Kason's words made every awakened Saint in the plaza feel a heavy weight in their hearts. They understood one thing: the vast majority of Saint Lords here at Saint Seat Plaza no longer possessed physical bodies. Only a handful retained theirs, but whether those few were still present in the plaza, no one could say.
Without a physical body, even if they knew someone was assimilating Saint Seat Plaza, all they could do was watch helplessly.
"Someone is attacking Saint Seat Plaza..." another awakened Saint shouted loudly.
"Someone is attacking Saint Seat Plaza!" Saint Lord Feng Xue also called out loudly.
Saint Seat Plaza had always been the quietest place in the Vast Cosmos. All the Saint Lords gathered here to recuperate and cultivate their Grand Way. Now that someone was attacking from outside, any awakened Saint would immediately sense it.
Kason suddenly spoke harshly, "All awakened Saints in Saint Seat Plaza, our plaza is about to be assimilated by a reckless madman into the laws of Heaven and Earth. If we want to survive and continue perfecting our own Grand Way, we must stop this lunatic's assimilation.
But now, most of us lack physical bodies, and our strength is greatly diminished. Fortunately, as long as the Saint Seats remain, there is still a glimmer of hope. Right now, a group of Creation Realm cultivators is attacking Saint Seat Plaza. I suggest we join forces to open a breach where they are attacking..."
Actively opening a breach in Saint Seat Plaza? Kason's words left many awakened Saints momentarily stunned, but then they all called out in unison, "We agree, Kason Daoist, you take the lead!"
Anyone who could claim a Saint Seat here had survived the shattering chaos of the Vast Cosmos and fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. In truth, even if Joe Di, Emperor Ye, and Nick Ning had not intervened, if Chi Yao reached the Fourth Step and tried to dominate the entire Vast Cosmos, he would still face endless bloodshed. Without Joe Di and his allies, someone else would have stepped up to stop Chi Yao from enslaving all cosmic laws.
After experiencing so much slaughter and struggle, with endless schemes and conspiracies along the way, to survive and even claim a Saint Seat in the aftermath of the tribulation—who among them could possibly be a fool?
As soon as Kason finished speaking, everyone understood what was happening. All those gathered here were Third Step powerhouses, and anyone who could reach the Ninefold Heaven was no ordinary cultivator. Such gifted experts were perfect targets for the Saints here to seize as vessels, granting themselves new physical bodies.
......
"This place may be beyond our strength to open. The defensive layer outside Saint Seat Plaza is a natural Vast Cosmos barrier. I fear even Chi Yao himself might not be able to break it..." Kenhaven Sovereign stopped his assault on the protective formation before him.
These past few days, they've tried every method imaginable, but not only could they not break the outer barrier of Saint Seat Plaza—even making it tremble was nearly impossible.
"More people are coming..." Cyrus Hainor had just spoken when dozens, even hundreds, of cultivators rushed over.
"Is this really Saint Seat Plaza?" The newcomers cried out in delight.
Sean Chen clasped his fists and said, "Everyone, this must truly be the real Saint Seat Plaza. The golden light inside should be the Grand Way Saint Radiance. Within that light, I sensed the opportunity for the Fourth Step. I suspect this plaza is where one can validate the Fourth Step. However, it's impossible to open Saint Seat Plaza with just a few people. I suggest we work together..."
"Sect Master Xiang, we'll follow your lead—tell us what to do and we'll do it." A Creation Realm cultivator immediately echoed after Sean Chen spoke.
Sean Chen was not reserved. In fact, if his luck hadn't been so poor, he might have been the first to step into the Fourth Step, ahead of Chi Yao.
But just as Sean Chen was about to summon his artifact, he saw Cyrus Hainor already charging into Saint Seat Plaza.
"What's going on?" someone asked in surprise, but soon understood, "Saint Seat Plaza has opened on its own."
