341: The formation is complete.

Within the main hall of the Zhu Yue Sect, sandalwood incense curled around the beams and pillars, yet the atmosphere inside was unusually tense.

Sect Master Su Yi, dressed in a blue-gray Daoist robe, sat upright in the main seat. His aura at the fifth layer of the Deity Transformation Realm was restrained, but his brows were tightly furrowed, and his gaze occasionally drifted toward the southern sky outside the hall.

There, the strange phenomenon from the direction of the Demon Suppressing Tower grew increasingly clear, unsettling everyone's minds. All six thousand Disciples of the Sect involuntarily looked up, gazing at the slowly condensing phantom sun with varied expressions, whispering and speculating.

"Sect Master, such an omen is likely not auspicious!"

On the left, the Grand Elder lightly furrowed her delicate brows, her shoulder-length hair swaying slightly with her words, her tone carrying unconcealed worry. "Now that Yaoshi City has fallen, even the Baihong Hall and Shenjian Pavilion, who have long held grudges against our Sect, have abandoned their Sects and fled far away. At this point, we should also plan an escape route."

"Otherwise..."

Su Yi turned to look at the woman beside him.

The woman spoke softly, her tone indifferent: "Otherwise, we could simply surrender to the Yao Race. At least we'd save our lives."

"Outrageous!"

The Second Elder slammed the table in anger and rebuked, "Elder Song! As the Grand Elder of the Sect, how can you utter such rebellious words?"

"Fifty years ago, the previous Sect Master fought and beheaded three great Yao beasts at the Deity Transformation Realm in Yaoshi City—what Divine Might! How can we flee now and disgrace the reputation of our ancestors?"

The Grand Elder chuckled upon hearing this: "As the saying goes, as long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood. Can the situation from the last great war be compared to today's? To persist in the impossible is not loyalty or righteousness—it's foolishness."

"Surrendering to the Yao Race is merely one of my suggestions. Ultimately, the decision naturally rests with the Sect Master."

She shifted her tone and looked at the Second Elder. "Could it be that the Second Elder already has a better plan to break this deadlock? Surely you're not counting on the elusive Dao Seeking Sect to come to our rescue?"

"You..."

The Second Elder's face flushed red with anger, his chest heaving violently. Yet, he was no match in a war of words and was left speechless, unable to retort.

The Grand Elder pressed her advantage, speaking slowly: "Oh... I just remembered something. Ye Hao, who rose to fame in Yunxi City, and another Cultivator surnamed Li are said to be from the Dao Seeking Sect."

"Those two truly have some skill. In the Yao-slaying trials, they repeatedly fought across Realms and never lost. Perhaps the Dao Seeking Sect really has the ability to turn the tide?"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

The Second Elder angrily slammed the wooden table, which cracked with a loud sound. "At least I, Zhou, would rather die than surrender to those beasts of the Yao Race!"

The Third Elder, who had remained silent with his eyes closed, slowly opened them and said gravely, "I have no objection to evacuating to another continent. But surrendering to the Yao Race is absolutely impossible."

Su Yi raised his hand to signal for calm, and the argument in the hall instantly subsided. He withdrew his gaze from the southern sky, where the phantom sun had mostly taken shape, with only a quarter left to reach Perfection.

"Yaoshi City is located in the north of the Rain God Continent, while our Sect is in the southern heartland."

Su Yi spoke slowly, his tone steady. "The Yao Race's primary targets will undoubtedly be major Sects like the Five Elders Gate and the Tianque Sect. Only afterward will they gradually move southward."

"Second Elder, tonight you must immediately consult the Sect's ancient texts and clarify the origin of this strange phenomenon at the Demon Suppressing Tower."

"Grand Elder, you are responsible for arranging the dispersal of the Disciples. Those willing to stay and defend the Sect together have my deepest gratitude. For those unwilling to stay, distribute Spirit Stones as a final farewell."

He paused, his tone resolute: "As for surrendering to the Yao Race, do not mention it again."

"The Sect Master is wise!"

The Elders responded in unison and were about to rise and leave to make arrangements when a piercing, agonized scream suddenly echoed from outside the hall, followed by an earth-shaking Yao roar.

"Not good! The Yao Race is attacking!" Shouts from Disciples and the roar of spiritual energy explosions came from outside the hall.

