Ripples appeared out of thin air, slowly spreading outwards.
Within the Star Sect, three elders led the disciples and immediately rushed to the entrance of the Star Palace.
"People from the Puppet Corpse Sect."
"Do they really intend to attack our Star Palace?"
"We'll fight them. I just don't believe they can defeat us."
The disciples of the Star Palace were seething with anger.
Elder Cheng Ying, Dong Xiangyun, and Qiu Xingjian's expressions were solemn. When they realized that the old ancestor of the Puppet Corpse Sect did not seem to have come, they felt a glimmer of relief.
"What do you Puppet Corpse Sect people want to do here, don't you know this is where our Star Palace resides?" Cheng Ying stared at the leading elder and said coldly.
"Elder Cheng, long time no see, your strength seems to have improved a bit," the black-clothed elder from the Puppet Corpse Sect said with a sardonic smile.
"Our Star Palace has had nothing to do with your Puppet Corpse Sect, and we haven't any entanglements, so why have you brought so many disciples here now? Are you planning to attack our Star Palace?" Qiu Xingjian said, glaring angrily.
The other disciples also had eyes sharp as swords, staring intently at the people from the Puppet Corpse Sect.
The pupils of the Puppet Corpse Sect's disciples were only about a dozen in number, but the rest were all puppets refined from corpses, standing rigidly with expressionless faces.
The black-clothed elder sneered: "Our Puppet Corpse Sect hails from the Jiangxi corpse driving lineage; we have wandered everywhere for years with no fixed abode. Your Star Sect's possession of such a Blessed Cave is truly enviable."
"So what if you're envious?" Dong Xiangyun snorted coldly.
The black-clothed elder paced slowly and said: "Heh, our Puppet Corpse Sect has never had a Sect location; how about you Star Sect hand over your location to us?"
"You're dreaming; why should we give up our Star Sect's place to you?" Xiao Xing said angrily, her eyes brimming with rage.
"Elder Cheng Ying, you must know that even though we, the Puppet Corpse Sect, didn't manage to do much to you two years ago, our old ancestor is about to emerge from seclusion soon. If you don't want your disciples to make senseless sacrifices, you'd better hand over the Star Sect to us early," the black-clothed elder said, his gaze fixed on Cheng Ying with two cold gleams in his eyes.
The disciples of both sides were immediately on edge, and the atmosphere had become as tense as could be.
"Our Star Sect's disciples would rather die in battle than surrender our Sect without a fight," Cheng Ying said with anger in his voice.
"Our Star Sect's disciples have nothing to fear from a battle," Xiao Haiyang said, stepping forward with a sharp treasure sword in hand.
"Well, if that's the case, there's nothing more to say."
The black-clothed elder said coldly and with a wave of his sleeve, several talismans were embedded into the front three corpses, which then immediately vanished into them. Meanwhile, the three corpses' eyes suddenly emitted a strange green light, their teeth and claws bared as they pounced towards the people of the Star Sect.
The other disciples of the Puppet Corpse Sect also controlled their own refined Corpse Masters, charging fiercely towards the disciples of the Star Sect.
These Corpse Masters, though without spiritual wisdom and refined through secret techniques, had strength, speed, and bodily toughness far beyond anyone's imagination.
Especially the three Corpse Masters refined by the black-clothed elder, with a swing of their arms, they could snap a pine tree as thick as a human thigh. If such a swing hit a person, it would undoubtedly turn them to mincemeat.
The Star Sect disciples unleashed various spells. Xiao Haiyang, holding his treasure sword, slashed at the face of a Corpse Master, only to make a shallow cut. The Corpse Master then clapped its palm onto the treasure sword, sending Xiao Haiyang stumbling backward a few steps.
Elder Cheng Ying, Dong Xiangyun, and Qiu Xingjian each unleashed their divine skills, their starlight and spells cutting down trees as easily as slicing through leeks.
