chsdbacks Chapter 266 The Tortoise Shield Formation, Firmly Defending Against the Yuanzhong
Chapter 266 The Tortoise Shield Formation, Firmly Defending Against the Yuanzhong
Chapter 266 The Tortoise Shield Formation, Firmly Defending Against the Yuanzhong
Black Serpent True Lord had inadvertently let slip that Chen Yi had exposed his past, and he was immediately enraged and embarrassed.
Without saying another word, he waved his hand and struck out a palm at Chen Yi and Yue Qingqiu.
"Hiss—"
A chilling, eerie hiss suddenly rang out in the air, like thousands of venomous snakes flicking their tongues at the same time, sending shivers down one's spine.
From within the black clouds, a slender black snake, as thick as an arm, suddenly burst forth with magical power, stirring up the violent spiritual energy of heaven and earth along its path. It carried an extremely cold and sinister aura, shooting towards the two of them at lightning speed like a venomous snake emerging from its hole. Wherever it passed, even the air seemed to freeze.
Yue Qingqiu's expression tightened instantly, as if she were being stared at by a giant python that had been dormant for thousands of years. A bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and even the flow of her divine sense and magical power became sluggish, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
However, Chen Yi, who was standing to the side, was not greatly affected by this cold aura because of his strong physical body at the fourth level of body refinement.
Seeing that Yue Qingqiu was trapped, Chen Yi gently tightened his grip on her slender hand, and the star power he had condensed within his body immediately surged out violently, flowing into Yue Qingqiu's body through his palm.
Yue Qingqiu snapped back to her senses and immediately mobilized the divine sense and magical power of the two connected by the Star and Moon Union, throwing a punch forward.
In an instant, the entire sky was lit up, and a dazzling starlight and moonlight bloomed in mid-air. The power of the stars and moon intertwined to form a fist of light half a zhang wide, carrying a magical radiance that was almost at the peak of the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Like a meteor, it crashed into the strange black snake's magical power in the air.
"Bang!"
The starlight and moonlight collided violently with the black serpent's magic, causing the surrounding area of a hundred miles to tremble violently as if struck by a heavy hammer.
On one side, starlight and moonlight exploded, and silver-blue light spread like a tide; on the other side, black clouds spread, swallowing the surrounding light like the night sky.
An invisible dividing line seemed to appear between heaven and earth, with one side shining brightly with stars and the moon, and the other side pitch black, creating a stark contrast.
A powerful surge of magical energy rippled wildly outwards from the center of the impact, accompanied by a deafening roar, like thunder exploding in one's ears.
The force of this impact was extremely terrifying. The Core Formation cultivators who were secretly observing with their detection techniques within a radius of three thousand miles were instantly shaken and dizzy. They dared not stay any longer and all activated their escape lights to flee this place.
Even the few Nascent Soul cultivators who got close enough to watch the battle felt their eardrums ringing and their vision going black, and they involuntarily retreated, not daring to get any closer.
Chen Yi and Yue Qingqiu, who were less than two hundred miles from the center of the explosion, were the first to bear the impact. Yue Qingqiu's body was uncontrollably thrown back a hundred feet, and her internal magic power became disordered.
In the end, Chen Yi secretly unleashed a sliver of his physical strength, firmly supporting her arm and helping her to deflect the overwhelming force, allowing her to regain her balance.
In fact, given Chen Yi's current physical strength, he wouldn't be greatly affected even if he were to withstand this level of magical shock alone.
However, since he is currently fighting alongside Yue Qingqiu, he only needs to play the supporting role and there is no need for him to show off too much or reveal his full strength at this time.
The power of Black Serpent True Monarch's attack was indeed terrifying; an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would have been unable to withstand it.
After Black Serpent True Monarch advanced to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, his cultivation more than doubled, and his strength was indeed well-deserved.
However, the Black Serpent True Lord, who was more than 400 miles away, saw that Chen Yi and Yue Qingqiu had only retreated about a mile before standing firmly, and that the starlight and moonlight in the sky had blocked 90% of the power of his Black Serpent attack. He couldn't help but frown slightly, narrow his eyes and look at the two of them, his tone carrying a hint of surprise: "After a thousand years, the combination of stars and moon can actually reappear in Moon Lake. You really have some skill."
