The Zhuxian broken sword had refined falsity into reality and attained modest achievements over the past five or six years, but its cultivation was still shallow, far from enough to master this sword formation. The big bell, however, was a formidable master who had cultivated alongside Xu Ying; its magic power had long neared the level of a Supreme realm expert.
Though its magic power was not as vast as Xu Ying's, it was nonetheless formidable. As the Zhuxian Sword Formation erupted with power, the might of the colossal stone swords fused into one with the sword might of the Zhuxian Sword. Like sweeping away enemy dens, it slashed into the nearest ruin, rending it apart like dry twigs!
The Former Court era Immortal within the ruin had no time to suppress Xu Ying and immediately clashed with the sword formation. At their collision, their auras shook violently. Sword qi swept in every direction, battering the ruin—which formed a world of its own—until it was riddled with holes and utterly devastated. The black water enveloping that Immortal was also pierced by the sword qi, riddling his body with tiny holes that billowed black smoke, leaving him both alarmed and furious.
Seeing this, the Immortals in the other ruins each diverted a portion of their magic power, uniting to suppress and counter the Zhuxian Sword Formation.
At once, bell chimes clanged deafeningly. The sword formation's might surged tier upon tier, clashing head-on against these forces.
At the same time, Xu Ying sensed the pressure bearing down on him lessen. He struck immediately, pouring his boundless magic power into the sword formation!
Yet the Immortals within the ruins were no fools. Knowing that all their efforts would come to naught if he took control of the sword formation, they gave no quarter, unleashing streams of power to suppress him the very instant his magic power poured into the formation!
Now, all the Immortals here joined hands, locking him in place.
Helpless to resist, Xu Ying was lifted into the air and tumbled toward a nearby ruin with a rushing whoosh!
Before he even landed, the big bell drove the sword formation to crash into that ruin, smashing the foe's lair!
Xu Ying struggled with all his might to break free of the suppressive magic power, but the Immortals stood united, giving him no opportunity. The next instant, he plunged into yet another ruin.
The moment Xu Ying touched down, terrifying Dao power erupted from the ruins alongside dazzling Dao light, clashing with the Zhuxian Sword Formation guided by the big bell!
Feeling the pressure around him lighten as the Immortals' power receded, Xu Ying didn't hesitate to unleash the first method of the Eight Immortality Methods. Radiant axe light rose behind him and cleaved forward as if tearing open heaven and earth!
The strike was domineering beyond compare. Wherever the axe passed, space-time surged, threatening to split the ruin wide open!
Just then, beneath the axe light, a figure shrouded in swirling mist raised a hand. With a resounding clang, the axe struck his palm in a flare of brilliant, shifting light.
The figure clenched his fist hard, and the axe light shattered with a deafening crash!
Xu Ying's eyelid twitched. He drew a deep breath, steadying his slightly shaken composure.
Just now, the Former Court era Immortals had struck so quickly that he had been momentarily unsettled. But facing this formidable adversary now, he calmed down completely. Those Immortals' goal was to capture him; as long as they took him down, the Zhuxian Sword Formation could not unleash its full power. Relying on the big bell and the Zhuxian Sword alone was not enough to contend with them.
And because he had sought to take the Primordial Source of the Three Realms, he had fallen a step behind, which led to him being seized by these Immortals.
However, if they wanted his life, they would have to prove they had what it took!
The Immortal in the mist was tall and gaunt, bearing an extraordinary bearing, yet his body was riddled with holes like a honeycomb.
As he breathed, streams of grey air vented from the honeycomb-like holes. It was precisely this air that formed the mist enveloping him.
In the Immortal Realm, the Great Dao was coextensive with the body, and the body was one with the Dao. Yet that bizarre tribulation-fortune sought to destroy the Great Dao of heaven and earth. When even the Great Dao of heaven and earth was dismantled and reduced to Dao ash, how could an Immortal fare any better?
He had relied on the protection of that Great Dao Lord of the Dao tenth realm to survive the catastrophe, hiding here to eke out an existence. Yet the tribulation-fortune lingered unceasingly, preventing him from ever walking out of the ruin.
