Devour

Chapter 453 The Star-Suppressing and Star-Calming Array

Caught off guard, a strange look flashed in Jian Yu's eyes. He was not surprised by the power of the pillar of light, but he recognized that this move was extraordinary!

His attack was faster than lightning; with a flick of his finger, he unleashed unparalleled sword energy in the blink of an eye, which instantly transformed into rolling wind and thunder.

Five-colored lightning bolts—white, blue, purple, red, and gold—emerged from his fingertips, converging and coalescing into a small lightning sword domain. Though small in area, its power was immense and contained earth-shattering sword force.

The yellow beam of light, capable of shattering mountains and splitting seas, and destroying all things, rushed into the sword domain, like a raging torrent returning to a vast ocean, or like an angry beast breaking into a sturdy cage.

"All Colors Annihilated" not only failed to destroy the enemy as expected, but was instead bound and restrained by the power of wind and thunder, and was forcibly gathered and condensed into a small, dazzling ball of light, which obediently spun rapidly between the fingers of the Sword Prison.

Faced with this unbelievable scene, Wang Xiongwu was filled with disbelief. But what truly shocked him was not his opponent's overwhelming strength, but rather the fact that the move looked strangely familiar.

"This...how is this possible?" Wang Xiongwu exclaimed in shock, his lips trembling involuntarily as he struggled to regain his composure. "How could it...resemble the lightning control sword intent of the 'Fallen Thunder Sword Technique'?"

Sword Prison seemed to be engrossed in playing with a fine work of art, his movements elegant and composed. He manipulated the sphere of light condensed at his fingertips, silently integrating it into the golden lightning within the five-colored sword intent, thus enhancing his own power.

"Back then, I created 'Yellow Sea Relying on Wind and Thunder,' which absorbed the power of spiritual light and transformed it into the divine might of thunder, aiming to suppress all thunder and lightning techniques in the world. Now, looking back at the Fallen Thunder Sword Technique, it is ultimately inferior to the 'Nine Heavens Thunder Control True Scripture' that I have longed for! Only this last move makes me... feel slightly gratified."

Sword Prison, his expression serene, reminisced about the past as he softly recited a poem:

"He was furious like a tsunami, while I was like a cloud hidden in the mountains."

He faced the fierce winds and thunderous roars, while I gazed up at the vast heavens.

"This is the general outline of the Fallen Thunder Sword Technique!" Upon hearing the four lines of poetry, Wang Xiongwu recalled the previous words and seemed to understand something. He realized that very few core disciples of the Surging Waves Sect knew the essence of the manual, and then he suddenly woke up, "You...you are...Sword Prison!"

"Haha!" Jian Yu smiled contemptuously, his eyes looking down on all living beings. "This poem, 'Let Him Be Strong,' is a mnemonic I casually composed when I was traveling around the five continents. It was practiced into something unbearable by a junior who happened to obtain a fragment of the sword technique, thus disgracing my unparalleled skill."

Wang Xiongwu suddenly realized with horror: "The ancient sword saint who left behind the Sword Immortal Tomb, the founder of the Jingtao Sect, is actually still alive! Back then, the cultivators of the Five Continents obtained a small portion of his inheritance, which led to the creation of four renowned sects."

Observing the battle from afar, Cheng Bai was weighing something else entirely: "The Thunderfall Sword Technique created by Sword Prison, though only four moves have been passed down across the Five Continents, is still considered a rare and precious Martial Yuan rank. This person is indeed a sword prodigy; if not exceptionally gifted, then he must be carrying a shocking secret!"

"Enough with the nonsense." Jian Yu flicked his finger, unleashing the sword energy condensed at his fingertip. "Prepare to die!"

The "Yellow Sea Relying on Wind and Thunder," infused with the power of the One Annihilation of All Colors, unleashed its full power. The wind and thunder that filled the sky were not simply shooting out, but rather seemed to leap over spatial barriers, sweeping across the sky like a net covering the heavens and the earth.

"No..." Before Wang Xiongwu could finish his strange cry, he was struck squarely by the five-colored lightning before he could even unleash half a move of the Breaking Army Sword Technique.

The blinding light and deafening roar filled the air. The self-proclaimed invincible Wang Xiongwu had been reduced to a charred humanoid mass, flying straight towards the towering Qingyun Tower behind him.

The Azure Dragon's Axe lost control and fell straight into the Inkstone Washing Pool. Just as it was about to touch the water, a suction force suddenly arose from the bottom of the pool, pulling the sword away.

Seeing the situation was dire, Cheng Bai secretly lamented, "Master is skilled in precognitive magic. Could it be that he foresaw the arrival of a powerful enemy far surpassing Wang Xiongwu and packed up and fled in advance? This time, even Qingyun Tower might be destroyed!"

As he was lost in thought, the distant Qingyun Tower began to emit light, radiating vibrant life. A sound, like the breath of an ancient beast, surged from the depths of the earth, resonating with it.

"boom……"

The surging spiritual energy shot straight into the sky from the top of the building, enveloping the surrounding air currents like a swirling nebula. The entire building transformed into an immortal palace, standing guard in the center of the Milky Way.

