In the void, black flames coiled around the chains, like blooming flowers of death, taking root and spreading from the darkness, constantly dragging Ling Yuling toward that blurry portal.
After her shock, she gradually calmed down, no longer struggling, allowing the black chains to wrap around her limbs, allowing the black flames to engulf and submerge her.
Around the blurry portal, boundless killing intent surged, wisps of destructive energy intertwined and collided, as if the heavens were about to annihilate all beings, reorganize earth, water, wind, and fire, and reshape heaven and earth.
The Fourth Ancient Killing Formation—this was a terrifying killing formation that, every time it appeared in ancient history, brought boundless blood rain and boundless killing sins.
It slays immortals and kills gods; those who hear of it change color, those who speak of it are terrified.
Ling Yuling initially felt that the aura of this mysterious white-robed figure was somewhat familiar, very likely someone she knew.
She also guessed and connected in her mind, but had no results.
And with the appearance of the Fourth Ancient Killing Formation, she was finally able to determine which person she knew well this mysterious white-robed figure had a connection with.
"Truly unexpected…"
Ling Yuling sighed softly, unable to hide her surprise, but her sigh was soon submerged in the endless black flames, her figure gradually swallowed by darkness, disappearing into the blurry portal.
The white-robed figure watched all this from afar, his expression unchanged.
"Even with the Fourth Killing Formation, it's difficult to kill her in a short time, at most to exile her into the void of endless spacetime, conceal coordinates, and delay her return…"
He shook his head slightly, didn't bother further, and with steps, spacetime ripples spread, leaving this land beyond the world.
And at this moment, on the boundless battlefield where the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity were fighting, with the reappearance of the white-robed figure, the battlefield that was in fierce combat suddenly fell silent.
Almost all cultivators and living beings turned their gazes over, whether they were existences at the Dao Realms or ordinary living beings, no exception.
The many high-level experts of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had high morale and boiling battle intent, but suddenly had a feeling that something was wrong.
Many people's expressions changed slightly, then their brows furrowed tightly, they could not feel the aura of Vice-Alliance Leader Ling Yuling.
"What is going on?"
"Why has the Vice-Alliance Leader's aura disappeared?"
"Could it be…"
Even Zhuo Fengxie, Hun Yuanjun, and others, their faces turned ugly. They knew Ling Yuling's strength well; apart from Gu Changge, rarely anyone in the current Heaven-Slaying Alliance could firmly defeat her.
Even those existences from the Forbidden Zones were no exception.
In the current Vast Expanse, how many could threaten her life?
"Something's wrong, that venerable's aura has disappeared. With her strength, could it be that she is also no match for this mysterious white-robed figure?"
Mu Fuguang frowned, his gaze that had been casual and dismissive now turned solemn.
The other few Forbidden Zone existences beside her were no exception, their eyes fixed on the white-robed figure, wanting to know by what means he made Ling Yuling disappear.
"Senior Yuling is powerful, even if outmatched, she cannot easily perish. I suspect she was ambushed and schemed against, trapped in a void land beyond the world." Chu Xiao said, his eyes bursting with sword light, terrifying killing intent surging.
His words made Zhuo Fengxie and others' hearts sink.
Now it seems, Ling Yuling indeed likely met with an accident.
At the critical moment of the two armies' clash, Ling Yuling, as the commanding backbone, suddenly disappeared and vanished during her fight with that mysterious white-robed figure.
The blow to military morale and spirit was undoubtedly heavy.
And at this time, besides the many high-level and experts of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance noticing the anomaly, many ordinary cultivators and living beings also noticed.
After fighting that mysterious white-robed figure, the venerable Ling Yuling actually disappeared and did not reappear.
What does this mean?
Among the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's army, many were startled, then became flustered and uneasy. Could the Vice-Alliance Leader have met with an accident? Perished at the hands of that mysterious white-robed figure?
In other cosmic spacetimes, many Dao Realms existences fighting against the experts of the Alliance of Righteous Unity also became uneasy.
"Hahaha, as expected of Senior, once he acts, there will be no accidents. Even if she is the Vice-Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, a former venerable, so what? She is still just an enemy under Senior's hand, difficult to return."
On the side of the Alliance of Righteous Unity, many experts also noticed that Ling Yuling's aura had disappeared and she did not return from the land beyond the world along with the white-robed figure.
