Chapter 9: Slaying the Dao Lord

Ji Ning and the other four were also growing anxious, for everything had come too suddenly.

"Senior," Feng Yi Xinjun sent directly, "We entered this ancient domain on our sect's orders to train, but we inadvertently stumbled into that mortal world. We took a spacetime teleportation array to leave the mortal world, but after arriving in this Immortal Realm, we found no way out. Thus, we are investigating here, seeking a method to leave the Immortal Realm. We have no intention of opposing you, senior. Please allow us to leave the Immortal Realm."

"Oh? Five World-level cultivators, five Ancient Domain tokens? Quite a generous gesture!" The hunched Dao Lord at the entrance of the massive prison sent his divine sense rippling, his voice echoing around Ji Ning and the others. "It's not hard to let you go. You need only agree to one condition."

"Please speak, senior," Feng Yi said at once.

Before any action was taken, no one could tell how strong Ji Ning and the others truly were.

Within the ancient domain, some Dao Lords would directly seize Ancient Domain tokens from World-level cultivators. But there were also many Dao Lords who would not stoop to robbing juniors, nor would they risk offending the sects behind a World-level cultivator. For generally, World-level cultivators who could enter with Ancient Domain tokens had some background.

"If you all swear a lifebound oath, promising not to reveal to any life beyond the five of you what happened in the mortal world and the Immortal Realm, I will let you leave," the hunched Dao Lord said.

"Swear a lifebound oath?" Feng Yi laughed. "That's simple."

"Careful."

Qinghuang Prince, standing nearby, suddenly changed expression, and a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.

Immediately after, Feng Yi, Ji Ning, Tianhuo Mangya, and Huo Jin also changed expression. They too sensed a terrifying, majestic power descending from the high sky, rapidly rushing toward the massive prison. That power came from above, clearly originating from the enormous formation that enveloped the entire Immortal Realm continent.

"Kill," Huo Jin said, his face grim.

"Kill," Qinghuang Prince also shouted.

The five of them moved at once!

...

The hunched Dao Lord stood at the entrance of the massive prison, his gaze icy. In the high sky, the previously faint enormous formation suddenly blazed bright, countless energies surging. A massive black serpent condensed from thin air, descending from the sky at tremendous speed, hurtling straight toward the massive prison.

This hunched Dao Lord had deliberately wasted words earlier to mobilize the formation's power.

"Anyone who discovers the Immortal Realm continent must die." The hunched Dao Lord's eyes were filled with killing intent. The massive black serpent was incredibly fast, already before him, but the hunched Dao Lord's expression changed. "What!"

The means displayed by the five World-level cultivators under his divine sense were too terrifying.

...

Among the five, Feng Yi Xinjun acted the fastest.

"World, descend!" Feng Yi's red robe fluttered, his gaze icy. Since they were fighting, there could be no mercy.

"Boom, boom, boom—"

His Heartworld projection descended directly. In an instant, the entire massive prison let out a thunderous roar, as if crushed by something immensely heavy, shattering like tofu. This prison, which held countless cultivators, was ultimately too fragile for beings of Ji Ning's level. But they had been deep inside the prison while the Dao Lord was at the entrance, with numerous barriers between them. It was easier to simply destroy the entire prison.

"What!"

"This, this..."

Countless cultivators stared in shock at the scene before them. The small cells that held them were all crushed to dust, yet they themselves were unharmed—a testament to Feng Yi Xinjun's precise control.

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

The over a million puppets, under the pressure of the Heartworld projection, were all pressed flat against the ground, unable to struggle or resist.

"It's an immortal."

"A great immortal."

"Heaven has come to help us."

Countless cultivators gazed at Feng Yi Xinjun, who seemed like a deity in his red robe. At this moment, Feng Yi Xinjun appeared to be the core of the surrounding world. His gaze fixed on the distant hunched old man, and his powerful world projection smashed directly toward him.

"A Heartforce cultivator?" The hunched old man was shocked.

"Break!"

