Chapter 1044: The Great Sun Sword Son Descends Upon the Jiao Ming Domain

Under the horrified gazes of everyone, the Blood River sword-light suddenly erupted without a shred of hesitation, slashing straight onto the body of the Yanliu Imperial Son.

The Yanliu Imperial Son, compared to this sword-light, was like an ant.

However,

Clang!

The towering Blood River sword-light, just as it was about to cleave the Yanliu Imperial Son in two and devour all his essence-blood into ash, came to a halt, slashing onto a sheet of fire-red light barrier that had abruptly appeared, splashing up a spray of sparks.

The Blood River sword-light recoiled violently as if struck by lightning, suffering grave injuries in an instant.

What's more, that sheet of fire-light had not even attacked — the mere force of the rebound had shattered the sword-light of an invincible king.

That sheet of fire-light barrier was so thin, no larger than a hair, with wisps of crimson flame-color flowing across it, and even carried an aura of chaos, containing an unknown power that instantly made it extraordinary.

"... Quasi-Emperor grade, formation..."

Jiang Ding gently closed his eyes, tightly gripping his Blood River sword that kept trembling in great fear.

It had, in a single strike, already suffered grave injuries!

That sheet of fire-red light barrier hadn't even attacked!

The formation's light carried no counter-shock spell whatsoever — it was simply like a mortal's wooden sword striking an iron ingot, and being injured by the shock.

This kind of formation has another name in the immortal sects — Quasi-Sixth-Stage Formation!

This kind of formation is basically the strongest formation that can be laid down within a Minor Thousand World; stronger formations must involve the starry sky, must involve compound formations spanning multiple Minor Thousand Worlds. A single Minor Thousand World simply cannot supply energy to a Sixth-Stage Formation — even if laid down, it cannot display any power.

The most obvious characteristic of a Quasi-Sixth-Stage Formation is that it possesses the Power of Order!

The Power of Order is a lesser derivative of the Rule Power wielded by Void Refinement great powers, originating from a force produced by the complete immortal-dao cycle of a Minor World. Although this force is far inferior to Rule Power, it possesses a dominating, crushing might against living beings below Void Refinement.

Taking the last-generation Great Sun Sword Master Zou Zou Xiyuan as an example — the moment he advanced to Hua Shen Qi, he grasped this Great Sun Power of Order, becoming a Quasi-Sixth-Stage being.

This was the peerless heaven-chosen of the border domain who had personally slain eight Great Dao Sons.

The previous-generation Great Sun Sword Son Chong Chong Guang Zi was even stronger — he had already completed the Sword Dao trial of slaying nine Great Dao Sons, and even had hopes of comprehending the Power of Order within the Nascent Soul stage; he was nearly on the verge of breaking through.

Unfortunately, the timing was unkind back then. The last-generation Great Sun Sword Master had already fallen in battle, and Void Refinement-stage power personally entered the fray. Chong Chong Guang Zi was beaten to death by great-power-level strength from the Jiudaxian Sect.

Of course, in the respective historical records of the Jiudaxian Sect, it seems they all did it themselves, and the other Badaxian Sect merely provided some minor auxiliary work.

"Oh?"

"You lowly slave actually know of Quasi-Emperor-grade formations?"

The Yanliu Imperial Son upon the Flame Throne had already regained

his composure, his eyes filled with brutal light: "Don't worry, you won't die so easily. I will let you witness the cruelest punishments and the most meticulous torments in this world — every punishment art accumulated by the Imperial Clan over countless myriad years, you will enjoy them one by one."

He simply stopped pretending altogether.

Just as Blood River King had said, his acting was not good at all, extremely clumsy. Before an old cultivator like Blood River King, who had weathered countless storms and lived for over four thousand years, it was practically written all over his face — nothing could be hidden.

"Very well."

"The Yanstone Clan truly has quite the boldness."

Jiang Ding did his utmost to soothe his constantly trembling Blood River sword, his voice low: "A potential slave-emperor, discarded without any hesitation whatsoever — how decisive."

"This sovereign truly did not foresee it beforehand."

"How could a short-sighted lowly slave like you possibly know the Imperial Clan's foundations?"

