The Silent Destruction Old Man's face turned grim. His hands wove through a series of Spirit Arts, manifesting the Silent Destruction Sect's Divine Art. The power of the Twisted Jungle bent to his will, and even from the Great Tomb where his true body resided, an immense force surged forth to bolster him.
Silent Destruction Power, like a dark, churning tide, crashed towards Xuanji Holy Lord, rising in three colossal waves, its momentum overwhelming. The very fabric of Heaven and Earth began to rumble violently.
Boom! The two terrifying forces collided, Dao patterns clashing with explosive might. The once gloomy and oppressive Twisted Jungle was momentarily illuminated as if a colossal sun had erupted within it, its brilliance boundless. Yet, the Silent Destruction Power was utterly outmatched by Xuanji's Art!
Witnessing this, everyone was stunned. After so many years, Xuanji Holy Lord's return to action was still as terrifying as ever.
The Silent Destruction Old Man was horrified. His Divine Sense shot out, immediately discerning other Founders of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone observing from the depths of the void. He swiftly transmitted the secret of Ji Fuyao's reincarnation art.
“Fellow Daoists, help me stop Xuanji Holy Lord, and I will share this secret!”
At his words, a terrifying aura stirred in the void's depths. Faint thunder rumbled, space tore, and reality twisted. Everyone was startled, wondering what the Silent Destruction Old Man had said to sway these Ancient Magnates. Some ancient, powerful figures were about to intervene to protect his clone.
From the sky, an ancient voice resonated. “Daoist Friend Baili, please spare this clone of the Silent Destruction Old Man.”
Xuanji Holy Lord remained deaf to their pleas. Her heaven-shaking killing intent showed no pause. The Silent Destruction Power was relentlessly annihilated, and the killing strike of Xuanji's Art arrived in an instant.
The Silent Destruction Old Man shrieked, his voice laced with ferocity. “Xuanji Holy Lord, you should know when to back down!”
Whoosh! A heaven-shearing power surged, and the Silent Destruction Old Man’s Nine-star Emperor clone was instantly reduced to dust, scattering with the wind. An instant kill!
Everyone present was utterly dumbfounded. The world fell into a dead silence. A monstrous wave of shock rose in their hearts. Even with several Ancient Magnates pleading for mercy, the clone was still annihilated!
At this moment, the ancient voice sighed softly. “Daoist Friend Baili, let this matter rest. You have already annihilated ten Nine-star Great Emperors from the Silent Destruction Sect. If you continue, the Eerie Power and Ominous Power within you might become uncontrollable.”
Within the Silent Destruction Old Man’s Great Tomb, his true body trembled, yearning to burst forth from his coffin and obliterate Xuanji Holy Lord. But he held back! Xuanji Holy Lord was on her last legs, a dying woman. Besides, his earlier clash with Xuanji Holy Lord, channeling the Silent Destruction Power, had already drained a vast amount of his vital energy. He couldn't afford another fight. A small impatience spoils great plans!
With this thought, the Silent Destruction Old Man gritted his teeth and swore an oath to the Heavenly Dao. “Before the Heaven and Earth Change opens, my Silent Destruction Sect will never again send anyone out of the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone!”
The declaration echoed far and wide. Everyone stared blankly in the direction of the Silent Destruction Old Man’s Great Tomb. To their surprise, the Silent Destruction Old Man had finally conceded!
At this, Xuanji Holy Lord’s starry eyes flickered. Without another word, her jade feet stepped onto a divine lotus, tearing through space and vanishing from the spot, shooting away.
Watching Xuanji Holy Lord’s beautiful retreating figure, everyone shook their heads. Through the long ages, everyone in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone had changed. Only Xuanji Holy Lord remained the same. The original intention behind establishing the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone was to gather here, isolate the Eerie Power and Ominous Power, and seek a way to resolve them. But with the passage of time, everyone’s Dao hearts had shifted. They sighed with regret; once they began to consume life force, there was no turning back, only an endless cycle of consumption. Yet, Xuanji Holy Lord was also a failure in her own way.
Half a day later, Xuanji Holy Lord returned to her secluded cultivation chamber. Pfft! She immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, then quickly sat cross-legged to regulate her aura. Gazing at the surging Eerie Power and Ominous Power around her, she murmured, “This time, within the Bronze Ancient Palace, I must find something to suppress them.”
