Chapter 4: An Immortal’s Desperate Sword Strike

The two Immortal Cultivators high in the sky were caught off guard and hit squarely.

There was no scene of flesh and blood flying; instead, ripples merely spread around the two men, and a certain invisible force blocked the tidal wave of bullets completely.

"Oh? What kind of Magical Artifact is this?" Facing the sudden siege of thousands of Mortals, the two Immortal Cultivators remained composed. Kou Hong reached out his right hand, pulling a soldier up into the sky. While examining the firearm he snatched from the soldier, he tossed the soldier aside casually.

"Interesting. Using an intricate mechanical structure to replace a formation, and the explosive power of mundane objects to replace Spiritual Qi—it can actually erupt with the power of the Qi Refining Early Stage…" Kou Hong understood the principle of the firearm with just a glance.

He shook his head. "I didn't expect that after thousands of years, the Mortals exiled to the Immortal Extinction Land could actually research such an ingenious object. It is a pity that it only works in this place where the Dao is incomplete. Once outside the Immortal Extinction Land, it is nothing more than a pile of useless scrap metal." Having said that, the firearm in his hand suddenly vanished, clearly having been put away by him casually.

"Mere Mortals, how dare you lay hands on us Immortal Cultivators. I originally felt a little guilty, but now it seems you are seeking your own deaths!"

Kou Hong looked down from above at the dense, countless Mortal soldiers in the darkness, his eyes filled with contempt.

He quickly tapped his right hand in the Void Realm in front of him, tracing mysterious marks.

Countless sparks suddenly appeared from the darkness, instantly expanding into huge fireballs like a prairie fire.

"Dao Technique: Fire Dragon Roar!"

Following Kou Hong's cold shout, streams of crimson flames used these huge fireballs as nodes, extending and burning outwards together. In just a moment, this crimson flame acted like flesh and blood, connecting the fireballs across the sky into one.

A ferocious-looking giant dragon made of crimson flames suddenly appeared, circling above Mystic Capital City.

The Fire Dragon raised its head and let out a resounding dragon roar, coiled its body, and then slammed violently toward the ground below.

"Boom!"

Violent explosions rang out continuously.

The houses of Mystic Capital City were like simple toys, destroyed easily without the slightest power to resist.

And the crimson flames, as if possessing their own consciousness, swallowed and burned everything they touched after hitting the ground.

In the blink of an eye, Mystic Capital City turned into a blazing purgatory on earth!

However, Kou Hong, who had caused all of this, frowned, his expression uncertain and suspicious.

Because he discovered that although Mystic Capital City below looked miserable, the vast majority of the soldiers had actually survived his attack!

One must know that the Fire Dragon Roar he released in his rage was him attacking with full force.

The power of a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator was simply not something Mortals could resist!

Even if those soldiers were well-trained, and had taken out protective gear and hidden in the corners of buildings to defend themselves the moment they saw him casting the spell, their casualties should definitely have been far greater than they were now!

What was going on!?

Kou Hong was shocked and suspicious; in an instant, it seemed he had discovered something. Kou Hong beckoned with his hand, taking into his hand one of the small metal objects that had previously swarmed toward him, only to be easily resisted by his protective Spiritual Qi and left scattered all over the ground.

"This is…" Kou Hong's expression changed drastically, and he then scanned his surroundings vigilantly, the contempt in his eyes instantly turning into wariness.

"These hidden weapons have been soaked in Mortal blood; it is Immortal-Mortal Miasma…" Dao Xuanzi's voice also came over, his expression ugly.

"We were ambushed as soon as we arrived here. And the other side even used Immortal-Mortal Miasma; they were clearly prepared. Could there be Immortal Cultivators guiding these Mortals from behind the scenes?" The two looked at each other, and several thoughts flashed through their minds. "Regardless, this place is strange; it is not suitable to stay for long."

Although Dao Xuanzi and Kou Hong could turn their blades against each other for the sake of the Core Formation Technique, that was a matter between the two of them.

