As Bai Qi, gloved left hand covered in [Ghostflame] serving to slow down, slid down the six-mile ice-covered stone wall, he could not help but again grow amazed. In over 800 hundred years of memory, he had yet to see such an interestingly built power.

The [Void Palace] occupied the entirety of the ravine, although not with enclosed spaces but a hundred and one separated, by paths and roads, areas of exactly a square mile each.

Ninety-nine of these squares were gardens with hundreds of herbs that grew freely. And while not each of the towers was visible, there was one in each garden indeed. Seven floors tall, black, square of shape, and barely a hundred feet to each side, they looked not as the sovereigns of their areas but as if they were added later, almost as an afterthought.

As for the remaining two fenced zones, neither held anything but buildings. In the center of the ravine, a complex of several small courtyards encompassing a square stood. The guest area. As for the other, located in the northernmost and narrowest part of the ravine, an enormous palace built with black and verdant hues in the same manner as the towers.

With three sides of steep cliffs, the south was where the gentle slope served as both the natural and official entryway into both ravine and [Void Palace] grounds. Thus, Bai Qi had asked the [Low Snow Ape] that served him as mount to bring him around from the north, using the time to find out what he could.

Even his senses could not discern most of the details, except that there were a lot. But considering the situation, it was probably wise to avoid most of them.

While unable to perceive the exact amount, they were enough for the ravine to appear crowded. And that considering that almost half had not even entered it, staying on the south side.

Thus, while Bai Qi had arrived from the west, he was descending the east cliff as it was the direction where he saw fewer people.

Bai Qi had reasoned and used the same reason to send his two companions away. In truth, this reason was a flimsy one, as there were others at play, but Fan Jia and Ma Su had accepted it without questions, so Bai Qi did not delve further, even while he felt that probably he should have done so, at least for Fan Jia.

Reasoning to himself as he slid over halfway down, Bai Qi sent the matter to the back of his mind. He had hid his surprise after discovering it, and now Fan Jia was making the journey back towards the Beastmen. Thus, Bai Qi could forget about it for a while, but not without making a note to talk with the girl as soon it was both safe and possible.

*Shiver*

Bai Qi's aura shivered as he entered the influence of the third grand formation he had sensed covering the ravine. And with only two miles remaining until the ground, he concentrated on the task at hand. Which currently was to find and contact someone of the [Void Palace], and find out Chun Hua's location.

Around the moment that Bai Qi was thinking about her, his image crossed Chun Hua's mind. But in a different setting, as in her case, she was apologizing to him or maybe mocking herself, as Chun Hua was uncertain herself.

But while Chun Hua's mind was full of such thoughts, neither her face nor body showed any of them. She was fighting a constantly increasing number of cultivators, and while she was fighting well, it was just a matter of time for her to fall. To fall injured, or even dead, as the other two black-robed people in the room.

Chun Hua's senses were concentrated on the battle, stopping the six hostiles from entering the void corridor behind her. And so she could not spare even a moment to check on Mao Lei, who had been doing the same just a floor above.

But how did this occur? How even one impenetrable tower, made of [Void Stone] and [Interdiction Corundrum], was breached?

Chun Hua did not know, and even if she did, the situation would not change. After all, if she had planned to run, she would have to do it before the first hostile appeared inside.

The [Void Palace] consisted of the Palace itself, 99 towers, and the guest area. Two groups of 38 towers on both east and west sides of the ravine, and one of 23 at the southern part.

Surrounded by the now active [Shearing Restriction] formation and built of materials that could resist even a Warrior King attack, the towers should have been safe.

But to impede the attackers from having time to breach the towers, the Palace Head had gone even further.

She had ordered the elders in charge of the towers to keep them inside the void, only appearing for a couple of hours each day, to allow the control formations to replenish with qi. She also had them activate the connection between the towers in each group and shuffle their location each outing, adding another layer of protection.

Still, by means unknown, the attackers had managed to breach one of the towers in the western group. And taking control over the [Void Corridors] that connected all of them, rushed into the other towers as soon as they left the void.

With no attacker above the Sage realm, Chun Hua managed to stop the first group of three that suddenly appeared from one of the corridors on the first floor. But they were only the first group of many, and by now, Chun Hua downed or ran off at least a dozen opponents.