He changed the subject, and when his gaze fell on Chen Yi, there was a hint of contempt: "Fairy Qingyue is indeed worthy of being a new generation of immortal cultivation prodigy. It's just a pity that the one who is joining forces with you is nothing but a Core Formation stage waste."
If this kid can also advance to the Nascent Soul stage, I might really suffer a crushing defeat today.
But now—hmph, today is both the day your star and moon reunite and the day it vanishes once more!
Before he finished speaking, the black spiritual energy around the Black Serpent True Monarch suddenly surged, churning and rolling like boiling ink.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh"
The sound of air being torn apart rang out one after another, and nine jet-black serpentine spiritual smoke suddenly flew out from behind him. Each one was 50% weaker than the black serpent spell just now, but it still carried the power close to the peak of the early stage of the Nascent Soul. Like nine agile black serpents, they shot towards Chen Yi and Yue Qingqiu from different directions from hundreds of miles away, blocking all their paths of escape.
Yue Qingqiu had just stabilized her chaotic magical power and hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath when she saw her opponent unleash nine powerful spells in one go, causing her expression to change slightly.
Just as the Black Serpent True Lord said, the difference in magical power between the early and middle stages of the Nascent Soul realm is too great. Although her Star Moon Fusion with Chen Yi is strong, it ultimately cannot reach the level of the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Faced with such a dense attack, she immediately felt the pressure increase dramatically, and her palms were sweating.
"Senior sister, don't worry, we just need to hold the line."
Chen Yi's voice reached Yue Qingqiu's ears through telepathy, gentle yet resolute.
As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his hands rapidly, and six beams of spiritual light flew out from his storage bag, suddenly unfolding in the air. Six tortoise puppets, each several feet in diameter, appeared and landed steadily around the two of them.
The puppet was made entirely of black iron mixed with lightning steel, and its tortoise shell was covered with dense defensive crystal armor, with complex and interconnected runes.
Chen Yi had planted his divine sense imprint on all six puppets beforehand. At this moment, with a thought, the six puppets were arranged in a specific position, instantly forming a six-star tortoise defensive array.
The moment the formation was activated, a layer of pale golden light enveloped the area, with patterns flowing across it that echoed the tortoise shell crystal formation. Its defensive capabilities far surpassed those of ordinary early-stage fourth-tier defensive spells, second only to the defensive level of top-grade magic treasures.
Chen Yi originally only crafted three turtle puppets. The three extra ones were spare puppets he casually crafted when he was making puppets for the other party in Medicine King Immortal City.
In addition, he also had a set of extra puppet parts materials in his storage bag, which he hadn't had time to refine.
Then, Chen Yi raised his hand and instantly activated the six tortoise puppets with his divine sense. Like guards receiving a command, they made the same movement at the same time, quickly gathering together. Their shells were closely attached to each other, forming a huge shield about ten feet wide, which was steadily suspended in mid-air.
Each tortoise shell glowed with a pale blue puppet power array, and as the runes flowed, they exuded a heavy defensive aura.
Moreover, Chen Yi and Yue Qingqiu's clasped hands moved slightly, and the sharp starlight that was originally being emitted suddenly changed, transforming into a star shield force with blunt protective power.
Yue Qingqiu understood immediately and adjusted her magical power, creating a layer of bright moonlight shield that merged with the power of the star shield.
In an instant, a shield of light, woven from the radiance of stars and the moon, appeared out of thin air, covering the surface of the giant shield composed of six turtle puppets like a thin veil.
This light shield was like the finishing touch, instantly increasing the power of the defensive array composed of the six turtle puppets. The defensive ability, which was originally close to the peak of the early stage of the fourth rank, directly jumped to the level of the middle grade of the fourth rank. The light shield and the turtle shell echoed each other, emitting a protective aura that made people's hearts palpable.
Then Chen Yi gently waved his hand, and the tortoise shield formation immediately soared into the sky, growing larger in the air and expanding to tens of feet wide in the blink of an eye. It stood steadily hundreds of feet in front of the two of them, like an indestructible barrier.
