Following the Sect Leader’s command, Elder Yan, Elder Bai, Elder Wen, and five other Elders dared not delay. They rushed back to the main hall of the sect’s primary peak to engage the defensive arrays.

The eight Elders transmitted into the sealed core of Wanchun Valley’s earth veins. There, they confirmed that the hub of the Guardian Formation—which was already in constant operation—and the formation protecting the main peak were functioning without error.

Two Elders were left behind to guard the array core against any unforeseen calamities, while the remaining six returned to the main hall.

“I wonder if the Sect Leader and the others will reach the Spirit Sword Sect smoothly…”

Elder Bai’s grave voice echoed through the vast hall.

The topic weighed like a millstone on the hearts of every Elder present. Even the soothing medicinal fragrance of the spirit wood pillars could not dispel the oppressive, restless atmosphere that permeated the room.

Elder Yan’s eyes narrowed, his gaze cold as he analyzed the situation. “If it is merely one or two Golden Core cultivators lurking to intercept our external communications, we can handle it. What we fear is them joining forces. We still do not know which sect—Spirit Beast, Mystic One, or Little Sky Net—fabricated the rumor about us colluding with Demonic Cultivators.”

“Or perhaps,” another Elder added darkly, “even within the Spirit Sword Sect, there are factions opposed to Ye Guxing.”

“If that is true,” a third Elder murmured, “our situation is dire indeed.”

Another Elder brought up the recent, humiliating peace negotiations. “In my view, the Spirit Beast Sect is the most suspicious. When they disrupted our Immortal Destiny Grand Ceremony, the Mystic One Sect, Spirit Sword Sect, and Little Sky Net Sect offered no clear justification, acting as if they were deceived. Only the Spirit Beast Sect kept insisting we colluded with Demonic Cultivators, spewing absolute nonsense and venomous slander!”

Elder Bai sighed heavily. “That is how it appears on the surface, but who knows the truth hidden underneath? Wanchun Valley has been framed without us even realizing it. Now we cannot even defend ourselves properly, and our attempts to seek peace have been rejected. It is truly infuriating!”

Elder Yan looked at him with mild surprise. “Didn’t you agree with the Supreme Elder’s stance, advocating for peace at all costs? I thought you possessed a cooler head.”

“What kind of talk is that?” Elder Bai snapped. “My entire family, young and old, lives within this sect. How could I not pray for us to safely weather this storm?”

“Of course I am angry when others bully us! But it is a fact that every other sect is more adept at combat than we are. We have been forced to swallow our pride for survival. But given the current situation, it seems even swallowing our pride will not buy us peace. How could I not feel suffocated and distressed?”

Elder Bai’s outburst plunged the hall into a heavy silence.

Which of these Elders wasn’t angry? Who among them didn’t fear for the sect and their future?

After a long moment, Elder Wen spoke slowly. “Discussing this now is of no use.”

“The Sect Leader and the Supreme Elder are escorting Li Tonghai to the Spirit Sword Sect tonight. If they succeed, we are safe. If they fail… our safety will be in grave jeopardy. We must assume we are on our own and concentrate all our strength.”

She turned to Elder Yan. “Senior Brother Yan, I must trouble you—”

Elder Yan corrected her automatically, “Senior Sister Wen, it should be Junior Brother Yan.”

Elder Wen ignored him and continued, “Senior Brother Yan, go and summon all the Deacons of the main peak, as well as every Inner and Outer Disciple. Have them stand by. If the situation deteriorates, we will mobilize everyone to defend the formation with our full strength.”

Elder Yan rose and strode out of the hall, his black vine staff tapping rhythmically as he moved through the Deacon residences. Before long, Deacon Lu, Deacon Liu, Deacon Fang, Deacon He, Deacon Bai, and nearly thirty others had assembled. Following Elder Yan’s orders, they began gathering the numerous disciples of the main peak.

Deacon Liu, who managed personnel assignments, stepped forward to report. “Elder Yan, Deacon Hu Biao has not yet returned from the Green Grain Market.”

“Furthermore, the Green Grain Market, the mountain gate, Spirit Field Department, herb gardens, alchemy division, artifact forging division, talisman division, Ancestral Mausoleum, and patrol teams… there are ten Inner Disciples and twenty-nine Outer Disciples currently stationed outside the main peak.”

“Shall we recall them as well?”

Elder Yan pondered for a moment. “You handle this. Be quick and return swiftly.”

Deacon Liu nodded, released his flying artifact, and prepared to soar away from the main peak. However, when he reached the boundary, the cyan light of the formation did not part for him as it usually did.

Deacon Liu landed in surprise. “Elder Yan, I cannot leave.”

Elder Yan was not particularly shocked. “The formation has been raised to a higher alert level, strictly sealing all entry and exit. The situation isn’t that critical just yet. I will return to discuss this with the other Elders; we should be able to temporarily lower the barrier to allow you to retrieve Hu Biao and the others.”

Deacon Liu bowed in acknowledgement.

At that precise moment, Elder Yan sensed a disturbance. He turned his gaze toward the deep night sky, toward the distant horizon.

A faint flicker, like the flame of an oil lamp, suddenly exploded into a brilliant burst of cyan radiance.

“It’s the Ten Thousand Years of Eternal Spring! There really is an ambush!” Elder Yan’s face paled in horror. “The Sect Leader and the others are fighting for their lives!”

He whirled around and roared, “All Deacons! All Inner and Outer Disciples of the main peak! Assemble outside the Sect Hall immediately! No one is to step foot outside the barrier!”

Spurred by Elder Yan’s thunderous command, the Deacons accelerated the gathering process. The entire main peak of Wanchun Valley erupted into noise and activity before being hushed into disciplined silence by the Deacons’ shouts.

Over two hundred Inner Disciples, including Jin Qi and Sheng Yan, gathered behind the giant cauldron outside the Sect Hall.

More than sixteen hundred Outer Disciples were marshaled into formation behind them. This group included not only the veterans at the fourth and fifth layers of Qi Refining but also newly promoted disciples like Sun Kang, Liu Lan, and Zhong Yue. Even the freshly minted Outer Disciples from the day’s competition—Bai Lingyun, Meng Bao, Li Xuan, Wang Teng—were present.

Lu Yun hurriedly fastened his belt as he scrambled into the crowd. Even Pig Third, who had been punished earlier that day, was dragged out to await a chance to redeem himself through service.

Everyone waited in tense silence. The disciples had no idea if an attack was imminent, and even the Elders and Deacons were in the dark about the battle’s outcome.

After that single, brilliant bloom, the radiance of the Ten Thousand Years of Eternal Spring never appeared again.

The light from the Sect Hall, originally bright, grew dim as nearly two thousand bodies crowded the square. Shadows cast long over the faces of the Outer Disciples in the rear.

Sun Kang glanced back at Liu Lan. She met his gaze, and both held their tongues, though fear spoke clearly in their eyes. Deacons patrolled nearby, eyes sharp, preventing any whispering that might incite panic.

Senior Brother Sun, if Wanchun Valley is breached, will we survive?

I wonder how Junior Brother Han is faring at the Spirit Field Department. He stayed outside the main peak. Are we the unlucky ones to be trapped here, or is he even more unfortunate out there?

I pray the sect survives this calamity and we all see tomorrow.

The air atop the main peak grew stagnant, so heavy that everyone unconsciously shallowed their breathing. Time passed with excruciating slowness, each second a torment.

The night gradually faded, the ink of the sky diluted by the coming dawn.

The fate of those outside the main peak remained unknown.

And then, slowly, the sky began to brighten.