Should he step out, the tribulation-fortune would surge upon him, and he would perish with his Dao extinguished!
Now that Xu Ying had tumbled into his ruin, it was practically walking into a snare.
The so-called ruins were actually layered defenses set up by the Immortals with everything they had when the tribulation-fortune erupted, utilizing various heavenly treasures, sacred mountains, blessed lands, magic treasures, and places of the Great Dao to resist the encroachment of the tribulation-fortune.
Of course, this had still taken place under the protection of the Great Dao Lord; otherwise, their power alone could never have held out against the tribulation-fortune.
The ruins formed worlds of their own and preserved the Great Dao of heaven and earth from the previous era. Yet the invasion of the tribulation-fortune had left the ruins full of holes, and the Immortals within had naturally suffered as well.
It was precisely because he had been eroded by the tribulation-fortune that his body was riddled with so many cavities.
He was weak, but still more than capable of handling anyone who was not an Immortal. He had this confidence.
Behind Xu Ying, seven cave abysses emerged. Primordial Qi and Origin Qi mingled and flowed, causing his cultivation to surge by leaps and bounds!
Seeing this, the gaunt Immortal opposite him sneered, looking rather disdainful.
Xu Ying inhaled deeply. One cave abyss after another fused into his physical body, sinking within him. The power within the cave abysses poured directly into his physical body and Primordial Spirit, forming seven "sources" of varying sizes!
The Immortal showed surprise. When Xu Ying had first displayed the cave abysses, while all seven were ordinary and their usage straightforward, now that Xu Ying had drawn the cave abysses into his flesh to serve as "sources," such application was extraordinarily remarkable!
In his eyes, this single step by the youth of a later generation had laid the foundation of immortality.
"To think that the Three Realms, without the core of the Great Dao, could still deduce the Dao methods to such a degree. Truly astounding," the Immortal praised in the Dao language. "First Tongtian, and now Your Excellency—both extraordinary."
Paying no heed, Xu Ying charged forward. Mobilizing all the strength in his body, he unleashed All Heavens, the second method of the Eight Immortality Methods, throwing a punch. Wherever the fist's force passed, brilliant light flowed. A dazzling galaxy swirled around the blow, sun and moon rising and setting, stars revolving, and rivers and lakes flowing ceaselessly!
With a single punch, he seemed to cast forth an entire realm of heavens, hurling the might of all heavens toward the Former Court era Immortal!
In this strike, he had fused the insights into Origin Qi gained over the past five or six years with the newly realized method of using cave abysses as bodily sources. The divine power was three to four times greater than during his clash with Yinyuanzi in the Heavenly Immortal Realm six years ago!
The Immortal raised a hand. Instantly, galaxies extinguished, sun and moon shattered, and mountains, rivers, and lakes burst into pieces!
Boom!
He took Xu Ying's punch with utter ease.
Without hesitation, Xu Ying unleashed the third method Dragon Dance, the fourth method Zhuxian, the fifth method Ten Thousand Daos, and the sixth method Years in rapid succession! A great dragon soared, sword qi crisscrossed, a forest of the Great Dao erupted, and the long river of years surged forward!
He was vastly stronger than six years ago. When these divine powers were cast, whether in raw might or Dao principles, they reached an unprecedented peak!
Yet the next moment, the great dragon's head was severed, the sword qi shattered, the forest of Dao trees snapped and collapsed, and the river of years evaporated!
Xu Ying executed Samsara, the seventh technique of the Eight Immortality Methods. The Great Dao turned like a wheel, forming lattices of space-time that drew the Immortal into samsara.
Yet the wheel of samsara could not turn at all, unable to budge the Immortal's form.
With a wave of the Immortal's hand, samsara shattered. Xu Ying shuddered violently and was thrown backward, tumbling and crashing against a cliff within the ruin.
"You are still far from immortality. You cannot budge me in the slightest."
The Immortal walked over, but suddenly halted, coughing violently as dusty mist sprayed from the holes in his body.
