Chapter 1858: Big Formation Unstable

Hu Guang had been overwhelmed recently. He found that ever since that banquet, he hadn't had a single day of peace.

Putting aside the losses of Yueyao and numerous Constellation cultivators, now even the main island itself was in trouble. For some unknown reason, the energy emanating from beneath the sea had suddenly increased dramatically, forcing him to repeatedly adjust the power of the protective grand array. By now, this array, which had enveloped Zixuan for tens of thousands of years, was operating almost in an overloaded state.

Yet, even so, it still couldn't dissipate more energy.

Left with no choice, he could only try the method Lionheart had previously suggested: actively opening a gap in the grand array to allow the island's energy to dissipate, thereby alleviating pressure on the array.

The results were significant; after the gap was opened, the protective grand array slowly began to stabilize.

However, this was not a long-term solution. The protective grand array was a single entity, and a gap, even one only about ten feet wide, meant a vulnerability.

Normally, such a small flaw wouldn't pose an issue, but with Lu Ye from Three Realms Island eyeing them from outside, Hu Guang had to be cautious.

Just as he was contemplating how to resolve the island's issues, he suddenly detected some unusual changes. Upon careful perception, his face changed: "This is bad!"

For some reason, the island's internal energy was rapidly increasing. He even saw a thin layer of energy mist beginning to form, which undoubtedly indicated that the island's energy had reached an unimaginably dense level.

Such a cultivation environment was every cultivator's dream; practicing in it would undoubtedly increase efficiency by several, even dozens, of times. If such a boon had appeared on Zixuan Demonic Star, Hu Guang would probably be overjoyed. But this was merely a spiritual island in the Myriad Manifestations Sea, and the protective grand array was the fundamental basis for any force to establish itself on a spiritual island.

Therefore, his primary concern was the pressure this surging energy exerted on the protective grand array.

He swiftly moved in one direction and quickly arrived at the location.

This was one of the grand array's nodes, guarded by several demon cultivators. When Hu Guang arrived, these demon cultivators were in a state of panic.

The grand array's gap, originally only about ten feet long, had now been torn to thirty feet by the surge of energy, and its length was still increasing.

A gap in the grand array couldn't be opened casually; it required the active manipulation of the demon cultivators stationed there. Originally, their combined efforts could maintain the stability of the ten-foot gap, but the current changes within the island clearly exceeded their capacity to manage.

Seeing Hu Guang's arrival, one of the demon cultivators hastily called out, "Second Island Master!"

Hu Guang said nothing. He flashed forward, produced a grand array jade slip, and with a wave of his hand, a mysterious light shot from it, landing near the gap. Immediately, energy surged around him, and the jade slip in his hand shimmered.

Visibly, the continuously tearing gap slowly stabilized, and the pressure on the Constellation demon cultivators significantly eased. They all let out long breaths, looking at Hu Guang with faces full of admiration.

Hu Guang, however, showed no sign of relief; instead, his expression was solemn.

After taking over this array node, he felt the array's pressure more clearly and directly than before—a pressure he simply couldn't have imagined.

Logically, with such a gap, even the densest energy within the island should have been able to vent. However, the energy dissipating through this gap was, in fact, still less than the increasing influx.

Even with Hu Guang's extensive knowledge, he had no idea what was happening beneath the Myriad Manifestations Sea that could cause such terrifying energy to emanate, especially right near Zixuan Island.

Lionheart and Bao Youyou detected the situation and rushed over to investigate. After conversing with Hu Guang, they both realized the gravity of the problem.

Yet, despite this, they had no solutions—a truly monumental joke, one might say.

As time passed, the energy mist on the island became increasingly noticeable. Initially, it was just a thin layer, barely visible without close inspection, but now it had risen to ankle height and was still growing.

In such an environment, even without actively cultivating, demon cultivators could feel the pure energy flowing into their bodies, boosting their strength.

Hu Guang concentrated fully, carefully controlling the grand array, allowing its gap to expand little by little.

The thirty-foot gap gradually expanded to forty, fifty feet... until it reached eighty, then a hundred feet.

At this point, Hu Guang dared not expand the gap any further.

Normally, holding the grand array jade slip, he could open the gap however he wished and to whatever size he desired. But the situation was different now. The entire Zixuan Island was filled with terrifying energy, dense as a tangible substance, and the protective grand array's power had been pushed to its limit. In this state, any slight alteration to the array could trigger unpredictable consequences.

A hundred feet was the absolute limit; it couldn't be expanded further, or even with the grand array jade slip, he would find it uncontrollable.

What alarmed Hu Guang most was that he could clearly sense signs of instability in the protective grand array.

Thus, not only did he dare not expand the gap, but he also had to suppress its expansion, which was undoubtedly a tremendous challenge for him.

Fortunately, after his efforts, the island's situation finally reached a new balance, though the pressure remained considerable.

He could only hope that this sudden change wouldn't last too long; otherwise, he would be stuck there, unable to move.

