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In the Human Race's formation, the hearts of several elders from the Ges trembled upon hearing the words.
But, true to their seasoned nature, none of them showed their shock.
However, other members of the Ges were surprised, and a few looked towards a stalwart youth who was diligently helping maintain the Minor Five Elements Universe Formation.
The youth was sixteen years old, 180cm tall, and was none other than Ge Wenxiong.
With a top-tier Metal Spirit Root, secretly showered with the Ges' resources, his actual Cultivation Level had already reached the ninth layer of Qi Cultivation.
But at this moment, he only showed the ability of the fourth layer of Qi Cultivation.
The guests of the Ges now realized who the Demon Race outside wanted.
"Everyone, do not listen to the demons outside trying to sow discord."
After Yu Qingtan left, Ge Yongcheng also arrived with reinforcements and merged with the main forces of the Ges.
Seeing some unrest among the crowd, he shouted loudly.
However, after the Demonic Beasts finished speaking and waited a few breaths without response, they immediately launched a new round of attack.
The light screen of the Minor Five Elements Universe Formation shimmered again, pulling at the hearts of everyone within the Formation.
"Elder Ge, what's the situation with young Ge Wenxiong? Why would the Sky-Rending Eagles specifically ask for him?"
The speaker was a late-stage Qi Cultivation Cultivator from the Qis.
"Qi fellow, I'm ashamed to say, Wenxiong accidentally killed a young Sky-Rending Eagle during his trial, which drew their vengeance. Moreover, none of us believe that giving up Wenxiong would make the Demonic Beasts spare us, do we?"
The one who responded was the seventh elder of the Ges, Ge Yongxing, just one step away from Foundation Establishment and had the deepest Cultivation Level present. He also brought the Array Plate for the Minor Five Elements Universe Formation.
However, a human servant on the outside heard the conversation within the formation and, after a discussion with the second Sky-Rending Eagle, called out: "Our master said, we're capturing Ge Wenxiong because he has a top-tier Metal Spirit Root. As long as someone stops maintaining the Formation, in the name of the esteemed Patriarch of Shattered Space, we swear not to pursue and kill."
Actually, this was all the human servant's own idea. He was somewhat clever and highly valued by the second Sky-Rending Eagle.
Inside the Minor Five Elements Universe Formation, the elder faces of the Ges turned ashen, puzzled as to how their utterly secret news had leaked and become known to the Demonic Beasts of Skyscraping Ridge.
The guests of the Ges simultaneously looked at Ge Wenxiong in shock, some of them with flickering eyes, clearly harboring a multitude of thoughts.
At that moment, Ge Wenxiong remained composed and said to the crowd: "Since they're looking for me, I'll go and meet them so as to not implicate you all."
Having said that, without waiting for the Ges' elder to speak, he dashed out of the Formation at high speed, leaving behind only a golden afterimage.
"Qi Cultivation Level Nine, a perfectly mastered Metal Escape Technique," murmured those in the know, astonished.
Seeing Ge Wenxiong flee, the two Sky-Rending Eagles immediately gave chase, flying even faster than him.
Several Third Stage late-phase flying Demonic Beasts followed after.
The rest of the Demonic Beasts stopped attacking the Formation and, except for a few Sky-Rending Eagles, the majority rushed towards the Chessnut Tree to compete for the last Chessnut Fruit.
But the Chessnut Fruit wasn't easy to pick; the hundreds of aerial roots from the Chessnut Tree could all launch attacks comparable to a Third Stage late-phase level.
Most people inside the Formation took a deep breath of relief, quickly sitting down to rest and to recover their nearly exhausted Spiritual Power.
Ge Yongxing sighed and didn't put away the Array Plate, just in case the Demonic Beasts attacked again.
"Wenxiong will surely hold on," Ge Yongcheng reassured.
...
Finally, three days passed, and Yu Qingtan felt a moment of dizziness, before abruptly finding himself back in the side hall where he had been originally.
Since the Demonic Beasts had entered the Trial Demon Tower first, they had already been teleported to the places where they first appeared.
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To enter the Trial Demon Tower, one must be nearby; upon exit, one reappears at the original location of entry.
