Yan Qinyang had never regretted being the Sect Master of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace as much as he did now.

In the past few years, due to the calamity of the Magic Clan, his most promising direct disciple and, in fact, his illegitimate son, Yanling Ji, was severely injured on the battlefield. His cultivation was completely wasted, his foundation destroyed, and this time there was no help from the Calamity Fate Palace.

Such a blow nearly shattered Yan Qinyang’s spirit. After all, though he had many children, the only one truly gifted and capable of taking on the heavy responsibilities of the sect in the future was Yanling Ji. The other monstrous genius seeds had no blood ties to him, creating a barrier of sorts.

Just as the calamity of the Magic Clan had subsided and Yan Qinyang was pondering how to heal Yanling Ji, another more fatal piece of news arrived: the once-dormant Origin Star Palace had revived. Former disciples returned in droves and began to investigate the culprits behind the looting of the sacred land years ago.

The first to be sought out was the Armillary Sphere Star Palace, as it had deployed the most powerful individuals in that incident and had looted the most fiercely!

An unconditional return of all treasures taken from the sacred land was demanded, including every brick and tile, plus sufficient resources as compensation!

These were the terms of the Origin Star Palace, and their stance was extremely firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

As expected, Yan Qinyang flatly refused.

The higher-ups of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace neither wanted to compensate nor could afford to.

Besides, many Dao Lineage’s powers had a hand in looting the sacred land back then. Why should they only target us? If you have the guts, go ask them for compensation!

Then came the scene of the massive army of cultivators from the Origin Star Palace besieging the mountain gate of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace.

Initially, the higher-ups of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace were defiant, deploying a large group of Core Elders to meet the attack. With the advantage of the Mountain Protection Array, they hoped to at least avoid a disgraceful defeat, laying the groundwork for negotiation.

Unfortunately, having just experienced the calamity of the Magic Clan, the loss of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace’s high-end combat power was staggering. Facing the Origin Star Palace’s absolute advantage in all aspects, they could only resist for less than half a day before suffering heavy casualties.

The half-crippled Quasi Holy Emperor, unable to restrain himself, forced himself to take action and was killed on the spot, his physical body not even preserved.

Now, with the enemy at their doorstep and the blade at their necks, a decision had to be made quickly, whether to fight or negotiate.

“…Sect Master,”

Core Elder Xie Changqing hurried over, his expression ashen: “Six more core nodes of the Mountain Protection Array have collapsed under the strain, and it will take at least three days to restore it to its original state!”

“Then let them repair it!”

Yan Qinyang’s expression grew uglier, but with the current situation, even if it was repaired, what then? Faced with the relentless onslaught of a powerful enemy, it was likely that more nodes of the array would collapse just as they were fixed.

Xie Changqing clenched his teeth and stepped forward urgently: “This won’t do. If they keep attacking, the foundation of our sect that has lasted for millions of years may truly be in danger of collapsing! Can’t we talk to them again?”

“Don’t you think I know that?”

Yan Qinyang sighed bitterly with a pained smile, setting up several layers of shielding arrays around him before transmitting his thoughts: “I’ve checked the sect’s secret archives. The female Emperor leading them should be the chief disciple of that saint from the past: Ice Toad Fairy, now known as the Ice Toad Emperor.”

“Her cultivation is likely even higher than those three from the Dao Court, and she possesses an Innate Spirit Treasure, which is why she was able to severely injure several of our Great Golden Immortals with just one move. Breaking through our Mountain Protection Array is only a matter of time.”

The disparity in strength between the two sides was too great. Even before the calamity of the Magic Clan, at the peak of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace, it would have been difficult to withstand the army of the Origin Star Palace.

Xie Changqing fell silent for a moment before asking, “Is it too late to bow down and submit now?”

Yan Qinyang helplessly said, “Much of the resources we got from there have already been spent, some have been destroyed in conflicts, and the amount of compensation they’re asking for is beyond what our entire sect’s assets can cover. If we don’t bite the bullet and hold out, what else can I do?”

Unable to fight, unable to compensate, it seemed there was no better option than unconditional surrender.

As for reinforcements? Non-existent!

Those once extremely close ally Dao Lineage’s powers, large and small vassal sects, and families all scattered to the winds upon hearing that the formidable enemy was the Origin Star Palace, staying as far away as possible.

Even the higher-ups of the Dao Court had already explicitly refused the Armillary Sphere Star Palace’s request for help. Clearly, the three giants of the Dao Court had no intention of confronting the Origin Star Palace for their sake.

As for the Supreme Elders who were severely injured and in deep slumber within their own Hidden Cave Mystical Realm, they had already exhausted most of their strength during the calamity of the Magic Clan. Now, there were very few powerful individuals left who could take action, and they were of little use.

