Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

The bottom of the abyss.

The great array shimmered with light, and the four immortal lords, their auras merging, silently channeled their profound power, fully activating this water elemental array that could affect the four seas.

The roar of the underground fire below grew increasingly frenzied, like a trapped beast about to break free.

In the chilling silence, the immortal leader suddenly turned to Zhang Qingyang, who was huddled in the corner, his voice carrying an unquestionable command:

"Zhang Qingyang".

Zhang Qingyang trembled, hurriedly looked up, and forced a fawning expression onto his face:

"What are your orders, Immortal Lord?"

"Some fools have come in from outside."

The immortal lord spoke in a detached tone, as if he were discussing a trivial matter:

"Go and clean it up. Don't disturb the peace here."

Zhang Qingyang shuddered violently.

With difficulty, he raised his head and looked at the blurry yet majestic figure within the formation, his lips trembling.

He knew perfectly well that those who could reach the depths of the Blackwater Abyss were not easily dealt with.

However, in that instant of hesitation—

The usually taciturn and slender immortal lord seemed to have a mocking smile flash across his face, which was shrouded in a halo.

He didn't look at Zhang Qingyang, but his fingers twitched very slightly.

"Ugh—!"

Zhang Qingyang suddenly let out a piercing scream.

He was struck dumb, curled up on the ground, and began to convulse violently.

He felt as if a million poisonous needles were piercing and stirring deep within his soul.

A tearing sensation originating from his very soul instantly overwhelmed all his consciousness.

My vision went black, my ears were ringing, and it felt like my soul was about to leave my body and fly away.

The pain came quickly and went quickly, receding like the tide in the blink of an eye.

But Zhang Qingyang had already collapsed to the ground, his clothes soaked, his face ashen like a dead man, and his eyes filled with boundless fear and submission.

He was panting heavily, no longer daring to harbor the slightest thought of disobedience.

Only now did he truly understand.

What surrender? I'm just a puppet in someone else's hands, my life and death are not in my own hands.

The slender immortal lord spoke as if he were merely brushing away a speck of dust, his voice calm and even:

"Aren't you going yet?"

"Yes...yes! Your subordinate obeys, I'll go right away!"

Zhang Qingyang struggled to his feet, not daring to look back, and staggered away, his back view showing a disheveled state.

The four immortal lords remained indifferent to this, refocusing their attention on the impending formation.

To them, Zhang Qingyang was nothing more than a pawn to be used and discarded, his life and death insignificant.

…………

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the intricate network of passages in the Blackwater Abyss.

Chen Jiao's black robes fluttered, and with steady steps, he swiftly traversed the water.

Master Xuan Gu followed closely behind, his expression solemn, carefully raising his protective spiritual light.

The two did not encounter any significant obstacles on their journey.

However, this unusual calm only made Xuan Gu Shangren's heartstrings tighten even more.

The passage gradually widened, and a series of deep, rumbling sounds, like the heartbeat of a giant beast, could be faintly heard from ahead.

Chen Jiao slowed his escape light slightly, raised his eyes to look at the deep darkness at the end of the passage, his gaze profound, as if he sensed something.

Master Xuangu also sensed something and subconsciously moved half a step closer to Chen Jiao, whispering:

"Brother Dao, the aura ahead... seems to have reached the core of the abyss."

Chen Jiao nodded slightly without saying a word, but his aura became increasingly restrained and deep.

He took a step forward, becoming the first to step into the darkness.

Master Xuan Gu dared not be negligent. He took a deep breath, activated his protective spiritual light, and followed closely behind.

Outside the cave entrance, the view suddenly opened up.

A colossal, azure array, its runes flowing, was radiating a terrifying, immense power.

Around the formation, the cold air of the Weak Water fell like clouds, while the earth fire below roared like muffled thunder.

Within the formation, four blurry figures each occupied a corner, their auras obscure and difficult to discern, yet they were perfectly integrated with the entire formation.

Chen Jiao stopped, his gaze quickly sweeping over the area, his expression somewhat grave.

Master Xuangu gasped, his pupils shrinking sharply.

"Is this the source of the Blackwater Abyss's anomalies? What is the purpose of such a grand display?"

Even from a great distance, he could feel an almost suffocating sense of oppression.

This is a power that the Golden Elixir could never achieve.

"laugh--!"

A sharp, piercing sound suddenly rang out.

A powerful sword aura suddenly appeared from a shadowy spot above and to the side, slashing through the air without warning.

The sword energy resembled an inverted Milky Way, its target aimed directly at Chen Jiao.