The Yanliu Imperial Son sneered, utterly contemptuous.

"Clap clap!"

He clapped his hands.

"Mercy!"

"Mercy, my lord! The ancestor of my sect is Blood River King, please, I beg you..."

"I wouldn't dare anymore..."

From outside the palace came wailing cries, one after another, piteous and shrill.

Jiang Ding's gaze was cold and indifferent, unmoved.

The wailing drew closer and closer. Gradually, at the palace entrance, two human cultivators — flesh and blood mangled almost beyond recognition as human — were dragged forward by Imperial Clan guards, leaving two trails of scarlet blood upon the ground.

They were Jianshi Zhen Ren and Zishi Zhen Ren of the Shan Sect.

Their entire bodies were a mangled mess of flesh and blood; in many places white bone and entrails spilled out, not a single spot left intact. Within their fleshly bodies, their divine souls had suffered torment and devastation a hundred times more terrible — even Nascent Soul True Persons who had risen step by step from the bottom could not endure it, shrieking piteously for mercy, begging only for a swift death.

"Blood River King."

"These two runaway slaves — do you recognize them?"

The Yanliu Imperial Son carefully savored the expression on Blood River King's face, as if appraising a bottle of peerless fine wine, not missing a single thing that might bring him pleasure.

To his disappointment, Blood River King was very calm.

As if the two being dragged into Rudadian were not the final inheriting disciples he had painstakingly sent out, the final hope of his sect — but mere roadside weeds, utterly uncared for.

"Yanliu, you have a good father."

"Though he is a Great Emperor, he is still willing to accompany you in these childish games, just to make you happy."

Jiang Ding said calmly: "However, there will come a day when you understand that this kind of death, this kind of despair, inevitably appears in the life of the strong. No one can be spared."

"In my life, I have experienced joys and sorrows, partings and reunions beyond count, and bid farewell to more loved ones than I can number."

"These

"things — what can they possibly amount to?"

Only a Great Emperor could casually see through his tricks; even an Ancient Imperial Son would have to expend some effort — it wasn't that easy.

"Hahaha!"

"You slave, you are quite amusing, quite amusing indeed!"

The Yanliu Imperial Son slapped the armrest, laughing heartily, laughing without restraint: "Since you don't care, then forget it. This sovereign has already sent people to slaughter the Shan Sect, and when the time comes, my subordinates will send back images of the carnage."

"I have already given the orders — one Shan Sect disciple put to death per day, no more, no less. Blood River King, you may watch carefully and enjoy it, so that you, lowly slave, may experience a little more."

"Aren't you tempering your Dao heart?"

"However many you want, this sovereign will give you that many. If you think it's too few, this sovereign will execute the humans of the Flame Stone Star Domain one by one. How about that?"

"Going through trials and tribulations, tempering the Dao heart, hahahaha…"

He laughed wildly, doubling over forward and back, nearly tumbling off the Flame Throne.

"Yes, indeed very amusing."

Jiang Ding gave a faint smile in return, sheathed the Blood River Sword, and drew his sword once more.

Hum!

This time, the sword no longer trembled, no longer shook from touching quasi-Emperor-tier power, and could not even perform a normal slash—instead, it was utterly exhilarated.

When Jiang Ding's hand settled on the hilt, heaven and earth fell utterly still.

A terrifying aura of annihilation, law-breaking, law-binding, distortion, and destruction appeared between heaven and earth. An invisible ripple spread outward in all directions. The towering, majestic Flame Emperor Palace froze at this moment; many flames were forcibly dispersed, revealing the palace walls of a pale grey-white hue.

The Immortal Dao spiritual particles had been forcibly dispersed!

"This is…"

The Flameflow Prince, who had been laughing himself forward and back, abruptly lost his voice.

Boom!

A great sun!

Its radiance illuminated all between heaven and earth!

It was a golden, resplendent great sun, without a trace of impurity, utterly pure, imbued with destruction, distortion, and law-annihilation—the great sun of a Domain Sovereign, descending for the first time between heaven and earth, shattering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for thousands of li around, and pressing down to suppress the prince upon the Flame Throne.