...
On Azure Mystery Peak of the Grand Dao Sect.
Lu Xuan lay leisurely in his lounge chair before the thatched hut, watching the clouds roll and unroll across the sky. These past few days, Ji Fuyao and Ye Chen had both entered the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds, leaving only him and Chen Changsheng.
Lu Xuan glanced at his System panel. Ye Chen had already stepped into the Saint King Realm, but the cultivation feedback he received was like a mere trickle. His own foundation was like a vast ocean, and a trickle, no matter how steady, was ultimately too weak. Lu Xuan mused, “They still need to Attain Emperor as quickly as possible.”
The sun soon reached the zenith. It was lunchtime. Beside him, Chen Changsheng slowly rose and entered the thatched hut, beginning to cook. Inside the hut, Dao Rhyme drifted, and Chen Changsheng clearly reveled in the process.
Moments later, Chen Changsheng’s voice drifted out. “Master, the Bronze Ancient Palace will open in a few days. What’s the plan for then?”
Lu Xuan paused slightly. He had no plan. “What plan is needed? Just push through.”
Chen Changsheng: “…”
Lu Xuan gazed into the void, his mind beginning to ponder. He still didn’t know what the Bronze Ancient Palace truly held. The System chimed in, “The Bronze Ancient Palace is vast and boundless, containing a Lost World. That world is even more expansive than this one.”
Lu Xuan frowned. “A Lost World?”
The System calmly explained, “It is a desolate world. Cultivators have their limits, and so does Heaven and Earth. Humans experience birth, old age, sickness, and death; Heaven and Earth undergo creation, destruction, desolation, and prosperity.”
Lu Xuan suddenly understood. “No wonder Supreme-related opportunities can be found within the Bronze Ancient Palace. But why did this Bronze Ancient Palace fall into this world back then?”
The System replied, “In the ethereal void, there is fixed destiny. It was waiting for its fated person.”
“So that’s how it is,” Lu Xuan acknowledged.
Before long, Chen Changsheng placed the steaming dishes on the stone table. “Master, dinner is served.”
Roasted Demonic Spider, Stir-fried Spirit Cicada, Giant Ram Head… Ever since the battle in the Blackflame Mountain Range, Azure Mystery Peak had been overflowing with demonic beast meat, so much so that they had even sent some to Tianyuan Old Ancestor and the Sect Master.
Lu Xuan slowly approached the stone table and began to eat. He muttered to himself, taking out his secret seasoning from his Storage Ring and pouring it over the Giant Ram Head. Sizzle! A fragrant aroma filled the air.
Chen Changsheng remarked, “According to the Ancient Epoch, once the Bronze Ancient Palace opens, the Heaven and Earth Change will gradually descend. Initially, Quasi-Dao Supremes might not be able to emerge. Heavenly Dao restrictions won’t disappear overnight.”
Lu Xuan nodded. “That works. Gives Fuyao and Ye Chen some time to grow.”
Chen Changsheng’s face showed a hint of surprise. “Are Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother really going to tread the Supreme Path? Even if they Attain Emperor within the Bronze Ancient Palace, they’d still be far from those Ancient Magnates.”
Lu Xuan smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way for them to reach Nine-star Great Emperor, and even Half-step Supreme.”
Chen Changsheng was momentarily startled, but his expression quickly returned to normal. “Then, at that time, the few of us might have to venture to the Supreme Paths of other Great Domains. However, there has been no such precedent before.”
Lu Xuan nodded. “This Epoch will be the first.”
Chen Changsheng’s face lit up with anticipation. “Oh, right, Master, what was that surprise you mentioned?”
Lu Xuan gave a mysterious smile. “You’ll know when the time comes.”
Before long, Lu Xuan finished his meal and leisurely returned to his cave dwelling, settling down to lie flat.
As dusk fell, Ji Fuyao and Ye Chen returned from the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds. Both of their combat powers had soared once more!
Just then, Lu Xuan’s Transmission Jade Slip vibrated incessantly. His Divine Sense probed it, and the Sect Master’s voice emerged.
“Lu Xuan, tomorrow, Tianyuan Old Ancestor will lead everyone to Fuzhou. Get Fuyao and Ye Chen ready.”