"Boom boom boom one"
Almost at the same time the tortoise shield formation was completed, nine black serpent beams of light struck, crashing into the tortoise shield one after another.
Some of the spiritual light was deflected by the light shield on the tortoise shell, turning into specks of black mist and dissipating; others shattered violently upon impact, leaving only ripples of magical power.
After all nine beams of black light were fired, the puppet power light array and star moon light shield on the tortoise shield array only dimmed by more than half. The core defense remained solid, showing no signs of being breached.
"Six high-grade, third-tier turtle puppets, forming a specialized puppet defense array?"
Black Serpent True Lord's movements suddenly stopped, and his expression showed obvious hesitation. He was stunned for a moment when he looked at the powerful defense formed by the six tortoise shells.
He clearly remembered that six years ago Chen Yi only had three turtle puppets, but now he had three more, and the combined defensive capability of the six turtles had more than doubled.
What surprised him even more was that the two of them, who were clearly good at offense, had abandoned their attack and turned to defense, and had even developed a defensive Star Moon Shield. When did Fairy Qingyue become so "cowardly"?
"Junior brother is amazing!"
Yue Qingqiu sensed the powerful defense generated by the combined starlight and moonlight with the six-headed turtle puppet, and was immediately overjoyed.
She knew that with this layer of defense, even if she couldn't defeat the Black Serpent True Monarch today, she wouldn't lose too badly. The sturdiness of this tortoise shell was beyond her expectations.
While maintaining her magical output, she asked telepathically, "But—Junior Brother, when did you acquire six high-grade, third-tier turtle puppets? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Senior sister, you've been in seclusion for the past few years trying to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. It just so happens that the Medicine King Immortal City asked me to order a few turtle puppets."
"Since there were extra materials at the time, I made a few more sets as I was at it," Chen Yi replied with a smile via telepathy.
"However, the success rate of crafting a third-tier high-grade puppet is extremely low—Junior brother, has your puppet-crafting skill already reached the third-tier high-grade level?"
Yue Qingqiu's voice carried a hint of surprise.
"It was just good luck; he succeeded by sheer chance."
"Another stroke of luck?"
Fairy Qingyue looked on with suspicion, as if this junior brother's luck was a bit too good.
At this moment, Black Serpent True Monarch looked at the unmoving tortoise shield formation and felt a sense of unease. The opponent's large tortoise shell, combined with the Star Moon Shield Radiance, had reached the middle level of the fourth rank. Even if he could forcibly break through it, it would cost him a great deal. This was completely contrary to his expectation of winning easily today and at least eliminating one of them.
"Young Chen, I didn't expect you to be so cowardly after leaving the Star Moon Sect!"
I think you should stop calling yourself Evergreen Immortal and start calling yourself Turtle Immortal!
Black Serpent True Lord cursed through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with even more murderous intent.
He thought to himself, "Is a Core Formation cultivator this difficult to kill? I absolutely cannot let this kid grow stronger, otherwise he will surely become a major threat to my Snake King Valley in the future!"
Having made up his mind, Black Serpent True Monarch suppressed his heartache and ruthlessly took out a black bone magic weapon from his storage bag. This magic weapon was pitch black all over, and its surface occasionally flashed with a cold black light. Even the black spiritual mist surrounding him was attracted to fluctuate violently, which was obviously no ordinary thing.
Then, he suddenly activated his magic power and swung it towards the Black Bone Magic Treasure.
A thick mass of dark light erupted from the magic weapon, condensing in the air into a black ball of light hundreds of feet wide, which loomed over Chen Yi and Yue Qingqiu like dark clouds pressing down on them.
Wherever the ball of light passed, even the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was tainted with poison, turning gray and turbid, losing its original spirituality, as if even the air itself had become a deadly poison.
"Boy! This venom is a fourth-tier snake venom that I've nurtured for over a hundred years. I'd like to see if your tortoise shell truly has no blind spots!"
Despite his stern shouts, Black Serpent True Lord felt a pang of heartache.
The snake venom consumed in that attack cost him at least thirty years of his life's work.
The dark light was extremely fast and continued to spread during its flight. When it was still a hundred miles away from the two, it had already covered an area of more than ten miles, clearly intending to completely envelop the space where the two were located, leaving them with no way to escape.
