The crumbling palace, the towering stone pillars; Shi Yan, Yang Mu, and the others stood with grave expressions, silently awaiting something.

Jiang Huiquan’s foray into the Meteorite Array had taken significantly longer this time than the previous two. With Pan Zhe and Cao Zhilan’s group drawing nearer and their own retreat path still uncertain, anxiety was mounting among them.

Yang Ke paced incessantly, his brow deeply furrowed, glancing repeatedly towards the dense gray cloud mass where Jiang Huiquan had vanished.

Li Feng’er stood atop a fractured stone pillar, her slender waist seemingly boneless, her fine eyebrows drawn into diagonal slashes. She murmured softly, “Nearly a hundred Tier-level martial artists—that force alone is more than double our strength. This time, we also have Cao Zhilan, Xie Kui, and He Qingman—all difficult opponents. It seems we are truly in for trouble.”

“Cao Zhilan!” Yang Mu’s expression darkened. “This woman is the rising master of the Cao family. Rumor has it her power is exceptionally profound; she ranks third on the Battle Board, one spot above me. I’ve never fought her and don't know her true strength, but given her third-place ranking, she must be formidable…”

Yang Mu paused for a moment, then suddenly stated, “Once we see the situation turn unfavorable, regardless of whether Uncle Jiang has emerged, we must enter that Meteorite Array.”

Yang Xue’s pretty face paled, and she couldn't help but cry out, “If that Meteorite Array hasn't been deciphered, barging in could lead to devastating losses for us. You all saw that even Uncle Jiang, who excels at formations, is… is deeply trapped inside and hasn't emerged. If we rush in recklessly, our outcome will be far worse.”

Li Feng’er, Yang Ke, and the others exchanged grave looks, all turning towards Yang Mu.

“The Meteorite Array, dangerous for us, is also a barrier blocking Pan Zhe and Cao Zhilan’s group. They outnumber us. As long as they catch up, their losses will certainly be greater than ours,” Yang Mu stated calmly. “Therefore, whether Uncle Jiang emerges or not, we must take the risk and plunge in.”

“Shi Yan…” Yang Xue looked at him with complicated feelings. “Do you think Uncle Jiang will be alright?”

“He will be fine,” Shi Yan shook his head. “As long as Uncle Jiang truly understands that Meteorite Array, he will break it. I believe the information I gave him was absolutely correct.”

Nodding lightly, Yang Xue remained half-convinced. She sighed faintly, “One can only hope.”

It wasn't that she doubted Shi Yan, but the fact that Jiang Huiquan had been inside for so long without appearing suggested to their eyes that he was likely meeting a grim fate.

They instinctively believed Jiang Huiquan had already died within the Meteorite Array. Even Yang Mu suggested they not wait for him and enter immediately if things turned dire—a clear sign that, facing the reality, he held little confidence either.

“They will be here soon,” Li Feng’er said, looking up and gazing into the distance for a while. “I think we should prepare first. Using the terrain here, we can ambush them by surprise and take out several of them first to maximize our advantage.”

Li Feng’er gritted her teeth, cold light gleaming in her eyes, projecting a warlike demeanor.

Shi Yan nodded silently, not speaking, and quietly urged the power within his body, beginning to condense his Magnetic Ruin Field.

Yang Mu, Yang Ke, and Yang Xue began instructing the martial artists under their command to disperse and temporarily hide among the ruins of the palace, waiting for the pursuers to enter before acting on their signal.

“Young Master Yan, what should we do?” Kama asked respectfully.

Kama, at the Third Heaven of the Tier realm, possessed the most refined cultivation among Shi Yan’s contingent. Tall at two meters and powerfully built, he had once been honed by the Asura King Li Mu for the Asura Blood Guards, making him exceptionally strong.

“You hide in the palace first. You don't need to prepare anything complex; just seize the moment to strike and kill the enemy before you. Concentrate your attention; some opportunities flash by in an instant. I will create opportunities for a single, killing blow, but you must grasp them.” Shi Yan’s expression was cold.

“Understood, Young Master Yan.” Kama’s spirit lifted.

In the previous battle aboard the Silver Horn Divine Ship, Kama had deeply experienced Shi Yan’s miraculous abilities. He knew Shi Yan could secretly activate mysterious martial techniques to influence the entire area, momentarily paralyzing opponents and creating windows for instant annihilation. Therefore, even though Shi Yan was only at the Hundred Calamity realm, Kama and the others respected him greatly and showed no hint of contempt.

“Eh!”

Shi Yan let out a soft exclamation, suddenly looking towards the area where the gray clouds were thickest. His divine sense clearly detected an anomaly in the energy there.

In the region where Jiang Huiquan had entered, the previously chaotic energy fluctuations seemed to have suddenly found order. The energy inside appeared like long, continuous rivers, flowing slowly along specific trajectories. It seemed someone had twisted the chaotic energy, rendering it docile.

Jiang Huiquan!

Shi Yan’s heart stirred; he immediately realized Jiang Huiquan must have succeeded—he had truly broken the Meteorite Array and altered its energy flow.

“Uncle Jiang is coming back,” Shi Yan smiled faintly and suddenly called out sharply.

“What?” Li Feng’er was still standing high above, looking down at Shi Yan. “You fellow, can you foretell the future?”

Shi Yan smiled and shook his head, looking up at the graceful Li Feng’er with her straight, long legs. “It’s not foretelling the future, but I can vaguely sense his aura. Yes, I possess a rare treasure that makes my spiritual perception sharper.”

