Chapter Summaries

Zhao Yunhui and the others stayed in the Desolate Domain to build a formation that could redirect spiritual energy from the Creation Sect’s grand formation, despite the risk that Jiang Hengdao might arrive. After Zhao Yunhui activated it, the formation began drawing in spiritual energy, while the people of the Desolate Domain celebrated the change without knowing disaster was approaching.

• Yan Xi suggested taking shelter, but Zhao Yunhui, Zuo Qiu Shu, Xiao Yan, Ao Zhen, and the others chose to stay and help prepare the formation.
• Zhao Yunhui assigned tasks, and the group forcibly collected scarce formation materials from the Desolate Domain’s major sects and great powers.
• Zhao Yunhui sensed a faint disturbance in the Creation Sect’s grand formation and suspected Jiang Hengdao had entered, but she continued working.
• On the afternoon of the third day, Zhao Yunhui finished the formation, and the assembled experts took their positions.
• Zhao Yunhui ordered everyone to begin, and their true qi activated the formation, which started absorbing spiritual energy from the Creation Sect’s grand formation.
• The Desolate Domain’s people celebrated the increased spiritual energy, unaware that disaster was about to descend.

Zhao Yunhui and the others tried to weaken Jiang Hengdao’s grand formation by draining Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth from the Creation Sect’s formation, but they soon exhausted themselves. The group gave up further attempts and realized Jiang Hengdao had likely entered the formation five days earlier.

• Zhao Yunhui’s formation began drawing some Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth from the Creation Sect’s formation, but the others struggled to keep supplying True Qi.
• Zuo Qiu Shu and the others collapsed, and Ao Zhen urged everyone to recover and make more attempts rather than wait helplessly.
• The group tried activating the formation several more times, but each attempt drained them further while removing only a limited amount of energy.
• Zhao Yunhui and Ao Zhen agreed to stop when everyone had reached their limits and could no longer sustain the formation.
• Jiang Liuli asked why Jiang Hengdao had not arrived after seven days, and Zhao Yunhui said she had sensed someone enter the formation five days earlier.

Huang Xiao returned to Zhao Yunhui with news that Senior Xuanyuan and the others were trapped in the Vortex Grand Formation but had found a way to coordinate with her and delay Jiang Hengdao. Zhao Yunhui prepared to resume breaking the formation as Jiang Hengdao was expected to activate it fully within three days.

• Zhao Yunhui reasoned that Jiang Hengdao was already inside the formation, while the others despaired over their inability to interfere with it.
• Huang Xiao, Dugu Sheng, Hong Yi, and Li Bai returned safely and told everyone that Senior Xuanyuan and the others were trapped in the Vortex Grand Formation.
• Huang Xiao delivered Senior Xuanyuan's plan to Zhao Yunhui, who said the two locations could work together to transmit spiritual energy and delay Jiang Hengdao.
• Zhao Yunhui warned the group that Jiang Hengdao might activate the Grand Formation earlier than the three days he had announced, and urged them to keep breaking it.

Zhao Yunhui activated an Inscribed Formation at the Creation Sect, successfully sending Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth into the Vortex Grand Formation. Xuan Yuanjun estimated the effort would hinder Jiang Hengdao and leave them at least two days, though the extra time remained uncertain.

• Huo Lian taunted Jiang Hengdao, but he gave no response, reassuring Huang Xiao and the others that their plan might proceed without interference.
• Huang Xiao and the others gave the Seven Great Treasures and Divine Weapons to Zhao Yunhui, who worked with the Zhu Family experts to modify the Inscribed Formation.
• Zhao Yunhui activated the formation, which drew a large amount of Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth from the Creation Sect and began transporting it out.
• Xuan Yuanjun sensed the formation's response, adjusted the Small Inscribed Formation, and helped the group in the Vortex Grand Formation receive the transported energy.
• Xuan Yuanjun estimated they had at least two days before Jiang Hengdao's grand formation was fully activated, leaving the group uncertain whether they could gain more time.

Xuan Yuanjun and the others continued using their formations to draw spiritual energy of heaven and earth away from the Creation Sect, buying time and accelerating the Vortex Grand Formation’s transformation. Jiang Hengdao noticed their efforts but remained confident that his grand formation would prevail, while Huang Xiao and the others were left uneasy that he still had not acted.

