The First Sir and his people had drifted in the Chaotic Flow Space for an unknown number of years. They understood every stone, every grain of sand, and every type of strange star-beast there better than their own bodies. Otherwise, they would never have survived. Only by knowing as much as possible about the unknown dangers and the weaknesses of their enemies could they maximize their chances of survival.
The rich experience and items they had obtained were exchanged with the lives of countless people, generation after generation, bit by bit. The "Sand Star Stones" in the First Sir's hands were a portion of what they had slowly accumulated over those endless years. Moreover, their understanding of "Sand Star Stones" had reached an incredible level.
Besides its inherent positioning function, if a "Sand Star Stone" was combined with the bones of a "Desert Gold Dragon" and the tail feathers of a "Nothingness Roc," they could refine a treasure they called a "Sand Star King Stone." Holding this stone allowed one to easily tear the void. Furthermore, upon entering the Chaotic Flow Space, this stone could manifest a pair of illusory wings to block the invasion of the astral winds.
However, this would consume the power stored in the "Sand Star King Stone." And since a "Sand Star Stone" could not be re-refined, once the power within a "Sand Star King Stone" was depleted, it would be completely useless. The duration for which the illusory wings could provide support in the Chaotic Flow Space also depended on the grade of the refined stone.
The "Sand Star King Stones" the First Sir took out this time were only of medium grade. If each stone was used by only one person, the illusory wings could provide protection for the time it takes for one and a half incense sticks to burn. If used by ten people, it would last for about the time it takes to drink more than half a cup of tea.
Even these mid-grade "Sand Star King Stones" made the First Sir's heart ache as if it were bleeding. To ensure there was enough time after entering the Chaotic Flow Space, especially for the low-level cultivators who had to be near the edge of the Malevolent Spirit Sect's grand formation to activate it, they had to flee as far as they could toward the sensed exit on the other side. As long as the direction was correct in the end, and they didn't plunge headfirst back into the Malevolent Spirit Sect, they had a high chance of survival.
As for people like the Sixth Sir, their own cultivation level allowed them to tear and traverse the void. The greatest use of the "Sand Star King Stone" for them was that it allowed them to dare to tear the void within the Malevolent Spirit Sect's grand formation without fear of being affected by it and losing their direction.
As for the method to refine a "Sand Star King Stone," perhaps only the First Sir and a few other foreign cultivators in this world knew it. This was precious experience they had exchanged with their lives. Even the low-level cultivators among the foreign cultivators were not privy to the refining method.
"Is that really so? So what if they have treasures to protect them? If I'm not mistaken, the defensive duration of that thing is extremely limited. Hmph, you and I both know how dangerous the Chaotic Flow Space is. In the end, how many of your cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage will survive?" Gu Jiuqi's voice was also tinged with mockery. Although he didn't know about the "Sand Star King Stone," he knew how dangerous the Chaotic Flow Space was.
Even Nascent Soul cultivators might not come out if they entered. These low-level cultivators had even less experience traversing it. To rely on a single magical treasure for protection to escape, a thirty percent success rate would be considered good.
The First Sir remained noncommittal about this. His figure moved, and he flew toward the outskirts of the Malevolent Spirit Sect. With just a flicker, he had crossed ten thousand li. He wanted to see how long Gu Jiuqi could chase him.
Below him, his Divine Sense could vaguely see a translucent light shield with flowing colors, covering an area of tens of thousands of li. It was the immense Sect-Protecting Grand Formation of the Malevolent Spirit Sect.
Previously, to avoid affecting the cultivators below, Gu Jiuqi and the First Sir had flown tens of thousands of zhang high, above the nine heavens. And no sect's grand formation could extend infinitely. There were certainly limits to its range, both in the sky and underground. At most, it would cover a hemisphere of a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand zhang in the sky, and similarly penetrate a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand zhang underground to form a complete sphere.