“Little Yanzi, Uncle Jiang succeeded?” Yang Mu was overjoyed. The pursuers were almost upon them; if Uncle Jiang succeeded, their odds would improve greatly.

“Mm, he should be emerging soon,” Shi Yan nodded.

Indeed, as soon as he finished speaking, a dust-covered, battered figure abruptly shot out from the center.

Jiang Huiquan, his face covered in grime yet brimming with vigor and spirit, looked joyfully toward Shi Yan. “Young Master Yan’s information was spot on! I managed to break the Meteorite Array thanks entirely to Young Master Yan’s familiarity with the ancient script.”

Yang Ke, Li Feng’er, Yang Xue, and the others were quite surprised to hear him say this. As they looked at Shi Yan again, their gazes held many thought-provoking expressions.

The Yang family martial artists assigned to Shi Yan’s group, like Kama, were visibly energized, their confidence in Shi Yan increasing further.

“After everyone enters the Meteorite Array, remember to head left first. After seven steps, shift to the right direction for five steps, then shift left again. Repeat this pattern. Remember: seven steps left, five steps right—don’t mix them up. As long as they advance following this rhythm, the meteorites will not fall upon them,” Jiang Huiquan grinned widely. “If any pursuers enter, I believe those who don't know the correct formation will suffer heavy losses within.”

“Excellent!” Yang Mu burst into hearty laughter. “Everyone prepare! We’ll set up an ambush and strike one wave. If the situation turns sour, we immediately enter the Meteorite Array. We truly owe thanks to Uncle Jiang and Little Yanzi this time; otherwise, we’d be struggling immensely, haha! But now that I hold the advantage, I’ll make these pursuers taste the bitterness of defeat.”

“There are nine crumbling palaces.”

Pan Zhe abruptly stopped, planting his feet firmly on the hard gray stone ground, gazing into the distance. “I have been to those nine palaces before. All the ancient formations within are damaged; there should be no danger there. However, beyond the nine palaces lie layers of sealed restrictions; passing through will depend on luck.”

“Could the Yang family have left by that route?” Gu Linglong frowned.

“I don’t know,” Pan Zhe shook his head. “Everyone, be careful. The nine palaces offer many places to hide. If the Yang family is concealed within and launches a surprise attack, they could catch us completely off guard. Though we have superior numbers, we cannot afford to be careless. Remember one thing: do not follow in rashly. Beyond the nine palaces, the area where the gray clouds are thickest has poor visibility, spiritual power is blocked, and restrictions are numerous—that is the true Abyss Battlefield.”

“The Yang family is inside the palaces.” Cao Zhilan floated forward gracefully, passing Pan Zhe. She drifted forward like a feather, her delicate body seemingly weightless, swaying gently, giving off an extremely eerie impression.

“Follow me. Be careful. The Shi Yan you mentioned has already condensed strange Imprisonment Vortices inside, and those vortices are still fluctuating. Well, point out Shi Yan to me later; I will restrain him first, lest he causes trouble in secret and gets you inexplicably killed by the Yang family.”

Cao Zhilan floated and drifted like a feather, her body moving without discernible pattern in the void. Occasionally, she would briefly touch the ground and leap, rapidly dissolving into afterimages. While seemingly slow, she moved with great speed towards the cluster of palaces.

“Miss Cao, the Spirit God, the Martial Soul, can detect any fluctuation of power and ascertain the pattern of those fluctuations, thereby finding a method to counter them. This Spirit God is a Saint-level Martial Soul. During combat, it can even sense subtle flaws in an opponent's martial techniques—it is extremely profound,” Qu Yanqing, the Saintess of the Heavenly Pool Holy Land, said softly, her captivating eyes revealing an unusual depth as she described the divine function of Cao Zhilan’s Martial Soul.

Cao Zhilan’s Martial Soul was quite mysterious; many martial artists of the Boundless Sea had heard of it, but few knew just how mystical and powerful it truly was. Qu Yanqing was one of the few who understood the might of her Martial Soul.

Pan Zhe, Xie Kui, Gu Linglong, and the others brightened upon hearing Qu Yanqing’s explanation.

Cao Zhilan’s Spirit God Martial Soul could detect any power fluctuation and even determine the pattern of those fluctuations. This meant most formations and barriers in the Abyss Battlefield could not escape her Spirit God Martial Soul’s probing, and she could even find the means to break them through it. In the Abyss Battlefield, Cao Zhilan’s Spirit God Martial Soul was undoubtedly invaluable, capable of drastically reducing their potential losses.

“Stop hiding; can you come out and fight openly?” Outside the palaces, Cao Zhilan walked in with a serene smile, unhurried and composed. Her body moved like duckweed, easily evading three incoming Magnetic Ruin Fields, and she shook her head with a smile. “Hmm, these moving traps are indeed marvelous; it’s no wonder Pan Zhe and the others suffered heavy losses. Shi Yan, is it? You managed to set up traps like this; you really exceeded my expectations. Can you show yourself?”

Shi Yan, hidden behind a towering stone pillar, felt his expression shift slightly. He let out a cold snort, his face darkening, and stepped out from behind the pillar. Looking at this exquisitely beautiful woman who had discerned his Magnetic Ruin Fields and hearing her casual pronouncements, Shi Yan’s composure grew cautious, his attention hyper-focused, daring not to relax even slightly.

He sensed that this woman’s primary target was him.