The Dark Cloud Soul Chasing Sedan tore through the air, leading the charge.

Trailing closely behind were five streaks of light—Zhou Kai, Shen Hanyi, Fish Baibai, Gao Feiyang, and Xia Min. They moved with urgency, heading straight for Longhua Peak, the stronghold of the Song Family.

Gao Feiyang couldn’t keep his mouth shut. “Hey, do you think we’re pulling off a big heist this time? The Song Family is the only one left that hasn’t made a move yet! They must have been holding back a super move!”

Before long, Longhua Peak appeared on the horizon.

The sight that greeted them made even Gao Feiyang—who claimed to have seen it all—suck in a sharp, cold breath. He nearly stumbled out of the sky in shock.

Hovering above the peak were ten colossal warships.

These leviathans were exponentially larger than the ones Zhou Kai had glimpsed over Calamity Abyss Valley. Their hulls shimmered with a cold, ghostly metallic luster, and their flanks bristled with rows of menacing cannon ports.

High above each deck, the sect banner of Calamity Abyss Valley snapped violently in the fierce gale. A suffocating aura of iron-blooded slaughter washed over them, chilling them to the bone.

But the true shock lay in the escorts. Flanking these ten titans were gigantic beasts of every horrific shape and form.

Some resembled winged tigers, others deep-sea flood dragons. Some were clad in impenetrable scales, while others possessed wings that blotted out the sun. Without exception, their auras were terrifying, most radiating the crushing pressure of the late Golden Core stage!

Beside the massive flagship at the vanguard, two beasts stood as tall as mountains.

One was a Qilin wreathed in purple-black demonic flames. The other was a grotesque, winged giant wolf with a single twisted horn.

The pressure emanating from these two transcended the Golden Core realm entirely. They were unmistakably… Nascent Soul entities!

“Mother of God…” Gao Feiyang’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He stammered, “Na… Nascent Soul demon beasts as bodyguards? Is the Song Family actually this hardcore?”

Xia Min glanced at him, her expression unreadable.

Trailing the ten massive sect flagships were twenty slightly smaller, yet still imposing battle vessels. These flew the banner of the Song Family.

However, amidst the sea of Song banners, one ship stood out.

Its flag did not bear the Song crest. Instead, it displayed a single, flamboyantly written character that danced like iron and silver hooks: “Li”!

The Dark Cloud Soul Chasing Sedan flew straight toward the vessel flying the Li banner. Zhou Kai and the others followed, landing steadily on the deck.

Suddenly, the distant sea of clouds churned.

A treasure ship, flowing with opulent light and exuding extraordinary luxury, shattered the void. It arrived in the blink of an eye, moving with impossible speed.

Before Zhou Kai could even blink, a figure abruptly materialized at the prow of the treasure ship.

He was dressed as a middle-aged Daoist priest. His features were ancient and stern, commanding respect without needing to display anger. His eyes were slightly closed, his presence as deep and immovable as a mountain. It felt as if he had merged with the heavens and earth; his very breath seemed to stir the wind and clouds.

Hiss—

Gao Feiyang hurriedly projected his voice to Zhou Kai. “Look! That’s… that’s our Sect Master! Jie Sanxing!”

Just as the words left Gao Feiyang’s mouth, the middle-aged Daoist, Sect Master Jie Sanxing, slowly opened his eyes.

In that instant, Zhou Kai felt as if those eyes contained the birth and death of galaxies, a depth spanning ten thousand years. A mere sweeping glance made Zhou Kai feel as though his soul was being forcibly dragged out of his body. His mind trembled violently.

Jie Sanxing’s gaze swept over the fleet below. His voice was flat, yet it rang clearly in every ear.

“For this battle, this Seat shall personally take the field.”

He paused, his tone suddenly turning resonant and metallic, clashing like spears and shields.

“Victory is assured!”

” majesty! Victory to Calamity Abyss Valley!”

“Victory! Victory!”

From the warships below, a tsunami of sound erupted. Disciples of the Valley, members of the Song clan, and even the unruly giant beasts roared in unison. The soundwave shook the heavens, shattering the cloud layers above!

Zhou Kai shouted along with the crowd, playing his part, but his mind was racing.

The Sect Master is personally leading the charge? With Nascent Soul guardian beasts? The Song, Yang, and Li families… this is a total mobilization, isn’t it?

But how much time has passed? Barely twenty days. And we’re already launching the final decisive battle?

This doesn’t make sense. Usually, these wars involve decades of probing and tug-of-war. What kind of scheme is hidden here?

Just as the bloodlust reached its peak, another figure shot up from the Song Family flagship, hovering tall in mid-air.

“That’s the Song Family Patriarch,” Gao Feiyang transmitted again.

The Song Patriarch looked younger than Jie Sanxing. He scanned the fleet and pressed one hand down against the void.

