Chapter 237: First Battle, A Sword from the Heavens!
Dark clouds covered the sky, and filth spread across the land. The once prosperous Yuan River City had become a massive, terrifying monster, spawning countless grotesque creatures that wreaked havoc.
Even the most powerful Saints couldn’t do anything against this monstrous being in a short time. Only the combined might of the ancient clans’ hidden powerhouses could shake it.
Seeing the devastation caused by the otherworldly demon’s remains, the ancient clans didn’t immediately try to resolve the issue, but prepared their own defenses—after all, the crisis hadn’t reached them yet.
To the ancient clans, self-preservation was more important than saving the world.
But the Beiming Clan, facing this crisis directly, couldn’t afford to stand by. Everyone could see that the demonic remains’ target was the Beiming Clan.
It wanted to devour the entire Beiming Clan, turning them into nourishment, just like the Yudu Clan, to recover from its long slumber.
The Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation no longer had any offensive power. It could only passively defend against the endless stream of grotesque creatures from Yuan River City.
Although these creatures couldn’t break through the formation’s defenses in a short time, the Beiming Clan couldn’t launch an effective counterattack.
Unless they awakened all their slumbering Saints, they could only wait in despair for the formation to be completely eroded.
It seemed… they were on the verge of annihilation.
“What about Senior Ling… sigh!”
Beiming Tian’s expression was filled with sorrow. As the current Clan Leader, the responsibility for the clan’s survival rested on his shoulders.
If the Beiming Clan was destroyed, Beiming Tian would be the one to blame, forever remembered as a failure.
But… he was helpless in this situation. He couldn’t turn the tide. Everything depended on Luo Xue.
The fearless grotesque creatures from Yuan River City relentlessly attacked the clan-protecting formation, which easily withstood the onslaught.
However, these attacks weren’t completely ineffective. The formation’s impenetrable defense was being gradually eroded by a strange power, and it was only a matter of time before the grotesque creatures broke through.
And these were just the weaker creatures. The true nightmare was still within Yuan River City, hadn’t appeared yet.
Just as Beiming Tian was starting to despair, the clan-protecting formation suddenly lit up.
Countless formation runes appeared, swirling and dancing in the sky above the Beiming Clan, like fish leaping in water.
And the spiritual energy within the formation sharpened, like a sword’s edge, a sharp pain coursing through one’s meridians with every breath.
The Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation, “Attack” state… activated!
“This… this is…”
Beiming Tian’s eyes widened, and at the same time, Beiming Ling silently appeared beside him, watching the changing formation.
“Indeed, the Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation has been activated… this is its true form.” Beiming Ling said softly, her gaze turning serious. “Even I… have only seen this in the records… the true power of the Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation.”
After who knew how many millennia, the Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation was finally active again, no longer in its dormant “protective” state, but in its sharp “attack” state.
“Sword’s edge withering, light breaking calamity.”
A cold, clear voice echoed, resounding in everyone’s ears.
Everyone looked towards the source of the voice, and a silver-haired figure appeared in the sky, surrounded by countless formation runes.
As if… she was their queen.
Dugu Xue, having received Luo Xue’s message, had returned from the Primordial Chaos with Immortal Slaughter and successfully met with Nangong Ling.
They witnessed this historic moment within the small world of the Beiming residence.
The power of antiquity, after countless years, had returned.
Luo Xue opened her eyes. Her previous puppet body had completely collapsed, and her soul now resided within… the Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation.
To control this world-destroying weapon, a mere Foundation Establishment level puppet body wasn’t enough. The moment Luo Xue took control, the puppet shattered like glass.
But Luo Xue didn’t have time to mourn the loss of this puppet. Her mind was completely focused on the Calamity-Averting Formation, countless profound insights flooding her consciousness.
Or rather, Luo Xue had become a part of the Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation.
After falling silent, the Phoenix Emperor had completely relinquished control to Luo Xue, granting her power far beyond what the Beiming Clan could imagine.
The Beiming Clan had estimated the “Attack” state of the Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation to be equivalent to a powerful Saint, possessing the strength of a Saint, but with a far greater energy reserve.
But after Luo Xue truly took control, she realized that this formation’s purpose wasn’t to be a powerful Saint.
But to kill emperors, to slay Great Emperors.
After all, if it was just a powerful Saint, how could it be considered the Phoenix Emperor’s masterpiece?
The swirling formation runes danced around Luo Xue’s fingertips, their will bringing her a sense of familiarity.
This was the Phoenix Emperor’s will of withering, and Luo Xue not only had the ability to withstand withering, but also a portion of the Phoenix Emperor’s bloodline.
It could be said that in the entire Great Thousand Worlds, besides the Phoenix Emperor, Luo Xue was the most suitable person to control the Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation, even Su Yiyao was slightly inferior.
After gradually getting used to the formation’s power, Luo Xue looked into the distance, where a distorted, dark power was surging, a chilling darkness spreading.
And as Luo Xue looked at the mutated Yuan River City, she sensed a powerful gaze from within.
This gaze greedily eyed the Beiming Clan, desperately craving everything they had.
And as Luo Xue met this gaze, a dreamlike whisper echoed in her ears.
“The Great Dao… the remnants of the Great Dao… the lingering embers of the Great Dao… the insignificant Great Dao…”
“It still has consciousness?”
Luo Xue was shocked. Although these murmurs seemed illogical, there was definitely a consciousness controlling Yuan River City.
