Despite the excitement, Xiao Hong did not stop making hand seals. 

She kept an eye on the battlefield through her Divine Sense as she needed to ensure she was not interrupted - she would have to start all over again if she was interrupted.

“{Buy me just 10 minutes - that will be enough!}” Xiao Hong sent a qi transmission to her Sect mates.

“{I’ll buy you hours as long as you can ensure our safety.}” A Senior Sister at the 7th Disaster Stage responded, her jaws clenched trying her best to suppress the pain of her meridians tearing apart. She had no choice but to use Spirit Transformation Art beyond her level of mastery - there was no way she’d be able to match three Demonic Cultivators at the 7th Disaster, otherwise.

“{I will!}” Xiao Hong said firmly, causing the Senior Sister to smile. Except it looked more like a grimace than a smile, thanks to the horrible torture her meridians were undergoing. 

As Xiao Hong continued making hand seals, the fight outside grew more and more intense. 

The Demonic Cultivators who had realised what was happening attacked with all their might. There was no way they would let their enemy gain such a massive advantage over them!

On the other hand, the Purple Spirit Sect’s cultivators defended with everything they had. This Array Formation was pretty much their only hope of survival! 

Few Outer Disciples learned Escape Techniques - they almost always invested their limited resources in Battle Techniques and Spell Arts because only by increasing their battle prowess could they earn more contribution points. And with sufficient Contribution points could they gain more resources and expedite their Cultivation.

Very quickly a violent battlefield appeared, like a massive cyclone with Xiao Hong in its eye. Explosions, shockwaves and remnants of Spells battered against the highly condensed Earth Shell around Xiao Hong, shaking it violently. But it ultimately held on, as none of the spells that reached her were at full power. Her Sect mates did their jobs.

Despite the Demonic Cultivators trying their best, they could not reach the Earth Shell because the Purple Spirit Sect’s disciples had pretty much given up on attacking and focused completely on defence and counter-attacking. 

They had arranged themselves in a rudimentary battle formation around Xiao Hong that made their defence much easier. The stronger Cultivators defended against the stronger opponents on the outside and the weaker cultivators defended against the weaker opponents on the inside. 

Because the weaker Cultivators were greater in number, they were much more densely inside, decreasing the pressure they had to bear. The strongest Cultivators on the outside only had to defend against the stronger attacks and not allow the stronger Cultivators to reach the inner side of the formation. 

The weaker cultivators on the inside could coordinate their attacks and have a much easier time defending against the opponents that were let inside.

Of course, this battle formation put tremendous pressure on the strongest Cultivators. If they failed, the entire formation would become great target practice for their opponents. The only reason they could keep up was they using the Spirit Transformation Art beyond their level of mastery.

“These Heaven-damned shits!” A Demonic Cultivator growled angrily as he threw out Spell after Spell, only for them to be blocked and neutralised. Even as a 7th Disaster Demonic Cultivator, he knew it would be incredibly difficult to break through in a short time. ‘Even if the 7th Disaster Disciples of the Purple Spirit Sect cannot hold on for long at this rate, there is still that bitch who is setting up a formation.

‘If she manages to set up the formation, we’re done for.’ Even if he didn’t know what the Formation did, the Purple Spirit Sect’s disciples placing all their hopes on it was indicative enough. Therefore, he assumed the worst.

“Dammit, let’s attack the disciples setting up the minor nodes and destroy them instead!” The Demonic Cultivator shouted. Since they couldn’t break through the disciple’s blockade, they would try their best to annihilate the minor nodes. He refused to believe they would not destroy all redundant nodes.

Indeed, the Purple Spirit Sect disciples’ faces sank like a stone thrown into the sea. They had caused such a massive commotion to surround and protect Xiao Hong because they wanted to use this to distract their opponents and have them place much more importance on the Major Node. 

Even Xiao Hong’s ferocious battle with the Demonic Cultivators before was a way to deepen her impression in their hearts, making them subconsciously place more importance on Xiao Hong due to her monstrous Battle Prowess.

All of it was to ensure that the Demonic Cultivators paid more attention to the Major Node than the Minor Nodes. Because while the Major node was indeed the most important, it would be of no use once the Minor Nodes were all destroyed.

Xiao Hong, who was paying attention, just sneered. She was almost done.

“{Senior Brother Gu, Senior Sister Jun, please push your opponents at least 20 Zhang away!}” She sent a qi transmission to Jun Meiling and Gu Ran. There was no point in setting up a Defensive Array Formation if she caged herself and her Sect mates with the most fearsome enemies, right?

