Chapter 270: Setting up the Formation, Jian Jiutian's Invincible Path, Nine Great Immortal Swords, Supreme Sword Seal

In the Sword Mountain.

A great explosion spread out.

Jian Jiutian's strength is indeed strong, after all, his cultivation is at the Fifth Heaven, who can stop him?

Mu Yun's defeat was not due to sword intent, but due to realm suppression.

If it were the Third Heaven and Fourth Heaven, it would be fine.

The Fifth Heaven itself is a huge heavenly moat, difficult to cross; even if Jian Jiutian suppresses the realm, it is still hard to surpass.

The gunpowder smoke dissipated.

Gu Jin Nian's figure slowly appeared; his realm was too strong, and he could easily erase Jian Jiutian's sword intent.

Such behavior only drew frowns from some people.

"May I ask, Saint Gu, what does this mean?"

"Wasn't it agreed that no one may act above the Fifth Heaven?"

"Saint Gu, you have broken the rules."

"One can still act, right?"

Some voices sounded, coming from the ancient clans, especially the ancient human race, as great beings spoke out.

They rebuked Gu Jin Nian, believing he had broken the rules.

In the Sword Mountain.

Hearing these words, Gu Jin Nian appeared calm.

"I have said before, in a battle of equals I will not intervene, but if not equal, I will act."

Gu Jin Nian's tone was calm.

Indeed, he had said such words before.

"Jian Jiutian has already suppressed his realm; this counts as fair. Saying such things now is inevitably a bit of forcing an argument."

"Indeed, a sage is a sage; this is truly the sage's method."

"Indeed, in this great era, sages are truly the most eloquent, able to call the dead alive."

"If not a battle of equals, why not intervene before the fight? Now seeing defeat, are you bullying the weak with strength? Does this mean we can do the same in the future?"

Some voices sounded, with extreme displeasure.

"Stop the chatter here; if I break my oath, why do you need to speak? Heaven and earth will naturally mete out punishment."

Gu Jin Nian's voice sounded; the people of the Severing Heaven Sect loved to argue too much, making him somewhat displeased.

The great era fell silent.

Because what Gu Jin Nian said is correct; if there were truly a problem, there would be no need for them to chatter here—heaven and earth would have already acted, suppressing Gu Jin Nian.

But this still made them displeased.

After all, if Jian Jiutian defeated Mu Yun, in any way, it would be a good thing for the Severing Heaven Sect.

But with Gu Jin Nian's intervention, although it seemed to have little great effect, after all Jian Jiutian had a huge advantage, yet in the end no victory or defeat was decided.

Gu Jin Nian spoke, and they did not know what to say.

However, in the Sword Mountain, Jian Jiutian's voice slowly sounded.

"I have long known that someone would intervene to stop it."

"Because only the weak need protection."

Jian Jiutian spoke, but these words were not addressed to Gu Jin Nian, but to Mu Yun.

Hearing these words, Mu Yun's gaze was extremely calm, unaffected.

"The reason for my loss is not sword intent."

Although calm, Mu Yun was indeed unconvinced, believing he had not lost; the loss was merely a realm issue.

"Lost is lost; need to find so many excuses?"

"You took the initiative to fight; I said I could give you time to surpass me; you chose to fight, so you must accept all consequences."

"Are we supposed to say that, with the great era upon us, facing a true great enemy, we still need to negotiate with the opponent?"

Jian Jiutian spoke; his words were indeed without problem and indeed truthful.

"At the Fifth Heaven, I could battle you."

Mu Yun spoke; after a moment of silence, his reason for speaking was simple: he wanted to directly break through his realm, after all he possessed the true essence of the scriptures, but doing so would waste Gu Jin Nian's goodwill.

"I fear that by then I will have already stepped onto the peak of the Sword Dao, and you will struggle to catch up to my figure."

"Moreover, my rival is not you."

Jian Jiutian remained arrogant, especially his last words, which made his meaning even clearer: he fundamentally did not regard Mu Yun as an opponent, but regarded Gu Jin Nian as his greatest adversary.

The goal is set high; it cannot be called arrogance, but it is indeed arrogant.

Many people hearing this were displeased, some angry, but they also did not know what to say, after all Jian Jiutian, though arrogant, indeed had the backing for his arrogance.

"Enough."

"Don't say more."

"Diligently hone your sword dao to obtain your own fortune."

