I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

It was a complete core structure of a light-devouring array. Every pattern, every energy node, and every trajectory of spiritual energy flow was clearly presented to everyone.

"These are fragments of the Light-Swallowing Array Pattern that blocked the pillar of light on the Eternal Heavenly Ladder twelve days ago." Qin Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present. "The Light-Swallowing Array Pattern is an ancient array pattern that was lost for 50,000 years after the fall of the Chaos Holy Dynasty. Until now, the only place in the Great Void where the complete Light-Swallowing Array Pattern is recorded is page 372 of the rubbing of the Myriad Array Diagrams."

He opened the rubbing of the Myriad Array Diagram in his hand, turned to page 372, and held up the diagram of the Devouring Light Array pattern recorded on the rubbing. Everyone saw it—the diagram on the rubbing was exactly the same as the array pattern projection in mid-air.

The square erupted in chaos. Representatives from all sides on the viewing platform stood up, craning their necks to stare at the two identical array patterns. The Supreme Elder of the Wuji Dao Court sat at the highest point of the viewing platform, stroking his beard, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Palace Master Qin, the similarity of the array patterns alone is insufficient to prove that the Devouring Light Array Pattern was set up by our Myriad Array Dao Court." The representative of the Xuanming Holy Dynasty from the Seven Star Array Alliance stepped forward, his tone cold and firm. "Although the Myriad Array Records is the treasured artifact of the Myriad Array Dao Court, the rubbings have already been given to the Guixu Palace. The Guixu Palace itself also possesses the Devouring Light Array Pattern; who knows who set up that array pattern?"

"Good question." Qin Yuan raised the Chaos Seal even higher, and the light emanating from it became even brighter. "The activation of the Devouring Light Array requires the essence blood of the array setter as a catalyst. This array pattern retains the essence blood aura of the array setter, and I happen to have something that can trace the owner of that essence blood."

He took out another item from his robes—a small box that Bai Shuang had sent on the eve of the celebration. Inside the box was a small bronze mirror, the frame engraved with the emblem of the Tian Shu Holy Dynasty. This was one of the sacred artifacts of the Tian Shu Holy Dynasty, called the "Source Tracing Mirror," capable of tracing the origin of the essence of blood. When the Holy Lord of Tian Shu executed Bai Shuang's master, he used this mirror to pinpoint the location of his master's last disciple in the vast sea of ​​stars. After Bai Shuang succeeded as Holy Lord, she retrieved this mirror from the national treasury and sent it to the Gui Xu Palace overnight.

Qin Yuan channeled a wisp of residual essence blood from the fragment of the Devouring Light Array into the Origin Tracing Mirror. The mirror lit up, and a pale golden beam of light shot out from it, passing through the plaza, through the crowd, and shining directly on one of the eight Immortal Realm elders of the Myriad Array Dao Court.

He was a tall, thin old man wearing a long robe with gold trim and array patterns. He was the chief array master of the Myriad Array Dao Court, and his name was Zhou Yuanxiu—Zhou Yuanli's younger brother.

The moment the beam of light from the Origin Tracing Mirror shone on him, Zhou Yuanxiu's expression changed drastically. He instinctively raised his hand to shield his face, but this action itself admitted everything. The entire audience erupted in uproar.

"Zhou Yuanxiu, Immortal Realm Level 3, Chief Array Master of the Myriad Arrays Dao Court." Qin Yuan pronounced this name with the calmness of reading a menu. "Twelve days ago, on whose orders did you set up the Devouring Light Array on the Eternal Heavenly Ladder?"

Zhou Yuanxiu's lips turned pale, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Zhou Yuanli standing on the viewing platform. Zhou Yuanli's smile finally vanished completely, his face turned ashen, and his lips pressed into a thin line. The eyes of hundreds of people in the entire square were all focused on him, waiting for him to speak.

