Chapter 217

The dragon froze, utterly stunned that its full-force assault hadn’t so much as cracked the barrier. It tumbled backward through the clouds, flailing to steady itself. When it finally regained balance, its expression turned murderous. With a furious roar, it gathered even more immortal energy and lunged at the array again.

And once again—it was hurled away!

Dragon: “……”

Impossible.

Its enormous golden eyes widened in disbelief. It refused to accept the outcome. The dragon dove again, slamming its entire body into the formation, over and over. When ramming failed, it began scratching at the barrier with its claws—then, humiliatingly, tried gnawing at it with its fangs. The colossal beast was now coiled in midair like a deranged cat, biting and scraping at the shining white dome as crackling sounds echoed across the sky.

Yet the Mountain Protection Array didn’t budge—not even a tremor, not a single tooth mark left behind.

All the sect leaders: “……”

All the disciples: “……”

There were so many things wrong with what they were seeing, none of them knew where to start.

＿|￣|○|||

Apparently, dragonkind wasn’t just arrogant—it also seemed a bit… simple-minded.

The once-terrifying divine dragon that had threatened to destroy the world was now gnawing helplessly at the barrier like an angry rodent. The solemn atmosphere that had gripped the hall moments ago twisted into an awkward kind of disbelief.

“Master Yun…” Hall Master Xu finally couldn’t help asking. He had already drawn his weapon, ready for battle, yet the enemy hadn’t even managed to get inside. “This is your array. Tell us frankly—can that dragon break through it?”

“Of course it can,” Yun Jiao replied without hesitation.

“What?!” Everyone tensed again at once, gripping their weapons. Perhaps they had underestimated the power of an immortal from the upper realm after all.

“How long will it take, then?” Xu pressed. “Should we take the initiative and meet it outside before it breaches the array?”

Yun Jiao thought for a moment, as though calculating. “With that dragon’s ability… about two years, I’d say—if it keeps attacking like that.”

Everyone: “……”

Two years?!

(￣△￣；)

That wasn’t breaking a formation—that was slowly sanding it down!

As they were talking, the scraping and crunching sounds above suddenly stopped. The dragon, having failed miserably, seemed to have regained a sliver of intelligence. It pulled back, turned sharply, and flew toward the right—straight for the city below.

“No!” Xu cried. “It’s going after the mortals!”

Indeed, a moment later, streaks of lightning gathered once again around the dragon’s claws. It hurled the bolts downward toward Xuan City. Though the Mountain Protection Array encompassed both the hall and the city, its outer perimeter didn’t extend far beyond the walls.

Most of the lightning crashed harmlessly against the barrier—but a few bolts slipped past, striking the outskirts. Thunder boomed; explosions of dirt and stone ripped craters into the earth. Several scattered houses were blasted apart. Even through the barrier, faint screams could be heard.

Fury burned through everyone’s chest. The dragon was trying to use innocent civilians as hostages!

“Elder Shen!” Xu barked. “Take a team through the rear-mountain teleportation gate—evacuate and heal the wounded!”

“Yes!” Elder Shen immediately gathered disciples and rushed off.

“A so-called immortal, stooping to such despicable tactics!” one of the other sect leaders spat, trembling with rage. “Does it truly think we’re afraid to fight?”

With a furious glare, he slapped a Wind-Chasing Talisman onto himself and prepared to soar out to face the dragon head-on. Several disciples followed suit, gripping their weapons, ready to charge.

“Wait!” Yun Jiao’s calm voice cut through the chaos. “Don’t act rashly.”

Her gaze swept over the crowd. “One dragon doesn’t require so many people. Old man—you, Hall Master Xu, and the Tang family head will be enough.”

The three men blinked in unison. “Just the three of us?!”

Yun Jiao nodded. “When you engage, don’t go for direct confrontation. Just lure it to that position.” She raised a finger toward the space above the Celestial Masters’ Hall. “That beast is the father of the evil flood dragon, so it’s likely a rock-type dragon. Use the Sixth Style of the Heart of Heaven Technique, or any wood-attribute spells. Those should restrain it.”

“Understood!”

Their faith in Yun Jiao’s judgment was absolute. Without hesitation, the three slapped on their talismans, took to the air, and streaked toward the raging dragon.

Meanwhile, Yun Jiao turned to Jiao Heng, the formation chief. “Class Leader, come with me. I need your help.”

“Ah—yes!” he stammered, hurrying after her. “Master Yun, where are we going?”

“To the formation core.”

He blinked. The formation core? Of the Mountain Protection Array? What for?!

Confused but obedient, he followed her into the grand hall. The chamber blazed with spiritual light—the heart of the array pulsed like a living thing beneath their feet.

Yun Jiao strode straight to the center and formed several hand seals, activating the core.

“Master Yun, are you planning to shut down the barrier?” he asked, alarmed.

“Of course not.”

“Then… why open the core?”

“I remember,” she said evenly, “when I constructed this array, I layered a smaller formation inside it. It might come in handy right about now.”

“What smaller formation?” he asked warily. The Mountain Protection Array already had dozens of overlapping layers—each one complex enough to make lesser cultivators dizzy.

“The Reversal Array,” Yun Jiao said casually.

“Rever—WHAT?!” Jiao Heng nearly collapsed on the spot, his face turning white. The Reversal Array?! How in the world had she embedded that inside a protective formation?!

“Mm.” Yun Jiao didn’t even look up, her hands already adjusting the seals. “The view here isn’t great. Go to the doorway. When that dragon reaches the airspace directly above the hall, call out to me.”

“A-all right…” Jiao Heng stumbled toward the entrance, half in shock, half in awe.

Outside, the battle raged on. The old man and his two companions had reached the dragon. Without wasting time, they unleashed their spells. Three golden seals shot forward, slamming squarely into the creature’s head.

“Evil beast! Stop your slaughter!” Xu roared.

The dragon’s gathering lightning dissipated as it reeled from the impact—but when the smoke cleared, its scales were unscathed. The mighty blow hadn’t even scratched it. Only its head had been knocked slightly off balance.

“Pitiful mortals!” the dragon snarled, glaring down at them with molten-gold eyes. “You dare challenge me? Then die and join my son in the abyss!”

It lunged. The pressure of its divine aura crashed over them like a tidal wave, freezing their bodies in mid-air. Their flight talismans faltered under the weight of its presence, and they began to sink.

“Into the array!” the old man shouted. He slapped several talismans onto himself and the others, retreating backward in a blur of gold.

The instant the three crossed the threshold of the Mountain Protection Array’s light, the crushing pressure vanished—leaving only stunned silence in its wake.

(End of Chapter)