As the Global Spiritual Qi stirred, tides surged, sending shivers down one’s spine.

However, at that moment, Master Faming suddenly had a premonition. Although he was curious about the situation at the Void Gateway, his vigilance remained. He brought his palms together, chanting the Buddha’s name, "Merciful Buddha. Which benefactor has arrived?"

Amidst the flickering Buddhist light, the Dharma Appearance of a huge white elephant emerged on the sea’s surface. The mountain-sized elephant now shone with dazzling brilliance, like a tremendously large Buddha bead emitting bright light. The Buddhist Law of Tianlong Temple revealed its wonder at this instant.

As the Buddhist light illuminated all directions, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared on the distant sea. It was a middle-aged man dressed in the attire of a third-rank government official. With a somber expression, he squinted his eyes under the radiance of the Buddhist light.

Sensing the Vow Making Divine Skill of Tianlong Temple’s Buddhist Sect within the Buddhist light, the man’s face grew even darker. "Demon Monk!"

Dense, ink-black energy automatically formed a rigorous ceremonial defense around his body, blocking out the Buddhist light.

As the Buddhist light retracted, Master Faming and his giant white elephant reappeared. "Benefactor, please halt," Master Faming said solemnly.

Their task was to guard the perimeter. They needed to uphold the sacrificial rites of the Great Tang’s Upper Three Heavens Great Scholars, thereby suppressing the morale of the opposing Heavenly Principle Great Scholars. Additionally, they had to construct an encirclement to prevent any Heavenly Principle experts from escaping. Those Heavenly Order cultivators who had reached Upper Three Heavens Cultivation were of particular concern. If they were allowed to scatter, they might not be able to return to Heavenly Principle but could pose a threat to the Great Tang’s inland territories. The Heavenly Principle Great Scholar before them was a prime example.

Therefore, the white elephant, transformed by the willpower of Buddhist Law, took the initiative to advance.

The Heavenly Principle official, upon seeing Master Faming, also showed menacing intent. He had been moving stealthily, but now that he was intercepted by Master Faming, he decided to go on the offensive. His brush and ink were like knives as he launched a fierce attack toward Master Faming.

Lei Jun watched from the sidelines; it felt as if there was some personal vendetta at play. He suddenly remembered that Abbot Miaoxin of Tianlong Temple had been pursuing a Heavenly Order cultivator named Jiang Zhiming. However, the chase was interrupted because of Yuanmie from Great Void Temple. Taking a closer look at the Heavenly Order cultivator, Lei Jun indeed noticed that the man seemed to be injured.

Master Faming, who was directly confronting him, found the injury familiar. "Benefactor, could it be that your injury... was inflicted by the Buddhist Law of our temple?"

The Heavenly Principle Great Scholar, indeed Jiang Zhiming, scowled even more darkly at these words. His brush strokes were like knives, each slash swifter than the last. However, the School of Principle, a branch of the Confucian Sect, does not excel in brute force in Duels of Magic. Jiang Zhiming was injured, and though he benefited from the fortune of Heavenly Principle’s mountains and rivers, he was unable to exert his full power.

Master Faming, steady and methodical, did not allow Jiang Zhiming the slightest advantage. As time passed, Jiang Zhiming, unable to return to Heavenly Principle, found himself in an inescapable predicament.

However, Master Faming’s luck was not particularly favorable either. In the distance, other figures approached – remnants of Heavenly Order cultivators who had scattered after breaking the encirclement. Seeing this, the hearts of all the Tianlong Temple disciples sank. They were not currently worried about their own safety, but under these circumstances, it was uncertain if they could capture all the Heavenly Order cultivators. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Fortunately, at that moment, the "black chest" at the bottom of the sea began to stir. It emitted sounds of thunderous vibrations, and Thunder Light flashed within. The next moment, a purple Thunder Dragon, exemplifying the utmost firm and yang power of thunder, broke free from the "black chest" and soared straight into the clouds.

Lei Jun’s figure appeared on the seabed, following the Yang Gang Thunder Dragon as it smashed open the "black chest."

Jiang Zhiming and the other Heavenly Order cultivators were all startled. Meanwhile, Master Faming and the other Tianlong Temple disciples were overjoyed at the sight. Elder Lei of Dragon Tiger Mountain had successfully broken free from the seal!

As the Thunder Dragon emerged from the sea, splitting the raging sea tide below in two, Lei Jun rose above the surface amidst coiling purple lightning.

"Masters, your efforts in protecting the Dharma have been strenuous," Lei Jun said, nodding to Master Faming and the others.

Then, with a sonorous roar, the Thunder Dragon swept across the sky, its power radiating in all directions. The stubborn resistance of Jiang Zhiming and the other Heavenly Order cultivators crumbled in an instant.

"Merciful Buddha." Master Faming and the other Tianlong Temple disciples came forward with palms together, bowing to Lei Jun. "It is most fortunate that Elder Lei has emerged from this tribulation in time."

Lei Jun returned a Taoist Sect salute. "You are too kind, Masters. It was I who was delayed by the enemy’s sacrificial rite. Thankfully, the venerable monks of Tianlong Temple have been vigilant here all this while."

Master Faming repeatedly shook his head. "Elder Lei, you speak too modestly. Without your breaking of the enemy’s sacrificial rite, we would have been helpless. Elder Lei, you dared to brave great risks, disregarding personal glory, reputation, safety, and danger. You are truly a High Real of the Taoist Sect with great wisdom, Vast Magical Powers, and great courage." He paused, then added, "We are all immensely impressed."

They exchanged a few polite words. Lei Jun acted as though he had indeed been completely cut off from the outside world, inquiring from Master Faming and the others about everything that had occurred at sea previously. Due to difficulties with message relays, Master Faming was not aware of many details, so he only relayed what he knew to Lei Jun.

"In that case, I shall go and take a look at the Void Gateway. The Tianlong Temple disciples will still be needed here," Lei Jun said.

"Of course. We’ll be relying on you, Elder Lei," Master Faming replied.

Guarding the perimeter might have been somewhat tedious for them, but the key to the final victory in this battle lay in successfully sealing the Void Gateway. Although the Great Tang’s side was already assured of victory, to bring the battle to a perfect conclusion, achieving the core strategic objective—sealing the Void Gateway—was essential. That was the final and most critical battlefield, where experts from both sides converged. It was a place inaccessible to Master Faming and the others, but not to Lei Jun, who was in the Eightfold Heaven Realm and possessed Vast Magical Powers.