Chen Yi knew that the Turtle Puppet Formation was excellent at defending against physical and magical attacks, but it was not as effective against poison attacks that spread throughout the entire area.
Fortunately, he had multiple plans and was prepared in advance, so he did not panic.
The next moment, Chen Yi suddenly stuffed a fan made of wing bones into Yue Qingqiu's hand. The fan surface was engraved with wind and thunder patterns, faintly containing a powerful wind and thunder force.
With Chen Yi's magical assistance, Yue Qingqiu quickly channeled the combined Star Moon Magic of the two into the fan at an astonishing speed.
In an instant, the Wind and Thunder Fan shone brightly, and a bluish-white spiritual light enveloped the entire fan surface.
Under Yue Qingqiu's deliberate control, the lightning contained within the fan temporarily disappeared, leaving only the howling wind constantly gathering.
Immediately afterwards, she swung the Wind and Thunder Fan forward with a whoosh—
'
In that instant, the heavens and earth seemed to roar like a hurricane. A huge tornado, tens of feet thick, appeared out of thin air. The spinning column of wind carried a piercing shriek, and the intensity of the gale at its core reached the level of a mid-grade fourth rank. Ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators would find it difficult to withstand this wind force.
The tornado roared toward the dark light, and the moment they met, the violent wind, like a greedy beast, instantly swept all the dark light covering a ten-mile radius into the column of wind.
The originally pitch-black tornado instantly transformed into a poisonous tornado wreathed in dark light. Under Yue Qingqiu's control, it changed direction and swept backwards towards the location of the Black Serpent True Monarch.
"A top-grade magic weapon with wind attributes?!"
When Black Serpent True Lord saw the tornado, which was carrying deadly poison and growing ever larger, his expression suddenly changed.
As he watched the tornado draw ever closer, carrying with it the fourth-tier snake venom he had painstakingly cultivated over thirty years, he was filled with both shock and rage. Even he wouldn't want to be harmed by the venomous tornado.
This time, the Black Serpent True Lord did not hesitate and used most of the remaining magic power in his body to frantically communicate with the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
He frantically made hand seals at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, while chanting incantations.
The surrounding spiritual energy seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, surging wildly towards him. Combined with the black magic power gushing out of his body, it gradually condensed into a huge snake shadow in mid-air. This giant snake of magic power was more than twenty miles long, and the black scales on its body gleamed with a cold, dark light. Every scale was clearly visible, radiating a suffocating pressure.
"go!"
With a roar, the Black Serpent Lord unleashed his power, and the giant serpent charged towards the massive tornado.
This fourth-tier, mid-grade magical technique was the strongest attack he could currently unleash.
"Boom bang bang bang"
In the sky, the giant serpent of magic and the tornado of poison collided with a deafening roar.
In that instant, the world seemed to darken, the once bright sky seemed to be torn apart, a violent wind howled everywhere, black snake scales flew in the collision, and dark poisonous mist exploded like bombs, spreading in all directions.
The spiritual energy of that area was instantly contaminated by the poison, turning it gray and turbid, making it difficult for even light to penetrate.
Black Serpent True Monarch himself dared not approach the battlefield and instantly retreated hundreds of miles to the rear. He knew all too well the power of this fourth-level venom and did not want to get even a drop of it.
At the very moment the two collided, Yue Qingqiu was pulled away by Chen Yi and quickly retreated.
After a long while, the deafening roar gradually subsided. The poisonous tornado and the giant serpent of magic vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a scene of devastation. The air was still filled with lingering poisonous mist, and the ground was scarred with deep trenches by the gale. The scene was horrific.
Fortunately, there were no cultivators' caves within a radius of a thousand miles; otherwise, such a violent collision would have surely injured innocent people.
After this attack, Yue Qingqiu felt as if all the magic power in her body had been drained, leaving her with less than 30% of it.
Her face was slightly pale, her chest heaved slightly, and she was breathing heavily. Clearly, even for a Nascent Soul cultivator like her, activating a top-grade magic weapon with all her might had taken a huge toll, and she would have difficulty recovering in a short time.
Chen Yi, standing to the side, appeared to have his energy completely depleted, yet he showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.
