Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 509 The Four Symbols Army Tide Swallows the Sun and Moon, The Five Thunder Peaks Break Through the Heavenly Pivot! (Seeking Donations and Subscriptions!)

Using the method of refining arrays to enter the body, cultivate the "Secret Classic of Xuanmen Danding Refining Form" of the Taiqing Sect!
Using her physical strength to bear the weight of the heavens, An Xiaoyue's aura surged wildly in a very short time.

She no longer seemed like a graceful, petite young girl, but an ancient giant who carried mountains, rivers, stars, and the universe!

Every inch of flesh and bone contains a terrifying force capable of shattering the heavens and splitting the earth.

From Xu Baifeng's perspective, it looked like an ancient giant was carrying a divine mountain high, charging towards him and then crashing down:

With Mount Tai as my shield, I can cross the North Sea; it's right before my eyes.

The extreme pressure placed upon him caused his breath to suddenly catch in his throat, as if he were trapped in a bottomless quagmire.

'The intent of the fist is as solid as a mountain, the intent of the fist is substantial!'

But the next moment, a light flashed in Xu Baifeng's eyes, and he realized what it was. This was the fighting spirit instinctively ignited by a true ascetic facing immense pressure!
"Star falls, it is gone!"

Xu Baifeng let out a low shout, his index and middle fingers joined together to form a sword, and he wrote rapidly in the air. What flowed from his fingertips was not ink, but a dazzling silver light!

As if dipped in the starlight of the heavens, specks of silver light shimmered and appeared in the void, instantly condensing into seven ancient runes of different shapes, faintly forming the shape of the Big Dipper.

"disease!"

As soon as the seven star talismans were drawn, they transformed into seven condensed, almost tangible silver streaks of light. Instead of shooting towards An Xiaoyue, they flew through the air along mysterious and unpredictable trajectories.

Almost simultaneously, under a starry night sky, seven enormous pillars of starlight crashed down. The seven dazzling pillars were initially very small, but they quickly transformed into a sea of ​​light, like flowing galaxies, striking at An Xiaoyue's vital acupoints with cunning and ruthless angles.

The power of the stars is vast, yet it is concentrated in one point.

It summons stars to strike, determined to obliterate everything.

With just this one move, even if there were hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of ordinary Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators, they would die in an instant if they did not form a formation in time to protect themselves.

"Humph!"

Facing the seven dazzling beams of light shooting towards her, An Xiaoyue neither dodged nor avoided them! Her eyes suddenly blazed with two clusters of fierce fighting spirit.

There's only one thing to do: throw a punch!

The punch was delivered silently, even the sound of it breaking through the air was swallowed up by the collapsing void before it! Countless tiny, mysterious arrays flashed across the surface of the fist.

Before the fist even arrived, the space above the entire platform seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand!

The airflow wailed as it was rapidly compressed, transforming into a violent barrier of fist-like winds powerful enough to overturn mountains, surging forward with a deafening roar!
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Seven muffled thuds, like rolling thunderclaps!

The seven powerful starlight pillars, capable of instantly killing ten thousand people and piercing through ordinary Nascent Soul stage protective magic treasures, crashed into the fist wind barrier made of pure power and shattered one after another!
The starlight was violently shattered, crushed, and annihilated by absolute power!
It turned into scattered silver dust, leaving only seven fleeting bright white trails above the altar.

Seven punches, and a star falls!

Xu Baifeng's pupils contracted slightly upon seeing this, but his fingers did not stop at all, drawing talismans so fast that they left afterimages.

"Edict!"

"shock!"

"ban!"

"Bind!"

His voice boomed like thunder, a series of ancient and profound sounds bursting forth from his mouth. With each command, dozens, even hundreds, of silver star talismans simultaneously appeared in the void!

These talismans take the form of swords, giant shields, chains, or mystical seals!
Stars fell like rain, sword light crisscrossed, a giant shield crushed like a mountain, chains stretched across the void and coiled, and the Xuan Seal crashed down with immense thunder.

In an instant, the entire sky above the Xuanyu Dharma Platform was covered by countless, ever-changing star runes, dazzling, sharp, and unpredictable!
Xu Baifeng's figure also vanished without a trace amidst the countless talismans:
Your divine power is invincible, but it is useless against enemies you cannot attack. You refine the array into your body and push your magic power throughout your body. This method is certainly violent and fierce, but I do not believe you can maintain it for long.

