The Grand Assembly Arena's countdown timer went down to the last three seconds, each ring resounding louder than the last.

With the final and loudest ring, the sound abruptly ceased.

Suddenly, the Grand Assembly Arena plunged into absolute silence.

It was as if everyone had simultaneously plunged into a dark forest, where silence devoured the world, dragging the prodigies of the Samsara Galaxy into a primal battlefield.

HUM!

A colorful aurora cloaked the sky at that very moment.

Those prodigies on the Taiyi Sourcecores knew this aurora marked the boundaries of the Grand Assembly Arena! Its appearance heralded the sealing of the arena, and more so, the onset of the campaign!

The cold aurora shone on the young, fervent faces below, casting shadows of varying ambitions and dreams.

Tucked away on a remote corner of the Extreme Yin Star, a formation layered with icy tundra, snowy mountains, and frozen seas now concealed the entire Taiyi Sourcecore!

Feng Yao and her companions looked around at the winter landscape and surging cold tides. The temperature of the Extreme Yin Star fell dramatically as a blizzard plunged the world into an icy hell.

Nearby, at the heart of the formation, the blizzard was the most fierce. Ice blades swirled through the air, barely visible through the curtain of snow, forming a violent cyclone which wreaked havoc around the Star Nexus!

Being there, one could truly feel the immense power of the Extreme Yin Star Barrier.

However, as the current rulers of the Extreme Yin Star, the nine of them—eight women and one man, all strikingly attractive—were unaffected by the barrier's formation. A layer of light enveloped them, shielding them from the blizzard, allowing them freedom of movement.

Undoubtedly, the activation of the Extreme Yin Star Barrier greatly bolstered their confidence in defending the flag of their home star.

To ensure the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm would not toil for the benefit of others, regardless of how many Taiyi Sourcecores they conquered, their home star flag was absolutely critical to retain!

At this moment, the nine of them gathered around the nexus, their expressions solemn as they awaited the arrival of their home star flag.

The Extreme Yin Celestial Realm was about to face its most brutal trial in history. Aside from Yun Xiao, the eight beautiful maidens could hardly hide their nervousness. Although the barrier did not affect them, their eyes still trembled slightly under the icy winds.

"Here it comes." Hai Qing whispered softly. From beyond the sky, an ice-blue triangular flag descended. This flag, embodying the three elements of ice, snow, and sea, hung solitary and beautifully, like a faith unto itself.

"Yun Xiao, as the Star Liege, you must take the Parent Flag, drop your blood on it, and insert it into the celestial nexus to produce subsidiary star flags," Hai Qing called out to Yun Xiao over the roar of the blizzard, their communication slightly strained by the tumult.

Truthfully, Hai Qing still felt a twinge of confusion, unsure of the purpose behind this arrangement.

The sealed Grand Assembly Arena naturally blocked any external communication. So, the people from the Million Starlight Palace could see who the Star Liege of each Taiyi Sourcecore was.

However, the young prodigies participating in the competition had no clue! So, those observing from the highest vantage point found the spectacle even more thrilling.

"How do we reveal the choice?" Yun Xiao asked.

"Provide two drops of blood. Once the Extreme Yin Parent Flag absorbs them, your name will appear outside the Extreme Yin Star Barrier, and its power will immediately intensify," Hai Qing explained.

Having an outsider as the Star Liege was a good way to fool the opponent. Yet, they were revealing this openly…

The seven sisters were completely baffled!

Still, regardless of their confusion, the competition was already underway.

Yun Xiao flew over to the flag and dropped two drops of blood onto it. As his blood flowed over it, he pressed down his finger and wrote his name before thrusting the flag into the swirling Star Nexus below! ꭆ

BOOM!

The power of the entire Extreme Yin Star Barrier increased by about a tenth.

"Child Flags." Yun Xiao tapped the Parent Flag, and from it sprang tiny ice-blue spheres that fell into his hand.

Yun Xiao took fifty of these spheres.

"Just insert them into an opponent's Star Nexus, and they'll become flags," Hai Qing explained.

"Alright," Yun Xiao nodded, exuding the aura of a family patriarch.

"This little slave..." Hai Qing bit her lip, her emotions mixed. On one hand, like her mother, she was grateful to Yun Xiao; on the other, she was anxious about the future.

"Feng Yao, we still need to name our force!" Hai Ying, the more optimistic one, said excitedly to Feng Yao.

"Isn't Extreme Yin Star the name?" Feng Yao asked, puzzled.

"The Extreme Yin Star is just a place," Hai Ying explained. "The name of our force, which we'll use to wage wars and capture territories, is also important. It can be different every session."

"Oh, I see."

That was understandable. For instance, the land Yun Xiao came from as a mortal was called the Eastern River Plains. However, the country on top of it was called the Cloud Nation. What they needed now was akin to a nation's name.

"Who usually names it?" Feng Yao inquired.

"The Star Liege," Hai Ying said, glancing at Yun Xiao.

"You decide," Yun Xiao said indifferently, showing little interest in the matter.

With a huff, Feng Yao looked down and then said softly, "Alright, then let’s call it

Carefree Windy Clouds

."

"Really? Alright, whatever." Yun Xiao wrote the name on the Extreme Yin Parent Flag.

