Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 478 Though the Primordial Chaos may eventually end, this body still soars to the highest heavens (Seeking donations and subscriptions!)

Above the Golden Summit in the clouds, fierce winds surged, and the sea of ​​clouds seemed to boil.

The cultivators of the righteous and evil paths were locked in fierce combat, with hundreds of sword lights and precious energies crisscrossing and tearing the sky into countless fragments.

The twelve Nascent Soul cultivators of the orthodox sect led their disciples to form magnificent sword formations, their sword energy condensing like a cascading galaxy, unstoppable.
Although the demonic path has fewer patriarch-level figures, it is mostly composed of old demons who have lived for many years. They are ruthless and cunning, and countless demon sons and grandsons surge like a black tide. With their fearless and ruthless fighting skills, they have turned the Yunxiao Mountain area into a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, with demonic flames raging to the sky.

On the edge of this chaotic battle, the Taoist priests of Wanlei Sea and Land City stood like a rock amidst raging waves.

Lu Cheng remained calm, his body enveloped in a swirling aura of five-colored immortal energy. The five radiant magical powers—gold, cyan, blue, red, and yellow—refined to their ultimate form, were no longer merely illusory splendor, but had manifested a substantial form:
The golden energy transformed into hundreds of small Geng metal swords, intertwining and rotating to form an impenetrable sword wheel light screen that could cut through everything. Any incoming sword energy or magical weapon would emit a piercing cutting and friction sound upon contact, sparks would fly, and the sword would either be deflected or shredded.
The green energy surged, with both vitality and withering intent coexisting, instantly condensing into dozens of huge, gnarled, ancient green tree root phantoms, twisting and coiling like living dragon walls, not only incomparably tough, but also absorbing the opponent's magic power while resisting attacks, eroding their roots and bones.

The blue aura was abundant, transforming into a long river of Xuanming True Water that swirled around the body. The water ripples appeared gentle, but in reality, they contained immense weight and a chilling cold that could freeze the soul. Whether it was raging demonic fire, vicious curse light, or sharp flying needles, once they hit it, they were like mud oxen entering the sea, either frozen and falling or being swept away and deflected.

The crimson aura was fierce, resembling a divine bird of fire spreading its wings and soaring. With each flap of its wings, the crimson flames surged to the sky, burning away filth and purifying all the poisonous miasma, evil spirits, and resentment. It hissed and emitted a burnt and fishy stench.

The thick yellow aura transformed into a towering, majestic phantom of the Earth God Mountain, like the guardian of Mother Earth, suppressing all directions, as stable as a rock, remaining unmoved by any shocks, bombardments, or secret techniques, protecting the foundation below.

These five elements of immortal energy evolve into supernatural powers, each with its own unique uses. The five elements move in perfect harmony, almost like five spiritual seventh-tier magic treasures flying around the body to protect their master, possessing vast and boundless power.

Lu Cheng himself stood with his hands behind his back, holding a magic seal, his expression indifferent, as if observing the mountains and rivers. He did not take the initiative to attack, but if any ignorant cultivators or magical treasures dared to invade and collide with this five-colored light, the backlash from the changes in the five elements would be as fierce as divine punishment, causing them to suffer serious injuries and vomit blood at best, and their magical treasures to shatter and their physical bodies to disintegrate at worst.

Over time, a small vacuum area was formed!

Under the protection of Lu Cheng, the Primordial God, four true disciples—Miao Chuyun, Youming Daoist, Shisheng Daoist, and Yun Huang'er—led sixteen fellow disciples and calmly set up a magnificent immortal sword formation.

This formation uses the four main star positions as its pivot:

Miao Chuyun wielded twin swords like dragons, their sword energy chilling and austere, drawing upon the sharp metal energy of the West; Youming Daoist's sword light was dark and unpredictable, stirring up the chilling energy of the Netherworld; Shi Sheng was as heavy as a mountain, embodying the profound virtue of the earth; Yun Huang'er's fire-elemental nascent soul swirled within the formation, its phoenix cry clear and melodious, and the Southern Bright Fire rose.