An Xiaoyue's eyes burned with fierce battle intent. Facing the torrent of star runes that had almost no blind spots, her bones and muscles emitted a clear, slight crackling sound, as if her ultimate power was surging through her flesh and blood!

"broken!"

Her fists crossed, as if beating an invisible divine drum, her arms tracing profound semicircles. The myriad miniature arrays circulating around her erupted with blinding light!
The raging energy of heaven and earth was frantically compressed and condensed onto the fist, and then—it was released with a roar!
Both fists punched out!

This girl is exceptionally violent; the power of her punch is indescribable.

It was as if the stars had shattered!

The entire space twisted and flipped!

The shockwave from the pure burst of power was no longer fan-shaped, but formed a destructive hemispherical energy diffusion field, indiscriminately crushing outwards from her body as the origin.

Boom—Crack! Crack!

All runes shattered!

Regardless of whether it's star swords, star shields, star chains, star seals... all the supernatural powers transformed from talismans, before this tyrannical and domineering absolute power, all let out a mournful cry of being unable to bear the burden, and then, like bubbles under the sunlight, they burst and vanished inch by inch.

Xu Baifeng's meticulously arranged Star Talisman Killing Formation, in which he was half-real and half-illusory, hidden deep within the edge of the void rift, was suddenly pulled out by the wide-range fist force, revealing his true form!

At the same time, a tremendous backlash came through the connection between the talisman and the divine sense. Xu Baifeng groaned and his figure appeared in the void, a trace of light red blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"die!"

An Xiaoyue, seizing the advantage, pressed her advantage and stomped her foot heavily!
The entire Xuan Yu Dharma Platform trembled violently!

She was like a cannonball compressed to its limit, hurtling straight at Xu Baifeng.

The air along the way was forced apart by the immense force, forming a shrill vacuum tunnel. A fist, condensed with platinum luster and covered with countless layers of micro-array patterns, slammed into Xu Baifeng's chest like a collapsing mountain.

The force of the fist enveloped Xu Baifeng, locking down the space around him with pure power, leaving him nowhere to retreat.

Xu Baifeng's eyes blazed with starlight. There was no way to avoid it; he had to take it head-on! He clasped his hands together and roared, "Zhou Tian Xing Xuan—Yu!"

hum!
The dozens of star runes surrounding him that had not yet been completely annihilated suddenly reversed!

Instead of continuing their attack, all the star symbols instantly collapsed inward and began to spin wildly! In a flash, a miniature stellar universe was born on his chest!

Countless rotating stardust talismans form the core of a deep vortex, emanating a profound aura of devouring and deflecting force.

The vortex of the starry sea swallowed everything.

Boom! !
An Xiaoyue's violent punch, imbued with immense power, slammed into the extreme point of the star vortex.

The tip of the needle is facing the wheat awn.

There was no earth-shattering noise, only a dull "thump" that was so loud it made your heart tremble!
It was like a giant hammer smashing down on the ancient divine iron!

The rapidly spinning star on Xu Baifeng's chest suddenly froze, and then trembled violently!

Terrifying cracks instantly spread across the deep core of the vortex, within which countless star runes flickered wildly, enduring unimaginable impacts.

puff--!
Xu Baifeng spat out a large mouthful of blood, and his body could no longer be stabilized. He flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

His arms trembled violently, and the core magic seal that formed the star vortex was shattered by brute force. His body slid backward uncontrollably, trying to dissipate this overwhelming power. His feet plowed two deep grooves on the Xuan Yu Dharma Platform.

An Xiaoyue's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Having landed a blow, she wouldn't allow her opponent to catch their breath.

The internal array circulated and roared, and his power exploded once again!
Her petite figure flashed like a platinum lightning bolt, instantly catching up with the flying Xu Baifeng. Another punch, devoid of any fancy moves, was delivered with even purer and heavier crushing power, aimed at Xu Baifeng's wide-open center gate.

boom.

An Xiaoyue wins the second match!

Xu Baifeng's physical body was directly blasted into starlight, which flashed and appeared below the altar. If this were a real battle, he would have been smashed to pieces by now.

