Chapter 62: The Coalition Strikes Back

The battle raged on, the air thick with spiritual energy. The once tranquil surroundings of the hidden realm had transformed into a chaotic battlefield, as Lin Tian and his family fought desperately to hold their ground. His beasts, now humanoid and immensely powerful, surged forward with unstoppable force, each one using their unique powers to tear through the enemy ranks.

Lin Tian stood at the heart of the battlefield, his blade flashing in the dimming light as he cleaved through wave after wave of coalition soldiers. His mind was sharp, his movements fluid, but there was something unsettling about this enemy. They weren't like the Black Flame Sect. They fought with a cold precision, as though their goal was not only to defeat but to break him.

He glanced over to where his sisters and the rest of the family fought. Lin Yue, his eldest sister, moved with a deadly grace. Her sword was an extension of her will, cutting down enemies with each fluid motion. His mother, Lin Zhen, stood by her side, her eyes focused and unyielding, as she sent powerful blasts of spiritual energy toward the incoming forces.

But despite their strength, the coalition's soldiers pressed on relentlessly, their unity allowing them to adapt and overcome each strategy Lin Tian's side devised. It became clear that they weren't simply attempting to defeat them—they were wearing them down.

"Master!" a familiar voice cried out from behind.

Lin Tian turned to see one of his beasts, the humanoid dragon, rushing toward him. His body was bloodied, but his eyes burned with determination.

"They're using something new!" the dragon growled. "A formation that strengthens their forces and weakens ours. We can't keep up like this! If we don't do something soon, we'll be overwhelmed!"

Lin Tian's heart skipped a beat. A formation? His enemies had already shown remarkable strength, but this new tactic was unlike anything he had expected. Lin Tian's eyes narrowed as he looked across the battlefield. The enemy forces had indeed started to form a strange, interconnected pattern. It pulsed with an eerie energy that seemed to drain his own strength, the air around them crackling with a foreign spiritual force.

"Formation!" Lin Tian muttered under his breath. He knew exactly what this was—a formation designed to weaken their enemies while strengthening their own forces. It was a tactic used by ancient sects to turn the tide of battle, a strategy so powerful that even he, with all his strength, couldn't overpower it alone.

"Everyone, fall back!" Lin Tian commanded. "Regroup! We can't win like this!"

The order was swift, and his family and beasts began to retreat, falling back toward their stronghold. Lin Tian's heart pounded in his chest as he felt the pressure mounting. The enemy had gained the upper hand, and with each step back, the distance between them and their hidden realm's sanctum grew.

As they retreated, Lin Tian could see the formation closing in, their enemies following them with relentless precision. His heart burned with fury, but he knew that charging headfirst into the formation would be suicide. The only way to win now was to find a way to counteract it.

"Master," the humanoid dragon called out, breathless as it caught up with Lin Tian. "There's only one way to stop the formation… we need to disrupt the center of their ranks. But to do that, we need to break through the front lines."

Lin Tian's mind raced. "We don't have the numbers to go through them directly. But…" He glanced at his family and beasts. "We can't let them push us back further. We need a diversion."

Lin Yue, hearing his plan, moved forward, her voice steady and commanding. "We'll create the diversion. You and the beasts focus on breaking through the center. We'll hold them off."

Her words were like a spark of hope. Lin Tian had no doubts about her strength. With his family and beasts by his side, they could create an opening.

"Very well," Lin Tian said, his resolve hardening. "Everyone, get ready. We strike in five minutes."

As they regrouped and began to form their battle strategies, Lin Tian's thoughts drifted to his hidden realm. His sanctuary. His family's home. He couldn't let them take it from him. This was more than just a battle—it was a fight for everything he had built. He would not allow these outsiders to destroy the peace he had fought so hard to establish.

Minutes passed, and Lin Tian could feel the tension in the air grow thicker as the coalition's forces began to close in. It was now or never.

With a roar of determination, Lin Tian surged forward, his beasts close behind. The rest of his family launched their diversionary tactics, charging at the formation's edges and creating chaos among the enemy ranks. The diversion worked. The enemy's focus shifted momentarily, and Lin Tian saw his opening.

"Now!" Lin Tian yelled.

With lightning speed, he and his beasts dashed toward the heart of the formation. Their combined strength was enough to break through the outer layers, but the deeper they pushed, the stronger the opposition became. Energy clashed in the air, the very ground beneath their feet trembling as their powers collided.

Lin Tian's focus narrowed to the center of the enemy formation, where he could sense the heart of the weakening force. It was a dark, pulsing energy that wrapped around them, sapping their strength. He could feel it draining his own reserves, but his determination kept him going. He wouldn't let his family fall.

As they closed in, the leader of the coalition's forces—a powerful woman cloaked in black energy—stepped forward. Her eyes glowed with an ominous light, and her aura crackled with dark power. She raised a hand, and the formation responded, intensifying the pressure around Lin Tian and his beasts.

"You think you can stop us?" the woman sneered. "This formation is ancient. It's invincible. You, a mere boy, cannot hope to challenge it."

Lin Tian's expression hardened. "I've fought against impossible odds before, and I've always come out on top. This ends today."

With a single motion, Lin Tian unleashed the full force of his cultivation. A blinding burst of spiritual energy radiated from him, shattering the pressure around them. The coalition forces reeled back, the dark energy shattering as Lin Tian's power cut through it like a blade through cloth.

The woman's eyes widened in disbelief as Lin Tian advanced, his power overwhelming her own. She raised her hand to defend herself, but Lin Tian was faster. With a flash of light, he broke through her defenses and struck her down, the energy of his blade slicing through her spiritual core.

"Impossible…" she gasped, crumbling to the ground.

With her fall, the formation began to break apart, the dark energy dissipating into the air. The remaining forces of the coalition faltered, unsure of how to proceed.

Lin Tian turned to his family, his expression resolute. "The battle is not over, but we've won the first round. Let's finish this."

As the coalition forces regrouped and tried to reorganize, Lin Tian knew they wouldn't back down easily. But now, with the formation shattered and their leader defeated, he had a chance to turn the tide.

His family and beasts were ready. The battle was far from over, but they had just begun to show the true strength of the Heavenly Beast Tamer sect.