"Hmph! What does it matter if you charge at the Array Eye? The formation is complete. We can move freely while they cannot muster their Spiritual Power to fight. Coming here is nothing more than courting death!" Qing Xu's eyes flashed with a cold light, and in an instant, his figure leaped up, transforming into a fierce giant python and directly lunging at Yuan Ming and his companion.

Jiang Lu also refused to show weakness, conjuring a Magic Treasure, and joined Qing Xu in the attack.

Hou Chou's heart shuddered. At this moment, he could ill afford to be distracted. He immediately turned to flee, his mind filled with immense regret.

He had actually believed in Yuan Ming's nonsense, thinking there was some formidable tactic at play. It turned out to be just a brainless brute. After all this time, he didn't even know the true state of the Array Eye, yet he had the audacity to claim one man was enough.

Without breaking the Red Blood Sand Formation, they would lose no matter how they fought. It would be better to seize the chance to flee while Yuan Ming was holding the front, in hopes of a slim chance of survival.

However, Yuan Ming showed no intention of running away. He observed the Cultivators on the plaza with his Divine Sense, a smile suddenly forming at the corner of his mouth.

At this moment, he also understood that the Red Blood Sand Formation was different from typical Formations. The Array Eye did not operate on Spirit Stones alone but required Cultivators to maintain it through casting spells. In other words, as long as they could slay all the Cultivators within the Array Eye, the Formation would cease to function.

In the next instant, an invisible force descended from the heavens, enveloping the entire island in its grasp.

In the blink of an eye, all Wu Yue Sect Cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage, no matter where they were on the island or what condition they were in, felt an overwhelming drowsiness overcome them, causing them to lose their strength. Their eyes closed, and they fell into a deep slumber.

Meanwhile, inside the Stealing Heaven Tripod, the first soul sitting on the White Jade Lotus Platform appeared somewhat languid. A significant portion of its Soul Power was drained in an instant. Thankfully, Desire Power soon surged from the Lotus Platform, rapidly replenishing the deficit in Soul Power.

In midair, Jiang Lu and Qing Xu also felt drowsiness surging in their hearts. However, at that moment, Yuan Ming did not specifically target them. As the two men used their Cultivation to forcefully suppress the drowsiness, preparing to continue their assault, they were stunned in the next instant.

They saw the omnipresent Red Sand that enveloped the surroundings suddenly stagnate, then dissolve rapidly like blood in the rain, disappearing into thin air. The sky regained its former appearance.

Could it be… The Array Eye was broken, and this place was no longer under the Formation's influence?

They were stupefied, their Divine Sense sweeping across the island at lightning speed, only to discover aside from a few Nascent Souls, there was not a single awake person; snores rose and fell in an absurdly comical and alarming cacophony.

In that instant, they even doubted whether they had withstood that wave of drowsiness - were they now trapped within a dream?

Hou Chou, standing behind Yuan Ming, was no better off at this point.

"Yuan, Divine Envoy Yuan, what... what move was that?" he asked, swallowing hard and speaking with difficulty.

"Fortunately, Lord Nether Moon God has favored me and bestowed another Divine Skill, which is quite powerful but also consumes a lot. I'm already at the end of my tether; I must request Clan Leader Hou's assistance," Yuan Ming casually explained.

Seeing this situation, Jiang Lu and Qing Xu exchanged a look, as if planning to take some action.

Yuan Ming thought they would seize the opportunity to strike at him, and he was ready to counter. But before they could make their move, he saw Jiang Lu and Qing Xu, one to the left and one to the right, turn around and flee.

Yuan Ming was taken aback, not expecting them to be so resolute. At that moment, Hou Chou's eyes shifted, and he suddenly shouted.

"Thinking of escaping? It won't be that easy! Divine Envoy Yuan, please rest while I capture these two and present them to Lord Nether Moon God," he called out.

No sooner had he spoken than he took out a Tiger Talisman and activated it. He then directly pursued Jiang Lu, while at the same time, the Ancestor Ape on the shore received an order and, with a blur, seemed to turn into flowing water as it chased after Qing Xu.

Yuan Ming opened his mouth, surprised that Hou Chou had become so proactive, but upon further consideration of Hou Chou's words, he understood somewhat.

This man had heard twice of Divine Skills bestowed by the Nether Moon God. He likely had his own designs, setting aside whether he truly believed; he saw an opportunity to curry favor with the Nether Moon God and perhaps be granted a few Divine Skills.

Yuan Ming chuckled to himself. Seeing that Jiang Lu and Qing Xu were soon intercepted by Hou Chou, he extinguished the thought of intervening. Instead, he took out a Jade Talisman from his chest and activated it with a spell.

"Fan Yun Island has fallen."

After that brief message, Yuan Ming's gaze drifted towards the locations of other Array Eyes.

He wondered how they were faring. Now that his own sector was vanquished, the overall Red Blood Sand Formation must have been impacted, likely easing their struggles to destroy the Array Eyes. Perhaps they would soon receive good tidings.

...

Meanwhile, on Hongguang Island.

Wildfires ravaged every inch of the land, leaving nothing but billowing smoke behind, staining the sky and the sea a dusky gray.

In the sky, Jin Chao stood with folded arms, his gaze cast down, watching the battlefield below where victory was nearly decided.

The plaza, surrounded by roaring flames, saw Jin Yun Fairy engaged in solo combat against two Wu Yue Sect Nascent Soul cultivators. Although she faced them alone, she was not at a disadvantage.

Suddenly, a Jade Talisman emerged from Jin Chao, floating into the air, broadcasting Yuan Ming's voice.

"Fan Yun Island has fallen."

The voice echoed around them, startling the two Wu Yue Sect Nascent Souls, while in Jin Yun Fairy's eyes, a flicker of an indiscernible emotion appeared.