Even if his physical body was not seriously damaged, he still had some residual internal injuries. Xu Baifeng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and bowed solemnly to An Xiaoyue on the stage, saying:

"I'm willing to admit defeat."

An Xiaoyue returned the greeting with a hand gesture, jumped off the stage, and sat cross-legged to recover.

In these two duels between the true disciples of the Taiqing Sect, apart from Jin Shayu's Flowing Fire Unfettered Flying Sword and Mu Xuechan's unsheathed flying sword, none of the four displayed any powerful magical treasures.

This is because the Immortal Pool Sword Competition is a grand event for the younger generation of human cultivators, and only cultivators under the age of three thousand from the Earth Immortal Realm are allowed to participate, while ascended cultivators can extend their age to five thousand.

At this age, even if one is born into a prestigious sect and has cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage, unless one has an illustrious background or has encountered some extraordinary events, one will not possess many powerful magical treasures.

Of course, if one becomes a member of the Taiqing Sect and represents the sect in the Immortal Pool Sword Battle, the sect will inevitably provide one or two magic treasures, which is one of the benefits.

Two of the three seats have already been filled.

At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on the last two people:
The Taoist Lu Cheng, with his profound demeanor and serene expression, and Ma Yourong, a Taoist monk with a towering figure, white hair and beard, but a bitter expression on his face.

Not daring to delay their sect masters, the two each used their escape light to fly up to the Xuan Yu Dharma Platform.

“Junior Brother Lu…” Ma Yourong smiled bitterly, his face full of helplessness. “I, your senior brother, am really not good at fighting. But the rules are like this, so I have no choice but to make a fool of myself. I hope you will show mercy, junior brother.”

Ma Yourong was the oldest monk among the six people present.

He was an ascended cultivator. In his first life in the mortal realm, he only cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage. In his second life, he was reincarnated and cultivated again until he reached the Divine Spirit stage.

His innate talent for cultivation was poor. He cultivated in the mortal realm for three thousand years but still failed to reach the late stage of the primordial spirit. Later, when his lifespan was nearing its end, he had no choice but to risk entering the spacetime rift in the upper realm and luckily managed to sneak into the Earthly Immortal Realm. After that, he diligently cultivated again.

He was over 4,990 years old. If this year's Immortal Pool Sword Competition had been held a few months later, he wouldn't have been qualified to participate at all.

Her current magical power is only comparable to Lu Cheng's, around the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

However, facing such a cultivator, Lu Cheng did not show any disrespect. On the contrary, he vaguely sensed the other party's extraordinary abilities, so he simply nodded slightly and said calmly:
"Please, Senior Brother Ma."

As soon as Lu Cheng finished speaking, Ma Yourong moved almost at the same instant!

He clapped his hands together on the storage pouch at his waist, and two beams of light shot into the sky!

On the left, a massive, square shield, entirely dark yellow and covered with tortoise-shell patterns, emanated a powerful, mountainous force; on the right, it transformed into a glass-colored umbrella, scattering countless rays of light as it spun.

"Wuji Xuan Turtle Shield"! "Nine-Bend Nail Canopy"! Both are mid-grade seventh-tier defensive magic treasures.

The two treasures descended instantly, forming two impenetrable fortresses that firmly protected Ma Yourong at the center. Light swirled, and earth-elemental energy and gentle immortal energy formed layers upon layers of defensive circles.

That wasn't all. With lightning speed, Ma Yourong unleashed 108 array flags, each inscribed with mysterious runes, flying out of his sleeves like a flock of birds returning to their nests!
"Baxia Rock Formation, activate!" He chanted the formation incantation rapidly, and the formation flags scattered like streams of light, taking root on the ground. The immense earth and stone elemental energy gathered wildly, about to set up an indestructible defensive formation on the Xuan Yu Dharma Platform with him as the core.

Having cultivated for nearly five thousand years, Ma Yourong knew he was not good at fighting. The only correct strategy was to first establish himself as invincible, relying on his nearly five thousand years of accumulation, and using formations and his proficient puppetry to wear down his opponent.

