Panic had long since gripped Wanli City, and mortals and Low-Rank Cultivators alike were planning to flee.
In the eyes of this small minority of low-level cultivators, Wanli Island could still fall even with a Nascent Soul Stage expert stationed there.
Most people, however, still trusted Revered Master Wanli.
Beast tides were hardly rare in the Chaotic Star Sea, occurring almost every few decades.
An ordinary beast tide was led by only a single Transformation Stage Demon Beast.
As long as reinforcements arrived in time, resisting a beast tide was entirely possible.
Very few islands fell to ordinary beast tides.
But even with swift reinforcements, countless cultivators and mortals died in every beast tide unless they were near Tianxing City.
Cultivators at least had the strength to resist. If low-level Demon Beasts poured in by the masses while the high-level cultivators were too occupied to intervene, mortals were almost utterly defenseless.
At that moment, Revered Master Wanli, the only Nascent Soul Stage cultivator in Wanli City, was gazing beyond the island with worry weighing on him.
He seemed to be waiting for the approaching storm.
He was confident he could defeat an Eighth-Stage Demon Beast, but if thousands or even tens of thousands of Demon Beasts of the fifth rank or above hindered him, it would be all but impossible.
He might not even break through the defensive line of those High-Rank Demon Beasts before his spiritual power was exhausted and they tore him apart to devour him.
Only an hour had passed since the Bu Female Cultivator descended the mountain, and Revered Master Wanli had stood there for that entire hour.
"There are still too few cultivators on Wanli Island, and cultivators at the Core Formation Stage or above are fewer still. If the elders of the Star Palace fail to arrive in time, even if we save Wanli Island, corpses will probably blanket the land."
Revered Master Wanli let out a long sigh after speaking.
Ever since reaching Core Formation, Revered Master Wanli had spent long stretches living on the islands near Wanli Island.
Even when he ventured out, he would return after his adventures.
Only after he truly formed his Nascent Soul did he become the master of this place at the Star Palace's invitation.
It was only after Revered Master Wanli took up residence that the island was officially renamed Wanli Island.
More than seven hundred years had passed since then, and his attachment to Wanli Island ran far deeper than anyone else's.
Now, with at most one or two hundred years left to live, Revered Master Wanli could not help feeling even more furious at encountering such a calamity.
Without realizing it, he extended his left hand and clenched it into a fist.
The instant his fist closed, an immensely powerful force spread outward with a thunderous roar.
The surrounding plants were shaken flat in every direction.
Even the leaves and some branches of the nearby evergreen trees were blasted away.
"Damn those Demon Beasts!" Revered Master Wanli's brows knitted tightly, anger written across his face.
After a moment, Revered Master Wanli calmed down a little.
Just then, two streaks of flying light appeared within his field of view.
A single sweep of his Divine Sense told Revered Master Wanli who they were.
A flicker of surprise crossed his face.
But he regained his composure a moment later.
Once the two arrived, Revered Master Wanli first let them rest for a while.
After a short time, Revered Master Wanli spoke calmly. "Tell me. What exactly happened out there?"
Having recovered a little, the two immediately replied, "We first encountered unusual behavior among the Demon Beasts. Later, when we found our junior sister surrounded by them, we immediately stepped in to help her. But the three of us faced countless Demon Beasts, including dozens of High-Rank Demon Beasts. Knowing we were no match for them, we sent our junior sister back first to report the situation outside while the two of us held those Demon Beasts back."
"And then?"
"Not long after our junior sister left, we discovered a Nascent Soul Cultivator fighting countless High-Rank Demon Beasts. Only after recovering a little did we help that senior hold back some of the low-level Demon Beasts."
"In mere moments, that senior killed all the Sixth- or Seventh-Stage Demon Beasts, leaving only some Fifth-Stage Demon Beasts and low-level Demon Beasts darting about."
Revered Master Wanli was somewhat surprised to hear this.
"You mean an unknown Nascent Soul Stage senior appeared and saved you?" Revered Master Wanli still had his doubts.
