"My Daoist Brother of Great Beginning will arrive shortly. But before he does, I wonder if Daoist Friend Xiuguan can still hold on?"

This person arrived, standing above the Heaven of Supreme Constant Fusion. There was no apparent movement, yet at that very moment, the ground beneath the Ethereal Realm cracked open with startling violence.

Deep fissures spiderwebbed across the earth, causing the complexions of more cultivators from the Dao of Sentient Beings to turn ashen.

Zong Shou also felt the surge in the momentum of the cultivators from the Three Teachings pressing against the outer barriers of the Ethereal Realm suddenly intensify.

Worse still, the spatial-temporal rifts multiplied madly, drastically increasing the difficulty of defense.

Zong Shou could no longer manage with ease, forcing the majority of his attention back to the defense.

Guiding the Killing Sword of Sentient Beings, he directed the three thousand three hundred cultivators of the Dao of Sentient Beings here, pushing every fraction of sword power to its limit, unleashing it into the void like an unending cascade of sword waterfalls.

The sword energies vibrated and clashed ceaselessly, enveloping all dozen-plus ruptures completely.

However, the pressure now was more than ten times what it had been initially!

Faintly, several enraged snorts could be heard drifting from the Outer River of the Domain.

"This Grand Formation of Thirty-Three Heavens of Myriad Immortals has reached its limit. I’d like to see how long you can block us!"

"Heh heh! No matter how strong Xiuguan is, he cannot withstand the combined efforts of twelve Saint Venerables. I hear the female disciples within the Ethereal Realm of Sentient Beings are quite the prize, especially those from the Seven Spirits Sect, who excel at the dual cultivation of male and female arts. After we breach the Ethereal Realm today, we shall certainly enjoy ourselves. I ask everyone not to slaughter them all; show some mercy."

"I have no interest in the women, but I did hear there are several young disciples within the Ethereal Realm of Sentient Beings who are in their prime and quite comely—"

"The Thirty-Three Heavens are about to fall. Xiuguan clearly cannot hold on any longer—"

"Today, I will shatter your bones and scatter your ashes after we conquer the Ethereal Realm of Sentient Beings!"

The cultivators who hailed from the Dao of Scholars and the Dao of Confucianism were relatively composed, but the dozen or so cultivators from the Demonic Sect spewed unending torrents of vile language.

Zong Shou felt nothing, but within the formation were disciples whose blood ran hot with youth. Their faces turned livid with a mixture of rage and indignation.

The fluctuation in their moods directly caused ripples in the sword formation, preventing the previous smooth flow.

"Calm yourselves! Remember not to be misled by the illusions of others—"

Zong Shou flicked his sleeve, and the few cultivators assisting him in controlling the sword formation immediately understood.

They temporarily excluded those whose minds had been affected from the sword formation.

Then, Zong Shou’s Killing Sword of Sentient Beings condensed once more, drawing the majority of the sword qi to converge into a single point before smashing into the void.

Where the tide of swords swept past, three or more Divine Realm cultivators outside the Ethereal Realm were instantly submerged.

Rain of blood scattered, then coalesced before one figure: the Saint Realm expert from the Demonic Path who had spoken of sampling the dual cultivation arts of the Seven Spirits Sect.

Still led by Zong Shou’s Killing Sword of Sentient Beings, followed by nine Origin Sea Boundless Sword Auras, the first strike shattered the Immortal Treasure this man controlled. The second and third strikes followed closely, like relentless rain upon banana leaves, piercing through his body in an endless succession of blows.

Leaving countless bloody holes across his frame.

"Too much noise!"

As Zong Shou's sword light retracted, the man's corpse completely exploded, shattering into fragments.

The rest of the group in the Outer River of the Domain fell silent; no one dared utter another word.

Zong Shou’s face flushed briefly before returning to normal.

He had also expended considerable energy just now; the power of the Ten-Day Seal Cage had been reduced by over a tenth.

