! You schemed against us!"

Five-Elements Ancestor finally came to his senses, but it was already too late.

The raging sword qi instantly ground his flesh into a mist of blood. Even his Primordial Spirit failed to escape.

"Since I cannot live, then we shall die together!"

In his despair, the remnants of Five-Elements Ancestor's Primordial Spirit suddenly ignited the origin power of a Peak Primordial Golden Immortal.

"Boom—!!!"

How terrifying was the power of a Peak Primordial Golden Immortal's self-destruction?

The entire Sword Formation of Immortal Execution shook violently. The eastern Immortal Execution Sword Gate was blasted until its light dimmed, while a massive tear was ripped open in the formation diagram.

"Pfft!" Luo Hou, at the formation's core, suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood, his aura thrown into turmoil.

"Fellow Daoist Five-Elements!"

Yin-Yang Ancestor and Heaven-and-Earth Ancestor were so horrified that their hearts and gallbladders nearly split apart.

How could they still fail to see Hongjun's sinister intentions?

He was clearly using their lives to fill the formation, to wear down Luo Hou's strength!

"Hongjun, you old thief! Even as ghosts, we will never let you off!"

Heaven-and-Earth Ancestor's hair stood on end with rage, but he was tightly entangled by the Immortal-Trapping Sword Qi. The light of the Heaven-and-Earth Cauldron grew dimmer and dimmer.

"Luo Hou, this old Daoist will fight you to the death!"

Knowing he was doomed beyond doubt, a trace of madness flashed through Heaven-and-Earth Ancestor's eyes. Man and cauldron alike smashed directly into the Immortal-Trapping Sword before detonating with a thunderous blast!

Immediately afterward, at the southern Immortal-Slaughter Sword Gate, Yin-Yang Ancestor also let out a shrill, miserable laugh and detonated his own Yin-Yang Origin.

"Boom! Boom!"

Two successive earth-shattering explosions erupted within the formation.

The successive self-destructions of three Peak Primordial Golden Immortal experts finally exceeded the limit that this incomplete sword formation could bear.

"Crack... bang!"

The formation diagram of the Sword Formation of Immortal Execution shattered. The four heaven-piercing killing swords gave mournful cries as they flew backward, their light dimming to the extreme.

"No—!"

Luo Hou let out a desperate, shrill roar.

With the great formation broken, the terrifying backlash struck his chest like hundreds of millions of divine mountains.

Every bone in his body shattered inch by inch. The Twelfth-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus was also blasted until its light dimmed. He flew away like a rag sack and crashed heavily into Mount Sumeru's ruined mountainside.

Between heaven and earth, the rampaging sword qi finally began to disperse.

Amid the smoke and dust, Hongjun stepped out through the air, spotless and untainted.

Looking at the three fallen ancestors, not a trace of pity appeared in his eyes. Instead, a pleased smile flickered within them.

"Three fellow Daoists showed great righteousness, sacrificing themselves to eliminate demons and defend the Dao. This poor Daoist shall certainly remember it in his heart."

Hongjun let out a hypocritical sigh, then swept his sleeve, preparing to gather the ownerless supreme treasures scattered across the ground—the Heaven-and-Earth Cauldron, the Taiji Diagram, and the rest.

At the same time, he turned a cold gaze upon Luo Hou, who was severely wounded and on the brink of death.

"Luo Hou, your fate has run out. Today, this poor Daoist shall send you on your way. The Four Swords of Immortal Execution and the God-Slaying Spear shall be placed under this poor Daoist's custody on Heaven's Way's behalf."

Holding the Pangu Banner, Hongjun walked step by step toward Luo Hou, ready to pluck the final fruit of victory.

Luo Hou stared fixedly at Hongjun, his eyes filled with unwillingness and madness. "Hongjun! You hypocritical old dog! Even if I die, I'll drag the Western Continent down with me to be buried alongside you!"

With that, Luo Hou prepared to detonate the Western Continent's remaining earth veins.

At this critical moment, just as Hongjun was about to strike and suppress Luo Hou!

"Buzz—"

The void beside Hongjun suddenly twisted violently without warning.

A slender, fair hand reached out from the void as though piercing through water and, at an inconceivable speed, grabbed the Heaven-and-Earth Cauldron that was flying toward Hongjun!