Dyrathos looked at the chasm leading toward the Astral Sky Abyss sect and asked, "Is Yasenia Dravory really trapped?"
An informant nodded. "I could see Yasenia, Tatyana, and Cecile together with the Astral Fairies trapped inside the formation and looking at it. Yasenia Dravory has asked her maids to attack it with different attacks, but the formation is keeping strong."
Dyrathos nodded. "Since the Phoenix Woman is there, it has probably gone according to plan. Yasenia's main fault is trusting her lovers too much. After hearing Cecile's information, she probably rushed over and got trapped."
Admiral Tidal Crest looked at Dyrathos and commented. "I am in charge of the entire army, are there any problems, Lord Dyrathos?"
Dyrathos shook his head. "Go ahead. I've seen your expertise in the past. However, as a high-level Epoch Core, are you sure those peak-level Epoch cores will listen to you?"
Admiral Tidal Crest smirked and patted his chest. "They've all heard about me and trust in my decision-making. As long as the order is not straight suicide, everyone should probably listen without problems."
Dyrathos hummed and nodded. "Lead the attack, then. We need to break this sect's defenses before Yasenia Dravory breaches ours."
Admiral Tidal Crest nodded. "Understood!"
Then, the army of 60 million moved as one and dived into the immense chasm leading toward the Astral Sky Abyss Sect.
Once they were halfway through, they could see a barrage of attacks rushing at them. Admiral Tidal Crest was calm and shouted. "Defend!"
The people leading the army rushed forward in a perfect formation and used defensive skills.
BOOM!
The shockwave was large enough to create a void in the ocean. However, the incredible water pressure quickly crushed that void, creating another underwater shockwave.
Admiral Tidal Crest looked at the people who defended and saw no grave injuries. "Advance!"
With the mass of 60 million approaching, the few hundred thousand in the Astral Sky Abyss Sect looked intimidated. Surrounding the sect, an intricate and beautiful blue and golden barrier protected them from harm.
However, the sheer pressure of the 60 million strong army was enough to intimidate them.
Admiral Tidal Crest shouted once he was close enough. "Surrender! If you swear loyalty to us, we will consider assimilating you into our ocean dominion! Allying with the evil Yasenia Dravory is your doom! Our Ocean Chasm Empire will definitely punish evil and return righteousness to our seas!"
In return, the formation around the Astral Sky Abyss Sect glowed, and from every circular rune, a beam shot outward, zooming toward them with the strength of a peak-level Epoch Core.
Admiral Tidal Crest shouted, his voice echoing with power. "DEFEND!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The 100 Peak-level Epoch Cores kept the damage at a minimum. Still, the attacks were strong enough to kill a few hundred low-level people.
It was not much compared to 60 million, but the fact that the attacks could penetrate even when they used their strongest defense was not a good sign for Admiral Tidal Crest. 'Their formation is terribly strong. Hm?'
The formation glowed again, and the same circular formations moving along the surface of the barrier shot beams outward. However, this time, the beams didn't go forward to attack, but accumulated above the sect in three spots.
The light transformed, and the effects were revealed with a cold chant that came from within the formation.
"[Light Dragon Underwater Defensive Formation: Royal Water Dragon Phantasm]."
Three enormous yellow and blue eastern dragons materialized with reverberating dragon roars. Their translucent bodies made it clear they were not real, but the aura around them was that of a Quasi-Transcendent Creature.
With a back full of spines and their terrifying length that reached almost 10 kilometers, they looked like a living mountain range.
The auras of the three dragons were intimidating enough that even Admiral Tidal Crest had a change in expression. "Destroy them!"
Almost 10,000 Epoch Cores and the 100 Peak Epoch Cores shot ranged skills, creating a vortex of energy that ripped everything apart and made the space tremble.
At the same time, the three titanic dragons opened their maws, revealing a ball of pure light, followed by an ominous sound.
WHOOOM!
BOOM!
The attacks collided, creating a catastrophic explosion that created several underwater earthquakes.
What left Admiral Tidal Crest and the others stunned was that the attacks had actually canceled each other.
Quasi-transcendence strength meant that these dragons were one step away from having actual Transcendent Strength. While their strength was still abysmal compared with true Transcendent Realm cultivators, these dragons were actual monsters against peak-level Fifth Realm beings.
The same cold female voice that summoned them commanded the three [Royal Water Dragon Phantasms]. "Go!"
As beings created from pure energy, they were fearless and rushed forward to fight the 60 million army.
Admiral Tidal Crest shouted. "I want 20 Peak-level Epoch Cores and 100 High-Level Epoch Cores to distract each of those dragons! The rest focus on attacking the formation! Low-level cultivators avoid the combat areas and focus on releasing as many attacks against the formation as possible!"
Cecile looked from the security of the formation and muttered. "Interesting. They want to use elite groups to hold back those dragons and then wear down the formation." Cecile tilted her head, and her brain spun. 'When learning the art of War with Yasenia, what did she say to do in these situations…?'
Cecile ordered aloud. "Maids, focus on blocking the attacks from those 40 Peak-level Epoch Cores. High-level Epoch Cores target the low-level people and thin the numbers. Middle-Level Epoch Cores focus on attacking anyone that dares come close together with the Low-Level Epoch Cores. Everyone below that, attack at will."
Sha Yu spoke. "Madam, wouldn't it be better if High-level people were in charge of what middle and low-level people are doing?"
Cecile shook her head. "Too little high-level Epoch Cores. We have what… 80? 87. That's nothing. On the contrary, our middle and low-level ones are in the thousands. The combined strength of the low and middle far outshines the high-level ones. Moreover, since high-level attacks are much more difficult to dodge, they are just perfect for reducing numbers."
