Chapter 1204: Confronting the Starry Sky Formation

Once sufficient illusionary space appeared in the mid-air of the battlefield, Xu Yang, without hesitation, waved his hand. Using his exceptionally powerful cultivation technique, he completely sealed off the area. All visible light instantly dimmed and faded the moment Xu Yang acted.

His intention was to plunge everyone inside the building into a dark, chaotic battle. With the light completely suppressed, Xu Yang's team, who had cultivated Eye of Heaven insight, could continue to slaughter their opponents as usual.

However, this situation was a deadly environmental factor for most other jianghu swordsmen, as they lacked the powerful insight to discern positions by sound alone. They relied solely on their eyes to pinpoint objective target positions for effective strikes, unaware that such a combat method was too outdated. No wonder Xu Yang and his group were said to come from a greater world. Without instinctively leveraging the surrounding space as support, even with prolonged cultivation, one could never become a top-tier expert in the first echelon.

At this very moment, the entire Sword Furnace space had been completely sealed off. The Fourth Prince, now outside the Sword Pavilion, also began to mobilize all surrounding guard forces at the behest of Sword Sect Master Jian Yunqing's own master, to collectively defend the honor of Mount Seven Absolutes.

"Heh, Fifth Prince, our objective has been achieved. These people are in complete disarray, killing each other. What a Sword Furnace! Perhaps from today onwards, it will become a true purgatorial battlefield, specifically for burying those cultivators who deem themselves exceptionally clever. Little do they know, the moment they decided to align with the Fourth Prince's faction, I realized they were not far-sighted top talents at all. They were merely wandering swordsmen seeking better prospects and livelihoods. They spoke flawlessly of helping the Fourth Prince establish various forces, but in reality, these people are nothing more than useless individuals who merely collect salaries."

At last, at this moment, the old man Jian Yunqing suddenly ascended, stepping into the highest and most central platform. From there, he overlooked the entire battlefield below, encompassing everything his gaze could reach. Almost everyone instantly felt a chilling sensation. It was evidence that an extremely powerful forbidden ancient technique was about to be activated.

"Damn it, everyone be on guard! Jian Yunqing must be employing some ancient heritage of the Sword Sect lineage. I cannot currently determine its specific power level. In any case, everyone, be cautious. Even if we don't achieve our original objective, we must ensure the absolute safety of every member. I don't want to see you take reckless risks in this intense confrontation; after all, we still have a long road ahead." Xu Yang's voice reached each member of the Eight Gates team, and he naturally also offered a word of advice to Little Flower.

"Sword Furnace, activate!"

Jian Yunqing let out a muffled roar, and the sound was incredibly loud. The sound waves repeatedly layered and enveloped the battlefield, echoing in everyone's minds. Then, before everyone's eyes, the formerly sealed top of the Sword Furnace opened up like a blossoming lotus, revealing the towering blue sky above. The entire structure seemed to merge with the heavens. The instant the structure fully opened, a brilliant light appeared in the blue sky above, revealing incredibly dense star patterns. This seemed more like an eerie star formation that linked to the laws of space and time. The moment it activated, all the swords surrounding the Sword Furnace were reawakened, instinctively beginning to revive.

"How can this be? Boss, do you know what's happening? I've never witnessed a situation like this before!"

Hearing the Eight Gates team's questions, Xu Yang shook his head helplessly. "If my judgment is correct, this star formation above us should be an astonishingly brilliant legacy left by a former Sword Sect Master! Little Flower, find an opportunity to lead them out through the sealed portal of the Sword Furnace. I will stay here to confront this ancient star formation. I want to see what mysteries it holds."

Little Flower, naturally 100% confident in Xu Yang's strength, did not hesitate for a moment. She nodded lightly and immediately led the Eight Gates team, charging towards the original entrance/exit of the Sword Pavilion in the southwest direction. Along the way, they slew countless jianghu swordsmen. Large numbers of Sword Hut disciples fell at the hands of Little Flower and the Eight Gates team, who literally carved a path through the seal.

Originally, breaking through the sealed entrance/exit within the Sword Hut was quite difficult. However, as Little Flower led the team's powerful breakthrough, the Sixth Prince's infatuated subordinate, upon seeing Little Flower leading the charge, directly sent his most powerful guards to Little Flower's front, inadvertently greatly assisting Xu Yang's team by helping to slay enemies.

Meanwhile, Xu Yang had already stepped into the air, using several platforms as springboards to reach the very top of the Sword Hut, precisely where the seal had just opened. There, he stood proudly in confrontation with Jian Yunqing, who was activating the grand star formation.

"Old man, don't think I can't see your true intentions. You had already made full preparations for this battle long ago. Even without using me as an excuse, you would have found another opportunity to make trouble for everyone here."

At this moment, Jian Yunqing finally shed all pretense. Before Xu Yang, he could face everything openly, revealing a chilling smile and a triumphant expression. "It seems you are indeed the one who understands me best. It's a pity that you and I are destined to be on opposite sides. Otherwise, with your talent, if you were to join my Sword Sect, I would willingly hand over even the position of Sect Master and the title of Sword Saint to you. At least then, the Sword Sect lineage wouldn't decline under my watch."

Xu Yang sneered, "Do you think a mere title of Sword Sect would interest me? My only regret is that the Sword Sect's heritage is being destroyed by your own hands. It's not that your strength is insufficient; the reputation and status you've accumulated in the jianghu over the years are more than enough to defend the Sword Sect's honor. Even the Central Domain Imperial Family wouldn't dare easily contend with you. But the gravest mistake you made was choosing to take the Fourth Prince as your disciple. Once jianghu forces involve themselves with the imperial faction, you will never be able to retreat unharmed. Haven't you given it any thought? As the Fourth Prince's greatest reliance, even if he were to one day ascend to the pinnacle of Yingzhou Continent and the Central Domain Imperial Dynasty, becoming the heir to the throne, how would he treat you kindly? At that point, you would be useless. When the birds are gone, the bow is put away; your fate is destined to be tragic."

It must be admitted that Xu Yang's words suddenly enlightened Jian Yunqing, the Sword Sect Master. Unfortunately, he no longer had many choices. In this battle, Jian Yunqing could only follow his own rhythm, eliminating all strong individuals who appeared on Sword Sect Mountain to regain the initiative for the Fourth Prince in the succession struggle.

On one hand, Xu Yang's task was to fuel the chaos. On the other, he also had to cooperate with the Fifth Prince to some extent to ensure the safety of the other princes. After all, to finally open the divine treasury of the Central Domain Imperial Dynasty, they needed the "King-Summoning Edict" and vital bloodlines from all seven princes. Before completely activating the Seven Dragon Formation that sealed the Third Prince, no harm could possibly befall any of the princes.