Chapter Sixty-Four: The Omen Before the Shattering of the Sword Formation

Looking down once more at the arena below, Ling Yan had already been forced to clash head-on with her opponent three times, their palms meeting in bursts of energy. With her spiritual strength waning, her movements had lost their usual sharpness; even her footsteps had grown unsteady. Her delicate, radiant face was now covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and stray locks of hair clung to her temples, a testament to the peril she faced.

From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the two sons of Guixu, who watched the battle unfold from their lofty perch. Their expressions had finally softened somewhat. Especially when they saw Ling Yan being driven back by the combined Guixu force of forty disciples, the Lord of Heavenly Retribution’s lips curved in a smug, triumphant smile. Beside him, the Lord of Heavenly Flame regarded Bai Mu, who hovered in midair, with a gaze both mocking and tinged with pity.

Damn it!

Bai Mu cursed fiercely in his heart, resentment welling up within him—resentment for his own lack of power, for his helplessness to save Ling Yan from danger.

"Boy, must you always rely on brute force? Can’t you use your head for once?"

That ethereal yet clear voice echoed once more in Bai Mu’s mind, transmitted from within the Void Cauldron.

"Who are you?" Bai Mu demanded, bewildered.

The Guixu disciples within the formation saw him suddenly speaking to himself outside the barrier and were startled, quickly adopting a defensive stance.

"Who I am is irrelevant," the mysterious voice continued. "What matters is that you must face your enemy seriously now. Otherwise, today Floating Jade Mountain will become the grave of you two youngsters!"

"Senior…?" Bai Mu asked cautiously, "Then, in your opinion, how can I break through this impregnable Ninefold Demon-Slaying Formation?"

"I ask you to enlighten me!"

"Hmm, I like this humble attitude," the mysterious figure said, pausing briefly before changing tone. "Listen well, boy. This Ninefold Demon-Slaying Formation is ancient, forged in the era when the War God Fanxian first emerged, crafted with the help of several primordial deities. Its power is unmatched in this age."

"No one alive can rival the might of this formation."

---

"Throughout history, those who have managed to break this formation could be counted on one hand," the mysterious voice continued. "Its greatest strength lies in its perfect union of offense and defense."

"The power amassed by eighty disciples acting in concert, further augmented by the surrounding yin-yang and five elements, is enough to unleash a world-shattering attack. Even as they strike, they can divert a portion of their strength to defend the commander, achieving true harmony between will and force—a state of invincibility."

"Ordinarily, the defensive strength of these eighty elite disciples, amplified a thousandfold by the Ninefold Formation, is so overwhelming that not even the Heavenly Emperor Ling Xiao or the Demon Saint Han Bi could break through with brute force..."

Ah!

Hearing that even the Heavenly Emperor could not overcome this, Bai Mu cried out in despair.

Yet Bai Mu’s conversation with the mysterious figure inside the Void Cauldron was perceived by the Guixu disciples within the barrier as mere muttering, for only Bai Mu could hear the voice through divine sense.

Noticing Bai Mu’s odd behavior, one disciple whispered, "Hey, did the backlash of the barrier knock you senseless?"

Bai Mu had no time to banter, desperately pressing the mysterious figure for a way to break the formation.

The mysterious figure inside the cauldron, seeing Bai Mu so shocked, quickly reassured him, "Nothing in the world is absolute. Even the Ninefold Demon-Slaying Sword Formation has its weaknesses."

"From my observations, these Guixu disciples forming the current array are far inferior to the eighty-one who went to Cangwu Abyss for the Holy War years ago. Their strength is worlds apart. So you need not worry—this formation can be broken!"

"How?"

"Please tell me quickly, lest it be too late!"

As he spoke, Bai Mu glanced again at the arena below. Ling Yan, once so deft, was now being beaten back at every turn. If this continued, within moments she would fall, her life forfeit.

"Haste brings no success. Patience is key," the mysterious figure analyzed calmly. "You attacked one point of the barrier with brute force, and your opponent anticipated your intention. They immediately channeled the strength of all eighty-one to defend that spot. Failure was inevitable."

"But what if you target not a single point, but attack along lines and planes instead? The outcome might change."

"Lines and planes?" Bai Mu pondered swiftly, his mind racing. In a flash, he grasped the mysterious figure’s suggestion and exclaimed with delight, "Senior, you mean I should disperse my power, feint attacks from multiple angles, and when the opponents are stretched thin defending everywhere, strike at the weakest spot?"

---

"Exactly," the mysterious figure praised. "As expected of Bai Ze's disciple. Your cultivation may be lacking, but your mind is sharp."

Wait...

"How do you know so much about me?" Bai Mu wondered. "And when did you enter my Void Cauldron?"

"Enough with the nonsense!" the mysterious figure snapped impatiently. "Is this the time for trivial questions? If you don’t act now, that little girl in the formation will soon perish!"

"Yes, yes," Bai Mu replied, shaking off his doubts, casting aside all distracting emotions. He slowly and solemnly raised his sacred sword, preparing to attack with all his might.

Yet, just before releasing his power, he muttered under his breath, "How will I locate the formation’s weak spot? My current cultivation and divine sense aren’t nearly strong enough for such precision!"

"You are truly bothersome," the mysterious figure grumbled. "Leave the detection of weaknesses to me. Your task is to disrupt their focus and actions. When the moment is right, I will guide you!"

"Understood!"

With the guidance of this self-proclaimed deity, Bai Mu felt all worry fade from his heart. He raised his sacred sword high above his head, adopting a stance that pointed to both heaven and earth, then cast a wicked, enchanting smile at the handsome Guixu disciple within the formation, and swiftly closed his eyes.