The pressure unleashed by the twelve True Saint cultivators surged like a tidal wave. Their towering figures and blazing eyes locked onto the three from the Fang Clan, faces gleaming with bloodlust—and thinly veiled relief and smugness. The entire Starry Sea had been thrown into turmoil by the actions of Fang Luo and his companions. Even these top cultivators had lived in fear. But now, with their enemies encircled and seemingly within their grasp, confidence surged in their hearts. Especially at the thought of finally putting an end to a years-long thorn in their side—joy blossomed silently in their hearts. "We've finally caught you!!" "You actually dared to return—do you really think you can run rampant in the Starry Sea?!" "No more delays—take them down!" Though they believed they had the upper hand, the twelve didn't dare waste time. All moved in simultaneously. Dazzling, thunderous attacks of immense scale surged forth like a storm, swallowing everything. In an instant, the sky over a thousand-mile radius dimmed. Heaven and earth seemed to quake, as if the end of days had arrived. The sheer force of this onslaught shocked sea beasts to death on the spot. Even creatures thousands of miles away scattered in panic. Fang Luo and his companions didn't dare relax for a second. They swiftly drew their Saint Weapons and charged into the fray. At the sight of those three Saint Weapons, the twelve attackers' eyes gleamed. Greed flickered in their hearts. They were already wondering how they'd divide those prized arms once the battle was over. They assumed Fang Luo's group only had three Saint Weapons. After all, it was already rare enough for True Saints to own even one—owning two or more seemed almost impossible. Little did they know: Fang Luo and Fang Qiufeng each had three. And Fang Chen—the king of lucky finds—had even more. In the blink of an eye, the two sides clashed. Fang Luo and his friends were all sixth-level True Saints. Their opponents were all above the sixth level—but none higher than the ninth. However, wielding Saint Weapons, the three fought toe-to-toe with their twelve foes without faltering. Their enemies were even forced to tread carefully—fully aware of the power Saint Weapons possessed. "Damn it! If they didn't have Saint Weapons, we could've finished them easily!" "Exactly! The power boost is too overwhelming—we can't face them head-on!" Even without Saint Weapons, Fang Luo's trio could battle foes two levels higher. With the weapons, they felt no pressure at all. In the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, the tides had shifted. Those who moments ago felt victory was assured were now clearly being pushed back. But the twelve still had a numbers and realm advantage. Fang Luo and the others couldn't finish them off quickly either. If they tried to flee, most of them could probably escape. Fang Luo had anticipated this and had a plan in place. Seeing the moment was ripe, he spoke: "We hold no grudge against the Starry Sea. We only seek to eliminate pirates. If we fail today, we'll be back again next time." His words were calculated—to sow division and pressure the two island factions to back off, leaving only the three pirate strongholds behind. That would make things far easier. And he wasn't lying. Even if these groups joined forces now, they couldn't stay united forever. As expected of True Saint cultivators, the island faction members reacted instantly. With a quick glance exchanged, the four of them turned and bolted without a word. Twelve became eight in the blink of an eye. The eight True Saints from the pirate strongholds were furious. "You bastards! What happened to facing this together?!" "Idiots! Can't you tell he's trying to divide us?!" No matter how they shouted, the deserters ignored them. Even if Fang Luo was bluffing, they knew they couldn't defeat him. Better to cut their losses now. And if Fang Luo wasn't bluffing, fleeing now might spare them from future grudges. Fang Luo hadn't said all this at the start for a reason—he needed them to witness his strength first. "Hold them off while I set the formation!" Fang Luo sent a mental transmission to Fang Chen and Fang Qiufeng, then pulled out his formation flags and discs. At the sight, the eight remaining True Saints were shaken to the core. They hadn't been able to defeat the trio even with twelve people. Now with only eight remaining, if the formation went up, they were doomed. They quickly sent secret voice transmissions among themselves. "We've lost the advantage. If we don't run now, we won't get another chance." "Scatter—flee in different directions!" The idea was to spread out—some would escape, increasing overall survival. Greenfish Stronghold was their home turf. Unlike the two other strongholds, they still had time to retrieve possessions and flee. But the three True Saints from Greenfish knew the situation was dire. Staying meant death—they had no choice but to run. Just as they made their decision, Fang Chen suddenly pulled out a shabby gray bowl and injected a spell into it. The bowl instantly expanded, hovering above the battlefield. A shield extended from its rim, forming a dome that trapped the eight inside. Despite looking like nothing more than a plain old household water bowl, it was in fact a Saint Weapon—one of Fang Chen's many treasure finds. Thanks to his fate-sensing ability, Fang Chen had a knack for discovering rare and powerful items. Get full chapters from novel※fire.net "Break it together!!" Panicked, the eight cultivators poured all their strength into one coordinated barrage, striking the giant bowl with overwhelming force. The bowl shook violently. Thunderous booms echoed across the battlefield. Though the bowl trembled and groaned, it held firm—for now. "Stop holding back! Use everything you've got!!" Inside the bowl's barrier, the eight were like ants in a hot pot—frantic and terrified, flailing and colliding. Meanwhile, Fang Luo and Fang Qiufeng took the opportunity to lay down the formation. The Four Spirits Mountains and Rivers Formation was a large-scale array—intricate and time-consuming to set up. The massive bowl continued to shake. Cracks appeared in its protective barrier. Though the bowl itself was unharmed, Fang Chen couldn't keep the barrier intact. Only Grand Saints could fully unlock a Saint Weapon's potential. In his hands, its power had limits. The relentless assault by eight True Saints was straining him. "Brother Luo, hurry! I can't hold on much longer!!" "Almost there!!" Fang Luo replied. One by one, beautifully crafted flags flew from Fang Luo's hands, each landing precisely in its designated position. Fang Qiufeng followed with complex incantations, linking the flags together. The bowl's barrier finally shattered. Though the bowl itself was undamaged, it could no longer contain anyone for a while. At that very instant, Fang Luo dropped the final formation disc. The already-linked flags blazed to life. The Four Spirits Mountains and Rivers Formation activated in full. Glowing walls of light rose into the air, forming a massive cage that locked down the entire area—trapping the eight cultivators once more. The bowl had only held them temporarily. But this formation? Even without Fang Luo actively controlling it, they wouldn't break it anytime soon. The eight were enraged—nearly driven mad. "This is infuriating!!" "Enough shouting—focus on breaking the formation! If I'm not mistaken, this is the Four Spirits Mountains and Rivers Array sold by Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. It includes a killing formation. If we don't get out, we'll die here!!" The formation was famous across the dozen surrounding continents. Many major powers had even replaced their sect-protecting formations with it. However, all the flags they'd purchased from Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion had one crucial flaw: They were crafted by Fang Chu of the Fang Clan. And when Fang family members encountered these formations—they could dismantle them with ease. Fang Chu had intentionally left this backdoor during refinement. It was his way of ensuring that the Pavilion's products could never be turned against the Fang Clan.