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Somewhere in the Southern Wilderness in the Divine Lands, Zhu Yi, Shi Tianhao and the Tiangang Swordmaster were intently observing the sudden change in the direction of flow of draconic energy in the lands of the Great Qin Empire.

The rotations of the Energy of Draconic Origin had paused momentarily before but very quickly returned to normal.

Shi Tianhao and the others couldn’t figure out what happened. Zhu Yi crushed a voice-projecting crystal and Shi Zongmao’s voice could be heard from the other side.

Once he finished the recount of the recent happenings, Shi Zongmao asked immediately, “When can Lin Feng reach Mount Baiyun?”

His tone was solemn and carried bitter traces as well. “Now the Great Qin Empire won’t have to worry about where the Hades Tribe will go next after breaking Mount Baiyun.”

“Xiling City and Mount Baiyun are tied together now. If Mount Baiyun is broken by the Hades Tribe, the aftershock running through the draconic energies will directly impact Xiling City and the entire city can crumble into dust at any time.”

Shi Zongmao’s voice was growing deeper. “The citizens that we have allowed to take refuge in Xiling City have been evacuated and are proceeding towards Mount Kunlun and the areas around. I believe the Emperor is currently in contact with Xiao Yan – we kindly request that you take of these people. The Great Qin Empire is deeply grateful.”

“I do wish your master can arrive before Mount Baiyun is broken – then we will have something to talk about. If Mount Baiyun is broken and Xiling City is laid to waste, at least we can protect our citizens.”

The moment Shi Zongmao’s projection inside Xiling City dissipated, he had received news from Shi Zongtang that he was no longer required to proceed towards Xiling City.

Shi Zongmao’s journey towards Xiling City took longer than expected as he was severely injured. Upon receiving this instruction, he decided not to continue towards Xiling City.

It wasn’t just him – the troupe of cultivators from the Great Qin Empire were no longer required at Xiling City either.

Still, Shi Zongmao couldn’t help but feel a little dejected. Including the new Emperor, Shi Zongtang, the high-level cultivators from the Great Qin Empire anchoring down Xiling City were forced to remain.

Shi Zongtang himself was stuck. Even the other immortal soul stage cultivators had to continue channeling the magic formation enveloping Xiling City in order to withstand the immense pressure from the other side. If not, before Mount Baiyun’s fate was decided, they would crumble first.

The reason why Shi Zongtang ordered Shi Zongmao and the others not to return was to retain at least one last strand of power that belonged to the Great Qin Empire.

The relatively weaker cultivators inside Xiling City were tasked with escorting and consolidating the citizens before they evacuated the city.

The other powerful cultivators, including Shi Zongtang himself, had to stay back and fight to maintain the magic formation and congregate the draconic energies in the hope that Mount Baiyun can survive until Lin Feng’s return.

If Mount Baiyun was broken first, their survival would be inextricably tied to Xiling City and it would be too late to escape.

Shi Zongtang had just ascended to the throne, and he could be the only emperor in the history of the Great Qin Empire to be in power for such a short period of time.

Zhu Yi said slowly, “My master dealt a heavy blow to the Heavenly Charms Grand Sage in the Barren Expanses, and he has also trapped the Heavenly Grandmaster Grand Sage and the Crimson Gorilla Grand Sage inside Mount Lingyuan for the time being. He’s on his way towards Mount Baiyun at the moment. Judging by his travelling speed, he should be there in no time.”

“A war between the worlds will inflict much collateral damage to the innocent people and their lives. This is already a disaster in itself – the lives of normal citizens should have a safety net, and I trust that my senior brother will make the appropriate arrangements. You don’t have to worry.”

Shi Zongmao heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you for this.”

Zhu Yi turned towards Shi Tianhao and the Tiangang Swordmaster after severing his connection. The other two appeared serious and solemn.

The Tiangang Swordmaster said nothing, but his consciousness resonated in the skies. “The Nine Heavens Primordial Sword Formation is about to be complete. If we are successful, even though we can’t be of any help to Xiling City’s situation, we should be able to handle the Shen Dragon King. But we still need some time.”