The sixteen fellow disciples' flying swords swirled, their sword light as fine as silk threads or as celestial bodies in motion. Their energy intertwined and circulated, complementing each other. At the outer edge of the area covered by the five-colored immortal light, they constructed a huge light wall interwoven with sword energy and shimmering with color, their protective power astonishingly powerful.

The righteous cultivators seized several openings and gathered dozens of elite sword cultivators to launch a joint attack. Their sword energy transformed into raging dragons and tigers, and their magical treasures burst forth with countless rays of light, their power enough to shatter mountains and break peaks.

However, when they collided with the sword array light barrier based on the Four Symbols and supplemented by the stars, it was like giant waves crashing against reefs. After the deafening roar, the light barrier fluctuated violently and flickered, but it remained resilient and indestructible, completely dissipating and dissipating the violent attacks.

Occasionally, an extremely fierce killing move would break through the outer layer of sword light, but it was easily neutralized by Lu Cheng's flowing Five Elements Immortal Qi.

The Five Elements Immortal Qi is essentially the Qi of the five internal organs in Lu Cheng's body. The higher his magical power and the purer his skill, the greater its power. Now, Lu Cheng's magical power is gradually approaching the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. The residual medicinal power of the Myriad Tribulations Meteor Pill has not even been completely dissipated. The depth of his cultivation and the purity of his magical power are unprecedented since the creation of this divine pill. Naturally, he will benefit more from it.

"Stop attacking him. This man's profound Dao power is truly rare among demonic cultivators. It's a pity he has gone astray and fallen into the demonic path, otherwise I would really like to drink and befriend him." After several unsuccessful attempts, the righteous cultivators were filled with trepidation. Just then, Elder Xuanxiaozi of Yunxiao Mountain stepped forward, saving face for everyone.

Xuanxiaozi was a highly respected figure, whose cultivation, magical power, and character were all admired by the righteous cultivators. As soon as he stepped in, the matter was decided.

On the other side of the battlefield, high in the sky, lies the ultimate battle that will determine the final outcome of this Golden Summit Sword Fighting Tournament that has swept across the cultivation world!
The ancestor of chaos was still wearing a drab gray Taoist robe, but his figure seemed to fill the entire universe.

His every move, devoid of any trace of human warmth, yet drew forth the five most primal evil energies of heaven and earth—anger, greed, resentment, delusion, and attachment!
Unlike Lu Cheng, the five-colored evil lights did not each display their unique abilities. Instead, they were melted into one by him in an indescribable way, a "Great Perfection" or "Great Chaos," transforming into a hazy, dark, yet heavy "Five Fiends Primordial Qi" that poured out continuously from his palm.

This method of circulating qi caught Lu Cheng's attention, and from the beginning of the sword fight, he had been focusing most of his attention on this.

The Yunxiao Mountain Sect Master Wan Ziyi and his Daoist partner Su Ying, a deeply devoted couple in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, are now giving it their all.

The couple working together could easily defeat an ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul Demon Lord, but the Chaotic Ancestor was no ordinary cultivator.

Wan Ziyi wielded an ancient, radiant immortal sword, its sword aura like a purple rainbow descending from the heavens, slicing through space and dividing yin and yang.
In Su Ying's hand was a water-blue immortal sword, its sword intent as gentle as the sea, encompassing all things, yet concealing a tremendous power that could destroy gold and corrode bones.

When the two swords are combined, their power is unparalleled.

Where the sword light passed, the space of this realm rippled and twisted, tearing open a pitch-black spatial rift. The combined power of these two swords had reached the pinnacle of human capability in this realm, faintly touching the realm of ascension!

However, this earth-shattering sword light, when it collided with the "Five Fiends Primordial Qi" casually unleashed by the Ancestor of Chaos, was like a giant ship sinking into a quagmire.

The unparalleled sharpness of the dual-colored sword energy pierced into the dark aura, only stirring up ripples of energy waves. The sword energy was continuously devoured, decomposed, twisted, and disintegrated.

Not only did it fail to break through the protective aura, but the space surrounding the Ancestor of Chaos was also assimilated and solidified by this primordial energy, forming an even more terrifying spatial barrier.

Wan Ziyi and his wife were pale, and beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads. They poured out their magical power like a tide to maintain the two swords, but found it was like trying to drag Mount Buzhou with a rope, futile and hopeless.

