Hall Master Yuan Xiang, having mastered two and a half Chaos-level Daos and enduring corruption and torment to this day, remained unyielding and naturally would not give up easily.

“Elders, as you all know, the situation is dire,” Hall Master Yuan Xiang transmitted. “Outside Rain Lake City, there’s a vast army of low-level Chaos beings surrounding us. Only a handful in the entire city can escape this encirclement! I, for one, cannot.”

The more than three hundred elders understood this as well; if they were to flee, they wouldn’t escape!

Hall Master Gai Qi, who had long refined weapon artifacts, believed the Nine River Sacred Realm to be far safer than the Dark Sacred Realm. This was his refining stronghold, and a large portion of his accumulated wealth lay in his weapon artifacts. Unwilling to lose them, he spared no expense in acquiring escape treasures.

As for the other elders, none were as wealthy as Hall Master Gai Qi! Their life-saving items also offered no guarantee of escape.

“If we can’t escape, then we will defend until the end.”

“I’ve already sent a plea for help to the Dark Sacred Realm! A Transcendent Mindworm has appeared this time, and a team of cultivators has already departed from the Dark Sacred Realm. It will take them over a day to reach Rain Lake City.”

“We only need to hold out for just over a day to win!” Hall Master Yuan Xiang was speaking the truth.

The cultivator team consisted of three members, each no weaker than Hall Master Yuan Xiang in his prime. They first needed to travel to the Dark Sacred Realm’s teleportation lake.

After that, they would travel from the Nine River Sacred Realm’s teleportation lake to Rain Lake City. Even at their fastest travel speed, the total time required would still be over a day.

“The 92 elders of the Stars Formation, continue intercepting the lurking teams,” Hall Master Yuan Xiang commanded. “Other elders, disperse more clones as quickly as possible. Once a lurking team discovers a clone, it should immediately dissipate itself. We need to buy as much time as possible.”

“Understood,” all the elders replied.

In fact, the previous Hall Master Gai could also have dispersed multiple clones to buy some time. But Hall Master Gai was unwilling to take the risk! Because when facing the pursuit of terrifying beings like ‘The King’ and its group, even a slight delay would mean the destruction of all clones and the loss of all treasures.

At this moment, the elders within the city, either having no other choice or disdaining to flee, naturally tried every means to delay.

*Rumble*

The Stars Formation, having lost Hall Master Gai Tao, saw its power reduced by a third. However, at this moment, the entire formation’s might was concentrated on only three of the 39 elite lurking teams.

With the formation’s power focused, these three elite teams began to suffer casualties.

“King, these elders are too cunning. They dissipate their clones as soon as they discover us. They still have other clones!”

“The formation’s power is too great; our team has already lost three core members’ true bodies!”

“King, our team only has sixty percent of its strength left! These elders are too cunning!”

“We succeeded! Elder Qiu Ge’s clone speed was far inferior to our psychic bodies, and all his fleeing clones dissipated. Rain Lake City has one less elder.”

Various messages reached The King, but only one brought good news.

The King had anticipated this.

The insufficient pressure from the low-level Chaos being army outside meant greater danger for the lurking forces.

“Bear with it, we’ve reached Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s cave-dwelling.”

The King, along with all 30 true bodies of the leader-level lurkers, had arrived. Rain Lake City originally had 32 true bodies of leader-level lurkers, but two had died during the interception.

*Boom—*

The King and the 30 leaders, all appearing as phantoms, moved with astonishing speed, surging towards Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s cave-dwelling.

Hall Master Yuan Xiang sat there, smiling as he watched them.

“You’ve arrived,” Hall Master Yuan Xiang said with a faint smile, then immediately dissipated.

“Hmm?”

The King and the 30 leaders landed nearby. “King, I can’t sense Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s clone within Rain Lake City,” one leader said, puzzled.

“I can’t either,” The King said, slightly puzzled, looking up at the formation operating high above. “But Hall Master Yuan Xiang is the city’s founder. If he were to die and lose control, Rain Lake City’s formation power should greatly diminish. Yet now… the formation’s power hasn’t changed! He’s still alive!”

“Yes, I’m still in Rain Lake City,” a voice echoed within the cave-dwelling.

The King and the 30 true bodies of the leader-level lurkers carefully sensed.

“I’ve been tormented by corruption, and all my mental strength goes into resisting it. I know I am Rain Lake City’s greatest weakness, so how could I be unprepared?” Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s voice rang out. “You will never find me.”

“Damn it!”

The King and the 30 leaders were quite enraged.

Their previous encounters with Hall Master Wei Yang and Hall Master Gai Tao had gone smoothly, with everything proceeding as planned, resulting in one Hall Master’s death and the other’s escape.

However, when facing the weakest Hall Master Yuan Xiang, they couldn’t find him at all.

“Guess where I’m hiding?” Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s voice continued.

“Ignore him, he’s just buying time.” The King’s gaze swept over the 30 leaders. “Initiate the next phase of the plan. I will act alone. You all divide into five teams! Begin assassinating the elders one by one! The more you kill, the better. Each elder killed will weaken the formation’s power.”

“Understood.”

The King no longer paid attention to Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s voice, quickly splitting off to begin assassinating the elders in the surrounding cave-dwellings.

*Whoosh!*

Inside a cave-dwelling.

Elder Qin Yi didn’t even have time to react before being attacked by The King. The King’s innate secret technique, ‘Mind Bewitchment’, had reached an incredible level. Elder Qin Yi only possessed one valuable artifact, which was stored in the Dark Sacred Realm. His body in Rain Lake City naturally had no power to resist and died instantly.

