The sky was overcast. Miasma already abounded in the Wilderness of Witches, and now, with the sunlight hidden, darkness shrouded heaven and earth.
Above Banquet Radiance Mountain, Qiong He stood among the clouds. Deep crimson bloodlight surged beside him before transforming into clear, resplendent auspicious clouds that bore him aloft.
Zhan Yan and Shuchun stood beside him, both gazing into the near distance as though they had sensed something.
"They're here."
Foundation establishment cultivators might be able to conceal themselves, but qi refining cultivators could not. Qiong He could already feel the gathering storm beyond the mountain.
He activated his token, and the barbarians responded at once, taking up weapons and driving their insects and beasts forward. Nearly a thousand people with some cultivation from the various tribes of the Wilderness of Witches had gathered here. Most were at fetal breath, with few even at qi refining.
"Shuchun, activate the formation as you proposed."
Shuchun deployed the Formation Disk beside him. Centered on Banquet Radiance Mountain, surging baleful energy overflowed and connected to Heavenly Tribulation Mountain, Azure Field, and Light Cliff.
Everything was deathly still, with only the insects in the mountain chirping. Among the barbarians stationed below, someone loosed an arrow. It streaked through the sky and plunged straight toward the wooded hills to the west.
Bright yellow treasure light immediately surged forth. An artifact shaped like a wine vessel, its lid closed, rose high into the air. A precious golden pillar stood at its center, with the tails of nine bronze snakes coiled around it. Their heads extended outward, stirring the earth veins. It was the [Unsettling Instrument].
The formerly stable formation began to shake. Bright yellow Gen Earth treasure light swept down, beating back the surging baleful energy.
The three Witchfolk atop Banquet Radiance Mountain remained composed,