Chapter 838: Golden Light Array

"Will they really abandon the island?"

Qin Sang fell silent.

The ferocity of this beast tide was abnormal. For days, it had besieged Yuheng Island without the slightest sign of easing. The great demons behind it seemed determined not to stop until the island was reduced to rubble.

Compared to this, the beast tide he had faced on the Five-Elemental Islands was nothing more than a minor skirmish.

"Let me take over. You should rest."

Qin Sang spoke up, taking control of the array disk and channeling the power of the array to slaughter the demonic beasts. He had no idea how much longer the array could hold and chose to prepare for the worst.

"It should be noon now. Normally, the sun would be blazing and the scenery beautiful."

Looking up, he saw nothing but the sky blotted out by flying beasts.

Time crawled by, each moment dragging like an eternity.

Several more days passed.

By now, Qin Sang had fallen back to the city. The outer layers of the array had been broken through, forcing the dome to contract. Many cultivators failed to react in time when the dome shattered and were swallowed by the beast tide, vanishing without a trace. Their chances of survival were slim.

At least the dome was stable for the moment, since none of the Transformation Realm great demons had shown themselves. Even if accidents occurred, others could quickly patch the defense.

Why have none of the great demons appeared? What exactly are they waiting for?

The thought gnawed at Qin Sang and many others.

Late that night, Qin Sang handed the array disk to another and sat to meditate, body and mind aching from days of continuous strain.

He had barely entered meditation when a Sound Transmission Talisman streaked into his hands.

Awakened by the unexpected arrival, he opened the talisman. His expression darkened.

The cultivators nearby looked over in alarm.

"The island master has decided to abandon the island. We are to escape on our own."

Qin Sang raised his head, scanning the group before passing the talisman down.

The news sent a stir through the group.

After days of fighting, everyone understood just how terrifying the beast tide was. The protective array was their only hope. If they broke out now, perhaps one in ten would survive.

"Do not panic. Read the talisman. The island master has another plan. At the last moment, he will unleash the full power of the array and open paths in four directions..."

Qin Sang calmed them.

The talisman explained that the island master had spent days searching for the great demons behind the beast tide, but found nothing. It seemed they were scheming something.

With the great demons holding back, the array would not break for now. But if the siege dragged on until the island’s supply of spirit stones ran dry, the cultivators would be exhausted and unable to flee at all.

The island master had originally intended to use the killing array to heavily wound the great demons and break the siege, but now he would have to settle for the next best thing.

At the decisive moment, he would personally take control of the array, try to slay any great demons that showed themselves, and concentrate its power to open escape corridors in four directions. While the beast tide was in chaos, the cultivators could use these openings to break through, greatly increasing their chances.

The breakout was set for midnight tonight, which was less than an hour away.

The cultivators were astonished to learn the array could unleash such power. Their excitement dimmed quickly, however, replaced by grim faces.

A breakout meant leaving everything to fate. Even the island master might fall to a Transformation Realm great demon's ambush.

Not long after receiving the talisman, a message from Jin Ying arrived. She urged Qin Sang to meet them and break out together.

Qin Sang hesitated briefly before deciding to act alone.

He trusted his own strength, and his speed far exceeded most. Unless he was surrounded by a Transformation Realm demonic beast or multiple Demonic Core Realm demonic beasts, his chances of being trapped were low.

Another reason was the talisman’s content. The island master would focus on attacking any great demons that emerged and opening escape paths, reducing the pressure at the point of breakout. Alone, Qin Sang would be far more flexible. Moving with the merchant alliance might slow him down.

He also harbored another concern.

As an outsider, if danger struck, who would be the first to be abandoned?

He sent a reply declining the invitation, but after some thought, added that if the two women wished to come to him, they could attempt to break out together.

Escaping the beast tide did not mean safety. Beyond lay the vast Demonic Sea, and finding a safe island would take time. In that situation, another ally meant more strength.

Unfortunately, before long he received their answer. They regretted his refusal but chose to move with the merchant alliance’s experts, asking him to be careful.

Given the alliance’s many experts, their choice was reasonable. Qin Sang wished them well and said no more.

He did not know that Madam Liu and Jin Ying had been shocked by his decision. They debated for a long while before choosing to remain with the alliance.

Madam Liu trusted Qin Sang’s abilities, but Jin Ying eventually persuaded her.

With less than an hour left, the city was cloaked in oppressive tension. No one knew their fate or if they would live to see the morning sun.

Qin Sang made his preparations, waiting for midnight.

***

At midnight, without warning, the array disk in Qin Sang’s hands blazed with dazzling light.

A powerful suction gripped him, drawing his true essence into the disk at a startling rate. His face shifted slightly, but he did not resist. He told the others to remain calm.

At the same time, the spirit stones powering the great array were drained in an instant, crumbling into shards, even the high-grade stones reduced to rubble.

Crack!

The array disk before him shattered, and the suction vanished.

Qin Sang exhaled slowly, glanced inward at his Qihai, and quickly swallowed a few pills to restore his essence.

A beam of golden light burst from the shattered disk, quivered once, then shot into the sky. All across the city, similar golden lights appeared.

A breathtaking scene unfolded.

Countless streams of gold rose into the air, merging until the entire city glowed with golden brilliance.

Qin Sang looked up at the light, then felt a shift. Turning his gaze to the dome, he saw the power within it flowing away, growing thin and dim.

"Move!"

His shout was low but sharp, and his figure shot toward the edge of the array like an arrow.

The others finally reacted.

In an instant, escape lights flared in every direction.

The sudden change in the array startled the beasts. They hesitated for a heartbeat, then, sensing the dome's weakening, roared with excitement and hurled themselves at it. Greedy eyes fixed on the cultivators within.

The next moment, screams rang out.

The golden light unleashed by the array revealed its fearsome might. Great demons that showed themselves were struck almost simultaneously. Few survived; most were slain outright, and chaos swept the beast tide.

However, it did not end there. Other golden streams merged into four mighty torrents, each like a river of light, plunging into the beast tide in four directions the moment the barrier broke.

The Golden Light Array blazed in one final, magnificent display, transforming into a meat grinder that carved gory paths through the siege. The cultivators surged out of the city in a desperate rush for freedom.