Chapter 88: The Seventh Game of the Northern Sea

In the vast world of the Primordial Era, when it comes to formations, none can surpass the Immortal Execution Sword Array devised by the Supreme Purity Tongtian, Lord of Spiritual Treasures. This is the foremost innate killing array, founded upon five pieces of innate spiritual treasures. It is said that when a Hunyuan Sage sets it up, only four Sages together can break it; it is powerful enough to reduce the great cosmos to chaos, unleashing calamities of earth, water, fire, and wind. Beneath the Immortal Execution Sword Array, there are several other mighty formations—the Twelve Heavenly Godsfiend Array of the Wu Tribe, the Two Elements Cosmic Dust Array of the Supreme Purity Sage, the Supreme Ultimate Universe Array of the Jade Purity Sage, the Eightfold Lotus Bodhi Array of the Western Sages, and so forth. At this moment, the Hunyuan River Luo Formation conjured by Emperor Jun with the River Diagram and Luo Book, both innate spiritual treasures, was only slightly inferior to these.

Though the Hunyuan River Luo Formation bears the name “Hunyuan”—the Primordial Unity—this is no empty boast. It is useless against the Hunyuan Golden Immortals, but once a Hunyuan Loose Immortal falls within, escaping would cost them dearly, perhaps even their very skin.

Due to a moment’s carelessness, Kunpeng was trapped within the Hunyuan River Luo Formation, and anxiety gripped his heart. He was confident the formation could not hold him forever, but the challenge now was not the formation alone—there was also an army of a million Solar Troops, and Emperor Jun and Taiyi, those two brothers, watched him like hungry tigers. The situation was dire beyond compare, not to mention the Chaos Bell, one of the Three Treasures of Creation, suspended high in the heavens.

“What a bitter fate! Without outside help, I truly fear death is near this time.” He hoped for someone to come to his aid, but Kunpeng knew it was nearly a vain hope. Bai Ze, with his profound cultivation and unmatched military strategy, had already sabotaged him; Kunpeng’s sea beasts and monsters were likely faring even worse. Even if they could come, their help would be limited.

“Set fire! Burn it!” At Taiyi’s command, the million Solar Troops within the formation unleashed their mastery of fire, and torrents of Solar Trueflame poured relentlessly toward Kunpeng. No matter how Kunpeng tried to escape, the flames were inescapable, and the sole possible path to survival was already blocked by the Chaos Bell above.

No way to heaven, no path to earth, beset on all sides!

There was little suspense left—the outcome was certain. Kunpeng’s defeat was sealed; only the timing remained in question.

The Law of Ice, under the oppression of two layers of Fire Laws, could only shrink into a corner. The Yao Master Hall radiated imposing might, but the formation’s spatial power rendered far and near indistinguishable, leaving even a hero without a place to use his strength.

Boom!

“Emperor Jun! Taiyi! You two despicable villains, shameless to the extreme! I, your ancestor, will never stand with you!” Kunpeng’s furious curses surged like a tide from his mouth, but soon were engulfed and smothered by the surging Solar Trueflame.

A sea of Solar Trueflame floated above the North Sea like a mighty river or lake, radiating terrifying heat. The seawater below evaporated in torrents, with mist rising tens of thousands of fathoms high. Countless aquatic beings perished for no reason—those lucky enough to preserve their souls survived, but the unfortunate were utterly annihilated. Yet, since the Six Paths of Reincarnation had not yet come into being, even those who escaped with their souls were doomed to misery: some would dissipate over time, some might stumble into ghostly cultivation if fate allowed, and others would be captured by evil cultivators to be refined into artifacts—a fate worse than death.

“My brother overestimates Kunpeng. Even with just the Hunyuan River Luo Formation and our million troops, he cannot escape, so why should we intervene?” Taiyi said easily.

Taiyi’s relaxation was understandable; Kunpeng’s efforts had only barely shaken the formation, and he was still several times short of breaking free.

“Never underestimate Kunpeng. He is cunning and treacherous, skilled in schemes. We cannot let down our guard. If he feigns weakness to make us careless, then strikes suddenly with all his strength to escape, we would regret it too late and lose this rare opportunity. If he escapes today, it will be almost impossible to trap him again!” Emperor Jun warned cautiously. He had no intention of letting his prey slip away; after all the cost and effort, failure was unacceptable.

Kunpeng was innately of the cold Yin element and deeply feared fire, especially Solar Trueflame, the supreme of all flames—so tyrannical that even a spark could burn mountains and boil seas. Now, with a million Solar Troops attacking together, the harm to him was truly great.

The greatest chasm between a quasi-sage and those below is the command of Laws. In terms of raw power, a quasi-sage is only ten times stronger than a peak Golden Immortal. But with Laws, a quasi-sage can disregard the numbers beneath him; without Laws, however, even vast numbers below could threaten a quasi-sage. Now, with both Emperor Jun and Taiyi suppressing him with the Laws of Fire, Kunpeng’s mastery was greatly diminished. Alone, he endured the assault of a million Solar Troops, rapidly depleting his magic power. Though he had cultivated for millions of years and his reserves were deep, at this rate, his fall was inevitable.

“Fellow Daoist Kunpeng, by decree of Saint Nuwa, I am to unite the demon race for the benefit of future generations, and the Dao Ancestor himself has agreed. Should you persist in defiance and go against Heaven’s will, all your efforts from one Calamity to the next will be in vain, turning to ashes—what a pity!” Emperor Jun called out in a clear voice.

“A wise man submits to the times, Fellow Daoist. When our great cause is achieved, you can be master of all demons, your position supreme—would that not be far better than eking out a meager existence here in the North Sea?”

“Emperor Jun, do not spout nonsense! Who is the Dao Ancestor? Did he not once instruct the Eastern Sovereign to lead all immortals and ordain him as chief of the Yang Spirits? How could he go back on his word? You borrow the Dao Ancestor’s name in vain, but Heaven’s Way cannot be deceived. Sooner or later, you will be completely annihilated, both body and soul! Rather than accumulating virtue and preserving your life, you dare intrude upon my North Sea. Take my advice—leave while you still can!” Kunpeng roared in fury, the Solar Trueflame around him surging even more violently.

“Hahaha! Kunpeng, your cultivation is shallow; you do not understand the profound mysteries. The Eastern Sovereign commands only the loose immortals and is not of the true line. Now, by decree of the Dao Ancestor, I unite the demon race and establish the supreme orthodoxy—these are not to be confused. There is no need to argue further. I will ask you just once—will you swear allegiance? If not, my brother and I will act!” Emperor Jun’s threat was naked. In his heart, he hoped to subdue Kunpeng; if Kunpeng stubbornly refused, then only his death would serve as a warning to the world.

“This…?” Kunpeng was no fool. Emperor Jun’s murderous intent was clear; he did not doubt that refusal meant certain death today. Yet to swear allegiance was no small matter. Cultivators’ words and deeds are bound by Heaven’s Way, especially those of quasi-sage rank. Should he swear an oath, Heaven would record it, and any future violation would bring down the consequences promised—a principle made explicit in the Investiture of the Gods, as witnessed by the fate of the brothers Yin Jiao and Yin Hong.