This was completely different from what Luo Xue knew!
Whether it was the deep space behemoths, or the otherworldly demons, they were essentially natural disasters, existing to destroy order, not for ethereal concepts like the “Great Dao” or “power.”
This was why otherworldly demons were so troublesome, their only purpose destruction, their malice absolute.
But now… this otherworldly demon’s remains, supposedly mindless, seemed to have a consciousness?
And it even mentioned the “Great Dao” to Luo Xue…
“It seems this crisis… isn’t as simple as we thought.”
Luo Xue took a deep breath, transmitted everything she sensed to Beiming Ling, then, controlling the formation, began to counterattack the grotesque creatures assaulting it.
“The will of withering…”
This was the first time Luo Xue could freely wield the will of withering, her only concern how to use it most effectively to kill the enemy.
All the runes of the Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation lit up, then dimmed, a terrifying darkness enveloping the entire formation, a chilling sword intent manifesting, aimed at Yuan River City.
The greedy gaze remained, its desire almost insane.
“I have a sword—” Luo Xue’s fingers closed, channeling the power of the formation, and she slowly swung her arm. “—capable of shattering… the heavens.”
Silence, a boundless silence.
Only the howling wind could be heard.
The sword intent of withering effortlessly swept through the attacking grotesque creatures, those previously indestructible beings instantly turning to dust, annihilated.
The consciousness within Yuan River City, struck by this attack, let out a painful moan, then a sharp, shrill cry, and the surging, twisted aura intensified, almost taking physical form.
…This sword strike… wasn’t weak.
Beiming Ling and Beiming Tian, witnessing this, were silent. Beiming Tian saw the formation’s terrifying power, and Beiming Ling saw even more.
Such power could be achieved by any Saint, but… what Luo Xue displayed was more than just the formation’s power.
“A complete Great Dao…”
Beiming Ling murmured softly.
She had heard that withering and immortality were the only remaining Great Daos after the ancient era, both belonging to the Law of Ending, but it hadn’t been confirmed.
After all, those with the will of withering couldn’t survive, and the Nangong clan’s inherited will of immortality was incomplete, unable to reach the Great Emperor Realm even at its peak.
After the ancient era, there were no more Great Emperors. This was a well-known fact in the Great Thousand Worlds, mainly because the Great Dao was broken, no complete Dao remained.
But now… a complete, powerful Great Dao appeared before Beiming Ling, but she couldn’t touch it.
Because she had already embarked on a path that couldn’t reach its end. Changing paths meant discarding all her cultivation and starting over.
How was that possible?
Moreover… this was the Great Dao of Withering, the terrifying Law of Ending.
Now, the only question was, how could Luo Xue control the will of withering? She was Nangong’s reincarnation, shouldn’t she control the opposing will of immortality?
However, Beiming Ling didn’t investigate further, because she received a message from Luo Xue, an even more shocking message.
The demonic remains within Yuan River City had their own consciousness, which meant that this crisis wasn’t just a natural disaster, but perhaps… a man-made one.
Someone had deliberately released the demonic remains, using their power for some purpose.
And Luo Xue had revealed that the other party seemed obsessed with the “Great Dao,” and Beiming Ling had a guess.
“It can only be Yudu Cheng, the ‘most unlucky Clan Leader’ of the ancient era. It seems… this has something to do with him.”
Beiming Ling’s expression was complicated. She knew why the information about the sealed otherworldly demon couldn’t be revealed, because this was the consequence.
No one could predict the limits of human greed, what someone would do for power.
And now, this madness had borne fruit, and all they could do was prevent it from spreading further.
After the withering sword strike, Yuan River City retreated slightly, seemingly injured.
And Luo Xue’s figure appeared before Beiming Ling, but dimmer, having consumed a lot of her power.
This Beiming Calamity-Averting Formation was incredibly powerful, so powerful that just controlling it, without even using its true power, had almost exhausted Luo Xue.
Beiming Ling told Luo Xue about her deduction, and after hearing it, Luo Xue was silent for a long time.
Then, she said, “Yes… your deduction should be correct.”
The brief clash had allowed Luo Xue to sense the other party’s essence: a soul unwilling to submit to fate, eroded in its long struggle, completely becoming a puppet of the otherworldly demon.
Even now, the other party still thought they were a human pursuing the Great Dao, not realizing they had become a part of the otherworldly demon.
All of this… was thanks to the “gaze” carried by the demonic remains. Without it, the otherworldly demon wouldn’t be so dangerous.
Even the most powerful otherworldly demon’s strength couldn’t exceed the limits of this world, because it was formed from the world’s matter.
Just like the deep space behemoths in the post-apocalyptic world, they couldn’t be as powerful as the otherworldly demons in the Great Thousand Worlds.
But the “gaze” allowed the otherworldly demon to break through this limit.
In the end, it all stemmed from His fleeting glance.
Of course, Luo Xue wouldn’t tell Beiming Ling any of this. She just vaguely confirmed Beiming Ling’s guess, then her figure dissipated.
And when she reappeared, Luo Xue was already inside Immortal Slaughter.
Everyone inside was delighted to see her. Nangong Ling patted her chest in relief, and her sister winked.
Dugu Xue wanted to hug Luo Xue, but realizing she was just a soul, awkwardly put down her hands.
But Luo Xue wasn’t here just for a reunion. Her expression was serious. She looked at everyone and said in a low voice,
“Everyone… you have to leave, immediately.”