So, in the Grand Assembly Arena, a force known as

Carefree Windy Clouds

was officially established!

This name had nothing to do with the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm. Wan Ji's seven daughters were a bit conflicted. But it was already decided, nor was it that important. So, they thought no more of it.

Having taken the Child Flags, Yun Xiao emerged from the Star Nexus and returned to Feng Yao's side, whispering in her ear, "So, why did you decide to make it a combination of our two names?"

"Obviously, to trap you!" Feng Yao said.

"..." Yun Xiao was speechless.

Suddenly, nine leaf-shaped objects resembling eyes suddenly floated down from the sky, settling on their foreheads, slowly melding into their flesh and vanishing.

"Is this the Personal Pledge?" Yun Xiao asked.

"Yes," Hai Qing nodded.

"The Parent Flag is a collective Pledge of Allegiance. We must guard it well," Hai Ying added.

"The Grand Assembly Arena battle isn't just about defending; someone has to attack too. How are we going to divide the offensive and defensive roles?" Hai Qing asked.

She was the eldest here, but she deferred to Feng Yao. And Feng Yao turned to look at Yun Xiao…

"You and the others just need to guard the Parent Flag. Leave the attacking and conquering to me!" Yun Xiao said.

"Wow, how bold and manly of you, Lil Yun," Feng Yao teased.

"Hmph, I can't be bothered with you," Yun Xiao snorted. Then, he turned to leave, ready to dive into this interesting fray!

"Wait!" Feng Yao called after him, catching up to whisper, "Are you really going to leave us to guard the flag while you attack alone?"

"Well, I'm worried they won't be able to hold it if you were by my side," Yun Xiao said.

"No, I mean, I'm worried that even with me, we can't hold it," Feng Yao admitted, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Impossible," Yun Xiao dismissed the thought.

"Why are you so confident?" Feng Yao asked, almost envious.

"Just do your job and defend," Yun Xiao retorted.

"Fine then!" Feng Yao pouted. Then, she looked back at the Star Nexus and realized something, a smile creeping up on her lips. "The Parent Flag is with me, and you're setting off with the Child Flags. Do you know what this means?"

"What?" Yun Xiao asked.

"You’re my son!" Feng Yao burst out laughing, thoroughly amused by her own joke.

"Well, Mom. You better hope I don't end up breaking both arms and needing your help…" Yun Xiao said. [Footnote: Reddit Reference]

Feng Yao’s laughter stopped abruptly, turning into a mix of embarrassment and anger. "Pervert…!"

Before she could finish scolding him, Yun Xiao transformed into a blur and soared into the sky on his Sovereign Sword.

The young man in white took off without looking back, accustomed to wandering alone.

"Yao Yao!"

Wan Ji's seven daughters called out with concern.

"You know, I think it's a good plan to have the eight of us defending our star in the early stages of the battle. But… I'm not sure about Yun Xiao wandering around like that when he's our public Star Liege. It's quite dangerous…" Hai Qing said.

She trusted Feng Yao. However, Yun Xiao's mysteries often left the elders of the Harmony Divine Palace baffled, and the younger members equally perplexed.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Are you worried he'll get reckless and end up being slain? Then, we'll have even a harder time defending, with the Extreme Yin Star Barrier's power reduced by two-thirds?" Feng Yao asked, surprisingly unconcerned as she exuded a confident air.

"Yes... It might be best for him to return and stay hidden," Hai Qing advised.

Feng Yao didn't respond directly but shifted the conversation. "By the way, did you say that the more Taiyi Sourcecores our Child Flags occupy, the stronger our home star's barrier will become?"

"Yes!"

This rule was initially overlooked by the Ice Cloud Valkyrie Queen, but she mentioned it before departing.

The Extreme Yin Star was their home star. As their Carefree Windy Clouds faction expanded within the Grand Assembly Arena, the Extreme Yin Star Barrier would only grow stronger and become more formidable.

Such a rule also motivated all parties to strike quickly rather than merely defend, which would have been dull. The more they attacked, the stronger their home star’s defenses became.

And in a situation where the barriers protecting each star were equally powerful at the start, targeting the weaker forces was the most efficient strategy, preventing premature clashes with powerful entities.

With Hai Qing’s affirmative response, Feng Yao said, "Then we'll just wait and see."

"Yao Yao…"

The seven sisters wanted to say more, but they felt a bit helpless in front of Feng Yao's nonchalant attitude.

"Sister, it seems that both the Ice Lineage Diva and our mother think highly of that slave. Let’s not panic and focus on defending our home star for now."

"Alright! Let's observe and see how things unfold..."

Nevertheless, the seven sisters couldn't help but feel uneasy, aware that the other forces of the Heavenly Deity Alliance were already fortifying their positions.

"What a spot!" Feng Yao's delighted laugh suddenly rang out. She had found a secluded spot near the Star Nexus, atop a peak where the raging blizzard swirled, masking any trace of her presence.

The tall, devilish maiden then took out her Heaven Devourer Bow, set it up on the ground, and prepared herself, assuming the role of a stealthy archery goddess.

With great enthusiasm, Feng Yao waved and called out, "Hey, I'm gonna be relying on the seven of you to protect me at the vanguard! Don't worry! I, the top archer of the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm, shall provide powerful support and lead the charge from the back!"