Now that there was an unexpected variable, facing a mere few thousand Mortals, the two, who had a century of tacit understanding, subconsciously chose to slip away first at the same time.

Perhaps because they discovered the two men's intentions, the gunfire that had paused due to the Dao Technique Fire Dragon Roar rang out again!

However, this only deepened the suspicions in the hearts of Dao Xuanzi and Kou Hong.

These Mortals clearly had ulterior motives!

"Go!" Just as the two were about to flee, they heard a voice ring out from below.

"Dao Xuanzi! Kou Hong! If you two flee today, tomorrow the news that you have obtained a Core Formation Technique will spread throughout the entire Cultivation World!"

The voice came from all directions of Mystic Capital City, echoing continuously in the night, the sound lingering endlessly.

The voice was somewhat old, but the tone was incredibly determined and cold.

Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi's figures halted abruptly; their expressions were horrified, and their faces were filled with disbelief.

"How is it possible? Only the two of us knew about obtaining the Core Formation Technique; how could the news have leaked?" For a moment, the two fell into deep fear.

The two had traveled together to explore the Immortal Cave, then Kou Hong snatched the technique and fled all the way, with Dao Xuanzi in hot pursuit. Kou Hong had taken a risk, breaking into this Immortal Extinction Land to seek a sliver of survival…

The people and events encountered during this period flashed through their minds one by one.

Who on earth was it!

And just as the two were shaken to the core, almost unable to control themselves, dozens of artillery shells flew toward them from various unexpected positions in the darkness, dragging long tails of flame.

"You seek death!" Kou Hong recovered from his shock and then became even more enraged.

"Dao Technique: Flame Ash Explosion!"

A huge ring of fire faintly generated out of thin air.

"Not good, Kou Hong, dodge quickly!" At this moment, Dao Xuanzi's voice rang out urgently.

"Hm?" Kou Hong was stunned. With a sweep of his Divine Sense, his face showed a look of horror.

He was just about to dodge, however, it was already too late.

Dozens of artillery shells detonated beside them.

There was no deafening explosion, just clusters of dark red liquid bursting open around them, forming a small-scale rain of blood that drenched the two Immortal Cultivators completely!

"Ah…"

A hair-raising scream immediately resounded across the sky.

At the same time, the aura on the two men that made Mortals fearful was also rapidly plummeting.

After resisting for only a moment, the two could no longer hold on and fell from the sky.

Thousands of soldiers held their guns, surrounding them tightly.

And the current state of the two "Immortals" made these death squads, who had undergone special training and were able to disregard their own lives, feel a chill in their hearts.

Originally, Dao Xuanzi and Kou Hong both had the appearance of young men in their twenties or thirties, yet after being drenched by the blood rain, their hair turned snow-white in an instant. In the span of a few breaths, the two became extremely old, their faces covered in dense wrinkles, looking very terrifying.

The two hunched over and slumped on the ground. Kou Hong was on the verge of death, clearly not going to make it. Dao Xuanzi had a slightly higher cultivation, so his condition seemed better, but he was only lingering on his last breath.

The Immortal Masters who had originally been high and mighty had actually turned into this state!

Not only the many soldiers present, but even Li Fan, who was hiding in the rear and commanding in secret, felt an inexplicable chill at this moment upon hearing the reports from his subordinates.

"Two Immortal Masters, our Grand Tutor has ordered that if you two surrender, you can keep your lives!" A soldier shouted at the two from afar.

"Surrender…" Dao Xuanzi, who was seriously injured, looked at his close friend beside him, whose eyes were full of unwillingness and who wanted to say something but could no longer speak, and suddenly let out a cold laugh.

Seeing Dao Xuanzi's actions, Kou Hong had already guessed what he was going to do.

He shook his head slightly, then used his last ounce of strength to pass the Storage Ring on his hand to Dao Xuanzi.

"Go…" Kou Hong opened his mouth slightly, then his head drooped, and he passed away.

High above in the sky, a strange phenomenon suddenly occurred!

A crimson Azure Dragon appeared in the sky. It seemed to be in great pain, struggling and roaring, wanting to shake off something.

