Sect Leader Tian Yuheng was reviewing a series of reports in his grand study, his calm eyes scanning through the pages with the patience of a seasoned cultivator.
“These people… can’t they give me a break?”
Most of the reports concerned the activities of his opponents, especially Elder Han, whom he needed to watch out for.
Sunlight filtered through the crystalline windows, bathing the room in a gentle golden hue.
Everything was peaceful—until it wasn’t.
A faint ripple of spiritual Qi swept through the Heaven Sword Sect.
It was subtle at first, like a whisper of wind. But within seconds, it grew—a surge of spiritual Qi so intense that even Tian Yuheng couldn’t ignore it.
His head snapped up, his sharp eyes narrowing.
“What is this…?”
He rose from his seat, pushing the reports aside, and strode towards the large, open balcony of his study.
His gaze swept across the distant horizon, where an ethereal pillar of light had pierced the sky.
It shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors, twisting and coiling like a living thing, sending ripples of spiritual Qi that seemed to shake the very air.
“An opportunity has appeared…”
Tian Yuheng whispered, his voice calm but tinged with interest.
This kind of sign appeared only when some great opportunity—like ancient ruins—manifested.
Without delay, he reached out, his spiritual sense spreading like a tide across the entire sect.
“Elder Shi, Elder Lianhua, Elder Qinglan—assemble at the Grand Hall immediately.”
His voice echoed in the minds of the elders he had called, carrying a weight of authority that allowed for no hesitation.
He wasn’t going to call for all the elders—only the strongest and most trustworthy ones he could think of.
Within minutes, the Grand Hall of the Heaven Sword Sect became a flurry of movement.
“Tian Yuheng, what’s going on?”
Elder Shi asked, clearly unaware of the distant light, though Elder Qinglan and Lianhua seemed to know why they were called.
Tian Yuheng’s gaze remained locked on the distant light, even from within the hall.
“An opportunity has manifested. I suspect it may be an ancient ruin or a mystic realm. But we will only know once we investigate.”
Elder Shi’s eyes widened slightly.
“A mystic realm? But such phenomena haven’t been seen in decades!”
Tian Yuheng nodded. Indeed, such opportunities weren’t common, which made it even more important to seize them.
“We cannot allow others to claim such an opportunity while we stand idly by.”
“Should we prepare the disciples?”
Elder Lianhua asked, her gaze cautious.
Tian Yuheng shook his head.
“No. This is too dangerous to involve the younger generation without knowing what lies within. We will investigate this first.”
“Understood!”
Elder Lianhua nodded.
Moments later, Tian Yuheng and his chosen elders soared into the sky, spiritual light enveloping them as they shot towards the source of the mysterious light.
The journey was swift, but even so, the intensity of the spiritual Qi grew with every passing moment.
With such a huge surge of spiritual Qi, Tian Yuheng knew that most of the other major forces would be present sooner or later.
As expected, when they arrived, they saw they were not alone.
Suspended in the sky, radiating powerful auras, were other groups consisting of various clans and sects.
Not one or two but hundreds of them has already gathered.
The most prominent among them was the Bai Clan, led by the iron-willed Bai Tianheng, his cold gaze sweeping over the light with a calculating sharpness, accompanied by his elders.
Not only the Bai Clan, but the Li Clan Leader and Zhao Clan Leader were also present with their elders.
But that wasn’t all.
At the highest vantage point, in a grand, hovering pavilion marked with a golden dragon emblem, stood the Desolate Heaven Empire’s Royal Family.
It seemed the Royal Commander—one of the strongest under the Royal Family—had also been sent to investigate.
After all, this was such a huge opportunity that even the Royal Family couldn’t ignore it.
Tian Yuheng realized that he had arrived late to the party.
“So, everyone’s gathered already,” Elder Shi whispered, his voice tense. “And the Royal Family too…”
“Expected!”
Tian Yuheng responded, his voice steady.
“A phenomenon of this magnitude would draw the attention of every major power.”
Bai Tianheng’s gaze shifted, meeting Tian Yuheng’s. His lips curled slightly.
“Sect Leader Tian Yuheng. I should have known you would arrive quickly.”
“Bai Clan Leader!”
Tian Yuheng nodded slightly.
“I see that your response to such an opportunity is as fast as ever.”
