Upon streaks of crackling lightning, figures materialized – the warriors of Zhao He. Some streaks bore a solitary champion, while others teemed with dozens, even hundreds. These Zhao He warriors, unseen in the Three Great Star Systems, struck the firmament like a thunderclap.

Each lightning bolt roared with untamed energy, their speed a blur to mortal eyes. The warriors wore peculiar garb, reminiscent of soldiers, each bearing a mark of shared allegiance, yet hinting at diverse origins like nations under a single banner.

And a most curious aspect: the vast majority were women.

A rarity in Luo Tian, Yun Hai, and the Alliance! Of the tens of thousands who arrived, scarcely a thousand were male.

A grave determination etched itself on their faces, a chilling resolve. Though their forms were fair, the aura of death they emanated held no less ferocity.

Leading them was a scholar, clad in flowing robes, his feet resting upon a dragon of lightning. His hair danced wildly about a face of striking beauty.

Beside her, a middle-aged woman of formidable grace rode the storm, her silence a stark contrast to the cacophony around her.

From the swirling vortexes of the Luo Tian reinforcements emerged celestial bodies wreathed in protective auras, teeming with the warriors of Luo Tian, united from every clan and house.

At their vanguard strode Master Lu, his face grim, his eyes blazing with righteous fury. With a flourish of his sleeve, his broken sword shimmered into being.

In that moment, they were no longer merely Zhao He or Luo Tian warriors. They were united by a single cause: defenders against the Outer Realm invaders.

The arrival of Zhao He and Luo Tian invigorated the surviving thousands of Yun Hai warriors. Already steadfast against death, their spirits soared at the sight of reinforcements.

Conversely, the invaders, though numerically superior, faltered. The venomous sea and ravenous mosquitos decimated their ranks, their anguished cries echoing through the void, sending them reeling in disarray.

The tide turned, and Wang Lin’s roar became the hammer blow that shattered their will.

“The Fire Sparrow Patriarch is dead! Great Elder Nan Zhao is dead! Grand Overseer Yun Luo of the Long Revered Sect is dead! You are next!” Wang Lin bellowed, his eyes burning crimson. He swung the Sky-Cleaving Axe, and with thunderous resonance, stellar corpses rained down upon the battlefield.

In the midst of battle with the Celestial Concubine, Nan Yunzi was confronted by the scholar from Zhao He, who materialized with a thunderous clap.

“Friend Nan Yunzi,” she spoke softly, “allow Zi Meng to handle this one.” With a flick of her wrist, she plunged into the fray.

Nan Yunzi laughed, retreating without a glance at the Concubine, instead rushing to the Realm Sealing Array with renewed fervor.

“Harlot! Where is your sister?” the Celestial Concubine hissed, her eyes narrowed. They clashed with blinding speed, the battle a whirlwind of magic and steel.

“My sister will be here soon,” the scholar replied calmly. “You may wait.”

Meanwhile, the middle-aged woman from Zhao He joined Master Lu, together they advanced upon the crimson-clad figure, relieving some of the pressure. However, the boy in icy raiment, remained stoic.

The onslaught of Luo Tian and Zhao He pushed the invaders further into disarray. Their dying screams became an eternal dirge echoing through the stars.

The Zhao He warriors, though mainly women, displayed an unparalleled ferocity. Masters of speed, they were a blur of lightning, each strike delivering the full force of their Zhao He heritage.

From the nine hundred inhabited stars of the Luo Tian formation came a chorus of thunder. Spectral images of celestial bodies crashed down upon the invaders.

The venomous sea surged, consuming all within its grasp.

The swarms of mosquitos descended, draining life and soul until only desiccated husks remained.

The invaders crumbled.

In a short time, nearly ten thousand invaders perished, forced into retreat. Their confidence had been shattered by Wang Lin’s triumphs, their resolve replaced by terror.

They had arrived with arrogance, viewing the realm-bound as insignificant insects, ripe for slaughter and plunder. The initial success against the Yun Hai had only confirmed their beliefs.

But now, bitter truth dawned: they had underestimated their foes. They had underestimated the power of a people defending their home.

The death of the Fire Sparrow Patriarch had shaken their confidence.

