Chapter 1045: Immortal Sect's Great Catastrophe

Main Volume

A chill ran down Chen Mobai's spine. He had never imagined that the Immortal Sect's next expansion war hadn't even begun, yet they had already attracted such a powerful entity as Death.

The last great war between the Immortal Sect and Pluto had been concluded by Patriarch Yuanyang, the former greatest genius of the Immortal Sect.

And now, three thousand years later, even though he had cultivated at the fastest possible speed, Chen Mobai knew that even with the peak power of Patriarch Yuanyang, he would likely still be outmatched against this seemingly Void Refinement realm entity.

Even so, Chen Mobai had no intention of retreating.

The people present were already the strongest pillars of the Immortal Sect; if they couldn't stop Death now, then the entire Earth Star would be turned into hell.

Even if Chen Mobai could escape back to the Heavenly River Realm, at this moment, he wanted to fight alongside Qian Xing and the others to protect the Immortal Sect.

"May I ask why you have graced our Immortal Sect with your presence?"

At this moment, Qian Xing spoke up. Although his voice was calm, Chen Mobai, with his fifth-stage Empty Valley Sound, faintly perceived the inner turmoil within him.

"After inheriting the Demonic Lord's legacy, I advanced rapidly and easily mastered the Great Dao of Death. However, to progress further, I need to integrate the Great Dao of Life, which requires vast amounts of life as cultivation material."

Death directly stated his intentions. He slowly raised his invisible head, as if carefully scrutinizing the group of Immortal Sect cultivators before him, then nodded in satisfaction.

"You are not bad, and this planet is also good. If I kill the billions of beings here, the vitality and death I collect should be enough for me to break through a barrier."

A strange ripple emanated from within the cloak, causing the faces of all Immortal Sect members to drain of color.

"Senior, though your cultivation is powerful, since you have come to our Immortal Sect today, please also know whose territory this is."

After Qian Xing finished listening, he knew that negotiation with Death was impossible. As he spoke, he exchanged a glance with Qi Yuheng and Shui Xian. Just as they were preparing to activate the Heaven Curtain Earth Net formation, Death made the first move.

A faint, indistinct hand extended from beneath the cloak. It clenched in the void, and a strand of darkness condensed, forming a crescent-shaped scythe which lightly swung down towards Qian Xing.

Qian Xing didn't hesitate in the slightest, activating his most powerful defensive spell. Then, his figure flickered with silver light, and he was about to leave, taking all the Immortal Sect Nascent Souls on Mount Juxian with him.

But to his surprise, the scythe, which had just been in Death's hand, vanished in an instant.

When it reappeared, it was already behind Qian Xing's head.

A crimson line appeared on Qian Xing's neck. He widened his eyes, and his head fell to the ground.

Void Refinement!

Absolutely a Void Refinement realm existence!

After witnessing this scene, this thought appeared in the minds of everyone in the Immortal Sect, and many people's faces turned ashen.

This was the supreme realm that generations of Immortal Sect Soul Transformation cultivators had exhausted their efforts and wisdom to achieve, yet could not break through.

If their luck was bad and their position slightly off, they might have already died alongside Qian Xing.

"Oh!"

Just as Chen Mobai was wondering whether to retreat to the Heavenly River Realm to preserve himself, Death on the opposite side suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Then the cloak billowed, and a black death qi drifted out from it, landing on Qian Xing's corpse.

An astonishing scene unfolded.

After the black death qi landed on Qian Xing's corpse, it suddenly vanished like a wisp of smoke and dispersed.

"The Great Dao of Illusion?"

From within the cloak, strange ripples emanated again, and Chen Mobai remembered the three paths Qian Xing had spoken of earlier.

Among them, the Great Dao of Illusion was precisely the direction Qian Xing had always strived for.

He never expected it to be so useful.

"Senior," the fractured Lin Daoming's mouth suddenly spoke, "this one is the Immortal Sect's new Pure Yang Dao Seed, a direct descendant of the Purple Heavens Palace, and his talent is unmatched throughout history. You should kill him first, to prevent him from growing into a great threat to us in the future."

"You bastard, don't let me get a chance in the future; I'll grind your bones to dust!" Chen Mobai cursed Lin Daoming inwardly, but his figure flickered with silver light, and he instantly left his spot.

He didn't teleport to Mount Wangxian either; after all, the Artifact Dance lineage was there, and he couldn't drag them into this mess.