The Supreme Elder slowly rose from the viewing platform, his aged voice breaking the silence: "Article Thirty-Seven of the Great Void Iron Law—No force may set up offensive restrictions on public passageways. The Eternal Ladder is the only public passage connecting the Great Void to the lower realms. The Devouring Light Array blocked the Ladder for as long as half a cup of tea. If the Lord of the Guixu Palace had not arrived in time, the Ladder's teleportation function would have suffered irreversible damage. According to the Iron Law, the instigator will have his cultivation reduced by three levels, and the accomplices will be expelled from the Great Void."

He looked down at Zhou Yuanli, his voice low but imposing: "Sect Leader Zhou, your brother is your chief formation master. Without your orders, would he dare to block the Heavenly Ladder alone?"

Zhou Yuanli did not answer. His fingers formed a hand seal in his sleeve—not a gesture of confession, but a gesture to activate a formation. Qin Yuan's Chaos Eye caught the fleeting fluctuation of spiritual energy in his sleeve and summoned the Bone Blade before Zhou Yuanli finished forming the hand seal.

"Seven Stars Returning to Origin Formation, activate." Zhou Yuanli finally spoke.

With those seven words, the entire Seven Stars Returning to Origin Array simultaneously erupted. Seven pillars of light shot into the sky from the array plate, weaving into a dazzling halo in the sea of ​​stars. The halo rapidly contracted, trapping everyone on the plaza in a confined space less than ten miles in diameter. The spiritual energy within the array began to be frantically drained, each array pattern transforming into a suction tube, greedily devouring the spiritual power within the bodies of all cultivators. The representatives on the viewing platform were thrown into chaos. Some attempted to break free of the array, but their attacks struck the light barrier like mud sinking into the sea.

"Zhou Yuanli! You've gone mad!" the representative of the Lieyang Holy Dynasty roared.

"Once the Seven Stars Returning to Origin Formation is fully activated, even I can't turn it off." Zhou Yuanli stood at the highest point of the viewing platform, his face contorted, a crazed and twisted smile on his lips. "Since you've all sided with the Guixu Palace, then stay here together. When the Seventy-Two Holy Dynasties are reshuffled, I will build a joint tomb for you all."

Yan Lingji's flames had already surged forth. The primal power of the Heavenly Fire Holy Body transformed into a golden pillar of fire, crashing into the light barrier and burning a small gap in it. However, the gap was filled by new array patterns in less than half a breath, the repair speed far exceeding the destruction speed.

"The energy source of the formation is not inside the formation." Su Yao scanned the entire formation with her Chaos Eye, her expression solemn. "The formation base is at the deepest part of the formation plate, and there is a continuous flow of spiritual energy being injected from outside. Destroying the light barrier inside the formation is useless; we must destroy the formation base from the outside."

"Then how do we get out?" Yan Lingji's flames burned another hole, but it was repaired in an instant.

Qin Yuan didn't answer. He looked at Zhou Yuanli on the viewing platform, his fingers tightening slightly around the knife. Su Yao saw his gaze, and her heart leaped into her throat. She recognized that look—it was the same look he had when he decided to enter the outer realm's sealed passage alone.

"Qin Yuan," Su Yao said in a low voice, "No."

Qin Yuan turned to look at her, the corners of his mouth curving slightly, a very faint smile.

"I possess the Myriad Realms Returning to Nothingness Array," he said. "Before setting up the array, I had Sun Yuan add a hidden law to it—the protective barrier of the Myriad Realms Returning to Nothingness Array can be activated by the array master from any location, including outside the array. After activation, the protective range of the Returning to Nothingness Palace will temporarily extend to the location of the array master. In other words, if I activate the Returning to Nothingness Array now, its protective light barrier will unfold inside the Seven Star Returning to Origin Array, breaking the array from the inside. But the price of activation is—"

"The full power of the array master." Su Yao's lips turned pale. "After activation, your cultivation level will drop by 90% within twelve hours."