The screams of Nan Zhao had eroded their courage.

And finally, the demise of Yun Luo had extinguished their last vestiges of hope, turning their arrogance into overwhelming fear.

“This battle is lost…” The invaders scattered in panic, desperate to breach the Realm Sealing Array, their fear palpable. They now saw the realm-bound as madmen, uncaring for their own lives, only driven to claim as many lives as possible before their own end.

The venomous sea roared, the mosquitos swarmed, the Yun Hai warriors fought with unwavering zeal, and the Luo Tian soldiers charged with savage fury. The lightning-fast Zhao He women wove a tapestry of death across the stars.

Wang Lin, axe in hand, strode forward, each swing bringing death and destruction. His white robes were stained crimson, and with a final surge of power, he transformed into a swirling mist, devouring all in his path.

The mist expanded to ten thousand feet, engulfing countless invaders. Their screams echoed as their life force was drained, leaving behind only pools of blood.

This was not merely a battle. This was a counterattack.
As had befallen the Cloud Sea cultivators before, a final, desperate stand erupted within the realm! Against the tide of Luo Tian and Zhao He warriors, the invaders from beyond suffered grievous losses.

Particularly savage were the mosquito beasts and venomous seas, swirling like storms of death. The ranks of the extrasolar legion thinned rapidly, their initial force of over a hundred thousand dwindling to a mere eighty thousand souls.

Then, from the primordial stars themselves, emerged a fresh horde – the Third Wave, a legion of primeval horrors. They materialized before the breached warding array, their bestial cries a prelude to their assault.

Two mighty figures, paragons of the Third Step and masters of Empty Nirvana at its midpoint, led the charge. Behind them surged nearly fifty thousand warriors, poised to plunge into the fray. Should they break through, the routed invaders might find the will to resist, reigniting the war’s flame.

Even before their entry, the mere sound of the Third Wave’s advance stirred a flicker of defiance in the hearts of the scattering extrasolar soldiers, stemming their retreat from the all-consuming dread.

Amidst the carnage, Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with chilling resolve. He strode forth, becoming a vortex of power that shattered the starscape before him, emerging directly within the gaping wound of the warding array.

He stood within the breach, raising his hand, his voice a chilling echo that reverberated across the battlefield.

“While Wang Lin yet stands, and until he falls in battle, none shall set foot within my realm!”

As he spoke, a thunderous cracking emanated from within his being. His form expanded exponentially, reaching colossal proportions. The true form of a Seven-Star Ancient God now graced the heavens!

A thousand zhang in height, his immensity was a spectacle to inspire awe, even fear, in all who beheld him.

Beyond the warding array, the Third Wave pressed its assault. Ignorant of the power Wang Lin possessed, and only momentarily stunned by his gargantuan form, they pressed on, their eyes burning with avarice and a maddening zeal. Like locusts, they blotted out the stars, hurtling toward their single, towering foe.

Wang Lin stood defiant, his gaze cold as the void, fixed upon the approaching enemy, particularly the two Third Step adepts who regarded him with grim composure.

He angled his hand, and as the first of the Third Wave reached him, he unleashed a primal roar that shattered the heavens!

“Kill!”

With that single word, a storm of illusory fire erupted from his left eye, consuming thousands of extrasolar warriors. Their screams were cut short as their bodies were devoured, turned to ash in an instant.

“Kill!” he roared again.

From his right eye, a swirling vortex of lightning exploded forth, expanding into a roiling sea of crackling energy. All who were touched by its wrath were annihilated.

The two Third Step masters, their faces contorted with alarm, lunged toward Wang Lin without hesitation!

“Kill!!”

Wang Lin roared a third time, raising the Heaven Splitting Axe above his head, gripping its haft with both hands. He leaped into the void, bringing the weapon down in a devastating arc!

With each movement, the seven Ancient God stars upon his brow pulsed with blinding light, unleashing the full, unbridled power of his ancient lineage!

This strike was intended to shatter the last vestige of hope within the fleeing invaders. A blow from which no recovery was possible.

The Heaven Splitting Axe, a blur of starlight, flew from Wang Lin’s grasp, hurtling forward to meet its destiny!