CRACK.
The silver heavens split apart once more.
A gigantic black fracture spread across the eastern sky like a wound reopening beneath heaven itself.
Dark mist poured endlessly from within.
The entire city shook violently.
Warning horns echoed in every direction.
OOOOOOOM!!
Panic spread instantly throughout the streets.
"It reopened?!"
"How is that possible?!"
"The seal should've lasted at least a month!"
Xu Tian's expression became unusually serious.
"The Gate Lord forced the fracture open from the other side."
Lin Feng immediately stood.
A suffocating pressure descended from the distant sky once more.
Far stronger than before.
The Azure Core within his body reacted violently again.
Blue energy surged faintly through his meridians as though responding instinctively to the fracture.
Xu Tian noticed immediately.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You can sense it."
Lin Feng nodded once.
The feeling was difficult to describe.
The fracture itself felt…
alive.
Like an enormous eye slowly opening.
Xu Tian turned toward the courtyard exit.
"Come."
Lin Feng followed immediately.
The moment they stepped outside
the city was already mobilizing.
Sword lights streaked across the silver heavens continuously while countless cultivators rushed toward the eastern defensive lines.
Formation towers activated throughout the city.
Massive runic barriers illuminated one after another.
Yet despite the preparations
fear still lingered visibly within the crowd.
Because everyone understood.
The earlier battle was merely a test.
What was coming now…
would be far worse.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The heavens shook again.
The fracture widened further.
This time
a gigantic black arm emerged completely from the darkness.
Its surface resembled cracked stone mixed with rotting flesh while countless golden chains wrapped around it tightly.
The arm grabbed the edges of the fracture itself.
Then
it pulled.
CRAAAAACK
The sky tore open further.
Several cultivators below immediately vomited blood from the pressure alone.
Lin Feng's expression hardened.
The thing behind the fracture was trying to enter physically.
Xu Tian's voice became cold.
"The Gate Lord."
Far ahead
Commander Yue already stood atop the restored wall with thousands of cultivators gathered behind her.
Flames burned around her scarlet spear.
Yet her expression remained grim.
Because this pressure…
far surpassed the earlier invasion.
The giant Voidborn from before emerged once more beside the fracture.
Its countless eyes filled with madness.
"The gate opens!"
"Let heaven witness despair!"
Dark mist erupted outward violently.
Then
more creatures appeared.
Not dozens.
Not hundreds.
Thousands.
Bone Saints poured endlessly from the fracture like an army descending from darkness itself.
The defensive line immediately erupted into chaos.
"Hold the wall!"
"Activate all spirit cannons!"
"Do not let them advance!"
BOOOOOOOM!!
The battle exploded instantly.
Massive beams of spiritual light fired from the city walls while countless sword cultivators attacked simultaneously.
The silver heavens became filled with explosions.
Yet the Bone Saints continued descending endlessly.
Xu Tian stepped forward calmly.
Then
he raised his hand.
The world suddenly became silent.
Sword intent spread outward across heaven and earth.
Everything froze briefly.
Even the descending Bone Saints slowed.
Lin Feng's pupils contracted slightly.
Such control…
was terrifying.
Xu Tian spoke softly.
"Sky Sword Art."
One finger pointed toward the heavens.
"Heavenly Divide."
SHIIIIING!!
A gigantic white sword light erupted upward.
The silver sky split apart instantly.
The attack crossed thousands of meters in a single instant before crashing directly into the fracture.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The eastern heavens exploded violently.
Dozens of Bone Saints disintegrated instantly.
Even the giant Voidborn screamed as half its body was erased by the attack.
Shock spread throughout the battlefield.
"Senior Xu attacked!"
"The fracture's stabilizing!"
Hope immediately rose among the defenders.
But Xu Tian's expression did not relax.
Because
the giant black arm remained.
Slowly…
it continued pulling itself through the fracture.
The surrounding space cracked continuously around it.
Lin Feng stared toward the arm silently.
Then
his eyes narrowed.
The golden chains wrapped around the creature…
looked familiar.
Very familiar.
Ancient runes glowed faintly across their surfaces.
The same runes hanging throughout the silver heavens.
The same chains suspended above the Upper Sky Region itself.
As if
whatever existed beyond the fracture had once been imprisoned.
Xu Tian clearly noticed as well.
His expression darkened further.
"It broke part of the Heavenly Seal…"
Commander Yue's face paled.
"If the Gate Lord fully enters"
"It won't."
Xu Tian interrupted calmly.
Yet despite his words
Lin Feng sensed uncertainty hidden beneath them.
Then
the giant arm suddenly stopped moving.
The battlefield became strangely quiet.
Even the Bone Saints halted temporarily.
The Voidborn slowly raised its head.
Its countless eyes turned upward toward the silver heavens.
And laughed.
"He watches."
Coldness spread through Lin Feng instantly.
The silver clouds above began rotating slowly.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The pressure descended again.
The Heavenly Eye.
Countless cultivators collapsed immediately.
Even several Saint Realm experts were forced to kneel.
The gigantic golden eye slowly appeared beyond the clouds once more.
Watching.
Ancient.
Indifferent.
Lin Feng felt the Azure Core react violently again.
The furious voice within his soul roared with hatred.
"They still serve it…"
The Heavenly Eye ignored the battlefield completely.
Instead
it stared directly toward the fracture.
Toward the giant black arm forcing itself into the world.
For the first time
the Gate Lord stopped moving.
Then
the gigantic eye shifted slightly.
And looked toward Lin Feng again.
The entire battlefield froze.
Even Xu Tian's expression changed immediately.
"Lin Feng."
His voice sharpened.
"Do not release your aura."
Too late.
The Azure Core had already begun reacting uncontrollably.
Blue spiritual energy leaked from Lin Feng's body faintly.
The Heavenly Eye focused entirely upon him.
The surrounding pressure multiplied instantly.
CRACK.
The ground beneath Lin Feng shattered.
Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
Yet he remained standing.
The furious voice within his soul roared again.
"Do not kneel."
Lin Feng clenched the Azure Sword tightly.
The golden eye continued staring.
Then
for the briefest moment
a strange fluctuation appeared within the heavens themselves.
Like emotion.
Anger.
The giant Voidborn suddenly screamed joyfully.
"It remembers him!"
Dark mist erupted wildly throughout the battlefield.
The Bone Saints charged once more.
But Lin Feng barely noticed.
Because at that same moment
fragments of memory exploded through his mind again.
A shattered battlefield.
Golden skies burning endlessly.
Countless corpses beneath broken heavens.
Then
a man in azure robes standing before the giant golden eye itself.
Sword in hand.
Bleeding.
Yet still standing.
And finally
the man turned slightly.
For the first time
Lin Feng saw his face clearly.
It was himself.
Or rather
someone who looked almost identical to him.
The memory shattered instantly.
Lin Feng staggered backward slightly.
His heartbeat thundered violently.
Impossible.
The Heavenly Eye suddenly trembled.
Then
a voice echoed across heaven and earth.
Not loud.
Not furious.
Yet every living being heard it clearly.
"Found you."
Silence consumed the battlefield instantly.
Xu Tian's expression changed completely.
"Impossible…"
Even the giant Voidborn froze in shock.
The Heavenly Eye was speaking directly.
To Lin Feng.
The golden clouds above began splitting apart continuously.
Then
a gigantic golden hand slowly descended from the heavens.