With that, all of one elder’s clones within the Nine River Sacred Realm perished.

“Next,” The King said, his eyes cold.

Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s cultivation realm was the highest in Rain Lake City; even The King would find it difficult to launch a sneak attack on him.

However, ordinary elders were struck before they even noticed The King.

Once they couldn’t resist, all their clones within the Nine River Sacred Realm would perish. “Alas.”

In an ordinary cave-dwelling in Rain Lake City’s outer district, Hall Master Yuan Xiang was present, carrying an artifact that completely isolated all light, aura, and karma. Even if Luo Feng looked at this cave-dwelling with his ‘Bionic Destruction Eye’, he wouldn’t be able to see Hall Master Yuan Xiang.

Hall Master Yuan Xiang knew he was weak, but he was wealthy and had long purchased an artifact that could perfectly conceal him. In the Dark Sacred Realm, only a handful could unravel this method.

“Although the elders can use clones, these lurkers are psychic bodies and too fast. The elders are still gradually falling.”

“Forget a day, it’s hard to even hold out for half a day.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang, using the formation to observe the entire city, was well aware of the situation.

Although the lurking forces were also continuously suffering losses from the Stars Formation’s attacks, these were mainly core lineage members. As for The King and the leaders, destroying them would be much more difficult.

Pill Tower.

Luo Feng was currently in secluded cultivation, with his strongest clone guarding outside the meditation chamber.

“Brother Luo Feng.” Tower Master Chang Qing arrived quickly.

“Tower Master.” Luo Feng looked at him, puzzled. “Brother Luo Feng, I’m one of Rain Lake City’s elders and a target for these lurkers. An elite team of theirs is already approaching the Pill Tower.” Tower Master Chang Qing took out a wristband and handed it to Luo Feng. “This contains all the treasures within the Pill Tower, valued at approximately 2.7 billion Chaos Crystals. Please, Brother Luo Feng, help me safeguard them.”

“All the Pill Tower’s treasures? That’s too valuable. I’m not confident I can protect them, Tower Master Chang Qing. You should find another way,” Luo Feng said.

“At the very least, you’re not an elder, so you’re not a target for the lurkers. And your strength surpasses mine, so your chances of survival are definitely greater than mine,” Tower Master Chang Qing said. “Even if you can’t protect them, I won’t blame you, Brother Luo Feng. If you can… I would be eternally grateful! Consider the hundred-tribulation heart marrow I gave you earlier as a safekeeping fee.”

“The fee for the hundred-tribulation heart marrow will still be due afterward,” Luo Feng said, taking the wristband. “I will temporarily store these Pill Tower treasures for you. I can only promise to do my utmost!”

“Thank you, Brother Luo Feng,” Tower Master Chang Qing said, turning his head to look outside.

The elite lurking team had already reached the Pill Tower.

*Whoosh!*

Tower Master Chang Qing instantly shot into the sky, fleeing into the distance.

“Kill Tower Master Chang Qing.”

This elite team comprised 8 leader-level clones, 6 core lineage true bodies, and 59 core lineage clones. It’s worth noting that in terms of true strength, even one core lineage true body could threaten Tower Master Chang Qing. Such a combined force was far more terrifying.

“Roar—” A phantom great serpent suddenly roared, its cry impacting the entire Pill Tower complex and also affecting Tower Master Chang Qing, who was fleeing in the distance, causing his figure to waver.

The Mindworm race and the Souleater Serpent race were psychic beings among the low-level Chaos lifeforms, capable of transforming between illusory and real forms. They shared some similarities with the psychic beings Luo Feng had encountered in the Infinite Space, but were clearly far more formidable.

“Hmph!”

Accompanied by an angry snort.

A surging crimson tide manifested out of thin air, spreading across the vast area surrounding the Pill Tower, instantly engulfing the elite lurking team. The terrifying sea of blood immediately eroded and destroyed the true bodies and cloned forms of these lurkers.

In the blink of an eye, they were all annihilated, not a single one remaining.

“Huh?” Tower Master Chang Qing, who had been fleeing, watched this scene in astonishment.

“How is this possible?” Tower Master Chang Qing couldn’t believe it.

“This is—”

Inside an outer district cave-dwelling, Hall Master Yuan Xiang, whose presence was concealed, constantly monitored the situation and also witnessed this scene unfolding at the Pill Tower.

An entire elite lurking team, in a single encounter, was completely wiped out! They offered no resistance.

“Late-stage God Emperor Mindworms and Souleater Serpents, with bodies that can be both real and illusory, possess incredibly tenacious life force. To destroy their bodies in one move, no more than twenty individuals in the entire city could achieve it! And to destroy an entire team in one move, only Hall Master Wei Yang and Hall Master Gai Tao could manage that.” Hall Master Yuan Xiang’s eyes lit up.

Hall Master Gai Tao had fled without even engaging in battle.

Hall Master Wei Yang, even against ‘The King’ and twelve true bodies of leaders, had managed to hold on for several breaths at great cost.

An elite lurking team, frankly speaking, possessed deterrence comparable to a single true body of a leader.

Hall Master-level strength was more than enough to effortlessly eliminate such a team.

“Luo Feng, have you reached the strength of a Half-Chaos level Dao Comprehender?” Hall Master Yuan Xiang quickly transmitted, noting that with two Hall Masters either dead or fled, it seemed a new Hall Master had appeared in the city.