A carefree soldier king in the city

Chapter 653: Four Swords of Killing Immortals

"Oh, why is that?" Sun Wukong asked.

Dijiang said, "Back then, Tathagata tricked me into coming here. When I was not prepared, he used the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation and the Limitless Formation to trap me here, and I have never seen the light of day since."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong said, "I have heard of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, but I have never heard of the Limitless Formation."

In his memory, Sun Wukong had never heard of the "Limitless Formation," though he had heard of many other formations, the most familiar being the "Eight Trigrams Formation." It was this formation that Laozi used to trap Sun Wukong in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, but things changed drastically; the furnace not only failed to refine him but also gave him the Golden Eyes of Fire. There were also the "Big Dipper Formation," the "Eight Trigrams Golden Lock Formation," and others, which Sun Wukong considered insignificant. However, he was still somewhat wary of the "Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation," as it was composed of the Four Immortal Slaughtering Swords (Immortal Slaughtering Sword, Immortal Slaughtering Sword, Immortal Trapping Sword, and Immortal Severing Sword) and the Immortal Slaughtering Formation Diagram. Legend has it that it was the first killing formation of the Heavenly Dao since the beginning of time, a supreme formation that dominated the killing and destruction of the Heavenly Dao.

This sword formation is mysterious and unpredictable, full of killing intent and danger. It has the power of "one person setting up the formation, ten thousand men cannot stop it". Even if one is not a sage of the Heavenly Dao, even a Golden Immortal of the Great Luo will be reduced to ashes in an instant once he enters this formation.

Di Jiang said, "The so-called 'Wuji Formation' represents the five directions of Heaven, Earth, Man, Ghost, and God. The Daoist teachings say: 'When the battle is fought, the formation is in front.' This formation is the one that emphasizes the interaction between Heaven and Man among all the innate formations, and its power is even greater than the 'Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation.'"

Sun Wukong asked, "Do you have any way to break this?"

Di Jiang said, "If it were just the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation and the Limitless Formation, there might still be a glimmer of hope. But with these two formations combined, I'm afraid no one can break them."

"Man proposes, God disposes," Sun Wukong said. "I, Old Sun, refuse to believe that we can't break this broken formation."

As he spoke, he drew his golden cudgel, preparing to break the formation with brute force.

“You must not act recklessly,” Dijiang exclaimed. “If you forcefully break the formation, not only will you fail to break it, but you will also trigger a chain reaction between the two formations. At that time, even if the Three Pure Ones were to appear again, they would perish.”

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright. I, Old Sun, have already attained the Lesser Dao Realm. This mere formation is nothing to me! You wait, I, Old Sun, will break the formation." Without listening to any advice, he entered the formation.

Upon entering the sword formation, Sun Wukong was startled, feeling as if time had slipped away. He quickly looked up and saw a Zhuxian Sword hanging in the upper east, a Luxian Sword in the upper south, a Xianxian Sword in the upper west, and a Juexian Sword in the upper north. There were doors and gates in front of him, filled with murderous aura and a chilling wind.

Could this be the "Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation"? Sun Wukong thought to himself for a moment and then said, "I understand now. The so-called formation within a formation, and man within man, means that the 'Limitless Formation' has the 'Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation' as its core. No wonder Dijiang was powerless and trapped, unable to escape. Once I remove the core of the formation, this formation will surely be destroyed."

Just as I was about to enter the "Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation," a strange sound suddenly rang in my ears: "Neither copper nor iron nor steel, it was once hidden beneath Mount Sumeru. Without the reversal of Yin and Yang to forge it, how could it not be tempered by water and fire? 'Slaying Immortals' brings benefit, 'Slaughtering Immortals' brings death, 'Trapping Immortals' brings red light everywhere; 'Severing Immortals' has endless and wondrous transformations, even the blood of the Great Luo Immortals stains their robes."

After the sound ended, Sun Wukong was startled again, thinking to himself, "This voice sounds so familiar, but I can't remember who it is. Never mind, I, Old Sun, fear neither immortals nor Buddhas nor the heavens, I am nothing to the Great Luo Golden Immortals; I can destroy even the Tathagata and the Jade Emperor, how can a small formation stop the heavens?"

After examining the "Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation," he saw the Immortal Slaughtering Gate before him, with a giant sword hanging upside down on the gate—undoubtedly the Immortal Slaughtering Sword. He immediately scrutinized the sword closely, sensing something amiss, but unable to pinpoint the reason. He dared not act rashly, for the "Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation" was no ordinary formation and could not be underestimated. After pondering for a long time, he seemed to have a clue, thinking to himself, "That's it, that's it! This isn't the Immortal Slaughtering Sword itself, but its sword spirit! What a stroke of luck! I, Old Sun, was born from a celestial stone, and you are the sword spirit of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword. Same lineage, different bloodline. Good, good."

As he spoke, Sun Wukong drew his golden cudgel, which gleamed with golden light and then transformed into a protective golden shield around him. Immediately afterward, Sun Wukong stepped into the gate of the Immortal Slaughtering Formation. However, the instant Sun Wukong entered the formation, a thunderous roar suddenly resounded, the Immortal Slaughtering Sword trembled, and then radiated light in all directions. Within this light, countless sword beams shot towards Sun Wukong, striking his golden shield in the blink of an eye.

Legend has it that anyone trapped in the "Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation" will be instantly killed the moment any one of the immortal swords moves, regardless of whether they are human or immortal. And indeed, the rumors proved true. The sword energy unleashed by the Immortal Slaughtering Sword struck Sun Wukong's golden protective shield, causing him considerable suffering. Fortunately, this golden protective shield was no ordinary weapon and withstood the fatal blow from the Immortal Slaughtering Sword.

Sun Wukong entered the Zhuxian Gate, and inside was another level, called Zhuxian Pass. He walked from the south, then to the west, and then to the north, observing the terrain. He discovered that each gate was a key element of a formation: Li, Dui, Kan, and Zhen. Upon reaching each gate, a thunderclap would sound, and the swords on the gates would gleam with dazzling light, capable of slaying gods and Buddhas alike—truly formidable.

Sun Wukong was an impatient fellow, and now, surrounded by the immensely powerful "Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation," he dared not make any rash moves. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly heard someone outside calling out, "Brother Monkey, are you there?"

Upon hearing that it was Pigsy, Sun Wukong was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Fool, I, Old Sun, am here again!"

"Eldest brother, second brother, master, and I have come to lend you a hand," said Sha Wujing.

Sun Wukong said happily, "Good, good, Master, Brother Sha, I'm just worried about not being able to find a way to break the formation. You guys think of a solution quickly."

Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, tell me about the situation inside first."

Sun Wukong said, "Master, the formation in front of you is called the Wuji Formation. The core of this formation is the Zhuxian Sword Formation. I am currently inside the Zhuxian Gate of the Zhuxian Sword Formation!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang said, "Since the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation is the core of the formation, then as long as the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation is broken, the Limitless Formation will become an empty shell."

Sun Wukong said, "Master, this 'Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation' is incredibly powerful! Each door is a key point in the formation. Anyone who enters will disturb the swords on the door in an instant, which can cause the head of a Great Luo Golden Immortal to fall to the ground. You must be extremely careful when you enter."