Lionheart and Bao Youyou stood by, anxious but unable to offer any assistance.

Five hundred miles away, the Talent Tree clone, using its full sight, quietly observed the situation on Zixuan Island. Seeing that the hundred-foot gap was no longer expanding, it immediately understood that its plan was close to success.

However, given the current situation, to truly succeed, it still needed to add fuel to the fire for Zixuan.

Taking out a sound-transmitting talisman, it sent out a message. Immediately afterward, the Talent Tree clone transformed into a streak of light and darted towards Zixuan.

Its actions attracted the attention of countless cultivators, who widened their eyes, eagerly awaiting the show to begin.

Inside Zixuan Island, at the grand array's gap, Hu Guang also saw Lu Ye's movements. At such a time, the opponent rushing towards them clearly indicated malicious intent; one could even say he had discerned Zixuan's predicament and was taking advantage of it. Hu Guang couldn't help but let out a low cry: "Senior Brother!"

Lionheart was furious: "Despicable scoundrel! I'll go fight him!"

As he spoke, his robust, massive figure shot out from the gap, heading directly towards Lu Ye.

Both sides rushed towards each other, and five hundred miles vanished in a blink. Lionheart's eyes were filled with chilling killing intent, and his demon energy surged around him. Before he even arrived, he unleashed a punch from afar.

The violent demon energy shattered the void; this punch transformed into a colossal fist shadow, sweeping horizontally towards Lu Ye's location.

The clone dodged nimbly, avoiding the direct blow, but the aftermath of the punch still destabilized its form.

With just this one strike, Lu Ye knew that Lionheart was more powerful than any Yueyao he had ever encountered. He truly was a formidable expert, just a step away from reaching the Sunlit realm. Had there been no unforeseen circumstances, this fellow would likely have already ascended to Sunlit.

Before the first punch landed, a second one already slammed in. Lionheart's enraged roar echoed across the Myriad Manifestations Sea: "Lu Ye, today is the day you die!"

The clone evaded several attacks, but as the distance between them rapidly closed, further dodging became impossible, mainly because the opponent's attacks had too wide a coverage area to easily evade.

In an instant, a bloody light bloomed, and as the Sea of Blood unfurled, the Talent Tree clone vanished. Lionheart's furious punches crashed into the Sea of Blood, causing it to churn violently.

This sudden development made Lionheart pause, as the intelligence he had gathered indicated that Lu Ye of Three Realms Island was a weapon cultivator. For him to suddenly unleash such an exquisite blood-path secret art was somewhat unexpected.

The vast Sea of Blood concealed Lu Ye's figure, and Lionheart couldn't immediately pinpoint his exact location. He frowned, then flashed and charged into the Sea of Blood.

It must be said, Lionheart was truly bold and highly skilled. Any other cultivator facing such a Sea of Blood would not risk entering it easily, much less actively throw themselves into it, as doing so would mean surrendering the initiative in combat.

Yet Lionheart did not hesitate in the slightest. Making such a choice undoubtedly demonstrated his immense confidence in his own strength.

Lionheart was indeed strong; as he plunged into the Sea of Blood, the vast expanse suddenly became turbulent, twisting and shifting.

Cultivators watching from afar were awestruck. Although the Sea of Blood obscured the specific details of the fight, they could infer from its changes that Lionheart had gained the upper hand!

The Grand Island Master of Zixuan was truly extraordinary.

The fierce battle lasted no more than ten breaths before the vast Sea of Blood suddenly disintegrated, revealing two figures within.

Lionheart's aura was frenzied, his hair wild and disheveled, exuding an imposing presence without even needing to show anger. In contrast, Lu Ye stumbled, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and his chest was even caved in, clearly marked by a fist print.

The victor was clear!

The surrounding cultivators couldn't help but show disappointment... Was this all for the strong cultivator whose reputation had recently soared, who was hailed as the foremost expert below the Sunlit realm?

This undoubtedly fell short of everyone's expectations for Lu Ye. They had anticipated a fierce struggle, a battle between dragons and tigers, but instead, it turned out to be a crushing defeat.

For a moment, they were horrified. Just how strong was this Lionheart? Yuan Che had been cleaved to death by Lu Ye with a single strike, yet Lionheart had shattered Lu Ye's Sea of Blood and severely wounded him in just ten breaths. When compared, Lionheart's strength was simply unimaginable.

"Die!" Escaping the Sea of Blood, Lionheart spread his large hand and lunged directly for Lu Ye's head. Though his body seemed motionless, his massive, robust figure inexplicably pounced close to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye hastily retreated, and as he raised his hand, countless streaks of light shot towards Lionheart. Lionheart dodged and blocked, emerging unscathed. He looked up to see Lu Ye had already turned and fled, appearing dishevelled and panicked.

"A mere clown dares to cause trouble on my Zixuan!" Lionheart snorted coldly and chased him without hesitation, completely oblivious to a few streaks of light that had broken through his blockade and darted towards Zixuan Island.