"Yes. Not long after Fellow Daoist Bu left, we noticed something unusual in the sea. Only after looking closely did we realize it was a senior fighting High-Rank Demon Beasts."
Revered Master Wanli immediately asked another question. "Was there anything distinctive about this person?"
The two thought for a moment at his question. "We didn't get a clear look at that senior's face, but we can say for certain that he looked very young and had black hair. The cultivation technique he practiced seemed... seemed..."
At this point, both cultivators seemed to recall what had just happened.
"Seemed what?" Revered Master Wanli asked with a frown.
"Like that of a Demonic Cultivator!"
"A Demonic Cultivator?" Revered Master Wanli was startled as well.
"Are you certain you weren't mistaken?" Revered Master Wanli raised his voice slightly as he questioned them.
At his words, the two recalled the scene once more.
Right before their eyes, that senior had transformed into a... four-armed... demonic being.
After thinking for a moment, they were certain that the aura surrounding that senior had indeed been Demonic Qi.
At the time, they had been so wholly absorbed in slaughtering Demon Beasts that they had actually overlooked the sky-swamping Demonic Qi pouring from him.
Now that they thought back, they were almost completely certain that the senior was indeed a Demonic Cultivator. There was no mistake.
Even from so far away, they had been able to sense the Demonic Qi radiating from him.
His aura had been several levels stronger than that of any Demonic Cultivator they had ever seen.
Thinking back, it was remarkable that he had not killed them after disposing of the High-Rank Demon Beasts.
A Demonic Cultivator, huh? Perhaps he isn't one of those, Revered Master Wanli thought.
"Then did that Nascent Soul Stage cultivator do anything to you?"
At the question, the two first swept themselves with their Divine Sense, then carefully examined themselves for a while.
Only after confirming that nothing was wrong did they shake their heads.
"Master, could that Demonic Cultivator have tampered with us somehow?"
"No. Forget it. You've suffered quite a few injuries. Go and recover first. There will be another great battle before long."
With that, Revered Master Wanli turned once more to look beyond the island.
Since Revered Master Wanli had said so, the two naturally had little reason to worry further. They could only withdraw to recover and make their final preparations for the approaching beast tide.
After the two left, Revered Master Wanli remained standing there alone.
Wanli Island, Wanli City.
Before long, another Core Formation Stage cultivator flew to Revered Master Wanli's side.
Dressed entirely in white, this cultivator immediately bowed and cupped his hands upon arriving beside Revered Master Wanli, as though he had something to report.
"My respects, Revered Master Wanli. The Wanli Grand Formation has been fully supplied."
"Good. You may go."
"Yes!"
At those words, the cultivator immediately flew away.
The Wanli Grand Formation was the most important component of the Island-Protection Grand Formation.
It was a grand formation that Revered Master Wanli had spent several hundred years preparing as a safeguard against unforeseen disasters.
The entire grand formation was divided into three layers.
The first layer surrounded almost the whole island.
But the first layer was also the weakest, little more than a thin membrane against charging Demon Beasts.
Yet the first layer was also the most useful. Although it did little against human cultivators, if a Demon Beast crossed it, the formation core far away in the center of Wanli City would immediately send word.
The instant that signal was sent, Revered Master Wanli, who had laid out the grand formation, would sense it.
Moreover, the first layer was almost impossible to destroy. It would only be damaged if its formation core was destroyed.
The second layer covered only Wanli Island itself. Unless it encountered High-Rank Demon Beasts, it was very difficult to break through-except, of course, when their numbers were overwhelming.
Against an assault by tens of thousands of Demon Beasts, even the strongest defense could do little.
The third layer surrounded only the area of Wanli City.
More than a million mortals and low-level immortal cultivators lived there, and more people were streaming in without end.
This Wanli Grand Formation was what the mortals depended on.
Unless the island fell completely, it would be extremely difficult to break through it directly from outside.
During this time, to preserve as much of Wanli Island as possible, they had no choice but to feed Spirit Stones into the grand formation, the essential fuel that kept it running.
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