March 15, dawn. Above the Heavenly South Headquarters Altar, clouds were black as ink, and thunder rolled.
Han Li stood on the Star-Gazing Platform atop Star-Magnetic Peak, his Water-Magnetic Sword angled toward the heavens. Within his sea of consciousness, the system screen frantically refreshed its warning: [The main forces of the Six Demonic Sects have arrived. Their vanguard numbers three thousand, including twenty-eight Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, and is advancing on the Headquarters Altar along six routes!]
"Activate every defensive formation!" Han Li's voice boomed like a great bell as he poured grand void spiritual power into the formation nexus.
"Star-Magnetic Demon-Trapping Grand Formation—full activation!" Mo Chenzi formed a hand seal. The Big Dipper pattern on the ground of Star-Magnetic Peak abruptly lit up, and seven Star-Magnetic Banners snapped in the wind. Star power spread like a net over a fifty-li radius—any Demon Cultivator entering the formation had their spiritual power shackled by Magnetic Essence Chains, their movements slowed as though they had sunk into a bog.
"Magnetic Essence Puppets, form ranks!" Lu Yun raised the Ten-Thousand-Sword Token. The magnetic essence crystals in the joints of three hundred Magnetic Essence Puppets lit up, resonating with the star-magnetic spirit spring to form the Star Sword Puppet Formation. Sword qi erupted from the puppets' arms, weaving a metallic sword net around the Headquarters Altar's perimeter.
"Moon Shadow Guards, conceal yourselves! Prepare the Moonlight Mirror to purify the demonic qi!" Moonlight flowed around Nangong Wan's fingertips. Thirty Moon Shadow Guards turned into streaks of light and disappeared into the clouds.
Before her words had faded, a black mass of Demon Cultivators appeared on the northern horizon. The Joyful Union Sect's vanguard, led by Liu Meier's junior sister Su Ziyan, spread the spiritual power of their beguiling arts like pink mist, attempting to confound