At the peak of the Void Refining stage, few opponents remained in this world.
Lin Xiao Tian’s gaze fell deeper into the forest.
"A pity, the limit of the Immortal Slaying Formation is the Mahayana stage, and it cannot kill Mahayana stage cultivators."
This was what frustrated Lin Xiao Tian.
Above the Void Refining stage were three more realms: Lesser Mahayana stage, Mahayana stage, and Tribulation Transcendence stage.
Previously, Lin Xiao Tian could easily deal with existences below the Mahayana stage by relying on the Immortal Slaying Formation and his own formidable power.
However, once he reached the Mahayana stage, Lin Xiao Tian had little confidence.
After all, the Immortal Slaying Formation could block attacks from the Mahayana stage, but killing a Mahayana stage cultivator was extremely difficult. If Lin Xiao Tian acted rashly, he might find himself in trouble. This was unless Lin Xiao Tian could obtain the other part of the Immortal Slaying Formation, but that formation diagram had long been lost.
Yet, Lin Xiao Tian was not in a hurry. Once he reached the Mahayana stage, with the cooperation of the Immortal Slaying Formation, he would still have a chance to contend with other Mahayana stage cultivators. Moreover, the areas where Mahayana stage cultivators could operate were limited, allowing Lin Xiao Tian to fight them in the Lesser Mahayana stage regions.
During this time, Lin Xiao Tian also observed the movements within the forest, especially those of the Xuan Tian Sect, as the Immortal Slaying Formation was obtained from them.
Unfortunately, despite the many human cultivators coming and going in the Black Forest, none from the Xuan Tian Sect appeared.
Lin Xiao Tian only learned upon inquiring that the Xuan Tian Sect had been besieged by the major sects of the Central Continent a thousand years ago, causing its lineage to be severed. It was said that only one elder of the Xuan Tian Sect had escaped and his whereabouts were unknown.
As for the treasures of the Xuan Tian Sect, they had long been divided among the sects of the Central Continent.
Lin Xiao Tian sighed.
He had originally intended to help the Xuan Tian Sect, as their Immortal Slaying Formation had been of great assistance to him. He also hoped for an opportunity to obtain the other part of the formation diagram, even though that part was said to be similar in power to the current one.
Alas, the Xuan Tian Sect no longer existed.
However, the former site of the Xuan Tian Sect still remained, and the major sects constantly dispatched people to guard it.
Lin Xiao Tian planned to visit the site once he reached the Lesser Mahayana stage.
While making this plan, Lin Xiao Tian’s eyes suddenly brightened; he hadn't realized he had already reached the Lesser Mahayana stage.
Lin Xiao Tian felt it was destiny, so he took the opportunity to travel to the Central Continent.
With his current abilities, crossing continents was not a difficult task.
Upon arriving in the Central Continent, Lin Xiao Tian casually asked for directions and easily found the former site of the Xuan Tian Sect.
The Xuan Tian Sect was situated in a valley. Lin Xiao Tian looked up and observed that the location was well-chosen, being a convergence point of spiritual energy. However, after the sect's ruin, its spiritual energy had been siphoned off by other forces, and its interior was now dilapidated.
The strongest among those guarding the Xuan Tian Sect was only at the Core Formation stage. It seemed those forces had already concluded there was nothing left to plunder.
Lin Xiao Tian entered the Xuan Tian Sect with ease and looked around. Indeed, nothing remained.
At the very center of the ruins was a dilapidated building that must have been magnificent in the past. Now, its walls were stripped bare.
Lin Xiao Tian approached the wall and, with a thought, began to carve on it.
The next moment, a formation diagram appeared on the wall.
"The defensive formation of the Immortal Slaying Formation. Since your sect is gone, I can only leave it within your sect's grounds," Lin Xiao Tian sighed.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt something was amiss.
Countless points of light appeared on the ground.
Immediately after, the entire valley lit up.
*Boom!*
An unparalleled killing intent spread out and then shot towards the sky.
By the time Lin Xiao Tian reacted, the killing intent had already lunged at him.
"Damn it, there's such a powerful formation here!"