At this moment, Gu Jin Nian's voice sounded; he looked at Mu Yun, letting him diligently hone his sword dao, after all he sensed that Mu Yun's emotions were being stirred by Jian Jiutian.

Actually, Mu Yun does not need this; his personality is rather quiet, which is better for comprehending the sword dao, but if his emotions are stirred by Jian Jiutian, it is not a good thing.

Hearing Gu Jin Nian speak, Mu Yun nodded, bowed to Gu Jin Nian with utmost respect, emphasizing etiquette.

As for Jian Jiutian, Gu Jin Nian did not continue to pay attention; Jian Jiutian's words were not wrong, even if arrogant they were reasonable, and aside from character, Gu Jin Nian could find no fault in Jian Jiutian.

Arrogance is not a crime; I myself was once arrogant, and this should not be blamed.

Seeing Gu Jin Nian silent, Jian Jiutian, though arrogant, did not act foolishly; he did not continue provoking, but turned and left, heading to the next Sword Mountain to seize fortune's opportunity.

In the Sword Mountain.

Gu Jin Nian gave Mu Yun a glance; the latter understood, said nothing, and left directly.

As the two departed, standing in the Sword Mountain, Gu Jin Nian drew a flying sword, and in an instant a sword soul appeared before him.

People stared at Gu Jin Nian, curious, for they knew that among the seven major systems, Gu Jin Nian had never cultivated the Sword Dao.

Now, at this moment, if Gu Jin Nian were to advance his Sword Dao to the seventh realm, what change would occur?

This point made them very curious.

The sword soul appeared, not attacking Gu Jin Nian, and Gu Jin Nian, being very courteous, bowed to it.

"I have seen you, senior."

Gu Jin Nian spoke slowly, and the sword soul, hearing him, also paid respect to Gu Jin Nian.

"I have seen the saint."

The term "saint" is not a compliment but a title; among the seven major systems, only Confucianism and Daoism have held the highest status since antiquity.

Spiritual power often surpasses everything; naturally, Gu Jin Nian is a saint. This sword soul may hail from the mythic age or even the ancient age; even if it is far older than Gu Jin Nian, it must still address him as "saint" when facing him.

"Your words are weighty, senior."

"May I inherit the Sword Dao?"

Gu Jin Nian was very respectful; he possessed a childlike heart and would not look down on others because of his own realm.

Such a childlike heart is truly exceedingly rare.

"To inherit from a saint is truly an honor."

The sword soul spoke; between its words, it entered Gu Jin Nian's primordial spirit, imbuing all its Sword Dao into Gu Jin Nian's body.

It happened in almost an instant.

A memory surfaced in Gu Jin Nian's mind—a recollection of the other's sword‑training process, filled with suffering, yet ultimately forged into a sword body.

He carefully comprehended, and strands of sword qi appeared around him.

Not many.

But as a saint, any fragment of Gu Jin Nian is unlike the rest.

A moment later.

Gu Jin Nian awoke, unable not to sigh at the hardships of the Sword Dao; indeed it is not as simple as imagined.

However, he did not continue to comprehend a new Sword Dao; instead, he left the spot and began arranging formations around the Sword Mountain.

He came here mainly to set up the Twelve Heavenly Seals; he sensed that within Tong Tian Sword Mountain something foul had arisen, a terrifying aura spreading gradually, and if defenses were not strengthened, disaster would ensue.

"Senior, I will begin the formation; could you watch over me a bit?"

Gu Jin Nian called out to Senior Tie Bing, asking him to guard the path, for arranging such a formation requires one to concentrate mind and spirit without distraction; otherwise, if trouble arose, it would be problematic.

"Alright,"

Senior Tie Bing did not chatter and agreed outright.

With Senior Tie Bing's agreement,

Gu Jin Nian felt at ease and began arranging the formation.

Various materials were placed by him, gathering great momentum, and he started setting the formation.

In an instant, the sword qi of the entire Tong Tian Sword Mountain was gradually sealed, no longer affecting the whole world as before.

Meanwhile,

Jian Jiutian was also frantically harvesting sword souls, sending them all to the Jie Tian Sect; many received divine transformation, and their strength increased dramatically.

Mu Yun was not far behind; the two seemed to compete, enhancing sword intent while each sought advantage for their own forces.

It must be said, these sword souls are powerful; even the ancient human race needs such sword souls—just one can save a hundred years of arduous cultivation.

Thus most of the sword‑soul essence was sent to the ancient human race, and the Jie Tian Sect actually gained little.