The group instantly rushed out of the hall. Outside the Sect, a dark mass of Yao Race troops had already breached the outer defenses. The sturdy Sect Formation had been shattered by a single blow, its light screen scattering like fragile glass.

A man dressed in black robes, holding a Bone-Jade Folding Fan, slowly descended from mid-air and landed before the crowd.

His face was handsome, but his demeanor was sinister and cold.

Ghost Book swept his gaze over the disheveled Elders and panicked Disciples, his voice deep: "Who is in charge here?"

"If you don't step forward, your Disciples will all be slaughtered."

Su Yi's expression changed drastically, his mind reeling with confusion. Why had the Yao Race arrived so quickly? Could it be that the Tianque Sect and the Five Elders Gate had already been completely annihilated?

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said with a grave expression: "I am the Sect Master of the Zhu Yue Sect."

Ghost Book waved his hand, and the Yao Race members slaughtering Cultivators instantly stopped. In the square before the hall, only corpses and the sobs of surviving Disciples remained.

"Tell me, what exactly is the strange phenomenon above the Demon Suppressing Tower?"

Ghost Book's tone was calm but carried an undeniable pressure. "If you can't answer, you know the consequences."

As his words fell, he pointed his Bone-Jade Folding Fan into the Void Realm. An Inner Sect Elder nearby, unable to dodge in time, exploded into a mist of blood without even a scream, the stench spreading everywhere.

The Grand Elder and others turned pale, cold sweat dripping down their spines. Only one thought filled their minds: What terrifying Realm had this Yao Cultivator reached?

Su Yi's pupils contracted sharply. He hadn't expected the other party to come for the strange phenomenon at the Demon Suppressing Tower.

Ghost Book felt helpless. Earlier, he had personally gone to a Demon Suppressing Tower and reduced the entire tower to rubble with a single strike. Yet, the phantom sun above it remained undispersed, growing even more radiant. This phenomenon gave him a strong sense of crisis. Left with no choice, he resorted to this crude method, interrogating Sects along the way one by one.

Su Yi remained silent for a moment, his gaze once again turning to the phantom sun, now only a quarter away from Perfection. His expression was complex, and he said nothing.

Seeing this, Ghost Book sighed softly: "It seems I've wasted my time again."

Just as he raised his hand to order the Sect's extermination, a voice suddenly reached his ears:

"My lord! I know what this phenomenon is!"

Su Yi and the others followed the voice and their expressions darkened.

The Second Elder, who had just been angrily slamming the table and rebuking the Grand Elder for the disgrace of surrendering to the Yao Race, now seemed like a different person. His face was plastered with an obsequious smile, his back bent like a ripe rice stalk as he hurried to Ghost Book's side, bowing repeatedly.

"If this humble one speaks, could my lord spare my life?"

"Speak!"

The Second Elder began fabricating wildly about the phantom sun, sparing no effort: "My lord, with your vast Divine Abilities and awe-inspiring might, this celestial phenomenon must surely be because of you!"

He secretly glanced at Ghost Book and, seeing his expression unchanged, quickly bowed again and added, "My lord, look! The phantom sun in the sky, with its golden light and majestic Divine Might, is an auspicious omen! It is a sign from heaven, moved by your leadership of the Yao Race army sweeping across the Rain God Continent and shaking the world..."

The Grand Elder stood to the side, narrowing her eyes slightly, her gaze filled with mockery.

"Finished?" Ghost Book's voice suddenly turned cold.

The Second Elder's smile froze, his heart sinking. He quickly nodded and bowed: "Yes, my lord... this humble one has said everything. Every word is true, without a hint of falsehood!"

"Falsehood?"

Ghost Book chuckled lightly, his Bone-Jade Folding Fan abruptly stopping. "Do you really take me for a fool?"

"Thud!"

A dull sound echoed as the Second Elder, without even a scream, exploded like a watermelon struck by a boulder. Flesh and blood flew everywhere, splattering all around.

Ghost Book swept his icy gaze over Su Yi and the Elders, his tone sinister: "Since no one knows the truth, there's no use keeping you alive."

"Pass the order: leave no one alive!"

At that moment, above the Demon Suppressing Tower, the final quarter of the phantom sun suddenly condensed.

The Formation is complete!