By then, after a couple of hours had passed, Li Yi was able to control the rotation of the sphere and the vortex with almost no concentration.
"With the mastery I have now, I can begin to integrate more energy to solidify it," he thought.
He quickly began to absorb the low-level spiritual herbs he had placed around him. As he did so, he attempted to restrain the functioning of his Sacred Body, which sought to purify the incoming energy. He drew it in swiftly to mix it with the rotation of the confinement vortex, seeking to crush the small sphere; at the same time, he made the sphere rotate faster to counteract the pressure.
As the energy entered, the pressure Li Yi felt grew steadily, as if he were trying to contain a mountain intent on crushing him. He could only rotate the vacuum sphere faster and faster to repel the compressive force. His mind felt as if it were about to tear from the immense concentration and tension of the moment.
After absorbing all the low-level herbs, he took the high-level herb he held in his hands.
This time, he felt a colossal force contained within; the confinement vortex crushed the tiny sphere with all its energy. Due to the compression, the sphere rotated at such a speed that it seemed to illuminate the inside of his body.
With all the energy confined within the vortex—now the size of a single cell—he knew the second step was complete. All that remained was to readapt until he could control it almost unconsciously. Li Yi knew he could finally rest, for his mind was exhausted from the effort.
Meanwhile, in the village, the cultivators had already headed to the outer area. They waited for the beasts to approach to ambush them. Leng Lubai, the Grand Director of the first school, directed the operation from a secluded vantage point.
"Sao Shueli, how long until the beasts are expected to arrive?" the Grand Director asked.
"It is estimated to be around forty minutes, Director Leng," Sao Shueli replied quickly. "Forgive the question, but wouldn't it be better to attack first? We should take advantage of the fact that they are far enough away not to affect the town."
"No. We must use every second to locate the Master Realm beasts that are hiding. We cannot allow ourselves to be taken by surprise when we are embroiled in battle," Director Leng Lubai decreed.
In his mind, he feared a counter-ambush that would leave the other cultivators vulnerable, leading only to their deaths. Only he, as the primary combat force, attacking the strongest enemies by surprise, could provide the necessary cover to win the battle.
At that moment, the Warrior Realm cultivators remained hidden, spying on the beasts' movement area in search of a powerful Master Realm enemy. However, no matter how hard they observed, they found no trace of such a force, to the point that almost everyone began to doubt its existence.
As the minutes passed, the horde approached the ambush zone. As soon as the beasts entered the area, the cultivators attacked. Those of the Warrior and Martial Realms were the first to break the enemy lines, focusing on annihilating the Base Forging Realm beasts. In an instant, thousands of scattered attacks pulverized the enemies due to the enormous difference in level.
The surprise attack lasted less than thirty seconds, successfully eliminating 89% of the low-level beasts. But at that moment, they were surrounded by a large number of Martial and Warrior Realm beasts. Suddenly, a flurry of attacks decapitated and turned dozens of enemies to dust.
It was Grand Director Leng Lubai.
He knew he had to act with lightning speed before those of his own realm appeared. His gaze cut through the enemy ranks like that of a god of death; the beasts that looked at him directly were crushed by an invisible force. With fluid movements of his hands, he disintegrated the monsters from a distance.
His intervention lasted no more than three seconds. Then, an immense pressure descended from the sky. The Director reacted immediately, extending a hand over his head as if trying to hold up the firmament. He created an invisible barrier that covered him and his subordinates just as the pressure impacted, pulverizing the weaker beasts that were not protected. Most of those that survived were left near death.
The Grand Director cast a glance to the side, observing the distance. There, two beings appeared walking toward him, staring intently. Leng Lubai noted that the number of enemies for his men was now acceptable—one against two or three. Knowing that the beasts possessed little wisdom, he understood that everyone's fate would be decided in his battle against these two newcomers.
In that instant, the Grand Director extended his hand toward the two beasts and clenched his fist tightly, as if intending to crush something invisible in his palm.
Both creatures felt an absolute pressure coming from all directions that threatened to grind their bones. However, one of them let out a slight, mocking cackle; immediately after, it moved its tail, releasing a devastating power that dispelled the ambient pressure instantly. Leng Lubai then understood that at least one of the beasts possessed a level equivalent to his own; this would be no simple battle.
Moving at a blinding speed, he drew a sword from a hidden storage bag at his side. He imbued the weapon with his spiritual energy and launched a flurry of cutting slashes toward his opponents.
Behind him, the rest of the cultivators plunged into a fierce struggle. Thirteen Warrior Realm cultivators faced nineteen beasts of a similar level, with no margin for the slightest error. For their part, the Martial Realm cultivators were under suffocating pressure: they had to hold back some two hundred beasts to prevent them from reaching their Base Forging Realm companions, who were already outnumbered against a horde of seven hundred enemies.
Due to the overwhelming numerical disparity, several beasts managed to break the encirclement and headed swiftly toward the town.
In the Town
Brother Xuhan Mo and his fellow guards maintained a protective formation around the settlement, designed to repel and counterattack. At least fifteen beasts reached the perimeter of the barrier, only to be instantly carbonized by the immense power of the flames that made up the formation.
However, out of nowhere, a beast at the peak of the Martial Realm appeared. Although its skin was severely scorched by the fire, it managed to tear a breach in the formation and filtered into the town center along with several Base Forging Realm beasts.
The members of the guard tensed to the limit at the invasion. At that moment, one of the generals in charge—a Middle Martial Realm cultivator—let out a war cry, announcing that he would handle the leader beast. He ordered the other guards, including Xuhan Mo, to deal with the rest of the intruders.
Xuhan Mo and his companions reacted quickly, surrounding the beasts to try and contain them in the main streets. Despite their efforts, some creatures managed to smash through several shops and escape into the alleys, forcing the nine cultivators to split up to subdue the five beasts that still remained cornered first.