Inside Fengyun Pavilion, heaven and earth trembled as spiritual energy surged wildly.
When the Grand Mystic Sword Diagram activated, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth throughout the entire Fengyun Pavilion seemed to be drawn toward it, feeding the formation's operation. Within the sword diagram, sword intent churned in a haze, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.
Countless Fengyun Pavilion disciples rushed over at the sound, each one gasping in shock.
What powerful enemy had invaded the pavilion to force them to deploy even the Grand Mystic Sword Diagram? Though they wanted to help, the formation was already active — even as Fengyun Pavilion disciples, they couldn't breach it. If they overestimated themselves and tried, they'd be ground to dust by the boundless sword intent.
Unable to see what was happening within the sword diagram, they could only turn their gaze to the other battlefield.
That was a battle between two Third-Stage Emperor Sovereigns. Every strike caused mountains to crumble and the earth to split; every move seemed capable of blinding the sun and moon. The watching Fengyun Pavilion disciples were dazzled, their hearts shaken with astonishment.
"Li Jiao, those two juniors have entered the sword diagram — they're absolutely dead with no burial. Why must you keep fighting me to the death?" Hua Xing said, probing psychologically while exchanging blows with Li Jiao.
His cultivation was on par with Li Jiao's, but Li Jiao was no ordinary being — he was a flood dragon, a Dragon Descendant. In a real fight, Hua Xing knew he wasn't Li Jiao's match.
The fact that he'd held his own until now was thanks to favorable conditions. After all, he was the pavilion master of Fengyun Pavilion, tied to the fortune of this land. Within Fengyun Pavilion's domain, he could perform slightly above his normal level.
Even so, he could barely fight Li Jiao to a standstill.
Dragon Descendants truly lived up to their name. With merely a thin sliver of dragon bloodline inherited, Li Jiao could already unleash such tremendous power. If they were fighting out in the open somewhere, Hua Xing estimated he would have lost long ago.
He loathed Li Jiao's two-faced treachery, but he also knew that continuing this fight served neither himself nor Fengyun Pavilion any good. The damage from two Third-Stage Emperor Sovereigns going all out would be devastating — and everything destroyed would be Fengyun Pavilion's foundation.
So he wanted to call a truce with Li Jiao.
There were no eternal enemies in this world, only eternal interests. Those two juniors were certainly dead anyway, so there was no point in continuing this fight with Li Jiao. Even if one of them won, what would it change?
Li Jiao's brow furrowed at these words. Though he said nothing, Hua Xing clearly felt his power pull back slightly.
Hua Xing's heart lifted with delight. It seemed Li Jiao wasn't as resolute as he appeared — perhaps he'd been forced into this enmity as well. He pressed his advantage immediately: "Brother Li, you and I have had a hundred years of acquaintance. To end up like this over two juniors would only make us the laughingstock of the world. Why not call it quits here, watch how things play out over there, and decide from there? What do you say?"
As he finished speaking, Li Jiao's power receded even more.
Hua Xing knew his guess had been correct. He exchanged casual blows while saying, "Brother Li, oh Brother Li — what's the point of all this?"
Li Jiao remained silent, but he was no longer pressing as aggressively as before.
Hua Xing understood the man was losing face. After all, flip-flopping like this made him look inconsistent. The reason he hadn't stopped yet was simply caution — afraid those two juniors might cut their way out of the sword diagram and catch him shirking.
Sneering inwardly, Hua Xing stopped trying to persuade him. As long as Li Jiao stopped destroying Fengyun Pavilion's foundation, he'd let the man do as he pleased. Once those two juniors were dead and the Grand Elder and the others freed up, he'd show Li Jiao the consequences of offending Fengyun Pavilion!
Over here, they fought like they were playing — neither putting in full effort, but the surface spectacle remained explosive enough to keep the gathered Fengyun Pavilion disciples thoroughly entertained.
Inside the Grand Mystic Sword Diagram, however, Yang Kai was having a far worse time.
After all, this was a sword formation powered by the combined strength of a hundred people. Even after activating his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, he couldn't break through. Facing wave after wave of sword light, he could only defend passively.
The Grand Elder, meanwhile, grew more alarmed with each exchange. Launching continuous assaults through the formation's power had produced absolutely no effect — was this kid even human?
The colossal figure the young man had transformed into was undeniably battered, its body covered in bloodstains, yet its towering battle aura hadn't diminished in the slightest. If anything, it grew fiercer as the fight went on, often unleashing tremendous power with a casual swing that sent tremors through the entire sword diagram.
Though there was no worry about him breaking the formation, the Grand Elder and the others still had to expend their own strength to neutralize his attacks.
If this continued for much longer, they might actually end up with him breaking free.
The thought sent a flash of ruthlessness through the Grand Elder's eyes, and he transmitted his voice.
Before long, a figure materialized before him — the Third Elder of Fengyun Pavilion, who had been part of the original formation.
"Take the main formation!" the Grand Elder ordered.
The Third Elder started in alarm. "Grand Elder, you want to use *that* technique?"
The Grand Elder's expression was grave. "There's no other way."
The Third Elder pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Then be careful, Grand Elder. This kid is not ordinary."
"Mm!" The Grand Elder handed over the Formation Eye for the Third Elder to manage, then took a single step through the void. He reached out, and a streak of light flew toward him from nearby, landing in his hand.
It was his Emperor Artifact — a long sword.
Deploying the sword diagram required not only people but swords as its foundation. All the warriors maintaining the formation were sword cultivators. The Grand Elder's Emperor Artifact had previously merged with the formation; now that he'd recalled it, he was clearly preparing to unleash some devastating secret technique.
Holding the long sword vertically before him, the Grand Elder formed several hand seals with one hand, then drew two fingers down the blade in a single stroke.
Blood flowed but didn't drop — instead, the sword absorbed every drop clean. In an instant, the blade was dyed a deep crimson.
The surrounding spiritual energy surged toward it like cats sensing blood, flooding into the long sword.