As Lin Qian finished speaking, a vague sword intent suddenly appeared in his hand, blurry and indistinct. If one looked closely, they could see the outlines of a sword diagram within it.
The sword diagram was incomprehensibly profound. Just glancing at it made Ye Xin feel dizzy, as if her mind were being consumed.
"What a powerful formation! What is this?" Ye Xin hurriedly closed her eyes, not daring to look any longer.
Seeing her reaction, Lin Qian chuckled softly. "This is called the 'Immortal Execution Sword Formation.' You'll understand once your husband sets it up."
As Lin Qian spoke, they both shot out of the cave and arrived in the Mu Ling Underground World.
Upon entering the underground world, Lin Qian immediately enveloped himself and Ye Xin in his soul power, spreading his soul sense to the surroundings, prepared for battle at any moment.
At the same time, Ye Xin steadied herself, opened her eyes, and began scanning the area, ready to assist Lin Qian.
As they exited the cave, Lin Qian noticed that the scene before him was much like the Ancient Forest Province. The sky was dotted with Sun Flame Fruits, and golden crows illuminated the vast underground world.
However, what caught Lin Qian's attention was the fact that the Sun Flame Fruits and golden crows were extremely sparse. A faint purple mist was devouring the Sun Flame Fruits, causing the once-bright underground world to gradually darken.
Only a few golden crows remained, flitting about in panic.
"Xiao Qian, look!" Ye Xin's startled voice called out as she pointed upward.
Lin Qian quickly turned, his pupils contracting. The cave entrance they had just passed through was now completely sealed by the purple mist, cutting off any escape route.
Moreover, something strange was afoot. Lin Qian had expected to be ambushed by the Windswift Clan upon arrival. Yet, there wasn't a single member of the Windswift Clan in sight. The eerie silence was unnerving.
"Could it be that this purple mist has blocked the cave, preventing the Windswift Clan from learning what's happening outside?" Lin Qian released Ye Xin, who hovered beside him, her body trembling slightly.
Floating in midair next to Lin Qian, Ye Xin shivered. "Xiao Qian, I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this."
Sensing her unease, Lin Qian drew her close, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Just as he was about to dismiss the Immortal Execution Swords, his eyes narrowed, and he turned his gaze sharply to the right.
"Something is approaching. And whatever it is, it feels extremely oppressive." Staring in that direction, Lin Qian's tone became more serious. "This presence… it feels even stronger than when Hei Mo possessed Yunhu's body."
"Stronger than Hei Mo?" Ye Xin was stunned. Lin Qian had told her all about Hei Mo, and she knew how terrifying he was. Now, she was even more alarmed.
As she gathered her strength, her entire body was engulfed in a sky-blue burning soul force. Her starry white gown condensed into form, and the blue phoenix she commanded circled around her.
Suddenly, a violent gust of wind surged toward them, causing their robes to flap wildly in the turbulence.
Three types of soul forces merged. Lin Qian's imperial robe materialized around him, cloaking him as he stared ahead with unwavering focus.
From within the swirling storm in front of them, a massive figure loomed closer. Its spherical body gleamed a vivid purple, with a jet-black underbelly. Its mouth, enormous and seemingly bottomless, gaped wide as if it could swallow the sky and earth.
The creature's colossal, city-sized eyes swiveled, and with a wave of its fins, it sent fierce gusts of wind roaring in every direction. Its massive tail flicked lazily, but the force was enough to shatter a nearby mountain peak.
"A fish? It's enormous!" Ye Xin exclaimed, her voice trembling. The purple-black fish heading toward them was far too large to be real. "Is that a soul beast? Can soul beasts even grow this large?"
Lin Qian's expression grew grave as he spoke in a low voice. "It's coming right at us. Something must have gone terribly wrong in this underground world. The Windswift Clan's absence might be due to this creature."
"Xiao Qian, we can't escape! It's too fast and is almost upon us!" Ye Xin cried out, her soul force surging within her. She didn't hesitate. Gripping her starry sword, she unleashed a powerful strike toward the massive fish. Her blade sent a torrent of sword energy that streaked through the sky like a river of stars, slashing directly at the fish's forehead.
"Roooaaar!" The giant fish let out a deep, resonant cry. A bloody gash appeared on its forehead, but it quickly began healing before their eyes, mending the wound in mere moments.
Seeing this, Ye Xin froze in place. That had been a full-force attack, yet while it had wounded the beast, it had healed so fast that it was as if nothing had happened at all.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, Ye Xin noticed that Lin Qian had interlaced his fingers, his golden eyes gleaming with radiant light. The imperial soul force surged through his body, flooding into the four swords around him.
The four swords, imbued with his soul force, emitted dazzling beams of sword light, merging into the Immortal Execution Formation.
Four towering gates materialized out of thin air, each guarding one direction.
"Immortal Execution! Immortal Slaughter! Immortal Trap! Immortal Destruction!"
With each shout, Lin Qian's soul force drained rapidly. His face paled as he expended all his energy, but the Immortal Execution Formation was complete.
With Lin Qian and Ye Xin hidden inside the formation, four enormous portals appeared in front of the purple-black fish, each radiating with sword light and a menacing aura of death.
Inside the formation, Lin Qian wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled wryly. "This sword formation, passed down from Tongtian Jiaozhu, even at my full power, I can only use about one ten-thousandth of its true potential. How pitiful."
Ye Xin, her heart pounding as she witnessed the terrifying formation, gasped. "Xiao Qian, this is only one ten-thousandth of its full power?"
"That's right. The Immortal Execution Sword Formation is the greatest killing formation ever devised. Its true might far surpasses what I can display right now. I can't wait to see its full glory one day," Lin Qian replied, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he watched the purple-black fish crash into the formation. "But that will only happen when its true master awakens."