The treasure-hunting cultivators were sinking into despair. With a Nascent Soul ancestor glaring down from the sky, which Golden Core cultivator could possibly escape his severe scrutiny?!

One had to remember that the periphery of this colossal island stretched for tens of thousands of li in every direction, a vast expanse of ocean offering absolutely no cover or place to hide. How far could they flee from a Nascent Soul ancestor in an open sea chase?

Morale shattered, and the tide of battle swiftly turned against them. In the blink of an eye, several of the weaker treasure-hunting cultivators were slain by the Mang Dao Wu Xiu.

The situation grew increasingly unfavorable for the seekers. Sun Xing blocked an incoming magic artifact from a Mang Dao Wu Xiu, rapidly fleeing across the chaotic battlefield, his expression grim as his eyes swept over the flashing weaponry around him.

"If this continues, we are no match for these Mang Dao Wu Xiu; in the end, we probably won't even be able to escape!" Moments before, he had been coordinating with other treasure-hunting teams, discussing plans to explore this ancient ruin and unearth treasures together. But the sudden arrival of these Mang Dao evil cultivators caught him completely off guard.

It was only when the green-robed ancestor of Mang Dao gave the order to kill and seize treasures that Sun Xing snapped back to his senses. He made a swift decision, abandoning the reef where the other cultivators rested, and hurried back to his own contingent.

Although the group Sun Xing had intended to invite to explore the ruins earlier was not weak, if they were forced into a confrontation with the Mang Dao evil cultivators, he, an outside Golden Core cultivator, would undoubtedly be treated as a sacrificial pawn, perhaps even cannon fodder. The hunting team he led comprised over twenty Golden Core cultivators; this was his greatest reliance for making a desperate stand during this catastrophe.

Sun Xing’s hunting contingent immediately began grouping together and rushing toward his location at this critical juncture. After all, Sun Xing possessed the highest strength among the cultivators, wielded numerous magic artifacts and treasures, and had the strongest leadership ability.

Fighting the Mang Dao Wu Xiu as a disorganized mob would yield far less hope than standing with him. However, the trio including cultivator Pang did not join them, instead continuing to fight on the periphery of the island’s battlefield.

The couple Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing'er, along with Jiang Ling and Zheng Chenghui, also did not follow, choosing to flee in different directions. Once Sun Xing’s group swiftly converged, they inevitably became the strongest and largest contingent among the treasure hunters, immediately drawing the attention and encirclement of numerous Mang Dao evil cultivators.

But with the Golden Core cultivators banding together for a desperate fight, the Mang Dao Wu Xiu could not break through their defense in a short time. One Mang Dao Wu Xiu was even caught off guard by the frantic joint attack of several treasure hunters, allowing a flying sword to cleave him in two.

Yet, this was merely a fleeting last burst of energy; he wouldn't last long. Sun Xing knew this clearly.

Realizing that with a Nascent Soul ancestor present, they had no hope of escaping the island alive, he resolved to fight fiercely. "Fellow Daoists, since escape is impossible, let us fight these evil cultivators to the death!

If they want our lives, they must pay a price!" Saying this, Sun Xing roared, pushing his magic power to the limit, his piercing cry echoing for hundreds of li: "Unite and live, scatter and die! We must join forces and fight this old villain!

Even if we must die, we will drag a few down with us!" "Fellow Daoists! I will immediately set up a grand formation; assist me by guarding the four corner formation flags!" With that, Sun Xing violently struck out with his four Primordial Spirit magic artifacts, the 'Wutu Formation Flags,' sending them shooting in four directions, enveloping an area spanning several thousand zhang and rapidly establishing a Grand Wutu Formation.

As the Wutu magic flags unfurled, brilliant yellow light erupted, and within the formation, yellow mist surged, with colossal stones descending from the sky, enveloping all hostile and friendly cultivators inside. This formation was an earth-elemental defensive array, which also possessed offensive capabilities.

However, this grand array, controlled by Sun Xing, only attacked the Mang Dao Wu Xiu and would not affect the other treasure-hunting cultivators. The one or two dozen Mang Dao evil cultivators enveloped by the Grand Wutu Formation immediately felt their bodies stiffen, even their magic artifacts slowed down, as if clad in heavy earth armor, making rapid flight and movement difficult; their agility was significantly reduced, clearly lagging a fraction behind the treasure hunters within the array.

In duels between cultivators, a lapse of an instant could mean death. A speed difference of even a small fraction was extremely pronounced, enough to turn them into living targets for the treasure hunters’ controlled artifacts.

Two Mang Dao evil cultivators immediately could not withstand the pressure, dodging too slowly, and were again slain by the countless flying artifacts, exploding into clouds of bloody mist. The other Mang Dao cultivators trapped within the formation were horrified and began fleeing desperately towards the perimeter, attempting to escape the influence of the Grand Wutu Formation.

The Mang Dao evil cultivators standing outside the formation in the sky saw this and were greatly alarmed. They abandoned their current opponents and rushed madly toward the Grand Wutu Formation, attempting to sever the four Wutu Formation Flags and rescue their comrades trapped inside.

But how could the treasure hunters allow them to succeed? They charged toward the formation flags, fiercely guarding the four corners and pouring their spiritual power into them.

Relying on the might of the Wutu Formation Flags, they engaged the Mang Dao evil cultivators in fierce combat. Nearby, other struggling treasure-hunting teams, seeing the situation suddenly reverse, were overjoyed.

They transformed into streaks of light and rushed toward Sun Xing’s position at the fastest possible speed, helping to defend the formation flags. Only by holding these flags could they hold out a little longer.