The combination of the Wuji Xuan Turtle Shield and the Baxia Rock Formation can further enhance its defensive power. If he can gain enough time, he can summon a massive puppet army to overwhelm all his opponents!
"With the puppet reserves I currently have in my Qiankun Bag, plus the fact that I cultivate the most powerful foundational magic, the 'Taiqing Nine Revolutions Great Ascension Technique,' I have a chance to win if we fight a protracted war!"
Obtaining one of the three seats grants access to the sect's treasury to select treasures. Even if I don't achieve a high ranking in the Immortal Pool Sword Tournament, it's still a worthwhile investment for me.

However, just as Ma Yourong unleashed two magical treasures and threw out the array flags, Lu Cheng moved!

His movements seemed slow, lacking the ferocity of An Xiaoyue's fist tearing through the void, the vastness of Mu Xuechan and Jin Shayu's water and fire domains sweeping across the heavens and earth, and the exquisite skill of Xu Baifeng's starry river. He simply swung his sword forward.

With a single swing of his sword, Lu Cheng suddenly unleashed an indescribable and unparalleled sharpness!

Clang——!
A clear and melodious sword cry resounded throughout Chengtian Hall.

"I have stumbled upon the true secret of thunder, and the five elements' mutual generation and restraint are in a whirlwind."

"The primordial Yin and the blazing heavens collide, revealing the secrets of creation in the azure sky!"

Mysterious Heavenly Divine Skill: Five Elements Thunder Sword!

Lu Cheng's avatar in this world has been constantly changing the cultivation method he originally cultivated. The first one was the "Taiqing Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir Technique" cultivated at the Xuantian Pavilion in Xuandu City at the foot of Taiqing Mountain, which can increase the potential of cultivators. This technique can be regarded as a prerequisite for the "Taiqing Nine Revolutions Mahayana Technique".

Because the potential of the external avatar is insufficient, it is necessary to cultivate this skill to enhance one's own cultivation potential in order to have subsequent cultivation.

Later, he practiced the preliminary cultivation method of the "Secretly Transmitted Brightness Talisman Scripture of the Supreme Purity Mysterious Pivot," the Great Brightness Talisman Scripture. This was because it was the most difficult to cultivate and the most advanced cultivation method that Lu Cheng could access at the time.

Later, he gained the appreciation of Master Yuding and became a disciple of the Taiqing Sect, one of the nine sects of the human race, where he cultivated the "Mysterious Gate Elixir Refining Body Secret Manual," one of the seven true teachings.

This is to provide a reference cultivation method for the main body in the lower realm, and it does not serve the interests of the external avatar itself.

To cultivate this true teaching, he spent a great deal of time and effort, practicing the Blood Talisman Opening Profound Aperture Method, similar to An Xiaoyue's Array Refining Body Method. Both were considered alternative paths, entering the Dao through techniques, each with its own unique skill. The cultivation method that Lu Cheng's external avatar is currently practicing is the "Mysterious Heaven Divine Art," a self-created version of the "Mysterious Gate Pill Cauldron Refining Body Secret Manual."

If one day Lu Cheng's "Mysterious Heaven Divine Skill" completely replaces the former, it will mean that the Taoist transformation and ascension technique has finally achieved minor success.

I dare not speak of greater achievements, but ascending to immortality should not be difficult for me.

Using the Xuan Tian Divine Skill to propel the Five Elements Thunder Sword, five thunder beasts circled around the sword light: Purple Scale Demon Dragon, Red-Eyed Suanni, Azure-Winged Thunder Roc, White-Armored Divine Elephant, and Black Jade Qilin.

The sword light burst forth with incredible speed and ferocity, directly slicing down Ma Yourong's seventh-tier defensive technique, the Wuji Xuan Turtle Shield, severely damaging its spiritual energy.

Lu Cheng's swordsmanship was too high, and his eyesight was also sharp. He could see at a glance the formation that the opponent was about to set up, which subtly echoed his own magic weapon.

After this sword strike, the five thunder beasts surrounding the Five Elements Flying Sword vanished.

But the swords and lightning still clashed, creating a formidable spectacle.

As Lu Cheng's sword technique reversed and flew back, continuously slashing down on the Nine-Bend Nail Canopy. In a very short time, the magical treasure's spiritual light was gradually weakened.

Sword techniques and thunder magic—are there any more lethal killing techniques in this world?

Upon seeing this, Ma Yourong sensed something and his expression changed drastically. His hands slowed down, but he quickly resumed setting up the Baxia Rock Formation.

