Suppression

*Whoosh!* Sword light ripped through the sky. A party of one hundred and forty-six Great Cultivators from the Xuanming Sect, led by Grand Elder Song Xuan of the Elder Council, was racing toward Fangyuan Island at top speed. As they flew, they maintained continuous contact with Lü Ming, who was stationed on Fangyuan Island, ensuring smooth communication between both parties. Meanwhile, their Heavenly Palace Hall was sparing no effort in searching for the whereabouts of the Nine Cauldrons Sect sword cultivators. Even though over a hundred Great Cultivators from the Nine Cauldrons Sect were moving at extreme speed, the Xuanming Sect was still able to roughly calculate their position thanks to intelligence provided by observation outposts they had hastily set up recently. "They're drawing closer and closer to Fangyuan Island. We have to pick up the pace!" Song Xuan urged the cultivators behind him. "Fangyuan Island might not have many formations, and the strongest among them are amplification formations, but there are still two tier-five defensive formations in place," a tier-three Foundation Establishment sword cultivator behind him said unhurriedly. "Holding out with those two formations, combined with the formidable strength on our side, the Nine Cauldrons Sect won't be able to shake Fangyuan Island in the slightest for at least three to five hours." "Those formations were laid down by the Nine Cauldrons Sect after all," Song Xuan said cautiously. "God knows if they left behind any hidden countermeasures. If they brought along formation masters who quickly break through those two defensive formations, Fangyuan Island might already have fallen by the time we arrive." "Judging by how fast those Nine Cauldrons Sect sword cultivators are moving, if they truly had formation masters in tow, there's no way they could fly this quickly," the sword cultivator replied with a smile. "Rather than worrying about failing to reach Fangyuan Island in time, you'd be better off fretting over whether they might detect our movements, switch tactics, and retreat back to Jiuxiao Domain." "The sword cultivators sent out on scouting duty are accompanied by Origin Spirit realm cultivators. They will eliminate any targets that might expose our position... Although that method isn't foolproof, even if the Nine Cauldrons Sect notices our arrival, at most they will turn their attention to us rather than simply run away. After making such a grand display and dispatching so many cultivators into the East Sea, how could the Nine Cauldrons Sect save face if they tucked tail and ran without unleashing a single sword strike?" Song Xuan said. Just as the tier-three sword cultivator opened his mouth to reply, an Origin Spirit realm cultivator stepped forward. "Grand Elder, something feels off." "What is it?" "I've been in constant contact with the Hall Master. Even though he keeps replying to my messages... I feel like his tone is wrong." "His tone is wrong?" Song Xuan paused slightly, then immediately asked, "What about the cyphers? Did they match?" "They did, and I verified his identity through other means as well, but... I still feel like something isn't right..." the Origin Spirit cultivator said with a heavy tone. "If all verifications checked out, then it shouldn't be an issue," the sword cultivator chimed in. "Perhaps the impending battle is making you too tense, leading to second-guessing and phantom anxieties." The Origin Spirit cultivator gave a wry smile upon hearing this. "Perhaps that's all it is. I..." Before he could finish, the sword cultivator flying at the very front seemed to spot something with his naked eye, his pupils contracting violently. As a streak of light and shadow tore through the clouds and closed in, the sword cultivator couldn't help but roar, his voice piercing the cloud bank: "Incoming flying swords!" "Flying swords?!" "Where did they come from?!" "Counterattack!" Confusion, shock, disbelief, and hasty shouts instantly erupted among the Xuanming Sect cultivators. Yet... A life-and-death clash between Foundation Establishment sword cultivators was entirely different from one between high-tier sword cultivators. A high-tier sword cultivator's life-bound flying sword topped out at roughly five times the speed of sound. Coupled with the keen eyesight of most cultivators, which allowed them to see dozens or even hundreds of li under clear conditions, ambushes were extraordinarily difficult. For Foundation Establishment sword cultivators, however—especially those assigned to a vanguard strike—their sword speeds generally exceeded Mach 20. What did that mean? It meant that even if a cultivator spotted the flying swords from a hundred li away, they were left with a reaction window of only a breath or two. Moreover, at the Foundation Establishment level, large-scale confrontations between sword cultivators almost always involved sword formations designed for blanket bombardment. In the span of just one or two breaths, the ambushed cultivators could barely manage to release their flying swords and accelerate them to maximum speed. How could there be any formation or coordination to speak of? It was like an army caught by surprise: the soldiers could, at best, hastily draw their blades. Any hope of coordinated tactics or formations went entirely out the window. Under such circumstances, facing an incoming strike by flying swords arrayed in a formation, in an instant... More than a dozen Great Cultivators at the very front were shredded into a mist of blood by the first volley. As the flying swords whipped past at extreme velocity, the thunderous booms from their impacts formed visible white shockwaves that swept across the void, completely dispersing the lingering mist of blood. Song Xuan knew that now was hardly the time to mourn the fallen Great Cultivators. His divine sense swept across the battlefield instantly. "Form sword formations! Deploy Defense No. 16 to protect the spell and spirit cultivators! Spell cultivators, prepare environmental spells to create favorable battlefield conditions! Spirit cultivators, assist the sword cultivators in acquiring targets! Also, call Fangyuan Island for reinforcements immediately—we are under attack!" "Understood!" Receiving their orders, the Origin Spirit realm