Many years ago, the Mount Shu Sword Sect formed the Nine Heavenly Sword Alliance with eight other powerful sword sects. Even though they each had their own autonomy and political opinions, they were still a powerful union.

The Mount Shu Sword Sect had always wanted to bring all the sword sects in the world under their command. They applied much thought to the process – besides the Immortal Heaven Universal Sword Formation and the Six Mountains Celestial Sword Formation, the third powerful formation was formed. It was the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation.

When they were developing it, Mount Shu was the intended core of everything. They wanted to concentrate the sword minds and sword Qi of the other eight big sword sects and combine everything into one to increase its power.

It wasn’t the same as the Immortal Heaven Universal Sword Formation. Even though the latter drew upon the powers of the other swords in the world, it had to stay with Mount Shu. On the other hand, the Immortal Heaven Universal Sword Formation could move around with the Saintly Celestial Sword.

However, all this was but fantasy as a key component of setting upt his formation as the Primordial Sword Stone, was nowhere to be found.

Legend had it that when the Saintly Celestial Sword was still incomplete and in its embryonic form when it was first born, two other magic treasures were derived from it and were completed before the sword itself.

Subsequently, three ancient swords were born from these two magic treasures – the Tiangang Ancient Sword, the Cangming Ancient Sword and the Taiqing Ancient Sword.

The first of these two magic treasures was called the Sect-Returning Sword Casket that could absorb all the other swords of the world. It was destroyed during the battle of Mount Shu all those years ago, and it was second-most important item to the Mount Shu Sword Sect after the Saintly Celestial Sword.

The other treasure was called the Primordial Sword Stone. This treasure was similar to the Sect-Returning Sword Casket – it didn’t possess much offensive power, but the Primordial Sword Stone had the power to sharpen all the swords under the heavens to boost their powers, including all magic treasures derived from swords.

Even the Saintly Celestial Sword, if allowed to be sharpened by this magic treasure for a prolonged period of time, would see improvements.

However, when the Emperor of Extremity kicked down the mountain gate all those years ago, the void shatters and everything descended into chaos. It was during this event that the Primordial Sword Stone was lost.

The Mount Shu Sword Sect had tried their best to find the Primordial Sword Stone in the following years but to no avail. The conception of the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation came from the understanding the Mount Shu Sword Sect derived from the concept of power of the Primordial Sword Stone .

They even tried to find a substitute item, but their attempts were all unsuccessful. The Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation had already been devised, but everything remained on paper and they had no way of making it a reality. This was the reason why nobody really knew about its existence.

However, several years ago, the roaming previous sect leader of the Mount Shu Sword Sect, Xin Longsheng, reappeared after disappearing without a trace for a long time – he returned to the gates of his old sect, and even brought back the Primordial Sword Stone.

He quickly vanished from the mountain once again and was never seen again and nobody had any information about him at all. However, the return of this treasure to Mount Shu revived the dying hope in the hearts of cultivators from the Mount Shu Sword Sect.

What broke their hearts was that even though the Primordial Sword Stone was returned to the mountain, one of the other three important elements for the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation was destroyed during the battle of Mount Shu – the Saintly Celestial Sword.

The Tiangang Swordmaster put in much thought and made improvements to the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation. He gave up the absolute reliance the Mount Shu Sword Sect had on the Saintly Celestial Sword for the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation, and converted the Saintly Celestial Primordial Sword Formation to the Nine Heavens Primordial Sword Formation. Even though its power was diminished, their ambitions were finally a reality.

Following the efforts by the Tiangang Swordmaster to unify the other powerful cultivators from Mount Shu to participate in the war between the worlds and the news that the Hades Tribe had returned to the Grand Celestial World, the Heavenly Master Sword Sect, the Lightning Sword Sect and the other eight powerful sword sects had a long discussion before they realized that they had to put down their hatred for Mount Shu and the Saintly Celestial Sword – and cooperate with the Mount Shu Sword Sect to set up the sword formation.

