Whoosh!

Sword light tore through the air. A total of 146 great cultivators from the Xuanming Sect, led by Grand Elder Song Xuan, had rushed toward Fangyuan Island at the fastest possible speed.

As they headed for Fangyuan Island, they had remained in constant communication with Lyu Ming. He was stationed there to ensure that coordination between both sides stayed smooth and uninterrupted.

At the same time, the Heavenly Palace Hall under their command exerted every effort to search for the whereabouts of the group of sword cultivators from the Nine-Cauldron Sect. Although the hundred-plus great cultivators of the Nine-Cauldron Sect moved extremely fast, thanks to the observation outposts hastily deployed during this period, the Xuanming Sect could still roughly estimate their position.

Song Xuan urged the cultivators behind him. "They’re getting closer and closer to Fangyuan Island. We have to speed up!"

"Fangyuan Island doesn’t have many arrays," a third-tier Foundation Building sword cultivator behind him said calmly. "The strongest ones are amplification arrays, but there are also two level 5 defensive arrays in place. With those two arrays holding the line plus our strength, the Nine-Cauldron Sect won’t be able to do anything to Fangyuan Island for at least three to five hours."

"Those arrays were ultimately set up by the Nine-Cauldron Sect," Song Xuan replied cautiously. "Who knows what hidden contingencies they left behind. If they had brought array casters and quickly broken through the two major defensive arrays, Fangyuan Island would have fallen before we arrived."

The sword cultivator smiled. "If they had really brought array casters, there’s no way they could be flying this fast. Instead of worrying about not making it to Fangyuan Island in time, you should be more concerned that our movements might be detected. If they notice us and change tactics, retreating back to the Nine-Heaven Domain, that would be the real problem."

Song Xuan said, "The sword cultivators sent out to scout all have primordial psyche cultivators with them. They’ll deal with any possibility of exposing our objective. Sure, it isn’t a completely reliable method.

"Still, even if the Nine-Cauldron Sect realizes we’re coming, at most they’ll shift their attention to us rather than retreat outright. If they withdrew without a fight despite having mobilized such a large force, they would have no dignity left."

The third-tier sword cultivator opened his mouth to say something more when a primordial psyche cultivator stepped forward. "Grand Elder, something feels off."

"What is it?" Song Xuan asked.

"I’ve been in constant contact with the hall master. Although he’s been responding to my messages, the way he’s responding feels wrong."

"The way he’s responding?" Song Xuan froze briefly, then immediately asked, "What about the code phrases? Did they match?"

The primordial psyche cultivator had a heavy expression. "They did, and I verified things from other angles as well. It’s just that... I still feel like something's wrong."

"If everything has been verified and there’s no issue, then the problem shouldn’t be serious," the sword cultivator said. "You’re probably tense and uneasy because a major battle is about to break out."

The primordial psyche cultivator forced a bitter smile. "Maybe that’s all it is. I—"

Just then, a sword cultivator flying at the very front seemed to see something, his eyes widening. As the light tearing through the clouds drew closer, he shouted sharply, piercing the sky, "Flying swords incoming!"

"Flying swords?!"

"Where did they come from?!"

"Counterattack!"

Shock, disbelief, and hastily shouted orders erupted.

Life-or-death combat between Foundation Building sword cultivators differed completely from clashes between high-tier sword cultivators.

For high-tier sword cultivators, a life-bound flying sword reaching Mach 5 was already the limit. Combined with their keen eyesight and vast fields of vision, often extending dozens or even hundreds of kilometers, launching a successful ambush was extremely difficult.

At the Foundation Building Realm, they usually used sword formations to affect and restrict cultivators over a large area, especially during large-scale engagements between sword cultivators. As for the sword cultivators responsible for the first wave of assault, flying sword speeds generally exceeded Mach 20.

What did that mean? It meant that even if other cultivators spotted the flying swords from fifty kilometers away, they would still have only one or two breaths’ worth of reaction time. At most, they could hurriedly draw their blades. Any talk of formations or coordination was out of the question.

Yet, they were facing a formation of flying swords. In the blink of an eye, over ten great cultivators at the very front were torn apart, reduced to clouds of blood mist. The flying swords streaked past at high speed, and the thunderous booms from their impacts produced visible white shockwaves that filled the void, completely blowing away the scattered blood mist.

Nevertheless, Song Xuan knew that this was not the time to mourn their sacrifices. His spiritual consciousness expanded instantly, covering the entire battlefield.

"Form sword formations! Use Defensive Formation No. 16 to protect the spell cultivators and psyche cultivators! Spell cultivators, prepare environmental spells to shape the battlefield in our favor! Psyche cultivators, assist the sword cultivators in locating the enemy. Also, immediately request reinforcements from Fangyuan Island. We’re under attack!"

"Understood!"

The primordial psyche cultivators who received the orders immediately entered the Void Psychic World to transmit the message. The other primordial psyche cultivators began searching for the source of the enemy’s attack, hoping to guide their own sword cultivators in launching a counterstrike.