Many experts laughed heartily, extremely pleased, their voices resounding through various universes, sweeping away all previous frustrations.
In the battle against the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, the Alliance of Righteous Unity had encountered obstacles everywhere, retreating step by step, routed and defeated.
This made them harbor a sense of depression and unwillingness.
The disappearance of Ling Yuling, in their eyes, was the key turning point to reverse the situation of this battle.
"Truly unexpected, this mysterious white-robed figure, just who is he? Even a venerable suffered a great loss at his hands and met with an accident."
"Could it be that this battle between the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity will have an accident and see a reversal?"
Throughout the Vast Expanse, many ancient existences watching this battle were also startled and shaken.
Although they couldn't observe the great battle between Ling Yuling and that mysterious white-robed figure, they could guess what ultimately happened.
If Ling Yuling had perished, there would not be just this much commotion. So it's very likely that the mysterious white-robed figure used some means to trap her in some void spacetime beyond the world.
Such means are the most troublesome and difficult to deal with, because void spacetime beyond the world is lawless, heavenless, and unbound. Once coordinates are lost, it means cultivators cannot return through normal methods.
Even if one wishes to guide them back, one must know which void spacetime they are in.
But the vast Vast Expanse, with endless spacetime, billions of universes, and countless more nameless, orderless void spacetimes, wanting to guide them back is like fishing for a needle in the sea.
"The Vice-Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance has already been defeated by Senior. Everyone, charge with me! The Heaven-Slaying Alliance is no longer a threat."
"Kill!"
Endless battle cries resounded again across the various universes. All members of the Alliance of Righteous Unity had high morale and fierce killing intent, no longer timid as before, but rather like they had taken a stimulant, fearless.
The many experts of the Alliance of Righteous Unity were also greatly encouraged, leading the charge, and a battle even fiercer than before erupted again.
"Senior Yuling has merely run into trouble, she will break free soon. We need not worry."
"A bunch of mere rats dare to be arrogant? Even without Senior Yuling overseeing, we can still sweep away everything."
Chu Xiao's eyes were cold, he shouted sharply, making the slightly demoralized Heaven-Slaying Alliance army's battle intent boil again.
He also charged first, wearing battle armor, a blood-colored long saber slashed down, a saber light like a galaxy passing through the universe, spanning time and space, overwhelmingly powerful.
The other experts of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance also acted, no longer hesitating. Instantly, tens of millions of chaotic sword lights collided in the universe, blood splattered, bones flew.
"The Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance still unwilling to act? Do you intend to let all your many experts perish here?"
"However, I'll push you a bit further, see if you still won't act. I don't believe you aren't watching this battle."
The mysterious white-robed figure stood calmly in the universe, quietly watching the slaughter.
And with his soft words, a brilliant stream of light flew out from under his wide robe. It was an array diagram, with an ancient and vast aura floating, like a scroll of heaven and earth unfolding, about to seal and suppress the universe.
This array diagram quickly flew to the high heavens of the universe, instantly extending boundlessly, slowly rotating there, covering everything.
Chaotic mist was hazy, extremely obscure, as if concealing all cosmic spacetimes. Within, Dao laws permeated, terrifying killing intent condensed.
All cultivators and living beings fighting on the battlefield couldn't help but shiver, cold all over, their eyes full of horror and fear.
"Could this be the legendary Killing Array Diagram?"
The Dao Realms existences fighting all felt a chill on their backs, as if covered by terrifying killing intent. Some looked over, their faces drastically changing in disbelief.
In the universe, after offering this array diagram, the white-robed figure did not stop, but flicked his finger. In the void, a dazzling sword light appeared, and behind him, a phantom condensed. It was one divine sword after another, extremely blurry, four in total, inserted into a mountain rock interwoven with rosy clouds.
"Appear!"
The white-robed figure shouted softly, his voice cold, his eyes even more merciless.
The four divine swords clanged loudly, rushing out from the mountain rock. As soon as they appeared, the entire universe and heaven and earth seemed filled with countless sword hums.
The four swords spanned the sky, the sword intent piercing to the bone. All living beings and cultivators felt as if their bodies were about to explode, even their souls about to be annihilated under this sword intent.
For a moment, between heaven and earth, in the universe, countless phantoms of divine swords swept and howled, dense and endless, as if slashing from spacetime, or flying out from the void.
