Chapter 646: Origin of the Immortal Destroying Sword Formation

"What are you thinking about?" Lu Yang asked, seeing Meng Jingzhou squatting on the ground in deep contemplation, as if pondering some profound dilemma.

Meng Jingzhou tilted his head back to look up at Lu Yang. "I was wondering which concubine Junior Brother Li actually was in his sixth life, and whether he became the Empress later on. If he did, that would make him an ancestor of the current Emperor."

Lu Yang: "..."

The Emperor of Xia's lifespan was already drawing to a close, and here you were trying to find him another ancestor.

"Junior Brother Li, you have just broken through and still need to consolidate your cultivation, so we won't disturb you any longer." Li Haoran had shared everything he knew, and since the Eldest Senior Sister had obtained the answers she sought, there was no need to delay his training any further.

Three days later, at Tianmen Peak.

Lu Yang sat cross-legged upon the sword stone, beside which lay a naturally formed stone pool—the very sword-washing pool that had insisted on clinging to him.

Within the pool, seven long swords glided about like seven lively, cheerful fish.

"This sword formation was something I chanced upon by accident while traveling the world, seeking out traces of ancient immortals to match my strength against theirs. The formation itself was stained with immortal blood, and from those faint clues, it could be deduced that this was an array left behind by an ancient immortal."

"Go ask around; which chosen genius back then didn't flee in panic or tremble with fear upon seeing this Immortal? I broke the Dao hearts of countless geniuses..."

"My things are exceptionally precious too, so why don't I see you treating them with such care?" The Immortal Immortal felt this was blatant discrimination. An immortal who could be finished off even by that girl Yun must have been of predictably low caliber, so why bother treating such a fellow's belongings with such reverence?

Lu Yang let out a long breath; he had finally succeeded in establishing a connection with the Seven Star Sword Set.

"The ancient immortals were truly brilliant to create such a sword formation. How grand. Yet, my own talent is easily a match for them. Since an ancient immortal could create such an array, it is equivalent to saying I could create it as well. Had I been born in the ancient era, this formation ought to have been my creation."

"Since that is the case, this sword formation is effectively my own creation; it is merely that a discrepancy occurred in the timeline."

He desperately wanted to know which ancient immortal had actually created this formation—did they possess no sense of shame?

At the same time, he found it strange; none of the four ancient immortals seemed to have been sword users, otherwise the Immortal Immortal wouldn't be completely ignorant of the Dao of the Sword.

In its preface, the Exterminating Sword Formation recounted the psychological journey of its creator when devising the array, which Lu Yang softly read aloud:

"The Immortal Exterminating Sword Formation has a requirement regarding numbers; it requires at least two swords and at most nine. The greater the number, the more formidable the power of the formation."

"The Invincible Pill and the Invincible Infant, now those are excellent treasures to ensure you remain unrivaled among those of the same rank! This Immortal's initial fame for stirring up storms in the ancient era was built entirely upon the Invincible Pill!"

The "Immortal Exterminating Sword Formation" was an immortal-grade array. Even its first tier was exceedingly obscure and difficult to comprehend. Fortunately, Lu Yang possessed a sword spiritual root and an extraordinary talent for the sword; he understood it in a mere half-hour, whereas someone like Meng Jingzhou wouldn't discern any patterns even after half a month.

Shelving his doubts for the moment, Lu Yang continued to delve into the sword formation.

"Then, Fairy, have you ever given me anything?"

Having cultivated to this day, Lu Yang had long since mastered the ability to divide his mind, listening to the Immortal Immortal recount her glorious ancient battle achievements while simultaneously focusing entirely on practicing the sword formation.

Carefully, he brought out the first tier of the "Immortal Exterminating Sword Formation." This was an authentic artifact of an immortal, capable of raising a bloody tempest wherever it appeared, possessing immense value.

Though the origins of the sword formation were dubious, its might was undeniably formidable.

