The moment the creature spoke
the entire plaza fell silent.
"Azure… Sovereign…"
The voice echoed across the silver heavens like a curse pulled from ancient history itself.
Every cultivator nearby froze.
Several old experts standing atop the defensive towers suddenly turned toward Lin Feng with drastically changed expressions.
Shock.
Fear.
Disbelief.
Lin Feng's heart sank slightly.
The creature knew him.
No!!
not him specifically.
Something connected to him.
Before anyone could react further
BOOOOOOOM!!
A crimson streak tore across the heavens.
Terrifying heat descended instantly upon the battlefield.
The silver clouds trembled violently as a woman clad in black-red armor appeared above the city walls, holding a scarlet spear engulfed in raging flames.
Her aura spread outward like an erupting volcano.
Saint Realm.
Lin Feng's eyes sharpened immediately.
This was the first true upper-realm expert he had encountered since arriving.
The woman did not hesitate.
The moment she appeared
she attacked.
"Crimson Heaven Spear Art."
Her voice exploded across the battlefield.
"Falling Sun."
BOOOOOOM!!
A gigantic spear manifestation descended from the sky itself, surrounded by roaring crimson flames capable of burning space apart.
The surrounding cultivators immediately retreated.
Even Lin Feng felt danger from the attack.
The spear struck directly toward the giant creature emerging from the fracture.
SCREEEEEECH!!
The monster screamed violently.
The entire eastern sky shook.
Flames erupted across its gray flesh while black blood rained endlessly from above.
Cheers erupted from nearby soldiers instantly.
"Commander Yue attacked!"
"It's suppressed!"
"We still have a chance!"
But Lin Feng's expression remained calm.
Because he noticed something others had not.
The creature was regenerating.
Fast.
Far too fast.
The flesh destroyed by the spear rapidly reconstructed itself while countless eyes opened across its body once more.
Commander Yue clearly noticed as well.
Her expression darkened slightly.
"An evolved Voidborn…"
The giant creature laughed.
The sound resembled thousands of corpses screaming simultaneously.
Its countless eyes shifted toward the armored woman.
"Weak servant… of the False Heaven."
The surrounding atmosphere instantly changed.
Several nearby experts paled.
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes.
False Heaven?
Commander Yue's spear trembled faintly.
Not from weakness.
From emotion.
Anger.
Or perhaps fear.
The Voidborn slowly raised one enormous claw.
Dark mist gathered around it rapidly.
The surrounding space began collapsing.
Lin Feng's instincts screamed immediately.
Danger.
Absolute danger.
Commander Yue shouted instantly.
"All defensive formations activate!"
BOOOOOOOM!!!
The creature attacked.
A massive black wave exploded outward from the claw.
The silver sky darkened instantly.
Formation barriers throughout the city activated simultaneously.
Countless sword-shaped runes illuminated the heavens.
Then
they shattered.
BOOOOOM!!!
The impact destroyed several defensive towers instantly.
Explosions shook the city.
Screams erupted everywhere.
The shockwave swept through the arrival plaza violently.
Lin Feng planted the Azure Sword into the ground immediately.
Azure Sword Art — Mountain Holding Current.
Blue sword qi erupted around him, stabilizing his body against the destructive force.
Several weaker cultivators nearby were blown backward violently.
Dust filled the air.
When visibility finally returned
part of the eastern district no longer existed.
Completely erased.
Lin Feng's expression hardened.
This thing…
was far beyond ordinary Spirit Sea opponents.
Commander Yue's voice spread across the battlefield once more.
"All units retreat to the inner wall!"
"Seal the Seventh Gate immediately!"
Chaos erupted throughout the city.
Soldiers rushed through the streets while formation masters desperately attempted to stabilize the damaged barriers.
Yet amidst the confusion
the Voidborn continued staring directly at Lin Feng.
Ignoring everyone else.
"Found… you…"
Coldness spread through Lin Feng's chest.
At that same moment
the Azure Core inside his body rotated violently.
Blue spiritual energy surged uncontrollably through his meridians.
The Azure Sword trembled.
The surrounding sword qi reacted instinctively.
Even nearby cultivators sensed the sudden change.
"What's that aura?"
"So sharp…"
"It feels ancient…"
Lin Feng frowned.
The Azure energy within him felt different now.
Not merely powerful.
Alive.
As if something sleeping within his bloodline had awakened after seeing the creature.
Then
the furious voice echoed once more within his soul.
"They must not cross the gates."
Lin Feng's head throbbed painfully.
Before he could respond—
more figures emerged from the fracture.
Humanoid creatures descended slowly through the dark mist.
Tall.
Thin.
Covered entirely in black bone armor.
Each carried a spear formed from sharpened spines.
