Nilan had barely emerged from the blue spatial rift when the cries of desperate disciples reached his ears.
The White Illusion Realm, once filled with the footsteps of countless cultivators, had become a battlefield. Broken trees littered the ground, dust clouded the air, and injured disciples fled as ferocious Spiritual Beasts pursued them.
Some fought together against a single beast, while others hid behind rocks and fallen trees, desperately searching for a chance to escape. Yet nowhere in the vast realm seemed truly safe.
Nilan stood still for a moment, taking in the chaos.
He had spent a long time training in the Wild Illusion Realm. His understanding of the Formation Dao had deepened, and his mind had become calmer and more calculating.
But knowledge was not the same as combat strength.
Against a powerful Foundation Realm Spiritual Beast, direct combat could cost him his life before he had a chance to use what he had learned.
He wanted to help the people around him, but rushing blindly into battle would only make him another person who needed rescuing.
There must be another way.
An injured young man staggered toward him, clutching one arm.
"Brother, do you have any medicine? My arm is getting worse."
Nilan examined the injury and took out a spiritual herb.
"Take this. It should help you recover somewhat, but you'll still need time to rest."
The young man accepted it with trembling fingers.
"Thank you. My name is Saman."
Two girls stood behind him.
The first had black hair and blue eyes. Despite the chaos, she remained composed. She came from a well-known Cultivation family, and her elder brother was one of the Top Ten Disciples.
The second had dark-brown hair and black eyes. One of her hands was entirely black, an unusual sight even amid the dust and blood. There was neither time nor opportunity to ask about her identity.
Nilan turned back to Saman.
"We can't stay here. We need a place where we can gather the others and give them a chance to survive."
He leaned closer and whispered his plan.
Saman stared at him in surprise. After a moment, he looked toward the fleeing disciples and the beasts hunting them.
"All right. Let's do it."
Remaining beside Nilan, Saman immediately opened his Space Ring. Coming from a powerful merchant family, he carried a wide variety of items for different situations. He quickly selected the ordinary Formation Items Nilan needed and handed them over.
Nilan checked the items before turning toward the two girls.
"I have a plan, but it will only work if everyone follows my instructions. Can you trust me long enough to give it a chance?"
The girls exchanged a glance. They barely knew him, and trusting a stranger in the middle of such a disaster was no easy decision.
Yet their alternatives were rapidly disappearing.
Nilan chose a location away from the main fighting. It was not completely safe, but it offered enough space to establish the formation.
He already possessed several ordinary Formation Items in his Space Ring. Combined with the ones Saman had supplied, they were enough to attempt what he had in mind.
A Defense Formation and a Battle Formation served different purposes. A Defense Formation absorbed incoming Spiritual Power to withstand attacks, but its capacity was limited.
The ancient Battle Formation Nilan intended to establish was more complicated. It could absorb the Spiritual Power carried by incoming attacks, use part of that energy to maintain its structure, and distribute the pressure among the cultivators connected to it.
The pressure would not disappear. Everyone inside would still have to endure it, and if the incoming power exceeded what the formation could handle, its protection would eventually fail.
However, this particular formation possessed another possibility.
Once an attack had been handled, any Spiritual Power remaining beyond what the formation needed to sustain itself could be gathered through its designated mechanism. If enough surplus accumulated, Nilan might be able to use it to open a Space Gate.
It was a possibility, not a guarantee.
The Formation Items had to be placed correctly, the connections had to remain stable, and Nilan had to control the flow of power without allowing the structure to collapse.
"Stand where I tell you," he instructed the gathering disciples. "Once you're in position, don't move unless I give you permission."
Several disciples eyed the small objects being distributed among them with suspicion.
"Can you really save us?" one asked.
"I've found a possible way," Nilan replied. "But everyone must follow my instructions."
He refused to promise something he could not guarantee.
Some agreed to cooperate, while others hesitated or continued searching for an escape route. Nilan understood that he could not force everyone to trust him.
Danger was spreading too quickly. Some disciples were trapped by beast attacks before they could reach his location.
Eventually, ten to twelve disciples assembled around him. Several were injured, and fear was written across their faces.
Nilan placed the Formation Items at their designated positions, checking each one before connecting the pieces.
Slowly, the formation took shape.
At first, he had wanted to save everyone. Now, as he watched disciples fall into danger beyond his reach, that desire became a painful burden.
He could not reach every injured cultivator or protect everyone scattered across the realm.
For a brief moment, his hands faltered.
Then he looked at the people standing before him—the ones who had chosen to trust a plan they barely understood because they had nowhere else to turn.