Without hesitation, Lin Xiao Tian unleashed the Immortal Slaying Formation that he had prepared all along.
Only a formation could counter a formation. The divine-grade Immortal Slaying Formation possessed the power to contend with most offensive formations.
As expected, after the formation was deployed, the killing intent weakened considerably.
However, the surging killing intent from outside still sent a shiver down Lin Xiao Tian's spine.
This killing intent would cause even a Lesser Mahayana stage cultivator to be severely injured and forced to retreat. Fortunately, he had been prepared.
It would take some time before he could leave, and he could only wait for the formation to dissipate.
As the two formations engaged in a fierce battle, Lin Xiao Tian suddenly discovered a strange harmony between them.
One attacked, the other defended; the offense was perfectly countered by the defense, as if they were prepared for each other from the start.
Lin Xiao Tian's eyes brightened.
"Could it be?"
He examined them more closely and quickly understood the trick.
"Clever stratagem. To preserve their legacy, they buried the offensive part of the Immortal Slaying Formation and had the defensive part activate it. They didn't want outsiders to inherit the formation!"
Lin Xiao Tian felt the surrounding killing intent.
As Lin Xiao Tian had predicted, this killing intent was extremely restrained when facing the defensive formation.
Once the killing intent was depleted, a formation diagram appeared within Lin Xiao Tian's defensive formation.
"Immortal Slaying Formation—Offensive Diagram!"
Lin Xiao Tian smiled slightly.
It seemed he had found it effortlessly.
With a flick of his finger, Lin Xiao Tian collected the offensive diagram.
As the diagram entered Lin Xiao Tian's sea of consciousness, he understood everything. It turned out that the reason the Xuan Tian Sect was annihilated was that all its experts had left the sect.
The reason for their departure was not elaborated upon here. However, once the other powers of the Central Continent discovered this, the sect was soon besieged.
As the strongest force in the Central Continent, it possessed countless treasures that other sects had long coveted.
Finally, with the death of the Xuan Tian Sect's strongest Void Refining stage cultivator, the battle ended. The entire Xuan Tian Sect was annihilated, with only one elder escaping.
That elder was the old man who had left the Immortal Slaying Formation in the Black Forest. After arriving in the Black Forest, he had also perished due to severe injuries.
Looking at the memories within the formation diagram, Lin Xiao Tian sighed.
What a pity for the Xuan Tian Sect.
For such a formidable sect, if its experts had not left, those forces would not have dared to act against them.
Possessing such a heaven-defying formation as the Immortal Slaying Formation, their own sect must have had cultivators at the Mahayana stage, or even stronger.
He wondered why they had left.
Lin Xiao Tian did not ponder further. After obtaining the formation diagram, he prepared to depart.
As he ascended and looked down upon the entire former site of the Xuan Tian Sect, he was suddenly surprised.
"This layout... why is it the same as Kunlun Valley?"
Initially, before the Immortal Slaying Formation was triggered, Lin Xiao Tian had not paid much attention. It was only now that he truly saw it clearly.
Was this not the same as the Kunlun Valley from Earth?
Could those who left have had a connection with Earth?
Thinking about it, with no powerful cultivators on Earth, those numerous forbidden zones couldn't all be the work of Shen Nong alone, could they?
Lin Xiao Tian had no way of knowing.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed countless auras approaching.
"Who dares trespass into the domain jointly controlled by the Eight Sects? You shall be punished by death!"
Lin Xiao Tian ignored him and turned to leave.
"Want to leave? Can you escape?"
A large net descended, inexplicably binding the heavens and earth.
Lin Xiao Tian was stunned.
This net could trap a Lesser Mahayana stage cultivator like him; it must be a valuable item.
"Heh heh, I knew there were remnants of the Xuan Tian Sect. The aura of the formation just now was extremely similar to the protective formation of the Xuan Tian Sect back then. Are you that escaped Tian Xuan Zi?"
Another sinister voice rang out. Lin Xiao Tian saw a gaunt old man.
After the old man, many more people arrived, all experts. Their strength was at the peak of the Soul Transformation stage, and the gaunt old man was at the Void Refining stage.