Thus, Yan Qinyang felt nothing but despair.

Outside the Mountain Protection Array.

The Ice Toad Emperor, the cold and noble woman, stood quietly in the void, holding a radiant golden longsword in her hand. A large purple-gold dragon seal and a long banner with a red-gold base enveloped in mist and clouds floated lightly beside her, surrounded by treasure light and rising purple clouds, exuding a majestic aura that filled the void, indicating its extraordinary rank.

Behind her stood dozens of high-ranking immortals, men and women, old and young, all with the peak aura of Great Golden Immortals or even half-step Quasi Holy Emperors.

Below was an endless void continent, protected by a tough, transparent, egg-white-like dome barrier. Inside the dome, thousands of Armillary Sphere Star Palace cultivators floated in mid-air, each with a look of despair and fear, watching the scene outside the Mountain Protection Array.

Around the Ice Toad Emperor, exactly 365 high-ranking immortals formed the core of the array, with 1,296 immortals in the middle and 3,000 immortals on the outer perimeter. The outermost layer was composed of 84,000 immortals, forming a grand array of impressive scale.

With the Ice Toad Emperor personally presiding over the array with an Innate Spirit Treasure, the destructive power that could be unleashed was earth-shattering. The Mountain Protection Array of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace was already damaged and smoking, with the black smoke and firelight from the exploding array nodes rising and falling.

In the void, hurricanes surged, mountains tens of thousands of miles wide, burning meteors thousands of miles in diameter, and thunder dragons tens of thousands of miles long formed within the array, roaring and howling as they plummeted down, smashing heavily onto the egg-white-like dome barrier before exploding, creating beautiful milky-white ripples spreading out millions of miles in diameter.

Each time this happened, the light of the dome barrier created by the Mountain Protection Array would dim suddenly, only to recover in a few breaths, showing its astonishing defensive power.

However, as the array’s attacks grew more intense and various powerful divine abilities rained down like a storm, the consumption of the dome barrier obviously increased, gradually becoming overwhelmed.

From the start of the battle to now, the dome barrier was on the verge of collapse, its light dimmed to the extreme. If the Ice Toad Emperor continued to attack, complete collapse was inevitable.

The higher-ups of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace had sent messages several times, softening their stance each time, requesting the Ice Toad Emperor to stop the attack and negotiate, with all terms open for discussion.

However, the Ice Toad Emperor remained unmoved, her stance unchanged: unconditional surrender or nothing else!

Dare not agree?

Then wait for the foundation of the sect to collapse, and all disciples, from top to bottom, to die!

But from the standpoint of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace’s higher-ups, how could they possibly surrender? How could they hand over the foundation that had lasted for millions of years?

Of course, the Ice Toad Emperor didn’t care. If they didn’t want to surrender, then she would break into their lair and flatten their foundations! Kill all the disciples! After all, the outcome would be the same.

“…Ice Toad Sister!”

A beautiful Lolita, about eleven or twelve years old, dressed in a deep purple fairy dress and looking like a delicate doll, flew over on a cloud, her wrist adorned with a radiant fairy basket. After saluting, she said, “The Armillary Sphere Star Palace is about to be doomed. Where shall we go next? The Demon Path Ancestral Court or the Azure Fall Divine Sect?”

The downfall of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace was inevitable, so the next target would depend on the Ice Toad Emperor’s wishes. All Dao Lineage’s powers that had participated in the looting of the sacred land could not escape responsibility.

The Ice Toad Emperor pondered slightly: “Let’s choose the Azure Fall Divine Sect then, it’s not far away! Of course, compared to this, I’m more concerned about where the Harmony Spirit Seed has gone. This is the most important task entrusted by the Master!”

The purple-dressed Lolita blinked her lustrous eyes, contemplating: “Since it has already taken shape, it should remember us, remember the Master. Knowing that we have returned to the Great Void, it will definitely come back to us.”

A complex expression appeared in the Ice Toad Emperor’s eyes as she sighed softly, “That should be the case, but who knows what the reality is… That fellow has always been…”

“What is it?”

“Nothing,”

The Ice Toad Emperor changed the subject: “Let’s not talk about this. Prepare in advance. Once this place is breached, we must seal the surrounding void and not let a single disciple of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace escape!”

The purple-dressed Lolita nodded: “Alright.”

After a pause, she couldn’t help but say, “I still think we should find it as soon as possible. I’m only a step away from the Quasi Holy Emperor Realm, and without its help, this barrier won’t be easy to overcome. Also… all of us sisters had agreed that once it took shape, we would…”

“Enough!”

