Chapter 628: The Heavenly Immortal Formation

Nangong Sheng held a single white Go piece, facing off against Ye Qingcheng's Slaughter Immortal Sword. An immortal, with his innate demeanor and grace, naturally stood above countless mortals. Even in the midst of a formidable army and surrounded on all sides, he remained calm and elegant, a testament to his unparalleled strength.

Ye Qingcheng, gripping the Slaughter Immortal Sword, stared at Nangong Sheng with a hint of trepidation.

"One piece, one immortal formation. With your mastery in formations, you are undoubtedly the top formation master not just in the yang realm but here in the underworld as well. You've placed thirty-four pieces, each one countered by me. Do you still have moves left?" Ye Qingcheng asked gravely.

"The Slaughter Immortal Sword indeed lives up to its name! Ye Qingcheng, your swordsmanship is superb, but your sword path doesn't match that of my Nether Heaven. The current Heavenly Master of Nether Heaven, Sword Ao, is the true master of swordsmanship," Nangong Sheng said with a smile.

"Oh? If the opportunity arises, I would like to challenge him personally. But now, can you still place another piece?" Ye Qingcheng asked sternly.

"If you are so eager, then fine. This is the thirty-fifth piece, named 'Self,'" Nangong Sheng said solemnly.

As soon as Nangong Sheng spoke, Ye Qingcheng became even more serious, his eyes fixed intently on the white Go piece in Nangong Sheng's hand.

From a distance, Zhong Shan and his group also watched intently, observing Nangong Sheng's calm demeanor.

"This is the 'Heavenly Immortal Formation,'" Gu Qianyou suddenly said.

"Oh? Heavenly Immortal Formation?" The group looked at Gu Qianyou in confusion.

"I once heard the Emperor speak of this. It's a powerful offensive and defensive formation created by Nangong Sheng himself. It resembles a Go board, where placing one piece changes the entire formation. Each additional piece exponentially increases the formation's power. When the Emperor faced Nangong Sheng, he had only developed it to the thirty-second piece. Now it has reached the thirty-fifth piece!" Gu Qianyou explained quickly.

"Heavenly Immortal Formation? The thirty-fifth piece, Self?" Zhong Shan repeated Nangong Sheng's words.

Nangong Sheng smiled faintly and gently placed the white Go piece. Instantly, a Go board appeared before him, and as the piece landed with a crisp "pa," the board disappeared.

Ye Qingcheng grew even more vigilant, tightly gripping the Slaughter Immortal Sword, ready for anything.

As the Go board vanished, the islands in the Blood Sea of Rise and Fall began to sink and float in a bizarre manner, their numbers more than doubling. Zhong Shan was shocked to realize that the square-shaped Blood Sea resembled a colossal Go board, with the black islands acting as pieces, each positioned at the intersections of the grid. The countless islands, connected by invisible threads, formed an enormous formation.

Red light surged into the sky from the sea, piercing the heavens. A powerful aura pressed down on everyone, making many instinctively step back in fear.

In the red light above the Blood Sea, the space seemed to twist slightly. The massive formation caused the space to shake.

Ye Qingcheng was not intimidated by the trembling space. What concerned him was a mass of blood mist floating in mid-air.

This blood mist, seemingly formed by the great formation, grew denser and denser. It drew in spatial forces, slowly condensing into a human-sized shape, becoming more solid and clear.

"Ye Qingcheng?" Xianxian exclaimed in shock.

The blood mist took on a human form, identical to Ye Qingcheng. It was as if another Ye Qingcheng had appeared, but this figure was created by the formation and filled with a terrifying aura.

Ye Qingcheng's grip tightened on the Slaughter Immortal Sword, his eyes never leaving the blood mist figure.

Nangong Sheng, with his calm demeanor, watched Ye Qingcheng intently, his expression confident and unyielding. The white Go piece, now placed, had activated the full power of the Heavenly Immortal Formation, challenging even the mighty Ye Qingcheng.

Not only Xianxian but everyone widened their eyes in astonishment as the blood mist solidified, forming a body identical to Ye Qingcheng.

An exact replica of Ye Qingcheng slowly took shape, and even the Slaughter Immortal Sword manifested an identical copy. High in the sky, Ye Qingcheng stared in shock at the figure before him, whose aura was identical to his own. The sword in the replica's hand exuded the same terrifying aura as his own Slaughter Immortal Sword.

The thirty-fifth piece, Self?

Was this a battle against oneself? Ye Qingcheng knew that this wasn't actually him but a spatial entity created by the Heavenly Immortal Formation based on his own characteristics. Still, it seemed to match him in every way.

The spatial entity stared intently at Ye Qingcheng. With just one command from Nangong Sheng, it would attack him with the Slaughter Immortal Sword.

A perfect copy of himself? Ye Qingcheng couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that this spatial entity could match his power.

He lightly moved the Slaughter Immortal Sword, sending a powerful wave of sword energy forward. As the sword moved, it created a massive spatial tear, a black rift exuding an intimidating aura.

The spatial entity responded by wielding its own Slaughter Immortal Sword, mirroring Ye Qingcheng's movement. The resulting sword energy was equally terrifying, if not more so, and it slashed through the fragmented space toward Ye Qingcheng.

