168: Chapter 168 Bloody Battle on the Front Lines, Initial Formation of the Formation

Burial Dragon Abyss outer defense line, Sentry Tower No. 7.

Zhao Si lay prone at the lookout, staring intently at the dark red mist in the distance.

He was the captain of the Third Squad of the Luoxia Sect War Department, with a Late Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation.

Three days ago, he had brought ten brothers to rotate into this sentry tower.

Since then, he hadn't closed his eyes once.

"Boss, those things... will they come today?"

Beside him, the young Cultivator Wang Wu's voice trembled.

He was only at the Early Stage Foundation Establishment, a Disciple who had newly joined the Sect three months ago.

"They will."

Zhao Si didn't even turn his head: "In these past three months, which day have they not come?"

Indeed, it had been a full three months.

Ever since that day Lin Yue slew five demons with a single sword, the Spirit Devouring Clan had changed their strategy.

They no longer launched large-scale offensives, opting instead for daily waves of exploratory attacks.

Each wave consisted of a hundred monsters, led by one or two Golden Core level monsters.

The timing was uncertain, the direction unpredictable.

Like a maggot on a bone, they continuously drained the energy and resources of the Human Race Cultivators.

"But boss, we've already been on guard for three days..."

Wang Wu hadn't finished his sentence.

The red mist in the distance suddenly surged!

"They're here!"

Zhao Si stood up abruptly and struck the alarm bell with his fist.

Dang! Dang! Dang!

The urgent ringing of the bell echoed through the sentry tower.

Almost simultaneously, the alarm bells of the other six sentry towers also rang out one after another.

"Seventh Squad, prepare to engage the enemy!"

Zhao Si drew the long saber at his waist—this was the newly issued "Evil-Bane War Saber," its blade engraved with a simplified version of the Evil-Bane Rune, dealing extra damage to monsters.

The ten squad members quickly took their positions.

They were all wearing standard-issue "Star Pattern Leather Armor." Although it was only second-tier Low Grade, it was several times stronger than their previous cloth armor.

"Remember the tactics!"

Zhao Si growled: "Groups of three, form a triangular Formation. Don't fight head-on; focus on stalling. Hold out for a hundred breaths, and reinforcements will arrive!"

"Yes!"

The squad members responded in unison. Though there was fear in their eyes, there was even more determination.

In three months, they had long grown accustomed to this kind of combat.

The red mist dispersed.

Over a hundred monsters of various shapes and sizes swarmed out.

Leading them were two "Bone-Spike Demons" covered in bone spurs, their auras clearly at the Early Golden Core Stage!

"Golden Cores leading the way again..."

Zhao Si gritted his teeth: "Old rules, I'll stall the one on the left, you guys deal with the small ones!"

He leaped out of the sentry tower, his long saber cleaving out a silver saber-qi.

This was the standard-issue "Army-Breaker Saber Technique" of the Luoxia Sect War Department—though only third-tier Low Grade, when paired with the Evil-Bane War Saber, its power was not to be underestimated.

"Roar!"

The Bone-Spike Demon on the left growled, bone spurs shooting out like raindrops.

Zhao Si's figure flashed repeatedly, his saber light forming a curtain.

Clang clang clang clang!

The bone spurs were all blocked.

But with every strike he blocked, the web of his hand was shaken numb.

This was the gap in strength between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core.

If not for the Evil-Bane War Saber and the Star Pattern Leather Armor's enhancement, he probably wouldn't have lasted three moves.

"Boss, watch out!"

An exclamation came from behind him.

From the corner of his eye, Zhao Si saw the other Bone-Spike Demon actually bypass the squad members and pounce straight toward him!

"Oh no—"

At this critical moment.

A streak of green sword light descended from the sky!

Puchi!

The sword light accurately pierced the back of the Bone-Spike Demon's neck, passing right through!

The Bone-Spike Demon's body froze and crashed to the ground.

"This is..."

Zhao Si looked up.

He saw three Cultivators dressed in Qinglan Sect robes flying toward them on swords.

The leader was a cold-faced youth with an Early Golden Core Stage cultivation.

"Qinglan Sect, Li Qingfeng."

The youth landed, his sword light returning to its scabbard: "Ordered by the Sect Master to rotate to the seventh defense line."