At this moment, no one remembered Sean Chen standing to the side. Nearly everyone who had arrived here surged forward, madly rushing into Saint Seat Plaza.
......
"Have you noticed that in the Vast Chaos above Ninefold Heaven, there is no time?" Nick Ning suddenly stopped arranging his formation flags and said something strange.
Emperor Ye and Joe Di looked at Nick Ning in confusion. "Of course there's no time. The Vast Chaos has nothing—not even rules. How could there be time?"
Nick Ning shook his head and said, "No, I mean how many years have we spent constructing a new universe within the Vast Chaos? Yet in Ninefold Heaven, it seems no time has passed at all. Look, another group has just rushed in, all attacking Saint Seat Plaza. It seems they followed right behind us, as if hardly any time has elapsed."
Emperor Ye suddenly said, "We need to seal off Saint Seat Plaza quickly, or the more people who enter, the worse it will get..."
Nick Ning didn't even ask what he meant; at this moment, he understood as well. Though there were many Saints in Saint Seat Plaza, most likely they needed physical bodies. The more experts who entered, the more bodies were being sent in.
"Joe Di, what are you thinking? Hurry up and set the formation flags!" Seeing Joe Di dazedly holding a flag, Emperor Ye urged him anxiously.
But Joe Di murmured, "Time in the Vast Chaos is zero, because there are no rules in the Vast Chaos... In reality, we have no idea how many years we've spent constructing a new universe. How could that time not exist? Time rules... What exactly are the rules of time?"
Can what already exists be turned into nothingness?
"Joe Di, you can think about it later—hurry up and set the trapping formation..." Nick Ning couldn't help but urge.
Joe Di nodded, knowing that setting up the trapping formation was the most important task right now. He threw down handfuls of formation flags without hesitation, and after a long while, he even placed the Five Direction Flags without the slightest reservation.
A series of rumbling sounds echoed out. Under Joe Di's manipulation of the Five Direction Flags, the trapping formation outside Saint Seat Plaza began to contract, gradually closing in.
Sensing the imminent closure of Saint Seat Plaza, the experts rushing to its edge didn't even ask why—they simply dashed inside.
"This won't work..." Joe Di said, his expression grave as he watched the great formation closing.
Not only Joe Di, but Emperor Ye and Nick Ning also looked grim. If the great formation closed and no one maintained its foundation from inside Saint Seat Plaza, it might soon be blasted open from within.
The trapping formation they set up would only be truly stable once it merged with the cosmic Grand Way rules they were constructing. For now, their universe was still assimilating into Kaihe Universe. If the Saints inside awakened and joined forces to attack the formation, it was easy to imagine how long it would hold.
"I'll go in," Emperor Ye said without hesitation.
Nick Ning was about to speak, but Joe Di stepped forward. "Only I should go in. I set up the main foundation of the trapping formation, and the Five Direction Flags bear my mark. Only by entering myself can I safeguard the formation."
Emperor Ye and Nick Ning fell silent. They knew Joe Di was right. His mastery of formation Dao was the strongest, and he was the one who primarily set up this trapping formation. Only Joe Di entering was truly the best choice.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. Please deliver this jade slip to my wife, Xiuqi..." Joe Di finished speaking and stepped directly into Saint Seat Plaza. At the same moment, a jade slip landed in Emperor Ye's hand.
Given Emperor Ye and Nick Ning's character, they would never tamper with the new universe while he was away, so Joe Di didn't bother with any further explanation.
Boom! Almost the moment Joe Di rushed into Saint Seat Plaza, the trapping formation outside closed, and the plaza was once again shrouded in mist. The haze grew thinner and thinner, then vanished entirely from Ninefold Heaven.
Even the hundreds of Third Step powerhouses who had just arrived and were blocked from entering Saint Seat Plaza were left stunned. If they hadn't seen the plaza with their own eyes, they'd have thought it was all a hallucination.
(That's all for today's update, friends. Good night!)