Seeing the First Sir flee, Gu Jiuqi immediately followed. He didn't press the attack again; he wanted to wait until they were further away from the core area of the Malevolent Spirit Sect. The difference in their strengths was not enormous, and their earlier exchange had been brief. Although the First Sir had been injured by him, it did not significantly affect his strength.
So, in an instant, the two of them disappeared without a trace!
Li Yan pondered for a moment, then once again released his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings. He found that the sounds of fighting within the grand formation were still continuous, but the number of enemies had been reduced by more than half. In particular, the auras of Hang Lin and the others had completely vanished.
"They all tore the void within the grand formation? They really came prepared!"
The void was everywhere, but to dare to tear space within someone else's formation was something Li Yan, despite his extensive reading, had never seen before.
With this thought, Li Yan's figure flickered and passed through the edge of the Sect-Protecting Grand Formation. The token at his waist only flashed faintly as it touched the formation, and Li Yan was already outside.
His Divine Sense spread out, and he saw various colored lights flashing within a radius of several thousand li. Many people had also rushed out of the grand formation, among them Mo Qing and the others.
'Within six or seven thousand li outside the grand formation, I haven't found anyone tearing the void to escape!'
Just as Li Yan was searching for any demon cultivators who might have escaped from a spatial crack, his expression suddenly changed. His Divine Sense swiftly retracted, and at the same time, his figure flashed and descended rapidly into the forest below. His Divine Sense had suddenly detected two powerful aura fluctuations approaching at high speed from behind.
"What a coincidence. They're actually flying in my direction!"
For such powerful auras that could make even him feel a sense of trepidation to appear here, Li Yan knew who was coming without even needing to investigate carefully.
At the same time, an ancient, round Rhomboid Crystal had already appeared in Li Yan's hand.
There weren't many cultivators in his direction, and as a Nascent Soul cultivator, Li Yan felt he was a bit too conspicuous. Although he had concealed his aura, he didn't think he could fool a Spirit Transformation cultivator. So, he had taken out the ancient round Rhomboid Crystal at the first opportunity, so he could teleport away at any time.
With Gu Jiuqi around, Li Yan felt he should be safe, but he was a cautious person and would certainly not place his life in the hands of others. Here, even the Sect-Protecting Grand Formation might not be able to withstand a single blow from a Spirit Transformation cultivator. The safest and most reassuring options for Li Yan were the "Earthen Patch" space and the secret realm that was already within his teleportation range.
After gripping the ancient round Rhomboid Crystal in his hand, Li Yan pondered for a moment, then quickly connected his Divine Sense to one of the imprints within it.
"What is it?" Ping Tu's somewhat deep voice instantly echoed in Li Yan's mind.
Ping Tu's question was very direct. He understood Li Yan's character and knew that Li Yan wouldn't contact him through the imprint for no reason.
"Oh, Senior, that First Sir has appeared again. He's currently fighting our sect's Spirit Transformation cultivator at the Malevolent Spirit Sect!" Li Yan quickly transmitted his message and offered no further explanation.
But Ping Tu immediately understood Li Yan's meaning. He harbored the deepest hatred for those despicable cultivators who had tried to usurp the masters' place. Whether it was from talking with Li Yan about the First Sir before, or from hearing the high-level demonic cultivators in the secret realm talk about the person who had fought that fifth-rank old wolf, he had never truly met him face to face.
"Oh! Then quickly open the imprint in the Rhomboid Crystal. Let me see if I can sense him!" Ping Tu requested even more directly.
In the dense forest, Li Yan looked at the ancient round Rhomboid Crystal in his hand. There were no Divine Sense fluctuations coming from it. He knew that even though he had advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, he was still no match for the severely injured Ping Tu. He couldn't sense how his opponent was using his divine will at all!
In the brief moment he was communicating with Ping Tu, a sharp shout came from above.
"Gu Jiuqi, your efforts are in vain. You should save some energy to guard your own little patch of land. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture!"