However, if he hadn't suppressed these cultivators of the Three Teachings with thunderous means to extinguish their arrogance, they would likely have become even more unrestrained, and their boosted morale would have made them far harder to resist.

Fortunately, in that instant, the cultivators previously excluded from the sword formation recovered and rejoined it, allowing the Nine Palaces Sword Formation to become whole again. Zong Shou’s pressure instantly eased.

It was at this moment that the voice of Dragon Shadow sounded beside his ear.

"Slaying a Saint Realm expert with one sword—did you use a forbidden technique to stimulate your potential?"

"Master?"

Zong Shou turned his head, only to find the old man Dragon Shadow standing beside him.

He didn't know when he had arrived, standing with a four-foot long azure blade on his back, gazing up at the thirty-two-layered Golden Pagoda.

"Almost everyone within the Ethereal Realm of Sentient Beings is like this; it's not unique to the disciple. Furthermore, this method does not consume lifespan."

"Although that is the case, it is best to use it less in the future! These forbidden methods that drain true essence will inevitably cause trouble if used too often. I myself suffered greatly from it once."

The old man Dragon Shadow shook his head dismissively, his words carrying a tone of admonition.

Zong Shou gave a wry smile; how could he not know the dangers of forcibly extracting the potential of his true essence?

He wouldn't have acted this way unless it was an absolute last resort.

He responded verbally while looking upward again.

"Martial Uncle Xiuguan seems unable to hold on any longer. Master, are you not going to intervene?"

Dragon Shadow replied evasively, "Indeed, these are all cultivators who have reached the Apex Realm. Your master is far inferior to them. If it weren't for this formation, I would truly not dare to fight them head-on."

He then clarified, "This Grand Formation of Thirty-Three Heavens most rigorously tests one's cultivation. Strength below the Apex Realm cannot penetrate beyond the twentieth layer. Beyond the twenty-fourth layer is the Mid-stage Apex Realm. And above the twenty-eighth layer is the Late-stage Apex Realm. Only possessing a Primordial Treasure that Splits the Heavens grants one the qualification to merge with the Dao and become True."

Zong Shou was close to laughing and crying—did he have the leisure to discuss this with him now?

Yet, he was also somewhat curious about how high Dragon Shadow could ascend within the formation.

"Do not underestimate this Grand Formation of Thirty-Three Heavens. The one left by Xi Zi is not so simple. Back when the various sects besieged this place, there was also a Compassionate Dao Lord whose power surpassed everyone else, yet Xiuguan still held on single-handedly. Ten thousand years have passed now; this foremost expert of the Apex Realm's combat prowess can only have grown stronger. Without the presence of the Compassionate Dao Lord to anchor the defense, even though the Apex experts attacking now outnumber those from the previous time, they likely still cannot defeat him. However, Qing Xuan's methods are certainly not limited to this. Those few above have also not used their full strength—"

Dragon Shadow spoke with a calm, indifferent tone, devoid of any anxiety.

"I still do not know their true capabilities, but I have a general understanding of this Grand Formation of Thirty-Three Heavens now, and I can make my move. Once I enter the formation, I must focus entirely on protecting the Golden Pagoda and will have no time for other matters. You must be careful yourself."

After speaking, he rose into the air. A faint, indistinct dragon-shaped sword qi enveloped him, his sword intent erupting as he engaged the seven Apex Realm experts suspended in the air. Yet, he actually broke through their resistance and ascended to the Heaven of Supreme Harmony and Joy, the twenty-third layer.

This drew the gazes of many. Qing Xuan showed no surprise, only stating coldly, "Dragon Shadow, you truly intend to wade into this murky water? Profiting from the calamity of the Dao of Sentient Beings—what benefit is it to you? Do you not know that if the Dao of Sentient Beings falls today, you, Dragon Shadow, will surely be sealed away?"

"Wei Xu showed me kindness that granted my fruition; this debt must be repaid! Life and death are already cast aside, let alone my current state of immortality."

