The towering ships and flying vessels hovered in midair, facing off against Thousand Island Water City from a distance.
The cultivators, arriving in full force, carried with them a fierce rage and murderous intent the result of the countless ambushes and losses they'd endured along the way all now directed at the mighty city ahead.
Yet beyond the fury in their eyes, there was something even stronger greed and desire.
This city had amassed centuries' worth of wealth, and the spiritual veins scattered across the islands of Thousand Island Lake made this place the most valuable territory in all of Jing Nation.
If they could take it today, all of it would become theirs.
Even though the lion's share would go to Jiuding Valley, the others could at least expect to scrape some soup from the pot.
But even a small share of such riches was a tremendous windfall for the lesser factions.
How could they not burn with fighting spirit, barely able to contain themselves?
From the most grand and majestic of the flying ships at the front of the fleet, Jiudingzi stepped forward and slowly made his way to the bow.
His gaze swept across the fortified city below, where waters surged like coiling dragons and defensive formations glimmered with power. His eyes flickered with intent.
Then, Jiudingzi began to speak:
"Ever since Daoist Bihu passed, your Thousand Island Water City has been without a proper leader, unfit to protect or govern this land. And now you even worship demonic beasts, your loyalties unclear you've betrayed the righteous cause of our human race..."
"With such disgraceful conduct, even if Daoist Bihu were still alive, he would be utterly enraged by your actions. As of today, you are no longer worthy to occupy this spiritual land!"
"I, Jiudingzi, and Jiuding Valley, having already united half the land of Jing Nation, shall now bring this nation under our rule..."
"If you surrender the Black Flood Dragon's demon core and swear allegiance, I may still spare your lives. But should you dare resist don't blame Jiuding Valley for showing no mercy and reducing Thousand Island Water City to ashes!"
Though his words were calm, spoken with the ease of someone in control, his voice thundered across the skies, echoing in all directions.
Shameless!
Hidden nearby, Li Ye, through his life-bound puppet, silently cursed in his heart.
You're the one who started this war. How do you have the gall to stand there and speak as if you're delivering divine judgment?
Seems like what Bihu's journal said was true this Jiudingzi loves grandstanding, obsessed with titles and appearances. Not a word was exaggerated.
"You shameless old thief! Spare us your self-righteous nonsense!"
From atop the city's defensive barrier, Ou Cha's face emerged, projected by the formation.
Furious, he shouted back,
"You're nothing but a pseudo-core cultivator who refined a beast's demon core how dare you compare yourself to my master?!"
"It's clear Jiuding Valley just covets the wealth and collections our city has gathered over the years. To twist the truth and act as if you're in the right your shamelessness knows no bounds!"
"If it's a fight you want, then a fight you'll get!"
"Insolent brat..."
Jiudingzi's face darkened.
"Since you insist on courting death, then don't blame me for being merciless!"
"Attack!"
With that one command, the army surged into motion.
But before Jiuding Valley's forces could even strike, the massive defensive formation covering the city suddenly erupted like a storm.
Waves surged into the sky as countless water flows transformed into aquatic beast spirits of all shapes and forms. With deafening roars, they swarmed toward the army, covering the heavens and earth!
This meant only one thing the formation's range was rapidly expanding.
Suddenly, spatial energy rippled through the ranks of Jiuding Valley's forces. Even flying ships couldn't escape the pressure from the formation's spatial seal was too intense.
They were helpless as giant waves crashed into them, scattering the entire fleet into different areas, separated by the spatial array exactly as Thousand Island Water City had planned.
"Kill! Drive back the invaders and defend our city! Today is the day we fight for our home!"
Ou Cha roared, and his many fellow disciples each led their respective squads, charging at the Wu Nation forces that had been dragged into the great formation!
In an instant, towering waves surged, the formation sealing off all directions. The sounds of battle shook the heavens, and bright red blood swiftly dyed the lake waters crimson.
Even the life-bound puppet that had been lying dormant on the outskirts of the city with no prior movement was now drawn into the formation's range.
But this had been entirely within Li Ye's expectations he had allowed it to happen deliberately.
