Raging Fury!

"Once the enemy's offensive becomes too fierce and the formation falters even slightly, the entire grand formation will collapse on its own."

"Second, borrowing the power of the stars is indeed a fine method, but what if that stellar power is cut off?"

"If someone severs the connection between the Stars of the Heavens and the grand formation, wouldn't your formation become water without a source, a tree without roots?"

"Third, the cultivations of those setting up the formation are far too low.

If all 129,965 formation bearers were Quasi-Saints..."

"Even if a Heavenly Dao Saint arrived in person, he would likely have no choice but to retreat."

When Tongtian spoke the words "Heavenly Dao Saint," his tone rose slightly, carrying a deeper meaning.

Yuanshi and the other two frowned deeply, snorted coldly, and their eyes twitched. They were clearly extremely displeased.

Dijun, Taiyi, Kunpeng, and the other high-ranking Heavenly Court officials wore solemn expressions.

It was not because they had anything against Tongtian, but because every word he said had struck at the heart of the matter.

Of the three flaws, only the first still had room for improvement.

Even so, adjusting the structure of the formation would require an incalculable amount of effort and time.

The path of cultivation had always been like this—the more profound it became, the more every tiny step forward demanded a thousandfold, ten-thousandfold effort.

The second point was practically impossible to solve.

Could they really have every soldier carry a star into battle?

Even taking a step back, even if they could carry them, could stars removed from their celestial paths continue supplying stellar power?

As for the third point, it was even more absurd.

Quasi-Saints were exceedingly scarce in the world. Throughout the Primordial Wilderness, there were only a few dozen so far.

If they truly gathered more than a hundred thousand Quasi-Saints, let alone forming one grand formation, they could easily trample the Three Realms flat!

Even Saints might not be able to retreat unscathed before such an overwhelming force.

Dijun's face darkened, his heart heavy with frustration.

He did not want to admit it, yet he had no choice but to admit it—every point Tongtian had raised was true.

"Since that is the case, why not let this Saint test the formation personally?"

Yuanshi suddenly stepped forward, a faint smile on his lips and an unhurried expression on his face.

Yet deep within his eyes lay undisguised contempt, along with a trace of battle intent he could barely suppress.

He clearly intended to break the formation before everyone, establishing his authority before the myriad immortals while ruthlessly crushing Dijun's momentum.

He had always looked down on these Demon Race members, who came from the wilderness and possessed mixed bloodlines.

Now, Dijun had sought guidance in the name of the grand formation, but in truth he was flaunting his strength and even vaguely seeking to intimidate the Saints.

In Yuanshi's eyes, lofty and arrogant as he was, such conduct was nothing less than a provocation.

Today, he was determined to make this Demon Emperor lose all face.

"Since the Saint is willing to offer personal guidance, how could I dare refuse?"

Dijun was briefly stunned before quickly regaining his composure.

Although the formation's three great flaws had already been exposed, he still had confidence in the Grand Formation of the Stars.

Now that Yuanshi had volunteered to act, it suited his wishes perfectly—

he could test the formation's true combat strength while taking the chance to recover some of his dignity.

The moment they heard that a Saint would act personally, all the cultivators present became animated, their eyes blazing.

Quite a few great experts secretly transmitted messages to one another, discussing heatedly and speculating over the outcome.

Only Tongtian was slightly taken aback the instant Yuanshi spoke.

Then the corners of his lips lifted into a meaningful smile as he turned to Nuwa and whispered,

"The show is about to begin. I bet Yuanshi won't get away unscathed later."

Nuwa, who had been lounging lazily in her seat, brightened at once. With a smile in her eyes, she looked toward Yuanshi in the void as though she had already foreseen what would happen next.

"All troops, heed my command!"

"Saint Yuanshi has come personally to test the formation and offer you instruction!"

"Meet him with everything you have! Do not slacken, and do not tarnish the prestige of our Heavenly Court!"