He could not promise to save everyone.
But he could not abandon those still within his reach.
Nilan steadied his hands and continued working.
For now, he would save as many as he could.
The Top Ten Disciples
Elsewhere in the White Illusion Realm, the Top Ten Disciples were fighting powerful Spiritual Beasts of their own.
The group consisted of four girls and six boys. All ten were Direct Disciples of the Sect and had reached the peak of Qi Gathering. Their cultivation and combat experience placed them well above ordinary disciples.
Yet even they were struggling.
Rivalry among the Top Ten was intense. Each wanted to maintain their position, and not all of them shared complete trust.
Two of the female Disciples had initially been fighting in separate locations. As the danger increased, their paths brought them together, and a powerful Spiritual Beast forced them to fight side by side.
Neither completely trusted the other.
But the beast cared nothing for their rivalry.
"Cover the left side!" one shouted.
Her companion shifted her stance and blocked the incoming attack. The impact drove her backward, but she held her ground long enough to create an opening.
"Now!"
The first woman seized the opportunity and counterattacked.
Their combined resistance forced the beast to retreat slightly. They immediately changed positions, preparing for another assault.
Elsewhere, one of the Top Ten fought alongside ordinary disciples, while another held back a beast alone. Two others had temporarily joined a stronger Disciple, hoping to survive their own battle.
None could afford to lower their guard.
Then an unsettling change became impossible to ignore.
The Spiritual Beasts were growing more ferocious. Some attacked with greater strength, while others altered their movements as though observing their opponents and adapting to their tactics.
The Top Ten began to understand that this was no ordinary trial.
A single mistake could cost them far more than their rankings.
It could cost them their lives.
The Formation Holds
The first major threat reached Nilan's formation before he had finished making every necessary adjustment.
A Foundation Realm Spiritual Beast had been chasing an injured disciple. When the fleeing cultivator spotted the gathering, he rushed toward it.
"Help me! It's coming!"
Nilan looked up. The beast was already close.
"Everyone, hold your positions!"
Panic spread through the group. One disciple stepped backward, while another nearly dropped his Formation Item.
"Don't move!" Nilan shouted. "If you break the formation now, you'll put everyone in danger!"
The disciple froze.
The beast attacked.
A tremendous impact shook the ground. Dust erupted into the air as a wave of Spiritual Power swept over the formation. Several cultivators staggered under the pressure, their legs trembling as they struggled to remain in position.
Light flashed from the Formation Items.
The Battle Formation absorbed the Spiritual Power carried by the attack. Part of that energy sustained its structure, while the rest was managed by its special arrangement, distributing the pressure among the connected cultivators.
The attack had not simply vanished. Every disciple inside could still feel its force.
The beast attacked again.
The Formation Items flashed, and the structure shuddered beneath the impact. Its light flickered, but it held.
"We're still standing!" a disciple exclaimed.
"The formation is sharing the pressure!"
Those who had doubted Nilan moments earlier stared in disbelief. For the first time, they could see that his plan might give them a chance.
But Nilan did not relax.
The formation was functioning, yet its capacity was not unlimited. Every attack tested its ability to absorb and manage the incoming power, while the disciples themselves struggled to endure the pressure.
"Stay focused!" he warned. "Don't assume we're safe just because we've survived the first attacks!"
The disciples returned their attention to their positions.
The beast remained before them, preparing to attack again. Beyond it, more danger was approaching.
The News Begins to Spread
Disciples hiding behind broken rocks and trees began watching Nilan's formation from a distance.
"What's happening over there?"
"How are they surviving those attacks?"
"It looks like they've established a formation!"
One disciple hurried to inform those hiding nearby.
"There's a formation over there! A Spiritual Beast has attacked it several times, but the disciples inside are still holding on!"
Some refused to believe him. Others cautiously approached a better vantage point and witnessed the scene themselves.
The news spread from one group to another. Disciples who had spent the entire time fleeing now knew that there was a place where people were resisting the beasts rather than running helplessly.
Still, not everyone hurried toward Nilan.
Some feared that approaching the formation would attract the beasts pursuing them. Others were reluctant to trust an unfamiliar disciple, while a few waited for further confirmation.
Yet, for the first time since the disaster began, scattered disciples had found a reason to hope.
Gradually, several groups began making their way toward the formation, carefully avoiding the ongoing battles.
Nilan had no time to celebrate their arrival. Each newcomer needed to be placed correctly and connected to the formation.
More participants meant that the pressure could be distributed among more cultivators, but every addition required adjustments. The formation's structure became more demanding to maintain, placing a greater burden on Nilan's control.
