"My lords, my strength is limited. I humbly ask for your help."
As the Puppet Master spoke, his technique shifted, and the eye of the formation expanded accordingly.
"This…"
The six ancient clan patriarchs turned to look at their respective Supreme Elders.
They were already injured, and having previously channeled the formation, they were far too depleted. They truly did not wish to act again. Doing so would cause irreversible damage to their future cultivation paths.
"What are you looking at? Get in there and help!"
Yet all six Supreme Elders snapped at them in unison.
Seeing this, the six already grievously wounded patriarchs had no choice but to enter the formation's eye.
Once they joined, the formation was indeed strengthened, and the Ancestral Martial Realm Sect began to take on physical form. But the progress was slow.
"My lords, please join as well. We only have one hour. If it cannot be fully manifested within half an hour, we will lose this opportunity forever," the Puppet Master said.
At those words, the six Supreme Elders exchanged glances, then stepped into the formation's eye together.
After these six entered, the formation underwent a qualitative change, and the speed of the Ancestral Martial Realm Sect's materialization began to accelerate.
"Supreme Elder… Gong Yi, he's dead."
While channeling the formation, the master of the Seven Realms Immortal Pavilion addressed the Supreme Elder.
"Rest assured. Gong Yi will not have died in vain."
"From now on, this old man shall remain here."
"The great defensive formation will eventually exhaust itself. When that day comes, everyone within the Ancestral Martial Star River will be buried alongside our people of the Seven Realms Immortal Pavilion."
"That includes the little brat responsible for all of this — Chu Feng."
"I will make him watch with his own eyes as I slaughter every last one of his loved ones," the Seven Realms Immortal Pavilion's Supreme Elder declared.
They had arrived long ago, observing from the shadows all along, and therefore knew exactly what had transpired.
"My lords, please do not lose focus."
"We must devote ourselves entirely to the formation. Time is short — let us proceed," the Puppet Master reminded them.
In truth, channeling this formation imposed an enormous burden even on these God-stage cultivators.
In barely a short while, the bodies of the six clan patriarchs had withered to the appearance of skeletons.
After half an hour, all six patriarchs collapsed in midair, unable to continue. If they persisted, they would die.
After a full hour, the six Supreme Elders had also become skeletal in appearance, their life force grievously weakened. Even the few remaining strands of hair on their heads had all fallen out.
But fortunately, the Ancestral Martial Realm Sect blazed with radiant light, like a brilliant sun illuminating all directions.
When the light faded, the main city of the Ancestral Martial Realm Sect stood no longer as a phantom — it existed right there among the stars, fully materialized.
"It's done. It's finally done."
Seeing this, the Puppet Master was the first to rush out of the formation's eye, observing the great formation from up close. At this sight, the six ancient clan patriarchs and their Supreme Elders all wore expressions of relief — even tears glistening in their eyes. They had sacrificed far too much for this moment.
But soon, a cold gleam flashed in the eyes of the Seven Realms Immortal Pavilion's Supreme Elder.
He slowly raised his hand, aiming it at the Puppet Master.
A faint wave of barrier force materialized, then shot forth like an arrow loosed from a bow, a streak of light hurtling straight toward the Puppet Master.
Hum— Yet when the barrier force reached the Puppet Master, it did not pierce through his Dantian. Instead, it swerved around his body.
At that moment, the Puppet Master opened his palm.
The barrier force, impossibly, settled into his hand.
This spectacle left all six ancient clan patriarchs and their Supreme Elders utterly stunned. Even the six patriarchs, so weak they could only lie sprawled on the ground, tensely sat upright.
Even if the Seven Realms Immortal Pavilion's Supreme Elder was already extremely weakened from channeling the great formation… his cultivation was still what it was. That strike should have been more than enough to kill the Puppet Master.
"How disappointing. The job gets done and you immediately try to silence me?"
The Puppet Master turned around, then pointed his palm at the Seven Realms Immortal Pavilion's Supreme Elder. The barrier force that had originally been launched by the Pavilion Master — with a mere tremor of the Puppet Master's palm, it was sent flying back.
Its speed was so great that the Seven Realms Immortal Pavilion's Supreme Elder could not react in time. Blood erupted as the strike punched clean through his Dantian.
"I'll kill you!!!"
At this, the other five Supreme Elders and all six patriarchs surged to their feet simultaneously.
"Kneel!!!"