Chen Tianfei descended from the sky, cupping his fists as he called out in a deep voice: "Sect Master, I have not failed in my task!"
Yang Kai gave a slight nod: "Elder Chen, you've worked hard." Chen Tianfei was a Fourth-Order Open Heaven cultivator at the very least, and the entire Qingxia Hall could only muster two Third-Order Open Heaven cultivators at most. Trapped within the illusion formation, unable to tell east from west, they were no match for Fatty Chen at all—in no time at all, he had chopped through them like melons and vegetables, tidying them up with ease.
Yang Kai controlled the formation jade slip and had watched the entire affair with perfect clarity. He also knew that Chen Tianfei had sent every last head out beyond the barriers. Though this hadn't been done on his orders, it suited his intentions perfectly.
Chen Tianfei's face was radiant with vitality: "Sect Master is too kind. It is my honor to serve the Sect Master!" With that, he stepped back and took his stand behind Yang Kai.
Outside Void Land, Kong Feng tapped his forehead lightly, his cold gaze sweeping across the scene. The Hundred Sect Alliance was in a state of commotion—Qingxia Hall's total annihilation had clearly deepened their wariness of Void Land by another layer. Though Qingxia Hall's people hadn't been particularly strong, the fact that they had all been wiped out in such a short time was still rather difficult to believe.
He suddenly realized that having Qingxia Hall take the vanguard had been a mistake. Not only had it failed to serve its intended purpose, it had actually bolstered Void Land's arrogance!
But now that Void Land was protected by a grand formation, taking it down would require breaking that formation first.
After a brief deliberation, he turned his head and asked: "Junior Sister Luan, with your abilities, how long would it take you to see through the true workings of this grand formation?"
Luan Baifeng replied with haughty confidence: "A single incense stick's worth of time."
Kong Feng nodded gravely: "Then I'll give you one incense stick's time."
Luan Baifeng glanced back at him. In the current situation, figuring out the true nature of that grand formation would require throwing lives away to probe it. But the people present were no fools—Qingxia Hall had already served as a cautionary tale, so who would willingly submit to being sent to their deaths? Not that it was her concern. She only needed to observe carefully whenever the formation shifted.
Kong Feng turned his gaze in a particular direction, his lips moving as if sending a voice transmission to someone.
In that direction, Red Elder's expression turned bitter. He looked up toward Kong Feng with a look of pleading, but Kong Feng's face remained cold and unmoved.
Red Elder gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and called out in a loud voice while cupping his fists: "Alliance Master Kong, Void Land is simply going too far! I am willing to lead my Heavenly Abyss disciples into the fray, to capture that little thief Yang Kai. I humbly request Alliance Master Kong's permission!"
Kong Feng feigned hesitation: "Red Elder's righteous spirit is truly admirable, and I hold the deepest respect for you. However, Void Land is protected by a grand formation on the outside—this venture would be exceedingly perilous. I urge you to reconsider!"
Red Elder declared with righteous indignation: "Void Land has brought disaster upon this domain. Many of our fellow cultivators have suffered grievous losses, and my Heavenly Abyss has not been spared either. With our enemy before us, how can we not seek vengeance? Even if it costs me my life, I will tear a piece of flesh from Void Land! Please grant me your permission, Alliance Master Kong!"
Kong Feng put on a show of reluctance before finally conceding: "Very well. Since Red Elder is so determined, how could I, as Alliance Master, refuse to honor your wishes? In that case, I will also dispatch eighty disciples to accompany you. The goal of this mission is not to kill the enemy—you only need to provoke changes in the formation. Warden Luan will find a way to break it from there. Simply preserve your own lives, and that will be sufficient."
As he spoke, he waved his hand, and eighty figures immediately appeared behind him. Among them were quite a few Open Heaven Realm cultivators, and the one leading them was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven cultivator.
Red Elder was overjoyed and cupped his fists: "Thank you, Alliance Master Kong!" This time, his delight was genuine. He was merely a Fourth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, and after witnessing the depth of Void Land's strength, he knew full well that his own cultivation was utterly insufficient in comparison—let alone attempting to breach their grand formation. If he had gone in alone, he probably wouldn't even know how he died.
Now that Kong Feng had dispatched a Fifth-Order Open Heaven cultivator to provide support, he felt considerably safer.
However, the eighty people from Heavenly Abyss and the Heavenly Sword Alliance were clearly still too few in number. Red Elder therefore looked around at the assembled crowd and called out in a deep voice: "Are there any other fellow cultivators who wish to stand with me? Please step forward!"
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances. The situation had put them all in an awkward position—they had assumed that, under the Heavenly Sword Alliance's leadership, bringing down Void Land would be as easy as flipping a hand. Who could have guessed that the enemy would not only be well-armed and formidable, but also firmly entrenched in an impenetrable stronghold? Qingxia Hall's example had planted seeds of fear in their hearts.
Yet the Heavenly Sword Alliance had already shown its hand. How could they remain passive? If not a single person from the alliance stepped forward, Kong Feng would certainly bear a grudge. Even if they escaped this ordeal today, the days to come would be far from pleasant.
So they would have to send people—it was simply a question of how many.
Just then, a voice rang out: "Count the Golden Rainbow Province among you."
The speaker was none other than Qi Jin, the leader of the Golden Rainbow Province. Qi Jin had a grudge against the Shopkeeper—back then, he had even devised a scheme to lure her to a hidden location in the Golden Rainbow Province under the pretense of helping Old Bai break through to the Open Heaven Realm, only to launch an ambush. Fortunately, Yang Kai had possessed Heaven and Earth Source Liquid, which allowed Old Bai to narrowly survive and successfully advance.
Yang Kai and the Shopkeeper shared a deep bond, and Qi Jin was well aware of this. Not only did Qi Jin know—even Kong Feng knew. Which was precisely why Kong Feng had drawn Qi Jin to his side for this campaign against Void Land. The enemy of one's enemy is a friend, and Qi Jin was more than happy to cooperate with Kong Feng.
It wasn't just the Golden Rainbow Province that had been recruited. The Senluo Altar was also present here, and after Qi Jin spoke up, Ling Chunqiu of the Senluo Altar stepped forward as well.