With Loraine Puregate's guarantee, Joe Di felt more confident than ever. After sending her away, he accelerated his efforts to perfect the various array formations protecting Starhaven City.
Just as he predicted, once all the defensive arrays were in place, the Grand Fivefold Array, empowered by the Starwater Banner and the Earthflame Banner, automatically advanced to an eighth-level immortal array.
An eighth-level immortal array—no matter if a peak Immortal King arrived, they would be unable to escape.
After activating every formation, Joe Di once again arrived at the auxiliary city, where the trapped Fatespire Sect disciples were held within the array.
He had come to kill. The reason he spared these dozens of people years ago was to buy himself time. Now that time had been won, he would kill them to lure out the Fatespire Sect's experts—and then wipe them out in one fell swoop. Only by eliminating these threats could he hope to leave Starhaven City and search for the Grand Cauldron.
The thirty-six Fatespire Sect disciples nailed down by Joe Di in the killing array had long since been driven to the brink of madness. Seeing Joe Di enter the array again, Hai Jie'er, his eyes bloodshot, immediately spoke, "You must be the City Lord of Starhaven City, Joe Di. You've trapped us here for three years—even the Fatespire Sect of the Sanctuary Domain knows of this. Keeping us here any longer serves no purpose."
Joe Di nodded. "That's right. I've considered that as well—there's no point in keeping you trapped any longer. That's why I'm here to send you on your way."
Hai Jie'er felt a surge of hope, but nodded solemnly. "Rest assured, City Lord Joe. Though we have our misunderstandings, you haven't killed any of us. In a way, we've become acquainted through conflict. With your skills as a sixth-level immortal array master, you'd be qualified to serve as an elder in our Fatespire Sect."
Joe Di smiled. "But you killed thousands outside the auxiliary city of Starhaven. Though those cultivators weren't from Starhaven City, they hadn't offended the Sanctuary Domain, nor your Fatespire Sect. You think that, as disciples of Fatespire Sect, you rule the universe. So let me tell you—Fatespire Sect means nothing to me. And another thing, you got it wrong: I'm no longer a sixth-level array master. I'm now a seventh-level Array King..."
As he spoke the word 'King,' two blades of killing intent swept through the array, slicing open Hai Jie'er's brow. For three years, Hai Jie'er had waited in the killing array—not for Fatespire Sect to rescue him, but for Joe Di to return and end his life.
"We are disciples of Fatespire Sect! How dare you kill us..." Seeing Joe Di slay Hai Jie'er, another Fatespire disciple roared in fury.
Joe Di shook his head in exasperation. "Why is it that you Fatespire Sect disciples always think you're so superior? So you can come to my Starhaven City and slaughter thousands, but I can't kill a few dozen of you?"
With a splatter of blade energy, the furious disciple was cut down on the spot.
The remaining disciples of Fatespire Sect finally realized—Joe Di had come here to exterminate them all. Everyone struggled desperately, but their rings had already been seized by Joe Di. Without a single artifact, their resistance meant nothing in this sixth-level trapping and killing array.
In just a few breaths, Joe Di cleared out every last disciple of Fatespire Sect, then put away the sixth-level trapping and killing array.
He had already upgraded all the arrays in Starhaven City and its satellite cities to seventh-level. The sixth-level array was no longer needed.
Having killed these Fatespire Sect disciples, Joe Di knew that cultivators from Sanctuary Domain would soon arrive. He needed to use this time to advance his cultivation.
Since arriving in the Immortal Realm, Joe Di had spent a century comprehending at the edge of the Imperial Sea, and all his remaining time had gone into studying array formations. As a result, his cultivation had stagnated at True Immortal Stage Five.
......
Sanctuary Domain.
Though the immortal spirit energy here remained strong, cultivators of higher realms could see a faint bloody hue permeating the space—a sign of mounting hostility.
Every cultivator in Sanctuary Domain had come from Twilight Domain, each having survived countless massacres. They knew well what this bloody hue meant: Sanctuary Domain was on the verge of dusk, destined to become an extension of Twilight Domain.
Moreover, it had not rained in Sanctuary Domain for two years.
All the cultivators were growing anxious, their eyes fixed on Fatespire Sect. Fortunately, after a long silence, Fatespire Sect finally issued the Grand Convocation Decree today.