Firstly, he had a powerful body at the fourth level of body refinement as a foundation, so even if his magic power was exhausted, his body could still support him to deal with emergencies. Moreover, he never used his true trump card—the power of the Thunder Crystal.
Secondly, the "Everlasting Life Dao Essence" in his Golden Core Dao Pattern is known for its restorative power. In just this short time of breathing, his internal mana had recovered by about five-tenths, and his breathing gradually stabilized.
Moreover, his storage bag also contained three mid-grade fourth-tier spiritual herbs taken from the Snake King Valley herb garden.
When the critical moment comes that requires him to use magic again, he can use the system to quickly absorb the spiritual power of the green wood contained in the three king herbs and restore his magic power to its peak state.
Theoretically speaking, with his late-stage Golden Core cultivation, he could use these three medicinal kings to replenish his mana during battle, making his endurance far exceed that of ordinary cultivators.
Meanwhile, the Black Serpent True Monarch, hundreds of miles away, became extremely solemn.
The black spiritual mist around him had thinned considerably, and his magical aura had dropped significantly. Clearly, the fourth-tier mid-grade spell he had just used had almost drained his remaining magical power.
Looking at the still sturdy giant tortoise shield in front of Chen Yi and Yue Qingqiu, and thinking of the top-grade magic weapon Wind and Thunder Fan in their hands that could stir up poisonous wind tornadoes, he no longer had the desire to fight.
Today, let alone easily killing one of them, defeating both of them would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.
[Alas, as Master Hong said before his death, it is true that if these two adulterers join forces, I really don't have a good way to deal with them.]
Damn it, that kid's shell is so hard!
Black Serpent True Monarch's face was extremely ugly, and he was filled with resentment. He, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, was actually blocked by a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and a late-stage Core Formation cultivator working together. If this got out, the reputation of Serpent King Valley would probably be ruined.
He stood there hesitating, pondering how to end the situation while saving face.
Suddenly, two beams of light, each emanating the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator, rushed toward this place from two different directions. The beams of light tore through the sky at an astonishing speed.
The Black Serpent True Monarch immediately sensed one of the streaks of light and his expression brightened with joy. He was very familiar with this fluctuation; it belonged to Elder Lin Yunsheng of the Law Enforcement Hall of Qingyun Cave Heaven!
[Excellent! Elder Lin has come in person! Even if we don't make a move today, we won't suffer any losses later!]
But when he sensed the fluctuation of another streak of light, his expression changed slightly, and surprise appeared in his eyes. [How could it be this jinx? Why is she here?]
On the other side, Elder Lin Yunsheng had already rushed to the vicinity of the battlefield as soon as the battle broke out.
He remained inactive, waiting for Black Serpent True Monarch to capture Chen Yi and Yue Qingqiu. In his expectation, Black Serpent True Monarch would at least kill Chen Yi, who was in the Core Formation stage.
After all, Chen Yi dared to lay a finger on the woman he had his eye on, and even if it was just a rumor, he couldn't tolerate it.
However, the situation developed far beyond his expectations. Not only did the two juniors not die, they also withstood the fierce attack of the Black Serpent True Lord.
While inwardly cursing the Black Serpent True Monarch as a waste, Lin Yunsheng couldn't help but feel jealous:
He had some understanding of the Star and Moon Union Technique. To be able to achieve such a high level of tacit understanding in dual cultivation, these two must have practiced dual cultivation quite a bit over the years, and most likely spent a lot of time together in bed. Otherwise, there would be no way they could have such precise coordination.
Seeing Chen Yi and Yue Qingqiu's hands still tightly clasped together in mid-air, Lin Yunsheng was burning with anger, but his face remained calm and expressionless.
A golden beam of light unfurled from the auspicious cloud beneath his feet, and the power fluctuations of a peak mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator were released without reservation, instantly dominating the entire scene and rapidly flying to within a thousand miles of the group.
Lin Yunsheng was dressed in a white robe with brocade sleeves. He looked like a scholar in his thirties, with a fair complexion and an amiable appearance.
However, upon closer inspection, one can discover the sharp glint hidden deep within his eyes, like a lurking eagle, making him someone not to be underestimated.
"Stop!"