Feeling his connection with the Seven Star Sword Set grow increasingly distinct, Lu Yang abruptly snapped his eyes open. With a lift of two fingers, the Seven Star Sword Set leaped forth like fish, gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight, obeying his control effortlessly.

Lu Yang: "..."

Laid out before Lu Yang were nine long swords: the Seven Star Sword Set with which he had just nurtured an affinity, the Qingfeng Sword, and the Mingyue Sword.

"Rise!"

With a simple thought, the swords moved according to his will like soaring swans. The nine blades rose straight up, piercing the clouds and rushing toward the heavens at an absolute extreme of speed. In the blink of an eye, they exceeded the limits of Lu Yang's control and broke the connection.

Lu Yang tilted his head back and waited for a long time before gravity finally brought the nine swords back along their original path, re-entering his sphere of control.

The nine swords aligned in a single row like a nine-toothed rake, descending from the sky and sinking into the earth as though slicing through tofu, leaving only the hilts exposed.

By rights, a sword cultivator of the Nascent Soul stage should not be capable of controlling nine long swords simultaneously, let alone with such absolute freedom.

Lu Yang's mental strength far surpassed that of ordinary people. Furthermore, the Immortal Immortal had threatened the Seven Star Sword Set, and their own yearning to soak in the sword-washing pool once more allowed Lu Yang and the set to share identical intent, enabling the swords to make the most precise decisions without requiring extra effort.

The Qingfeng and Mingyue swords went without saying; Lu Yang treasured these two blades fiercely. In past battles, he would rather forget he was a sword cultivator and use spells than employ these two swords.

Such treatment of one's weapons was entirely unique among sword cultivators.

The bond between Lu Yang and the nine swords was precisely what catalyzed his achievement today.

"Array, arise!"

Lu Yang softly uttered the words, and the nine swords resonated in harmony. The grass beneath his feet trembled slightly, cowed by the sword qi released by the blades.

The nine swords formed an array that sealed both heaven and earth, creating a dense, impenetrable web of sword qi that prevented even spiritual energy from entering.

"Array, move!"

The nine swords deferred to the Qingfeng Sword as their leader, their chiming constant as they hung high in the sky like inverted celestial blades meant to sever all enemies. With but a single gesture from Lu Yang, the first tier of the Immortal Exterminating Sword Formation activated, pressing down with a pressure no less daunting than an inverted mountain of swords bristling with sharp tips.

Boom—

Beneath the nine swords, everything was obliterated. Even as the master of the formation observing from the side, Lu Yang was thoroughly awed by its destructive power.

"Phew, as expected of the Immortal Exterminating Sword Formation!"

Not far away, Third Senior Sister Gan Tian was asking Jiang Lianyi about ancient history. Jiang Lianyi had been keeping an eye on Lu Yang's activities, and when she witnessed him executing the formation, a strange expression crossed her face.

Faced with a sudden doubt, she requested Gan Tian to pause for a moment and walked straight over.

Even after the formation subsided, microscopic traces of the Sword Dao still lingered in the air; any Golden Core cultivator standing here would have been scratched.

Lu Yang slumped on the ground, panting heavily. Executing the full array took a toll that even his mental strength and spiritual energy could barely withstand.

However, the power of the formation was thoroughly impressive, far stronger than relying solely on the Qingfeng Sword.

"Senior Lianyi, what brings you here?"

"I simply felt that the sword formation you performed looked rather familiar, Senior Brother."

"Familiar?"

Jiang Lianyi did not speak, her mind recalling the manner in which Lu Yang had deployed the array just now, before she suddenly came to a realization.

"Isn't that the very sword formation my husband used to kneel on!"

The Qilin Immortal had frequently knelt upon that sword formation, a sight she had grown so accustomed to that she had entirely forgotten the object her husband knelt on whenever he made a mistake was an actual array.

Lu Yang asked carefully, "Then where is that sword formation the Qilin Immortal knelt on now?"

Jiang Lianyi waved her hand dismissively. "I snapped it in half and threw it away somewhere long ago."