As the Trial Demon Tower shrunk to a foot in size, it was retrieved by Sky-Rending Eagle.
All the surviving members of the Human Race returned to the Ges.
Yu Qingtan and the others felt a pang of distress upon seeing the greatly diminished number of people from Tianxiang Pavilion.
At that moment, a loud shout came from outside, "Sky-Rending Eagle, now that you've come, don't even think about leaving!"
"Ouyang Wenjian, do you really want to start a fight with me within this city? I might not suffer much, but at least half of this city will be gone."
Sky-Rending Eagle looked at Ouyang Wenjian floating in front of him, not showing much panic.
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingtan and others quickly left the side hall, and saw two figures confronting each other in the sky not far from the Ges, towards the direction of the city gates.
The late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators among the Ges also rose into the air on their flying swords, and although they were some distance away, they began to encircle Sky-Rending Eagle.
"Sky-Rending Eagle, don't think I've been sitting here idly all day. Even though I don't know how you avoided the Immortal City's Great Array and snuck in undetected, and although the main might of the Immortal City's Great Array is directed outward and not inward, modifying the formation slightly is still within my capabilities."
"City Lord Ouyang, don't waste your words on him. We must capture this beast today," the red-eyed Ge Lian, the Elder, could hardly control her rage as she directly addressed Ouyang Wenjian.
However, when she saw Ge Wenxiong, whose Dantian had been pierced by a Sky-Rending Eagle feather, even the Elder of the Ges who was approaching her life's end struggled to keep her composure.
She had a vague suspicion about the sudden disaster that struck the longevity feast, but the realization that their target was indeed Ge Wenxiong, whom she saw as the hope for the Ges' rise, and that they had succeeded, filled her with hatred.
"This Immortal City's Great Array was laid out by a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator; the attack and defense strength inside the city doesn't even reach the Third Stage, and yet you, a mere early stage Golden Core Cultivator, claim you can change it? You think I'm easily frightened."
Sky-Rending Eagle bellowed. In fact, when he spotted a formation light barrier covering the buildings below in the Immortal City, he felt somewhat nervous.
But Ouyang Wenjian took action directly. Ge Lian's words might not be pleasant, but she was right.
A stamp seal appeared above his head, then enlarged to a giant stamp two zhang (roughly 20 feet) in length at each side, looming over Sky-Rending Eagle.
"Suppress!"
Although the stamp was falling slowly relative to Sky-Rending Eagle's speed, Sky-Rending Eagle felt a crushing force bearing down on him.
Ge Lian, fueled by hatred, made her move. Two golden flying swords appeared before her. She spewed out a mouthful of blood onto the swords, which then dashed out at a high speed.
The other late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators also launched their attacks. Though the damage that ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators could inflict on a Third Stage Heavenly Demon was limited, their supportive attacks were nonetheless effective.
They too had lost juniors inside the Trial Demon Tower, and their attacks were relentless.
Sky-Rending Eagle, sensing the threat of death, let out a piercing scream and transformed into a giant grey eagle with a wingspan of 4 zhang (approximately 40 feet).
Struggling, it flapped its wings hard. Dozens of eagle feathers flew out to fend off the attacks from Ge Lian and the others while trying to fly out of the suppression field of the giant stamp.
At this moment, the two Heavenly Demons outside the city heard Sky-Rending Eagle's screech and launched an attack on Suichuan Immortal City.
Ouyang Wenjian was forced to activate the entire Great Array of the Immortal City.
Seizing the opportunity, Sky-Rending Eagle finally flew out of the suppression field of the giant stamp and headed towards the city's outskirts.
The attacks of the late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators were mostly blocked by the eagle feathers. Only Ge Lian's pair of flying swords managed to shoot the feathers aside and continue chasing after Sky-Rending Eagle, alas, they were significantly slower than him.
However, Ouyang Wenjian just sneered.
"Enlarge!"
The stamp then expanded directly to a massive size with a side length of ten zhang (approximately 100 feet), and continued to bear down on Sky-Rending Eagle.
Only a few hundred meters away from exiting the city, Sky-Rending Eagle once again fell into the suppression field of the giant stamp. Although the intensity was weaker than before, its speed still decreased several times over.