"Six thousand four hundred years of cultivation and enlightenment, and now only one step away from the goal. You juniors, even with the legacy of your predecessors, will find it difficult to understand even a fraction of the true meaning of 'the Dao returns to its origin'." The voice of the Chaotic Ancestor was calm, yet it clearly pierced through the entire earth-shaking battlefield, carrying a hint of indifference that looked down upon all living beings and... a deep regret.

His gaze wasn't even fully focused on the twin swords, but rather directed towards a deeper part of the void, as if he were waiting for something.

Until the aftershocks of the collapse of Wuxie Mountain shook the heavens and the earth, like the death knell of the end times, even though they were hundreds of thousands of miles away, the Hunxie Ancestor and the Wan Ziyi couple could still feel it.

"Yuanjun!?"

"Uncle-Master Yuxiao!"

Even with their considerable cultivation, Wan Ziyi and his wife couldn't suppress their overwhelming fear at this moment. Because in their perception, Yu Xiao Yuanjun... had perished! How could this be?!

"Haha, Chen Xun does have some tricks up his sleeve. It's not in vain that I shared the karma and laid out the secrets of heaven for him for so many years. Nothing is impossible. The three immortals of Taoism and Buddhism that your Yunxiao Mountain relied on the most have now fallen. Xuanxuanzi and Buhui Toutuo can no longer come either. If you don't use your best methods, today will be the day your Yunxiao Mountain lineage is wiped out."

The Taoist priest in the gray robe stood in mid-air, his figure even somewhat thin, but he stood high up with the sun on his back, and from his body, there seemed to be a demonic shadow that could devour the sky and destroy the earth, enveloping him.

Wan Ziyi and his wife shared a deep connection, and they both saw the resolute determination and unwillingness in each other's eyes.

As the "Five Fiends Primordial Qi" was like a boundless, chaotic millstone, it not only eroded the sharpness of the male and female evil-slaying swords, but also slowly but irresistibly pressed towards them and the entire righteous sects of Yunxiao Mountain. Wherever it passed, whether it was righteous sword qi or demonic evil light, it was mercilessly devoured and annihilated, leaving behind a desolate void!

Such an unparalleled demon lord could truly destroy the righteous path and the millennia-old lineage of Yunxiao Mountain.

"Please have mercy, Ancestral Master, and protect my lineage!" Wan Ziyi suddenly let out a fierce roar containing boundless sorrow and unwavering Daoist resolve!
He and Su Ying simultaneously activated an ancient and profound hand seal, and their natal spirits suddenly blazed brightly.

A glass lamp, neither gold nor jade, with a warm blue light flowing from its base and countless immortal patterns and ancient seals engraved on its body, slowly rose from Wan Ziyi's primordial spirit sea of ​​consciousness.

The moment this lamp appeared, the entire noisy and brutal battlefield fell into a momentary stillness!
It is the supreme immortal artifact left behind by the ascension patriarch Huai Zhenzi of Yunxiao Mountain – the Immortal Soul Lamp!
The light of all the flying swords and magical treasures above the Golden Summit of the Clouds suddenly dimmed, as if they had encountered an emperor.

Whether it was a magnificent immortal sword of the righteous path or a sinister evil treasure of the demonic path, its brilliance was instantly suppressed, and even the dust flying in the air was suspended in place.

Only that soul lamp, with a tiny, almost transparent white flame the size of a bean at its wick, burned quietly.

The next moment, Wan Ziyi and his wife channeled most of their essence and blood, along with most of their primordial spirit, into a torrent of pure magical power, which they poured into the soul lamp without reservation.

Om-!
The faint flame of the lamp wick suddenly expanded, like the first ray of light at the beginning of the world!

An intensely white light burst forth, gently yet irresistibly bathing the entire golden roof in pure white!
Within its radiance, ethereal music drifted, as if gods and Buddhas were whispering and chanting.

At the core of the white light, a wisp of purple smoke, indescribably noble, ancient, and majestic, rose from the Soul Lamp. The moment it appeared, it rapidly condensed and stretched, drawing in the primordial energy of heaven and earth!

