In the depths of the headquarters of the Wangchuan Sect in the Central Region.
The forbidden area is perpetually shrouded in a persistent white mist, within which stand ninety-nine bronze coffins, each engraved with twisted runes and emanating a chilling aura that suppresses the soul.
This is the foundation of the Wangchuan Sect, where the corpses of past patriarchs or powerful figures in seclusion are sealed.
On this day, a soft "click" sound suddenly came from the deepest coffin.
The runes dimmed, the coffin lid slowly lifted, and a hunched figure sat up from inside.
It was an extremely old man with white hair and eyebrows, and wrinkles on his face that were even more dense than the runes on the coffin. But when he opened his eyes, two terrifying beams of light shot out from them, as if they could pierce through the white mist and penetrate the heavens and the earth.
He slowly climbed out of the coffin, his bare feet stepping onto the cold stone ground. He took a deep breath, and the chilling spiritual energy contained in the white mist surged wildly into his body, causing his withered skin to become noticeably fuller.
"Um……"
The old man let out a hoarse groan, his voice carrying the weariness of someone just awakened, yet concealing an aura of power that could shake the heavens and earth.
"The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is disordered, and the laws are fluctuating abnormally... It's definitely the aura of the upper realm."
He is Yan Su, one of the most senior living ancestors of the Wangchuan Sect, who has lived for nearly three thousand years.
Back then, unable to break through the Dao, he chose to seal himself in a forbidden area and slow down the consumption of his lifespan by sleeping. Now, he has been awakened by the aura of this world's anomaly.
"The world is going to be in chaos..."
Yan Su walked to the water mirror in the center of the forbidden area, his fingertips tracing the surface of the water. The rumors circulating throughout the four regions appeared in the mirror, and a fierce glint flashed in his turbid eyes.
"Those bastards from the Upper Realm, they really didn't have good intentions."
A similar scene is unfolding among the top powers in the four regions.
At the top of the "Righteousness Tower" of the Three Saints Sect in the Central Region, the stone door that had been sealed for thousands of years slowly opened, and an old man dressed in white with an ancient face walked out. His righteous aura was so tangible that the bright pearl at the top of the tower suddenly burst out with dazzling light.
In the "Earth Vein Hall" of the Pan Shi family in the Southern Region, a deep crack appeared in the ground, and a skeleton covered in black iron armor rose from the depths of the earth vein. As the armor clashed, a humming sound like a dragon's roar rang out, and a ghostly blue soul fire ignited in the skeleton's eye sockets.
In the "Ten Thousand Trees Nest" of the Eastern Green Wood Alliance, the heart of an ancient tree that had stood for ten thousand years split open, and an old man covered in leaves walked out. With each step he took, new buds sprouted from the ground, and his aura connected with the vegetation of the entire Eastern Region.
In the "Demon-Sealing Cave" of the Western Regions Buddhist sect, a Buddhist chant pierced through the rock layers, and the golden Buddha bone suppressed at the bottom of the cave slowly reformed, transforming into an old monk sitting cross-legged, his whole body radiating Buddhist light, even causing the demonic energy in the cave to retreat.
These ancient monsters, which had been dormant for hundreds or even thousands of years, awakened like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Their auras intertwined, causing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth throughout the four regions to tremble.
"It's the aura of that ancient great war..." The white-robed elder of the Three Saints Sect looked at the sky, his tone solemn.
In ancient times, messengers from the upper realm descended, attempting to turn this world into a "pasture" to plunder resources and enslave cultivators.
That great war lasted for a century, countless sects were destroyed, and countless geniuses perished. In the end, it was only through the sacrifice of countless patriarchs at the Dao Proving Realm that the envoys from the Upper Realm were repelled.
There was another time when a dynasty gathered all the masters on the continent and launched an attack, but in the end it was defeated, which was a pity.
However, the foundation of this world was damaged as a result, and no one could ever reach the Dao Realm again.