In the next instant, she seized the Wu Yue Sect Nascent Souls' moment of shock, and two clumps of gold and white flames suddenly appeared behind their heads, effortlessly burning through their Protective Spiritual Lights and incinerating their bodies.

In the flames, two Nascent Souls clutching their Magic Treasures desperately flew out to escape; however, Jin Chao from the sky waved his hand and instantly turned them into ashes.

Seeing this, Golden Cloud Fairy ascended into the sky without hesitation and snatched the Jade Talisman.

"Hongguang Island has fallen," she said through gritted teeth as if she were competing with someone.

Jin Chao sighed at this scene, a hint of helplessness flickering in his eyes.

...

Not far off, above Cui Lin Island, Elder San Jue was holding the remains of a Nascent Soul cultivator in one hand, while taking a swig from a wine flask with the other.

A Jade Talisman flew out of his embrace, first resounding with Yuan Ming and Golden Cloud Fairy's voices. Reader support at * made this translation possible.

After a moment of contemplation, Elder San Jue slowly let go of the Nascent Soul cultivator's remains, took the Jade Talisman, and began casting.

"Cui Lin Island has fallen."

As soon as these words were spoken, he transformed into a Blood Shadow and flew towards Fan Yun Island, where Yuan Ming was located.

And beneath his feet, not a single living person remained on the entire Cui Lin Island.

...

Red Mountain Island.

In a sky filled with Red Sand, four Nascent Soul members of the East Sea Alliance, led by Wan Tianren, strained to hold on.

In front of them, a mid-stage Nascent Soul Black Robed Cultivator was manipulating spell gestures with one hand while shaking a Black Bell with the other, summoning countless ghosts and shadows to incessantly harass Wan Tianren and the others.

The Black Robed Cultivator's own strength was not remarkable, but with the aid of the Red Blood Sand Formation, he was able to fight on par with Wan Tianren's group, even gaining a slight upper hand, showing the might of the Red Blood Sand Formation.

"It's no use, Alliance Hierarch, we've underestimated the power of the Red Blood Sand Formation. If we continue fighting like this, defeat is certain, and we will all perish here!" Gu Xuanyang roared with difficulty.

Wan Tianren clenched his teeth, filled with unwillingness.

The East Sea Alliance had finally found an opportunity to counterattack and if they were to retreat now, attempting another surprise attack next time would not be so easy.

Moreover, even if they had underestimated the power of the Formation, he, Wan Tianren, was after all a Great Cultivator of the late-stage Nascent Soul. If not for being weakened in a previous battle with White Bone Venerable, how could he be obstructed by a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator?

Could it be, this was fate? Is the East Sea Alliance destined not to counterattack the Wu Yue Sect?

Wan Tianren sighed, about to order the retreat when suddenly, he felt the surrounding Red Sand thinning out.

Immediately after, the Jade Talisman in his bosom flew out, and as the voices of Yuan Ming, Golden Cloud Fairy, and Elder San Jue came one after the other, the Red Sand around them had thinned to a fraction of its usual density.

"Haha, wonderful, Divine Envoy Yuan and the others have indeed lived up to expectations. Fellow Daoists, the opportunity to defeat the enemy has arrived, follow me and counterattack!" Wan Tianren laughed loudly.

At the same time, the Black Robed Cultivator of the Wu Yue Sect sensed something was wrong and immediately turned to flee, but Wan Tianren and his group relentlessly pursued him. Only Gu Xuanyang flew out of the fight to break the Array Eye.

Before long, the Red Sand all around completely dissipated, and the Black Robed Cultivator fell victim to the concerted assault.

And with the fall of the fourth Array Eye, the cultivators under the Formation felt a shift within them, as if hearing a shattering sound in their ears. Even in the areas that were not breached, the red light in the sky suddenly vanished, revealing a stretch of azure.

The Red Blood Sand Formation had been completely broken!

...

On Purple Nan Island, a Nascent Soul Merfolk cultivator named Luo Duo gripped the Jade Talisman excitedly, listening to the four announcements coming from within. He immediately turned around, raising his arms high.

"My friends, by the grace of Lord Nether Moon God, the Red Blood Sand Formation has been broken by the Alliance Hierarch and Divine Envoy Yuan and the others. We have been in a stalemate with the Wu Yue Sect for a long time, but now the moment to counterattack has arrived. The liberation of East Sea is just within reach!" he proclaimed loudly, his voice carrying across the entire East Sea Alliance army.

Behind him, the already fully prepared cultivators of the East Sea Alliance lit up with fervor, shouting in unison.

Then, under his command, the grand army of the East Sea Alliance set off toward the islands occupied by the Wu Yue Sect.

The Wu Yue Sect Cultivators on those islands had no idea what had transpired; seeing a large army approaching, they frantically tried to activate the Red Blood Sand Formation, only to find the once responsive Great Array was now unresponsive.

They were already outnumbered by the East Sea Alliance, and now they were caught off-guard while the enemy was determined and led by Nascent Soul cultivators. Their defeat was almost instantaneous.

In just a few hours, the East Sea Alliance had completely breached the Wu Yue Sect's defenses, advancing into their territory. And within several days, they managed to completely clear the sea route between Purple Nan Island and Red Leaf Island, breaking the Wu Yue Sect's encirclement.

During this process, through covert and overt propaganda by Wan Tianren, Yan Siyun, and others, more and more people learned of Yuan Ming's pivotal role in reversing the situation in this battle, and how he received the favor of the Nether Moon God, gaining extraordinary Divine Skills. From a Core Formation no-name, he grew into the heroic figure who saved the East Sea Alliance.

As the story spread, more and more cultivators became interested in Yuan Ming, as well as the Nether Moon God mentioned in the tales.