• Xuan Yuanjun explained that the group’s efforts had bought at most another half day and that they needed to gather more spiritual energy before using it.
• Half a day later, Xuan Yuanjun told the Demon God and the others to resume transmitting their true qi as he merged the small inscribed formation into the Vortex Grand Formation.
• The Demon God realized Zhao Yunhui and the other juniors had both delayed Jiang Hengdao and helped the formation merge faster, impressing him with their performance.
• Jiang Hengdao sensed the changes and Xuan Yuanjun’s attempt to obscure his probing, but dismissed their efforts and remained focused on Zuo Qiu Yi and his own plans.
• After a day passed without Jiang Hengdao acting, Huang Xiao and the others felt somewhat reassured that the Inscribed Grand Formation remained active, though they still feared they had not truly threatened him.

Zhao Yunhui improved the formation to channel the Desolate Domain’s abundant Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth toward Xuan Yuanjun and the others, while the group prepared for Jiang Hengdao to activate his Grand Formation. As they waited for the final battle, Huang Xiao continued studying the Treatise on Seeking the Dao and the Treatise on Enlightenment, hoping to comprehend the Treatise on Attaining the Dao.

• Huang Xiao asked Zhao Yunhui to transfer more Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth from the Desolate Domain, and she adjusted the Inscribed Formation to help Xuan Yuanjun and the others draw it in faster.
• Zhao Yunhui, Huo Lian, Zuo Qiu Shu, and Ao Zhen acknowledged that they could not stop Jiang Hengdao, but that the group might have time to fight back after he activated his Grand Formation.
• Zhao Yunhui told everyone to keep the formation active and prepare, so Ao Zhen, Huang Xiao, and the others sat down to restore their strength.
• Demon Phoenix asked Huang Xiao how likely they were to survive, and Huang Xiao said their hope was almost nonexistent unless Senior Xuanyuan and the others survived.
• Huang Xiao continued studying the Treatise on Seeking the Dao and the Treatise on Enlightenment, hoping to comprehend the Treatise on Attaining the Dao.

Jiang Hengdao activated the Vortex Grand Formation, forcing Xuan Yuanjun and the others to channel their True Qi into a small Inscribed Formation as the world’s Spiritual Energy grew violent. When Heaven and Earth Origin Flame appeared, the formation absorbed it and grew stronger, turning Jiang Hengdao’s attempt to exhaust them to Xuan Yuanjun’s advantage.

• Xuan Yuanjun told the group to pour their True Qi into the small Inscribed Formation once Jiang Hengdao activated the Vortex Grand Formation.
• Jiang Hengdao began the formation’s final step, and Xuan Yuanjun and the others channeled their True Qi into the small Inscribed Formation as the vortex expanded and battered it.
• Jiang Hengdao taunted the group, and Xuan Yuanjun warned everyone to guard their emotions against the formation’s mind-bewildering effects.
• Heaven and Earth Origin Flame appeared inside the Vortex Grand Formation, and Xuan Yuanjun and Zhu Qingquan adjusted the small formation to draw it in.
• The small Inscribed Formation absorbed the Origin Flame and became more stable, while Xuan Yuanjun realized Jiang Hengdao’s plan had unexpectedly strengthened their defenses.

Xuan Yuanjun and the others realized Jiang Hengdao had prepared the formation’s attacks in advance, while the heaven and earth origin flame had helped their small inscribed formation merge more deeply with the Vortex Grand Formation. As the formation expanded and drew the Ancient World’s spiritual energy toward the Creation Sect, an unusual aura suppressed their internal power and made their struggle harder.

• Zuo Qiu Yi and Xuan Yuanjun explained that Jiang Hengdao’s voice and the formation’s attacks had been arranged beforehand, not directed at them in person.
• Xuan Yuanjun said Jiang Hengdao was gathering the Ancient World’s spiritual energy in the formation at the Creation Sect to break the barrier between the two worlds.
• Dark clouds, lightning, wind, and rain spread across the Ancient World as its spiritual energy surged toward the Desolate Domain.
• The Vortex Grand Formation continued to expand, increasing the strain on the small inscribed formation and steadily consuming the group’s true qi.
• An unusual aura spread through the Vortex Grand Formation and suppressed the group’s internal power, reducing the true qi they could channel into their formation.