Above the sky, the sun disappeared, and countless star projections flickered, casting wisps of star essence; beneath the earth, several streams of earth vein spiritual energy surged out, transforming into pillars of light that shot straight into the purple smoke!
Endless starlight, earth dragon energy, fragments of the laws of heaven and earth, and even fragments of the souls of those who died in battle around the battlefield were all attracted and melted by this invisible supreme power!
Purple energy swirled and churned, and in an instant, a semi-transparent phantom materialized.

His figure was tall and imposing, his face ancient and serene, and his eyes seemed to hold the swirling of stars and the cycle of creation and destruction. He wore a simple, gray-blue Taoist robe, yet it seemed to contain an endless universe within him.

He simply stood still in the void, and the space around him rippled with Daoist energy like water waves, and the laws of the entire Tongxuan Realm resonated and submitted to him!
That transcendent aura, which rises above the mundane, is as vast as an abyss and unfathomable!

This is a wisp of the divine spirit left behind in the mortal world by Huai Zhenzi, the patriarch of Yunxiao Mountain who had long since ascended to the upper realm and joined the ranks of immortals!
At this moment, responding to the desperate pleas of his disciples and grandchildren, he traversed the long river of time and space, and with the immortal lamp that held a trace of his origin, he reappeared in this world! Huai Zhenzi's divided spirit lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the ravaged battlefield, pausing slightly in the direction of the collapsed Five Evils Mountain, and finally, his gaze, imbued with the rhythm of the Great Dao, fixed on the Hunxie Ancestor opposite him.

His gaze was calm and serene, yet it carried a power that seemed to see through the vicissitudes of life and discern the past and the future.

“Junior brother…” Huai Zhenzi’s lips moved slightly as he was distracted, but no sound came out. However, this calm Dao thought was like a great bell, resounding in the depths of the Chaotic Ancestor’s Dao heart, carrying a sigh, a regret, and a trace of barely perceptible reminiscence.

"...Why did it come to this?"

When the eccentric patriarch heard the word "junior brother" that spanned thousands of years, his face, which had remained calm and still for ten thousand years, finally showed a clear change for the first time!

It was not fear, nor anger, nor awe.

It was an extremely complex expression—a deep-seated regret that cut like a knife deep into the depths of his eyes, a resentment that had been accumulating for thousands of years or even longer that surged like magma beneath a calm ice surface, and an extreme yearning for the path of cultivation that rose like an inextinguishable calamity!
Fragments of the past flashed and shattered like lightning in this eye contact, ultimately settling into a burning fighting spirit and determination.

"Why did it come to this?" the Chaotic Ancestor asked, his voice no longer indifferent as before, but unusually clear, carrying a calm yet suppressed madness.

"Simply because... I am still here! While you have already reached the other shore! We cultivators strive for that one sliver of transcendence!"

His gray Taoist robe fluttered and rustled even without wind! The last trace of human emotion in his eyes completely vanished, replaced by a pure, intense, and all-destroying evil light!
"Come, senior brother! Let this avatar and my Dao—determine who is superior! Prove what I have comprehended! See if I... can devour your celestial light with this mortal body!"

The eccentric patriarch took a step forward.

Boom!

The entire Golden Summit in the Clouds and even the surrounding endless mountain ranges trembled violently! It was as if they could not withstand the sudden burst of power beneath its feet.

The "Five Fiends Primordial Qi" surrounding him was no longer gentle and diffused, but rather erupted like an ancient ferocious beast that had been fully awakened!
The dark and chaotic light condensed instantly, changing its form in a fraction of a second—no longer the pervasive aura, but transformed into five enormous, ominous stars, floating and shimmering, with bizarre colors, containing the power to annihilate all life!
Golden Fiend Star – Its sharp edge cleaves the heavens, indestructible and capable of tearing apart the void! Azure Fiend Star – Its cycle of life and death devours all life, leaving everything withered and decaying! Black Fiend Star – Its dark waters are like a prison, freezing time and space, imprisoning eternity! Crimson Fiend Star – Its karmic fire burns the world, incinerating anything that touches it, scorching the soul and consuming the spirit! Yellow Fiend Star – Its filthy earth descends upon the world, defiling spiritual energy and shattering all laws!
The Five Evil Stars Devouring Heaven and Earth Destroying Technique! It uses the boundless malevolent energy accumulated over six thousand years as fuel, and the destructive power evolved from the Primordial Evil Path!
The five evil stars spun rapidly along a mysterious trajectory, forming an infinitely deep dark vortex at their center from which even light could not escape. With a terrifying will to devour all things and end everything, they crashed down on the supreme immortal figure manifested by Huai Zhenzi's divided spirit!
The target seemed to be swallowing the entire sky, along with that eternally existing immortal thought, into the abyss of eternal darkness!
"Such a grand gesture, such skillful methods, truly impressive!"