At least, this was an arrangement that would last for the duration of the war between the worlds. The several powerful sword sects agreed to let bygones be bygones and concentrate their power together.

They weren’t required to be personally present at the battlefield. All they needed to do was to work together to channel the Nine Heavens Primordial Sword Formation and provide support for the frontlines from a distance. However, the collaboration between the respective parties was still in its infancy and required much refinement and harmony before the sword formation could become function. For now, it was only in its preparation phase but that was coming to an end – and then it could be put into use.

Both Zhu Yi and Shi Tianhao were already aware of this the moment they returned to the Divine Lands.

Zhu Yi turned towards the Tiangang Swordmaster. “Is the person you chose to direct the magic formation is the current sect leader of the Mount Shu Sword Sect?”

Ever since Xin Longsheng resigned from his position, the new sect leader of the Mount Shu Sword Sect was the Shaoyang Swordmaster.

The Tiangang Swordmaster answered, “That is correct.”

Zhu Yi inquired, “Pardon me for being straightforward, but isn’t the Cangming Swordmaster the second-most powerful cultivator after you?”

The Tiangang Swordmaster shook his head and replied, “The Cangming Swordmaster has shut himself in for good, and it’s unlikely that he will participate in this war between the worlds. Unless Mount Shu is compmletely destroyed, he will have no idea what’s going on in the outside world.”

Zhu Yi and Shi Tianhao nodded their heads in unison and said nothing more.

Shi Tianhao passed a voice-projected message to Zhu Yi. “I will hurry at once towards Xiling City.”

Zhu Yi pondered momentarily before he said, “How confident are you? If you’re not successful, not only will you not be of any help to the situation, you will be in danger as well.”

“Not even fifty percent.” Shi Tianhao no longer had his typical casual and mischievous expression as he said solemnly, “I’ve only had that thing for a little while and it may or may not be effective. I can’t say I have too much confidence.”

“I haven’t seen it personally, but the drastic changes in heaven and earth and the continuous quivering of the spiritual energy in the world probably gave the Hades Tribe an absolute advantage in their attack on Mount Baiyun. Even with the help of the Energy of Draconic Energy from the Great Qin and the Great Zhou Empire, I’m not certain how long they can hold out.”

“If Mount Baiyun is broken before master returns, then Xiling City will be laid to ruin.”

Shi Tianhao answered, “I may not be able to save the city. However, if I’m successful, I’ll be able to escape with the cultivators of the Great Qin Empire.”

He turned towards the inter-world passageway in the south. “If saving people is the only thing required, then the Higan Golden Bridge will be the most convenient. However, the Shen Dragon King is still here and he’s a powerful demon in the Vipralopa Stage. We need you, a person who holds a destiny-level magic treasure, and the Tiangang Swordmaster here to handle him.”

“Even though I can’t wait to tear the skin off that giant bug, I’m not that suitable to face off against a Vipralopa Stage opponent.”

“If my toy works, it can block the spells and mana of powerful demons but it cannot block the Power-Destroying Catastrophe,” Shi Tianhao continued, “So I should just proceed towards Xiling City. Since the fate of Mount Baiyun hangs in the balance, its complementary to the unstable nature of my toy.”

Zhu Yi knew that Shi Tianhao was speaking the truth. If he took the Higan Golden Bridge to Xiling city, they would experience problems with the Shen Dragon King.

If Shi Tianhao teamed up with the Tiangang Swordmaster against the Shen Dragon King, without discussing the result, the Shen Dragon King was completely capable of replicating the method used by the Tiangang Swordmaster in his battle against the Earth Dragon King and the Azure Sky Dragon King.

Even though they had been planning to ambush the Shen Dragon King this whole time, their adversary’s personality was vastly different from that of the Earth Dragon King. The Shen Dragon King was so calm and composed that he was unlike a dragon at all.