In the midair, Daoxuan True Man frowned deeply, facing the monstrous Beast God before him, a creature that seemed to have clawed its way out from the netherworld itself. Not only was he, but all the righteous ones beneath his feet were left agape at the sight of this monstrosity. The creature in the sky was as black as ink, its massive body rippling with muscles, and an untold number of thick arms sprouted from it, numbering in the hundreds. Its head, deformed by sorcery, was even more horrifying, truly an abomination unseen since the dawn of time.
A moment of stunned silence followed, then a wave of commotion rose from the crowd. Amid the shock and awe, many couldn’t help but feel a grim sense of vindication—such a beastly entity, indeed, must be an evil of the most extreme kind. This monstrosity, neither human nor ghost, neither demon nor monster, could not possibly be a creation of nature.
In the air, Daoxuan True Man took a deep breath, slowly raising the ancient Zhuxian Sword to his chest. Blinding white light flashed from the sword, enveloping not only the weapon itself but also his entire right arm. From the outside, the sky was filled with countless sword shadows, and the Zhuxian Sword Formation shimmered with an imposing aura. Daoxuan True Man appeared as if a celestial being, but beneath his godly exterior, his face began to pale.
“Monstrosity,” Daoxuan’s voice boomed like a great bell, deeper and more threatening than usual, “do you still not awaken and surrender yourself?”
The thousand-armed creature that the Beast God had transformed into paid no heed to Daoxuan’s words. After the transformation, its voice had changed, becoming raspy and grating, like sandpaper against steel. It sneered, “Surrender? Ha, let me first peel your skin off, then tear out the hearts of these worthless mortals beneath our feet, sending them to meet you in the underworld!”
A murderous intent flickered in Daoxuan’s eyes, and without further ado, he invoked the sword formation. Instantly, the sky was filled with swirling sword energy, and the Zhuxian Sword Formation was once again activated. Though the creature was audacious, it did not dare to take this legendary formation lightly, concentrating its full attention on the impending storm.
Suddenly, the sound of clashing cymbals and drums filled the air, and seven colored rays of light shot up from the ancient sword, piercing through the sky to join the formation above. In an instant, the sky was a kaleidoscope of colors, and the sword formation recondensed into seven massive single-color arrays, directed at the Beast God.
The Beast God let out a low growl, its immense body exuding black mist, and its hundreds of grotesque hands opened and closed, bracing for the storm to come.
Daoxuan True Man let out a long, piercing cry, soaring into the sky like an eagle, his scream causing the white light to surge and the Zhuxian Sword to sway. The enormous formation rumbled to life, and countless single-color energy swords slowly turned to aim at the Beast God.
A moment later, the sky, silent for so long, was split by a whistling sound, followed by a deafening rush of energy swords slicing through the air, each one carrying a malevolent force and murderous intent. In the blink of an eye, the first wave of purple energy swords descended upon the Beast God.
As the Beast God’s massive form seemed about to become a target for these countless energy swords, its hundreds of grotesque hands suddenly flew into action. Each arm was shrouded in thick black mist, almost forming a giant black cloud. The energy swords struck, but the Beast God’s arms moved with ghostly speed, grappling, striking, and deflecting each one. The black mist quickly absorbed the color and energy of the swords, dissipating them.
Countless onlookers were left speechless. For the first time in a thousand years, someone had faced the Zhuxian Sword Formation head-on!
But there was no time for reflection. Like a raging river, the sky was filled with an ever-increasing number of energy swords, and under the control of the ancient sword and Daoxuan True Man, they rained down like a deadly storm. Each sword carried the might of the Zhuxian, and the relentless waves of attacks surged toward the Beast God.
The Beast God roared continuously, its voice echoing in the heavens. With its bizarre thousand-armed form, it defied the elements, battling the endless barrage of energy swords. The black mist swirled around, meeting the cacophony of whistles and roars.
Wave after wave, the onslaught seemed endless, but the Beast God’s massive form showed no sign of fatigue. These two supreme beings, masters of the arcane, clashed fiercely atop Green Cloud Mountain.
But human strength has its limits…
Wave after wave, until the forty-ninth wave of energy swords descended, the sky had been bombarded seven times by the seven-colored formations. Daoxuan True Man’s face was ashen, and even his right hand, encased in the white light, trembled slightly.
The Beast God, though battered, remained defiant. Many of its grotesque arms had been destroyed, and the black mist that had once enveloped it was now thin. But when the last wave of energy swords dissipated, its face twisted with a greater ferocity, and its battle spirit burned even brighter. A harsh, eerie laugh erupted from its throat, like the roar of a wraith.