During this battle, Lu Cheng spent most of his time and attention on the Evil Ancestor, feeling the magnanimity and methods of this once-in-a-millennium demonic genius.

At the same time, I also understood why the Master of Chaos and Evil made such arrangements and carried out such actions.

With the cultivation and power of the Evil Ancestor, ascending to immortality would be as easy as turning one's hand. If he simply wanted to use the Ascension Platform, Wan Ziyi and the others would not dare to stop him at all.

But the eccentric patriarch insisted on the Golden Summit Sword Battle because he firmly believed that even if he ascended to the upper realm, the struggle would still exist, would not stop, and might even become more intense.

While Nascent Soul cultivators may be revered and powerful in the mortal realm, they may be nothing in the Earthly Immortal Realm, lacking a foundation sufficient to protect themselves.

The ancestor of the Chaotic Evil was essentially seeking longevity, freedom, and the Great Dao. However, what he wanted was to cultivate to the pinnacle in the mortal realm and then ascend to the upper realm. Moreover, after ascending, he could advance to the Void Returning Realm in just a few years.

Lu Cheng traveled between the two realms using an avatar through the Nine Li Cauldron, therefore he knew that the Hunxie Ancestor's judgment was correct:
The power of a Nascent Soul cultivator is not enough to rely on in the Earthly Immortal Realm, but the power of a True Return to Emptiness is considered to have some status among the myriad races of the Spirit Realm.

The ancestor of the Chaotic Evil might even know that Wan Ziyi and his wife possessed the Immortal Soul Lamp, and deliberately forced them to use it.

He intends to rely on his demonic skills to devour immortals, greatly advancing his cultivation and magical power, and even unifying the demonic path in the Tongtian Dharma Realm, exhausting the world to provide for himself. In that case, even if he ascends to the upper realm, he will not be penniless.

Huai Zhenzi has the experience and knowledge of the Earth Immortal realm. Although his spirit was greatly affected when he descended to the mortal realm, he was still able to use spells and magic power beyond this realm to a certain extent within the influence range of the Yin-Yang Qiankun Ring.

Just like when Li Ziqiong used the eighth-order thunder talisman and almost killed the Heart-Eating Demon with a single thunderbolt, under normal circumstances, such power is not allowed in the mortal world. However, under the influence of the Yin-Yang Universe Ring, the Heavenly Secret Sensing is also obscured.

When the celestial beings and humans clashed, the laws of nature broke down in an instant, and the universe was turned upside down.

Huai Zhenzi's wisp of spirit manifested from the golden flame of the Soul Lamp. Its appearance was neither that of a slender Daoist nor a majestic Immortal Venerable, but rather a hazy halo of light floating in the void, constantly flowing with endless Daoist charm and starlight.

Its light was as clear as water, yet heavier than the Milky Way. As soon as it appeared in the world, the realm formed by the Yin-Yang Universe Ring groaned under its unbearable burden, and countless tiny spatial cracks, like black lightning, wandered and multiplied along the edges.

The halo rippled slightly, without any loud or forceful commands or fancy supernatural moves; it simply sank downwards in the most natural way.

This single "sinking" is like the collapse of the heavens, pressing down upon us!

The monstrous black abyss vortex, formed by the Five Evil Stars Devouring Heaven and Earth Great Art and about to engulf everything, suddenly paused.

Its violent momentum was as if it had crashed into an invisible wall, emitting a piercing, distorted shriek powerful enough to tear apart the primordial spirit.

