Translator: CinderTL
Zuoqiu Zhen smiled faintly, revealing a secret: "This formation is called the Soul-Gathering Brilliance-Preserving Grand Formation. It was created by the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect, possessing boundless power and extraordinary properties."
Xu Sanyan paused, lowering his gaze in thought. He seemed to recall hearing about the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect somewhere before...
"Desolate Sheep Mountain!" he suddenly exclaimed, the memory flashing back.
Zuoqiu Zhen's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh? You know about it too?"
Xu Sanyan nodded, recalling his early days in the Central Region when he had encountered a ghost realm containing a nunnery. He couldn't remember the nunnery's name, but the nun who resided there had left a deep impression on him.
Moreover, that ghost realm was where he had first met Qin Manyang.
At the time, Qin Manyang had mentioned that beyond the ghost realm lay Desolate Sheep Mountain, within which were the ruins of an ancient sect called the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect, renowned throughout the world for their techniques of ghost refinement and soul refinement.
However, the sect had later mobilized its entire strength to forge a Ghost Immortal, only to be betrayed and devoured by their creation, leaving not a single living soul behind.
Qin Manyang had gleaned this information from ancient texts, its veracity uncertain. Yet, after so long, hearing that name again stirred a sense of unease.
"Is the Wang Family connected to the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect?" Xu Sanyan asked, his brow furrowing deeply. He recalled the eerie painting hanging in Wang Zixuan's room, wondering if it held a connection to this matter.
Zuoqiu Zhen shook her head with a sigh. "It's unclear. Perhaps the Wang Family's ancestors merely stumbled upon a fragment of the sect's legacy."
Xu Sanyan nodded. "Tell me more about this Soul-Gathering Brilliance-Preserving Grand Formation."
"To speak of this Great Formation, we must first discuss the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect. This sect existed during the same era as the Yaotian Holy Sect, founded by four Immortal Venerables who sought to explore realms beyond the immortal dao."
"Hmm? Realms beyond the immortal dao?" Xu Sanyan asked, his tone surprised.
"We don't know," Zuoqiu Zhen replied. "That's why they were exploring."
"The four immortals collaborated to create this formation, gathering countless treasures as its focal points and slaughtering billions of living beings as its foundation. Spanning tens of thousands of miles, the formation employed every conceivable method to forge a Ghost Immortal surpassing even the immortals themselves!"
The more Xu Sanyan listened, the more uneasy he felt. He couldn't help but ask, "If the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect acted so brazenly, why didn't the Yaotian Holy Sect intervene?"
Although the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect possessed formidable power, with four immortals among them, the Yaotian Holy Sect undoubtedly had far more. After all, in that era, the Yaotian Holy Sect was the supreme authority in the world!
Zuoqiu Zhen shook her head. "It wasn't that they didn't care, but rather that they remained unaware until the Great Formation was activated. By then, it was already too late."
As if reliving the scene, her voice trembled with lingering shock. "That evening, crimson clouds filled the sky. In an instant, a blood-red barrier erupted from the western Central Region, bathing heaven and earth in an endless scarlet glow, as if the apocalypse had arrived. The spectacle was visible even beyond the Central Region."
Zuoqiu Zhen stared blankly out the window, murmuring, "No one could have imagined such a thing would happen. The moment the Great Formation activated, blood rain began to fall from the sky. The crimson droplets seemed like the heavenly dao weeping."
"The Great Formation enveloped over a hundred cities and dozens of sects, trapping countless cultivators and commoners within its grasp. Regardless of their cultivation level, all were annihilated within moments."
"Their flesh and blood were transformed into nourishment, their divine souls condensed and reforged. Within the Great Formation, not a single living thing remained—even the flowers and grass withered completely."
Xu Sanyan imagined the scene: a Great Formation like a transparent bowl, enveloping over a hundred cities in the Central Region. Outside the formation, a rain of blood poured down, while inside, the air was filled with terrified screams.
What a human tragedy!
A sense of awe surged within Xu Sanyan's heart. He couldn't help but sigh, "Now this is a true demon lord."
