173: Chapter 173 The Cave Heaven's Retribution, the Clan's Death Battle

Deep within the Burial Dragon Abyss, three miles from the altar.

Lin Yue lay in wait behind a patch of jagged black rocks, his Starry Sky Domain contracted to a single zhang around him, perfectly isolating his aura.

Behind him, the seven members of the Lin Family Seven Star Guards held their breath in concentration.

Through the cracks in the rocks, the dark red altar, thirty zhang tall, was clearly visible.

The altar was shaped like a nine-tiered staircase, each level carved with twisted runes, currently emitting heart-palpitating waves of evil qi.

Five War Generals stood at the five corners of the altar.

They were taller than the three Lin Yue had previously slain, and their auras were even more ferocious.

The one in the very center had three horns on its head, a spine covered in bone spurs, and held a giant blade as wide as a door—it was the leader of the five generals, and its aura had already touched the threshold of Soul Transformation!

"Family Head."

Lin Mo sent a voice transmission, his voice heavy: "That altar... it's extracting energy from the Seal's rift. At this rate, it will completely open the passage between the two worlds in three hours at most."

Lin Yue naturally saw it too.

At the top of the altar, a pillar of dark red light shot straight into the sky, continuously extracting evil qi from the rift.

In the center of the light pillar, a blurry figure could be vaguely seen, slowly condensing.

Spirit Transformation Commander!

"We can't let it descend."

Lin Yue's eyes were icy.

There was a qualitative difference between Soul Transformation and Nascent Soul.

Even if he could slay those at the Late Nascent Soul Stage across levels, against a Soul Transformation expert, his chances of winning... were less than thirty percent.

"But with five War Generals guarding the altar, we'll be surrounded as soon as we appear."

Lin Qing frowned: "Unless..."

"Unless someone lures them away."

Lin Yue finished her sentence.

He looked at the seven members of the Seven Star Guards: "Lin Mo, take three people and use the Seven Star Demon Slaying Formation to trap the two War Generals on the left. Lin Qing, take three people to trap the two on the right. Remember, trap them, don't fight to the death. You only need to hold for thirty breaths."

"What about the one in the middle?"

Lin Mo asked.

"Leave it to me."

Lin Yue's tone was calm: "Within thirty breaths, I will destroy the altar."

"That's too dangerous!"

Lin Qing said anxiously: "That War General already has half a foot in Soul Transformation, if you face it alone..."

"Execute the order."

Lin Yue interrupted her.

The seven were silent for a moment before finally cupping their fists: "Yes!"

The plan was set.

But just as Lin Yue was about to act—

Buzz!

A communication jade talisman in his robes suddenly vibrated.

It was Heavenly Craftsman!

"Young Friend Lin, the front line is in critical danger! Eighteen weak points were attacked simultaneously, and the Great Array's defense has dropped by ten percent. The monsters have found the location of the main formation eye and are using the altar's evil qi to pollute the Seed! If the Seed is polluted, the Great Array will suffer a backlash and collapse!"

"I can only buy you an hour—no, there's only half an hour left now!"

"The altar must be destroyed within half an hour, otherwise... all will be lost!"

The transmission stopped abruptly.

Lin Yue's expression changed drastically.

Half an hour?

This was even more urgent than expected!

Furthermore, the crisis at the front meant the Great Array could collapse early, at which point the monster army would be unrestrained and drive straight in!

"Family Head, what should we do?"

Lin Mo and the others had also heard the transmission, their faces turning pale.

"The plan remains unchanged."

Lin Yue took a deep breath, his gaze becoming even more determined: "But... we need to raise the stakes."

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the Grotto-heaven.

"Haotian."

"Present."

"With the Grotto-heaven's current Spiritual Qi reserves, how large an area can 'Spiritual Qi Feedback' support?"

"With Master's current control over the Grotto-heaven, the maximum area is a five-mile radius where the Spiritual Qi concentration can be raised to two thousand times that of the outside world, but... it can only last for a hundred breaths at most."

Haotian calculated quickly: "After a hundred breaths, the Grotto-heaven's Spiritual Qi reserves will drop by thirty percent, and it will take three days to recover."

"Enough."

Lin Yue opened his eyes: "Lock onto the main formation eye area at the front line, project two thousand times the Spiritual Qi concentration, duration... a hundred breaths!"

"Understood!"

Haotian complied.

In the next instant—

The front line, the main formation eye 'Tianshu Position.'

The Formation-guarding Cultivators, who were fighting a life-and-death struggle against the evil qi tentacles, suddenly felt their bodies lighten.

Immediately after, an unimaginably vast amount of Spiritual Qi descended from the sky!

No, it didn't descend from the sky.

It... seeped out from the Void Realm!

The Spiritual Qi was so dense it turned into liquid, condensing into raindrops that fell upon every Cultivator.

Wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Exhausted spiritual power was instantly replenished.

Even Cultivators stuck at Bottlenecks broke through on the spot!

"This... this is..."

A young Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Peak stared blankly at the illusory image of a Golden Core condensing in his Dantian.

He had broken through!

Under the washing of the Spiritual Qi rain, he broke through as naturally as water flowing into a channel!