Before the sword even arrived, the terrifying sword intent had already enveloped Chen Jiao like a tidal wave.

Within the sword intent, there was also a long-suppressed, irreconcilable hatred.

The person who made the move was Zhang Qingyang.

His face was contorted with rage, his eyes bloodshot, and all traces of the fear and humility he had shown before the Immortal Lord were gone, replaced by an almost insane killing intent.

He had been preparing for this sword strike for a long time, pouring in all his life's cultivation and all his hatred, determined to kill with one blow.

"Nascent Soul!"

Master Xuangu was horrified and cried out in alarm.

He never expected that upon entering this place, they would be met with a desperate attack from a Nascent Soul cultivator.

The terrifying pressure and sharp sword intent made this Golden Core cultivator tremble in his soul, almost causing him to kneel down.

However, facing this earth-shattering sword strike, Chen Jiao, who was at the forefront, did not show the slightest panic.

Crimson lightning surged around him, completely shattering the sword intent that had been sealed off.

"Whoosh—!"

The sword energy, which was the culmination of a Nascent Soul cultivator's full-force attack, merely grazed past Chen Jiao's side and whistled past.

The sword energy slammed violently against the hard rock wall behind them.

"Boom!"

A loud bang.

The rock wall was blasted open, leaving a bottomless hole, with debris flying everywhere and dust billowing in.

The sword missed its mark.

An incredulous look flashed across Zhang Qingyang's eyes.

His long-planned and determined sword strike was dodged by the opponent in such a nonchalant manner.

But he was, after all, a Nascent Soul cultivator with rich combat experience. His astonishment was fleeting, and with a flick of his wrist, his sword strikes surged like a tide.

The cyan sword shadow instantly transformed into a rain of light, enveloping Chen Jiao's vital points.

His sword techniques were ruthless and cunning, each strike containing a chilling, mysterious, water-splitting sword aura.

"Clang!"

A clear, melodious sword cry, like a dragon's roar yet carrying the sound of muffled thunder, echoed throughout the abyss.

Chen Jiao drew his magic sword, which seemed to be shrouded in hidden lightning.

The sword's blade resembles deep-sea ice, with silver-white lightning patterns on it resembling interwoven clouds and thunder from the heavens, flowing naturally.

The two swords clashed, producing a deafening, metallic clang.

Sword energy crisscrossed and scattered, leaving countless scratches of varying depths on the surrounding rock walls.

Zhang Qingyang felt a sudden tremor in his wrist. The force coming from the sword was unusually deep and domineering, and it also contained a hidden, subtle, and yin-like power.

He was startled: "How could this fellow's magical power be so refined and profound?"

Master Xuangu watched with trepidation.

He asked himself if he were in that position, facing such a storm of Nascent Soul level sword energy, he probably wouldn't last more than three moves.

Zhang Qingyang grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.

With his Nascent Soul cultivation and having been nourished by the celestial spiritual energy of the heavens for a long time, his attacks not only failed to crush the beast, but he was also restrained at every turn.

His swordsmanship was unpredictable and his magical power was exceptionally refined, seemingly showing a tendency to overpower me.

That magic sword was even more bizarre, with two completely different powers, Yin Water and Yang Lightning, perfectly blended together, making it impossible for him to defend against.

Zhang Qingyang's face was filled with disbelief:

"Impossible! You're only at the Golden Core stage! How could you..."

Before the words were even finished, the Hidden Thunder Sword suddenly accelerated.

The lightning patterns on the sword shone brightly, transforming into a dazzling rainbow wreathed with countless electric snakes, piercing directly through Zhang Qingyang's layers of sword curtains and striking straight at his chest.

Zhang Qingyang was terrified and, with all his might, held the sword horizontally in front of his chest.

"Zheng—!"

A sharp, explosive sound suddenly rang out.

The ultimate collision between the supreme Yang Thunder Qi on the Hidden Thunder Sword and the surging water element in Zhang Qingyang's magic sword.

Zhang Qingyang's natal magic sword, which he had nurtured for hundreds of years, snapped in two!

Zhang Qingyang coughed up blood and slammed into the rock wall behind him like a ripped sack, becoming embedded in it.

Almost at the same instant that the sword broke and the man flew away.

"boom--!"

The sound was deep and heavy, like the earth's veins, which had been suppressed for thousands of years, suddenly turning over, or like an ancient beast awakening from the depths of an abyss with a roar.

With this loud bang, the radiance of the entire massive formation suddenly surged.