Ye Qingcheng had been testing the waters, but the spatial entity attacked with full force.

"Clang—"

The two Slaughter Immortal Swords clashed powerfully. The point of collision created a massive black hole, about a hundred feet wide, demonstrating the terrifying strength of the spatial entity.

"Pff—"

Ye Qingcheng spat out a mouthful of blood, flying back a hundred feet, while the spatial entity remained steadfast, not budging an inch.

"How is this possible?" Everyone was stunned.

This spatial entity was so strong? That was Ye Qingcheng, and he had the Slaughter Immortal Sword, yet he was defeated?

"If you don't use your full strength, it certainly won't show any mercy. However strong you are, that's how strong it will be!" Nangong Sheng said with a faint smile.

The thirty-fifth piece, Self?

Everyone around gasped. This formation was too incredible!

"How can it be so strong? It's just a simulated figure," Xianxian said in surprise.

"The Emperor once mentioned that the Heavenly Immortal Formation is a masterpiece of formation design, incorporating spatial forces, illusions, and even psychological elements. The spatial entity truly matches Ye Qingcheng in power, at least in his own eyes. Unless he defeats himself, he won't be able to break the formation!" Gu Qianyou explained in shock.

"So, the stronger one believes themselves to be, the stronger the spatial entity?" Yin Luo Ri asked, frowning.

"Then does that mean that an arrogant person is doomed, while a self-deprecating person can easily break the formation?" Zhong Shan remarked with an odd smile.

While the internal experts fought, the spectators outside pondered solutions. Zhong Shan's group also speculated on ways to break the formation.

"It seems that way!" The others responded to Zhong Shan's comment with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

"But do you think Ye Qingcheng is a self-deprecating person?" Zhong Shan shook his head.

Clearly, that was not possible. As the master of a great holy land, Ye Qingcheng couldn't be self-deprecating.

Defeated by his own sword, Ye Qingcheng immediately became more vigilant, watching the spatial entity closely.

With a twist of his wrist, he slashed the Slaughter Immortal Sword through the air, aiming once more at the spatial entity.

Ye Qingcheng unleashed his full strength with the Slaughter Immortal Sword, causing the surrounding space to tremble. The internal scene twisted and distorted, leaving only faint, blurry shadows and deep black holes visible.

"Boom, boom, boom...!"

The clash between two absolute powerhouses echoed, their attacks sending countless sword marks through the twisted space. Shards of spatial rifts spread like shattered glass in all directions, showcasing the terrifying might of Ye Qingcheng.

"Boom!"

In the midst of their battle, a massive black hole, a thousand feet in diameter, hovered in the sky. Unlike ordinary black holes, this one did not shrink, its periphery emanating ripples of spatial distortion that spread far and wide. The black hole's persistent size was due to the ongoing fierce combat within, where the continuous exchanges of terrifying blows maintained its form.

This was a true battle of titans. Numerous spectators retreated repeatedly to a safer distance, including Zhong Shan and his group, as the intensity of the fight became overwhelming.

"Clang!"

Another clash of swords echoed as Ye Qingcheng and his spatial doppelgänger separated, standing on opposite sides of the black hole, which slowly began to shrink. Both stood ready with their swords, their clothes tattered with numerous sword marks, indicating they had suffered identical injuries.

"Amazing!" Xianxian exclaimed in awe.

"Unfortunately, defeating that spatial doppelgänger won't be easy for Ye Qingcheng," Old Wine said with a frown.

"No!" Zhong Shan suddenly shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you find Ye Qingcheng terrifying?" Zhong Shan asked, frowning.

"Oh?" The group looked at Zhong Shan, except for Gu Qianyou, who seemed to understand, her expression turning serious as she stared at Ye Qingcheng.

"If Ye Qingcheng were arrogant, his opponent would grow stronger with his mindset. If he were self-deprecating, the opponent would weaken. But now, they are evenly matched. What does that tell you?" Zhong Shan asked solemnly.

"He is neither arrogant nor self-deprecating," Old Wine thought aloud.

"Exactly. He is neither arrogant nor self-deprecating. While one can deceive others with their exterior, they cannot lie to themselves. Even a slightly confident person would naturally think highly of their accomplishments. Yet, Ye Qingcheng exhibits no arrogance, not even a trace. He controls his emotions with such precision. That's what makes him terrifying," Zhong Shan explained.

After Zhong Shan's explanation, the group fell silent, reflecting on his words.

In the distance, a cold smile appeared on Ye Qingcheng's lips. His eyes gleamed as he lifted the Slaughter Immortal Sword, charging at his spatial doppelgänger once again. Their fierce clashes continued, each sword strike fracturing the space around them. The battle's sheer intensity left the spectators dazzled and overwhelmed by the terrifying aftershocks.

However, amidst this chaos, one area remained oddly calm—the Sea of Blood beneath Nangong Sheng. Despite the fierce battle, it only stirred with gentle waves. At this moment, Nangong Sheng's right hand held another black Go piece, which had appeared there mysteriously.

The audience could only watch in awe and anxiety as the battle between Ye Qingcheng and his spatial doppelgänger raged on, their identical strengths making the outcome uncertain. The cunning smile on Nangong Sheng's face, along with the new black Go piece in his hand, suggested that the battle's true climax was yet to come.