This was unavoidable; the ancient human race had invested so much, and if they did not retrieve some, they could not bear it.

However, even with such harvesting, the ancient human race remained somewhat unsatisfied.

Thus, after a short while, six figures appeared within Tong Tian Sword Mountain: Su Canghai, Tai Hao, Ming Hao, Zhou Yun, Lin Wan, and Li Xiu.

They arrived together; though not sword cultivators, their strength was great, having comprehended several sword‑soul essences, they were uplifted and possessed their own sword formations.

At their level, one principle opens all principles; they need not study the Sword Dao extensively to have their own sword formation.

They are simply no match for Jian Jiutian.

"We each will seize the Sword Mountain, and settle it swiftly."

Su Canghai spoke; his flesh was like a dragon, blood surging, and a flying sword coiled with a true dragon appeared behind him—this was his Sword Dao formation.

Tai Hao and Ming Hao each formed a Great Sun Sword and a Moon‑Shadow Sword; as for Zhou Yun, a Buddha Sword was behind him; Lin Wan wielded a celestial sword imbued with the Dao's breath; Li Xiu bore a royal‑Dao sword intent.

These five were already heavenly elites of the world; now, ordered, they came to the Sword Mountain to gather these sword‑soul essences.

One by one, the Sword Mountains were taken by the six of them; though not as strong as Jian Jiutian, they were still formidable—subduing a Sword Mountain was merely a bit arduous.

The six acted, and the harvesting speed was indeed far faster than before.

"Let's go together."

At that moment, within Qilin Pavilion, four figures also crossed over at once, appearing among them.

They were Wu Man, Li Xiaoyun, Wang Xuan, and Lin Xian'er.

The four's arrival also gathered powerful sword intent.

Behind Wu Man, a sword formation surrounded by a wild, barren aura coalesced.

Behind Li Xiaoyun, an extremely strange sword formation formed.

Behind Wang Xuan was a Gentleman Sword, and Lin Xian'er wielded a Buddha Sword.

These four heavenly elites also possessed unparalleled elegance.

The Sword Mountains clashed.

With a few more joining, one Sword Mountain after another revived, coalescing massive Sword Intent.

Meanwhile, Gu Jin Nian was meticulously arranging formations, each spot handled with utmost care, without any slack.

Thus.

In the blink of an eye.

Five days passed.

During those five days, Jian Jiutian felled thirty‑five Sword Mountains, Mu Yun was close behind with thirty, and the other Heavenly Champions together accounted for only twenty Sword Mountains.

The world kept watching; Jian Jiutian was truly formidable in Sword Dao, his Sword Dao will terrifyingly strong, pushing forward almost unchecked. Though he encountered some dangers, they were minor and he easily dealt with them.

Mu Yun was no slouch either.

The only shortcoming was their realm level, and another issue: Jian Jiutian never absorbs Sword Intent, whereas Mu Yun does, gathering all rivers, which caused a delay.

Now twenty‑three Sword Mountains remain unconquered, not counting the main peak.

The Sword Mountains glittered.

Both sides' forces scrambled for the one hundred and eight Sword Mountains, each loss a mountain.

Moreover, the deeper the Sword Mountain, the stronger the Sword Dao will.

The Ancient Human Clan was already beaming; this Piercing Heaven Sword Mountain granted them immense benefit—tens of thousands of Sword Soul intents—that, if well used, could forge three Fifth Heaven Sword Dao Heavenly Champions.

The various blessings previously bestowed upon the Heaven-Cutting Sect accounted for about thirty percent of the loss.

If they can continue harvesting, they'll roughly make up half the loss; should they obtain even more blessings, it won't be mere compensation—it could be a windfall.

Thus the Ancient Human Clan laughed with mouths wide open, each overjoyed, hoping Jian Jiutian would bring them even greater gains.

Boom.

Another Sword Mountain fell to Jian Jiutian, and an ancient scripture appeared before him.

Confronted with the scripture, Jian Jiutian was not overly arrogant; he read it carefully, standing in place.

After a moment.

He waved his hand, and the scripture materialized into a silhouette, gathering a massive sword aura that lunged at Jian Jiutian.

Boom.

Jian Jiutian acted, unleashing a chaotic sword qi infused with his essence, cutting a terrifying path and instantly shattering the sword qi.

"A powerful sword technique, but unfortunately still inferior to me."

Jian Jiutian spoke lightly, then left directly.

He headed to the next Sword Mountain.