"Spiritual Vein Feedback? No... this concentration is at least two thousand times that of the outside world!"

Heavenly Craftsman stood at the central formation eye, feeling the surging Spiritual Qi around him, his face full of shock: "Young Friend Lin... just how many trump cards do you have left?"

He had no time to think and immediately ordered: "All Formation-guarding Cultivators, take this opportunity to counterattack with everything you have! We must not let the evil qi pollute the Seed!"

"Yes!!!"

Morale soared!

Meanwhile, deep within the Burial Dragon Abyss.

After doing all this, Lin Yue's face was slightly pale.

The sudden thirty percent drop in the Grotto-heaven's Spiritual Qi reserves was also a burden on him.

But it was worth it.

"Move!"

He gave a low shout and was the first to charge out!

The seven members of the Seven Star Guards followed closely behind, their seven figures streaking through the darkness like meteors.

"Enemy attack—!"

On the altar, the Triangle War General in the center abruptly looked up, its crimson pupils locking onto Lin Yue.

But before it could react.

Lin Mo and the others had already split into two groups, and the Seven Star Demon Slaying Formation instantly unfolded!

The two War Generals on the left were entangled by starlight chains and trapped within the Formation.

The two on the right were similarly trapped.

Although they could only be trapped for thirty breaths, it was... enough!

"Human Race, you seek death!"

The Triangle War General was furious; it swept its giant blade, and a dark red blade-qi tore through the Void Realm, slashing straight at Lin Yue!

"Your opponent is me."

Lin Yue took a step forward, and his Starry Sky Domain fully unfolded!

Seven miles of starry sky descended, forcibly dragging the Triangle War General into the Domain.

Within the Domain, stars circulated and space solidified.

The Triangle War General discovered with horror that its movements... were five times slower!

"What kind of Domain is this?!"

It roared, swinging its giant blade frantically, yet it was always deflected by starlight at the critical moment.

Meanwhile, Lin Yue had appeared before the altar like a phantom.

The starfall sword was unsheathed.

At the tip of the sword, a speck of starlight condensed.

That was no ordinary starlight.

It was... the Star Origin compressed to the extreme!

"Starfall—Boundary Breaker!"

A single sword thrust!

The sword light was like the Milky Way flowing backward, slamming hard into the base of the altar.

Boom—!!!

The altar shook violently, and a large portion of the runes on the bottom layer shattered.

But it didn't break!

"Hmm?"

Lin Yue frowned.

The sturdiness of this altar far exceeded expectations.

"Hahahaha!"

The Triangle War General laughed wildly within the Domain: "This altar is based on the blood sacrifice of a hundred thousand living beings and incorporates a wisp of the Commander's Origin. How could you possibly..."

Before it could finish its sentence.

Lin Yue withdrew his sword and formed hand Seals.

It wasn't a sword art.

It was... a Formation Seal!

"Zhou Tian Xing Dou—Borrowing Power!"

He actually used himself as a medium to forcibly extract a trace of the Power of the Stars from the Great Array a hundred miles away!

Although it was only a trace.

But that was the power of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array!

"Break again!"

Starlight merged into the sword's edge, and the starfall sword's light exploded tenfold!

The second sword thrust!

This strike was silent.

But wherever the sword tip passed, space shattered like a mirror.

The defensive runes on the altar melted away inch by inch, like snow meeting the sun.

Crack—

A crack appeared at the base of the altar.

Then a second, a third... Rumble!!!

Half of the altar collapsed!

The figure condensing at the top let out an unwilling roar and slowly dissipated.

"No—!!!"

The Triangle War General's eyes nearly split from rage.

But Lin Yue didn't even look at it, turning to look toward the Seven Star Guards.

Thirty breaths were up.

Pfft!

Lin Mo spat out a mouthful of blood, his chest pierced by the bone spur of a War General.

But he gripped the bone spur tightly and roared hoarsely: "Lin Qing, now—!"

"Seven Stars as One, Demon Slaying!"

Lin Qing's eyes were bloodshot as she and the other five simultaneously burned their Golden Core Origins.

The cultivation of the six people instantly surged to the threshold of the Nascent Soul Stage!

The power of the Seven Star Demon Slaying Formation doubled, and the starlight chains transformed into seven giant swords, ruthlessly slashing at the two trapped War Generals!

Pfft! Pfft!

The two War Generals were sliced in half at the waist!

But the price was—

Lin Mo's Golden Core in his Dantian cracked, his Origin was burned out, and his aura plummeted to the Foundation Establishment Stage!

Lin Qing's left arm was severed by another War General's deathbed counterattack, blood gushing out!

And among the other five, three... fell on the spot!

"Lin He! Lin Shan! Lin Chuan—!!!"

Lin Mo looked at his three fallen brothers and let out a heart-wrenching roar.

A cold light exploded in Lin Yue's eyes.

He turned and looked at the Triangle War General that had just broken free from the Domain.

As well as... the other two War Generals who had just escaped and were brimming with Killing Intent.

Three against one.

No, it was three against... a madman soaring with Killing Intent.

"You all..."

Lin Yue slowly raised his hand, the starfall sword pointing at the three War Generals, his voice as cold as the nine nether winds.

"Must all die."