However, the moment their psychic thought was released, they all felt an indescribable interference and suppression. As a result, they could not guide their sword cultivators in attacking, locate the enemy’s position, or even send a request for aid to Fangyuan Island.

The expressions of all the primordial psyche cultivators changed drastically.

"Our psychic thoughts are being suppressed!"

"This kind of suppression is vast and overwhelming. At the very least, it has to be a fifth-tier primordial psyche cultivator who has undergone more than ten rounds of Purple Firmament Divine Lightning refinement. Could it be Cang Hai, the one who once guarded the East Sea's islands?!"

"No! Even Cang Hai never wielded this kind of power. It’s Heavenly Palace cultivators! Their Heavenly Palace cultivators have sealed off this entire area!"

They struggled desperately against the suppression. Yet the more they resisted, the more powerless they became.

Heavenly Palace cultivators were the most powerful and extraordinary existence at the Primordial Psyche Realm! Each one carried an astronomical cost, no less than that of the somewhat less advanced Sky Patrol Warships.

With the strongest primordial psyche cultivators stationed within them, they could rely on the arrays inside the Heavenly Palace to project psychic thought down from above the nine heavens, achieving precise surveillance and complete lockdown over an entire region.

Without exaggeration, Heavenly Palace cultivators were essentially simplified Dharma Form cultivators in an era without true Dharma Forms. Only sects that possessed Golden Core cultivators could develop Heavenly Palace cultivators.

Likewise, only Golden Core experts could escort a Heavenly Palace, protecting the primordial psyche cultivators as they traversed the Nine-Heaven Astral Wind layer, the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning layer, and the chaotic distortion layer, eventually reaching the realm above the nine heavens. Only then could the Heavenly Palace be deployed and set into orbit around the Great Cangwu World.

Even sects capable of forging a Heavenly Palace and possessing fifth-tier primordial psyche cultivators still found ascending to the nine heavens nearly impossible. Becoming a Heavenly Palace cultivator was arduous, and its power was proof of that difficulty.

Under the lockdown of the Heavenly Palace cultivators, all of the primordial psyche cultivators were reduced to little more than numbers, utterly incapable of providing any support.

Seeing his men fall into chaos, Song Xuan knew he could rely only on the sword in his hand.

He roared sharply, "Sixth Junior Brother, lead the Foundation Building spell cultivators and primordial psyche cultivators and break through! Everyone else, follow the trajectory of the incoming flying swords and kill! Let us turn the impossible into possible. In these extreme circumstances, we fight with our backs to the wall! We will reverse the situation and forge a legend for the Xuanming Sect! No, for the entire East Sea!"

"Yes!" the sword cultivators who received the order answered in unison, their fighting intent surging. The resolve to seize life from the jaws of death burned in their eyes.

In the next moment, another wave of psychic consciousness spread among the crowd. "This region is already under the control of the Nine-Cauldron Sect’s Heavenly Palace cultivators. The speed of our spell cultivators and primordial psyche cultivators cannot possibly surpass that of the Nine-Cauldron Sect’s sword cultivators. How can we escape? On the contrary, it’s we sword cultivators who should scatter and retreat.

"If even one escapes, that’s one saved. Only then can we better conserve the sect’s remaining strength! Therefore, letting the Foundation Building spell cultivators and primordial psyche cultivators bring up the rear is the correct course. Sword cultivators, scatter and break through!"

That surge of psychic consciousness caused emotions to churn among the sword cultivators. Quite a few felt that it made sense. With life and death at stake, not every sword cultivator had the conviction to sacrifice themselves for others, to seek survival through death.

"Nonsense! Scattering means being picked off one by one!" Song Xuan screamed angrily, sensing the shift in morale. Then, he felt that something was amiss. "Wait, no! Whose psychic consciousness was that?!"

A primordial psyche cultivator clearly perceived the disguise and sudden eruption of that wave of psychic thought. "It’s the Nine-Cauldron Sect’s Heavenly Palace cultivators interfering with us!"

Song Xuan was just about to speak again when another batch of sword light appeared at the far edge of his vision. The second wave of flying swords was slower, but far deadlier. Turned into a sword formation, they swept in like a violent storm.

That overwhelming, all-encompassing sword qi made Song Xuan’s expression change drastically. His psychic consciousness erupted. "Form up!"

Hum!

Psychic thought that he could almost perceive clearly exploded throughout the void. The psychic consciousness he had spread out to relay commands was directly scattered by that surge.

As a result, apart from a small number of cultivators nearby, those farther away still appeared as if they were fighting on their own. The consequences made his mind go blank. Their communication could only rely on shouting? Tactical coordination could only be barked out loud?!

Foundation Building sword cultivators moved at terrifying speeds. A single maneuver could span dozens or even hundreds of kilometers. How loud would his voice have to be? This was plain impossible!

Song Xuan felt utterly stifled. Before he could vent that frustration, yet another wave of psychic thought exploded inside everyone’s minds. What nearly made him spit blood was that it had even mimicked his own psychic consciousness fluctuations.

"Retreat! Retreat now! Whoever can escape, escape!"