Qin Yun and Yi Xiao looked up and into the distance.
Daoist Divine Firmament, East Sea Skydragon, Skydemon Palatial Lord, Bodhisattva Mahākāśyapa, and Patriarch Bai had formed a battle formation in midair a distance away. The purple lightning that appeared stirred the Heaven and Earth powers. Instantly, many bolts of lightning fell from the skies, striking the fleeing fiendcelestials.
The fiendcelestials were doing their very best to escape.
They could fly very quickly since they either matched the strength of a Skyfiend or were in battle formations. Also, they were still inside the Boor Ancestral Sect's lair so they were not too far from the protective column of light.
"Whoosh!" The column of light that protected the spatial passageway expanded suddenly once again. The fiendcelestials that barely escaped were enveloped by it.
"We managed to get to safety in here." Skyfiend Jiuhu and company heaved a sigh of relief.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The stable black hole continued expanding as armored fiendcelestials constantly flew through it.
"Get into formation." A fiendcelestial vanguard shouted loudly.
"Arise."
Including the four fiendcelestial squadrons that had attacked Qin Yun, there were now six fiendcelestial squadrons inside the column of light. Furthermore, there were more fiendcelestials pouring in constantly.
Six fiendcelestial squadrons meant thirty-six fiendcelestials! And all of them wore identical tailored armor.
"Hum-"
Mystical patterns flickered to life on the fiendcelestials' armor as they interconnected with one another. Surging forces naturally formed as one!
"Just one of those fiendcelestial squadrons from before is already strong enough. I never expected six fiendcelestial squadrons would come, that's quite a qualitative change." Qin Yun could tell at a glance. "Could the armor they wear be making them get so much stronger? From the looks of it, each suit of armor is a transcendent-grade Dharma treasure. What deep pockets. The number of transcendent-grade armors in the entire Great Chang world is probably fewer than ten."
Thirty-six fiendcelestials, even if all of them were third Firmament fiendcelestials, could be easily destroyed by Qin Yun if they fought individually.
However, if they wore the tailored armor and combined into squadrons of six, they matched Skyfiend Jiuhu. Thirty-six reached a brand new level.
"Destroy!"
Daoist Divine Firmament and company flew up as they controlled the lightning from afar.
The purple lightning descended, striking the column of light. Although the column of light trembled, the purple bolts of lightning disintegrated even after repeated strikes.
"Hold back the enemy!" The thirty-six fiendcelestials formed a battle formation as they brandished their sabers.
Saber flashes unified to form a dazzling saber mountain that clashed with the purple lightning…
"What powerful might. If this saber mountain were to strike my Heavenly Cycles, I'd probably fail to withstand it." Qin Yun was secretly alarmed.
"Brother Yun, this fiendcelestial world is really powerful. Just the appearance of a large group of third Firmament fiendcelestials has turned the tables! If Skyfiends were to appear, will our Great Chang world be able to fend them off?" Yi Xiao was shaken as well.
"If they had been able to make adequate preparations and open the world passageway when they wanted, sending large batches of Skyfiends here, it would truly be a disaster for the Great Chang world." Qin Yun reeled in fear at the thought.
Thankfully that didn't happen.
It was all thanks to Puqu Dragonlord's help that allowed him to rescue Yi Xiao ahead of time.
"Our daughter is very likely being held in the fiendcelestial world. Will we be able to rescue her?" Yi Xiao could not help but blurt out her thoughts as tears welled in her eyes.
Qin Yun fell silent for a moment before saying, "Xiaoxiao, I, Qin Yun, swear that I will save our daughter! Definitely!"
Yi Xiao held her husband's hand.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The battle was raging on high in the sky.
Daoist Divine Firmament and company joined forces to set up a battle formation, gaining a slight advantage through the use of the purple lightning. After it destroyed the saber mountain, it blasted the formation of thirty-six fiendcelestials. Yet all it did was cause a slight stir to the formation. Every fiendcelestial suffered some remnant blasts of the purple lightning but there were only minor injuries.