The crowd was silent, their faces pale. They had witnessed a duel of unparalleled intensity, and the outcome was far from certain. Could this calamity truly be avoided?
The Beast God laughed maniacally and launched itself at Daoxuan True Man, causing a collective gasp from the ground. Daoxuan, calm and collected, took a deep breath and gave a command. His mount, the Water Kirin, instinctively retreated.
But the Beast God, despite its size, was as fast as lightning. It lunged forward, and the black mist swirled, dozens of huge arms reaching out.
In a critical moment, Daoxuan True Man inverted the Zhuxian Sword. His face, pale and then flushed, rapidly alternated three times, and the sword’s light surged, drawing in the countless energy swords from the sky to form a barrier of colored light.
The Beast God’s face darkened, but it was too late to retreat. The clash of metal and bone filled the air, and the black mist dispersed, destroying many of the Beast God’s arms.
As Daoxuan True Man emerged from danger and dealt a severe blow to the Beast God, the disciples on Green Cloud Mountain shifted from shock to joy. But before the cheering could fully erupt, a colossal black arm, thicker and darker than the rest, forced its way through the barrier and struck Daoxuan True Man in the chest.
Struck like a bolt of lightning, Daoxuan True Man and the Water Kirin were thrown back, flying several dozen feet before stopping. His green robe was torn to shreds, and blood spewed from his mouth, dripping onto the Zhuxian Sword, leaving dark red spots that gradually faded.
The world fell into a dead silence.
The Zhuxian Sword Formation in the sky wavered, and the range of the formation halved. A foreboding sense of dread settled over everyone.
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Daoxuan True Man looked at his palm, streaked with red. He gazed at it for a long moment before looking up, meeting the Beast God’s gaze. Both were severely injured, but the Beast God’s ferocity only intensified.
Daoxuan True Man’s lips twitched, a bitter smile forming. The movement seemed to aggravate his injuries, and he swayed, causing the crowd to gasp. He steadied himself, but his weakness was evident.
The Beast God sneered, “Humans, even with such a divine weapon, you are no match. You should end your own life!”
Daoxuan True Man raised his head, the strange light of the Zhuxian Sword reflecting on his face. “Ancestors of the Azure Ethereal Conclave,” he said, his voice pained, “I, Daoxuan, am unworthy. I cannot subdue this evil, and now the fate of the world hangs in the balance. For the sake of the world, I must break the ancestral prohibitions. I pray for your guidance to vanquish this evil, even if it means my eternal damnation.”
His voice was soft, barely heard. The crowd saw him muttering, his face heavy with sorrow. Moments later, he drew a strange pattern in the air with his left hand, and the pattern, formed of his blood, glowed red and began to spin.
A red Taiji symbol, made of blood, began to rotate, and Daoxuan True Man, his face pale, plunged the Zhuxian Sword into its center. With a final, desperate shout, “Heaven!… Fate!… Seal!…” he impaled the symbol. Each word was accompanied by a thunderous boom, and an invisible force descended from the sky.
The earth shook, and the peaks of Green Cloud Mountain began to radiate golden light, growing stronger and brighter. The seven mountain peaks, Tongtian, Longshou, Chaoyang, Luoxia, Fenghui, Dazhu, and Xiaozhu, shimmered with brilliant gold, and the peaks themselves seemed to breathe.
In the blinding light, the Zhuxian Sword trembled, and the blood Taiji symbol spun faster and faster. Daoxuan True Man, his face flashing with gold and blue, shouted, “Break!”
The sword shadows in the sky wavered, and the golden symbols on the mountains began to fade. The light from the Zhuxian Sword intensified, enveloping Daoxuan True Man. The colorful light from the mountains converged into a single, brilliant white light, forming a mighty sword, radiating with unimaginable power.
In that instant, the crowd snapped out of their stupor, and a wild cheer erupted. Hope surged through their hearts, and they believed that good would prevail over evil.
Amid the chaos, a white figure quietly slipped away, heading towards the back of the mountain. The wind on her face was cold, but it could not quench the fire in her heart.
Lu Xueqi, her face faintly flushed, bit her lip, her eyes fixed on the distant depths of the mountain.
At the edge of the horizon, the winds of fate stirred, but who cared? The ancient song and whispers of the heart drifted away with the white figure, vanishing into the unknown.
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