140: Chapter 139 All in! The Zhou Tian Star Array

Yun Ming would not give her this chance.

He fully activated the Purple Cloud Divine Thunder Curse, and several bolts of thunder descended simultaneously, knocking her blade away.

Xue Ji screamed as her body began to melt—starting from her shoulder, her flesh turned into pus, spreading to her chest and up to her neck.

She widened her eyes, staring fixedly at Yun Ming, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but not a single word could escape.

Three breaths later, she dissolved into a pool of blood, not even her Golden Core managing to escape.

Yun Ming landed on the ground, gasping for air.

The consumption of the blood-transforming eerie glow needle was too great.

His Divine Sense was almost completely drained, and it felt like countless needles were pricking his brain.

He forced himself to stand up, stowed away Xue Ji's pair of blood blades, and staggered toward Fu Qingyun.

The sky had completely darkened.

Dots of spiritual light lit up the battlefield; they were the afterimages left by Cultivators fighting in the darkness.

The Disciples of the Qingxuan Sect had retreated to the foot of the main peak, relying on the last few halls and remaining Formation foundations to desperately hold on.

The demonic Cultivators surrounded them, assaulting the defensive line wave after wave.

Fu Qingyun stood at the very front, his qingyun sword held horizontally before him; the light on the sword's body had dimmed significantly.

His left arm hung at his side, blood dripping from his elbow and pooling on the ground.

Liu Ruyan leaned against him, clutching a broken piece of long silk, her face as pale as paper.

Zhou Yuan and Han Song guarded the sides, covered in wounds, their auras withered.

Yun Ming walked over and stood with them.

Fu Qingyun glanced at him without speaking, merely nodding.

Yun Ming also nodded, saying nothing.

The four of them stood side by side, looking at the dark sea of people in the distance.

More demonic Cultivators were gathering, and more Golden Core auras were approaching.

On their side, there were fewer than ten Golden Core True Persons left alive, all of them injured and their spiritual power completely exhausted.

Above in the sky, another muffled roar resounded.

Yun Ming looked up, but could see nothing clearly, only vaguely sensing three auras still entangled—the Old Ancestor was still holding on.

But no one knew how much longer he could hold out.

"Can you still fight?" Fu Qingyun suddenly asked.

Yun Ming clenched his fists, feeling the meager spiritual power left in his body, and gave a bitter smile: "I can't fight anymore."

Fu Qingyun was silent for a moment, then said: "Then just stand. Stand until the very last moment."

No one spoke.

In the distance, among the group of demonic Cultivators, several powerful auras were slowly rising.

Those were several Late Golden Core Stage Cultivators who had not yet made a move; they were waiting, waiting for the Qingxuan Sect to completely exhaust their strength, and then strike a fatal blow.

Zhou Yuan suddenly laughed, his voice hoarse: "In this life, I've killed enough to make it worth it."

Han Song did not speak, only gripping the broken iron ruler handle in his hand a little tighter.

Liu Ruyan leaned against Fu Qingyun's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Fu Qingyun looked up at the pitch-black sky, not knowing what he was looking at.

Yun Ming also looked up.

The battle situation in the sky could not be seen clearly, only the occasional roar could be heard.

The Old Ancestor was still up there, single-handedly holding off two Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators.

On the ground, they were surrounded, their spiritual power exhausted, with nowhere left to retreat.

From all directions, the auras of the demonic Cultivators were getting closer.

This battle, they were likely going to lose.

Yun Ming clenched his fists, feeling the meager spiritual power left in his body, and suddenly remembered something.

He still had gacha draws he hadn't used.

It had been five years.

Ten draws a day, five years meant over eighteen thousand draws.

He had drawn a few times here and there, but most of them had been saved and left unused.

The last time he drew cards was when he just had his Breakthrough to the Golden Core, using eleven thousand draws; the remainder should still be... seven or eight thousand draws?

He couldn't quite remember, but it was certainly not a small amount.

Furthermore, he hadn't seen a rainbow in a long time.

In this desperate situation, this thought flashed across his mind like lightning.

He didn't know why he would think of this at such a time, but he indeed remembered—he still had draws unused, he hadn't seen a rainbow for a long time, and his luck had always been decent.