The fierce winds and dust storms quietly subsided!

A powerful force field rapidly spread from Qingyun Tower as its core, calming the primordial spirits and stabilizing the heavens and earth. All the creatures on the Donghua Continent, trembling under the pressure of a Celestial Immortal, momentarily froze in place.

Many cultivators who had been paralyzed by the immense pressure suddenly felt a sense of lightness in their bodies. More and more people realized that a fierce battle was imminent and, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire, hurriedly rushed into their sanctuary, which was filled with rune arrays, in order to protect themselves.

Wang Xiongwu, who was about to crash into Qingyun Tower with destructive force, vanished without a trace in full view of everyone, as if he had never appeared at all.

"The legendary 'Star-Suppressing and Time-Fixing Array'!" Xu Buwei's eyes lit up with surprise, his voice low yet filled with excitement and awe. "This is the prized treasure of Taotie Academy, hailed as the foremost array among all arrays in the Five Continents. It seems the Master is unleashing his full power, fighting to the death to suppress the demon and save the world!"

Cheng Bai turned his head and looked around. He saw that the runes and restrictions in the eight main halls, including Yilan Terrace, Xiongtao Hall, Xiaoxiang Pavilion, and Tinghe Terrace, were all lit up. They shone brightly like several flowing nebulae, echoing each other and closely connected.

The formation unfolded, displaying an exquisite nine-palace layout that enveloped the entire Taotie Academy, forming a solid and formidable defensive line. The Qingyun Tower, located at the very center, served as the central core, commanding all directions.

"Nine Palaces Suppress the Stars, Settle the Time and Secure the Heavens!" Cheng Bai activated the Phoenix Power, allowing his divine sense to roam freely and fully appreciate the magnificence and mystery of this formation.

The radiant stars illuminate the changing array, and the talisman transforms into a spiritual serpent, stirring the universe.

"The Zhenxing Dingchen Grand Formation is a fifth-tier Origin-grade formation, the highest formation recorded in the 'Qiankun Qimen'. Its profound mysteries are beyond the comprehension of even the gods and demons. Master has already retreated behind the scenes, taking control of the battle and seeking the decisive opportunity!"

Seeing that the situation was unfolding in a tightly controlled manner and had been meticulously planned, Cheng Bai couldn't help but secretly admire the brilliance of the strategy.

Bei Tingjun remained doubtful, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as she said, "Can a fifth-order formation really contend with a Celestial Immortal? That's an existence capable of shattering a great star with a single hand! And the Star-Suppressing and Star-Calming Formation, in essence, is nothing more than controlling the primordial spirit and essence of the planet it resides in, and its influence is at most... equivalent to the entire Eastern Continent."

“The realm of celestial beings is indeed beyond our comprehension.” Cheng Bai understood her concerns and silently deduced in his heart, concluding, “However, the size of Donghua Upper Continent far exceeds the size of a planet in the general sense. With Master Li overseeing the formation, the outcome is truly unpredictable.”

To know how vast the entire Eastern Continent is, let alone Earth, even a giant planet like Jupiter pales in comparison.

"Hmph!" A cold sneer came from the sky. Jian Yu's eyes were sharp, and he had already taken in the changes in the formation. "A mere Zhenxing Dingchen Formation, is it worthy to block my way? I have not wasted my time in the Cloud Realm. Even if the formation is ten or a hundred times stronger, I can break it with a flick of my hand!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Bai couldn't help but feel worried for the academy, his heart pounding with anxiety: "Can the teacher hold out?"

On the third floor of Qingyun Tower, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified. Master Li, along with his seven prized disciples, sat cross-legged according to the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) arrangement, concentrating their magical power into the array runes.

With their control over the grand formation, every movement within the Taotie Academy was clearly reflected in the hearts of the eight people, like an image in a mirror.

Hearing Jian Yu's arrogant remarks, An Yiren, who was sitting in the "Kun Palace" position, was secretly alarmed and hurriedly said, "Teacher, this guy is spouting nonsense. He can break our Zhenxing Dingchen Great Formation."

Master Li sat calmly in the "Qian Palace" position, analyzing the situation with an air of composure: "There is no need to panic. According to my deduction, he is bluffing to induce us to create our own weaknesses."

“This so-called ‘Sword Prison’ is definitely not the real body, not even a primordial spirit avatar. It is most likely just a wisp of divine thought. Otherwise, how could it so quickly cross the gap between worlds and easily enter the Five Continents?” Master Li said logically.

The power of a divine thought avatar is far inferior to that of a primordial spirit clone, and its strength varies depending on the sect's cultivation method, usually possessing only one percent or even one-thousandth of the power of the original body.

Xiong Wuxiu, located in the "Dui Palace," changed his expression slightly and said in a deep voice, "A mere wisp of divine thought incarnation is already so remarkable! How profound must a celestial being's true form be when they descend to earth?"

Bao Youchuan of the "Gen Palace" was also worried: "That young man who was full of demonic energy just now was probably no less powerful than my teacher, yet he was defeated in one move... I just settled him down."