Beside Feng Yi Xinjun, Ji Ning, dressed in white, had an icy look in his eyes. Rumbling sounds came from around him as terrifying thunder and water light burst forth. The Seven Divine Thunders and Seven Divine Waters transformed into a host of massive divine swords. These swords shot forth with incredible speed, instantly enveloping the distant hunched old man, forming a terrifying domain like a dark vortex that madly ground against the hunched Dao Lord.

It was the Yin-Yang Sword Intent Domain!

"A sword cultivator? Such a terrifying sword cultivator?" The hunched old man was completely stunned. He hurriedly controlled the black serpent to protect himself.

The black serpent struggled and writhed furiously.

The surrounding Yin-Yang Sword Intent Domain wrapped around it like a fishing net, madly grinding.

"Great Annihilation!" Qinghuang Prince's face was also cold. He went straight for his strongest killing move. His two enormous hands, glowing with dazzling golden light, instantly swept across the sky, carrying an unstoppable killing intent, directly attacking the hunched old man.

"Boom—" The massive golden palm slammed into the black serpent, which resisted with all its might.

With a thunderous roar, the black serpent trembled and shook, cracks beginning to appear.

"Ahhh..." The hunched Dao Lord let out a terrified roar.

"Kill."

"Die."

Tianhuo Mangya and Huojin Shuijun simultaneously launched a fiery red tail and two entangled massive water dragons. The black serpent, already on the verge of collapse under the Yin-Yang Sword Intent Domain and Qinghuang Prince's palms, burst apart with a crash. Then the Yin-Yang Sword Intent Domain, water, and fire all struck the hunched old man at once. Though the Dao Lord also wielded treasures, he could not resist.

With a bang...

He was completely annihilated, body and soul!

...

Dead silence.

The countless cultivators stared blankly at the scene. That terrifying being, whose mere sight inspired soul-deep fear, the master of countless demons, had been killed in an instant?

Indeed, it was an instant.

Ji Ning and the others had each only used one move! Ji Ning had merely deployed the Yin-Yang Sword Intent Domain; before he could even charge forward for another attack, the enemy was already dead.

"We, we..." The countless cultivators looked at Ji Ning and the other four.

"Refine."

Feng Yi Xinjun swept his gaze around. His world projection, like a continuous range of flame mountains, instantly forced the refinement of the over a million puppets that had been suppressed, for their master was dead.

"These puppets are all rather low-grade, but there are many of them. Let's split them into five shares," Feng Yi Xinjun sent.

Ji Ning and the others, not particularly concerned, waved their hands and accepted their shares.

"This Dao Lord was quite weak. I think he was only at the First Step Dao Lord level," Qinghuang Prince said, shaking his head. "If not for the formation's power being too strong, Brother Beiming's sword intent domain alone might have slain him."

Ji Ning and the others nodded.

This Dao Lord was indeed weak.

The attacks of Ji Ning, Feng Yi, and Qinghuang were all blocked by the black serpent. It was only the final strikes from Tianhuo Mangya and Huo Jin that shattered the black serpent. As for the Dao Lord himself? He had no power to resist.

"I'm wondering if there might be a second Dao Lord on this Immortal Realm continent," Qinghuang Prince said worriedly. "After all, this one was too weak, yet the formation's power was relatively strong."

"A single continent having one Dao Lord is already remarkable. Would there really be two?" Feng Yi shook his head. "As for the formation's power, this Dao Lord might have purchased it. Moreover, torturing mortal cultivators like this—truly powerful Dao Lords would disdain such acts. Only weak Dao Lords would do so. And if there were another Dao Lord, he would have already probed with divine sense. Once he did, he could not escape my world projection."

"Mm," Huo Jin agreed. "These puppets all belonged to the Dao Lord we killed. There should be only one."

"Whether there is one Dao Lord or two," Ji Ning said, "we must go to the Dao Lord's cave mansion at the center of the Immortal Realm continent. The entire formation is still running, and its control hub should be in the Dao Lord's cave mansion. Only by going there can we destroy the formation and leave."

"To the Dao Lord's cave mansion," Qinghuang Prince nodded. "If there are no more Dao Lords, everything will be easy. If there is one, we'll fight again. We have no retreat!"

...