The Siege

“The island masters had an agreement among themselves. Given how long we have been trapped, reasonably speaking, the others should have noticed something was wrong. Reinforcements ought to have arrived long ago, yet there isn't the slightest news... We do not know what kind of upheaval occurred outside, but the Island Master senses danger. If the situation becomes untenable, he will abandon the island...” Jin Ying had obtained detailed intelligence from the Business Alliance; all the major factions were racing against time to make arrangements. “When the grand formation was first constructed, the Island Master poured immense effort into it. Yuheng Island's island-protecting grand formation isn't just defensive—it can easily be converted into a pure slaughter formation of truly terrifying power. Unfortunately, once converted, the spiritual formation can only be used this one time, unleashing one final, brilliant burst. When the Island Master activates the formation to slaughter the demon beasts, that will be our best chance to break out...” Jin Ying invited Qin Sang to break out together with them. After a moment of thought, Qin Sang only said he would try his best to meet up with them. After all, no one could predict what the circumstances would be when the time came. Qin Sang saw the two women off, then sat cross-legged in his cave dwelling, lost in thought. He did not know how powerful the island-protecting grand formation would be. If it could annihilate the demon beasts in one stroke, that would naturally be best, as he could break free directly. More likely, however, it would entail a grueling battle. Going with the Business Alliance experts meant having powerful helpers, but it would also make them more conspicuous, easily drawing the siege of greater demons. After cultivating the Heavenly Demon Form Refining, an idea had sprouted in Qin Sang's mind; perhaps this would be a chance to test it out. Over the next few days, everything went on as usual. During his daily guard duty and patrols, Qin Sang observed carefully and found that the demon beasts were indeed far more active than before. Days drifted past. They stayed in touch, and Jin Ying frequently sent updates, but the situation showed no sign of improvement. Half a month later, the cultivators were startled awake in the dead of night. Rushing out of their cave dwellings, they saw dark clouds sweeping across the sky, bearing down heavily through the darkness. Anger, terror, determination, despair... A myriad of expressions surfaced on the cultivators' faces. Beast roars thundered over Yuheng Island, while the deep chime of bells still rang out clear and distinct, tolling an alarm. Suddenly, the sky lit up. A colossal canopy of light appeared, covering the entire great city as well as the surrounding area outside its perimeter. The island-protecting grand formation was activated! The grand formation could not cover the entire island; areas outside had been abandoned, and everyone had retreated into the city. The verdant hills were swiftly trampled flat by the overwhelming horde of demon beasts. Cultivators felt the earth trembling violently beneath their feet, pounding just like their racing hearts. Boom! The first collision occurred. A demon beast crashed into the light barrier and was instantly ripped apart by the formation's power, its body torn to pieces as blood showered the air. Almost simultaneously, masses of flesh and blood burst apart and splattered against the light barrier. The entire canopy was dyed crimson with blood, transforming into a gruesome, shocking blood shield. Apart from the rumbling booms and ferocious roars, they could hear nothing else. The light canopy radiated powerful fluctuations of spiritual power. As soon as demon beasts were slaughtered, fresh ones immediately surged forward to take their place, an endless, inexhaustible tide. Under this onslaught, the light barrier appeared thin and fragile, yet it proved extraordinarily sturdy. Without needing any prompting, low-level cultivators in the city took the initiative to unleash their magic tools. Taking to the air, they sent beams of radiant treasure light streaking forth to slay the demon beasts outside the barrier. The light canopy shone brilliantly, while magic tools and magic treasures glowed with multicolored light like a field of stars. Under the protection of the grand formation, the cultivators temporarily had no worries from behind, pouring their full strength into slaying the enemy. Qin Sang was on patrol at that moment and had detected the demon beasts' movement immediately. Yuheng Island had long prepared to meet the beast tide, and Qin Sang had duties to perform. Seeing the development, he gave a command and led his squad skimming toward the ground. Working together, they activated a formation plate to aid the Island Master in maintaining the grand formation. Assigned to guard one corner of the grand formation, Qin Sang's task was heavy. He dared not be negligent in the slightest. If any flaw appeared, the beast tide could instantly tear open a breach and invade, and Qin Sang and his team would bear the brunt of it. The formation plate hovered overhead, resonating with the grand formation and other plates to condense the light barrier and build a sturdy defense. Leading the charge were merely lesser demons. Though their numbers appeared overwhelming, the pressure remained manageable for now. Qin Sang made proper arrangements, telling his subordinates to regulate their breathing and save their strength, preparing for the arrival of the most perilous moments. At this time, some of the city guards were like Qin Sang, stabilizing various points across the grand formation. Others did not idle either, seeking opportunities to actively strike out and slay demon beasts, even if such efforts were little more than a drop in the ocean in a battle of this scale. All would stand or fall together. Everyone understood this truth. Soon, however, they encountered resistance as greater demons of the Demon Core stage pressed forward. These greater demons were thick-skinned and tough-fleshed, capable of battling magic treasures with their physical bodies alone and taking hits head-on. They held off the expert cultivators while letting the lesser demons batter the light barrier, locking the battlefield in a stalemate. Qin Sang remained vigilant, keeping a close watch on changes in the grand formation and the demon race's movements. His gaze drifted from time to time toward a sprawling compound of residences to the north. Jin Ying had notified him earlier that the Business Alliance's personnel were currently gathered there, preparing to break out from that direction once the island was abandoned. When the time came to abandon the island, rushing over immediately to rendezvous with them should still be in time. ... Little did Qin Sang know that while he wielded the ebony sword and slaughtered demons, several figures lurked within the horde. They prowled near the light barrier, rarely attacking, instead observing all around and sensing for auras. Ultimately, finding nothing, they regrouped. “I didn't sense that person's aura, nor did I see any similar magic treasure. Either that person is in hiding and hasn't attacked, or he is maintaining the formation and his aura is masked by the spiritual array. Unless he takes the initiative to strike, it will be very hard to detect him.” The demons gathered and exchanged what they had found. “He must be maintaining the formation!” The leopard demon was irritable, pacing back and forth on a hilltop overlooking the city. “This person's cultivation isn't weak; there's no way they'd leave him idle. It seems we'll only find him after breaching the formation. Keep attacking! Break the grand formation, and let's see where he can hide! Right, he had a companion back then—finding her will do just as well!” The leopard demon was determined and would not rest until the city fell. It ordered the demons to spare no cost, directing their subordinates to assault the barrier in waves until the formation broke. Weighed down with concern, the demons took their orders and departed. ... Qin Sang awoke from meditation. He looked down at his hands. The two middle-grade spirit stones in his palms had turned into pale, ash-white rocks, their spiritual power depleted. With a light rub of his palms, the spirit stones crumbled into powder and slipped between his fingers. He looked up toward the outside of the light barrier again; the beast tide still blotted out the sky. “Five days already!” Qin Sang counted the time in silence. For five full days, demon corpses outside had piled into mountains and blood flowed like rivers, yet the beast tide showed not the slightest sign of letting up. Positioned on the front line of the battlefield, his perception was sharper. The beast tide appeared chaotic, but in truth followed an orderly design; there were definitely greater demons directing them from behind. The atmosphere within the city grew increasingly oppressive. Sensing that this beast tide was out of the ordinary, everyone was fraught with worry, and those privy to the truth felt it all the more acutely. Losing contact with the outside world and having no reinforcements appear meant hope from that quarter was slim. What ultimate fate Yuheng Island would meet now rested on a single thought of the Island Master.