Gu Jiuqi, who was behind, did not reply. He quickly judged his position. By now, those demon and foreign cultivators below had either escaped or were making a final, desperate stand. With the First Sir having fewer concerns, he had started to fly at a low altitude, betting that he wouldn't dare to attack at such a height. If the two of them fought at a low altitude, even if the Malevolent Spirit Sect's grand formation was only hit by the shockwaves, it probably wouldn't last long.
What Gu Jiuqi had to do now was to firmly lock onto his opponent and not let the First Sir have a chance to suddenly attack.
'Another hundred thousand li away from here, and I can release another twenty percent of my power!' Gu Jiuqi quickly calculated the time he could make his move.
At this moment, the auras of many cultivators had appeared below, both Nascent Soul and Golden Core. As his Divine Sense swept past, Gu Jiuqi found that most of them were from his own side. He had to be even more vigilant against a sudden attack from the First Sir.
His caution was indeed justified. The flying First Sir had, of course, also seen the cultivators from both sides below, including several of the enemy's Nascent Soul cultivators. He was already looking for an opportunity to strike. Unfortunately, Gu Jiuqi's cultivation was already higher than his. With his Divine Sense firmly locked on him, if the First Sir were to attack, he would surely reveal a flaw. The outcome would be truly unknown. The First Sir didn't dare to take the gamble easily.
He could only snort coldly in his heart.
'Consider yourselves lucky!'
With a flash, the two of them were in the distant sky…
In the dense forest, Ping Tu's somewhat gritted-teeth voice suddenly came into Li Yan's mind.
"That's right! The aura he's emitting is from a cultivation method of one of the sects from the secret realm back then!"
In the secret chamber of the secret realm, Ping Tu's giant face, with its pair of golden eyes, was staring intently at the void in front of him. A pale-yellow screen was suspended there. On the screen was a rapidly flashing image, the angle as if someone was standing in a forest looking up at the sky. Through the dense foliage, a patch of blue sky and white clouds could be seen. And in the blue sky and white clouds, two blurry figures were flying in this direction at an incredible speed.
In an instant, they had passed over the top of the screen and disappeared into the distance.
In the secret chamber, Ping Tu's giant face looked extremely ferocious. He would never mistake the aura emanating from that brocade-robed old man.
"Kid, throw this round Rhomboid Crystal as far as you can, in the direction they disappeared. Quick, quick, quick!" Ping Tu's somewhat indignant voice entered Li Yan's mind.
Hearing this, Li Yan had no idea what his opponent was up to, and the urging was particularly urgent. Without a moment's hesitation, he channeled his magical power and threw the ancient round Rhomboid Crystal with all his might in the direction Gu Jiuqi and the other had flown.
Strangely enough, the moment the ancient round Rhomboid Crystal entered the air, it immediately vanished without a trace. Li Yan thus lost contact with Ping Tu.
He stood in the dense forest, his eyes flickering with light.
'That First Sir really doesn't have time to come looking for trouble with us. That's a good thing. Otherwise, who knows how many more people would have died! But what did Senior Ping Tu mean just now? Does that ancient round Rhomboid Crystal have a hidden tracking function? Is he trying to track the opponent's whereabouts? No, if it had a tracking function, he shouldn't have needed me to activate the Rhomboid Crystal. He could have surely followed with some secret art...'
Li Yan's mind raced. With the First Sir far away from here, he felt a little more at ease, but Ping Tu's actions left him very puzzled.
'Senior is currently only a wisp of divine will. He can't possibly deal with the First Sir. Speaking of which, even his main body's strength has only recovered to around the Spirit Transformation stage, and he's also burdened by the restrictions set by Martial Uncle back then. He can't even leave the secret realm. He doesn't even have a chance to fight to the death...'
For a moment, Li Yan had no idea what Ping Tu wanted to do. But now that he no longer had the round Rhomboid Crystal, he couldn't ask even if he wanted to.
After some consideration, he simply stood in the dense forest and waited. This was the edge of the Sect-Protecting Grand Formation anyway. If hiding in the grand formation was useless in a crisis, then that First Sir could have slaughtered the entire sect at will.