The crowd fell silent; Jian Jiutian was truly terrifying. The peerless Sword Dao scripture was trampled like this? That scripture could at least grant mastery of a supreme Sword Dao divine skill, yet Jian Jiutian still deemed such Sword Dao unworthy of his study.

If the first time was arrogance,

the second was also arrogance.

Now it is no longer arrogance but true pride, a genuine will, willing to walk a path with no predecessors and no successors.

To forge a path of one's own.

In the end, the world still respects strength; Jian Jiutian displayed his invincible bearing, silencing everyone. Even if they disliked him or questioned his character, they could not deny his evident power.

It is an indelible glory.

Thus.

In the blink of an eye, another three days passed.

The Sword Mountains ahead grew increasingly terrifying, far stronger than the previous ones,

Jian Jiutian and his companions found it hard to continue their previous onslaught.

These three days,

they captured seven Sword Mountains, leaving three most dreadful.

Qilin Pavilion and the Heaven-Cutting Sect's respective peerless Heavenly Champions gathered, needing to cooperate to seize them.

They even faced extremely dangerous situations; fortunately, Jian Jiutian, Mu Yun and others were extraordinary, evading several fatal kills, otherwise a disaster would have ensued.

It could easily have ended in burial there.

Both sides cooperated cautiously, ultimately spending great time to capture the final two Sword Mountains.

The entire Piercing Heaven Sword Mountain comprised one hundred and eight Sword Mountains; now only one remains.

Excluding the main peak.

The final Sword Mountain suddenly activated at that moment, radiating myriad beams; nine Immortal Swords hovered above, each distinct, imbued with terrifying Sword Intent.

Especially at the center of those nine Immortal Swords, a seal appeared.

Its nature was unclear, but it surely related to Sword Dao, bearing great significance and certainly not simple.

"Nine Great Immortal Swords."

"The supreme instrument of the Sword Dao lineage has been here all along? No wonder no one in the world has ever seen the Nine Immortal Swords."

"To have nine Immortal Swords appear at once—if one could obtain them, it would surely grant an immortal legacy."

"If Jian Jiutian obtains them, he'll likely step into the Sixth Heaven; indeed, within ten years he could break into the Seventh Heaven, standing equal with Gu Jin Nian."

"This Jian Jiutian truly is the Heaven-Cutting Sect's top Heavenly Champion, possessing an invincible Dao heart; his future may not be weaker than Gu Jin Nian."

Some voices rose, speculating that if Jian Jiutian secured those nine Immortal Swords, he could reap enormous benefits.

Those voices were sincere; the people of Qilin Pavilion felt uneasy, and Su Canghai and others likewise felt particularly uncomfortable.

They too were peerless Heavenly Champions, terrifyingly formidable; although Jian Jiutian displayed astonishing talent and strength in the Piercing Heaven Sword Mountain, they regarded it merely as his Sword Dao cultivation.

That does not mean Jian Jiutian is the strongest.

They were not convinced.

It's only inner dissatisfaction; outwardly it's not proper to say more.

"All immortal swords were born for me."

Gazing at the nine immortal swords, Jian Jiutian spoke, his eyes blazing as he stared at the nine great immortal swords, wanting to seize them.

"It's not necessarily yours."

Wu Man's voice sounded; he took a step forward, and a barbarian wild force spread from within him, shattering the surrounding void.

"Priest Brother, hurry up."

Wu Man shouted loudly; at this point, cooperating with each other, they no longer cared about framing or not framing.

The final sword mountain.

It contains a tremendous fortune.

Not contend? That's not stupid? Mu Yun didn't waste words, directly rushing toward the final sword mountain.

But Jian Jiutian isn't stupid either; he roared, chaotic sword qi burst forth, indiscriminate attack, directly piercing the surrounding void; Su Canghai and others were affected, each frowning involuntarily.

In their hearts they loudly cursed Jian Jiutian for having a screw loose.

But they also knew that facing such a supreme treasure, few could restrain themselves.

Boom.

The nine immortal swords trembled within the sword mountain, as if trying to break free of some shackles; the markings within them rose into the air.

In a moment.

Everyone stared at this mark, feeling that it was of utmost importance.

But just then.

A terrifying event occurred.

Strands of sword qi rose from the 108 sword mountains, encircling the surroundings, forming a great formation.

Instantly sealing everyone inside.

In an instant.

Many people's faces changed; even ancient human mighty ones couldn't help but change color!

(End of chapter)