189: The Mark of Destiny, the Imperial Formation Appears

In the Pill Tower Holy Domain, the top floor quiet room of the star tower.

Xiao Chen sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed, and chaotic energy flowed gently around him like a docile stream. He was fully operating the Heaven Burning Furnace Art, refining the gains from the battle in Meteorite Valley and the residual power of destiny. Although he had achieved a great victory in the fierce battle against the Pavilion Master Tianji's projection, the mark of destiny that had been subtly branded deep within his soul's origin at the last moment was like an invisible poisonous thorn, making him vaguely uneasy.

"Pavilion Master Tianji... truly cunning." Xiao Chen, with his Heavenly Realm Soul (which had stabilized at the Saint Realm), introspected himself, carefully examining that extremely subtle mark. The mark was formless and insubstantial, as if it had completely merged with his soul, making it undetectable by ordinary means. Only when he activated his origin qi seed could he vaguely sense a faint, abnormal fluctuation, like an undercurrent hidden beneath a calm lake.

"This mark... it's not an attack or control, but more like a... tag?" Xiao Chen frowned slightly. He could feel that the mark posed no direct harm, but its presence allowed the Pavilion Master Tianji to vaguely perceive his location and general status at any time through the web of destiny. More importantly, this mark seemed to be connected to a vast destiny array, and once the Pavilion Master Tianji launched his ultimate move, this mark would likely become the key coordinate to lock onto him!

"He wants to treat me like a turtle in a jar? Hmph, he's miscalculated!" A cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes. He attempted to mobilize the world power of the Chaos Sacred Realm and the purifying power of Origin Qi, carefully enveloping the mark, trying to obliterate or isolate it.

"Hiss... hiss..."

The mark subtly fluctuated, emitting a trace of resisting power of destiny, but in front of the supreme essence of Origin Qi, it was ultimately futile. The mark began to fade at an extremely slow pace. However, Xiao Chen could feel that completely removing it would be no easy task, requiring persistent effort and a deeper understanding of the laws of destiny.

"Alright, I'll leave it for now. This is a good opportunity... to sense what exactly the Pavilion Master Tianji... is up to!" With a thought, Xiao Chen not only refrained from fully clearing the mark but instead separated a wisp of soul power, attaching it to the mark, and inversely sensing the destiny Veins that was connected to it in the ethereal realm!

"Buzz—!"

His soul power extended along the mark, as if it had entered an boundless mist of destiny! Within the mist, countless causal lines crisscrossed, weaving into an invisible net that enveloped the entire Central Region! And at the very center of that net, in the deepest part of the Soul Burial Mountain Range, a terrifying and heart-pounding energy was furiously gathering!

Xiao Chen's soul perspective penetrated layers of mist, vaguely "seeing" a shocking scene—

Deep beneath the Soul Burial Mountain Range, the spatial abyss that had once been destroyed by Hun Tiandi's self-detonation was, at some unknown point, covered by an unimaginably vast giant array! The array enveloped tens of thousands of miles, constructed from countless eerie runes shimmering with ghostly light and mountains of creature bones! The core of the array was no longer the Netherworld Blood Pool, but a towering bone altar! Above the altar, a constantly pulsating dark-red crystal floated, emitting an Emperor's might that was of the same origin as Hun Tiandi's, yet purer and more domineering! It was clearly a part of Hun Tiandi's residual Emperor Realm origin!

And the true body of the Pavilion Master Tianji sat at the center of the altar! He was enveloped by an impenetrable aura of destiny starlight, his hands continuously forming profound and mysterious seals! Countless thick chains of destiny extended from his body, connecting to every corner of the array, and even piercing through space, linking to countless Heavenly Secret Pavilion strongholds and controlled creatures across the Central Region!

The entire giant array was furiously drawing in the heaven and earth energy, vital blood, and even... the ancient battle souls and remnants of fallen powerhouses scattered throughout the river of history in the Central Region, with a momentum that swallowed the heavens! These energies and soul remnants, after being transformed by the array, turned into a gray-black torrent, continuously pouring into the dark-red crystal! At the same time, a portion of pure destiny power and soul origin was directly absorbed by the Pavilion Master Tianji, nourishing his body that was transforming towards the Emperor Realm!

"This is... the Ten Million Souls Prostration to Emperor Formation?!" Xiao Chen's soul was severely shaken! There were vague records in the ancestor inheritance that this was an ancient forbidden array, using billions of living beings as sacrifices to gather heaven and earth's resentment and remnant souls, forcibly forging a pseudo-Emperor's body containing endless death qi and resentment! Its power was extremely terrifying, but the side effects were enormous; the caster could easily be backlashed by resentment, lose their sanity, and become a monster that only knew how to kill!