Chen Mobai appeared in mid-air above the Five Peaks Immortal Mountain. A colossal Dharma Idol lit up behind him. Besides the Yuanyang Sword he had just acquired, the Purple Lightning Sword, which he had long ago refined to be as he wished, also emerged from the void.

Two earth-shattering fifth-stage sword intents, under the control of the Myriad Swords Dharma Idol, transformed into purple-gold sword brilliance, illuminating the entire Five Peaks Immortal Mountain like a dazzling sun.

It was at this moment that the Immortal Sect members realized Chen Mobai's combat strength was terrifyingly immense.

Just these two fifth-stage sword intents alone, perhaps even Revered Master Chengxuan, who possessed fifth-stage Dharma artifacts and body refinement, might not be able to block.

Accompanied by a colossal roar, the Purple Lightning Sword, reckless and eager to display its power after its breakthrough, struck first towards Death.

Everyone in the entire Wangwu Grotto-heaven heard an earth-shattering thunderclap at this moment.

Looking up, they saw a purple lightning bolt, as if descending from beyond the cosmos, carrying the terrifying might to annihilate all beings, ripping through the sky and descending above the Five Peaks Immortal Mountain.

The power of Chen Mobai's sword made even Shui Xian raise her brows slightly, feeling the hairs on her skin stand on end.

This meant that this sword could break her defenses.

However, such a powerful sword, when it struck the cloak, was lightly parried by the scythe. Then the lightning power on the blade dispersed, and the Purple Lightning Sword whimpered as it flew back.

If not for the Purple Lightning Sword's durable materials and the fact that Death's Dharma artifact was merely condensed from his own power, not his true body, this flying sword, which had accompanied Chen Mobai the longest and had a distinguished combat record, would have been severely damaged.

Even so, Chen Mobai felt his mental connection with the Purple Lightning Sword suddenly sever at that moment.

The opponent had only casually made a move and easily shattered his strongest sword strike.

As his expression drastically changed, Chen Mobai suddenly felt a dizzying blur before his eyes. On Mount Juxian, the cloak billowed, black death qi overflowed, and the black scythe, just like when it struck down the illusory Qian Xing, lightly descended before his neck.

Chen Mobai didn't feel the terror of this strike, but the scythe had already cut through all his defenses. His top-grade fourth-tier Pure Yang Dharma Robe let out a tearing sound, and all nine layers of luminous spheres were broken.

He successively activated Void Lock and Void Walk, wanting to use these two void spells to buy himself time while simultaneously escaping.

But just as Void Lock was activated, he felt his divine sense violently shake, and he couldn't even lock on for an instant.

He summoned the Tusita Eight Scenery Lamp and activated the artifact's power to its extreme, but his proud Tusita Demon Refining Array was also easily cut open by the scythe.

Any fifth-tier means, before the scythe, was like air.

At the critical moment of life and death, Chen Mobai did not despair. He entered his calmest state. The Myriad Swords Dharma Idol behind him, wielding the Yuanyang Sword, erupted with unprecedented dazzling brilliance, blocking in front of him. At the same time, a Fire Dao Fruit appeared above his head, and he was prepared to recklessly force his way into the Soul Transformation realm.

The Yuanyang Sword burst forth with brilliant golden light, outlining characters that appeared from its blade. Faintly, a civilization settled in the long river of time was evolved by it, transforming into a vast human-path diagram.

This sword strike caused Death's scythe, which cut through all things, to finally pause.

"Oh, the Sword of Sacred Virtue!"

Death looked at the Yuanyang Sword blocking Chen Mobai, and for the second time, showed an emotional fluctuation.

But immediately, he pointed a finger, and the Yuanyang Sword whimpered, was struck flying by black death qi, and plunged into Mount Zhixian not far away.

The Fire Dao Fruit above Chen Mobai's head had not yet fallen into his Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness.

Death's scythe was already at his neck.

Qi Yuheng's figure also appeared before Chen Mobai. With a solemn expression, he struck out with a palm, a powerful force, using subtle skill, landing on the side of Death's scythe, wanting to deflect it.

But when his palm landed on the scythe, his face suddenly turned pale, blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and he flew backward, directly breaking off the peak of Mount Wangxian.

However, his attack still had an effect, at least giving Chen Mobai a chance to teleport.

But Chen Mobai, who had just left his spot using Void Walk, saw that after the silver light dispersed, Death's scythe had followed him like a shadow, landing before him.

