The device hummed to life, emitting a blinding flash of dark light. A terrifying, focused beam of energy shot out, aimed directly at the formation.
The attack power behind this beam reached an unimaginable level, easily comparable to the full power of a cultivator at the early stages of the Tribulation Stage!
Any normal Tribulation Stage cultivator would have been instantly obliterated by such an assault.
The beam slammed into the formation. The entire barrier flared, shining with an intensity that outshone the midday sun.
It pulsed, it vibrated, but once again, nothing happened.
The beam was absorbed, swallowed by the incredible power of the ancient defense.
Not a single crack appeared, not a single shimmer of weakness.
Young Master Venus watched in absolute horror. His eyes were wide, his mouth agape.
He had used his ultimate weapon, a device from an advanced civilization, and still, it failed! He couldn't believe it.
The power he had just unleashed should have been more than enough to shatter anything on this planet.
Meanwhile, within the settlement, the Eternal Sect group exchanged genuine, confident smiles. They knew exactly why the formation remained intact.
This was no ordinary defense. This was an 8th-tier formation, an ancient, incredibly powerful protective array.
It was capable of withstanding attacks even from peak Tribulation Transcendence cultivators, beings whose power far surpassed even a Mahayana Stage like Young Master Venus.
His attacks, while powerful to him, were simply not enough to overcome such a masterpiece of defensive magic.
At this point, Zhao Tie stepped forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Now, it's our turn," he declared, his voice full of anticipation.
He reached into his own space pouch and pulled out a single talisman. It was a remarkable object, shimmering with a rich, golden color.
Intricate patterns, like fine, winding rivers of deep red, were engraved across its surface.
This wasn't just any talisman; it was an 8th-grade high-level talisman, a true treasure of immense power.
"The Golden Blade Waves Talisman," he announced, a confident smile playing on his lips.
Without hesitation, Zhao Tie activated the talisman.
He poured his spiritual power into it, and the golden patterns on its surface blazed to life with a brilliant, dazzling light. The talisman pulsed, humming with raw energy.
He then threw the glowing talisman upwards, towards Young Master Venus, but he didn't leave the safety of the formation.
He was perfectly content to launch his counter-attack from within their impenetrable shield.
The talisman flew upwards, rising high into the sky, where it paused, glowing like a miniature sun.
Then, with a sudden, silent burst of energy, the talisman didn't explode in a destructive way.
Instead, it dissolved, bursting into countless fragments of golden light that shimmered for a moment before disappearing into the void.
But the effect was immediate and profound. The entire environment around Young Master Venus changed.
The sky above him, which had been darkening under his own power, now transformed into a breathtaking, radiant golden expanse. It pulsed with immense spiritual energy.
Then, from this golden sky, thousands upon thousands of sharp, gleaming blades began to materialize.
Each blade shimmered with dangerous energy, forming themselves into a vast, terrifying formation that covered the entire golden sky.
Young Master Venus's face, which had been filled with anger, now twisted into an expression of pure, unadulterated horror.
He looked at the countless, deadly blades, and for the very first time in his long, arrogant life, he felt a chilling, profound fear gripping his heart.
He could sense the power radiating from each individual blade; each one felt like it contained the full destructive force of a Tribulation Transcendence peak powerhouse.
This was an attack far beyond his wildest nightmares.
His mind reeled in panic. "Just what kind of force did we make enemies with?!"
he thought frantically, his earlier confidence completely shattered. He had underestimated them so severely!
He didn't hesitate. Survival instincts took over. He turned, his body a blur, and started to flee, dashing away from the incoming storm of blades with all his might.
He abandoned his attack, abandoned his rage, abandoning everything in a desperate attempt to escape.
But it was too late. At that very moment, the thousands of golden blades, under Zhao Tie's unseen command, began to pour down towards Young Master Venus.
They descended with terrifying, unstoppable speed, a golden waterfall of death. He was trapped.
The first few blades touched him, and his defensive spiritual energy, his Mahayana Stage cultivation, was sliced through as if it were paper.
The blades began to cut into his physical form.
He screamed, a high-pitched cry of agony and terror, as the golden blades carved into him. In mere seconds, he was overwhelmed, his body meticulously sliced into millions of tiny pieces.
The Golden Blade Waves Talisman was not just a physical attack; it was imbued with spirit energy designed to target and destroy the very essence of a cultivator.
His soul, caught in the spiritual crossfire, was also crushed and obliterated by the relentless, all-consuming blade spirits.
Young Master Venus, the terrifying main threat of the Secret Realm, was dead. His power, his arrogance, and his threats were all reduced to nothing.
Back in the settlement, the air was suddenly filled with a new kind of joy, a profound, undeniable sense of final victory.
Everyone erupted into cheers, louder and more passionate than ever before.
They could sense it the oppressive aura was gone, the threat was truly over.
They guessed correctly; with Young Master Venus gone, there were no more major threats left inside this Secret Realm.
It was finally, truly safe. Everyone became busy, celebrating their hard-won peace and freedom.
Outside the Secret Realm, Yan Wuhe was playing a game of chess. He was very tense. This was a big game for him.
