At the border between the Western Sky Region and the Northern Sky Region.

Wang Shan stood facing the direction of the ancient battlefield. The uncertainty in his gaze had long faded, leaving only firm resolve.

The golden-colored wooden whip in his hand trembled lightly as he unleashed a technique. The whip traced a path through the air, and the fabric of space slowly split apart, forming a doorway. Ten shadowy figures rushed out one after another. The rift then quickly closed again.

The golden whip continued to tremble as Wang Shan opened one spatial rift after another. Each time he brought people through, he sealed the opening behind them. In just a short while, several hundred figures had gathered before him, standing silently in formation.

Wang Shan closed the final rift and asked through voice transmission, "Did everything go smoothly?"

A cloaked, burly man stepped forward and cupped his fists. "The news has already been spread across the Eastern Sky Region, Great Divine Guardian. As planned, we also left enough bait near Qianyun's planetary remains."

Wang Shan nodded. "Good. Since you haven't fully healed from your injuries yet, return and focus on recovery for now. I will take some people and attack a few more of the Black Emperor's forces to keep their attention fixed on the northern part of the Eastern Sky Region."

"Great Divine Guardian, let us go with you!"

The group immediately pressed forward.

One of them exclaimed, "Slaughtering traitors is truly a pleasure! Cultivating in that frozen place is unbearably boring!"

"You cannot leave us behind, Great Divine Guardian! What are these injuries worth? There is no hope for a breakthrough anyway. We might as well kill a few more rebels!"

Wang Shan raised a hand. "Everyone, we have already wiped out thousands of the Black Emperor's forces in Guishen Valley. It is time to give others a chance. Calm down and listen: healing now ensures you will have more immortal power to kill the enemy tomorrow. As I'm sure you're all already well aware of, we are covering for a certain force.

"I cannot reveal the details yet, but I can at least tell you that once you heal from your injuries, we will be able to act openly, draw the attention of the Immortal Saint Realm, and secretly join the thirteenth princess. She now holds the key to restoring the Heavenly Court. What we are doing now is only a small prelude. Tomorrow is when the real battle begins!"

The crowd fell silent. After a brief pause, they all cupped their fists in unison.

"As you command, Great Divine Guardian."

Wang Shan's expression stiffened slightly. He used a divine ability to compress the surrounding space into a dark sphere. Taking the former members of the Heavenly Court with him, he sped toward the Northern Sky Region and instantly vanished.

***

Meanwhile, at the eleven qi planets of the ancient battlefield.

Wang Sheng had been cultivating at the great Buddha statue for more than half a year before he realized that hiding here served no real purpose.

The Black Emperor's forces destroyed the Xinghai Sect's Guishen branch simply because the sect's name was linked to "star," not because they had already identified him and were actively targeting him.

After some thought, Wang Sheng called for Hu Chang. Bringing Ling Sheng along, he headed to Tianfeng and took a position near its primal qi passage.

According to the plan that the think tank of Earth's cultivation world had devised, they had to focus on defense and be prepared to retreat at any time. However, they wouldn't rely on Ling Sheng unless they absolutely had to.

The Xinghai Sect would break apart into smaller groups should the enemy prove to be too strong. It would even sacrifice part of its strength to preserve its core Fire Seed for revival, if necessary.

Yao Xingzi and Lishang agreed with this approach.

No matter the situation, they had to hold the primal qi passage on Tianfeng. If the enemy headed over, they had to delay them there as long as possible.

Just thinking about fighting the Immortal Saint Realm made the situation feel intense, especially since it had no real sense of certainty.

This was nothing like their battle against the Celestial Wind Sect, which had been a loose group of unaffiliated practitioners. Their opponents now were not a disorganized rabble; they were elite immortals.

Still, Wang Sheng could no longer be easily crushed.

Upon reaching Tianfeng, Wang Sheng became busy again. He first had the Xinghai Sect secretly spread rumors that a deadly plague capable of killing immortals had broken out on Tianfeng.

He then sent Hu Chang out in disguise to stir up trouble, clearing out the area right under the other end of the passage to make all unaffiliated practitioners withdraw.

Afterward, he had Lin Yun quietly set up a grand array. At a critical moment, it could draw upon the power of all the planet's underground veins and turn into a killing array aimed at the passage's entrance.

***

Half a year into his preparations, he received news from the scouts stationed on Guishen.

According to them, more than fifty thousand celestial soldiers had gathered under the primal qi passage on Guishen. They sensed dozens of Heavenly Immortal Realm auras and faint traces of Golden Immortal Realm pressure among the army.

By this point, the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect had already claimed most of Guishen. The planet's local forces had either been destroyed or driven away.

Hostess Su had also sent another simple piece of intelligence not long ago.

The forces that the Black Emperor had deployed into the Eastern Sky Region are now converging toward the northern part of the region.

Along with the message came a lotus formed from mystical ice. It functioned like a coordinate marker that was imbued with Chun Yangzi's aura and enough power to tear open space.

If Wang Sheng infused it with immortal power, Zhi Bing and Chun Yangzi would immediately be teleported to his location.

The lotus heavily reassured him.

According to the Xinghai Sect's scouts and Huai Jing's group, the Black Emperor's forces on Guishen likely did not have many top experts. Only one or two were at the Golden Immortal Realm.

In truth, it didn't matter how many Golden immortals there were. After all, they had Ling Sheng.