The Ice Toad Emperor’s expression turned cold: “That was just a playful remark by the Thousand Petal Merit Blue Lotus Pond. Are you taking it seriously? Besides, the Master didn’t express any opinion. Do you dare to think about those things without permission, aren’t you afraid the Master will come back and spank you?”

“I know!”

The purple-dressed Lolita pursed her lips and turned away, still muttering softly, “I didn’t say anything! Really…”

The Ice Toad Emperor sighed inwardly, a bitter sentiment rising. Although it hadn’t taken shape back then, it could still communicate with them through thoughts. So, they would often chat by the Thousand Petal Merit Blue Lotus Pond, telling it about the many events in the Great Void.

Unfortunately, the Master had to leave temporarily in pursuit of the ultimate path of transcendence, and that departure lasted for millions of years. By the time they returned, the once sacred land had changed beyond recognition, and even it was nowhere to be found.

The Harmony Spirit Seed could not be killed, or rather, with the current means in the Great Void, it was difficult to truly kill it, at most, it could be sealed and suppressed.

So, if it had indeed become an intelligent being wandering the Great Void, it should remember them, right? Then why wouldn’t it come back?

Well, let’s not think about this for now. Perhaps it has some difficulties? When they find it in the future, they will naturally understand all the causes and consequences.

Putting aside her thoughts, the Ice Toad Emperor refocused her attention on the current battle.

The higher-ups of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace endured seven days and nights of agonizing torment, and then the dome barrier formed by the Mountain Protection Array slowly collapsed amidst earth-shattering roars, turning into a brilliant cloud of light scattering in all directions, with violent spiritual energy fluctuations forming countless storm vortices in the air.

“It’s over…”

Yan Qinyang, still recovering from old injuries, blacked out and fainted.

…

In the Misty Illusion Secret Realm.

Inside the opulent boudoir of the floating battleship, the sounds that should not be spoken of finally subsided within the luxurious curtains, and the overly large red jade phoenix-embroidered bed ceased its subtle trembling.

Behind the curtains, Qing Muling lay lazily, flanked by a pair of beauties, their eyes slightly closed, their faces flushed with a light rose hue, their eyes brimming with infatuation and happiness, like well-fed cats.

“Let them have a longer retreat this time,”

Luo Wanqing, holding the beautiful youth in her arms, nibbled on his earlobe, her breath fragrant: “Junior Brother, stay with us here for a while longer, and don’t bother with those vixens outside, okay?”

Qing Muling replied helplessly, “We can’t be too excessive. Otherwise, when they ask about it later, what will you explain?”

Xuebing Xuan and the others were in closed-door cultivation at Imperial Dao Peak, consolidating the Xuan Immortal realm, and Dragon Ritual Princess was not present either. Therefore, the only sisters accompanying Qing Muling were Luo Wanqing and Yu Binghua. Su Yuanzhen, whose cultivation was too high to partake, could only observe from the sidelines.

Yu Binghua lazily turned over, her voluptuous and enchanting body pressing down on Qing Muling, her voice sultry: “Just a few days’ delay shouldn’t matter, right? We’re already far behind in our cultivation progress, so how can we not take this opportunity to catch up?”

Qing Muling chuckled inwardly, thinking they had good intentions. Who knew if the others would use the same method against them in the future?

However, the fourth sister was originally on par with the others in terms of cultivation, but now she had fallen behind due to joining late. It was understandable that she felt unbalanced.

Yu Binghua’s thoughts were even more complex. Although her cultivation was not as high as Xuebing Xuan and the others, she had far surpassed Qi Shuyu, Su Yunmo, and other familiar sisters, so they often complained when they met.

However, convincing Junior Brother to be fair and let them join sooner rather than later might not be easy in the short term, especially with Dragon Ritual Princess waiting in line.

Of course, with the current cultivation level of Qi Shuyu and the others, it was not impossible to jump the queue early, as long as the Sect Master and Junior Brother both agreed.

At this moment, the silent Su Yuanzhen approached softly, her luscious lips slightly opening, her voice shy and timid: “Junior Brother, would it be okay for your sister to massage your legs this time?”

“This…”

Qing Muling looked at the dignified and voluptuous beauty, her body so tender it seemed to ooze water, her eyes shimmering, her swan-like neck adorned with a gold-inlaid jade necklace reflecting circles of enchanting light, her milky white bosom as perfect as small watermelons, flawless even under the most critical gaze.

Su Yuanzhen smiled softly, climbing up to him, her arms wrapping around his waist like serpentine jade: “There will come a day for this, after all, serving Junior Brother is a responsibility we sisters cannot shirk, so…”

She smoothed her black, silky hair and leaned forward, starting to carefully massage Qing Muling’s legs…