"This Lord Lu is even more terrifying than the legends say! With a single sword strike, his sword light became incredibly subtle, combining lightning and sword energy, creating a thunderous sound, materializing sword energy, and transforming sword light into a rainbow. No wonder even a high-grade seventh-tier protective magic weapon was cut down with a single strike..."

Jin Shayu's swordsmanship style is similar to that of Lu Cheng Daoren; he combines sword and fire techniques and also cultivates the art of sword immortality.

But the more it was like this, the more terrifying it became. At this moment, I couldn't help but put myself into this sword fight, and before long, I was covered in a cold sweat.

On the Xuan Yu Dharma Platform, the Nine-Bend Nail Canopy, a mid-grade Nascent Soul defensive magic treasure, ultimately failed to withstand its master's array setup and was slashed down by the sword light.

Lu Cheng's Five Elements Sword Light pierced through the air, its sword intent so condensed it seemed poised to cleave the entire altar in two.

Ma Yourong felt a slight chill at the top of his head, not from physical injury, but from the invisible sharpness of the flying sword, imbued with the destructive lightning magic, which had firmly locked down all his possibilities of movement and change, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end.

The outcome seemed to be decided in the next instant.

Ma Yourong's hands, which were usually steady and skillful in assembling and manipulating puppets, were now trembling slightly.

The image of the Wuji Xuan Turtle Shield losing all its spiritual light seemed to still be in my mind, and the Nine-Bend Nail Canopy was also cut down by the sword light.

Two beloved treasures that had been with them for many years were pierced and smashed in less than a breath.

That sword light!

Fast, too fast! Ruthless, too ruthless!
A chilling fear crept up his spine. Ma Yourong knew perfectly well that if the sword tip above his head moved forward even a fraction more, it wouldn't just pierce the air, but the very foundation of his primordial spirit, cultivated through thousands of years of arduous practice.

However, the flying sword, which was powerful enough to pierce through magical artifacts and tear apart primordial spirits, stopped without warning less than a millimeter away from his physical body.

The sword light was still dazzling, yet it hovered as still as a deep, ancient pool.

Immediately afterwards, the surging thunder swords receded abruptly like a tide, disappearing into nothingness, leaving only the clear and melodious whistling sound of the flying swords themselves, softly echoing in the clear light of the Dharma platform.

Lu Cheng Daoist remained standing in the same spot, his wide sleeves fluttering gently as he loosely clenched his fists.

The incomparably powerful Five Elements Flying Sword, like a serpent returning to its nest, transformed into a swift stream of light and, with a crisp "clang," neatly and cleanly returned to the ancient-style scabbard behind him. All the malevolent energy vanished, leaving only the cultivator's own pure and spiritual energy circulating.

“Brother Ma, the essence of sparring among fellow disciples lies in learning from each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and in mutual learning and improvement. The purpose is not to determine the speed of victory or defeat, but to verify one’s own learning and to see what is lacking in the path.”

"When you stepped onto the stage this time, you knew to temporarily avoid the fierce fist techniques of Junior Sister An Xiaoyue and chose me, Lu, as your opponent. This move must be because you have a deep understanding of your own strengths in the Dao and have reached a state of refinement in this Dao. If I were to win with lightning speed before you have fully displayed your strengths, I think you would not be convinced."

"In that case, Senior Brother, set up your formation and show me your strengths. Let me see the essence of Senior Brother Ma's Taoist arts."

Lu Cheng's voice rang out calmly, without a trace of the arrogance of a victor, but rather with interest and sincerity.

On this Xuan Yu Dharma Platform, there is no way to suffer a fatal injury. Since that's the case, why not use an opponent to hone the edge of the Five Elements Thunder Sword?

“…Good! Well said, I am truly convinced! Since Junior Brother Lu thinks so highly of you, then I, your elder brother, will dare to fight you today.”

Ma Yourong has lived for nearly five thousand years. What kind of people haven't he seen? He naturally knows that it's not that the other party looks down on him, but rather that it's the natural temperament of a master swordsman.

Therefore, he immediately rallied his spirits and decided to give it his all and showcase his talents.

Meanwhile, outside the Xuanyu Dharma Platform, the acting sect leader, Xuanzhenzi, praised the elders on either side, saying, "Our sect has not seen anyone who loves swords as much as he loves women!"

