Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

Laozi stood stiffly within the Zhuxian Sword Formation, his eyes wide with shock.

This is not a meritorious act of Heaven.

It is the great merit of the Great Way!

The Three Pure Ones were transformed from the primordial spirit of Pangu. After the creation of the world, the Heavenly Way was not yet complete, and the Great Way was not yet hidden.

Each of the three Pure Ones received a wisp of the Great Dao merit left behind by Pangu.

That was the last legacy of the Father God, their only and most fundamental connection with the Great Way.

This merit may seem small, but it concerns their last shred of possibility of transcending the Heavenly Dao and is the cornerstone for their future escape from the control of the Heavenly Dao.

Once you use it, it's completely gone!

Ke Tongtian... he unhesitatingly added this last bit of great merit to the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation!

For Kong Xuan? Just to protect him during his breakthrough?

Lao Tzu felt an absurd chill rise from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

He abruptly looked up, staring intently at the resolute figure in the center of the array, his voice hoarse:

"Tongtian...Are you insane?!"

"That is the legacy of the Father God, the final foundation of our Three Pure Ones!"

"You actually ruined your own future on the path to immortality for the sake of a disciple?!"

"snort."

Tongtian snorted coldly, his gaze not even shifting slightly.

At this moment, his entire mind was connected with the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, merging with the burning Great Dao merit.

His dark Taoist robe danced wildly without wind, his black hair flew in the surging sword energy, and his usually cold and stern face now revealed an almost insane calm.

"I choose my own path."

"I will protect my own disciples."

The moment the words fell, the Zhuxian Sword Formation, empowered by the Great Dao's merits, unleashed a terrifying power never before seen since the beginning of time!

hum! ! !

The four sword gates were no longer just gateways, but transformed into four chaotic vortexes that pierced through heaven and earth!

The Eastern Immortal Slaughtering Sword Sect's malevolent energy condenses into a tangible form, transforming into countless blood-red stars. Each star is a world-destroying sword intent, rising and falling in a vortex.

The mere dissipation of energy caused the surrounding void to continuously vanish and be reborn, in an endless cycle.

In the Western Immortal Sword Sect, illusions are no longer illusions, but have evolved into a real and tangible world of inner demons.

Greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt—the five poisons are all present; separation from loved ones, meeting with those one hates, and not getting what one desires—the eight sufferings appear together.

The Sage of Guidance let out a muffled groan. Even with the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit protecting his body, he felt his primordial spirit swaying at this moment.

Every stray thought and flaw in my past practice was magnified and manifested infinitely, turning into countless versions of myself roaring and questioning me in front of me!

The Southern Immortal Sword Sect was shrouded in an aura of annihilation, leaving behind an absolute stillness.

There was no light, no sound, no time, no space; only the purest, deathly stillness permeated the air.

Upon entering this realm, it feels as if the very concept of one's own existence is being slowly erased.

The Northern Immortal Execution Sword Sect unleashed its murderous sword intent, which soared into the sky and condensed into a giant sword phantom that stretched across the chaos.

On the sword's blade, one can vaguely see the traces of Pangu's creation of the world, the blood-stained sharpness from the initial tribulation of the dragon and phoenix, and the murderous aura that shattered stars during the war between the Lich King and the Demon King...

All the killing and destiny of the primordial world throughout history seems to be gathered into this one sword!

The array diagram shone with dazzling light, and countless Dao runes emerged from it, resonating with the four swords and weaving together a magnificent sword net that covered all the heavens and myriad realms and sealed off the past and future!

The power of the sword formation has increased by more than ten or even dozens of times.

It's a qualitative change!

"not good!"

Laozi's expression changed drastically, and he no longer cared about questioning Tongtian.

Although his Three Pure Ones incarnation was powerful, under the pressure of such a sword formation, he felt his movements were sluggish, as if he were sinking into an endless quagmire.

The yin-yang millstone formed by the Taiji diagram collided with the evil aura of the Immortal Slaughtering Star, and the speed of the millstone's rotation visibly slowed down.

The reception was even more disastrous.

He was at the heart of his inner demons, surrounded by a series of illusions.

One moment the Western religious tradition is severed, Mount Ling collapses, and the lotus throne withers.

One moment, Junior Brother Zhunti's karma completely erupted, his holy body collapsed, and his true spirit sank.

One moment it's the backlash from the forty-eight great vows he made, and boundless karmic fire engulfs him...

Even though he knew it was an illusion, the deepest, most hidden fear within him was amplified infinitely, still causing his Buddhist heart to tremble, and the golden lotus's Buddhist light to dim by three points.

"This formation... is beyond the capabilities of even the Four Saints to break!"

Jieyin was shocked; he finally understood Tongtian's determination to abandon the Great Dao and its merits.

This is no longer just obstruction, but a true, all-out defense!

"He wants to stall until Kong Xuan makes a breakthrough!"

Laozi instantly understood Tongtian's intentions, and the chill in his eyes intensified.

"We must not let him succeed!"

He roared, and his true form and the Three Pure Ones' incarnations simultaneously burned their saintly essence!

"Heaven and earth, black and yellow, heed my command!"

Three streams of pure energy shot out from the top of Laozi's head and entered his three incarnations.

The aura of the three avatars surged once again, reaching the level of the seventh level of the Heavenly Dao Saint.

Lao Tzu himself took a step forward and completely merged with the Tai Chi diagram!

"The cycle of Yin and Yang continues, the Great Dao returns to nothingness!"

The Tai Chi symbol spun wildly, its yin-yang eyes transforming into two bottomless voids, one devouring and the other spewing forth.

He intends to use the Great Dao of Taiji to forcibly assimilate and dissolve the destiny of the Immortal Execution Sword, which has accumulated the power of countless ages of slaughter!

Seeing this, Jieyin knew that it was time to fight desperately.

He gritted his teeth and actually slapped Jinlian with his hand!

"puff!"

A mouthful of pale golden holy blood was sprayed onto the twelfth-grade golden lotus of merit.

The golden lotus hummed, and countless tiny and profound Buddhist mantras appeared on its petals. These were manifestations of the very foundation of his Western religion!

"The Pure Land of Buddha, where all sentient beings are saved!"

The golden lotus shone brightly, no longer merely protecting itself, but transforming into a hazy, phantom Buddhist Pure Land, forcefully expanding towards the array diagram of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation.

In the Pure Land, the sound of chanting resounds, and the eight treasures are everywhere, attempting to use the boundless Dharma to subdue this overwhelming sword intent, even if it is only a temporary pollution and disturbance.

In an instant, within the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, the five saints unleashed their full power, each displaying their unique abilities.

The terrifying energy fluctuations caused the entire sword formation to tremble violently.

The sky above Jinji Ridge had long since shattered, revealing the chaotic earth, water, fire, and wind behind it, as well as the raging currents of time deeper within.

Even with the blessing of the Great Dao's merits, the pressure that the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation could withstand had reached its limit.

The four sword gate vortexes began to fluctuate erratically, the Great Dao runes on the array diagram flickered, and Tongtian's face turned pale at a visible speed, with even faint golden blood seeping from the corners of his mouth.

But his posture remained as upright as a sword, and his eyes remained as firm as iron.

"Want to go there?"

A defiant smile curled at the corner of Tongtian's blood-stained lips.

"Unless I'm dead!"

He changed his hand seals again, directly drawing upon his own sacred essence, continuously pouring it into the sword formation, burning together with the merit of the Great Dao!

The sword formation shone even brighter, managing to withstand the combined attack of the five saints once again!

......