By the time the words fell, a shadow had already landed in front of Gong Yi and the other Heavenly Demon Palace cultivators.
"Mo Yue Zunzhǔ, we've been retreating at our fastest speed, but some insect beasts kept tailing us. That's what delayed us."
"Didn't any other sect stay behind to resist?"
"There were some, but their cultivation levels were too low. It was more effective for us to do it ourselves."
"This is not the time to play hero."
Jian Dan saw it clearly. The cultivators from the other sects had all rushed ahead. The ones from Nine Fiends Hall were the fastest to slip away, clearly intending to leave the Heavenly Demon Palace to cover the rear. Whether or not they would comply was another matter.
Jian Dan turned directly and ordered, "Take them!"
With a flick of her sleeve, the sleeve-space technique swallowed a quarter of the Heavenly Demon Palace's forces. Mo Su and the others immediately understood and followed suit, each gathering their groups. Afterward, they unleashed their full power, slaughtering the insects blocking the path between the two groups.
With a tap of her toe, Jian Dan vanished in an instant, reappearing at the head of the retreating party. She left a sharp scoff by Hao Meng's ear before disappearing again.
Hao Meng was so startled his heart skipped a beat. Gritting his teeth, he gathered the Nine Fiends Hall cultivators and pushed hard toward the entrance.
The other sects, seeing that the Heavenly Demon Palace's leaders had turned back, knew that a horde of insects must be approaching from the rear. None dared delay, and all quickly led their people in retreat. Two and a half days had already passed.
Jian Dan and the others pushed their speed to the limit. Just before the third day arrived, they reached the barrier laid by the Zhenzūns. Waving her hand, Jian Dan released the Heavenly Demon Palace cultivators.
"Report to the entrance. We'll handle the rearguard."
The four of them unceremoniously tossed the cultivators out and turned to rush back.
Gong Yi's team was the first to respond. The moment they landed and received the command, they rushed toward the exit.
At the entrance, the waiting magic cultivators saw that the first group to make it out were from the Heavenly Demon Palace. All eyes turned nervously toward the incoming parties.
"Reporting to the Zhenzūn: all cultivators who entered Ming Valley have now withdrawn. Mo Yue Zunzhǔ and the three Zunzhe are still inside, supporting the rear and suppressing the insects."
"Very well. You may retreat. There's no need for you to join the remaining battle."
"Yes, understood."
Gong Yi led his team straight to Team Mo and exchanged updates with Mo Yi. Mo Yi immediately wanted to go back inside to support the Zunzhe, but Mo Xuan Zhēnzūn stopped him.
"They stayed behind because they're confident they can make it out in time. If you go back in now, you'll only distract them."
Mo Yi could only give up the idea, though he remained on standby, fully prepared for battle.
As everyone waited anxiously, the array formed by the five elemental crystals at the Ming Valley entrance began to destabilize. The energy within the crystals drained rapidly. One by one, the stones faded to transparent white, and the shimmering water screen started to flicker and break apart.
The Ming Valley space was detaching.
The tremors were strongest at the entrance, shaking the ground so violently it was hard to stand. Everyone mounted their flying artifacts.
The Zhenzūns acted quickly, reinforcing the surrounding space, but the barrier at the entrance couldn't be saved. The water screen was vanishing.
Cultivators from the other sects, some crawling and tumbling, poured out from the entrance and were caught by their sectmates.
Just as the last sliver of spiritual energy left the array, Mo Su, Mo Qi, and Mo Yi charged out, each dragging a line of people behind them.
The entrance began to collapse. A single strand of silk shot out, grabbed by the trio just as Mo Yue's voice rang out.
"Mo Su! Detonate the attack talismans!"
The three exchanged a glance, then each pulled out a jade talisman and flicked it into the nearly ruined portal. At the same time, they gripped the thread tightly.
Jian Dan had already been watching the timing. As soon as she received the talisman signal, she flicked her fingers, launching the three talismans into the insect horde in three arcs—front, middle, and rear. The area nearest her was left untouched, just in case.
She was worried that activating the talismans too close would catch her in the blast. The valley was already detaching, and unstable spatial fissures could easily open. If that happened, not even a deity could save her.
Countless insects swarmed around her, unleashing one final, desperate screech. They knew they were doomed if they couldn't break through. Every single one charged at her.
Mó Yuè Zhǎn split into countless shimmering blades, spinning into a deadly wall of steel. Without needing instruction, it danced through the air, cutting down every insect that dared to come near.
Jian Dan used the chance to trigger the farthest talisman. It exploded like a ripple of water, instantly turning every insect within a hundred li into ash. Then she activated the second.
"Mó Yuè Zhǎn, we're leaving!"
She tugged on the silk thread three times in a row. The other three, already anxious, saw the almost-vanished portal and responded without hesitation. They poured their magic into the thread, pulling it back with all their strength.
Just as Mó Yuè Zhǎn returned to its complete form, it swept a sharp arc across the space, slicing through the insect horde near the entrance.
Then it rushed beneath Jian Dan, carrying her up and out through the closing gateway.
The moment the last crystal turned white and the water screen shattered completely, Jian Dan burst through, disheveled and soot-covered, yanked into the Heavenly Demon Palace formation by her companions.
As she landed, Jian Dan triggered the final talisman. Before she could even steady herself, the entire continent trembled. The bamboo sea swayed wildly, the sky turned dark, and it seemed like rain might pour at any moment.
All the major sects and noble clans activated their protective formations. The Mahayana-level Zhenzūns floated in the sky, eyes fixed toward Ming Valley. Cultivators shielded themselves and waited in midair, attention fully focused.
High atop Mount Fangcun, the old man Yin stroked his beard with one hand while making calculations with the other. A smile touched the corners of his mouth.
"The first tribulation has passed. Looks like this variable rests with the Heavenly Demon Palace. This time... things are different."
Back at the Ming Valley entrance, everyone tensed. Only when the tremors stopped completely did they begin to relax.
Mo Qi, Mo Su, and Mo Yi flew toward Jian Dan.
"You just had to play the hero, didn't you? You have no idea how worried we were. We thought you wouldn't make it in time."
Before Mo Qi could finish, her expression turned to terror. Behind Jian Dan, a massive black insect leg, nearly a hundred meters long, pierced through the space where the valley had vanished.
The Zhenzūns reacted instantly, teleporting every nearby cultivator away.
Chi Xue Shuangzi launched themselves onto the leg, their blood-colored mist beginning to corrode it like living acid. Jiusha Weng's nine-colored aura struck directly at its joints. Shēngsǐ Èr Jūn, one clad in black and one in white, appeared at the base of the leg, their machetes gleaming with deadly light as they hacked away, the sound of metal clashing echoing loud.
Mo Xuan Zhēnzūn formed a seal to open a gateway, ordering all remaining personnel to evacuate. This was no longer a battle they could assist in.
Everyone withdrew in an orderly fashion. As always, the Heavenly Demon Palace were the last to leave.
"Mó Yuè Zhǎn, can you sever that leg?"
"What are you planning?"
The weapon spirit of Mó Yuè Zhǎn frowned and asked in return.
"If we don't, we'll be stuck in another repeat of what happened inside Ming Valley."
"This isn't something you can handle alone."
"Considering I've already reached late-stage Void Refinement, at least give Heavenly Dao some face."
"I'll say this now. That thing is stronger. To cut through it, I'll need to drain every ounce of power in your body."
Jian Dan clenched her jaw and nodded.
"Zhenzūns, please stand back!"