What Wang Sheng feared was a Taiyi Golden Immortal or a Grand Dao Golden Immortal arriving on the planet. That would leave him no choice but to use the ice lotus that he had just obtained.

Zhi Bing and Chun Yangzi would be able to keep him alive, but his and Earth's existences would likely be exposed to the Black Emperor and the Heavenly Court's other enemies in the Immortal Saint Realm.

At that point, he would likely have to ask his forefather to take Earth out of the Realm of Exiled Immortals and find a place similar to its solar system to survive.

That didn't mean there was no solution, though.

After thinking it through, he decided not to use the ice lotus unless necessary. He would hold it in the same regard as his bronze mirror: a final means of survival.

Once the array under the primal qi passage was complete, Lin Yun also concealed herself within it, ready to launch an ambush at any moment.

Wang Sheng cultivated in the ruins of the Celestial Wind Sect with Ling Sheng. Meanwhile, Hu Chang and Long Liekong monitored the surrounding area.

At last, twelve days after the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect started gathering its forces, Long Liekong hurried back with the latest report from their scouts.

The dragon fiend knelt on one knee and muttered, "A thousand of the enemy's elites are leading tens of thousands of celestial soldiers into the primal qi passage. They will be here in fifteen days. Master, please withdraw for now. Let me face them!"

Wang Sheng smiled. "No need. I will be the main force in this battle. Go inform Senior Lin Yun. Call Hu Chang and Lishang as well. We will launch a preemptive strike to shake the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect's confidence."

Long Liekong responded firmly, "Yes, Master!"

He took three steps back and transformed into a one-eyed azure dragon. Afterward, he shot out of Tianfeng and headed toward Fengmo.

Fifteen days were enough for a round trip.

Wang Sheng did not rush to wake Yaoyun. Instead, he clasped his hands behind his back and inspected the edge of the killing array, making sure there were no other cultivators within several thousand li of it except for the people occasionally flying out of the primal qi passage above. After all, they were beyond his control.

Most of Wang Sheng's high-level forces gathered on Tianfeng before the Yuansheng Heavenly Sect's main army arrived.

He was still somewhat concerned that the enemy would use a diversion to attack elsewhere. Hence, he had Huai Jing return to Fengmo and order the Xinghai Sect to fully activate its grand defensive array.

As long as the rear remained secure, the situation here would not be too difficult.

So what if they had tens of thousands of celestial soldiers? So what if they had a few hundred True Immortals and Heavenly Immortals?

Lin Yun, Lishang, Long Liekong, Hu Chang, and Ling Sheng hid in the killing array. Wang Sheng stood alone in the sky, facing the passage above.

A Golden Immortal, a killing array, and a Ghost Heart Vine were more than enough to hold off tens of thousands of celestial soldiers. Even if the enemy had ten times that number, they would only end up as nourishment for Tianfeng's lands unless they had an extremely powerful being in their ranks.

Half a day before the enemy arrived, he woke up Yaoyun. He then drew the Spiritual Dawnlight back into him, put on his immortal armor, covered it with a robe, and slung the Dragon Sword across his back.

Wang Sheng was now ready for battle.

Finally, their opponents appeared within the membrane of the primal qi passage. Dozens of Daoists rushed out first and released their aura, revealing that they were at the middle or late stage of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

They immediately locked onto Wang Sheng. His aura remained restrained, but he had already spread his sword intent. A sharp, invisible edge pressed against their throats.

The group did not dare to be careless. They quickly took positions, formed a battle formation, and descended a thousand zhang. Afterward, they cautiously observed Wang Sheng.

Their armors were identical, each piece a remarkable treasure. Just like the Qianyuan armor that Wang Sheng had obtained but never used, they could link up and form a formation—one composed of dozens of Heavenly Immortals.

They were clearly part of the Black Emperor's elite forces.

Behind them, hundreds more figures emerged, silently forming ranks in the air as they descended. Then came the vast tide of cultivators. They poured out of the passage like a swarm, filling the sky below it.

Tens of thousands of celestial soldiers stood in silence. Even the wind seemed to quiet down.

Gripping Spiritless, Wang Sheng stood alone below, his long hair moving with the wind. He didn't speak; his stance was enough to make his intentions clear: anyone who wished to reach the eleven qi planets of the ancient battlefield would first have to go through him.

Armor clanked above. The celestial soldiers parted, making way for a burly man in golden armor and a helmet with dragon horns and three eye markings. Standing on the clouds, he looked down at Wang Sheng.

"Who are you?"

Golden Immortal Realm pressure spread, clearly showing that he did not regard Wang Sheng as a threat.

Wang Sheng looked up with a faint smile. "Just a nameless sword cultivator. You?"

"Heavenly Yuanshen Sect," the Golden Immortal replied. "Dragon-scale greatsword, Heavenly Immortal Realm cultivation. You must be the vice sect master of the Xinghai Sect."

"Not bad. Seems you have been paying attention. Tell me, were you the ones who slaughtered a thousand of my sect's members on Guishen?"

The Golden Immortal closed his eyes. He sounded calm yet cold.

"We're here to kill anyone related to factions or planets with the character for 'star' in their names. If you wish to seek peace today, you may return to your sect and wait. We will come and destroy your mountain gate soon enough."

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow. He had the urge to comment on their arrogance, but he held it back. Responding as the Xinghai Sect's representative was the best he could do right now. After all, revealing too much would be unwise.

"I doubt you can even get past me," Wang Sheng said as he flicked his sword, drawing a smooth arc. "Come at me, trash."