cultivators immediately accessed the Virtual Spirit Realm to send distress calls. Others began scanning for targets, desperate to locate the origin of the enemy attack. Yet whether trying to transmit distress signals to Fangyuan Island or searching for targets to guide their sword cultivators' strikes, the moment their divine minds reached out, they encountered an unspeakable interference and suppression, so severe that... Forget guiding their sword cultivators to attack, they could not even pinpoint the enemy's location, let alone transmit a call for help to Fangyuan Island. In an instant, the expressions of every Xuanming Sect Origin Spirit realm cultivator changed drastically. "Our divine minds are being suppressed!" "This suppression... it's boundless and overwhelming! It must be at least a tier-five Origin Spirit cultivator who has weathered over ten temperings of Zixiao Divine Lightning! Could it be Canghai, who used to oversee the East Sea Archipelago?!" "No! Even Canghai didn't possess such power... It's a Heavenly Palace cultivator! Their Heavenly Palace cultivator has locked down this entire region!" The Xuanming Sect Origin Spirit cultivators struggled with all their might, yet the harder they fought, the more utterly powerless they felt. A Heavenly Palace cultivator! They were the most formidable and unique beings among the Origin Spirit realm! The construction cost of every single Heavenly Palace was astronomical, rivaling that of an older-model sky-patrol warship. With the most powerful Origin Spirit cultivators garrisoning them, they could leverage the formations within the Heavenly Palace to extend their divine minds down from above the Nine Heavens, achieving precision reconnaissance and area lockdowns. It was no exaggeration to say that Heavenly Palace cultivators were essentially simplified Dharma Idol cultivators in the absence of true Dharma Idol masters. However, only sects that possessed a Golden Core could cultivate Heavenly Palace cultivators. Only a Golden Core True Person could carry a Heavenly Palace, shielding Origin Spirit cultivators through the Nine Heavens Astral Wind layer, the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer, and the Chaotic Distortion layer to reach beyond the Nine Heavens, deploy the palace, and keep it orbiting the Cangwu Great World. Other sects, even if they could forge a Heavenly Palace and possessed tier-five Origin Spirit realm cultivators, had no way of ascending beyond the Nine Heavens. Becoming a Heavenly Palace cultivator was exceptionally difficult, but their power was indisputable. Just like now, under the lockdown and suppression of a Heavenly Palace cultivator, all the Origin Spirit realm cultivators on the Xuanming Sect's side were completely neutralized, reduced to useless bystanders unable to provide their comrades with any support whatsoever. Seeing his Origin Spirit cultivators thrown into utter disarray, Song Xuan knew that the only thing he could rely on was the sword in his hand. Without hesitation, he shouted, "Sixth Junior Brother, take the Foundation Establishment spell cultivators and Origin Spirit cultivators and break out! Everyone else, trace the trajectory of the flying swords and kill them! Let us turn the impossible into reality, fight with our backs to the wall, reverse the tides, and forge a legend for the Xuanming Sect and the entire East Sea!" "Understood!" The sword cultivators roared back in agreement, their battle intent blazing, their eyes filled with a desperate resolve to fight for survival. Right at that moment, however, another voice carried by divine sense rippled through the crowd: "This region has been completely locked down by the Nine Cauldrons Sect's Heavenly Palace cultivator! The spell cultivators and Origin Spirit cultivators cannot possibly outrun the Nine Cauldrons Sect sword cultivators—how could they escape? If we sword cultivators scatter in all directions, every one of us who gets away preserves our sect's vital strength! The proper way forward is to have the Foundation Establishment spell cultivators and Origin Spirit cultivators cover our rear! Sword cultivators, scatter and break out!" This wave of divine sense caused a stir among the Xuanming Sect sword cultivators. Quite a few of them felt that it made a great deal of sense. In the face of life and death, not every sword cultivator possessed the conviction to sacrifice themselves for others and seek life through death. "Pure nonsense! Scattering will only allow them to pick us off one by one!" Song Xuan bellowed furiously, sensing the shift in morale. Yet right after shouting, he noticed something amiss. "Wait, no! Whose divine sense was that?!" "It's the Nine Cauldrons Sect Heavenly Palace cultivator interfering with us!" an Origin Spirit cultivator called out, clearly sensing the deceptive disguise and surge of that divine mind pulse. Before Song Xuan could say another word, another wave of sword light appeared at the edge of his vision. A second volley of flying swords—slower in speed but far deadlier—formed a massive sword formation, whistling toward them like a torrential storm. The suffocating, earth-shattering sword qi caused Song Xuan's face to pale drastically. His divine sense erupted: "Form formation!" *Buzz! Buzz!* A palpable wave of divine mind detonated across the void, instantly blowing apart the transmission of his divine sense before it could spread. As a result... Aside from a handful of people in his immediate vicinity, the sword cultivators farther away continued to fight scattered and alone. The realization left his mind reeling. Their communication... Was reduced to screaming at the top of their lungs? They had to shout their tactical commands with their mouths?! Foundation Establishment sword cultivators moved at blinding speeds; a single tactical maneuver could span dozens or hundreds of li. How loud could a voice possibly carry?! How... How the hell were they supposed to fight like this?! Song Xuan felt utterly suffocated. Yet before he could vent his frustration, another burst of divine mind detonated in everyone's minds. What nearly made him vomit blood was that this divine mind was perfectly mimicking his own divine sense signature! "Retreat! Retreat immediately! Run for your lives, every man for himself!"