[A/N: 20 Zhang = 66.67m]

“{Huh? Junior Sister, you’re done setting up the Array?!}” Gu Ran was a little shocked. He did not expect that this Junior Sister could set up an Array Formation so quickly. He was completely prepared to fight for hours! But it had only been a few minutes! At most, it had been 10 minutes!

Xiao Hong sent an affirmative answer.

‘That was unexpectedly fast…

‘Forget it! Let’s just do as she says.’ He had a modicum of trust in Xiao Hong. To put it nicely, she was humble; to put it bluntly, she knew her place. She knew when to advance and when to retreat. So, he was sure that her preparations were not half-assed and she had done her best in the given time!

“{Alright!}”

Jun Meiling was equally surprised but threw all of that to the back of her mind. Since Gu Ran chose to trust in her, so would she. After all, he had accompanied Xiao Hong longer than her.

Therefore, she also sent an affirmative answer to Xiao Hong.

“{When I give the signal, please push them away!}”

Gu Ran focused his eyes on the black woman named Mo Qingzhu and the pair of siblings. His attacks became slightly stronger and quicker and gained a slightly frantic flavour to it. It was as though he were becoming more and more desperate.

And indeed, his opponents took the bait!

“{His Cultivation Burning Technique is going to run out soon!}” The grey-robed man exclaimed through qi transmission, his excitement barely concealed. The feeling of being beaten into a pulp without being able to retaliate was truly suffocating!

“{Hehe, once we capture him, I’m going to suck him dry!}” The scantily clad woman’s loose Daoist robes had somehow managed to stay on against all odds and despite the intense battle.

Mo Qingzhu on the other hand, frowned slightly, “{Since he’s about to run out, he will most likely send a desperate attack our way in hopes of severely injuring or killing us. Be ready to retreat!}” 

She did not even think that Xiao Hong had managed to set up the Array Formation. Even if the girl was an unprecedented genius in the Way of Formations, she would still require at least half an hour. It had barely been 10 minutes since they’d started setting up an Array

Gu Ran, who had started attacking ‘frantically’, had a completely calm mind, ‘Good. They’re wary. I just need to continue acting’

Just a minute later, he got Xiao Hong’s qi transmission: “{Now!}”

He grinned as his aura exploded, reaching greater heights and a boundless Killing Intent spread with him as centre.

Slaughter Immortal’s Sword Law - Form 233: Endless Massacre!

Every Demonic Cultivator, regardless of where they fought, felt an unprecedented chill surge through their entire being. They saw a boundless Sea of blood - they could see neither its beginning nor its end. In the middle was a mountain of corpses, severed limbs and heads. The heads were immortalised in their death, showing an expression of absolute terror.

Immediately, all Demonic Cultivators stopped for a split second!

Jun Meiling’s eyes blazed and she made a hand seal, causing a bright blue sword to flash past one of her weaker opponents!

“Argh!” The man screamed in pain as his arm had been severed! If it weren’t for the heightened sense of danger a cultivator possessed, he would have been skewered!

His scream woke Jun Meiling’s other opponents from the illusion; only to see thousands of bolts of lightning coming their way, radiating a powerful destructive power!

Xue Hun and his partners subconsciously retreated, circulating their Movement Art at full power, retreating almost a hundred metres in a few breaths.

However, unlike their expectations, the lightning simply fizzled out.

“Huh?!” The three of them were utterly confused to see Jun Meiling retreating rapidly! That’s when realisation struck them - the Array Formation was ready!  Xue Hun’s eyes were so wide they almost fell out! 

“How did the bitch manage to set up the Array Formation so quickly?!” He truly could not comprehend how one could set up a Formation of this level so fast. Even Nirvana Experts had to spend twice the amount of time!

“No! She wants to retreat into the Array Formation!” Xue Hun’s eyes then fell upon the retreating Jun Meiling. 

“Dammit! After her!”

Mo Qingzhu and her Sectmates also realised what was happening and shot forward.

But it was too late!

Woooom!

An immense quantity of Energy rushed out of the Earth Shell at the centre of the battlefield. The veritable tsunami of pure Essence connected the nodes one after another, forming a complete, closed flow.

The sweet voice of a young girl resonated throughout the bloody and brutal battlefield, echoing within the hearts of every occupant, “Undead Wood Life Protecting Formation - activate!”

Whoosh!

In a second, a large, translucent green dome-shaped Energy Shield appeared out of thin air, locking out the 8th Disaster Demonic Cultivators! As soon as it appeared, the sunlight in the surroundings dimmed slightly, as though clouds had covered the Sun. 

On the other hand, the green Energy Shield brightened even more!

The Array Formation was successfully activated!