The two unknown, at least to her, disciples on the floor had escaped their own overrun tower but had brought along pursuers, and now, Chun Hua had to fight six opponents from which neither was weaker than her.

As for Mao Lei, he at first had tried to help her. But as a hostile appeared on the 2nd floor, he had to leave her alone and run there. After all, if they allowed the hostiles to enter the tower's inner [Void Corridors], they could reach He Delan. And while the Sages and now 1st level Warrior Lords were no danger to Chun Hua's Master, a Warrior King, she would be forced to stop operating the tower's formations. And without them, not a few but hundreds of hostiles could enter freely.

Chun Hua thought while her twin daggers danced in her hands.

*Swoosh*

She skillfully avoided the blades, spears, and fists of her opponents. And she even managed to wound the weakest, a 6th level Sage, with a sudden slash.

Still, both she and her opponents grew aware that Chun Hua was close to her limits as she had been fighting, outnumbered, for over half an hour already. And worse for her, no techniques and skills were functional because of the tower's materials. Thus, she could only fight physically, something that was getting more and more tiring, as the opponents' numbers and strength increased.

{Chun Hua, Mao Lei, and whoever else of the Palace disciples is present. Retreat to the control chamber via my corridor. The others are now blocked.} He Delan's voice entered Chun Hua's and every disciple's mind.

Although Chun Hua wondered about such an order, she did not hesitate. Slashing a few times to open distance, she jumped back and made a couple of seals as she stored the daggers. Then, barely avoiding a slash, she jumped into the now opened passage.

***

Elder Zi Na's tower was the one that had fallen first. And even she, a 4th level Warrior King, had no idea how. Occupied with maintaining the taxing formations that allowed the Palace's towers to enter the void, she had no opportunity to keep a look for the condition of her tower. And so, she had found out about it only as someone attempted to poke his head into the room.

A head now on the ground right next to the door it had appeared from.

The six of her disciples weren't present, as they were part of training in a pocket realm the past week. And while Zi Na never approved of such, as it did not help one's understanding of the void, she now was grateful for it. After all, thanks to them taking part in it, neither would need to fight the attackers inside the tower.

As for herself, even before Head Kongbai contacted her, Zi Na knew she was doomed. The only way to leave the tower was via the outer [Void Corridor] system, to which all entrances were in the rooms that fell under the suppression of the [Shearing Restriction] formation. Thus, she could either risk and fight through waves of nobodies while restricted to their level or sit inside the control chamber until the hostile experts could act.

And while she did think of the former, Head Kongbai's words about the enemies being able to interfere with the corridors had squashed the hope of escape. And so, Zi Na could only try and replenish what she could of her qi with the pills at hand.

She had no death wish, and she probably would have chosen to escape the Palace altogether, but right now, her only possible action was to accompany Head Kongbai into what would be their last battle, and so she would do.

***

*BOOM* *CRASH*

An angry aura explosion surged from Tao Xuegang, destroying the chair he was sitting on.

But no one said anything, as both Kongbai Meili and Meng Chin, the other two people present in the room, were close to doing the same.

"What do you mean, Shen Kun?! How the fuck are you unable to deactivate the [Shearing Restriction] formation?! You are its owner!" Not even the physical release of his anger had been enough, and Tao Xuegang roared at the void tear from which Shen Kun had just reported.

"Vice-head, I... I am no longer the owner of it. Even more, I am about to lose ownership of the [Earth's Attraction] one as well." A voice that could only be described as coming from a corpse was his answer. And truthfully, Shen Kun at the moment wasn't far from wishing to be one. He, a formation Grandmaster, someone considered a quasi-Saint of the path, had lost ownership of a formation to some upstart he could not even identify.

"Shen Kun, so we can not do anything?" Kongbai Meili almost bit her tongue to avoid continuing with a "But look how our people die?" but her tone still delated her thoughts.

"No, I am truly sorry, Head Kongbai. The presence of a formation Grandmaster was unforeseen by all of us. And I did not even think that it would be possible for someone to not only take possession of the formation but do it in a manner that I did not even notice until I lost it. I... I can not say anything but that I lost." While Shen Kun's first words could be taken as if he was trying to shift the blame, his last ones were one where he accepted it entirely. And indeed, who if not he was responsible for the formations?

