Chapter 235: Array Deployment

At roughly the same time, Golden Core cultivators across Tianyuan Continent received reports that their disciples had fallen from the cave heaven into the South Sea.

On the teleportation arrays of each city, the silhouettes of Golden Core great powers kept appearing, jostling for spots, intimidating lower‑rank cultivators from daring to use them; privately, rumors spread that another major event was about to unfold in the cultivation world.

The source of all this, the people returning from the cave heaven, had not yet left the South Sea, and a massive swarm of flying devices gathered together, looking quite spectacular from afar.

The low‑rank members of the Yao Race in the sea called friends and hid in the seabed, not knowing where these humans had fallen from.

However, several seventh‑ and eighth‑rank Yao Race who heard the news arrived and pursued relentlessly; each revealed its true form, a massive body dozens of zhang tall with high‑rank pressure, affecting not only the Yao but also the cultivators greatly.

"The one leading the chase turned out to be a white dragon."

"Judging by its cultivation, it seemed to have just entered the eighth rank," Jiang Tu observed clearly from the flying boat, seeking the dragon soul's opinion and asking whether it was interested in taking this mortal body.

"The Dragon King has chosen reincarnation; don't stir things up," Jiang Yu, displeased, pushed it back into the dragon pearl space.

Wan Xiyue, standing beside her, looked anxiously toward the rear, unable to hear their telepathic exchange, "Jiang Yu, don't push Jiang Tu back into the spirit beast bag; my spiritual perception can no longer see what's happening behind us.

I want Jiang Tu to check whether senior brother has gone to intervene."

"Your senior brother didn't go; Master Lin and True Immortal Chong Dao are holding back," Jiang Tu leapt onto Jiang Yu's shoulder, "Which sect is closest to the South Sea again?"

It turned out that when the Golden Core True Immortals detected the Yao King's spiritual perception, they immediately split off a contingent to form a defensive interception, targeting the leading Dragon King Ao Tang: "What are the Yao Kings up to?"

Ao Tang sneered, "You've got the question backwards; you cultivators suddenly appearing among the sea races—what do you intend?"

"Dragon King, I seem to have heard that the human race has entered a new secret realm," a nearby eighth‑rank giant turtle immediately supplied the information.

The other eighth‑rank beings' eyes lit up, laughing, "We've got wealth delivered to our doorstep."

Ao Tang flicked his dragon tail; instantly white light flickered, forming a water curtain. When the water fell, he transformed into a graceful young man.

He twirled a jade fan in his hand, snapping it open, "I, the King, can overlook your trespassing of the sea, leave a few high‑grade spirit herbs, and then depart peacefully."

Dozens of Golden Core cultivators exchanged glances, their telepathy asking whether to buy a passage or carve a path.

"This counts as the deep‑sea zone; our reinforcements can't arrive quickly, whereas the Yao Race can provide unlimited support."

"But if you give it to them, it immediately becomes even more intense."

"Ao Tang is not Ao Yuan; he has no many hatchlings to protect, so he can go all out to seize."

"How so?"

"Delay him, letting the disciples ahead run farther."

"I disagree," the demonic cultivators objected first.

"We have no business fighting to the death here; the others have vanished."

"Right, we must share both joy and hardship."

For a moment, this group of Golden Core cultivators could not reach a consensus.

But Dragon King Ao Tang's patience was limited; he glanced at the fleeing formation ahead, turned his body, and leapt over the Golden Core cultivators to give chase.

In just a few breaths, he was already blocking a cluster of flying devices; his jade fan rose, raising a vertical water curtain on the sea surface to block the way.

Moreover, dozens of seventh‑rank beings rose from the seabed; as their mana surged, they launched water arrows, flames, and wind blades straight at the cultivators.

But the cultivators on this side also commanded flying devices, all Golden Core, and immediately reinforced their defensive barriers, even sending a few Golden Core cultivators to battle the seventh‑rank foes.

