The Dragon Palace's schemes had quietly advanced in the shadows for several months.
When even more covert methods of infiltration repeatedly met setbacks under the Academy's seemingly loose yet incomparably rigorous Heart-Questioning system and daily surveillance,
an impatience born of frustration began to spread through the upper ranks of the Dragon Palace. Since hidden moves alone were difficult to make effective, overt force had to be used to apply further pressure.
This was meant to coordinate with the actions in the shadows, a further manifestation of the Turtle Prime Minister's plan to "isolate their position" and "seek openings."
Before dawn that day, a faint Morning Mist hung over the sea. Myriad Dao Academy was as tranquil as ever, with only the morning bell sounding, clear and melodious.
Yet this peace was quickly shattered by a deep, muffled rumble from the depths of the sea.
"Woo—humm—"
It was as though countless enormous conch horns had sounded at once. The heavy, penetrating noise instantly drowned out the morning bell and swept across the inside and outside of the Academy!
Immediately afterward, the once-calm sea began to churn violently, as though some colossal creature were awakening beneath the waves.
"Look! What is that?!" Some of the beings in the Academy's outer Enlightenment Zone pointed fearfully into the distance.
As far as the eye could see along the horizon, enormous walls of water rose out of nowhere, stretching endlessly like moving mountain ranges as they closed in around the floating continent where Myriad Dao Academy stood!
Flags fluttered above the water walls, while spears and blades stood like a forest. Dense ranks of aquatic soldiers formed strict formations, armored and armed, radiating soaring demonic aura and murderous intent!
Shrimp soldiers surged like tides, crab generals gathered like clouds, and Sea-Patrolling Yakshas stood proudly atop the waves with Water-Parting Halberds in hand. Teams of Flood Dragon Knights riding sea beasts weaved among them, their auras fierce and savage.
The immense army formation exuded a suffocating pressure, surrounding the entire Academy continent from all sides so tightly that not even water could pass through!
The sunlight was blocked by the Shrouding the Heavens curtain of water and the army's baleful aura, dimming the sky considerably.
This was nothing like the ceremonial Sea Patrol procession Ao Xin had brought that day. This was a true elite Water Army of the Dragon Palace, hardened through countless battles!
Its numbers and imposing might were enough to easily destroy many of the so-called immortal mountains and blessed lands in the Primordial Era!
The army halted roughly five hundred zhang from the Academy. At this distance, it had already entered the attack range of conventional long-range divine abilities, making the oppression all the more intense.
At the head of the army stood a great general clad in black dragon-scale armor, holding a Water-Parting Dragon-Patterned Axe as large as a door panel. His aura was deep and unfathomable.
He was a formidable Dragon Race general at the peak of Taiyi Golden Immortal, one of the Dragon Palace's commanders—Ao Zhan.
Ao Zhan did not attack immediately. He pointed his massive axe forward, his voice rolling out like thunder. Deliberately avoiding mention of the Primordial Chaos Sage, he addressed the Academy directly:
"Myriad Dao Academy, listen well! You established a Dao venue in the East Sea without authorization, gathered unidentified beings, disrupted the Order of East Sea spiritual energy, and even showed disrespect to the Dragon Palace's crown prince!
"Today, by decree of His Majesty the East Sea Dragon King, we have come to hold you accountable!
"You have one incense stick's time to open your gates, hand over the person responsible for offending the crown prince that day, dissolve the Academy at once, and have all your members leave the East Sea! Otherwise..."
He paused. Killing intent erupted from his body, and the thousands of aquatic soldiers behind him roared in unison. Their voices shook the heavens and churned the seawater into a boil!
"Otherwise, our army will descend upon you, flatten this tiny patch of land, and leave neither chicken nor dog alive!"
It was a naked threat of force! Under the pretext of maintaining "East Sea Order," they intended to force the Academy to disband!
This disturbance had long since alerted the entire Academy.
Xuanjizi, Elder Teng, Yun Xi, and all the other disciples, regardless of their cultivation, swiftly gathered in the air at the Academy's outskirts. As they gazed upon the Dragon Palace Water Army that blotted out the sky, every face was grave.
Even Xuanjizi's heart sank when he sensed the immense baleful aura gathered by the army formation and Ao Zhan's undisguised pressure as a peak Taiyi Golden Immortal.
This was no longer a personal conflict. It was a direct clash between factions!
"What a grand display!" Jin Li clenched his fists. His metallic stone body hummed as battle intent rose within him.
"They want to force us out, or force the Sage to act..." Elder Teng's gaze darkened as he saw through their scheme.
Yun Xi's face was slightly pale, yet she remained firmly at Xuanjizi's side as Literary Qi silently circulated around her.
The beings still in the Enlightenment Zone were terrified out of their wits. Some collapsed limply to the ground, while others hurried toward the Academy in search of protection. The scene was utter chaos.