The green-robed ancestor, standing aloof in the sky, observed Sun Xing’s maneuvers and the gathering of the other treasure hunters, yet he merely gave a cold smile, making no move to intervene, allowing them to consolidate. The green-robed ancestor narrowed his eyes and looked toward the colossal island, toward the Ghost Mist Grand Formation that made him deeply wary, which spanned nearly ten thousand li.

"Wutu Formation Flags..." "What can a cluster of ants achieve by huddling together to protect a small formation? It's perfect; the ancestor can drive you into the island to test the might of that Ghost Mist Grand Formation!" On the outer small island, Du Ran and the other four Golden Core cultivators from Shang Tang Palace cried out in alarm upon hearing the green-robed ancestor's order to slaughter.

They were too close to the Mang Dao Wu Xiu and dared not flee through the sky for fear of drawing their attention. They could only hurriedly conceal themselves in the surrounding seabed waters.

However, even though their concealment beneath the water was discreet, these Mang Dao evil cultivators were hardly incompetent! Each of them possessed high cultivation and rich combat experience.

Their divine senses swept across a range of hundreds of li, and someone immediately detected their whereabouts. Several Mang Dao Wu Xiu transformed into several streaks of long rainbows and swooped down to surround them.

"Not good, we've been discovered! Run!" Du Ran’s expression changed drastically upon seeing this.

He violently took to the air with his artifact, and the other four Shang Tang Palace cultivators attempted to flee. He had held onto a sliver of luck, hoping to hide at the bottom of the sea to evade calamity, perhaps waiting to see if these Mang Dao evil cultivators would eliminate Ye Qin, the thorn in their side.

He hadn't expected they would be discovered so quickly, and he inwardly cursed his misfortune. The Rank Nine Golden Core Mang Dao Wu Xiu rushing toward them instantly blocked the escape route of the five of them, letting out cackling laughter.

"A few mid-stage Golden Core rookies actually think they can escape?" "Killing them is barely worth the trouble." Du Ran knew escape was futile, so he acted decisively. He turned and retreated, leading the Shang Tang Palace cultivators behind him, desperately flying toward the island, toward the location where Sun Xing’s group was gathered.

Going there would at least allow them to live a little longer. Those few Mang Dao evil cultivators did not pursue Du Ran’s five, but continued to sneer toward the seabed.

"Come out!" "Why are you still hiding!" "Do you think you can escape calamity this way!" "Splash!" The figures of Senior Cultivator Cao, Cultivator Li, and Cultivator Hu burst forth from the seabed, forced into the open, cursing incessantly. The three of them dared not flee through the sky in the presence of a Nascent Soul ancestor.

The few treasure hunters who had been instantly executed by the green-robed ancestor's sword strike were stark living examples. They had intended to use the confusion to quickly flee into the depths of the sea, using Du Ran’s group of five as cover, hoping to slip away via water escape amidst the chaos.

But they were still discovered by these sharp-eyed Mang Dao evil cultivators. "Ancestor!

The three of us are evil cultivators from the Ancient Ship Stronghold. We have always admired Mang Dao and are willing to pledge allegiance to you, Ancestor.

We beg you to accept us!" Senior Cultivator Cao simply stopped fleeing and quickly shouted pleas toward the distant green-robed ancestor. Those Mang Dao evil cultivators who were about to attack paused when they heard them claim to be Wu Xiu and beg for mercy.

They all looked toward the green-robed ancestor to see if he wished to accept them. The green-robed ancestor heard the call, glanced in their direction with disdain, and said, "Hmph, begging for mercy in the face of battle, worthless cowards—what use is taking you in?

Kill them!" Those Mang Dao evil cultivators immediately received the order and controlled their magic artifacts to strike at the trio of Senior Cultivator Cao. On another side of the chaotic battlefield.

Ye Qin stared coldly ahead. The young cultivator blocking his path had an extremely grim expression, his face twitching slightly as he concentrated all his efforts on protecting Huangfu Bing'er while slowly retreating backward.

As soon as the green-robed ancestor gave the order to slaughter, Ye Qin’s expression drastically changed. He blasted out a cloud of black mist barrier, took the equally terrified Huangfu Bing'er with him, and guided the dark cloud barrier, transforming into a streak of black light, intending to flee the colossal island at the fastest possible speed and abandoning all thoughts of seeking treasure in the ancient ruins.

However, the green-robed ancestor’s world-shattering sword strike, which killed the farthest fleeing Golden Core cultivators in a single breath, made Ye Qin immediately abandon the idea of escaping through the sky. He turned back, intending to first regroup with Sun Xing and others to formulate a new plan.

If he had continued to flee farther away, he would inevitably have become a target of the green-robed ancestor’s scrutiny, the next victim of a one-sword execution. After all, no matter how fast his black cloud barrier fled, it could not outpace the ancestor's flying sword.

What Ye Qin hadn't anticipated was that this young cultivator who had been following closely behind the green-robed ancestor would head straight for him, intercepting his path. Jiang Ling and Zheng Chenghui’s faces turned pale.

They followed behind Ye Qin, exchanging glances, tightly controlling their respective magic artifacts. The two of them had no trust whatsoever in late-stage Golden Core cultivators like Sun Xing and cultivator Pang; they trusted Ye Qin more, which was why they stayed with him, preventing any surprise attacks they couldn't defend against.

Furthermore, the cultivators allied with Sun Xing were all simultaneously rushing toward Sun Xing’s location. And the three cultivators, Pang, Zhu, and Yang, had also suddenly detached from the group.

Now, they could only follow Ye Qin to avoid being picked off one by one. "Why is this young cultivator following the ancestor targeting only the few of us?!" Jiang Ling and Zheng Chenghui were terrified, miserable, and felt that the current situation was dire.