[Host, his last known location is the Black Turtle Continent. I am unable to pinpoint his exact position, but as long as you are within a thousand-kilometer radius, I will alert you.]
Shen Yi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "A thousand kilometers? That's practically useless. The Black Turtle Continent is enormous… I'd have to search for him for hundreds of years."
[Host need not worry. As long as you remain on the Black Turtle Continent, you are bound to encounter him eventually. He has already killed two previous system hosts, so your paths are destined to cross.]
Shen Yi's eyes widened, and a flash of panic crossed his face. "What?! He killed two others?!"
[The previous hosts were far weaker than you. You are by far the strongest host. As long as you find him, eliminating the anomaly will be no problem.]
A confident smirk crept onto Shen Yi's face, his arrogance restored.
"That's right. I'm destined for greatness! Once I dominate Red Pole, I'll ascend to the Immortal World, and no one will stand in my way!"
Outside the Black Turtle Sect.
Feng Fan flew alongside the others toward Azure Bird City after regrouping with Cao Zhu and Gong Long.
"Guys, what are we gonna do? The foreign cultivators will kill us all!" Cao Zhu cried out as he flew behind them, desperation evident on his face.
Feng Fan glanced over his shoulder, frowning, but before he could say anything, Gong Long spoke up.
"Shut up! As long as we're alive, we still have a chance to get back at them. Panicking won't help."
Feng Fan nodded inwardly. 'Hmph, at worst, I'll hide in some remote corner for decades and cultivate. I doubt I won't be strong enough to kill them all by then!'
He grabbed the communication token Elder Jiang had given him and quickly sent a message.
"Elder Jiang, we got Cao Zhu and Gong Long. Did you find Huang Xue and Yi Qiuyue?"
It didn't take long for a response from the other side; it was Elder Jiang's voice.
"Yes, I'm heading toward the Black Turtle Sect. Find me on the way."
Feng Fan and the others let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Feng Fan, where should we go?" Tan Wei asked, his expression grim.
"For now, let's focus on regrouping and getting as far away from the Black Turtle Sect as possible. That'll be the first place the foreign cultivators strike," Feng Fan replied.
Feng Fan's group wasn't the only one with that thought. Hundreds of other disciples were already retreating, accompanied by some elders, while the older generation stayed behind to make a final stand and buy time for the younger ones to escape.
Feng Fan had seen the expressions on those who stayed behind—the look of people who had already resigned themselves to death.
And just as they feared, hundreds of foreign cultivators appeared on the horizon. The weakest among them was at the Dao Seeking realm, while the strongest was a Transcending Tribulation realm expert.
The Transcending Tribulation expert glanced at the Black Turtle Sect elders as if looking at mere ants. All those with strength comparable to his were trapped in the Azure Dragon Continent, making him effectively the strongest cultivator within the Black Turtle Continent at the moment.
With a wave of his hand, dozens of Return To Void experts appeared beside him. "Kill the elders, enslave the young," he commanded coldly.
He clenched his fist, and a mighty hammer surrounded by crackling lightning manifested behind him. As his punch surged forward, the hammer followed, unleashing a devastating blow.
Hammer and lightning struck the barrier protecting the Black Turtle Sect, shaking the air and quaking the earth below. The barrier trembled but didn't shatter. It held firm despite the ferocious attack.
"Attack with me! Break their defenses!" the Transcending Tribulation expert shouted.
At his command, dozens of attacks surged from the horizon, all aimed at the barrier ahead. With each passing second, the barrier trembled more and more—it wouldn't hold for long.
The elders watched grimly as the foreign cultivators relentlessly attacked the barrier. Comparing their remaining forces to the enemy's was like comparing a baby to an adult—they were doomed to lose this battle.
But finally, someone among them shouted, "Defend our home! Buy time for the younger generation to escape!"
With those words, determination ignited on their faces as they lunged forward.
Those proficient in Array Dao controlled the barrier, unleashing spiritual qi attacks at the invaders. The qi cultivators fired their techniques from a distance, remaining safely protected behind the barrier. Meanwhile, the body cultivators hurled themselves at the enemy, slaughtering anyone who stood in their path without a care for their own lives.
Their fierce resistance seemed to slow the enemy's advance, but it was clear to everyone that this was a battle of desperation. The elders knew that even if they couldn't win, they had to make every second count—to buy as much time as possible for the younger generation to escape and survive.
The foreign Transcending Tribulation expert smirked with disdain. "Pathetic. A bunch of losers."
His eyes locked onto a Breaking the Void realm expert outside the barrier, who was wreaking havoc within their formation. In a flash, he appeared next to the man, his fist crackling with lightning-infused spiritual qi.
His enemy barely had time to react before the lightning fist smashed into his head. Despite the body cultivator's robust vitality and defense, the gap between realms was insurmountable. His skull exploded in a shower of flesh and blood, and his headless corpse crumpled to the ground.
The Transcending Tribulation expert wasted no time and moved on to his next target with terrifying speed.
Each punch claimed a life, spreading fear and despair among the Black Turtle Sect warriors. No matter how fiercely they fought, it felt like they were nothing more than ants under the crushing might of an elephant.
Tendrils of spiritual qi shot out from the barrier, aiming at the Transcending Tribulation expert in a desperate attempt to halt his rampage.