Ch. 1367 - Heaven-Slaying Blood River Formation, Five-Elements God-Lotus

The sun’s position changed every single day. It was always in motion, never still. Yet, many still used it as the main guide to determine direction.

Xu Zimo had never considered navigating this way before.

“Are you heading to the Inferno Crucible Heaven?” the Formation Emperor asked.

“That’s right,” the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign nodded. “I heard that not long ago, the Huo Heavenly Clan experienced a great upheaval. The current head died mysteriously, and the newly appointed successor has taken charge. However, from what I’ve heard, his reputation is far from good. You should tread carefully,” the Formation Emperor warned.

“Why don’t you come with us?” the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign invited. “Since your path of formations has reached a dead end, why not join us in the Inferno Crucible Heaven and see a wider world?”

“I appreciate your kindness,” Mo Changtian said, shaking his head, “but I have no such plans. I’ve grown fond of the quiet life in this desert. This inn of mine is named ‘Desolation of Heaven’, meaning to age and fade away together with heaven and earth.”

“Take care, then,” Xu Zimo said without pressing him.

“I can’t go with you,” Mo Changtian replied, “but I can at least offer you a formation that might be of some help.”

He waved his right hand, and the ground beneath their feet began to crack apart. From deep within the earth, profound runes of formation energy began to stir and evolve endlessly.

In the Dao of Formations, among all those Xu Zimo had ever met, this man truly stood at the pinnacle, because his heart was pure and still, untouched by worldly distractions. For countless millennia, he had devoted himself solely to formations.

As the ground split open like a great abyss, Mo Changtian’s eyes flared with golden light. Wherever that light passed, the sound of locks breaking echoed, ka-cha, ka-cha!

A blinding, hellish radiance erupted from below.

“In the past,” Mo Changtian said slowly, “I left behind the Hexa-Genesis Immortal Formation, hoping to create a flawless formation, one that could never be broken. But later, I came to understand. Heaven always leaves a thread of life. There is nothing in this world that cannot be undone. All things coexist in balance, mutual generation and mutual restraint. After that,” he continued, “I reworked my art and created a new formation, the Heaven-Slaying Blood River Formation. This is a killing formation, an ultimate killing formation. If I were to fully activate it, even the Heavenly Dao itself might not tolerate it. So I sealed it here, nurtured by the celestial vein beneath this land. Since you’ve come here today, consider it a gift from an old acquaintance.”

As his words fell, an intricate and immense formation disk rose from the rift in the earth.

Its complexity was staggering, every rune, every rotation interlocked seamlessly with the next. Tens of thousands of formation variations intertwined, capable of separating or fusing together in perfect harmony.

As the disk appeared, an eerie phenomenon accompanied it, a phantom blood river suspended upside down within the formation.

Looking into that river, one could almost see endless slaughter, mountains of corpses, seas of blood, a world consumed by carnage.

Xu Zimo received the formation disk, feeling the immense power pulsing within. He smiled faintly. “A fine gift. Let’s hope the Huo Heavenly Clan has the sense to recognize its meaning.”

He stored the disk away and bid farewell to the Formation Emperor. The latter personally walked them out of the inn, watching until their silhouettes disappeared into the distance.

Then, Mo Changtian once again became an ordinary man, nothing more than a humble cook in a lonely inn amid the desert.

Following the direction of the sun, the three of them set out along the path toward the Lotus Pathway.

At night, when the sun was gone, they would rest.

After traveling continuously for seven days, they finally reached the edge of heaven and earth, and there they saw it. A colossal lotus standing upright between heaven and earth.

Its roots sank deep into the earth; its petals seemed to uphold the very firmament.

The sight was breathtaking, enough to leave any first-time witness in stunned silence.

“Heaven and earth born of one sacred lotus,” the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign sighed with awe. “The Huo Heavenly Clan truly has great fortune to have made their home here.”

The lotus itself was a treasure, a divine object born of heaven and earth, rare beyond measure.

“A perfect Five-Elements God-Lotus,” Xu Zimo said with a faint shake of his head, “born of nature and balance, ruined like this.”

If one looked closely, one could sense the overwhelming presence of fire energy within the lotus. Some of its petals were already tinged red.

The Five-Elements God-Lotus was supposed to maintain perfect balance among the five elements, each generating and restraining the others.

But after the Huo Heavenly Clan occupied this place, they imposed their own fiery totem upon it, suppressing the other four elements and letting the fire aspect grow unchecked.

The consequences weren’t yet visible, but with time, the imbalance would only worsen.

“I heard this Five-Elements God-Lotus already gained sentience long ago,” the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign said. “It’s cultivated for countless ages. After all these years of the Huo Heavenly Clan’s worship, if we destroy the clan, the lotus might intervene.”

“All the better,” Xu Zimo replied coldly. “If the Five-Elements God-Lotus had grown naturally, I might show some restraint. But they’ve forced its growth, distorted its balance. If it dares to stop us, I’ll tear it up by the roots.”

The three of them walked toward the lotus.

From afar, it was already immense, but the closer they got, the more they realized its true scale. Its leaves rose like green clouds to the heavens.

At the base of the lotus were several small gateways, the entrance to the Lotus Pathway.

“Master Yang, heading out to catch fire scorpions again?”

“Yeah, this is the season when they build their nests. Good time to collect them and make some money.”

“Then make sure you come back early tonight. The Huo Heavenly Clan’s booked the whole Lotus Pathway, everything’s free today.”

“Of course! The Grand Envoy of Inferno Crucible is here. The whole place is on alert like never before.”

“They say this inspection only happens once every ten years. Why so early this time? Could it be related to the head’s death?”

Around the Lotus Pathway, villagers whispered among themselves.

This isolated valley lived at its own pace, quiet, leisurely, cut off from the outside world. Gossip was their only connection to news beyond the valley.

“The Grand Envoy of Inferno Crucible,” Xu Zimo murmured.

“He’s said to come from the Inferno Crucible Heaven,” Moonlight Fairy explained. “His job is to inspect and evaluate the Huo Heavenly Clan. If they fail the evaluation, they’ll be dismissed, and another will take over the post guarding this entrance.”

“Let’s go,” Xu Zimo said. “We’ll see for ourselves.”

As they stepped into the Lotus Pathway, a wave of dense fire-attribute spirit energy enveloped them. The temperature was like that of a giant furnace.

The locals, long accustomed to it, went about their business unfazed.

Moonlight Fairy, whose Primal Daos aligned with ice, was clearly uncomfortable. Within minutes, her fair skin glistened with a sheen of sweat.

The Lotus Pathway was bustling with activity.

“Other than travelers heading to the Inferno Crucible Heaven,” said the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign, “almost no one ever comes here.”

Because of that, there were very few inns, travelers were rare, and the valley was largely self-contained.

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