Jiang Hengdao’s grand formation widened the passage between the Ancient World and Another Realm, allowing the Otherworldly Aura to suppress those trapped inside and threaten people outside. Huang Xiao and his companions prepared to attack Jiang Hengdao when the formation collapsed, while Zhao Yunhui warned that the aura had already reached the Vortex Grand Formation at sea.

• Xuan Yuanjun explained that a crack had opened between the two realms but the barrier had not yet been completely broken, as the Small Inscribed Formation shook under the growing suppression of their internal power.
• Huang Xiao and his companions waited outside the Creation Sect as Jiang Hengdao’s formation drained the surrounding Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth and stirred their blood and qi.
• Zhao Yunhui explained that the grand formation would collapse after it opened the passage, and Huo Lian and Ao Zhen urged everyone to attack Jiang Hengdao at that moment.
• Zhao Yunhui told Zuo Qiu Shu that the Otherworldly Aura had already been transmitted to the Vortex Grand Formation, though she insisted Senior Xuanyuan and the others could hold out.
• Demon Phoenix appeared before Huang Xiao and the others and said the aura felt comfortable, prompting Baili Zhen to question why it did not suppress him.

The group discovered that the otherworldly aura weakened some Divine Weapons but restored and strengthened those whose souls came from that world, giving them hope against Jiang Hengdao. They watched his Cross-Realm Grand Formation and learned it would eventually fail from its enormous energy consumption, though they could not predict when.

• Demon Phoenix revealed that the Supreme Demon Saber’s might had been suppressed by the aura, while the other Divine Weapons were recovering.
• A Zhu Family expert explained that the aura affected the Supreme Demon Saber because its soul was nurtured in this world, while the souls of the other peerless Divine Weapons came from the other world.
• Demon Phoenix returned to communicate with the Divine Weapons as their power continued to grow, and Huang Xiao urged everyone to recover their strength for the fight against Jiang Hengdao.
• Huo Lian and Zhao Yunhui warned that they could not detect the formation’s collapse in advance, but said its immense consumption meant it could not last long.
• Ao Zhen and the others took heart from the possibility that Jiang Hengdao would suffer backlash when his formation broke apart.

As Jiang Hengdao’s formation opened a pitch-black hole in the sky, the Ancient World’s spiritual energy of heaven and earth began pouring into it. Huang Xiao questioned the assumption that the other world still had abundant spiritual energy, leaving the group uncertain about what awaited them beyond the breach.

• Ao Zhen and the others waited as cracks spread across the sky and Jiang Hengdao’s formation neared completion.
• The sky shattered into a pitch-black hole that drew the Ancient World’s spiritual energy upward with immense force.
• Zhao Yunhui and Huo Lian observed that most of the energy was being transported through the hole rather than consumed by Jiang Hengdao’s formation.
• Zhao Yunhui questioned why no spiritual energy seemed to be spilling into the Ancient World from the other side, and the group considered possible explanations.
• Huang Xiao suggested they might be mistaken to assume the other world still had abundant spiritual energy, since its condition could have changed since Ji Xuanying’s father left it.

Huang Xiao and the others watched the Otherworld’s aura suppress their strength as Jiang Hengdao’s Vortex Grand Formation continued to grow, leaving them unable to intervene. Xuan Yuanjun said they would have to face the formation directly, and the group braced for the coming danger while urging one another to survive.

• Huang Xiao suspected the Otherworld’s spiritual energy was thinner than the Ancient World’s, and the others agreed they would have to wait for the barrier to break to learn the truth.
• Huang Xiao drew inspiration from the great devouring hole for his Dantian as the Sea as the Otherworld’s aura intensified and suppressed everyone’s internal power.
• Ao Zhen and the others feared their usable strength would fall below half, while Zuo Qiu Shu worried about Zuo Qiu Yi and the group wondered how the aura affected Jiang Hengdao.
• Shentu Kuanglang and the others struggled to sustain their small inscribed formation as they could wield barely forty percent of their strength.
• Xuan Yuanjun told everyone to prepare to face the Vortex Grand Formation directly and to help anyone who could not hold out.
• Feng Qilou told Ye Nishang that he would not die after she ordered him to survive, and Fu Beiwang realized she returned Feng Qilou’s feelings.

