Under the vast starry sky, rumbling sounds echoed through the void.
The black light pillar that had pierced through the defense formation began to retract.
It had already left the formation's core world and was retreating backward.
As it retracted, the form of the black light pillar changed. It was this very transformation that made Chu Feng feel an immense sense of threat.
Through the defense formation, Chu Feng could sense that the black light pillar's external form was merely a facade. In truth, the most significant change within the black light pillar was a qualitative one.
Chu Feng deduced that although it was retracting, it would stop at the Ancestral Martial Star River's defense formation, ultimately transforming into a special barrier gate.
That special barrier gate would change the nature of the passage — from an age-based restriction to a cultivation-based one.
Simply put, the barrier gate would impose a cultivation limit. Those whose realm exceeded it would be unable to pass through.
But the black light pillar's restriction was rapidly escalating.
When Chu Feng first detected it, the threshold was at the Spirit Martial realm. But soon it broke through Yuan Martial, then Xuan Martial, then Heaven Martial, and had already reached the Martial Lord realm.
Although the current cultivation restriction was still capped at a rather low realm, if it continued climbing at this pace, it would become extremely dangerous.
Setting aside the fact that the enemy possessed Heavenly Gods...
Even if only True Gods managed to get through, it would be a devastating blow.
After all, the only opponents Chu Feng could contend with were first-rank True Gods. He couldn't even face second-rank True Gods.
Sure enough, it was exactly as Chu Feng had predicted.
The black light pillar retracted until it reached the Ancestral Martial Star River's defense formation, then stopped advancing.
Not only did it fail to withdraw beyond the formation's range, but it actually opened a special barrier gate right on the formation itself.
If the restriction continued to rise — even if it merely reached the Half-God realm entry threshold — the enemy would definitely send Half-Gods through to slaughter everyone.
And the Half-Gods would only be the advance scouts. The enemy's ultimate goal was to allow True Gods, or even Heavenly Gods, to enter.
In truth, they didn't even need Heavenly Gods.
If True Gods entered, this defense formation would already be completely meaningless.
Fortunately, at this point, Chu Feng had already figured out how to control the defense formation.
So Chu Feng began channeling the formation's power, launching attacks against the barrier gate to impose restrictions on it.
But even with Chu Feng's intervention, he could only slow down the rate at which the barrier gate's cultivation limit was increasing.
He couldn't completely seal off their transformation.
Chu Feng still needed to find a new method — a way to truly shut it down.
"Seven Realms Pavilion Master, you're truly willing to spend everything just to deal with my Ancestral Martial Star River."
Although he hadn't seen the actual formation itself, nor did he know exactly how it was activated...
Just from its power, Chu Feng could deduce that the enemy's formation — one capable of matching the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect's defense formation — must have consumed countless rare treasures and precious artifacts.
Those treasures were likely items that had already gone extinct.
For the Seven Realms Immortal Pavilion, this was undoubtedly a draining expenditure.
It was an enormous cost.
But Jie Tianran was willing to pay any price.
"Come, then. Let me see how many treasures you, Jie Tianran, can afford to squander."
Chu Feng believed that the Puppet Master was most likely Jie Tianran.
For one, conspiring with ancient clans was the sort of thing only he would do.
And as for attacking the Ancestral Martial Star River — he had more than enough reason.
Meanwhile, within the formation world where the ancient clans were located.
"Puppet Master, are you going to drain our bloodline power completely dry?"
"Slow down!"
The Rock Hammer Demonic Clan's clan master let out an enraged roar.
Even from his demon beast face, one could see the pain he was enduring.
It wasn't just him — the Seven Realms Immortal Pavilion's master and the others, their aged faces were all twitching.
At their age, they had seen every kind of situation, yet this current pain was also making them...