"Back then, I was just a child, and I personally heard the survivors describe the horrific scene of the envoy from the upper realm wielding his hand to slaughter a city..."
The armored skeletons of the Rock Clan emitted a dull thud, and their soul flames pulsed violently.
"The sky was red, the river was black, and even the sun was obscured by blood mist for three years."
"We must not let history repeat itself."
"The tree-clad elder of the Green Wood Alliance said in a deep voice, a verdant seed condensing at his fingertips."
"We cultivators were born and raised here; how can we allow outsiders to trample on us at will?"
The atmosphere of preparation has never been so intense.
The Great Righteousness Tower of the Three Saints Sect emitted a dazzling golden light, enveloping the Central Region; the Rock Family activated the Earth Vein Array, and mass-produced Xuan Iron Armor.
The Green Wood Alliance mobilized the power of all trees to set up a boundless forest array in the Eastern Region; meanwhile, the old monks of the Buddhist sect traveled to various temples in the Western Region, preaching the "protection of the realm" Buddhist teachings and gathering monk soldiers.
However, not all forces chose to resist.
Some powerful clans or families with weak foundations chose another path after learning of the devastation of the ancient war—surrender.
They secretly sent out envoys, attempting to find the "passage" left behind by the upper realm, and offered up their sect's most precious treasures, hoping to preserve a glimmer of hope for survival in the face of future changes.
"Those who understand the times are wise." A sect elder who advocated surrender said privately, "The upper realm is powerful, and resistance is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. It's better to make plans as soon as possible."
Although this argument is rejected by the mainstream, it has quietly spread, like a poison, eroding the unity of all forces.
Qingyun Sect, Bamboo Courtyard.
Lin Zhou lay on the rocking chair, holding a freshly picked spiritual fruit in his hands, watching with great interest the scene reflected in the water mirror—the awakening of Yan Su, the patriarch of the Wangchuan Sect, the appearance of the patriarch of the Three Saints Sect, and the secret delivery of treasures by the surrender faction… He watched each scene with great interest.
"Interesting, very interesting."
Lin Zhou took a bite of the spirit fruit, juice dripping down his chin. "The sleeping old monsters have all awakened, and the cowards are starting to look for a way out. This show is getting more and more interesting."
Su She, carrying a collection of poems, passed by and, upon hearing his words, couldn't help but ask, "Master, are the people of the Upper Realm really that terrifying? Even those ancestors who have lived for thousands of years are so wary of them?"
“Terrible?” Lin Zhou smiled, his eyes deep. “Perhaps for them. After all, they were terrified of being beaten back then.”
Of course he knew the details of the upper realm.
The so-called "envoys from the upper realm" are nothing more than cultivators at the bottom of the upper realm; the real big shots don't even look at this small world.
Yet these very cultivators at the bottom almost overturned this world back then, which shows how weak the foundation of this world is.
“Then we…” Su She said with some worry.
"Us?" Lin Zhou pointed to Xiao Chen, who was practicing shooting, then to Jiang Li, who was practicing swordsmanship, and Shi Tou, who was practicing boxing. "They're still growing, so let's watch for now. When it really starts, we'll let them practice."
He was like an outsider, watching the pieces on the chessboard play against each other, occasionally offering a few comments, but never actually making a move.
Anyway, if the sky falls, those old monsters will hold it up.
His current pleasure lies in watching these people make a ruckus over "survival" or "surrender," and also in seeing if his apprentices can learn a few more skills from this turmoil.
If they really can't solve it, Lin Zhou wouldn't mind slapping those people to death.
The wind outside the bamboo courtyard carried a hint of chill.
Tension and turmoil hung over the four realms like dark clouds. The shadows of antiquity had not yet dissipated, and the threat from the upper realms was already quietly approaching.
A storm that will determine the fate of this world is brewing.
Lin Zhou, meanwhile, remained in the bamboo courtyard, leisurely munching on his spiritual fruit, waiting to see the show unfold.
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