Yun Ming turned to look at Fu Qingyun: "I need some time."

Fu Qingyun frowned: "What time?"

"Buy me the time of an incense stick." Yun Ming's voice was calm, "I have a way. But it needs time."

Fu Qingyun looked at him for a long time.

The demonic Cultivators around them were getting closer, and the auras of those Late Golden Core Stage Cultivators were already pressing down on their heads.

He should ask clearly what the method was, confirm if it was useful, and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

But he did not ask.

He only nodded, gripping the qingyun sword in his hand tightly.

"Fine." He said, "The time of an incense stick."

Liu Ruyan leaned over and took Fu Qingyun's hand.

Zhou Yuan grinned, revealing his teeth stained red with blood.

Han Song tucked the iron ruler handle back into his waist and stood at the very front, unarmed.

The other remaining Golden Core True Persons also gathered around; no one asked why, no one questioned, they just silently stood in their respective positions.

Yun Ming sat cross-legged and sank his consciousness into that boundless sea of stars.

Eight thousand seven hundred draws turned into a galaxy pouring down; countless meteors streaked across the Void Realm simultaneously, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple, various colored lights intertwined, covering the sky and earth, illuminating the entire sea of stars as bright as day.

Five thousand draws passed, six thousand, seven thousand, eight thousand—deep in the sea of stars, a light finally shone.

That light rose from the extreme distance; at first, it was just a speck of light the size of a dust mote, almost imperceptible in the boundless Void Realm.

But it grew brighter and larger, flying across the long Void Realm, trailing a seven-colored tail flame, dyeing the entire sea of stars in color.

Yun Ming stood up abruptly and reached out his hand.

The moment that colored light fell into his palm, the sea of stars shook, and ten thousand stars chimed in unison.

It was a Formation.

Zhoutian Star Array.

Information flooded into his mind like a tide, and he instantly understood the origin and mysteries of this Formation.

Legend had it that the ancient Yao Race Heavenly Court used the River Map and Luo Book as the Formation eye, suppressed it with the Chaos Bell, and set up the Zhoutian Star Array, channeling the power of the heavenly stars, with power enough to destroy the heavens and extinguish the earth.

But he had neither the River Map and Luo Book nor the Chaos Bell in his hands; he only had the core Formation-setting method and the control techniques of this Formation.

Everything was simplified: using his own cultivation as the guide, Spirit Stones as the foundation, and the power of the stars as the source.

The Realm of the one setting the Formation determined the power of the Formation.

He was currently only at the Early Golden Core Stage, so the Formation he set up, while far less terrifying than the legend, was more than enough to withstand attacks from the Nascent Soul Stage by borrowing the power of the heavenly stars, and could also pose a threat to Nascent Soul Stage enemies.

Furthermore, the Formation could channel Star Power to empower those within it, allowing their combat power to be significantly enhanced while bathed in starlight.

Yun Ming opened his eyes, stood up, and walked to Fu Qingyun's side.

"Did it work?" Fu Qingyun did not turn his head.

"It worked." Yun Ming looked at the dark mass of demonic Cultivators in the distance, looking at those approaching Late Golden Core Stage auras, and took a deep breath, "But it needs time to set up the Formation. I need you all to protect me."

Fu Qingyun turned his head to look at him.

He did not ask what Formation it was, did not ask how powerful it was, did not ask if they could win.

He only looked into Yun Ming's eyes, saw the determination and resolve within, and then nodded.

"Fine."

He turned around, facing the approaching demonic Cultivators, the qingyun sword held horizontally before him, his voice low but firm: "Qingxuan Sect Disciples, hear my order—protect Elder Yun Ming, fight to the death and do not retreat."

Zhou Yuan was the first to respond; he wiped the blood from his face and grinned: "Fight to the death and do not retreat!"

Han Song drew the iron ruler handle and stood at Yun Ming's side: "Fight to the death and do not retreat."

Liu Ruyan gripped the broken long silk in her hand and stood at Fu Qingyun's side.

The other remaining Golden Core True Persons, those injured, missing limbs, or with exhausted spiritual power, all stood out one by one.

No one asked why, no one questioned; they just silently stood in their own positions, surrounding Yun Ming in the center.

Yun Ming sat cross-legged and began to set up the Formation.