At the edge of the vortex, the boundless malevolent energy and evil thoughts of death that were originally rampant and spewing out were dissipated and annihilated at a speed visible to the naked eye, like boiling water poured on snow, under the pure pressure of "sinking"!

Above the golden summit amidst the vast clouds, the remaining righteous and demonic cultivators all felt their souls tremble, as if their souls were being forcibly pressed and peeled from their bodies by this invisible "sinking".

"Good! What a wonderful 'Supreme Eight Evolutions, Purity and Turbidity Determined'!" From the core of the vortex came the hoarse and maniacal laughter of the Chaotic Ancestor.

Although he had not studied the Daoist arts of the upper realms, even those upper realm Daoist arts often did not deviate from the basic scriptures and treatises.

The blood shadow dimmed, the Dao foundation burned more than halfway, and the enormous magical power cultivated over six thousand years of hard work was now bursting forth wildly, supporting the shaky black vortex of demonic light.

He's definitely not just stubbornly holding on!
From the depths of that dark vortex, three evil eyes suddenly opened!

It is not the eye of a living person, but a concrete manifestation of the laws that embody all the evil thoughts, calamities, and resentment in the world.

One is the Fiery Calamity Eye, which bursts forth with true flames that burn the world and melt the heavens, crimson with a ghastly green tinge, scorching the starlight and Daoist charm of Huai Zhenzi's divided spirit.
One is the Frosty Eye, pouring out the Xuanming Frost Qi from the Nine Nether Abyss, attempting to freeze the ever-flowing immortal light;

The last pupil is the most bizarre, named "Erosion of the Dao," which can capture and devour the laws of the Great Dao flowing within the immortal light!
This is the ultimate technique of the Chaotic Ancestor—the supreme evolution of the Five Evils returning to one, using the tribulation of the Dao to devour the foundation of immortality.

With all three pupils open, the demonic power was violent, forcefully tearing a tiny crack in Huai Zhenzi's "heavy" Daoist aura.

The flow of celestial light became slightly sluggish, and the dissipating black abyss energy on the periphery was instantly drawn back by a powerful force, clinging to and eroding the hazy celestial light.

The area surrounding the celestial light was as if it had been dyed with ink, and a small area instantly dimmed, with even a faint "sizzling" corrosive sound emanating from it.

"Humph!"

Within the celestial light, a cold snort finally rang out. It was not human language, but rather the cry of the Dao, like a thunderclap resounding from the very source of one's soul.

The dimness instantly returned to clarity, even surpassing its former glory! The clear light merely swirled slightly, silently and instantly evaporating the clinging malevolent aura and ink stains.

The fiery calamity and the icy chill spewed by the three evil eyes were as if they had encountered an irreversible torrent of the Dao, collapsing and retreating inch by inch!

The most troublesome "Erosion Dao Tribulation Seal" eye was as if it had been struck hard by an invisible force, its spiderweb-like law patterns on the surface breaking inch by inch, emitting a mournful cry that reached the depths of the soul.

The battle between the Hunxie Ancestor and Huaizhenzi was more of a clash of their respective Daoist laws and principles than a change in sword techniques and Daoist routines.

It's true that the Evil Ancestor was always at a disadvantage, to the point that many half-understanding demon disciples on the Golden Summit of Clouds had already begun to look for a way to escape.

However, many other high-level demonic cultivators, such as the Heavenly Abandoned Demon, Madam Wanmiao, and the Lu Demon, watched the battle intently, unwilling to miss a single moment, and were not worried about their future at all.

Although the Hunxie Ancestor was always at a disadvantage in the battle between Hunxie Ancestor and Huaizhenzi, he was not without the power to fight back. On the other hand, Huaizhenzi Daoist had already ascended to the upper realm, and his avatar's return to the mortal world was greatly restricted. As time went on, Lu Cheng's calculations showed that the Hunxie Ancestor was more likely to win in the end.

If he truly succeeds in devouring immortality with demonic power, his position as the number one demon in the Seven Realms will likely remain unchallenged for thousands of years.

Of course, the remaining lifespan of the Evil Ancestor was less than a thousand years, so he could not actually remain in the world for that long, but the demonic path would certainly flourish and no one could control him.

(End of this chapter)