He spoke up to stop them, his voice carrying the pressure of a peak mid-Nascent Soul cultivator: "Black Serpent True Monarch, Clear Moon True Monarch, you are both Nascent Soul True Monarchs, why do you disregard the rules of Qingyun Cave Heaven and start fighting?"
Furthermore, by polluting the spiritual energy of heaven and earth with poisonous fog, affecting all living beings in the surrounding area, you two cannot escape the blame for this crime!
As the Grand Elder of the Enforcement Hall of Qingyun Cave Heaven, he was indeed qualified to convict the two.
Black Serpent True Monarch hurriedly clasped his hands in a fist salute towards Lin Yunsheng from afar, his tone carrying a hint of respect: "Elder Lin, this matter is not my fault!"
These two from the Star Moon Sect attacked my Snake King Valley's gate without cause, and even infiltrated the valley to kill and injure four of my Core Formation elders.
Several Foundation Establishment cultivators stole a large number of spiritual herbs from the valley.
They tried to escape after committing the crime, but I intercepted them outside. My actions were purely to apprehend the wicked, entirely in accordance with the rules of the cave!
"Oh?"
Lin Yunsheng turned to look at Yue Qingqiu, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority, "True Lord Qingyue, what do you have to say? Speak the truth without fear. This elder is here, and I will never wrong an innocent person."
Yue Qingqiu was not to be outdone. The fight had ended, and the two sides were evenly matched. The next step was to have a verbal battle and reason with each other.
She raised her voice and said, "Elder Lin, True Monarch Black Serpent is turning the tables on us!"
He first sent his subordinate Black Serpent to attack my Star Moon Sect's mountain gate while we were away, and that's why I symbolically retaliated in kind.
As for his claim that we infiltrated Snake King Valley to kill and plunder, he has no evidence whatsoever; it is pure slander!
Lin Yunsheng then looked at Black Serpent True Monarch, his brows furrowing slightly: "Is what True Monarch Qingyue said true?"
"Was it you who attacked their sect's formation first, which is why they retaliated? Do you have concrete evidence that your sect's Core Formation cultivators were killed and their spiritual herbs were stolen?"
Upon hearing this, Black Serpent True Monarch became anxious. He secretly sent a message to Serpent King Valley, instructing his disciples to quickly send over the recording stone of the great formation within the valley. At the same time, he argued, "So what if I attacked first?"
As a Nascent Soul cultivator, I didn't personally take action; I only sent a third-tier demonic beast!
The battles between Core Formation stage cultivators are not within the jurisdiction of the cave heaven, are they?
On the contrary, it was Fairy Qingyue from the Star Moon Sect who personally took action, despite being a Nascent Soul cultivator!
"We were acting in self-defense!"
Besides, I only used my Core Formation stage cultivation; otherwise, I would have broken your Serpent King Valley's grand formation long ago!
Yue Qingqiu immediately retorted, "Besides, that black snake is your natal spirit pet. Doesn't its action equate to your action?"
The two sides argued back and forth over trivial details, yet the argument escalated into a heated debate.
Lin Yunsheng, feeling a headache coming on, suddenly shouted, "Stop!"
With a wave of his hand, his powerful magic surged forth, and his voice, like thunder, echoed for hundreds of miles around.
Black Serpent True Lord, Yue Qingqiu, and Chen Yi were all shaken by this magical power, their blood and qi surged, their chests felt tight, and they were extremely uncomfortable. They had no choice but to stop talking and cease their argument.
"What kind of behavior is it for a Nascent Soul True Lord to make such a racket? Don't let the younger generation laugh at you!"
Lin Yunsheng's face darkened. "If you have evidence, produce it immediately. This elder will uphold the law impartially. Furthermore..."
He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze fixed on the void hundreds of miles away: "The arrival of True Lord Xuan Yin, I wonder if there is anything important on your mind?"
Following his gaze, everyone discovered that a beautiful woman in a purple dress had been standing there quietly at some point.
Her aura was completely concealed, and she made no sound. None of the Nascent Soul cultivators present noticed when she arrived, nor did they realize how close she was to them. For a moment, they were all astonished. If this senior had launched a sneak attack, none of them might have escaped unscathed.