Many things in the world changed in an instant.
One moment, though the Daoist grounds could hardly be called a scene of song, dance, and prosperity, cups crossed and goblets crisscrossed amid cheerful conversation and laughter, a picture of peace.
The next, sudden change had already arrived.
Even though Wang Ba had felt unusually uneasy beforehand, he had never imagined that the upheaval would come so swiftly, so suddenly, with almost no warning at all.
But he knew clearly that the upheaval before his eyes was often only the surface. In truth, the changes had long since begun; they merely seemed so sudden because only now had they been exposed before everyone.
He watched the Purple Robes Youth standing in midair, urgent but composed, swiftly assigning people in an orderly fashion. Everything seemed to have caught him unprepared, yet also seemed not to have exceeded his expectations.
An understanding immediately arose in Wang Ba's heart:
Just as Bai Liaochan said before, the Supreme True Buddha's people may never have expected to force the three Mahayana cultivators out through challenge matches alone. Those earlier challenges may well have been a tactic to buy time and mislead the enemy!
It looks as though their successive defeats in the challenge matches triggered this massive assault, but the real reason may be that the Supreme True Buddha's forces have finally finished preparing for an all-out attack!
Realizing this, Wang Ba's heart sank.
The Supreme True Buddha's people had made all their preparations. What about the Cloud-Heaven Realm?
During this brief moment of thought, bad news came one report after another.
"Reporting to the Sect Master! The eastern Grade A District has been breached!"
"...The southern Ding District has fallen!"
"Several bodhisattvas have already broken in through the eastern Grade A District! The sect guarding