"Can they change it? So it affects only us?" Aware of the inner turmoil that her Master was under, Meng Chin asked the logical question.

"No, that is impossible without them having a Formation Saint in their midst. And there are only two of them with no ties to Overlords. But the [Seven Souls Sect] would have no chance to even speak with any of them, what to say to recruit them." Everyone had to acknowledge that a simple power like the [Void Palace] or their nemesis, the [Seven Souls Sect], would have no way to be allowed near a formation Saint indeed. After all, the weakest formation Saint known in the plane was a peak Warrior Emperor, and while he and the others did accept commissions, they would never speak with anyone but someone of their level.

"I see, so their plan since the start was like this, huh?" In a calmer manner than before, Tao Xuegang said to no one.

While they had no way to confirm the thought, no one could say that Tao Xuegang was wrong. And in truth, he was right. Since the start, the [Seven Souls Sect] never planned to risk themselves in an open fight. Or at least risk their experts, who were only at parity with the [Void Palace] ones.

And now it was apparent how it would happen. With the [Shearing Restriction] active, and no way to turn it off, none of the [Void Palace] experts could use their strength outside the few rooms that did not fall under the effect.

One after another, the towers would be overrun. The control rooms were isolated from the restriction indeed. But they were also isolated from the qi currents of the ravine. And they also required qi to be inside because of the different formations and runes that allowed it to enter the void. An amount enough to drain even a peak Warrior King in a month.

Thus, sooner or later, the elders and disciples inside would have to go out and replenish themselves, at least if they did not want to die. And by doing so, they would end surrounded by the hundreds of nobodies that the [Seven Souls Sect] had brought with it.

"Vice-head Tao." Kongbai Meili suddenly spoke formally.

"Yes?" Slightly surprised, but with a hunch about what the command would be, Tao Xuegang straightened.

"I command you to destroy the 3rd founder's throne. Then, return here, and we will start preparing for the battle." The Palace's head continued.

"It will be done." Tao Xuegang saluted and almost instantly disappeared.

"Are you sure, Master? Destroying it will sever all of the [Void Corridors] indeed, but the enemies already showed that they can breach the towers anyway."

"I know, and probably this will make them act even more. Still, without the corridors, they will have to run between the towers, and that maybe will give us at least some chance to inflict losses on them."

"So..?"

"No, I do not plan to go out and die as a Warrior Lord. The formation Grandmaster has to be inside the formation's effect, and so, it will be a matter of if we can find and kill him, or we all die before."

***

The following hour served as confirmation of the worst thoughts of the Palace's head. Sixteen towers were breached in the same way as Zi Na's was. With a yet unidentified treasure that destroyed the, thought of as, indestructible entrance.

Thankfully, Kongbai Meili's orders reached everyone in time, and so, no disciple remained outside the control chambers, so there were no losses. She could not help but think as she recalled the plan.

Every elder and disciple near the formation's limit would have to go out and fight. She would do the same as well, and it will be a simple game of luck. Either they find and kill the enemy Grandmaster, or they all die.

And while she squashed it down, she did harbor a very tiny hope that they would be able to survive.

"Palace Head!" A sudden shout from another void tear interrupted her thoughts. But before she could ask for what reason, Zhuan Bo, as it was no one but him, continued by himself, "A fight has ensued on the eastern zone. An unknown 3rd level Warrior Lord has appeared and is fighting for control of the 32nd tower!"

"The 32nd? Gu Guanyu's?" While she did not want to think about the implications of the arrival of someone from outside, it was hard to not.

"Yes, Head Kongbai, that's Gu Guanyu's tower. Do you want me to notify him?"

"No, continue monitoring the events. I will instruct him myself."

"Understood."

The head of the [Void Palace] in the end was unable from wishing for it to be so indeed. After all, if the [Great Forest Sect] caught wind of what was happening here, they would use all of their speed to arrive.

Not because of the Palace. And not because of the [Seven Souls Sect]. No, because they had already announced that the next raid of the [Demon Worshippers] would serve as the reason to start the war!