"The power of Baxia, heed my command—begin the battle!"

Ma Yourong's hands flew, leaving many afterimages. The 108 array flags, condensed from the essence of Wu Earth, which he had prepared beforehand, fell like stars as he chanted ancient incantations, and fiercely nailed into the key points of the Xuan Yu Dharma Platform.

Each falling banner brought with it a heavy yellow halo.

"Puppet Mastery, Heaven and Earth as Weapons—Appear!"

Ma Yourong's sleeves billowed violently, and spiritual light burst forth like a boiling volcanic torrent. At the same time, his hands moved so fast that only distorted afterimages remained.

boom! boom! boom!
In that earthy yellow radiance, the deafening roar of the beast almost tore apart the array barrier of the Baxia Formation!

Four colossal phantoms, each towering in color—blue, white, red, and black—burst into the void, each imbued with the immense demonic aura of its own inherent attribute, and roared as they made their grand entrance!

The Azure Dragon soared and coiled in the sky, its scales and claws flashing as it stirred up a misty blue wind and thunder of the Wood element.

The white tiger pounced violently, its body surrounded by a fierce wind that seemed to cut and swirl like thousands of swords.
The Vermilion Bird descends from the ashes, its blazing red lotus flames sweeping across half the sky.

Xuanwu lay firmly in the raging Weak Water, its massive combined tortoise and snake body providing an absolute defense like a mountain.

Although these four sacred beasts are not their true blood, they reproduced a portion of the ancient divine might through exquisite puppetry. As soon as they appeared, the immense beastly aura caused the space inside the entire Baxia Formation to slightly distort and collapse!

When the four symbols arrive, all beasts fall silent!
Following closely behind was an even denser army of beasts, surging forth like a burst dam.

Golden-winged leopards, earth-fire unicorns forged from lava, cold-blooded giant pythons made of black ice, ferocious giant tigers shimmering with metallic eerie light... Hundreds of ferocious beast and bird puppets of different shapes, sizes, extreme attributes, and exuding the aura of demonic power beyond the transformation stage roared out from Ma Yourong's seemingly inconspicuous cuffs, belt, and hairpins, instantly transforming into a beast tide ocean forged from a mixture of metal, rock, spirit wood, and talismans, covering half of the altar space.

Ma Yourong's puppetry technique is somewhat different from that of other cultivators. Most cultivators select puppets in advance and summon them from their Qiankun Bags during battles, either using a few high-quality ones or a slightly weaker combination.

Ma Yourong, however, was different. All his puppets were unfinished products with limited lifespans. However, within those limited times, they could unleash the full combat power of normal puppets, or even more. As a result, the number of puppet troops increased tenfold, reaching three thousand.

They roared and howled, echoing each other. The beast tide flowed in an orderly fashion, vaguely resembling some ancient combined attack formation.

With the Four Symbols Divine Beast puppets as the command nodes, various functions such as attack, defense, disruption, and delay are intertwined to form a massive, intricate, interconnected, and incredibly self-repairing millstone of destruction.

Lu Cheng Daoist stood at the heart of this storm.

"Three thousand puppet soldiers dance in unison, a single move can break through ten thousand troops! This is getting interesting." Lu Cheng muttered to himself. The next moment, he merged with the Five Elements Flying Sword, becoming one with the sword, and charged straight into Ma Yourong's three thousand puppet beast soldiers.

The sword flashed, moving like thunder!
Immediately afterwards, five sword rainbows, each a different color but equally dazzling with lightning and supreme sharpness, burst forth from all around him without any warning.

The principles of the Five Elements' mutual generation and restraint were deduced to their ultimate extent at this moment. The five-colored sword lights did not fight independently; every time they passed through, every time they clashed, and every time their potential was transferred and transformed, they embodied the most fundamental Five Elements laws of the universe.

Green wood nourishes crimson fire, crimson fire in turn nourishes fertile earth, fertile earth condenses platinum, platinum flows through cold water, cold water nourishes green wood again... life goes on endlessly, flowing like a wheel, forming a vast and profound net of destruction constructed with pure thunderous sword intent!
Tsk-!
Fast! Faster than divine sense can capture!

