Chapter 58: The Ninefold Demon-Slaying Sword Formation Technique

After a brief moment of thought, the Lord of Heaven's Punishment slowly rose from his seat and gave his orders in an orderly manner, “Shenque, go and sound the Meridian Bell. Gather the eighty-one disciples guarding the Grand Hall onto the plaza before the Sanctuary.”

Additionally,

He glanced at Shentu De and Xiu Ji with the corner of his eye, commanding them in a voice brimming with authority, “You two, swiftly lead the Lords of Heaven’s Blaze and Heaven’s Wrath, and with the eighty-one disciples gathered on the plaza, proceed to the rear mountain to arrange a formation. Make sure to intercept those two before they enter the Sword Pavilion!”

Heaven’s Wrath, upon hearing the accumulated misdeeds of Bai Mu and Ling Yan, had already been eager for action. Now, at the senior brother’s command, he immediately led the other three out of Daoist Confucian Hall, hurried to the plaza before the Sanctuary to meet the eighty-one disciples of Guixu, and then, with resolute spirit and lofty ambition, marched toward the rear mountain’s Sword Pavilion to punish the two.

“Senior brother, what do you make of this?” The younger Lord of Heaven’s Flame asked calmly, his expression unperturbed, showing no sign of surprise or agitation. Clearly, centuries of experience had taught him composure in the face of both favor and disgrace.

“This matter is not as simple as it appears,” the Lord of Heaven’s Punishment explained with a cautious look. “The appearance of the Ancient Grey Crane in the wilds signals a problem with the barrier Master set in Cangwu Abyss. Moreover, I have observed the heavens: Sirius has shifted, and the Purple Star rises steadily. This suggests that the Way of Heaven may soon face turmoil, and the Purple Star is the key to this coming catastrophe.”

“Sirius governs evil, Purple Star represents justice. If we follow your logic, wouldn’t that mean a great demon will arise in the world, and the master of the Purple Star will be the one to save Heaven from disaster?”

“I’m not certain.” Heaven’s Punishment shook his head in confusion and sighed. “Since even I can sense the impending change in the Way of Heaven, surely the Heavenly Emperor and the Divine Clan have long prepared. For now, let us wait for Master’s return before we discuss further.”

The plaza of Guixu Sanctuary lies five hundred meters behind the Grand Hall, serving as the place where hundreds of Guixu disciples usually train, relax, and entertain themselves—a vast area indeed.

By the time Heaven’s Wrath and Heaven’s Blaze arrived with Xiu Ji and Shentu De, the training ground was already filled with eighty-one Guixu Sanctuary disciples. Led by Shenque, they stood in three columns, their formation impeccably neat, clearly the result of rigorous training.

Just as Heaven’s Wrath prepared to address them, a voice as melodious as an oriole emerging from the valley suddenly sounded behind him—it was the youngest disciple, Xiyan.

“Heaven’s Wrath, where are you all headed?” Everyone turned to see Xiyan floating in from outside the Grand Hall. Her white water sleeves danced in the air, carrying strands of wind that rustled sharply, suggesting she had come in quite a hurry.

“Younger sister, weren’t you with Master outside Feixian Cliff?”

“Why are you suddenly rushing in from the foot of the mountain?”

Xiyan, slightly startled by the question, replied serenely, “I was bored alone atop the mountain, so I went down for a walk. While playing at Guixian Cliff, I suddenly heard the Sanctuary’s Meridian Bell ring. Worried something major had happened, I rushed back immediately!”

“Something major has indeed happened!” Heaven’s Wrath said indignantly. “Someone has trespassed into the rear mountain—probably coveting the treasures in the Sword Pavilion. We’re gathering the disciples to apprehend the intruders!”

Oh no!

Xiyan secretly exclaimed in her heart, “Could the two Heaven’s Wrath mentioned be Ling Yan and Bai Mu?”

“But how could those two covet the treasures of the Sword Pavilion?”

“Just the Azure Dragon Holy Sword alone is superior to any weapon in the Pavilion. Why would he abandon his own sword to invade the Pavilion for lesser ones?”

While she pondered, Heaven’s Wrath and his group had already charged toward the rear mountain with the eighty-one disciples, their rage palpable.

Knowing the gravity of the situation, Xiyan dared not delay. With a gentle tap of her foot, she shot toward the rear mountain like a phantom, hoping to quell the conflict before it erupted.

Otherwise, with Heaven’s Wrath’s volatile temper, a fight could break out at the slightest disagreement. If the Guixu Sanctuary disciples were hurt, it might be manageable, but if Ling Yan or Bai Mu were harmed, the Heavenly Emperor and Bai Ze would surely come to Guixu Sanctuary to demand justice—the consequences would be dire!

Meanwhile, Bai Mu and Ling Yan sat unsuspectingly on the steps before the Sword Pavilion, recounting tales of the wilds from millennia past.

Once the story of Xuanqiu and the Fairy Liuli concluded, Ling Yan swiftly stood up and urged Bai Mu, “It’s getting late. We’d better hurry to Feixian Cliff in the rear mountain to find the War God Fanxian. If we delay, trouble may arise again.”

“Alright!” Bai Mu agreed promptly. “Let’s go learn the sword techniques quickly. Afterward, we must leave Floating Jade Mountain. If we run into those indiscriminate Guixu disciples again, we won’t be able to escape!”

“Escape?”

“It’s too late!”

From the lush forest ahead, a voice deep and somewhat aged resonated, its vigor remarkable. Though still some distance away, the force carried in its words sent a ripple through Bai Mu’s heart.

Disaster!

Ling Yan muttered anxiously, “That must be the four old immortals coming. Escaping this time will be as hard as climbing to the heavens!”

No sooner had the words left her lips than several streaks of white light flashed, accompanied by the whistle of sword energy. On the broad stone plaza before the Sword Pavilion, dozens of people appeared as if out of nowhere.

They were all dressed in deep blue robes, adorned with white jade crowns atop their heads. Looking up, one saw faces both handsome and youthful, each brimming with spirit and heroic vigor. Their positions were perfectly aligned, making the scene grand and imposing.

“Are all these people Guixu disciples?” Bai Mu asked, curious yet anxious.

“Yes,” Ling Yan replied, feigning calm as she surveyed the newly arrived crowd. She whispered, “A fierce battle may break out soon!”

“I counted carefully just now—there are exactly eighty-one Guixu disciples present. They’re likely to use the Ninefold Demon-Slaying Sword Formation against us!”

“Ninefold Demon-Slaying Sword Formation?”

“Is it powerful?” Bai Mu glanced nervously at the neatly arrayed disciples before him, a chill creeping up from within.

This was the largest battle array he had ever witnessed since beginning his journey—there was no comparison.

“It’s incredibly powerful!” Ling Yan answered without hesitation. “Since the founding of Guixu Hall, this sword formation has only been defeated three times in thousands of years—it’s unmatched in the wilds!”