At the center of the great hall stood a resplendent golden formation, its runes surging with energy and radiating brilliant light. Countless streams of gas, thick as pythons, coiled around it in a slow, lazy orbit.
But the most eye-catching thing at this moment was not the formation itself—it was the massive black sword suspended within it.
The sword had no dazzling exterior, no intricate engravings. Its blade didn't even look sharpened; without the hilt, it would have been indistinguishable from a plain block of black iron.
Yet no one could ignore it. One glance was enough to tell that this dark blade was anything but ordinary.
"What is that?!" Finally, a member of the Remnant Night Demon Sect couldn't help but cry out.
"It is the source of this Sealing Demon Killing Formation," the second elder in the golden robe explained—though he deliberately omitted the fact that it was a King Weapon, concealing its true nature from the others.
"Elder Liu, is that a King Weapon?" Chu Feng secretly transmitted his voice to Elder Liu.
"It's a projection of the King Weapon. The real one lies at the deepest point of this Sealing Demon Killing Formation," Elder Liu replied.
By now, nearly everyone had poured into the great hall. The ten golden-robed brothers, in particular, immediately sat cross-legged around the formation the moment they entered, eager to activate it as quickly as possible.
"Young friend Wuching, take this." Suddenly, while no one was paying attention, Elder Liu slipped a palm-sized stone into Chu Feng's hand.
"Elder Liu, what is this?!"
Chu Feng was stunned. He noticed that not only was there a formation carved into the stone's surface, but the moment he gripped it, he could feel the immense power contained within.
Inside that palm-sized stone, a tremendous amount of golden barrier energy had been sealed away—and its density was astonishing, likely no weaker than the barrier power currently within Elder Liu's own body.
More importantly, this barrier energy had no master. It had been specially tempered to be completely docile, easily controlled by any Spirit World Master without consuming even a trace of their own Mental Power.
"I spent several years carefully condensing this before coming here. Originally, I planned to use it to recharge my barrier power when it ran low."
"But now I think it suits you better, young friend Wuching. This Sealing Demon Killing Formation is powerful, but it's also extremely difficult to activate. If the rest of us can no longer hold on, I hope you'll use this to lend us a hand." Elder Liu spoke in a grave tone.
"Rest assured, Elder Liu. If you need me, I, Wuching, will charge in without a moment's hesitation." Chu Feng carefully stored the stone away and nodded with sincere earnestness. He understood that this was a token of Elder Liu's trust.
Without further delay, Elder Liu patted Chu Feng on the shoulder, then walked over to the barrier formation and sat down cross-legged.
"Hummm—" The moment he took his seat, the ten golden-robed brothers began working together to activate the Sealing Demon Killing Formation.
At this point, Chu Feng could clearly feel the ten brothers pouring everything they had into opening the great formation. But breaking through its layers was no easy task—even knowing the method, it consumed vast amounts of their Mental Power and barrier energy.
Fortunately, under their combined effort, Chu Feng could sense the formation slowly, inch by inch, coming to life. After a full half-hour, the Sealing Demon Killing Formation was nearly fully activated and ready to operate completely.
"Oh no—this aura?!" But suddenly, Chu Feng's expression changed drastically. He snapped his sharp gaze toward the entrance of the great hall.
"Hahahaha, you've all worked so hard!" At that very moment, a figure came streaking in from the underground palace's entrance and landed just outside the hall. It was none other than the Ninth Immortal of the Immortal Execution Archipelago.
"The Ninth Immortal?!"
The moment they laid eyes on him, nearly everyone's face drained of color, an inexplicable unease rising in their hearts. Elder Liu and the others could no longer continue powering the formation; they immediately shifted into a defensive stance, positioning themselves in front of the Sealing Demon Killing Formation.
"Damn it—how did the Ninth Immortal find out about this place?" Everyone's brows were tightly knit, confusion and alarm filling their eyes.
"Whoosh!" But right then, a figure suddenly burst out from among the ten golden-robed brothers, shooting straight toward the Ninth Immortal.
"Seventh Brother, don't be rash!" Elder Liu and the others cried out in alarm—the one who had bolted forward was none other than the seventh of the ten golden-robed brothers.
"Whoosh!" But what happened next was the most shocking of all. The seventh brother did not attack the Ninth Immortal, nor did he return to their defensive formation. Instead, after arriving before the Ninth Immortal, he cupped his fists respectfully and said, "Ninth Immortal, your timing is perfect."
"What—Seventh Brother, you—?!" In that instant, everyone realized the truth. They finally understood how the Ninth Immortal had known about this place, and why he had arrived at precisely such a critical moment. There was a traitor among the ten golden-robed brothers.
"Seventh Brother—you're the traitor?! You betrayed us?!" Faced with the seventh brother's betrayal, the golden-robed brothers gritted their teeth in fury, unable to believe what was happening. They glared at him and demanded answers.
"Second Brother, it's not that I betrayed you. It's just that the era of the Remnant Night Demon Sect is truly over. We ten brothers could have brilliant futures ahead of us—why cling to the name of a dying sect and achieve nothing, all while making an enemy of the Immortal Execution Archipelago?"
"Why not join me and pledge yourselves to the Archipelago? Once we become part of the Immortal Execution Archipelago, we'll have access to vast resources, and all ten of us can break through to the Martial King realm."
"When that time comes, we won't have to submit to anyone—instead, countless others will bow to us. The people of the Eastern Sea will know not just the Nine Immortals, not just the Four Great Protectors, not just the Five Element Kings—but also us ten brothers." The seventh golden-robed brother made his earnest appeal.
"Seventh Brother, you—" But his words moved not a single one of his brothers. Their faces were filled not with temptation, but with helplessness and rage.
"Seventh Brother, let me ask you one thing. The reason the Immortal Execution Archipelago was so well prepared, and even sent the Eighth and Ninth Immortals—was it because you told them our plans in advance? They already know what's hidden here, don't they?" At this moment, Elder Liu asked in a flat, calm voice.
"Big Brother, don't blame me. A wise bird chooses the right tree to perch on." With those words, the seventh golden-robed brother had admitted to everything.
"Whoosh!" But in the next instant, Elder Liu's sword-like brows shot upward. His body blurred as he surged forward with terrifying aura, arriving before the seventh brother in the blink of an eye. His hand shot out like an eagle's talon, clamping firmly around the man's throat. Through gritted teeth, he growled:
"A wise bird may choose the right tree—but a man must never be disloyal and treacherous."