Translator: AnubisTL
Boom!
Like a thunderclap, yet with the destructive force of an immortal king's wrath!
A Floating Island at the entrance of the Heavenly River Market was shattered into fragments by a terrifying surge of spiritual energy, its remains plummeting below as rubble.
The violent shockwave erupted outward in concentric ripples, carrying an aura of utter annihilation as it swept toward the sprawling archipelago of Floating Islands that comprised the Heavenly River Market.
The cultivators gathered at the Ascension Conference stared in stunned silence, nearly all of them momentarily paralyzed by the spectacle.
"What..."
"Am I seeing things? Is someone attacking the Heavenly River Market?"
"For the first time in a millennium, a Floating Island of the Heavenly River Market has been destroyed!"
"Hiss! Who dares to provoke the Heavenly River Sect like this?"
"..."
In that moment, talk of Heavenly Spirit Roots and the Ascension Conference seemed utterly trivial. No matter how significant those matters had seemed before, they paled in comparison to the cataclysm unfolding before their eyes.
Soon, rogue cultivators began to react. Disregarding all else, they fled in panic toward the opposite end of the Heavenly River Market, desperate to escape the impending chaos.
"Run! Run!"
"The Grand Formation has been breached! Someone's charging in!"
"This is a Third-Tier Formation! The attackers must be Core Formation Realm cultivators! Retreat immediately!"
"..."
Reacting even faster were the Foundation Establishment Realm Elders of the Heavenly River Sect guarding the market. Sensing the commotion at the entrance, they immediately soared into the air, moving in perfect coordination toward different sectors of the market.
Whoosh!
Several streaks of light shot across the sky as the Heavenly River Sect Elders moved with astonishing speed, clearly having rehearsed this emergency response beforehand.
Their destination: the Formation Cores of the Grand Formation protecting Heavenly River Market, where they would take command of this powerful Third-Tier array.
By leveraging the market's Grand Formation, they could withstand even Core Formation Realm cultivators for a considerable time, buying time for the sect's supreme elders to arrive as reinforcements.
"Damn it! They've used so many Third-Tier Formation-Breaking Talismans! This has to be the Shangqing Sect's doing!" A middle-aged Daoist nun Elder, her face tense, watched the figures emerging at the market entrance.
To orchestrate such an attack, the Shangqing Sect had undoubtedly prepared far more thoroughly than anyone could have imagined. The Third-Tier Formation-Breaking Talisman was an incredibly difficult talisman to craft, even for a Third-Tier Talisman Master, requiring an immense expenditure of divine sense power. Producing even one such talisman in a month would be considered quite remarkable.
Yet today, six of these precious talismans had appeared simultaneously, each unleashing terrifying formation-breaking power that struck several critical nodes of the Five Elements Dragon Transformation Formation.
Reacting swiftly, the Foundation Establishment Realm Elders immediately converged on the Formation Core of the Market Grand Formation, taking control of the formation to defend against the enemy.
"Damn it! They've figured out some of the formation's shifting patterns! Several of the constantly fluctuating weak points have been destroyed, preventing the formation from operating at full power!"
Once the Elders had secured their positions and taken command of the formation, they immediately noticed that the protective Grand Formation had been breached in several places by the Restriction-Breaking Talismans, and several critical nodes had been destroyed.
This was grim news. The Five Elements Dragon Transformation Formation had allowed them to hold their own against Core Formation Realm cultivators for extended periods without being at a disadvantage. But now, the situation was far less certain. The invading forces seemed to possess an intimate understanding of the formation.
An elderly Foundation Establishment Realm Elder, his face taut with tension, roared in a deep voice, "Everyone, the distress signal has been sent to the sect! Now, we only need to defend against the enemy using the Grand Formation!"
"Harness the power of the Five Elements! Transform the Grand Formation into a dragon!"
Boom!
The clusters of Floating Islands that formed Heavenly River Market began to tremble violently. The Grand Formation's spiritual light blazed with dazzling intensity, so bright that anyone looking up from the ground would have mistaken it for a second sun in the sky.
Vast quantities of heaven and earth spiritual energy surged wildly. From the heart of the market, a colossal dragon materialized, its form woven from the Five Elements, radiating terrifying pressure as it soared into the heavens.
Roar!
"Hahahaha! The formation has a weak point! Join me in blasting it open with Second-Tier Formation-Breaking Talismans!"
More and more figures materialized at the market's entrance. Then came the explosive spiritual light of Second-Tier Formation-Breaking Talismans, slamming directly into the formation's weak point, widening the breach.
This reckless assault consumed resources at an astonishing rate, yet the invading forces clearly cared nothing for the cost.
Because as long as they could capture this market, any resources spent would be more than compensated for.
This was a vital lifeline for the Heavenly River Sect, and indeed, the most prosperous market in the entire Azure Ridge Domain's cultivation world. While other major powers had established their own markets, none could match its scale and prosperity.
"Follow me! Kill the invaders!"
A colossal dragon, coalesced from the power of the Five Elements, soared into the sky. Under the control of several Heavenly River Sect Elders, it unleashed a Five Elements Killing Light toward the invading forces at the entrance.
Boom!
"Summon the Ancestral Turtle!"
The Shangqing Sect forces were clearly prepared. They immediately summoned a gargantuan turtle, its shell resembling a mountain range.