This was true world-ending intent, capable of slaying all immortals and gods.
Only the Fourth Killing Formation, aided by the Killing Array Diagram and the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords, has such divine power that even ghosts and gods fear. When he dealt with Ling Yuling, he only borrowed a trace of its power.
"Just what is the origin of this guy? Why does even this array diagram appear in his hands?"
In the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's army, Mu Fuguang and a group of Forbidden Zone existences all had slight changes in expression.
Many among them had ancient origins and astonishing knowledge, recognizing the white-robed mysterious figure's methods at first glance.
This was precisely the legendary Fourth Ancient Killing Formation that possesses the power to slay immortals and sever gods.
"Moreover, it's the complete Fourth Killing Formation with the coordination of the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords and the Killing Array Diagram…"
"Difficult to deal with. It seems only if the Alliance Leader acts personally can we deal with this guy."
Tong Xian and a few others also frowned, not wanting a protracted battle. Under the cover of the Fourth Killing Formation, even they would be suppressed.
It is said that the origin of the Fourth Ancient Killing Formation can even be traced back to the Innate Period before the birth of the Vast Expanse, and it appeared in many eras after the Vast Expanse was born.
Each time it raised endless blood rain and wind, and countless experts perished under the Fourth Killing Formation.
The last time the Fourth Killing Formation appeared was during the Black Calamity Catastrophe, controlled by a certain venerable.
They were certain that once this killing formation took shape, not to mention the armies before them, even Ancestral Dao Realm existences would perish, pierced and torn apart here.
"Retreat. This mysterious white-robed guy has a strange origin. Even if we act, we may not be able to break this formation, and might even encounter accidents. Moreover, in the shadows of the Alliance of Righteous Unity, there are many existences who have not yet acted, watching us like tigers…"
"Unless the Alliance Leader himself acts, but who knows if he is currently watching this battle." Tong Xian sighed, a bit helpless.
These Forbidden Zone existences like them, when had they ever been so stifled? But since coming into the world, they had suffered one blow after another.
The waters of this Vast Expanse are truly terrifying.
After hearing the telepathic messages from Tong Xian and the others, Zhuo Fengxie, Hun Yuanjun, Chu Xiao, and others also became solemn and paid great attention.
After Ling Yuling's disappearance, they could only rely on these few Forbidden Zone existences for now. But even they said this, which was enough to show the terror and horror of this killing formation.
For now, it seems we can only retreat first and decide on a countermeasure later.
"Retreat."
Although Chu Xiao was unwilling, he could only blow the horn to make the Heaven-Slaying Alliance army retreat. The vast fleet of ancient war ships also began to return along the path they came.
At the same time, with a pained expression, he crushed an ancient talisman in his hand. The ancient talisman was very simple, but in the middle was imprinted a casual character "兵" (soldier), as if written carelessly.
The moment this ancient talisman was crushed, a terrifying light shot up to the sky.
The character "兵" seemed to come alive, evolving, and in the void opened a weapons Dao Treasury. A vast and boundless aura spread, chaotic light overflowed, and one divine weapon after another appeared: green lamps, ancient pagodas, divine mirrors, axes, copper bells, Bagua mirrors… various Dao tool prototypes condensed, dazzling and astonishing.
These weapons flew out, also with terrifying divine power, rushing towards the endless sword lights, colliding in the universe, erupting with boundless energy.
This was the military tally given to him by Gu Changge. At critical moments, it possessed unfathomable power that could save his life.
But now, Chu Xiao couldn't care about anything else. To let the army retreat safely, he offered the military tally to block from behind.
"Senior…"
"We can't let them just retreat like this."
Watching that vast weapons Dao Treasury, although it continuously dimmed and blurred, even cracked, it actually blocked the slowly rotating and descending Fourth Killing Formation. The many experts of the Alliance of Righteous Unity changed expression, looking somewhat displeased.
Some even came before that mysterious white-robed figure, wanting to ask him to act.
"I can't can't hold them back…"
However, to their surprise, this white-robed senior who had just looked so cold now seemed to frown and shook his head.
"I can only say, as expected of the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. Is this method intentional?" He looked at the weapons Dao Treasury and sighed.
The group of experts from the Alliance of Righteous Unity were all astonished and shocked. What did this mean?
Could it be that the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had already acted? Even this senior of mysterious origin and unfathomable strength dared not act rashly?