Only when his coughing ceased did he continue toward Xu Ying, saying, "Though I have been worn down by tribulation-fortune for over a hundred million years, my remaining strength is still enough to slaughter you!"
Having crashed down the cliff, Xu Ying immediately stood up. He stirred the seven cave abysses within him, using them as sources to unceasingly draw forth the Dao power of each abyss.
Among them, the Dao power produced by the six cave abysses—Taiyi, Wuji, Grand Primordium, Chaos, Samsara, and Hunyuan—poured into his Martial Dao Cave Abyss. The Martial Dao Cave Abyss became the springhead unifying the six Dao powers, and with this springhead as his foundation, the Dao power surged through his entire body.
His strength skyrocketed once more, and he charged forward again!
The Immortal coughed repeatedly and sneered, "There's no need to spare you any longer!"
He reached out with a hand whose five fingers resembled five pillars of creation, pressing down on Xu Ying!
Xu Ying channeled the Heavenly Immortal Seal, vaulting upward to meet the palm!
Accompanied by an earth-shattering boom, Xu Ying flew backward even faster, slamming violently into the cliff. The Immortal revealed a look of surprise; the power of Xu Ying's strike was far stronger than before!
*Peculiar.* Just as the thought crossed his mind, he saw Xu Ying flip up and charge at him once more. Unable to contain his wrath, the Immortal gave no quarter, unleashing his signature divine power: condensing the Great Dao into a sabre spanning the heavens and slashing down with a crash!
Such an immense sabre was longer than any magic treasure Xu Ying had ever seen—even Emperor Mingdao's sabre, the Dragon Court Imperial Capital, or the Zhuxian broken sword fell short!
Facing this extraordinary blade, Xu Ying channeled the Earth Immortal Seal to meet the weapon head-on.
That Dao condensed into a sabre had no tangible blade body, yet everywhere was a razor-sharp edge!
When Xu Ying's seal slammed against the blade's edge, the phantom projection of the Earth Immortal Realm was instantly sliced apart. The blade collided with Xu Ying's palm print in a ring of clashing metal, slicing open Xu Ying's palm with keen blade-light.
Bone showed through the cut as the tremendous force of the sabre sent Xu Ying stumbling back. The Immortal was utterly astounded; his Heavenly Sabre was extraordinarily fierce, and by all rights should have cleaved Xu Ying in two with a single slash.
How could it have only injured his opponent's palm?
"Wait, there seem to be more than seven cave abysses within him! He has eight sources inside his body, and the eighth is a giant source, several times larger than the other seven!" The Immortal immediately realized that this giant source was hidden within one of the other sources.
The power drawn by this source was terrifying, surpassing the sum of the other seven!
The spiritual qi and Dao power supplied to Xu Ying by the giant source hadn't been much at first, but now it was ten times that of the other seven sources combined. It was this very reason that allowed Xu Ying to take his strike with only an injured palm!
Xu Ying sensed the spiritual qi and Dao power pouring from the Martial Dao Cave Abyss growing ever stronger. Though his palm had been wounded, the injury quickly healed.
Even though the opponent had used the Great Dao as a sabre, his Dao injury healed in no time!
One must understand that such Dao injuries were the most difficult to treat, yet the spiritual qi and Dao power surging from the Martial Dao Cave Abyss could heal even wounds like this, leaving Xu Ying quite astonished as well.
"Could it be the Primordial Source of the Three Realms?" With no time to overthink, Xu Ying took to the air, charging at the Immortal. That Immortal mobilized his own Great Dao, sending sabre qi flying in every direction, but the more he fought, the more alarmed he grew.
Xu Ying was actually fending off his attacks, growing stronger and stronger until he was gradually keeping pace with him.
Just as the Immortal was about to unleash his most powerful strike, he suddenly broke into a fit of violent coughing, and with each cough, ash whistled out from the holes covering his body!
Xu Ying unleashed Ten Thousand Daos in a single strike. Without thinking, the Immortal raised his hand to block, breaking through Ten Thousand Daos.