"These Corpse Masters can't be killed, we must kill their puppeteers instead," Elder Cheng Ying frowned, forming a golden Light Formula and violently sending a flying Corpse Master tumbling away.
Dong Xiangyun also took out a wooden plaque, which enlarged in the wind and emitted the Power of Thunder and Lightning amid crackling sounds, entangling a Corpse Master within it and temporarily preventing its escape.
The disciples of Star Sect and the Corpse Masters clashed, evenly matched in strength. The three elders were restrained by the Black-clothed Elder of the Puppet Corpse Sect. As for the other disciples, only Xiao Haiyang, Wang Chengpeng, and Xiao Xing were True Disciples of somewhat stronger power; the rest couldn't defeat the Corpse Masters at all.
A disciple was smashed in the chest by a Corpse Master's fist, instantly caving in his chest and sending him tumbling backward in midair.
"Brother Gao Yang!" Xiao Haiyang held a treasure sword, formed a spell with his hands, and several beams of starlight skimmed over the treasure sword, which emitted a sword light, cleaving a Corpse Master in two.
Yet even so, the disciples of Star Sect were gradually unable to hold on.
"Starlight Array. Bind!"
Suddenly a light shout came from Japan, and more than a dozen beams of starlight flew into the sky, forming a mysterious Array Map pattern, then showering down a brilliance that significantly stiffened the movements of the Corpse Masters.
Xiao Haiyang turned his head to see that it was Lu Xing standing behind, casting a Spell.
Then, a figure in cyan darted into the crowd, emitting sword lights like blooming flowers, splitting another Corpse Master in half from the middle or severing its head and arms.
"That's the woman who came with Lin Mo," Wang Chengpeng noticed the figure and was obviously stunned.
He hadn't expected Yingzi to possess such advanced martial arts, exquisite swordsmanship, and deeply Condensed True Yuan, almost on par with Xiao Haiyang.
Xiao Haiyang suddenly thought of Lin Mo, still inside the Star Palace Tower, wondering if he truly was an 'expert.'
However, now was not the time to consider such things. As the battle raged on, with the addition of Lu Xing and Yingzi, the disciples of the Puppet Corpse Sect were clearly having trouble defending, and the Black-clothed Elder, still entangled with the three elders and relying on the three Golden Corpses, was struggling considerably, unable to assist the other disciples.
"Fine, I cannot best you of Star Sect today, but tomorrow, when the Mountain Protection Array Formation is at its weakest, none of you will escape once our ancestor emerges from seclusion," the Black-clothed Elder spat out with Anger, then quickly formed several Array hand gestures, with the three Golden Corpses suddenly increasing in strength, their pupils glaring with bright green light, forcing the three elders to step back.
"Everyone, retreat!" The Black-clothed Elder ordered, taking the three corpses and dashing towards the forest in the back.
The other disciples of the Puppet Corpse Sect also quickly retreated toward the rear.
"Haiyang, don't chase them, be cautious of an ambush," Elder Cheng Ying called out to Xiao Haiyang and the others, who were about to give chase.
"Master, Elders, are you alright?" Xiao Haiyang turned back and spoke.
Elder Cheng Ying shook her head, "We're fine, but the cultivation techniques of the Puppet Corpse Sect are indeed domineering. We of the Star Palace are not adept at battle spells, and this time we could only barely withstand their attack. But if our ancestor comes out, we..."
Hearing Elder Cheng Ying's words, everyone fell silent.
The ancestor of the Puppet Corpse Sect had not arrived today, which clearly was when the Array of Star Palace was most vulnerable; the enemy might attack the Mountain Gate directly.
"If the ancestor has truly created a Top-grade Corpse Demon, then even our Array won't hold them back," Qiu Xingjian sighed.
"Everyone, don't worry, if my Family Head steps out, these upstarts are nothing but dead ends," Yingzi suddenly stood up and spoke, her pretty face filled with confidence.