For the moment, the balance held.
But the danger had not passed.
The Top Ten Hear the News
Eventually, reports about Nilan's formation began reaching the Top Ten Disciples.
Near the two female Disciples fighting together, several ordinary cultivators mentioned the formation while retreating.
"Some disciples have established a formation in another area. They're still holding on despite the Spiritual Beast attacks!"
One of the women briefly shifted her attention away from their opponent.
"A formation?"
"Yes. Several disciples are trying to take shelter there."
Her companion kept her eyes on the beast.
"Deal with this one first. We'll decide afterward."
The first woman nodded.
Neither had witnessed the formation's effectiveness firsthand. Abandoning their current battle based only on a report could leave both them and the nearby disciples in greater danger.
The beast attacked again.
The women moved in opposite directions, avoiding its charge before launching a coordinated counterattack. When an opening appeared, they retreated to a safer position and reassessed the situation.
Elsewhere, another Top Ten Disciple received a similar report while helping several cultivators resist a powerful beast. He listened carefully but could not immediately abandon those depending on him.
The others faced similar choices. Each had to consider the condition of their current battle, the safety of nearby disciples, and the increasingly ferocious behavior of the Spiritual Beasts.
Some began considering whether they should approach Nilan's formation. Others remained uncertain.
For now, they needed to know whether it could continue withstanding the attacks.
Outside the White Illusion Realm
At the same time, the Elders outside the White Illusion Realm were desperately searching for a way to enter and rescue the disciples.
The Sect Patriarch stood near the unstable entrance, his expression growing more solemn with every passing moment.
The abnormal Spiritual Pressure coming from within complicated their efforts. They could not simply force their way inside by releasing more power. The instability was interfering with the entrance itself, and an unrestrained attempt to enter could make the situation even more dangerous.
"Entering directly under these conditions would be unwise," one Elder said.
Another nodded gravely.
"We must stabilize the Spiritual Pressure first. Otherwise, maintaining a stable entrance will be difficult."
The Sect Patriarch looked toward the entrance.
"Make the necessary arrangements as quickly as possible. There are still many disciples inside."
The Elders resumed their work.
Four or five Elders had completed the necessary preparations and were ready to enter, but the instability surrounding the entrance remained unresolved.
One Elder assessed their progress before speaking.
"At this rate, it may take another half an hour."
The Patriarch's expression darkened.
Half an hour was a considerable amount of time. Inside the realm, the situation could deteriorate long before their preparations were complete.
Yet rushing in without stabilizing the entrance could endanger the rescuers as well as the disciples they were trying to save.
He had no choice but to continue waiting.
"Do not stop," he ordered. "We must open a stable path as soon as possible."
The Elders focused on their task.
Until outside assistance arrived, the disciples trapped within the White Illusion Realm would have to find their own way to survive.
A New Enemy Before the Formation
Several Spiritual Beasts were now prowling around Nilan's formation.
The first Foundation Realm beast was preparing to attack again, and more creatures had approached the area, drawn by the continuing commotion.
Among them was a massive creature resembling an ox. Yet its body was unlike that of an ordinary animal. It possessed a partly humanoid structure, stood on two legs, and had front limbs shaped differently from those of a normal beast.
Its eyes remained fixed on the formation.
Unlike the first beast, it did not charge immediately.
It watched.
Nilan noticed its unusual behavior and felt uneasiness settle in his chest. The creature seemed to be assessing the formation before deciding how to attack.
Then, without warning, it launched itself forward.
The impact struck the formation like a thunderclap.
The ground trembled beneath the cultivators. Several cried out, and one nearly lost his footing. The person beside him caught his arm before he could fall out of position.
The Formation Items flashed violently.
Nilan checked their arrangement. The formation remained active, absorbing the incoming Spiritual Power and directing part of it toward sustaining its structure.
Yet the pressure reaching the cultivators was far greater than before.
"Hold your positions!" Nilan shouted.
The beast retreated a short distance, lowered its body, and prepared to charge again.
Nilan's eyes narrowed.
It was testing the formation, striking repeatedly as though searching for a weakness.
The disciples' earlier relief vanished. Surviving one attack did not mean they could survive the next.
Nilan assessed the formation's condition. The incoming Spiritual Power helped sustain its operation, but the pressure was becoming increasingly difficult to endure.
He could not rely on the formation to withstand the beasts forever.
Yet another possibility was taking shape in his mind.
Something far more ambitious than simply surviving the next attack.
He needed to complete the necessary arrangements before the formation was overwhelmed.