Xu Ying mobilized his magic power to drive sword qi. Streaks of Zhuxian sword qi materialized across the sky; he was actually employing his boundless Dao power to execute the Zhuxian Sword Formation on his own!
The Immortal's face changed drastically. An all-annihilating sword intent erupted as thick beams of sword qi swept across every direction. The surging sword qi even pierced through the holes in the Immortal's body, tearing into his flesh!
*Whoosh!* Brilliant sword qi rose like incandescent pillars, shattering the seal on the ruin and stirring the clouds.
Even the distant Chaos Sea rippled under the surging sword qi!
In an instant, the Immortal was struck by dozens of sword qi beams, tumbling backward.
Flipping to his feet, he prepared to clash head-on with Xu Ying once more, only to see Xu Ying drive the Zhuxian Sword Formation to smash through his ruin and burst outward. The Immortal hastily moved to repair the ruin lest the tribulation-fortune catch up to him, his heart seized by shock and doubt.
*The Primordial Source! The source power he can mobilize—that Primordial Source is the core of the Three Realms' Primordial Source!*
The universe of the Three Realms was incomplete precisely because it lacked this core. To have only the formation without the formation's core was equivalent to having an incomplete Great Dao, and the universe had not grown to its true breadth.
Only with this core could it fully mature. However, the core of the Primordial Source had been removed by them so they could borrow its power to resist the tribulation-fortune.
Yet this core of the Primordial Source was not something just anyone could use; only a Great Dao Lord could mobilize the core's power.
Over all these years, the core of the Primordial Source had shrunk considerably, far diminished from what it once was.
When Daoist Tongtian came here last time, he seized the core to set up the sword formation, suppressing the nearly exhausted core of the Primordial Source along with these Immortals in the Chaos Sea.
He had used the power of the Chaos Sea to restore the core, yet even Daoist Tongtian could not mobilize the power of the Primordial Source's core.
*Why can he mobilize the power of the core? Has he already stepped into the realm of a Great Dao Lord?*
The moment Xu Ying broke out of that ruin, he immediately faced suppression from the ruins in all directions.
He drove the Zhuxian Sword Formation formed of sword qi. As the sword formation turned, it sliced through the forces emanating from those ruins as he dashed toward the big bell and the Zhuxian Sword.
Under the suppression of these Former Court era Immortals, the big bell and the Zhuxian Sword, which manipulated the stone swords to form the Zhuxian Sword Formation, were already teetering on the brink of collapse.
Xu Ying's figure flashed as he suddenly charged into an adjacent ruin to evade the collective suppression of those Immortals.
He drove the sword formation to sweep through the enemy's den, clashing with the reviving Immortal within the ruin in a swift flurry of exchanges.
Within a few rounds, that Immortal was struck by the swords and sent flying backward.
Pinned to his own ruin by streak after streak of sword qi, he was incapacitated. Xu Ying tore through the ruin with his sword formation and broke out toward the big bell, only to be instantly locked onto by surge after surge of auras.
Even mobilizing the Dao power of the Primordial Source, Xu Ying could not withstand them all at once. Enduring the crushing pressure, he plunged into yet another ruin, thoroughly thrashing the Immortal inside before vaulting back into the air!
At last, he broke into the forest of stone swords, pouring his monstrous magic power into the sword formation!
*Boom!* The Dao power from the Primordial Source and the seven cave abysses instantly elevated the sword formation's might to an apex that even Daoist Tongtian had never achieved back then!
The thick beams of sword light even pierced the firmament and fell upon the Chaos Sea beyond the skies, churning the Chaos Sea.
Xu Ying pressed both hands downward, slamming his palms heavily against the ground. *Shua, shua, shua!* One colossal stone sword after another plunged deep into the earth, leaving only their hilts exposed!
At that moment, the Immortals in all the ruins suddenly felt a horrifying killing intent surge over them. One ruin after another rumbled as they sank toward the depths of the earth.
One stone stele after another also sank underground, and the Chaos Sea pressed toward them!
"Leave your name!" a deep, heavy voice called out from the ruins.
"Dao Ancestor of the Three Realms, Xu Ying!"
Chapter 715