"It held." Having fled to the back, Skyfiend Jiuhu's eyes lit up.
"As expected of the Minor Annihilation Dharma Formation. Just it alone can resist the Skyimmortals and Bodhisattva of the Great Chang world, even if only barely. If Master's guards arrive and set up the Major Annihilation Dharma Formation, perhaps we do have a chance of conquering this world now," said the ox-headed fiendcelestial with anticipation.
"By conquering this world and helping our world's Heavenly Dao to infiltrate it, we will transform this world into one that suits the cultivation of our fiendcelestial lineage," said the wolf-headed fiendcelestial with anticipation. "Not only would we be rewarded by Master, we would also gain merit from the Heavenly Dao."
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
More fiendcelestials continued entering through the black hole. In a blink of an eye, another three fiendcelestial squadrons had entered.
As for Daoist Divine Firmament and company, they were looking a little anxious.
"We cannot let any more of them enter. Attack!" Ancestral Master Zhang shouted.
As purple lightning kept the Minor Annihilation Dharma Formation in lockdown, large amounts of purple lightning swarmed towards the black hole.
"Protect the world passageway!" Skyfiend Jiuhu, the ox-headed and wolf-headed fiendcelestials, as well as the newly-arrived three fiendcelestial squadrons formed a defensive wall in a concerted effort.
"Boom!!!"
The lightning branched out all over the place as the battle turned into chaos.
And on the ground, the Boor Ancestral Sect trio and the remnants of the Boor Ancestral Sect, such as the Elders and disciples, were feeling somewhat lost and uneasy.
The figures in the sky represented the strongest the Great Chang world had to offer but they were clashing with a large group of fiendcelestials. It was not something they were capable of joining in.
"It's time." The Boor Ancestral Sect trio exchanged looks.
The Boor Ancestral Sect's array formation was almost completely destroyed. Even the array formations that sealed the void had been destroyed.
Be it Daoist Divine Firmament or the fiendcelestials, none of them could spare the trio any attention. One side was focused on destroying the world passageway while the other side was defending it.
Hum!
At the most intense and chaotic moment of the battle, the Boor Ancestral Sect trio suddenly felt a fluctuation envelop them.
"Whoosh."
Following that, the trio jumped into a void ripple and vanished.
"Sect Master Boor Ancestral and company have fled?" Ancestral Master Zhang and East Sea Skydragon swept their gaze and noticed that three figures had vanished.
"Oh?"
From their distance, Qin Yun and Yi Xiao also noticed that the three figures were missing.
"Void Transference? They escaped?" Qin Yun knitted his brows.
"They managed to escape?" Yi Xiao could not help but say.
Qin Yun said, "At the instant Void Transference is triggered, it will indeed create minute spatial fluctuations! But in this battle, there are too many spatial fluctuations dotting the area. Not only us, even Ancestral Master Zhang and company did not notice until it was too late. That allowed the trio to flee."
"Sect Master!"
"Sect Master!!!"
"Bring us with you. You should have brought us with you!"
The remnant fiendcelestial Elders and disciples of the Boor Ancestral Sect were taken aback and shouted in despair.
However, their shouting was useless.
The Boor Ancestral Sect only had one treasure that could teleport Essence Souls. Using it would drain it of all of its power, only allowing the trio to leave. So how could they bring the other Elders and disciples with them?
"The three of them pose no threat to the outside world. If they ever dare show themselves, they will easily be killed." Qin Yun frowned as he looked at the increasing number of fiendcelestials that was appearing in the sky. "What's most troublesome now is that huge group of fiendcelestials! Thirty-six of them form a battle formation that has a strength far exceeding mine. Now, there are already more than sixty fiendcelestials. There are more still pouring in. Soon, they will be able to produce a second thirty-six fiendcelestial battle formation."
"Will we lose?" asked Yi Xiao worriedly.
Indeed it seemed dire.
As the world passageway stabilized and expanded, the fiendcelestials entered even faster.
