It did not take long before five more Sixth-Order Open Heavens arrived in succession, taking their seats on either side.
The Sin Star Alliance counted a total of ten Sixth-Order members. After Wu Nian's death, only nine remained — meaning that at this moment, virtually the entire peak fighting force of the alliance was gathered in one place.
Grey Bone Heavenly Lord's heart was hammering. Since joining the Sin Star Alliance, this was the first time he had ever witnessed such a grand assembly. Never before had every Sixth-Order member been summoned together like this.
The fact that Yellow Spring Heavenly Lord had called all of them over could only mean the alliance was about to make a major move.
Grey Bone Heavenly Lord sat in his seat, carefully observing the room. He noticed that most of those present had no idea why the Alliance Master had summoned them. Divine Thoughts flitted silently through the vast hall as they exchanged whispers.
Suddenly, one man rose to his feet and clasped his fists. "Alliance Master, may I ask why you have called us here?"
Yellow Spring Heavenly Lord gave the man a slight nod. "There is no need for impatience. You will learn soon enough. Since everyone is present, come with me."
With that, he rose to his full height and strode toward the exit below.
No one dared to dally. They all followed close behind.
Stepping outside, they found an even larger group of Sin Star Alliance members already assembled — at least several hundred strong, every one of them Fourth-Order or above, standing in battle-ready formation.
"Greetings to the Alliance Master!"
The moment Yellow Spring Heavenly Lord appeared, the crowd roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Lord gave a faint nod and swept his arm forward. "Move out!"
Moments later, streaks of light shot upward from the Yellow Spring Cavern, racing at tremendous speed toward a distant destination.
At this hour, nearly the entire fighting strength of the Sin Star Alliance had been mobilized. Those left behind were all below the Fourth-Order, leaving their stronghold virtually undefended. Should a powerful enemy attack, the Yellow Spring Cavern could be razed to the ground in the blink of an eye.
Grey Bone Heavenly Lord felt his nerves fraying further with every passing second — because the direction the alliance forces were heading was none other than the very valley where Yang Kai had set his ambush! Barring any surprises, it would not be long before the two sides collided.
Yang Kai's strength was formidable, no question. But this time, the alliance had committed every last one of its elites — from the Alliance Master Yellow Spring Heavenly Lord himself all the way down to the numerous Fourth-Order Open Heavens. However powerful Yang Kai might be, there was no way he could withstand this rolling tide.
It was entirely foreseeable that once the two sides met, Yang Kai was doomed. And right now, Grey Bone Heavenly Lord's own life was bound to Yang Kai's. If Yang Kai fell, he would not survive either.
He had to send a warning!
Grey Bone Heavenly Lord moved to activate his transmission technique, ready to alert Yang Kai — when he suddenly sensed two figures closing in on him from either side.
He turned his head. It was the alliance's two Vice Alliance Masters: Diamond Heavenly Lord and Azure Flame Heavenly Lord, flanking him left and right.
Their eyes met. Azure Flame gave him a faint smile, while Diamond Heavenly Lord remarked, "Brother Grey Bone, you seem a bit tense?"
Grey Bone forced a laugh. "The Vice Alliance Master jests. I'm simply worried about the Yellow Spring Cavern. What exactly does the Alliance Master intend this time? With all of us Sixth-Order members leaving at once, if a powerful enemy were to raid our headquarters, the garrison alone would have no way of dealing with it."
Diamond Heavenly Lord shook his head. "The Alliance Master has his own plans. But since he hasn't shared them, it isn't our place to pry. We simply follow orders."
Grey Bone blinked in surprise. "Even you don't know what the Alliance Master is planning?"
Diamond Heavenly Lord replied, "Would you like to go ask him yourself?"
Grey Bone glanced toward Yellow Spring Heavenly Lord at the front of the column and shook his head. "Never mind. If the Alliance Master has already made up his mind, asking won't change anything."
Diamond Heavenly Lord chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "Relax. The Yellow Spring Cavern is our headquarters, sure, but it isn't the end of the world. Even if it gets destroyed, this Sin Star is vast. As long as we're still alive, we can set up shop anywhere."
"Quite right," Grey Bone nodded.
The two said nothing more. They followed Yellow Spring Heavenly Lord as the group surged onward at high speed. Grey Bone tried multiple times to shake off Diamond Heavenly Lord and Azure Flame Heavenly Lord, but to no avail — the two of them stuck to his sides like shadows, refusing to give him even an inch of space.
Grey Bone's heart sank ever lower. The sense of foreboding in his chest grew stronger by the minute.
---
Back in the valley where the ambush had been set, Yang Kai and his group had been waiting for roughly an hour when, sure enough, a twelve-person Sin Star Alliance patrol squad passed through — matching the intelligence Yang Kai had received perfectly.
Pei Wenxuan and Yin Xinzhao had long been prepared. The instant the twelve intruders stepped into the encirclement, the two of them struck, leaving the patrol completely dazed and overwhelmed. The squad leader was merely a Fifth-Order Open Heaven — how could he possibly stand against two Sixth-Order powerhouses?
Yang Kai did not even need to lift a finger. All twelve were captured on the spot.
Zhuang Wei rushed forward in excitement, a long sword in hand. Ignoring the desperate pleas and bitter curses of the captives, he cut them down one by one on the spot.
Streaks of dark light flew from the wrists of the slain alliance members and flowed into the golden ring on Zhuang Wei's wrist, instantly lighting up nearly four or five more stars.
"Ha ha ha!" Zhuang Wei laughed aloud.
The number of stars on his wrist had already been roughly equal to Yang Kai's. After this battle, he had surged ahead!
He turned around, clasped his fists, and bowed deeply to Yin Xinzhao and Pei Wenxuan. "Thank you, Senior Brothers!"
Yin Xinzhao smiled and nodded, patting him on the shoulder. "Just remember your senior brother once you've married into Yin-Yang Heaven, and that'll be enough!"