And at this moment, he had already exhausted all his means.

On Mount Juxian, black death qi surged into the sky, effortlessly slicing through Shui Xian's true form Dharma Idol like a sharp blade, and even splitting the sea that had submerged the sky into two.

Shui Xian and the various Sea Domain Kings also bled from all seven orifices and could no longer maintain their human forms.

The many Nascent Soul cultivators present also displayed their divine abilities. Various spell lights intertwined in the sky above Mount Juxian, like a brilliant galaxy, completely surrounding Death's cloak.

However, Death's power surpassed the Immortal Sect's imagination. Black death qi surged from beneath the cloak, like a dark hell descending. All attacks that fell into it couldn't even bloom like fireworks, and were completely swallowed and disappeared.

Death remained standing in place; he hadn't moved a single step since he appeared.

Chen Mobai's gaze shifted, seeing Qi Yuheng struggling to get up nearby, wanting to save him again. He smiled bitterly, preparing to welcome his own death.

But as his Nascent Soul left his body, preparing to forcibly detonate the Fire Dao Fruit and burn himself out, he discovered a problem.

Death's scythe, which was always victorious and cut through everything, after being blocked by this golden bead, finally could not advance.

As joy surged in Chen Mobai's heart, the next scene made his face turn to despair.

With a cracking sound.

The sixth-tier Heavenly Calculation Pearl blocking him was suddenly cut into by Death's scythe, and accompanied by a burst of dazzling brilliance, shattered into hundreds of pieces.

But soon he discovered another point of doubt.

He found that the sixth-tier Heavenly Calculation Pearl had shattered into precisely one hundred and eight pieces.

Exactly corresponding to the numbers of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

"Heaven Curtain Earth Net, activate!"

A voice that filled Chen Mobai with joy and surprise resonated in the void. The shattered one hundred and eight sixth-tier Heavenly Calculation Pearl fragments illuminated with golden and silver dual-colored light.

Like two-colored spheres of woven light, they flowed and burst forth, completely encircling Death standing on Mount Juxian.

Qian Xing's figure had reappeared at some unknown point. He stood opposite Death, and the golden and silver light rays intertwining across the sky enveloped him.

"The Zhou Tian Heluo Star Array?"

Death looked at the one hundred and eight fragments of the sixth-tier Heavenly Calculation Pearl, shining like stars, landing around Mount Juxian. Centered on himself, they began to continuously contract. He recalled a very famous array from the Purple Heavens Galaxy and couldn't help but exclaim.

"It hasn't reached the full Zhou Tian count yet," Qian Xing said calmly, "but to trap your current avatar, it is more than enough."

Qian Xing spoke calmly. The ultimate prototype of this Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array was a seventh-tier grand array from the Purple Heavens Galaxy, and the culmination of the Great Dao of Stars.

His thousand years of arduous cultivation, besides the Great Dao of Illusion, had the deepest accumulation in the Great Dao of Stars.

After the Immortal Sect's Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array gained his leadership, it erupted with a power reaching an unprecedented level of strength in thousands of years.

Besides the power of the grand array itself, there was also the integration of Qian Xing's thousand years of cultivated Great Dao.

"In terms of formations, your talent surpasses mine," Death said. "But if you don't reach Void Refinement, even if you can wield sixth-tier power, it's merely a castle in the air."

As Death spoke, another scythe condensed in his hand, and he swung it down towards Qian Xing.

Qian Xing was again struck down, without surprise.

But then, another intact Qian Xing stepped out from the void and stood before Death.

Death's expression remained unchanged, and he raised the scythe in his hand again.

One Qian Xing after another was struck down, and in the blink of an eye, over a hundred had appeared.

But Chen Mobai noticed that the time it took for Qian Xing to reappear was getting slower and slower, and even his re-created illusory form began to turn slightly transparent.

"You are merely at Soul Transformation after all," Death said. "You cannot truly turn illusion into reality. Each time I strike you down, your true primordial spirit weakens a little. Soon you will find yourself too weak to even control the grand array."

As Death spoke, the scythe swung again, striking Qian Xing down ten more times.

"I will use my life to seal you!"

The reappearing Qian Xing said with a resolute expression. At this moment, the entire Earth Star also began to tremble gently.

The Immortal Sect's vast power accumulated over thousands of years continuously poured into this place through the sixth-tier Heavenly Calculation Pearl.

The Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array had already begun to continuously contract, centered on Qian Xing and Death.

When the one hundred and eight fragments re-formed into the Heavenly Calculation Pearl, that would be when the seal was complete.

But if that happened, Qian Xing would be trapped inside with Death.

"Ancestor, he's already in the array," Chen Mobai cried, "you can come out now..."

Chen Mobai's mastery of formations was second only to Qian Xing's. He quickly realized this point and couldn't help but shout.

"Pure Yang, remember my words," Qian Xing said, "The Immortal Sect will be in your hands from now on."

But Qian Xing shook his head, then transmitted a message to Chen Mobai, emphasizing these words.

Death, being a Void Refinement realm entity, even if only an avatar had come this time, was not something a Soul Transformation realm entity could stop.

Qian Xing, as the entity closest to Void Refinement, best understood the terror of this realm.

Without his sacrifice, the Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array would fundamentally be unable to trap Death.

"Foolish sacrifice!"

At this moment, Death shook his head.

Then his body, which had remained motionless, began to float upwards towards the sky.

Immediately after, overwhelming black death qi spread out from his cloak, turning into numerous black palms that landed on the continuously contracting Heavenly Calculation Pearl fragments.

Death actually forcibly used his own power to prevent the Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array from closing.

The entire Earth Star was trembling at this moment.

The power of an entire planet was actually shaken and blocked in this manner.

"I will let you know what true power is!"

As Death spoke, the black hand extending from his cloak actually began to forcibly push the Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array outwards by an inch.

But Death's power was truly too immense.

The Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array still uncontrollably spread outwards inch by inch, centered on Mount Juxian.

"To make you move even a single step," Qian Xing said, "can be considered my death today well worth it."

Faced with this scene, Qian Xing said these words.

Although Death remained silent, he conveyed a ripple of doubt.

He sensed that Qian Xing now had no emotional fluctuations.

This was the first time Death had shown doubt on this planet.

"Void Refinement, naturally, can only be stopped by Void Refinement," Qian Xing said. "When I calculated today's tribulation, I already realized that the only thing that could render me, the Immortal Sect's wisest genius of all time, helpless, could only be a powerful Void Refinement enemy."

"From then on, I have been treating Void Refinement as my imaginary enemy, and began to arrange means to face this calamity."

"There are three means in total: the Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array is one, and my stepping into the Void Refinement realm is the second."

After Qian Xing finished speaking calmly, he finally turned his head and glanced at the Immortal Sect. Outside the grand array, Chen Mobai and the others had already gathered around. He waved his hand, seemingly bidding farewell.

"Master!"

Yuan Xu let out a heartbroken cry. This was the first time Chen Mobai had seen him so distraught.

"All things that are born must also perish," Qian Xing said. "After I am gone, you, who have always been under my and my junior sister's protection, will truly be able to grow."

After leaving these words, Qian Xing's entire body burst forth with brilliant starlight. The Heavenly Calculation Pearl fragments around Mount Juxian, amidst violent tremors, suddenly erupted with the power of the Great Dao, catching even Death off guard, and swarming towards Qian Xing's body.

This was Qian Xing taking his step into Void Refinement.

Under these circumstances, the endless, ubiquitous Great Dao of Stars in the universe began to descend, centered on him.

Void Refinement means stepping into the Great Dao.

And once this step is taken, it is irreversible.

This means that if Death wanted to break open the Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array at this moment, it would be equivalent to reversing the rules that have existed since the creation of heaven and earth.

Clearly, he, being only at Void Refinement, could not achieve this step.

Accompanied by dazzling starlight piercing into Qian Xing from all directions, the Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array also began to irreversibly contract.

"A decent junior," Death said, "but you misunderstood one thing. Although I cannot stop your Void Refinement process, the power of this grand array is only irresistible to me because of this special moment."

"After you complete your Void Refinement," Death continued, "whether successful or not, the power of this grand array will return to its proper level, and I will still be able to break it open with ease."

"You cannot trap me!"

Death landed before Qian Xing, who was undergoing Void Refinement within the Heaven Curtain Earth Net Grand Array, and conveyed these words with strange ripples.

"If I were at Void Refinement," Qian Xing retorted, "you would already be a torn rag."

Qian Xing, however, said this.

"Hahahaha, very good, very good," Death exclaimed. "I never expected such an interesting being to exist in this remote corner of the universe. In that case