Jiang Tu craned his neck, pointing at someone, "Wan Xiyue, your senior brother is ahead, not behind.

Facing seventh‑rank, their chances of victory are considerable."

Its voice drew Ao Tang's attention, "Huh, dragon race?"

Whoosh

Dragon King Ao Tang swooped past the fighting humans and Yao, heading straight for the flying boat where Jiang Yu sat.

He reached out to seize the defensive light shield, trying to snatch Jiang Tu from Jiang Yu's shoulder; the Foundation Establishment cultivators on the boat felt their hearts race and quickly activated their life‑preserving defenses.

Unexpectedly, Sang Zhenren, piloting the boat, handed control to Xia Bing, who leapt forward and struck the Dragon King Ao Tang with a sword.

It was an undeniable fact that eighth‑rank was stronger than Golden Core, let alone a Dragon King wielding an offensive treasure.

He withdrew his hand, raised the fan, and in an instant flung Sang Zhenren into the sea, then lifted his gaze and struck at several Golden Core cultivators who had launched assisting punches.

In an instant, spirit‑light sword shadows erupted across the sky and sea surface, and Golden Core cultivators and the Yao Race clashed.

Only a few early Golden Core cultivators organized their flying devices to veer sideways, trying to avoid the collateral damage of the battle.

"What do we do? The fighting is raging everywhere, and the Golden Core cultivators seem unable to hold on," Jiang Tu, who had just been startled, said.

Jiang Yu could do nothing at this moment; a massive spell erupted around her, which she could not partake in, nor could she fly away alone with a device—running in the deep‑sea zone would be suicide.

After thinking, she said, "Release that spark, let it come out and stir the situation."

Jiang Tu was startled, "Ah, then it will run away."

"That's the point—to make it run, so the Yao Race can seize it."

"What if the cultivators grab it first?"

"…" Jiang Yu truly couldn't be sure; she no longer hoped any Golden Core cultivator would be present at this moment.

"Look, there's an island ahead," someone shouted suddenly.

As Jiang Yu looked up, the Golden Core Foundation Establishment cultivators guarding them instantly telepathically instructed each other: "Move quickly onto the island; each vessel take out its high‑grade formation array and set up defenses, now!"

"Sister Wan, Sister Lu, Brother Lin, give them," Jiang Yu said; she had many high‑grade formation arrays on her person—not those she seized from the cave heaven, but over a dozen she exchanged from the Inner Affairs Hall.

She didn't ask who had them, quickly distributing them to those nearby, "Set up a few more for defense."

"Prioritize you; first lay down one formation, and add a second layer if time permits," Wan Xiyue returned the array to her hand.

The others did the same; aside from Wan Xiyue and Qi Haohao, the remaining dozen‑plus on the flying boat were all Grand Void Sect disciples.

Jiang Yu didn't force it; she selected a high‑grade formation, prepared a spirit stone, and as soon as the boat touched the island—without even seeing the other vessels—she immediately began setting up the formation.

Just as a dozen people exhaled and prepared to add another layer, Baili Zhenren's boat arrived, "Jiang Yu, open the formation gate."

"He's only a single Golden Core; he can't protect the disciples," Jiang Tu complained bitterly.

But since the other boat was also full of Grand Void Sect disciples, Jiang Yu said nothing, immediately opened the formation and let them in.

Unexpectedly, cultivators from Fulong Guan and Bailian Men also landed behind them; seeking quick self‑preservation, they followed.

It's just that Bai Li Zhenren pretended to be magnanimous and let people in, but several people behind were struck by a wind blade from two pursuing seventh-stage Yao Race, injuring many.

Jiang Tu yelled angrily and still had to fly out to block the two Yao, so that Jiang Yu could seal the formation gate.

"Bai Li Elder, the formation is being maintained by the disciples; please go and clear away the pursuing enemies." Jiang Yu rudely chased him away.

"Bai Li Elder, I will go with you." Xia Bing also got angry; this elder actually remained inside the formation and didn't come out.