Zhang Yuhe concealed his presence and quietly waited for reinforcements from the sect to arrive.
Once they came, they could act swiftly and crush the He family's delusions.
"Hey, someone's coming again."
Suddenly, a sleek flying boat streaked across the sky, approaching rapidly from the direction of Mirror Sky City.
Zhang Yuhe immediately pulled out a talisman and slapped it onto his chest.
An invisibility charm.
Once activated, this special rune produced a powerful stealth effect. Unless someone accidentally struck the user or they revealed themselves, it was nearly impossible to detect.
Naturally, something so powerful came with drawbacks.
The invisibility talisman was notoriously difficult to draw—most sixth-tier talisman masters couldn't succeed even once in dozens of attempts. The required materials were also rare and expensive. Zhang Yuhe had only managed to create a few in total.
Even worse, the charm's duration was painfully short—just one minute.
Aside from a few specific scenarios, it was usually of limited use. After all, what could really be done in sixty seconds?
Even so, Zhang Yuhe activated it without hesitation—because he recognized the person on that incoming boat.
It was Concubine Mingyue and her entourage.
Her overwhelming aura radiated freely—she had reached the Great Perfection stage of the God Transformation realm.
More than a dozen cultivators accompanied her. Among them were five Avatar-level experts, while the rest were all Nascent Soul cultivators.
Li Jiuming, patriarch of the Li family, was among them.
"Perfect," Zhang Yuhe murmured. "All the pieces are in place. Time to take them all in one sweep."
Watching Concubine Mingyue lead her group toward Mirror Sky City, Zhang Yuhe remained calm.
People? Power? Could any of them compare to the Dao Holy Sect?
He had already contacted Lu Mingfang. Reinforcements from the Dao Holy Sect would be arriving soon.
As the flying boat neared the city, the gates opened without hesitation, allowing it to pass.
Zhang Yuhe raised an eyebrow.
The last group—the ones in blue robes—had also entered through the city gate.
Now Concubine Mingyue and her group had done the same.
Why not just fly over the wall?
Perhaps the blue-robed monks lacked status and weren't permitted to fly in. But Concubine Mingyue was different—powerful, and clearly allied with the He and Li families.
Yet even she had used the gate. Odd.
"Could it be that the entire city is protected by a large defensive array that forces everyone to enter through the gate?"
The thought startled him.
If true, this complicated things.
Mirror Sky City had a longstanding defensive formation, possibly one that remained active year-round. If Concubine Mingyue and her group made a major move inside, he might not be able to act in time.
And he didn't know the specifics of the formation. If it was too powerful for him to breach quickly, things could get messy.
"Where is the support?" he muttered, brow furrowed. "If they don't get here soon, we'll lose our window."
Inside the city, He Daofan greeted Concubine Mingyue as her flying boat landed. Zhang Yuhe's rune soldiers, still hidden, observed the interaction closely.
He Daofan bowed deeply.
"I greet the Landlord."
Concubine Mingyue nodded. "How is everything?"
"All preparations are complete. We've been awaiting your arrival."
"Good. Let's find the Horned Demon and activate the Tiangang Boundary Breaking Array."
She flew toward the city's center, her group following.
Through the eyes of his rune soldiers, Zhang Yuhe finally got a clear look at the altar.
It was massive—hundreds of meters tall. One hundred and eight black pillars ringed it, stretching high into the sky.
Were it not for the cover of the city's formation, those towering columns would be visible from miles away.
Atop the altar stood a tall demon with long black horns and a formation plate in his hands, fingers weaving complex seals.
When Concubine Mingyue approached, she called out respectfully:
"Lord Heijiao."
The horned demon opened his eyes and looked down on them. His voice was low and resonant.
"I've locked onto the coordinates of the Holy Realm. I can begin the activation sequence at any time and open the passage between the two realms."
"However, once the formation begins, there will be massive spiritual fluctuations. Every cultivator within tens of thousands of miles will sense it. The process also takes time. During that window, I don't want any interruptions. Guard the area—no one enters."
Despite his grave tone, Concubine Mingyue smiled.
"Rest assured, Lord Heijiao. The Dao Holy Sect's presence in Yunzhong Mansion is weak. By the time they hear of this and respond, it will already be too late."
"Very well. I will begin."
Without further delay, the horned demon resumed casting. A haze of dark demonic energy enveloped the altar, distorting the air around it.
Watching from afar, Zhang Yuhe's chest tightened.
"Where is the support?! Should I really go alone? That's madness…"
He gritted his teeth.
"There's no more time."
Zhang Yuhe prepared to act.
Based on the earlier exchange between the demon and Concubine Mingyue, it would still take a while to fully open the passage. But he couldn't afford to wait. He needed that time himself.
Once he made a move, the entire group would focus on him. He'd have to face a barrage of cultivators from the Mingyue, He, and Li factions—while also trying to dismantle Mirror Sky City's formation.
Only after breaking through the city's array could he hope to reach the altar and destroy it, along with the Tiangang Boundary Breaking Array.
No easy feat.
Just as he was about to launch himself into the city, his expression shifted.
A jade identity token lit up in his hand.
Zhang Yuhe activated it, and a voice emerged.
"Senior Brother Zhang, this is Litian. Where are you?"
Joy surged through Zhang Yuhe.
"Support… finally!"
Litian. Zhang Yuhe had mentioned him before in talks with Ming Fu.
An inner sect senior brother of the Dao Holy Sect, Litian was born with a Fire Spirit Physique and cultivated with astonishing speed. In less than 900 years, he had reached the Great Perfection stage of God Transformation.
Aside from Zhang Yuhe, Litian was considered the most talented cultivator the Dao Holy Sect had produced in tens of thousands of years.
Zhang Yuhe sent his location through the jade token, and moments later, a golden streak shot across the sky.
A young man in a golden crown hovered before him.
Zhang Yuhe bowed deeply.
"Senior Brother."
Litian nodded, his gaze studying Zhang Yuhe with quiet surprise.
As far as he knew, Zhang Yuhe had only joined the sect a hundred years ago. Yet he had already reached the late stage of God Transformation.
That cultivation speed… far exceeded his own.
Litian had always been confident in his talent. But now, standing before someone even faster, he couldn't help but feel curious.
Still, this wasn't the time.
Though the city's formation prevented a clear aerial view, Zhang Yuhe's report was alarming.
The Demon God Sect had deployed the Tiangang Boundary Breaking Array—an attempt to open a portal between realms and bring the demon race into Yufantian.
This threat had to be neutralized immediately.
Litian asked, "Senior Brother Zhang, what's the current situation in the city?"
Zhang Yuhe didn't answer right away. He glanced around.
"Senior Brother… did you come alone?"
Litian smiled calmly.
"I'm enough."