"Many... many thanks, Senior Li!"

Zhao Si breathed a sigh of relief.

"No need."

Li Qingfeng glanced at the monster swarm still rampaging in the distance and said calmly: "Have your people retreat; leave this to us."

"Yes!"

Zhao Si hurriedly led his squad members back.

He saw Li Qingfeng and the other two form a simple sword Formation, sword lights crisscrossing.

Their coordination was seamless, their killing decisive.

In just thirty breaths, the hundred-plus monsters were completely wiped out.

Even those two Bone-Spike Demons were slain by their swords.

"So... so strong."

Wang Wu was dumbfounded.

"Is this the strength of a Golden Core Cultivator..."

"No."

Zhao Si shook his head: "This is the strength of elite Disciples from a major Sect. Ordinary Golden Cores aren't this efficient."

He looked at the departing backs of Li Qingfeng's trio, envy showing in his eyes.

When would he be able to break through to the Golden Core?

Frontline Command Center.

The Star Track Pavilion Master stood before a sand table, his brows furrowed tightly.

Dozens of small flags were stuck on the sand table, representing the direction and intensity of the daily monster attacks.

"Pavilion Master, this is today's battle report."

Immortal Master Qing Luan handed over a Jade Slip.

The Star Track Pavilion Master swept it with his Divine Sense, and his face darkened further.

"Casualties have increased again?"

"Yes."

Immortal Master Qing Luan sighed: "Today, seven sentry towers were attacked. Nine were killed in action, and twenty-three were heavily wounded. Although the monsters were successfully repelled..."

But she didn't continue.

Over the past three months, she had seen too many similar battle reports.

The cumulative number of fallen Cultivators had already surpassed a hundred.

Although most of them were new Disciples at the Early or Middle Stage Foundation Establishment, for any Sect, this was not a small loss.

"However, there is also good news."

True Person Xuan Jian, who was standing to the side, added: "In these three months, many frontline Cultivators have broken through under the pressure of life and death. Just those who advanced from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core number over thirty."

"Among them, the Luoxia Sect accounts for more than half."

Immortal Master Qing Luan nodded: "Those children of the Lin family are particularly outstanding. Lin Mo broke through to the Late Golden Core Stage last month. Yesterday on the eastern defense line, he fought three Golden Core monsters alone, killing two and heavily wounding one."

"And then there's Lin Qing. She participates in battles in her spare time from Alchemy. By combining her pill fire with the Power of the Stars, she created a 'Starfire Demon-Incinerating Technique' that is exceptionally effective against monsters."

"Lin Hu's War Department is even more fierce. Yesterday on the southern defense line, they used a hundred-man battle Formation to clash head-on with two hundred monsters, killing over half while suffering only seven casualties themselves."

Hearing these reports, the Star Track Pavilion Master's expression softened slightly.

The casualties were certainly heartbreaking.

But the growth of the Cultivators was even more heartening.

War was, after all, the best whetstone.

"How is the progress of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array?"

The Star Track Pavilion Master looked at Heavenly Craftsman.

Heavenly Craftsman was hunched over a massive Formation diagram, sketching. Hearing the question, he looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

"The Thirty-Six Heavenly Stem Auxiliary Formation Eyes are all complete."

His voice was raspy: "Of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Auxiliary Formation Eyes, fifty-four are finished. As for the Three Hundred and Sixty Minor Zhou Tian Formation Eyes... one hundred and twenty are still missing."

"In other words, the overall progress has reached seventy percent?"

"Seventy-three percent."

Heavenly Craftsman rubbed the space between his eyebrows: "But this final twenty-seven percent is the most difficult part. Especially the main formation eye—it requires the void ancient tree seed as its core, but that seed was contaminated by evil energy. The World Tree has only purified sixty percent of it so far."

"At this rate, it will take at least another two months to be fully purified."

Two months... the Star Track Pavilion Master calculated in his mind.

Over the past three months, the speed at which the Seal crack was expanding had clearly accelerated.

Initially, it expanded only an inch a day.

Now, it was expanding three inches a day!

Based on this projection, they simply couldn't wait two months.

"Pavilion Master."