With the Small Inscribed Formation broken and their internal power suppressed, Xuan Yuanjun and the others struggled to withstand the Vortex Grand Formation. They agreed to combine their strength using a method adapted from Zhao Yunhui's technique, and Xuan Yuanjun quickly devised one as their danger deepened.

• The Small Inscribed Formation shattered, exposing everyone to the Vortex Grand Formation's attacks.
• Xuan Yuanjun stayed beside Zhu Qingquan to protect him despite the Demon God's warning, while the group struggled against the growing pressure.
• Zuo Qiu Yi urged everyone to stop resisting separately, and Xuan Yuanjun agreed that they should join forces.
• The group considered adapting Zhao Yunhui's Blade and Sword Combined Strike Technique, though Shentu Kuanglang doubted it would work for them.
• Xuan Yuanjun used the technique's principles to devise a combined strike method suited to the group.

Xuan Yuanjun organized a Combined Strike Formation to help the trapped fighters withstand the Vortex Grand Formation, but the formation began drawing on the essence blood of those killed in Jiang Hengdao’s Blood Sacrifice. Outside the formation, Huang Xiao realized the essence blood aura was not fully bound and suggested they might still be able to interfere with Jiang Hengdao’s plans.

• Xuan Yuanjun explained the Combined Strike Formation and directed the fighters to stabilize their auras, eventually raising their combined power above what they could manage separately.
• Xuan Yuanjun warned that their strength was still being suppressed and that the Vortex Grand Formation continued to grow stronger.
• Xuan Yuanjun and the others detected blood in the Vortex Grand Formation and concluded that Jiang Hengdao’s formations were gathering essence blood from people killed in the Blood Sacrifice.
• Ao Zhen, Zhao Yunhui, and the others saw essence blood aura gathering at the Creation Sect and reasoned that Jiang Hengdao intended to use it for himself rather than to break the barrier between the two worlds.
• Huang Xiao said the essence blood aura was not completely bound by the formation and suggested they could still affect it.

Huang Xiao and his allies used Zhao Yunhui’s formation to draw essence blood aura out of the Creation Sect and keep it from Jiang Hengdao. The formation worked, but Jiang Hengdao still obtained most of the aura, leaving Huang Xiao searching for a way to reduce his share.

• Huang Xiao realized the essence blood aura was less restrained by the fully activated grand formation, and Zhao Yunhui agreed that her formation could draw it out.
• Zhao Yunhui and the Zhu Family’s master forgers modified the Inscribed Formation, causing essence blood aura to pour out of the Creation Sect toward Huang Xiao.
• Huang Xiao devoured the aura and stored what he could in his dantian, while the others also tried to make use of it.
• Huang Xiao estimated that only one-tenth of the aura was escaping and wanted to increase that amount, but Zhao Yunhui said her formation had reached its limit.
• Wu Xuancang and Zuo Qiu Shu urged Huang Xiao not to push himself as he pondered what else he could do.

Huang Xiao discovered a mysterious resonance between his Dantian as the Sea and the pitch-black hole, greatly increasing his ability to devour escaping essence blood aura. He managed to prompt the hole to try devouring essence blood bound within Jiang Hengdao’s formation, but it failed, and Huang Xiao searched for another way.

• Ao Zhen, Huo Lian, Baili Zhen, Tan Ming, Huang Xiao, and Zuo Qiu Shu discussed whether the immense essence blood aura could affect Jiang Hengdao, but his calm left them without hope of forcing him out.
• Huang Xiao watched the pitch-black hole and the formation, then unknowingly matched his dantian’s devouring rhythm to the hole’s.
• Huang Xiao sensed a connection between his dantian and the pitch-black hole, entered a state of insight, and began devouring all the essence blood aura that escaped.
• Huang Xiao strengthened the resonance and guided the pitch-black hole to try devouring essence blood aura bound within the Creation Sect’s formation.
• The pitch-black hole failed to draw in the bound aura, and Huang Xiao decided there must still be another way.

