The pillars of light descending upon their heads from above further confirmed their identities.
"How could they just let them open a portal?"
"What's going on? What exactly are our people doing?"
"Everyone, stay calm. This must be a plan to lure the enemy in."
The Myriad Immortals Alliance's prolonged inaction in the face of the Five Elders Council's incursion caused an uproar aboard the Dust-Crossing Boat.
And the Alliance did not disappoint.
Soon, the Soul-Locking Array in the sky above began to make its move.
Within the thousands of light pillars pinning down the Five Elders Council cultivators, streaks of golden light suddenly appeared.
Extremely fine golden rays came speeding down along the pillars from the sky like sharp flying swords, aimed at the heads of the Five Elders Council cultivators, poised to behead them and put their heads on display as a warning.
Yet the Five Elders Council members showed not a trace of panic.
Just as the golden light was about to descend upon them, it was halted all at once, suspended in mid-air as if seized by an invisible hand. The golden light flared violently, emitting unwilling hums as it strained against the restraint.
Yet it could not move an inch.
"This..." A deathly silence instantly fell over the Dust-Crossing Boat.
Disbelief was etched on the faces of the young array masters as they watched the Soul-Locking Array's attack get stopped without effort.
Then, one by one, some of the cultivators seemed to grasp something. The color drained from their faces. Their eyes began to dart about wildly, as though every instinct was screaming at them to run.
At that moment, a low voice resonated across the battlefield.
"Eternal Heavenly Venerable One Mind, please withdraw. According to our agreement, you should not be here."
As the words echoed, Ji Hongdao’s figure slowly materialized.
He stood before the ranks of the Five Elders Council cultivators.
"Oh?" A silvery, bell-like laugh echoed between heaven and earth. "Is there any place under heaven I cannot go?"
Her voice could be heard, but her form remained unseen.
Yet every cultivator of the Myriad Immortals Alliance present wore expressions of dread.
"Eternal..."
"Heavenly Venerable?"
In stark contrast, the thousand-odd cultivators of the Five Elders Council didn’t show the slightest change in demeanor, as if they had long known the Eternal Heavenly Venerable would intervene.
All of them simply looked on coldly, their expressions eerily similar.
Li Fan, observing this scene from several provinces away through the perspective of heaven and earth, felt his mind reel with shock.
That voice... Senior Sister Zhao?