“Haha… Of course! Otherwise, how do you think we maintain our status as the strongest clan?”
Bai Tianheng bragged.
“So, did you find something about this? And why is everyone just waiting?”
Tian Yuheng asked curiously.
Bai Tianheng’s lips curled into a thin smile.
“Ah, Tian Yuheng, you’ve arrived late, so you haven’t seen the spectacle. There is a powerful barrier surrounding the source of that light. A formation of such complexity and strength that even with our combined might, it has yet to yield.”
He gestured toward the ground below, where the devastation was clear.
Trees were scorched and shattered, the earth was riddled with deep, gaping cracks, and the air shimmered with lingering Qi.
It was a clear battlefield—yet the barrier itself remained intact, shimmering with a faint, multicolored glow, its surface untouched despite the carnage around it.
“From the looks of it… no one held back.”
Tian Yuheng muttered, his eyes narrowing.
If even with the gathering of the strongest they couldn’t put a scratch on the barrier, that meant there was no way to forcefully enter.
But that also meant that whatever was inside the barrier was worth even more—which everyone here must have realized.
“So now, everyone is just watching?”
Tian Yuheng asked.
Despite knowing that the barrier can’t be broken, there was no way that one or two won’t still try.
“Watching and also waiting.”
Bai Tianheng chuckled.
“They’re waiting for the Formation Masters to arrive. The Royal Family already sent a message requesting one from the Formation Hall.”
“And no one has tried to force their way in since?”
Tian Yuheng didn’t believe that everyone would quietly wait for the Formation Master to arrive.
“Oh, they did!”
Bai Tianheng’s smile widened.
“But not only is the barrier very powerful but it also reflects the attacks. One of the Zhao Clan’s elders even lost an arm. Haha… A fitting punishment for them.”
Tian Yuheng’s gaze sharpened.
“A reflective barrier?”
“Exactly! The backlash is proportional to the force applied.”
Elder Lianhua stepped forward.
“If that is true, brute force is useless. No wonder, everyone is waiting for Formation Master.”
“Precisely!”
Bai Tianheng nodded.
“So now it’s a waiting game.”
Tian Yuheng muttered.
“Well, it doesn’t matter as long as we can get something from this.”
Tian Yuheng exchanged a glance with his elders.
This was a dangerous situation.
Everyone present was a powerful figure with their own ambitions, and the longer they waited, the greater the tension would become.
The ground below, covered in scorched earth and shattered rocks, was a testament to that.
The barrier’s ethereal light remained unaffected, and the chaotic Qi in the air seemed to intensify with each passing moment.
Suddenly, a ripple swept through the gathered crowd. The sky shimmered, and a group of robed figures descended from the clouds.
The leading figure wore silver and gold robes embroidered with ancient runes—an unmistakable mark of the Formation Masters.
“It seems the Formation Master requested by the Royal Family has arrived.”
Tian Yuheng whispered.
Bai Tianheng’s smile faded slightly, and his gaze became serious.
“Let’s see whether they can break the formation or not.”
The Formation Masters landed gracefully, their leader stepping forward—an elderly man with a long silver beard and eyes like molten gold.
He glanced around, his expression calm and confident.
Along with him were other Formation Masters.
“I am Grandmaster Huang of the Formation Hall.”
The old man announced, his voice carrying across the entire area without being too loud.
“By order of His Majesty, I shall investigate and analyze this barrier. Please, everyone bear with me.”
Seeing that the Formation Master was a Grandmaster—a title reserved for Grade-7 Formation Masters—everyone felt a surge of confidence that the barrier could be breached.
“Of course, Grandmaster Huang!”
“We believe that Grandmaster Huang can do that.”
…
They also knew better than to doubt such an esteemed person.
Grandmaster Huang floated closer to the barrier, his eyes glowing with a faint golden light as he observed the shimmering surface.
His fingers danced in the air, tracing intricate symbols, and a faint glow appeared at his fingertips.
Tian Yuheng’s eyes never leave Grandmaster Huang’s figure.
But even as they watched, Tian Yuheng couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease.
With so many powerful figures gathered here and the tension already palpable, the slightest misstep could ignite a full-scale conflict.
And yet, they couldn’t leave.
Because whatever lay beyond that barrier could change the balance of power in the entire Desolate Heaven Empire.