Huang Xiao discovered a way to influence the pitch-black hole by mixing essence-blood aura with Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth, allowing him to divert much of the aura away from Jiang Hengdao. After confirming that Jiang Hengdao had run into trouble, Huang Xiao left the others wondering how he knew.

• Huang Xiao began devouring Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth alongside the essence-blood aura and transmitted the mixed sensation to the pitch-black hole.
• After nearly an hour, the pitch-black hole began devouring the mixture, drawing essence-blood aura through Jiang Hengdao's formation.
• Huang Xiao's method accelerated until he intercepted roughly half of the essence-blood aura, leaving Jiang Hengdao with much less.
• Ao Zhen and the others noticed fluctuations in Jiang Hengdao's formation, and Huo Lian suggested that Jiang Hengdao had run into trouble.
• Huang Xiao agreed that Jiang Hengdao's trouble could now be confirmed, surprising Ao Zhen and the others.

Huang Xiao and the others watched Jiang Hengdao struggle to restrain the essence blood surging from the Creation Sect's Grand Formation into the pitch-black hole. As the flow grew stronger again, Huang Xiao realized Jiang Hengdao was losing control and taunted him.

• Huo Lian concealed the connection between Huang Xiao and the pitch-black hole, then explained that a vast amount of essence blood was rising with the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth.
• Wu Xuancang, Zuo Qiu Shu, Zhao Yunhui, and the others realized the Grand Formation was leaking far more essence blood than they had expected.
• Zhao Yunhui and Huo Lian concluded that Jiang Hengdao could not stop most of the essence blood from draining away, while the group had to wait because the formation still held.
• Huang Xiao sensed Jiang Hengdao's restraint briefly slowed the pitch-black hole's devouring, but the growing flow from the other formations soon made it surge faster again.
• Huang Xiao laughed and taunted Jiang Hengdao, and the others joined in by shouting and gloating.

Jiang Hengdao trapped Huang Xiao and the others in a killing formation linked to the Sea Vortex Grand Formation, forcing them to endure its attacks while he diverted power from the formation threatening Xuanyuan Jun and the others. As the group struggled against the spiritual energy and heaven and earth origin flame, Huang Xiao asked Yunhui to let the Minghong Saber in.

• Huang Xiao, Huo Lian, and the others mocked Jiang Hengdao, and he responded angrily before trapping them in a formation.
• Jiang Hengdao said they could set off together with Xuanyuan Jun and the others as streams of force and heaven and earth origin flame attacked the group.
• Zhao Yunhui explained that Jiang Hengdao had linked the formation to the Sea Vortex Grand Formation and diverted power from both that formation and the Creation Sect's grand formation.
• Zuo Qiu Shu learned that her big brother and the others faced the full power of the Sea Vortex Grand Formation, while the group tried to hold out and buy them time.
• Huang Xiao said the Phoenix Clan members could absorb only some of the origin flame and asked Yunhui to let the Minghong Saber in.

Huang Xiao and his allies brought divine weapons into the formation to consume the Heaven and Earth Origin Flame, weakening the threat it posed. Huang Xiao discovered that the flame counteracted the otherworldly aura’s suppression and began storing it, while Xuan Yuanjun and the others remained unaware of the discovery.

• Huo Lian and Zhao Yunhui brought the divine weapons through the formation, despite the risk of weakening the Inscribed Formation.
• The Heaven and Earth Origin Flame rapidly tempered the weapons, and Huang Xiao learned that it weakened the Supreme Demon Saber’s suppression by the otherworldly aura.
• Huang Xiao tested the flame on himself, found that it eased his suppression, and asked Demon Phoenix to store it in the saber.
• Huang Xiao had Zhao Yunhui bring in the Seven Great Treasures so they could store more Heaven and Earth Origin Flame as the black hole devoured Jiang Hengdao’s essence blood aura.
• Huo Lian kept the discovery secret for a final confrontation, while Zhao Yunhui could not send word to Xuan Yuanjun and the others, who had not noticed the flame’s effect.