The five-colored sword light drew countless intertwined and swirling deadly trajectories in the air, instantly cutting out a three-dimensional sword net domain covering the entire Baxia formation above the altar.

The first sharp edge pierced through the water-based barrier surrounding the Xuanwu puppet! The Xuanshui puppet was thick and difficult to break?
However, Lu Cheng's Xuan Shui Lei Sword penetrated and tore through the thick Gui Shui barrier without any hindrance, and the heavy thunderous energy contained in the sword body burst out instantly!
Xuan Shui (mysterious water) encountering Lei Sha (thunderous energy) gives rise to Gui Shui Yin Lei (yin thunder)! Countless fine, dark blue lightning snakes explode wildly inside the massive talisman core of Xuanwu! Boom!
The giant tortoise let out a mournful cry as the defensive runes that formed its back and plastron crumbled and shattered one after another!

Almost at the same time that Xuanwu was struck, the winged demon tiger puppet, forged from ten thousand years of sunken gold and star iron mother with sharp Geng metal as its core, was about to bite down.

The platinum sword light fell like a meteor from the sky, with a sharp, piercing "whoosh," striking precisely the rune between the demon tiger's eyebrows.

The sword light unleashed a destructive, golden aura that instantly crushed the menacing golden beast from the inside out into countless blazing metal fragments.

One of the four symbols has been destroyed!

However, the puppet army still surged in like a tide, with attacks that blotted out the sky following closely behind. Ma Yourong stood in the middle of the formation, as steadfast as an ancient pine tree.

At this moment, he had forgotten about victory or defeat, and only wanted to fight with all his might.

Lu Cheng merged with the sword light, directly confronting and charging forward with his sword. His divine eyes scanned the surroundings, his hands moved in hand gestures, and the Five Elements Sword Light moved as if it were his own arm and fingers. He accurately found the "nodes" of every flow of magical power among the thousands of beast shadows!
The runes at the core of the wooden puppet were shattered and annihilated by the golden sword; the ferocious bird roaring with flames was extinguished by the sword light containing the Gui water thunder aura.
The earth-elemental puppet's massive body was forcibly penetrated to its core and drained of its vital energy by the Azure Lightning; the metal-elemental puppet's sturdy shell was smashed into spiderweb-like cracks by the sudden burst of blazing giant sword shadows...

What shocked Ma Yourong and the observing cultivators even more was:

The Five Elements Sword Net that rushed in to attack was not only incredibly powerful, but also possessed terrifying insight and prediction!
The route of the beast tide, the precursors to the magical fluctuations released by the puppets, and even the gaps in the flow of magic between legions... all five sword lights were like "Butcher Ding" with life and extremely high intelligence, each slash, pierce, and grind was exquisite!
Wherever the sword light passed, the puppet was not simply shattered, but collapsed from the inside out, starting from its core structure!
In this way, even someone as skilled in puppetry as Ma Yourong would find it difficult to quickly get them back on their feet and back into battle.

Sizzle! Hiss! Boom!

The sounds of shattering, exploding, and energy annihilation were incessant!
With sharp edges clashing and neither dodging nor yielding, the light of the five elements swirled at high speed through the massive beast tide army, like five divine dragons freely splashing brilliant colors on an inky black curtain!
Each spiraling attack leaves behind a torrent of puppet remains, some crumbling like rotten wood, others shattering like shattered steel!
Metal fragments, broken bones and armor, and scattered spirit wood talismans, under the clear light of the altar and the sword light and lightning, poured down like a torrential rain onto the Baxia formation's protective shield, producing a continuous series of crackling sounds.

The scene was magnificent, yet possessed a shockingly destructive beauty.

"Roar!" The white tiger, transformed into a military spirit, roared furiously, its giant claws tearing through space with the Geng metal gale, fiercely sweeping towards the most active green wood sword light!
Before the claws even arrived, the terrifying cutting power had already left fine black streaks in the surrounding space. It intended to use its absolute sharpness to sever this damned chain of life and death!

However, the agile and unrestrained green wood sword light neither dodged nor avoided, but instead let out a high-pitched sword roar and dragon cry, and crashed head-on!
It wasn't a direct confrontation; at the very moment of imminent contact, the dragon's radiance suddenly changed! The rich life force instantly transformed into a blazing, murderous fire! Green wood turned into raging flames!