However, everything was in vain.

It slowly became emaciated, and in the blink of an eye, only a layer of skin and flesh remained.

A moment later, the entire Azure Dragon was devoured completely, with not even bones or flesh left.

At this time, people finally saw clearly that it was actually a tea-colored, seemingly ordinary branch that had taken root and sprouted inside the Azure Dragon, devouring it completely!

Though it was common wood, it could also devour a Dragon!

This magnificent scene was like brilliant fireworks, illuminating the sky for thousands of miles around.

All living beings who saw this scene, whether human or otherwise, naturally had this passage appear in their minds.

"Foundation Establishment cultivator Kou Hong, having cultivated the Dao for two hundred and five years, achieved his Dao Foundation with the miraculous object [Azure Dragon Branch]. In the Immortal Extinction Land, he was besieged by thousands of Mortals and accidentally injured by Immortal-Mortal Miasma."

"Cultivation lost instantly, Lifespan nearing its end."

"Now, the body dies and the Dao dissipates, returning to the Heavens!"

Feeling sorrow for one's own kind, having a heavy heart, unable to control oneself…

Around Mystic Capital City, all living beings shrouded under this strange phenomenon were immersed in such emotions, unable to control themselves.

The magnificent scene lasted for almost an hour, then finally gradually dissipated.

The soldiers finally came back to their senses, silently looking at the other aged Immortal Cultivator in the field.

"Immortal Master Dao Xuanzi, our Grand Tutor has no intention of fighting you to the death. If you give up resistance, our Grand Tutor guarantees your safety…" The soldiers continued to shout according to Li Fan's instructions.

Li Fan, in the darkness, sighed in his heart, knowing that the attempt to capture an Immortal in this world had failed.

He had never expected that the lethality of the Immortal-Mortal Miasma against Immortal Cultivators would be so severe.

Sure enough, Dao Xuanzi turned a deaf ear to the shouting.

He still looked up at the sky that had already dissipated, his eyes filled with nostalgia.

"Azure Dragon Branch…"

After a long time, he withdrew his gaze and struggled to straighten his hunched body.

Scanning his surroundings, Dao Xuanzi tried to find the mastermind behind the scenes.

"I do not know who you are." He said to Li Fan. "I also do not know what your purpose is."

"Perhaps it is for this Core Formation Technique, perhaps for something else." Dao Xuanzi glanced at the Storage Ring on his hand and said calmly. "Now that we brothers have been schemed against by you, our bodies dead and our Dao dissipated, I should have nothing to say."

"But I am unconvinced." Dao Xuanzi said coldly.

"To be able to follow us the whole time, to know our affairs like the back of your hand, and not be discovered—surely your cultivation must not be low."

"Such a person, not daring to confront us head-on is one thing. But to actually always act in a sneaky manner, only hiding behind Mortals, and even using the Immortal-Mortal Miasma, a despicable thing that all Immortal Cultivators disdain…"

Dao Xuanzi took a deep breath.

"My brother Kou Hong died at the hands of someone like you; I feel it is unworthy for him."

Dao Xuanzi slowly rose into the air, once again looking down from above at the crowd, which immediately became alert, his face devoid of sorrow or joy.

"You have already seen my brother's Foundation Establishment miraculous object; now, I would like to invite you all to take a look at mine."

"Using the wonders of Heaven and Earth to build my Dao Foundation." Dao Xuanzi chanted loudly.

"My Dao Foundation is named: Dao Xuan."

A huge, broken iron sword appeared above Mystic Capital City.

All living beings under the shadow of the giant sword felt their thinking become dull and slow, like a rusted machine.

"I have one sword, I invite you all to behold it!"

The world suddenly brightened; everyone in Mystic Capital City seemed to fall into a state of absolute stillness.

Subsequently, as if glass had appeared with cracks, the entire Mystic Capital City became fragmented in an instant!

"Huan Zhen."

The charging progress plummeted. In the instant before his consciousness vanished, Li Fan silently recited in his heart.