"Take up formation," a fiendcelestial vanguard squadron leader shouted.
Immediately, a second Minor Annihilation Dharma Formation was formed.
This scene made Skyfiend Jiuhu and company reveal looks of delight.
"We might have been at a slight disadvantage with the Minor Annihilation Dharma Formation from before but we managed to barely hold up against them. Now that there are two Minor Annihilation Dharma Formations… hmph." Jiuhu watched with burning eyes.
"Kill!"
The two Minor Annihilation Dharma Formations were each formed by thirty-six fiendcelestials. They floated in midair like a massive dark cloud.
All of them wore tailored armor with battle sabers hanging on their backs. They brandished the battle sabers as countless saber flashes blinded the eyes of everyone there. They collectively launched an attack at Daoist Divine Firmament and company.
"Boom!" Purple lightning triggered the might of the world as it sent suppressive forces everywhere.
However, it only held a slight advantage over two Minor Annihilation Dharma Formations. It was not even able to injure a single fiendcelestial.
"The Great Chang world is only this and nothing more," said the ox-headed fiendcelestial with a chuckling voice transmission when he saw the turn of events. "Once we have a hundred and eight fiendcelestial guardians gathered, the successful formation of the Major Annihilation Dharma Formation will be as Master anticipates, capable of making a clean sweep through the Great Chang world."
"The hundred and eight third Firmament fiendcelestials are just one aspect, too. The hundred and eight Annihilation Divine Armors are extremely precious," said the wolf-headed firmament with a chuckle as well. "Master was planning on making sufficient preparations before sending large numbers of Skyfiends in to make a clean sweep through this world. Never did we expect to be forced to move out ahead of time. Master was only giving it a rushed try, hoping to test if the Major Annihilation Dharma Formation is capable of making a clean sweep of the Great Chang world. From the looks of it, there's actual hope of that happening."
"To think Daoist Divine Firmament is a personal disciple of the Dao Ancestor. He's really weak. What a disgrace." The ox-headed fiendcelestial scoffed.
"A personal disciple of the Dao Ancestor, and he's only at the third Firmament Skyimmortal. Hmph. Numinous Treasure Dao Ancestor really doesn't discriminate in his teachings. To think he recruited such a weak disciple," Skyfiend Jiuhu added. Their confidence was increasing.
Qin Yun watched nervously.
"Ancestral Master Zhang is only a third Firmament Skyimmortal. Still, the five of these mighty figures are only capable of matching the two fiendcelestial formations?" Qin Yun was gripped with anxiety but he could not help in any way. For instance, Skydemon Palatial Lord and Patriarch Bai were only capable of producing such strength by being in their battle formation.
"Senior Zhang, Senior Bai."
Qin Yun held his transmission token and sent a worried voice transmission. "Nothing can be done to the fiendcelestials now and the fiendcelestials are increasing in number. The situation will only turn worse. Senior Zhang, Senior Bai, do you have any other means?"
"Hahaha…" Patriarch Bai sent a voice transmission of him laughing loudly. "Don't worry. Everything is under our control. If we did not appear to be weak, would those fiendcelestials be so eager to charge in one after another without any regard for their lives?"
"Don't worry. I can recognize the armor they wear. It's the Major Annihilation Dharma Formation of the fiendcelestial lineage." Ancestral Master Zhang sent a voice transmission as well, chuckling while he said, "I also learned about the Major Annihilation Dharma Formation in Green Touring Palace. Its formation needs one hundred and eight fiend soldiers… By deliberately drawing them to us, we will destroy them all in one clean strike just when they are a few fiendcelestials short of reaching a hundred and eight!"
Qin Yun was delighted when he heard that.
"Don't kill all of them," said Yi Xiao immediately. "Capture some of them alive. Our daughter… should still be in that fiendcelestial world!"
"Oh?" Ancestral Master Zhang and company were slightly alarmed as they felt pity for Qin Yun.
"Don't worry. We will try our best to capture a few fiendcelestials alive."