Thanks to the mysterious power of the Heavenly Craft Scripture, the formation's barriers were unable to sever his control over the puppet.
With one inside and one outside the formation, Li Ye could now observe the battlefield from both perspectives, giving him a clearer picture of the overall situation. It also helped guard against any unexpected intruders trying to drag him into a trap.
"Still… even for a third-tier grand formation, trying to trap such a massive army puts it under immense pressure..."
"The intensity of the spatial seals across different areas, and the offensive power the formation can unleash, will both inevitably weaken…"
"That's simply the limitation of the formation itself. Unless the core array artifact is something extraordinary, even with a third-tier array master personally overseeing it, there's no way it can last long!"
"To keep the formation from collapsing, the only option is to kill quickly. The more enemies that fall, the less strain the formation will face, and with reduced pressure, it can be used more skillfully over time…"
Li Ye silently assessed the situation, then shook his head.
Jiudingzi might be a fake core cultivator, but he'd lived a long time and was the one who initiated this war how could he possibly not understand the limitations of a third-tier formation?
There's no way he'd let Thousand Island Water City play this to their advantage!
Suddenly
A deafening dragon roar echoed through the skies!
A torrent of black water surged directly toward Jiudingzi.
The third-tier black flood dragon had finally joined the fray, intercepting Jiudingzi within a special space isolated by the formation's operators.
This black flood dragon was terrifying rather than majestic: covered in dark, scale-like armor, four claws extended from its underbelly, and a single horn jutted from its head.
Empowered by the formation, its massive claws and the raging black waves it controlled possessed immense might.
CLANG!
The golden cauldron in Jiudingzi's hand flashed and rapidly expanded into eight illusory cauldrons, forming a barrier before him.
But with just one strike from the flood dragon, the illusory cauldrons shattered under the onslaught of black water, and the golden cauldron itself was sent flying, sparks of golden light scattering violently through the air.
A hint of shock appeared in Jiudingzi's eyes as he was forced backward, tumbling nearly a hundred meters before he could barely regain his footing.
Even so, he had still suffered internal injuries.
Yet, when he looked again at the black flood dragon, his gaze burned with even greater fervor.
But that excitement soon turned to a darker expression. A quick scan of the flood dragon with his divine sense, along with an observation of the formation's workings, revealed something troubling.
The roaring black waves weren't entirely natural they were a manifestation of the formation's power, enhancing the dragon.
And as the Wu Nation cultivators continued to fall, the flood dragon was gaining even more power!
Without the array's support, the flood dragon who had only recently reached the third tier shouldn't have made such rapid progress. For a demonic beast, true power accumulation requires time.
Even as a fake core cultivator, Jiudingzi should not have struggled to withstand a single strike.
"They're fortifying the formation to amplify the dragon's power in hopes of using it to kill me. If they succeed, it'll break the siege and turn the tide in their favor…"
Jiudingzi chuckled under his breath.
He no longer tried to clash directly with the oncoming waves. Instead, he used his golden cauldron to dodge repeatedly, relying on speed and positioning.
At most, he summoned illusory cauldrons to momentarily resist and look for weaknesses in the formation to break free.
This evasive maneuvering made him look more like a rat scurrying around, far removed from the confidence and flair he had displayed earlier.
But it worked.
It only made the flood dragon angrier, its attacks growing more savage by the second.
This man dares covet the legacy my master left behind. He must die only then can this crisis be resolved!
"Now… it should be just about time," Jiudingzi thought silently.
And just then
All across the battlefield, the massive flying ships, previously stationed at key locations, exploded without warning!
With no regard for friend or foe, their devastating force tore through the formation, creating instant chaos.
Had it been just one or two, it wouldn't have mattered.
But these ships were strategically scattered across the battlefield, and now they were detonating simultaneously, placing immense, unprecedented pressure on the formation.
"Not good!"
At the command center, Song Hongguang's expression changed dramatically, but it was too late.
He could only watch helplessly as, under this relentless assault, the formation's spatial partitions began to collapse, and its power weakened sharply.
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