Xuanjizi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew that he absolutely could not show weakness now, much less be intimidated by their momentum.
He stepped out from the crowd and hovered within the Academy's Guardian barrier, facing Ao Zhan's nearly tangible gaze and the killing intent of thousands of aquatic soldiers.
He answered loudly, his voice strengthened by Literary Qi and clearly carrying into the enemy formation:
"General Ao Zhan! Myriad Dao Academy is the Dao venue of Sage Wanhua. We teach the Dao here in accordance with the Heavenly Dao. We have never disrupted East Sea Order, nor have we ever taken the initiative to provoke the Dragon Palace.
"As for what happened that day, right and wrong are plain for all to judge. Today, General, you have led an army to surround us and issued threats, seeking to destroy the Sage's lineage. Does the Dragon Palace intend to become enemies with the Sage?"
He once again emphasized that this was a Sage's Dao venue, raising the level of the conflict as he questioned the Dragon Palace's intentions.
"Hmph! Do not use the Sage to pressure me!"
Ao Zhan sneered. He had clearly received instructions and was prepared for this. "His Majesty the Dragon King respects the Sage, which is why we have come here to 'hold you accountable' rather than directly wage war!
"If you obey the order, nothing will happen. But if you defy it, you will be seeking your own deaths! When the time comes, even if the Sage blames us, it will be because you brought it upon yourselves!"
He framed the Dragon Palace's actions as "acting according to the law," shifting responsibility for any wrath from the Sage onto the Academy. His words were exceedingly cunning.
"What a fine 'brought it upon yourselves'!" Xuanjizi's voice turned cold as well. "Our Academy stands here without ever violating any Dragon Palace law, yet the moment you open your mouth, you demand that we disband.
"By what rule do you demand that we hand over our fellow disciple?
"Could it be that the Dragon Palace's word is the iron law of the East Sea, allowing you to casually decide others' life and death and destroy their Dao lineages? How are such actions any different from those of demons?!"
He seized upon the tyranny and absurdity in the other's words, openly denouncing him with increasingly sharp rhetoric.
"Presumptuous!" Ao Zhan flew into a rage. With a sweep of his massive axe, an enormous water blade spanning sea and sky formed out of thin air, carrying the force to tear through everything as it savagely struck toward the Academy's outer Guardian barrier!
"Looks like you won't give up until you see the coffin! I will first shatter this turtle shell of yours and see how long you can keep talking tough!"
He chose to strike! Rather than sending in the whole army, he used his formidable personal cultivation to launch a probing attack. He intended to display force while searching for a flaw in the Guardian Formation!
The gigantic water blade radiated the terrifying power of a peak Taiyi Golden Immortal. Wherever it passed, even space rippled!
This strike was far more powerful than Ao Xin's casual blow that day!
"Activate the formation!" Xuanjizi had been prepared. Together with Elder Teng, Yun Xi, and the other Core Disciples, he instantly drove their Literary Qi to its limit!
The Wanhua Guardian Formation appeared once more. Principle runes whirled frantically across the barrier, gathering the will of the disciples' Literary Hearts and the Academy's Earth Vein Literary Qi to withstand the heaven-shaking water blade!
"Boom—!!!!"
An even more violent collision erupted! Blinding light flashed as an energy storm swept across sea and sky!
The Guardian barrier twisted violently and let out an overwhelmed hum. Xuanjizi and the others presiding over the formation all spat out blood.
The weaker Registered Disciples turned deathly pale, nearly unable to remain standing.
Yet the barrier still did not break! Its light merely dimmed considerably, showing that it had endured tremendous pressure.
A flicker of surprise passed through Ao Zhan's eyes. Though he had not used his full strength in that strike, he had still put seven-tenths of his power into it. This strange formation had actually blocked it?
"Form up! Myriad Dragons Overturning Seas Wave! Wear them down to death!" Ao Zhan immediately gave the order, no longer fighting alone.
He had seen that the formation's defenses were astonishing and difficult to break through a direct assault, so he intended to have the army form a battle formation.
With an absolute advantage in numbers and strength, they would unleash relentless, saturated attacks to gradually grind away the enemy's defenses!
Thousands of aquatic soldiers answered in unison, their demonic aura surging into the heavens. They began operating according to an arcane battle formation as vast Power of Water Essence was drawn forth and gathered, as though the strength of the entire sea had been mobilized.
It transformed into wave after wave of destructive undercurrents, towering waves, ice spikes, and water mines, pouring like an endless downpour against the seemingly unstable Wenhua barrier in an unceasing barrage!
The water tribe's encirclement of the island, their coercion and provocation, had become a tangible military assault! Myriad Dao Academy faced its most severe trial since its founding!
All the pressure fell upon that barrier woven from principles and Literary Qi, as well as upon the shoulders of every Academy disciple behind it.
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