The earth-shattering roar died instantly. The silence was absolute.

He wasted no breath on speeches. He uttered a single command.

“Depart!”

Rumble—!

Thirty-one warships, escorted by the gargantuan beasts, ignited their engines simultaneously.

Defensive runes lit up in sequence along the hulls. Like thirty flying fortresses, they tore open the sea of clouds, speeding away from Calamity Abyss Valley with momentum that shook the world.

The fleet moved with terrifying speed, the wind howling like a banshee as they pierced the sky.

After barely an hour of travel, the void ahead tore open without warning. A massive, pitch-black spatial rift scarred the sky.

The ten colossal sect flagships, along with Sect Master Jie Sanxing’s treasure ship, didn’t hesitate. They plunged headlong into the chaotic void of the spatial rift, vanishing in an instant.

However, the twenty Song Family warships—and the Li Family vessel carrying Zhou Kai—did not follow.

Instead, they banked hard, changing direction to continue flying through normal space.

“Hm?” Zhou Kai raised an eyebrow.

What kind of operation is this? The main force uses a spatial rift for a strategic transfer, while we act as a detached force? Where are we going?

Just then, a streak of light flew over from the lead Song warship, landing gracefully on the deck of the Li vessel.

The visitor was a young cultivator in brocade robes, adorned with jade. His face was like carved marble, his temperament noble. His cultivation was impressively at the early Golden Core stage.

He cupped his hands toward Li Youci’s cabin and spoke with a clear, projecting voice.

“Song Tiancheng, by order of my father, comes to pay respects to Junior Sister Li. I have important matters to discuss.”

The cabin door slid open silently.

Li Youci walked out, her face veiled, her voice cold. “Senior Brother Song, please.”

Zhou Kai, Gao Feiyang, Shen Hanyi, and Fish Baibai followed them into the ship’s main hall.

“Greetings, Senior Brother Song,” Zhou Kai and the others offered a polite salute.

Song Tiancheng’s gaze lingered briefly on Shen Hanyi and Fish Baibai—the two with the highest visible cultivation—before turning a warm smile to Li Youci.

“Junior Sister Li’s subordinates are clearly dragons and phoenixes among men. It is no wonder Junior Sister values them so highly and entrusts them with such heavy responsibilities.”

“Senior Brother Song flatters them,” Li Youci replied indifferently. She gestured for him to sit. “Speak frankly. What brings you here?”

Song Tiancheng took a sip of the spirit tea Fish Baibai served, moving with unhurried grace.

“Junior Sister, logically speaking, your father—Uncle Li—and Brother Qiwen are currently leading the elite forces of your family at the Crouching Tiger Mountain defense line. Why did you choose… to head toward the Gazing River City battlefield instead?”

Li Youci waved her hand dismissively, pointing a lazy finger at Zhou Kai and Gao Feiyang.

“These two servants of mine. They were beaten half to death by that bastard Fu Weilun a while back.”

Her tone was casual, but her chin tilted up with imperious pride.

“They lost my face. Naturally, I have to go get it back for them.”

Zhou Kai and Gao Feiyang’s mouths twitched upon hearing themselves described as “losing her face,” but they kept their heads down, not daring to utter a peep.

Song Tiancheng looked enlightened. He nodded with exaggerated admiration.

“So that is the case! Junior Sister Li is truly benevolent and righteous to her subordinates. Tiancheng is impressed. As for that scoundrel Fu Weilun… I have heard of him. Refining souls into poison. He indeed deserves to be executed.”

His expression then turned solemn.

“However, Junior Sister, the Sect Master and my father have issued strict orders. Our detachment’s primary mission is to coordinate with the main force’s movements. Therefore, I must ask you not to act on impulse. Do not attack Gazing River City without explicit orders.”

He softened his tone slightly.

“Of course, outside of that constraint, feel free to purge any wandering enemies as you see fit. You need not restrain yourself.”

After a few more pleasantries, Song Tiancheng stood up and took his leave.

Listening to the exchange, Zhou Kai understood immediately.

This was Li Youci’s “arrangement.” She had maneuvered them into this detached force to give them freedom of movement—specifically to hunt for the Cicada Raiment Art sequel or related secrets!

Li Youci turned to go back to her cabin.

But as her gaze swept past Shen Hanyi, who stood quietly like a statue of ice, she paused.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Li Youci raised a slender, jade-like hand.

She pinched the corner of her veil and gently pulled it away.

A face of calamitous beauty—one that could topple cities and ruin states—was revealed without reservation.

Shen Hanyi remained unmoved, her expression cold as snow, her beauty ethereal like a banished immortal.

Two tall, stunning figures. One clad in black, the other in white. One imperious, one freezing.

They stood in the cramped cabin, forming a silent, invisible standoff.

The air seemed to stagnate, heavy with a faint, almost imperceptible scent of… gunpowder?