"Crack!"
With a deafening crash, the communication artifact, originally as hard as refined gold, was crushed to powder in the Heavenly Pivot Holy Envoy's hand. His burly figure, transformed into the Demon Emperor, rose from the throne, his eyes blood-red, as though spewing fire.
Beside him, Yellow Venerable and Black Venerable wore grave expressions. The other holy envoys and the dozen or so rogue persons of the sect looked equally solemn.
They had all gathered here only after receiving the news.
Before this, they had been cultivating in seclusion in various lodges and cave abodes within a hundred-mile radius, or attending to other matters. Upon arriving, they had heard the terrible news that contact had been lost with branch headquarters and strongholds everywhere.
Just a few breaths earlier, they had also sensed an overwhelming tide of malice sweeping toward them. That terrifying killing intent, surging like raging waves, had already locked tightly onto this place.
"They're here... Everyone, head outside. We'll meet them in battle right here!"
Celestial Pivot spoke.
"How is this possible? Where did he get so many heaven-tier fighters?"
Yellow Venerable was still muttering to himself, disbelief written across his face.
In the previous Inner Vista Grotto Heaven Battle, the Heavenly Realms Alliance had joined forces with rogue cultivators, pitting their fighters against dozens of ancient cultivators and securing a complete victory.
Now, both the number and caliber of their own experts had increased again, yet the enemy seemed to have even more.
But they had long since learned their lesson, planting eyes and ears throughout the world and even borrowing Mystic Heaven's power to keep close watch on the Heavenly Realms Alliance's heaven-tier powerhouses.
It was truly hard to imagine where that man had found so many experts.
With heavy hearts, they left the great hall,