Yuanshi stood with his hands behind his back, hovering in the air. His robes fluttered in the wind, and his presence was as deep as an abyss.

Dijun turned his head, sweeping his gaze across the generals behind him, his voice cold as frost.

"We obey your decree!"

"Kill—!"

In an instant, cries of battle erupted like thunder, shooting straight beyond the nine heavens.

Within the Grand Formation of the Stars, countless members of the Demon Race unleashed their divine abilities with all their strength.

The attack was like the Heavenly River pouring backward, carrying a world-destroying force as it crashed down upon Yuanshi.

In the blink of an eye, heaven and earth lost their color, the stars vanished, and the spiritual energy across hundreds of millions of miles of void was forcibly compressed until it exploded with deafening booms.

Before that overwhelming pressure had even truly descended, the surrounding space had already twisted and trembled. Then the void cracked apart inch by inch, black fissures spreading in every direction.

Yuanshi's expression tightened at the sight, and the contempt in his eyes vanished in an instant.

He had not intended to use a magical treasure, but in his haste to summon the Pangu Banner, he was already too late.

Before he could make a move, the violent attack was already right before him.

Fortunately, as a Heavenly Dao Saint, he could still draw upon the power of the Heavenly Dao to protect himself.

With a thought, his Primordial Spirit merged with the Heavenly Dao, and layers of transparent barriers, thin as cicada wings, appeared before him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Heaven and earth suddenly darkened. The sun and moon lost their light, and all the stars dimmed.

The violent impact made the entire universe tremble. Boundless spiritual energy exploded beneath that immense force, and the void across hundreds of millions of miles shook violently, as though it were about to break apart.

Terrifying shockwaves swept outward from the battlefield like raging tides.

"Disperse."

A quiet voice sounded from the side, plain and unremarkable, yet seemingly imbued with infinite might.

As the words fell, every violent current of energy vanished, as though it had never existed.

The sight sent everyone's minds reeling, their eyes filled with shock.

The power Sect Master Tongtian displayed had long surpassed anything words could describe.

That unfathomable realm made even imagination seem pale and powerless.

"You little brat, you're courting death!"

A furious roar tore through the silence, filled with resentment and humiliation.

Following the sound, everyone saw Yuanshi standing in the void, his face livid, his hair disheveled, and his robes torn to tatters. He looked utterly miserable.

"Pfft—" Nuwa could not help laughing, a trace of disdain flashing through her eyes.

Even Laozi, Zhunti, and the others wore rather unsightly expressions.

After all, Yuanshi's appearance this time represented the dignity of the Saints. Having ended up like this, was he not being publicly humiliated?

"Die for me!"

Under everyone's gaze, Yuanshi, who had always been proud and arrogant, felt his face burn with pain.

The Pangu Banner in his hand swept fiercely. Dozens of Chaos Sword Qi tore through the void and shot straight toward the Grand Formation of the Stars.

Dijun's heart tightened, and he hurriedly shouted, "Saint, please wait!"

That strike just now had already made him deeply understand that a Saint's might could not be resisted.

But Yuanshi turned a deaf ear, and the sword qi had already arrived.

The demons within the formation immediately felt death closing in. A chill rushed from their scalps to the soles of their feet, and they instinctively mobilized all their cultivation to defend themselves.

Yet how could they possibly withstand a Saint striking in rage?

In an instant, countless demons spat blood, their faces pale as paper.

Those at the front did not even have time to cry out before their bodies collapsed. Their ten thousand years of cultivation vanished like smoke, their souls scattered, and they returned to nothingness.

Watching tens of thousands of subordinates he had cultivated for years perish before his eyes, Dijun's entire body trembled. His eyes reddened, and his expression darkened as though water might drip from it.

Anger, humiliation, helplessness... all kinds of emotions intertwined and surged within him.

But he understood that before an existence like a Saint, even questioning him once was an extravagant hope.

