Within the formation, the cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Palace could clearly see who was attacking from the outside, but none of them paid it any mind.
Gong Yi casually laid down another compound defensive array for the cultivators of Mo Ying Peak. He had made up his mind not to leave the formation until his cultivation stabilized.
The cultivators from other peaks also reinforced their formations. The Tang Family cultivators, exhausted from their journey, had no energy to deal with provocation and focused instead on circulating their techniques to repair nearly torn meridians.
Hao Meng, knocked back by his own demonic qi, saw that the formation of the Heavenly Demon Palace remained completely unscathed. No one emerged to check on the disturbance either, leaving his fury stuck in his chest with nowhere to go.
He considered attacking again, but the retaliation had been so swift that he could only leave, gritting his teeth in frustration.
Shēngsǐ Kuángjūn watched it all unfold and didn't lift a finger. Those who court disaster bring it on themselves. The Heavenly Demon Palace's formation wasn't so easily broken.
Just as things calmed down, the insects deliberately released by Jian Dan's team launched a new wave of attacks. This time, the three sects actively joined the battle.
The Heavenly Demon Palace Zhūnzhǔ had already stepped in, reclaiming all lost ground. If they lost it again, they would truly have no face left.
Heavenly Demon Peak, Main Hall
Palace Msater Mo Lie frowned as he read the message sent by Mo Xuan Zhēnzūn. Jian Dan's group had moved faster than he anticipated.
"Palace Master, you summoned me urgently. Has something changed in Ming Valley again?"
Mo Zhang appeared in a flash. Mo Lie tossed him the jade slip in his hand.
"A handwritten order from Mo Xuan Zhēnzūn. Recall the 'Mo' team."
After reading it, Mo Zhang realized the situation was more dire than expected. He handed the slip back and returned to the Black Robe Guard's headquarters. There were many things he needed to arrange.
Mo Lie took the message to Mo Yan Zhēnzūn.
"Master, this is the second message from Jian Dan's group. Mo Xuan Zhēnzūn has ordered us to prepare for battle and gather forces at the entrance of Ming Valley. A major confrontation may be imminent."
Mo Yan Zhēnzūn, unusually, did not close his eyes to rest. He accepted the message, read it, and immediately gave orders:
"Senior Brother Mo Xuan has guarded the Ming Valley entrance for a thousand years. If he sent this message, we must be ready. Gather high-level cultivators. Do not bring anyone below Divine Transformation."
"Yes."
"Since he requested we notify the cultivation world, compile the message and inform every sect on Lingyun Continent under the Heavenly Demon Palace's name."
"Yes."
"Also, take my Zhēnzūn Token and retrieve the space-sealing talismans from the Treasury Pavilion. Have Mo Zhang deliver them to Mo Xuan in person. When the subspace detaches, spatial rifts will appear. They must be sealed immediately to prevent the insects from exploiting them."
"Understood."
After meditating briefly to ensure he missed nothing, Mo Yan Zhēnzūn sent Mo Lie on his way.
Mo Lie, without delay, took the Zhēnzūn Token to find Mo Yao Zhēnzūn in the Treasury Pavilion. Mo Yao bore the exact same face as Zhēnzūn Mo Xuan, but with a far sterner air.
After reviewing the message and Mo Yan Zhēnzūn's instructions, Mo Yao ascended to the pavilion's top floor. From within a warded barrier, he retrieved an ancient box—neither jade nor metal—engraved with the main peak of the Heavenly Demon Palace.
He handed the box to Mo Lie and asked Mo Zhang to relay a message to Mo Xuan.
At the Black Robe Guard's headquarters, Mo Zhang summoned the "Mo" team from closed-door cultivation.
Led by Mo Yi, the nine cultivators assembled in the great hall. Mo Zhang swept his divine sense over them. Their auras had stabilized significantly since returning from the front. The bloodthirst in them had faded, and most were now at mid to late Divine Soul stage. Mo Yi had even reached peak Divine Soul.
"Mo Zhang Zunzhǔ, the 'Mo' team has assembled."
"Good. I did not wish to disturb your cultivation, but the message from Ming Valley is urgent. Read it."
After reading, the nine cultivators silently looked to Mo Zhang, awaiting instructions.
"This time, only the Black Robe Guard and those who fought in the last Ming Valley battle will go. The Palace Master does not want lower-tier cultivators to make meaningless sacrifices. Prioritize survival while exterminating insects."
"Yes. We follow your command."
Similar alerts spread from Demonic Sound Gate, Nine Fiends Hall, and the Life and Death Pavilion. The various sects began assembling their forces.
Even the Loose Cultivator Alliance, after learning the severity of the situation, changed its tone.
Every sect publicized one rule: no cultivators below Divine Transformation would be permitted to join this war. Weakness would only feed the insects.
Some lower-tier cultivators protested, but the joint decree of every sect left no room for argument. Lacking sufficient cultivation, all they could do was grit their teeth and continue training.
Heavenly Sword Sect, Law Enforcement Hall
Jian Li received the message from the Communications Hall and summoned Jian Wu.
"Go to the Battle Hall and assemble a Divine Soul squad. We are heading to the Ming Valley entrance."
"Master, I want to come as well."
"You stay. I am going to assess the situation. I may not even need to act."
"But why?"
Jian Li turned the jade slip in his hand and explained:
"The demon sect reported this to the entire continent so everyone would owe them a favor. They do not fight and bleed in silence. This is not the demon sect's style.
Also, the detachment of the Ming Valley space from Lingyun Continent may cause instability. No one knows how it might affect the continent, so the demon sect is giving a heads-up.
They threw the punch. We must show support. It is an unwritten rule on Lingyun Continent that when facing an external threat, cultivators, demons, and beasts must unite without question."
Jian Wu nodded with understanding, then asked:
"There will be those who choose not to stand with us, right?"
"Of course. The cultivation world is vast, and some prefer to remain aloof. But in my thousand years of cultivation, I have never seen one of them ascend. Most perish halfway."
"Which is why Master always says, cultivation is 'following the heavens, defying fate.'"
"Correct."
A look of realization flashed across Jian Wu's face. The spiritual platform in his mind cleared, and the qi around him surged.
Jian Li did not expect his words to trigger an epiphany. With a flick of his sleeve, he placed a protective formation around Jian Wu, then turned and left for the Sect Leader's hall to report his departure.
On the twenty-fifth day, Jian Dan's team finally reached the space torn open above the heavens.
They crouched behind the enormous body of a three-meter-tall sword-backed draconic beast, rubbing their hands as they observed the enormous insect leg shifting through the sky.
The blizzard was fiercer here, and the air was deathly silent. Every now and then, a Ming beast would charge up to plug the rift, preventing it from expanding further.
Jian Dan clearly felt that time flowed twice as fast here compared to when they first entered the boundary point.
Watching her bone age tick upward, she felt a suffocating sense of frustration, as if she had nowhere to vent her fury.