"Pavilion Master Tianji... has he gone mad?! He actually dares to attempt to break through to the Emperor Realm with such an evil array, combined with Hun Tiandi's Emperor Realm origin?!" A monstrous wave surged in Xiao Chen's heart! He finally understood the Pavilion Master Tianji's true purpose! Hun Tiandi was merely a tool for him to collect Emperor-level energy and resentment! What he truly wanted was to use the Ten Million Souls Prostration to Emperor Formation as a furnace, Hun Tiandi's Emperor Realm origin as an lead, and the billions of living beings in the Central Region as fuel, to forge a completely controllable... destiny Emperor body!

Once successful, the Pavilion Master Tianji would instantly become an existence comparable to, or even surpassing, ordinary Dou Emperors! At that time, the entire continent would completely become his plaything, manipulated by destiny! Living beings would suffer, and there would be no peace!

"I must stop him!" Xiao Chen's soul instantly retracted, and he abruptly opened his eyes! The killing intent in his eyes erupted like a tangible force! Cold sweat drenched his back! He had underestimated the Pavilion Master Tianji's madness and ambition!

"Chen'er, why are you so flustered?" Xuan Kongzi, who was waiting outside, sensed the violent fluctuations in Xiao Chen's aura and hastily pushed open the door.

Xiao Chen took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the stormy waves in his heart, and briefly informed Xuan Kongzi of the scene he had perceived through the destiny mark.

"What?! The Ten Million Souls Prostration to Emperor Formation?! Pavilion Master Tianji... he actually dares to defy the world and commit such a world-destroying act?!" Xuan Kongzi's face instantly turned pale upon hearing this, and his body trembled slightly! As an old powerhouse who had lived for hundreds of years, he deeply understood the terror of such an evil array!

"This matter... must be immediately reported to Flame Emperor, Dragon Emperor, and all the core members of the Anti-Alliance! We alone absolutely cannot stop him!" Xuan Kongzi's voice was hoarse, filled with unprecedented gravity.

"There's no time!" Xiao Chen shook his head, his eyes as sharp as knives, "The Ten Million Souls Prostration to Emperor Formation has already taken shape, and its operation speed is extremely fast! By the time we unite all parties, the array will probably be more than half complete! By then, the Pavilion Master Tianji's power will be established, and trying to stop him will be as difficult as ascending to the heavens!"

He stepped out of the quiet room, looking in the direction of the Soul Burial Mountain Range, his voice low and firm:

"We must... act immediately! While his array is unstable and his Emperor body is not yet complete, we must launch a preemptive strike and destroy the array's core!"

"But... Chen'er! The Pavilion Master Tianji's true body is stationed within the array, and with the Ten Million Souls Prostration to Emperor Formation's enhancement, his strength is probably infinitely close to the Emperor Realm! You going alone is tantamount to suicide!" Xuan Kongzi was extremely anxious.

"Suicide?" Xiao Chen's lips curved into a cold arc, "Not necessarily!"

He raised his hand, and within his palm, the newly refined wisp of Origin Qi quietly appeared, emitting a soft yet supreme light.

"He has his evil array, and I also have my... Origin Qi and the Chaos Sacred Realm!"

"Besides... I am not entirely unprepared." Xiao Chen's gaze was deep, "Teacher, immediately gather all combat-ready forces and assemble them on the outskirts of the Soul Burial Mountain Range! There's no need to launch a strong attack; just create a commotion to tie down the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's outer forces!"

"And I..." A determined light flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes, "will once again... enter the array alone!"

"This time... it's not to destroy strongholds, but to... strike directly at the heart! The target—the core array eye of the Ten Million Souls Prostration to Emperor Formation! The target—the Pavilion Master Tianji's... true body!"

As his voice fell, Xiao Chen's aura erupted with a roar! The Five-Turn Dou Saint Peak's pressure, mixed with the supreme charm of Origin Qi and the supreme will of chaotic creation, soared into the sky! The entire Pill Tower Holy Domain trembled because of it!

"Chen'er!" Xuan Kongzi's old tears flowed freely; he knew that Xiao Chen's departure this time would be a true gamble with his life! But... it was also the continent's only hope!

"Wait for my news!" Xiao Chen took one last look at Flame Heart, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, her eyes filled with tears, then resolutely turned and stepped out of the star tower! His figure transformed into a chaotic streak of light tearing through the sky, rushing determinedly... towards the Soul Burial Mountain Range, like a dragon's pond and a tiger's den!

The bugle call for the final battle was sounded... by him first!