The sword light surged, and the intent of destruction soared to the heavens.

Clang——! !

A deafeningly sharp sound of metal tearing through fabric rang out! The entire Chengtian Palace seemed to tremble slightly! The crimson flames clashed with the white tiger's metal claws!
The fire wasn't ejected, it was an explosive eruption!

Like two powerful attacks colliding head-on, the terrifying shockwave completely blew away the puppet fragments within hundreds of feet, turning them into dust!
The stalemate lasted only a moment.

boom!
There was no earth-shattering explosion. The indestructible white tiger claw, like a gold ingot thrown into a furnace, rapidly melted, decomposed, and collapsed from the point of contact where the sword cut into it!
It wasn't shattering, but melting! The runes, array base, and core spiritual energy channels that made up the claw instantly became disordered and collapsed, spreading along the direction of the sword's momentum to the entire thick forelimb!

"Woo-hoo—!" The white tiger let out a deafening howl filled with pain and disbelief!
The entire massive forepaw, along with the enormous shoulder structure, exploded in a blinding surge of energy!

The exploding metallic sparks and fragments of Geng metal scattered like fireworks. Its massive body lost its balance and staggered backward! Another one of the Four Symbols was broken!

"Not good!" Ma Yourong, who was rapidly repairing the broken puppets, suddenly changed his expression and began to use the puppet control seals with both hands at a speed so fast that the phantoms were layered.

He himself is not skilled in combat; his method of combat is to make himself invincible and then command and control a large number of puppets to crush his opponents.

The puppets possess their own spirit, and he doesn't need to interfere with the details of the battles; he only needs to grasp the overall situation.

However, with two of the four symbols already destroyed, the overall situation is already in danger of defeat.

'His magical power is clearly equal to mine, but how can his swordsmanship be so superior?!'

Amazed, he commanded the Vermilion Bird to provide assistance.

The enormous Vermilion Bird puppet suddenly flapped its wings, and the blazing fire transformed into a crimson torrent that stretched across the altar, attempting to engulf all the sword light and protect the injured Black Tortoise and the broken White Tiger.

At the same time, the Azure Dragon on the other side also surged upwards in fury, and the Divine Lightning of Wood crashed down like a torrential downpour.

The entire Beast Legion seemed to be driven by an invisible will, and its offensive suddenly became incredibly violent. It even went so far as to self-destruct some of its front-line puppets to create a devastating energy tide, all in an effort to slow down the five deadly sword lights!
Faced with this almost desperate counterattack, the look in Lu Cheng's eyes finally changed.

"The Five Elements revolve, and the primordial chaos is one!" A long chant actually drowned out the roars and thunder of the beasts filling the sky!

The five sword lights, which were originally moving nimbly, intertwined, and fighting independently, suddenly stopped and then burst out with unprecedented brilliance!
The five elements of sword energy seemed to be suddenly gripped tightly towards the center by an invisible hand! The five magical powers were not simply superimposed, but were rapidly compressed and merged along a mysterious and unpredictable path.

In the blink of an eye, just as the Vermilion Bird's inferno and the Azure Dragon's divine lightning were about to strike.

The center of the sword light seemed to collapse, forming an extremely dark point that devoured all light. Then—

Boom! ! ! !
A chaotic radiance, whose color was indescribable and could only be found in the purest, most primordial lightning, suddenly exploded out.

That wasn't the light of lightning; it was more like the first thunderclap that split Yin and Yang at the beginning of chaos.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Boundless light and thunderous sound devoured everything!
When the divine light, powerful enough to scorch the primordial spirit, suddenly receded, and the thunderous sound that shook the soul also quickly subsided, the scene in the field became clear again.

Only a thin layer of the towering Baxia Rock Formation remained, not yet completely dissipated. The ground was a mess, covered with a thick layer of metal fragments of various attributes.

Ma Yourong stood blankly on the Xuan Yu Dharma Platform, a flying sword already across his neck. However, Lu Cheng's condition was not much better. At this moment, he seemed to have reached seven-tenths of his full potential, forcibly unleashing a Five Thunder Fusion. It was only because he cultivated a Dharma Body and had a strong life that he was able to do so. If it were an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, he would probably have fallen off the Dharma Platform even before Ma Yourong.

(End of this chapter)