Slaughtering billions of lives, all for the sake of his own obsession.
"And then?" Xu Sanyan asked.
"In the end... the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect was annihilated."
"By whom?"
"By that Ghost Immortal."
Xu Sanyan nodded slowly. This aligned with what Qin Manyang had told him.
"What about the Ghost Immortal?"
"It's dead. The Yaotian Holy Sect dispatched seven immortals to finally eliminate it."
Xu Sanyan turned to her. "So... the Wang Family is also trying to refine a Ghost Immortal?"
"Hah! As if the Wang Family is worthy! Even if they cultivated for ten thousand years, they wouldn't measure up to the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect's little toe."
Zuoqiu Zhen sneered dismissively. "They've only scratched the surface, using the soul spirits of their own people to nourish the Wang Clan Ancestor."
Nourish the Wang Clan Ancestor?
Xu Sanyan frowned, turning to ask, "What do you mean?"
Zuoqiu Zhen glanced toward the Wang Clan Ancestral Hall and explained, "The Wang Family's Eighth-Generation Ancestor cultivated a forbidden art, transforming himself into a calamity. Though he barely regained his sanity, the consequences are dire. Once a soul spirit is offered, it will be instantly consumed."
So that's how it is.
"What do you want?" Xu Sanyan asked, sensing her intention to target the formation.
Zuoqiu Zhen met his gaze earnestly. "You must have guessed my situation. I won't hide it from you—I need this formation to stabilize my divine soul."
Xu Sanyan frowned inwardly. He knew the Old Demon Woman was up to no good, but he hadn't expected her to target the Wang Family's ancestor.
If the Wang Family discovered this, they would stop at nothing to kill them.
The risk was far too great; he had no reason to wade into such dangerous waters.
"Farewell. Consider this meeting never happened, and I'll never speak of it to anyone," Xu Sanyan said firmly, gesturing toward the door.
Zuoqiu Zhen smiled, as if she had anticipated his reaction. "Don't be so hasty. Hear my conditions before you refuse."
Xu Sanyan curled his lip, certain he would never agree to any terms.
"I'll give you the formation diagram for the Soul-Gathering Brilliance-Preserving Grand Formation."
"Hah! What use would I have for that?" Xu Sanyan shook his head dismissively. He had no intention of becoming a Ghost Immortal.
Zuoqiu Zhen understood his reasoning. She smiled and said, "Do you think this formation is only for cultivating Ghost Immortals?"
"Huh? What else could it be used for?"
"Its applications are vast. This is a Great Formation created jointly by four immortals, containing countless variations. The Wang Family's method is just one possibility. With slight modifications, it can nourish my divine soul."
"So what?" Xu Sanyan still didn't grasp how this would benefit him.
"This formation steals the essence of heaven and earth, plundering the vital spirits of all creation. It defies the heavenly dao itself."
"Speak plainly."
"..."
Zuoqiu Zhen rolled her eyes silently, exasperated by his illiteracy. She had no choice but to explain again: "I see you've already achieved Soul Refinement. The next step is void harmony. Do you know what that means?"
Xu Sanyan nodded, already knowing this. He lifted his head proudly and declared, "To harmonize with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and to wield its authority!"
"Correct, yet also incorrect," Zuoqiu Zhen replied, nodding first, then shaking her head. "You can only access a tiny fraction—one hundred millionth—of the heavenly dao's power. Moreover, this power is merely lent to you; it will never truly be yours."
Xu Sanyan suddenly recalled something. This seemed similar to the cultivation method he practiced.
His method originated from the demonic sect's Holy Scripture, the Dao-Seizing Vitality Origin Sutra. When cultivated to its depths, it allowed one to plunder the heavenly dao for personal use. If combined with this formation...
Could he plunder even more?
"So...?"
"This formation refines the heavenly dao's power and merges it into one's own being. That is why it is intolerable to Heaven and Earth!"
The bloody rain that fell tens of thousands of years ago was not the heavenly dao weeping for the departed souls, but rather weeping for itself.
Without emotions, how could it weep for others?
Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all living things as straw dogs.
(End of the Chapter)
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