The sea breeze tugged at the hem of my robe, carrying with it the damp bite of salt — much like my mood in that moment, a tangle of nerves and anticipation. Standing on the reef at Sunset Bay, I drew a slow breath and fixed my gaze on the churning waters ahead. In the direction of Black Reef Island, an ashen fog hung like a vast curtain over that stretch of sea, and from within it drifted a faint, heart-chilling wave of sinister energy.

"Rookie, what's the holdup? Did you pull the Formation-Breaking Compass yet?" The Elder's voice rang out inside my head, laced with his usual impatience. "Keep dragging your feet and that old bastard Victor Jin is going to refine the third shard into scrap!"

I rolled my eyes and ignored his prodding, sinking my consciousness into the System Shop. Scanning the long list of exchange options, I found the entry for "Formation-Breaking Compass" without a moment's hesitation.

Ding! Consumed 50,000 Merit Points. Exchange for "Formation-Breaking Compass" successful.

A bronze compass, roughly the size of a palm, materialised in my hand. Its rim was carved with dense, intricate runes, and its central needle — rather than pointing north — pulsed with a faint blue luminescence, trembling gently as it oriented itself toward Black Reef Island. Most striking of all, faint ripple-like patterns surfaced across the compass face, humming in quiet resonance with the markings on the Wavebreaker Blade.

"Is this thing actually reliable?" I couldn't help asking.

"What a stupid question!" The Elder gave a contemptuous snort. "Everything produced by this System is premium quality! The Formation-Breaking Compass tracks the resonance of treasure shards and pinpoints the weakest nodes in any formation with precision. That beats the hell out of you stumbling around blind."

I said nothing more. I secured the compass and wrapped my hand around the Wavebreaker Blade at my hip. From the hilt, the meteorite anvil fragment and the blade-tip shard pulsed with a warm resonance, as though answering the compass's call.

"Fellow Daoist Ethan!"

Everett Li's voice came from behind me. I turned to find him walking side by side with Marcus Su, a company of cultivators with formidable auras trailing in their wake.

"Senior Li. Senior Su." I cupped my hands in greeting.

Everett Li gave a nod, his gaze sweeping over me with a hint of approval. "Everyone has been assembled. Twelve Core Formation cultivators, thirty-five Foundation Establishment cultivators — all of them elite disciples of the Orthodox Sects."

I followed his gaze toward the beach nearby, where the gathered cultivators stood or sat in loose clusters, their auras a varied tapestry. The Core Formation cultivators kept their spiritual energy coiled and restrained, yet the weight of it was immense. The Foundation Establishment cultivators, for their part, wore their excitement and unease plainly on their faces.

"Fellow Daoist Ethan Lu," said a white-robed Core Formation cultivator stepping forward, his eyes keen and sharp. "We have heard that you intend to lead this group in breaking the formation. What strategy do you have in mind?"

His tone was civil enough, but buried in his gaze was a thread of contempt he hadn't quite managed to conceal. Understandable, really — I was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, yet here I was about to direct cultivators who had formed their Core Formations. It would be a hard sell for anyone.

I smiled, unhurried and composed. "Fellow seniors, the Ten Thousand Malevolent Soul-Devouring Formation draws upon tens of thousands of corrupted souls as its fuel — a vicious construct by any measure. Yet it is not without its flaws."

I drew out the Formation-Breaking Compass and channelled my spiritual energy into it. "This is the Formation-Breaking Compass. By tracking the resonance of the treasure shards, it can lock onto the weakest nodes within the formation. My plan is to enter from the northeastern corner, using Dao Ancestor Sword Intent in concert with water-attributed techniques to force open a breach."

"Dao Ancestor Sword Intent?" Another Core Formation cultivator raised an eyebrow, his tone sharp with mockery. "A late Foundation Establishment nobody daring to speak of Dao Ancestor Sword Intent? Are you even listening to yourself?"

A low murmur rippled through the assembled cultivators. Clearly, more than a few of them shared the sentiment.

End of Chapter 78: The Sea Wind and the Formation-Breaking Compass