Sha Yu blinked and nodded. "Makes sense. Thank you for the explanation, Madam."
Cecile shook her head. "Yasenia said that general assistants who question things with an honest mindset are essential. You've done well."
Sha Yu smiled and went with the other high levels to start massacring fourth-realm cultivators.
Both sides began a brutal exchange, and while the formation of the sect started wobbling as several million attacks landed on it each second, it still held on.
Meanwhile, the quasi-transcendent dragons were brutally assaulting the elite groups holding them back. Their large bodies were solid enough to be used as a weapon, so besides the several skills, the people fighting them needed to be cautious of their claws, mouths, and tails.
Cecile didn't bother attacking, taking all her time to observe the chaotic battlefield. It would be hard to see anything with just her vision because as the millions of attacks dropped like rain on the defensive formation, they also created blinding light.
Admiral Tidal Crest looked from a distance and frowned. "We are losing quite a lot of low-level soldiers."
Dyrathos spoke by his side. "It doesn't matter. They are expendable. As long as the high-level people can strike the formation, we will eventually get through. Although…" Dyrathos looked at the [Light Dragon Underwater Defensive Formation] and commented. "Any of you know what type of formation that is? I can't guess its quality."
Kyril looked over and muttered. "Me neither. Do any of you have an idea?"
The demons shook their heads, making Admiral Tidal Crest frown. "That's a problem, Lord Dyrathos. What if that formation is as strong or stronger than the one Lord Dyrathos used?"
Dyrathos laughed aloud. "The formation I used needed around 500 years to be created by a Demon Monarch. Unless they have something like a… I don't know, a Law Creator formation master, there is no way this formation is nearly as strong!"
Admiral Tidal Crest frowned. "Law Creator?"
Dyrathos smiled. "The realm above Transcendence is the equivalent to the Demon Monarch. It is also called the Demigod Realm, depending on how you enter it."
Admiral Tidal Crest's frown relaxed, and he laughed. "Well, that's impossible. A Demigod in Distancia?"
Far away from that place, Tatyana sneezed. 'Hm? Is someone talking about me?'
Sha Yu shot several water projectiles, the pure strength of his attacks creating voids in the water, and asked aloud, "Madam! Will this formation last? It is wobbling too much!"
Cecile blinked and looked at Sha Yu. "Last?" Cecile thought of who created this formation and actually laughed aloud. "I wonder if it will ever be destroyed."
Seeing the usual expressionless woman laugh surprised Sha Yu, but since she had so much confidence, Sha Yu decided to trust her. 'Lady Cecile is not someone who would brag, so this formation must be really strong.'
Clara asked. "Madam, the dragons are in place. Should we activate it?"
Cecile nodded. "Use 1000 Purple Crystals. I want to make sure everything goes according to plan." Cecile's smile widened. "You've made a big mistake by giving my love a chance with this attack. Now, suffer the consequences. [Light Dragon Underwater Defensive Formation: Phantasm Dragon Nova]."
Deep inside the sect, the formation's core was fed 1000 purple crystals. Purple crystals were the highest-level currency of the Sky Continent. The wealth of 1000 purple crystals would probably rival the entire accumulated wealth of several first-rate powers.
Kyril's instincts instantly jumped, sending her entire body into a wave of chills. She shouted, her voice echoing around the entire battlefield. "RETREAT! FLEE FROM THE DRAGONS!"
Kyril's voice was known by everyone. Therefore, when she shouted with such urgency, nobody hesitated to follow her orders, and everyone tried to escape from the dragons as fast as they could.
Cecile saw it, but she didn't worry much. 'Kyril is here, huh? The information we collected was wrong.'
Then, before the world was swallowed by blinding light, Cecile warned everyone. "Protect your physical senses!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!
The ocean was illuminated as three Suns materialized and swallowed everything in a yellowish-blue light.
The pressure and strength from the dragons exploding was such that the formation that was faintly wobbling with millions of attacks started bending like never before.
Sha Yu's eyes widened, since this meant that this attack was even stronger than millions of Epoch Cores attacking together.
As the annihilating nova swallowed hundreds of kilometers around them, the landscape was completely transformed, leaving behind a massive void.
By the time the attack dissipated, the landscape had changed entirely.
The Astral Sky Abyss Sect was deep within a chasm. Yet, now it only had water above them. Meaning, the entire cliff that the sect was embedded into had been utterly evaporated.
Cecile looked skyward and saw the glow of the sun, where previously there were rocks, and her lips arched in satisfaction. "I prefer the new view."
Sha Yu's mouth was wide open, looking around with an expression full of disbelief. "M-Madam, what happened?"
Cecile blinked. "Who knows? I just know that many died. Anyways, inform Yasenia of what happened. For the rest, it's too early to rest. That demon woman's warning allowed many of them to escape!"
Meanwhile, a few hundreds of kilometers away, every one of the survivors was trembling in fear. The raw energy behind that attack was so powerful that the 60 million people had been reduced to around 8 million. Everyone below the fifth realm had died, and several others as well.
Dyrathos clenched his fist and asked with gritted teeth. "Who was responsible for investigating the formation's strength!?"
Kyril looked around and sighed. "I don't think they can do something like this again. We should take advantage of this situation and attack again. The formation is perhaps weakened after such a release of energy."
Dyrathos frowned, but he didn't really have any other chance. Retreating now? That was not really an option if they wanted to make use of the one-time-use mid-level Transcendent Formation they employed to trap Yasenia.
"Then, attack!"
Following Dyrathos' charge, the 8 million that survived rushed through the water and swiftly restarted their attack.