Sect Master Mo Chen, who had been silent, suddenly spoke: "Yesterday, I used the Qinglan Sect secret technique 'Heaven-Viewing Mirror Technique' to investigate the core of the Seal, and I discovered something."

"What is it?"

"The expansion of the Seal crack... is not at a constant speed."

Sect Master Mo Chen's expression was grave: "Instead, every seven days, there is an 'acceleration.' Last week's acceleration was thirty percent greater than before."

"You mean..."

"Someone is controlling the speed of the crack's expansion."

Sect Master Mo Chen said in a deep voice: "Furthermore, the opponent's control is strengthening. At this rate, after at most five more accelerations—which is thirty-five days—the crack will expand enough for a Late Nascent Soul Stage general to enter and exit freely."

"In thirty-five days?!"

Immortal Master Qing Luan's face changed: "But our Great Array will take at least two months to complete!"

"Then it must be moved up."

The Star Track Pavilion Master took a deep breath: "Heavenly Craftsman, if we don't aim for a perfect setup and just want it to function... how fast can it be done?"

"The fastest..."

Heavenly Craftsman thought for a moment: "If we give up twenty-four of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Auxiliary Formation Eyes and only set up the critical forty-eight; then give up sixty of the one hundred and twenty minor Zhou Tian formation eyes... then within a month, we can barely complete a 'simplified version' of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array."

"What about its power?"

"Only sixty percent of the full version. Furthermore, the load is immense; for every hour it runs, it will consume three first-tier Spiritual Veins."

Heavenly Craftsman paused: "Most importantly—because we don't have a fully purified Void seed as the core, the Great Array's 'banishment' function cannot be activated. We can only use it to suppress the monsters; we won't be able to banish the Burial Dragon Abyss into the spatial layers."

In other words, they could only defend and could not completely solve the problem.

A heavy silence fell over the command center.

"Then set up the simplified version first."

The Star Track Pavilion Master finally made a decision: "Having a month to prepare is better than being caught off guard in thirty-five days."

"As for completely solving the problem..."

He looked in the direction of the Sect.

"It will depend on whether young friend Lin Yue can break through at the final moment."

At the same time, in the Grotto-Heaven time pool.

Lin Yue sat cross-legged at the center of the pool, his aura as deep and vast as an abyss or an ocean.

Three months had passed in the outside world, but three and a half years had gone by in the pool.

His cultivation had long since stabilized at the Late Nascent Soul Stage.

He had even touched the threshold of the Peak of the Late Stage.

However, the final hurdle of the four-source Fusion—completely integrating the spatial Law into the star dragon nascent soul—was still just a hair's breadth away.

"Master, there is urgent intelligence."

Hao Tian's voice rang out.

Lin Yue opened his eyes: "Speak."

"The Star Track Pavilion Master has deduced that the Seal crack will expand enough to allow Late Nascent Soul Stage generals to enter and exit freely in thirty-five days."

"Thirty-five days?"

Lin Yue frowned: "That's twenty-five days earlier than estimated."

"Yes. Additionally, Senior Heavenly Craftsman has decided to set up a simplified version of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array, to be completed within a month, but it will be unable to use the banishment function."

"..."

Lin Yue remained silent.

After a moment, he spoke: "Hao Tian, if I were to forcibly charge for the Peak of the Late Nascent Soul Stage, how long would it take?"

"Given Master's current progress, it would take at least another two years in the pool—which is forty-eight days in the outside world."

"That's too long."

Lin Yue shook his head: "I can't wait that long."

He stood up and walked out of the time pool.

"Where is Master going?"

"To a certain place."

Lin Yue's eyes were deep: "The Star Lords Palace."

"The Palace? Why is Master going there?"

"To retrieve something."

Lin Yue tore through space: "When the Star Lord sealed the Spirit Devouring Clan back then, he used more than just the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array; there was also a supreme treasure—the 'star constellation demon suppressing monument'."

"This monument can suppress a region of space and slow down the flow of time."

"While it won't completely solve the problem... it can buy us time."

As his voice fell, he had already stepped into the Void Realm.

His target—deep within the Burial Dragon Abyss, the ruins of the Star Lords Palace.

This time, he was going to take back the final trump card left by the ancient Star Lord.

To fight for that glimmer of hope for the Human Race.