He really wanted to win, but he never had. Not even once. Every single time he played against Shen Huai, he lost.
This made him feel bad, like he was not smart at all when compared to Huai. His strong, proud nature was hurt badly by these losses.
He thought to himself, "I must look like a complete idiot when I play chess with Huai."
He focused very, very hard on the board. He studied every single piece, every empty square. He was desperate to find a way to win.
After a long time, he finally saw it! A small opening! A place where he could put his chess piece and maybe, just maybe, win this time.
His heart thumped with excitement. He quickly picked up his piece, his hand moving fast, and placed it on the board.
He looked at Huai, hope shining in his eyes. He waited, holding his breath, for Huai's reaction.
Huai, on the other hand, looked very calm. He didn't even seem to be thinking hard.
He picked up one of his own chess pieces in a very relaxed way. He moved it, almost lazily, to a spot on the board.
Then he looked at Wuhe and said, very simply, "You lost again."
Wuhe stared at the board. He looked at Huai's piece. He looked at his own pieces.
He saw it. Huai was right. He had lost again. His shoulders slumped. He felt a deep sadness, almost like he was going to cry.
He tried to blink back the tears that pricked at his eyes. This was so frustrating! He had tried to ignore the game many times.
He told himself it didn't matter. But every single time he sat down to play with Huai, he always lost. It was like a curse.
He just couldn't beat him. It was a cycle of hope and then defeat, over and over again. His spirit was really taking a beating.
Suddenly, just as Wuhe was feeling down about his loss, Huai stopped looking at the chess board.
His eyes, which had been a little bored, now turned towards the Secret Realm gate. He looked directly at the shimmering entrance, as if he could see right through it.
A small, knowing smile touched his lips. He said, very quietly, almost to himself, "Oh, the last rat died too?"
Wuhe, who was still sad about his chess loss, heard Huai's words. He immediately looked up. He also turned his gaze towards the Secret Realm.
He didn't have to think about it. He just knew what Huai meant. He looked at the gate for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"It was fast," he agreed, sounding a little surprised by how quickly things had ended inside.
Nexus and Commander Vulcan were still standing nearby. They hadn't moved much.
They had been waiting for a long time, their hearts heavy with worry for their people inside the Secret Realm.
They had heard Wuhe and Huai talking about the chess game, but they had also heard those last few sentences.
"The last rat died too?" and "It was fast." These words were like a sudden, bright light in their long wait.
Nexus, a serious and respected leader, couldn't hold back anymore. She walked quickly towards Huai. She wanted to know the truth. "Citizen Huai!" She asked,
her voice filled with urgency, "What did you just say? Is it true?" She needed to be sure. She needed to hear it clearly.
Commander Vulcan, strong and usually silent, also stepped forward. His face showed a mix of hope and fear.
"Now are they out of danger?" he asked, his voice a little rough with emotion. He wanted to know if their people were finally safe.
Huai looked at both of them, his earlier bored look now replaced with a calm assurance. Wuhe also looked at them.
They both nodded their heads. It was a clear, simple sign. "Yes," they both said together, their voices clear and confident.
Huai continued, "There are only a few of them left from each region."
Then Wuhe finished, "But they are okay right now. Just wait for the Secret Realm to open."
The news spread like wildfire. Nexus and Vulcan repeated what they had heard, sharing the good news with the others who were waiting.
Everyone who had been standing there, waiting anxiously for days, heard the message. A deep, collective sigh of relief swept through the entire group.
It was like a huge weight had been lifted from everyone's shoulders. The tension that had been hanging in the air for so long finally broke.
Even the elders from the five regions, who had been pacing and worrying more than anyone, felt a profound sense of relief in their hearts.
They had been worried sick about their disciples, about the future of their regions.
But now, with the news that the "last rat" was gone, and their people were "okay," a glimmer of hope, a true and lasting hope, finally appeared.
They looked at each other, some with tears in their eyes, some with wide, disbelieving smiles.
The long wait was almost over, and it seemed their people would indeed come out alive.
They began to imagine the reunions, the stories, the rebuilding.
A new future, free from the shadow of the extraterrestrial threat, was finally within reach.
The air felt lighter, the sun seemed brighter, and the long, painful wait was filled with eager anticipation instead of dread.
Suddenly, the Secret Realm started to shake violently.
The huge purple-gold swirl in the sky, which was the gate to the Secret Realm, began to spin super fast.
It started to sink down, meter by meter, getting smaller and smaller, until it completely vanished into thin air.
Then, the Secret Realm itself burst into a bright, golden-purple light.
The whole area changed. Where the swirly gate used to be, an amazing sight appeared a gigantic tower!
It had so many floors, at least 21 of them, reaching high into the sky. This was the very famous Ten Thousand Mountain Tower.
Inside the Secret Realm, people were still celebrating and having a good time. But then everything started to shake.
The trees, the ground, everything around them began to disappear right in front of their eyes!
Then, this gigantic tower appeared directly in front of them. The huge tower looked very, very old, carrying a powerful, ancient feeling with it.