Dragon Shadow's reply was brief. After answering, he said nothing more, stepping into the golden tower.

Instantly, countless true dragon shadows, appearing and disappearing, manifested in all directions.

The entire Ethereal Realm of Sentient Beings stabilized once more.

The fissures on the ground healed, and the spatial-temporal rifts vanished, causing all the cultivators of the Dao of Sentient Beings to feel the pressure lift significantly.

Zong Shou also gained a sudden realization, understanding why Dragon Shadow and the other two had not intervened from the beginning.

By remaining within the core of the grand formation, as outsiders observing the cyclical operation of this Myriad Immortals Formation, they could grasp its subtleties and fully unleash its power.

After Dragon Shadow came the Rogue Cultivator Yuanjing. Lin Xuanjing also emerged from the main hall of the Academy, her gaze utterly devoid of warmth as she glanced at the figures above. A lotus flower materialized beneath her feet out of thin air, lifting her upwards.

"The Dao of Sentient Beings today is not the same as it was eight thousand years ago. Within my Ethereal Realm of Sentient Beings, there is no longer just Martial Brother Xiuguan alone. Where does the talk of being unable to hold on come from? Rather, it is you esteemed guests who may not escape unscathed today! The Ethereal Realm of Sentient Beings is not to be trifled with. You all must leave something behind as an explanation!"

Below, all the cultivators of the Dao of Sentient Beings held their breath, knowing this battle had reached its most critical juncture.

Outside the Ethereal Realm, millions fought, and within, the one hundred and seventy thousand cultivators of the Dao of Sentient Beings fought with all their might.

However, these were all peripheral skirmishes; the true determinant of victory lay with these few Apex Realm powerhouses.

Qing Xuan and the others looked down coldly. They had naturally accounted for the Rogue Cultivator Yuanjing as well, but what true power could a woman with an incomplete Dao Foundation, who hadn't even truly stepped onto the threshold of the Apex Realm, wield?

And the Supreme Primordial Demon Li Biexue wore a look of outright mockery. This woman had only recently fought against one of his materialized incarnations. An Apex Realm cultivator who could barely overcome his Will-Form incarnation, which possessed only half his power—wasn't that pitiful?

These thirty-two layers of heavenly barriers targeted not only these external guests but also the hosts, Xiuguan and Yuanjing.

But in the next instant, the Rogue Cultivator Yuanjing bypassed the twentieth heavenly barrier effortlessly. Under the gentle lift of the thousand-petaled lotus, she continued to ascend rapidly.

Li Biexue instantly froze, wondering if this woman had been holding back during their encounter a few days prior.

She ascended all the way to the twenty-first layer—the Heaven of Great Origin—before the lotus finally halted.

Qing Xuan’s expression finally became utterly ashen. Seemingly having grasped the truth, he let out a low, angry snort: "Ao Kun!"

To reach the twenty-first layer meant that Rogue Cultivator Yuanjing not only possessed normal Apex Realm strength but had advanced even further, surpassing the initial threshold of the Apex Realm.

Even if she couldn't defeat them, relying on the Grand Formation of Thirty-Three Heavens was enough to tie down any one of them.

After much thought, the only being in this world capable of mending Lin Xuanjing's Dao Foundation was that monstrous dragon.

Beneath the Golden Pagoda, laughter echoed from the main hall of the Academy, that of Ao Kun.

"My sworn brother won the bet from back then. Since my sworn brother is not your disciple, Qing Xuan, I naturally have to rack my brains to avenge the grievances of the past. Since you intervened back then, shielding that scoundrel Huayun and sealing me, Ao Kun, you should have expected this day—"

He chuckled menacingly, "I am currently weak and will not ascend. My cultivation is insufficient; I refuse to make a fool of myself. However, you all best not fall from above. Although my blood and energy have been depleted significantly, if I were to risk everything, I might just be able to destroy the Dao Foundations of one or two of you!"