The First Decision
Some of the Top Ten Disciples who had heard about the formation eventually managed to observe it from a distance.
They watched as several Spiritual Beasts attacked the gathering. The formation's light flickered beneath the repeated impacts, but the disciples inside continued holding their positions.
One of the Top Ten observed the scene silently.
"That isn't an ordinary formation," he said.
The disciple beside him glanced at him.
"Do you want to go there?"
He did not answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the formation.
He could see that the disciples inside were surviving through more than their individual strength alone. Yet he still did not understand how the formation managed to withstand the attacks.
"Not yet," he replied. "Let's see how it handles the next attack first."
He remained where he was.
Elsewhere, the other Top Ten Disciples were still fighting their own battles. Some had received the news, while others had not. None had reached a common decision.
Meanwhile, more disciples gradually reached Nilan's formation, some supporting injured companions and others barely able to stand.
Nilan and the disciples already connected to the formation helped bring the newcomers into position. Each addition required another adjustment, increasing the demands on both the formation and its controller.
Yet more cultivators also meant that the pressure could be distributed among a greater number of people.
Nilan watched the Spiritual Power moving through the arrangement.
He had been waiting for an opportunity to gather enough power for something far more ambitious than simply surviving the attacks.
The beasts continued striking the formation. Part of the absorbed Spiritual Power sustained its structure, while the special arrangement gathered the surplus through its designated mechanism.
That was the opportunity Nilan had been waiting for.
But more power brought greater danger. The formation was becoming harder to control, and the pressure on the cultivators continued to grow.
Nilan could not afford to mistake the growing supply of energy for safety.
For a moment, he wondered whether the surplus would be enough.
Then he sensed a subtle change in the flow.
His expression sharpened.
It might actually work.
The Space Gate
Inside the formation, the gathered Spiritual Power began converging toward a specific point.
Nilan understood the possibility, but he also knew how unlikely it was to succeed. The formation needed enough power to maintain its structure and manage incoming attacks before any surplus could be directed toward opening a Space Gate.
If he diverted too much energy too soon, he could undermine the very structure protecting them.
He had to judge the moment precisely.
A Top Ten Disciple approached him.
"Did you create this formation?"
"Yes."
"How long can it protect us?"
Nilan glanced at the Formation Items, their light flickering beneath the continuing attacks.
"We don't have much time. If the formation gathers enough surplus Spiritual Power, I can try to open a Space Gate."
The disciple's eyes narrowed.
"A Space Gate? Where will it lead?"
"I can't guarantee that."
The answer clearly dissatisfied him.
Other disciples had overheard the conversation. Uneasiness spread through the group. An unknown destination carried risks of its own, and no one could be certain what waited beyond the gate.
But they had already witnessed the danger of remaining where they were. The Spiritual Beasts showed no signs of stopping, and the formation could not protect them forever.
Before anyone could ask another question, another tremendous impact shook the structure.
Several disciples stumbled. One fell to a knee before forcing himself upright, while those beside him struggled to maintain their positions.
The Formation Items flashed.
Nilan turned his attention back to the central point.
The formation had absorbed more Spiritual Power from the attack. Part of it sustained the structure, while the special arrangement directed the remaining surplus toward the point he had prepared.
The surrounding air trembled.
Space began to distort.
A few disciples stared at the strange phenomenon, their fear momentarily giving way to astonishment.
"What is happening?"
Nilan did not answer.
He could feel the power converging. The formation was approaching the stage he had been waiting for, but its success was not yet certain.
Another attack struck.
The structure shuddered violently, and several disciples cried out. The pressure was becoming harder to bear. For a moment, Nilan feared that the formation might reach its limit before the gate could open.
He forced himself to remain focused.
The power already gathered could not be wasted.
He continued directing the surplus toward the central point while the formation struggled to maintain its structure.
The distortion grew more visible. Light converged at a single point, swirling as though space itself were being pulled inward.
Nilan held his breath.
Then, suddenly, a dark rift began to form before them.
Its edges twisted, and the space within it swirled like a bottomless current.
A Space Gate.
For several moments, no one spoke.
The disciples stared at the opening, unable to determine what lay beyond it. Even Nilan could not say where it would lead.
Behind them, the Spiritual Beasts were preparing to attack again.
Before them stood an unknown path.
Nilan looked at the gate, weighing the danger of remaining against the uncertainty of leaving. Every person around him was waiting for a decision, and the formation could not hold them there indefinitely.
He had created a way forward.
Now he had to decide whether to take it.
The time had finally come to choose.