One careless move, and the Heavenly Court would face destruction.

"A Saint... hehe, a Saint indeed..."

He laughed coldly under his breath, his tone full of mockery. Yet an unprecedented desire burned in his heart—only by attaining a Saintly Position could he truly stand firm between heaven and earth. Otherwise, even if he commanded billions of demons, he would be nothing more than an ant in another's palm.

Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Kunpeng were also burning with fury, but the moment they thought of the other man's near-heaven-defying strength, the killing intent gathered around their fists cooled instantly.

"Hmm, it actually managed to withstand one strike from this Saint. This formation does have some merit."

Yuanshi straightened his robes and spoke indifferently, as though he were offering praise.

As for the Demon Race members who had been reduced to ashes, he did not mention them at all, as if brushing away dust were no different.

To Dijun, those words were like blades carving into his heart.

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms. Blood trickled through his fingers, yet he did not notice it at all.

"Truly impressive. Even a dignified Saint was beaten into such a sorry state. What an eye-opener."

Tongtian replied in a sarcastic tone.

Others might not have noticed, but Saints like them had seen it clearly.

At the instant the formation shattered, Yuanshi had actually been thrown to the ground.

The light had simply been too blinding and the commotion too great, preventing the others from seeing clearly. That was why no one had erupted into an uproar on the spot.

Otherwise, the scene would already have descended into chaos.

But how could Tongtian possibly cover for him? With a single sentence, he exposed the truth.

In an instant, those who had been stunned by Yuanshi's imposing manner all raised their heads to look over.

Those questioning gazes made Yuanshi's face turn green.

The little prestige he had just managed to gather was blown away in an instant by that one remark.

Seeing Tongtian expose his embarrassment in public, Nuwa could not help covering her mouth and laughing.

That laugh was all it took. The Sect of Interception Elders behind her could no longer hold it in and burst into loud laughter.

With Tongtian backing them, why would they fear Yuanshi? They laughed freely and wantonly, without the slightest restraint.

Yuanshi was so enraged that veins bulged on his forehead and fury churned in his heart.

As someone who had always cared deeply about face, how could he endure such humiliation? He immediately shouted in a deep voice,

"Tongtian! Is this how you discipline your disciples?"

The moment those words fell, Laozi and Zhunti both changed expression.

The former was worried—afraid that Yuanshi would provoke Tongtian and make the situation impossible to contain.

The latter was secretly delighted, wishing for nothing more than for Tongtian to teach this arrogant fool a lesson.

The other cultivators were even more shocked, their gazes all falling upon Yuanshi.

There was even a trace of admiration in those eyes, which instead made Yuanshi's scalp tingle.

"What? You broke a minor formation and already forgot who you are?"

"When my Sect of Interception Elders act, is it your place to point fingers?"

"They laugh at you and mock you. What can you do about it?"

The smile on Tongtian's face vanished instantly. He snorted coldly, his gaze sharp as blades as it pierced straight into Yuanshi.

A vast pressure descended from above, as though the heavens themselves had overturned and crashed down upon him.

Caught off guard beneath that aura, Yuanshi's breathing stalled, and his mind abruptly cleared.

A trace of apprehension flashed through his eyes. He gritted his teeth, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.

But how could Tongtian allow him to escape so easily?

His aura rose another threefold as his voice turned chilling.

"Did I permit you to leave?"

Before the words had even faded, killing intent had already filled heaven and earth.

The atmosphere instantly tightened, swords drawn and bows bent.

Everyone understood that if Yuanshi gave even one improper response, Tongtian would definitely strike without mercy.

Laozi sighed inwardly and had no choice but to step forward.

"Fellow Daoist Tongtian, my Second Brother did indeed speak improperly. I ask that you be magnanimous."

The moment he said this, everyone around them was stunned.

They all knew Yuanshi was no match for Tongtian, but they had never expected even Laozi to lower his head and admit fault, not daring to entertain any thought of fighting.