Now, the guest hall of Fatespire Sect was packed with sect masters and powerful figures from every faction in Sanctuary Domain.
They had come for one purpose: to discuss their future prospects.
Zane Fate, the sect master of Fatespire Sect, was the first to rise. He clasped his fists and addressed the assembly, "Fellow Daoists, I believe you all know why Fatespire Sect has gathered you here today. Let us speak frankly."
A burly, fierce-looking cultivator emanating a heavy aura of slaughter also stood and cupped his fists. "Sect Master Zane, we all follow Fatespire Sect—just say the word. If you need me, Karn Grim will be the first to charge ahead. Without you, we would've never reached Sanctuary Domain."
Many sect masters secretly despised Karn Grim. He was the master of Nine Harmony Sect—a name elegant and refined, yet Karn Grim himself was a ruthless killer, steeped in blood. After the coming of Twilight Domain, countless small families and sects in the Immortal Realm had been wiped out by his hand. His hands were stained with the blood of the entire realm.
Zane Fate nodded, clearly pleased by Karn Grim's words.
If not for Fatespire Sect, these people would never have known Sanctuary Domain. Though they had answered the Grand Convocation Decree and come here, Zane Fate knew well what they were thinking. Fatespire Sect had already lost more than six disciples in Sanctuary Domain.
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"Back when we arrived in Sanctuary Domain, we thought it could be our new home—a place to settle, a new Immortal Realm. Now, I regret to inform you that Sanctuary Domain is about to fall into dusk. If we stay, it will only mean death..."
A wave of sighs swept through the crowd. Sanctuary Domain was about to perish, and they would become homeless immortals—a bitter irony.
Zane Fate's tone grew heavier. "This is my fault. I failed to protect Sanctuary Domain."
"Sect Master Zane led us to Sanctuary Domain, and now is helping us find a way out. How can the dusk of Sanctuary Domain be blamed on him? It is Heaven's will that seeks to destroy our realm..."
"That's right, Sect Master Zane deserves only praise. Who could blame him?"
......
Voices of discussion rose and fell. No one blamed Zane Fate—those who spoke up all supported him, while a few remained silent.
When the hall quieted, Zane Fate sighed and said, "My fault was failing to foresee that someone would dare strip Sanctuary Domain of its fortune..."
"What? Sanctuary Domain is entering dusk because someone stole its fortune?"
"Who could possibly dare to steal the fortune of Sanctuary Domain?"
All eyes turned to Zane Fate, whose face was twisted with anger and frustration. "What I never expected was that the one who stole Sanctuary Domain's fortune was none other than Loraine Puregate, sect master of Puregate Sect. I had thought that, as a sect master, she would never stoop so low. Yet when I rebuked her, she ambushed and gravely wounded me..."
Loraine Puregate?
Many cultivators sounded uncertain. Despite their eagerness to find a Puregate Sect disciple to dual cultivate with, they knew well who Loraine Puregate was.
To think that Loraine Puregate would steal the fortune of the Immortal Realm—this was truly strange.
"That woman truly hid her intentions well." Karn Grim was the first to step out and curse Loraine Puregate.
"I don't believe Sect Master Puregate would do such a thing." This time, a dissenting voice spoke up.
The speaker was Tamor Grand, lord of Grand Origin Palace.
Karn Grim glanced at Tamor Grand but dared not speak. Tamor Grand was at the Immortal King stage, while Karn Grim was only at the Great Luo stage. The difference in cultivation was clear—offending Tamor Grand here could spell trouble in the future.
Zane Fate's gaze swept over Tamor Grand, his tone calm. "At that time, Sect Master Puregate did indeed gravely injure me. Though I wounded her in return, she escaped to Twilight Domain. To pursue her, I dispatched thirty-six Fatespire disciples..."
Zane Fate had just reached this point when Elder Hai suddenly stepped forward and handed him a jade slip.
Sweeping his divine sense over the jade slip, Zane Fate's expression changed dramatically. The souls of all thirty-six disciples he had sent to Twilight Domain had shattered recently, every last one perishing at the same moment.
Killing intent surged through Zane Fate. Who was it that dared defy fate and slaughter disciples of Fatespire Sect?