A Third-Tier Demonic Beast: the Mountain-Bearing Turtle!
This was a true demon beast with True Spirit bloodline, carrying a trace of the Black Tortoise's lineage within its veins. Its demonic power was overwhelming, far surpassing that of most demon beasts of the same tier.
The moment the Mountain-Bearing Turtle materialized, its astonishingly durable shell effortlessly blocked the Five Elements Killing Light.
Many onlookers' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, unable to believe such a terrifying spectacle was unfolding before them.
After all, this was an attack capable of killing a Core Formation Realm True Lord, yet it had been casually deflected.
A trembling voice whispered in fear, "That's a guardian beast of the Shangqing Sect, said to have come from the Boundless Sea. It's called the Mountain-Bearing Turtle and possesses a trace of the Black Tortoise's True Spirit bloodline."
Even the Sacred Beasts had been mobilized. The hearts of many sank, realizing the Shangqing Sect had completely abandoned all pretense and no longer bothered to conceal their identities.
With the colossal Mountain-Bearing Turtle's appearance, morale on the Heavenly River Market side plummeted to its lowest point, replaced by utter despondency.
In contrast, the Shangqing Sect cultivators surged forward with murderous intent, their momentum carrying them toward the site of the Ascension Conference.
"Let's go! The Ancestor Beast will block the formation attacks. We'll go slaughter that Heavenly Spirit Root brat from the Heavenly River Sect," someone declared, their target clear: the Ascension Conference venue.
News of the Heavenly Spirit Root's emergence had naturally reached their ears.
But then, a cold snort suddenly echoed in everyone's minds.
"Hmph, fellow cultivators of the Shangqing Sect, your aggressive advance suggests you truly intend to provoke a full-scale war between our sects, regardless of the consequences. Such recklessness would only lead to another era of carnage and chaos."
A towering figure soared into the sky from the market square. The moment this person appeared, the morale of the Heavenly River Sect's forces surged.
"It's Ancestor Wanshan, the supreme elder!"
"Hahahaha! Martial Uncle Wan is here! This chaos will surely be quelled today!"
"I knew Junior Brother Huai'an wouldn't have appeared so suddenly. Martial Uncle Wan was indeed here!"
"Master!"
Voices erupted as all eyes from the Heavenly River Sect focused on the majestic figure in the sky.
However, to everyone's surprise, the Shangqing Sect seemed to have anticipated this.
A clear, feminine voice echoed from behind, brimming with boundless killing intent and hatred, sending a chill down the spines of those who heard it.
"Old Ghost Wanshan, you hypocrite! Where was this righteous talk when your Heavenly River Sect invaded our Shangqing Sect over twenty years ago?"
"Today, I've come to collect my debt!"
Boom!
Another overwhelmingly powerful aura erupted from the rear entrance. A figure leaped into the air, and as its true form materialized, the ethereal strains of the Exquisite Immortal Sound suddenly began to resonate.
A woman of ethereal beauty, clad in simple, unadorned robes, descended from the heavens. Her figure was strikingly tall and slender, though her face remained veiled. Yet one could sense that she possessed a breathtakingly stunning countenance.
Surrounded by the delicate strains of Exquisite Immortal Sound, she held a graceful longsword in one hand while forming a Daoist hand seal with the other. Her aura radiated a chilling killing intent as she flew toward the Ascension Conference.
True Lord Wanshan's expression darkened slightly as he watched her approach. His gaze narrowed, and he slowly uttered three words: "Exquisite Treasure Physique!"
"Indeed," the woman replied. "I didn't die twenty years ago. Now that I've recovered my Vital Energy, I've come to settle the score."
"I heard you've taken a Heavenly Spirit Root as your close-door disciple. This time, I'll make you experience the same pain the Shangqing Sect felt twenty years ago."
The Exquisite Treasure Physique of the Shangqing Sect arrived with overwhelming force, radiating boundless killing intent and hatred. Her demeanor suggested she intended to slaughter every disciple of the Heavenly River Sect, sending shivers down their spines.
"Kill!"
True Lord Wanshan commanded his disciples in a deep voice, "Huai'an, retreat first!"
In the next moment, the two clashed, their battle erupting into a frenzy.
"So, you're merely at the Pseudo-Core stage," True Lord Wanshan sneered, his hands forming a complex seal. "Daring to invade the Heavenly River Sect before even reaching Core Formation? It seems I can finally finish what I failed to accomplish twenty years ago." The seal materialized into the Ten Thousand Mountains Seal, a divine ability he had personally created.
"Old Ghost Wanshan!" the Exquisite Treasure Physique retorted, her voice ringing with unwavering confidence. "Even if your true body were here, I wouldn't fear you!"
The Exquisite Treasure Physique's audacity—declaring her intention to slay a Core Formation Realm expert while still at the Pseudo-Core stage—sent shivers down the spines of many onlookers, who could scarcely believe their ears.
Yet some understood that this woman wasn't being arrogant; she possessed genuine strength to back her words.
Though her Exquisite Treasure Physique was newly formed and still at the Pseudo-Core stage, it already granted her the means to contend with Core Formation Realm cultivators.
Her innate killing move, the Exquisite Immortal Sound, could bypass all defenses and directly strike the divine sense power of her opponents.
"Hmph, arrogance!" True Lord Wanshan's anger flared. This was the first time anyone had dared to treat him with such contempt.
(End of the Chapter)
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