The moment they appeared
panic spread throughout the defensive line.
"Bone Saints!"
"How are there so many?!"
"We're finished!"
Commander Yue's face became grim.
"This breach was planned…"
The Bone Saints descended like black meteors.
The battle erupted instantly.
BOOOOOOOM!!
Explosions shook the city walls.
Sword qi and spiritual techniques illuminated the silver heavens continuously.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield.
Lin Feng watched silently for several moments.
This was not like the lower realm.
Not sect competition.
Not territory conflict.
This was war.
Real war.
A young cultivator near the wall charged toward one of the Bone Saints fearlessly.
A black spear pierced through his chest moments later.
The corpse fell lifelessly from the sky.
No one even had time to react.
Everything was too fast.
Too brutal.
Lin Feng inhaled slowly.
Then
one Bone Saint broke through the defensive line and charged directly toward the arrival platform.
Several newly arrived cultivators panicked instantly.
"Run!"
"It's coming here!"
The creature moved terrifyingly fast.
Its black spear pierced downward toward the crowd.
Lin Feng's eyes sharpened immediately.
Azure Sword Steps.
His figure vanished.
SHING!!
Blue sword light flashed across the battlefield.
The Bone Saint's spear shattered instantly.
Before the creature could react
Lin Feng attacked again.
Azure Sword Art — Severing Moon.
A crescent-shaped slash cut cleanly across the creature's waist.
BOOOOM!!
The Bone Saint split apart instantly.
Black blood scattered across the platform.
Nearby cultivators stared in shock.
"So fast…"
"He killed it instantly?"
Lin Feng landed calmly.
His breathing remained steady.
He had not used his full strength.
Against ordinary Spirit Sea opponents, creatures like this were dangerous.
But Lin Feng was not ordinary.
Still
before anyone could celebrate
the severed corpse twitched.
Then began regenerating.
Lin Feng's expression changed slightly.
The surrounding cultivators turned pale.
"It's reforming?!"
"How do you kill these things?!"
Black flesh rapidly reconnected.
The Bone Saint slowly stood again.
But this time
a faint strand of Azure energy remained across the wound.
The creature suddenly screamed.
Its body began disintegrating rapidly.
Black flesh turned into ash.
Within seconds
nothing remained.
Silence spread nearby.
Everyone stared directly at Lin Feng.
Even Commander Yue looked toward him sharply from above the battlefield.
Because for the first time since the breach began—
a Void creature had truly died.
The giant Voidborn roared instantly.
Its countless eyes filled with fury.
"Azure…"
Dark mist exploded outward violently.
The fracture in the sky widened further.
Lin Feng's pupils contracted.
More creatures were coming.
Commander Yue descended rapidly from the sky and landed atop the ruined wall nearby.
For the first time
she looked directly at Lin Feng.
Her gaze was sharp enough to pierce through ordinary cultivators.
"What sect are you from?"
Lin Feng answered calmly.
"Heavenly Sword Sect."
Several nearby experts immediately reacted.
"The lower-realm Heavenly Sword Sect?"
"I heard they produced a monstrous sword cultivator recently…"
Commander Yue narrowed her eyes.
"You killed a Bone Saint permanently."
"That should be impossible."
Lin Feng remained silent briefly.
Then answered honestly.
"I don't know why."
It was partially true.
He truly did not understand the Azure energy completely.
Commander Yue studied him for several moments.
Then suddenly
BOOOOOOOM!!
The silver heavens trembled violently.
Everyone instinctively looked upward.
And froze.
Beyond the endless silver clouds
something enormous moved.
The clouds slowly parted.
A gigantic golden eye appeared behind the sky itself.
Watching.
Cold.
Ancient.
Indifferent.
An indescribable pressure descended upon the world instantly.
Countless cultivators collapsed to their knees.
Several weaker Spirit Sea cultivators vomited blood immediately.
Even the Voidborn lowered its head.
Only Lin Feng remained standing.
Because the Azure mark burning within his chest had become scorching hot.
The furious voice within his soul trembled violently.
Not with fear.
With hatred.
Commander Yue's face turned pale.
"Impossible…"
One elder nearby fell to his knees trembling.
"The Heavenly Eye…"
Lin Feng's breathing slowed.
The giant eye stared directly at him.
Then
for the briefest moment
the golden pupil contracted.
As if recognizing him.
Or perhaps
recognizing the Azure energy within him.
The Voidborn suddenly laughed madly.
"The Heavens have seen you."
Darkness spread rapidly across the fracture.
The creatures roared simultaneously.
And deep within his soul
Lin Feng finally understood one terrifying truth.
The things invading this world…
were not the true enemy.
Something far worse
was already above them.