In an instant, layer after layer of light surged outward from the formation flags, then spun around with a humming sound, coalescing into an enormous spherical barrier of light that enveloped all of the Flying Spirit cultivators within it. The defensive capability appeared quite formidable.
Yet even inside the spherical shield, these young Flying Spirit cultivators gazed at the roaring wall of wind and sea bearing down on them, and one by one their faces drained of all color.
In the face of this infamous "Silver Tide," their protective formation, though considerable, would not hold for long.
This had been verified time and again beyond counting by countless other sea-voyagers who had perished in this natural calamity.
Once swallowed by the Silver Tide, anyone below the Deity Transformation stage was certain to perish. Those at the Deity Transformation stage themselves could barely manage to protect themselves — whether they escaped with their lives depended entirely on the mercy of heaven.
To save this many of them, one would need at least a perfected late-stage Void Refinement cultivator or a being at the Body Integration stage.
And they had ventured so deep into the sea — how could they possibly be so lucky as to encounter another senior powerhouse of their clans passing through?
The two leaders, a late-Nascent Soul man and woman from among the Flying Spirit cultivators, hurriedly exchanged a few hushed words, their expressions terrible to behold. Clearly, they remained utterly helpless.
The hurricane was now no more than twenty or thirty li away, ready to engulf them in mere moments, when suddenly one of the Flying Spirit cultivators cried out in elation: "Look! There's someone in the Silver Tide!"
At their companion's shout, the other Flying Spirit cultivators jolted and hurriedly looked in the direction the speaker was pointing.
Sure enough, amid the churning silver tide not far away, a wisp of brilliant cyan light flickered repeatedly — unmistakably the appearance of someone riding a flying escape light.
However, the chaotic spiritual energy within the Silver Tide interfered with their divine sense, making it impossible for them to discern the identity of the figure within that light.
Yet the cyan light held steady as a mountain within the Silver Tide, traveling from one end to the other as though the lightning arcs and hailstones raging through the storm were nothing at all.
This sight was like a lifeline to these Flying Spirit cultivators!
Immediately, the Nascent Soul man and woman exchanged a delighted glance and let out piercing howls almost simultaneously.
One howl was fierce and yang in nature, the other soft and yin. As the two harmonized, their cries actually cut through the deafening rumble of the Silver Tide, piercing straight through the heavens.
The tonal variations in the howls followed a specific pattern — a distress signal used exclusively by the Flying Spirit Race.
As long as the person within the Silver Tide was not deaf, they could not possibly miss the plight of these cultivators on the brink of death.
Sure enough, the cyan escape light that had been shooting through the Silver Tide came to a sudden halt the instant the howls sounded.
Had anyone been close enough to the light, they would have noticed a figure within it turning its head toward the source of the howls, seemingly with a trace of surprise.
"Which clan of the Flying Spirit Race are you from, and what are you doing here?"
A strange man's voice suddenly echoed inside the spherical barrier, reverberating back and forth so that every last one of them heard it crystal clear.
"We are junior disciples of the Five Color, White Jade, and Heavenly Peng clans. We came here for a trial by fire, and never imagined we would encounter the Silver Tide that comes only once in a thousand years. We humbly beg you, Senior, to show mercy and save our lives!"
The Nascent Soul-stage man, overwhelmed with joy, answered loudly without a moment's hesitation.
But after hearing this reply, the strange man fell silent. A long while passed without another transmission of voice.
At this, the hearts of the Flying Spirit cultivators sank once more.
If the other party felt there was no guarantee of protecting them within the Silver Tide, he would naturally not risk coming to their rescue.
Fortunately, the cyan escape light had not flown away in the distance — it seemed to hover with some hesitation, which gave them a sliver of hope.
And in that brief moment, the hurricane, carrying with it countless arcs of lightning and torrents of hail, swept over them all.
In the blink of an eye, thunderous roars and howling winds erupted around the spherical barrier with earth-shaking fury, sending the seemingly solid shield wall into violent tremors, as though it could shatter at any moment.
The Flying Spirit cultivators, seeing this, were naturally struck with terror.
Under the fierce commands of the Nascent Soul man and woman, every cultivator's body flashed wildly with spiritual light of various colors as they gripped their formation flags and poured every last drop of spiritual power into the barrier with reckless abandon.
The shield, on the verge of collapsing, flickered with flowing light and grew thick and solid once more.
Yet under such an enormous expenditure of magical power, these Flying Spirit cultivators clearly could not hold out for long. Their hope of survival still rested on the distant figure who might choose to lend a hand.
"If there are little ones from the Heavenly Peng Clan among you, I really cannot in good conscience stand by and do nothing. I'll send you away from here!"