Regarding Nan Qing's existence, Ling Yuling was actually unwilling to expose it. After all, Nan Qing was a remnant of the sages and had been hunted and besieged by the Remnants of the Black Calamity all these years, making her situation far from ideal.
Her previous trip to the Chaotic Space-Time Sea had already disrupted Nan Qing's peaceful life.
If her location were to be exposed again, it would likely bring her even more trouble.
"The child of a deceased old friend?"
"What was the name of your old friend?"
Gu Changge's brows furrowed slightly. When Ling Yuling mentioned this, he felt an entangled thread of karma subtly fall upon him.
However, when he tried to peer through that thread of karma, an invisible fog suddenly appeared, obscuring all traces.
This situation reminded him of the time in the Biyou Heavenly Realm when he was deducing the Transcendence Codex. The similarity was striking.
The Transcendence Codex, something that should not have existed in the Vast Expanse, had appeared. And now, there was a fog that could interfere with his attempts to observe and deduce.
Things were becoming more and more interesting.
Of course, Gu Changge could have directly dispersed the fog to see the truth, but considering that doing so might alert the mastermind behind this move, he decided to hold back for now.
"Her name was Nan Zun, a friend who fought alongside me against the Heaven-Warring Organization and helped purge the Black Calamity," Ling Yuling said softly, her eyes filled with nostalgia.
She still remembered that woman, a peerless beauty who transcended the mundane, towering above past and present, her beauty unmatched across all worlds. She carried an innate confidence and strength, as if no obstacle or difficulty could ever stop her.
She also had a large number of followers and supporters, deeply respected by her allies.
"Nan Zun?"
Gu Changge repeated the name, his eyes showing a hint of contemplation. The alliance that had fought against the Heaven-Warring Organization did indeed have several famous leaders, representing the five directions of heaven and earth: east, south, west, north, and center.
However, he hadn't paid close attention to who exactly they were.
The Nan Zun mentioned by Ling Yuling might have been one of them.
"She's a kind-hearted girl. I don't want to drag her into this. Back then, I relied on a token from Nan Zun to meet her in the floating continent deep within the Chaotic Space-Time Sea."
"She has no intention of opposing the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. When she learned I wanted to organize the Prime-Origin Covenant, she even advised me to give up…" Ling Yuling explained.
At this point, she only hoped that Gu Changge would not harm the native inhabitants of the floating continent or Nan Qing.
"The remnants of the sages have finally shown themselves…"
"It's time to proceed with the second phase of the plan."
Gu Changge's gaze was profound as he looked into the distant heavens. He didn't pay much attention to Ling Yuling's words.
Whether it was the native inhabitants of the floating continent or the child of her old friend Nan Zun, they were insignificant in his eyes and could not truly affect his plans.
Now that the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had firmly established itself in the Prime-Origin Civilization and had even gained significant influence across the vast Vast Expanse, this level of power was still far from enough.
That day, at the headquarters of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, many cultivators and beings witnessed ancient warships rising into the sky, chaos energy swirling, war drums shaking the heavens, and banners fluttering. The warships rumbled as they tore through the cosmos, speeding away through space-time tunnels.
Numerous fully armed armies stood in formation on the ancient warships, a dark, endless mass exuding a bloody and terrifying aura, as if they had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, causing hearts to tremble and shiver.
Across the territories of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, Dao Realm experts received their orders and flew out from their caves and palaces, crossing the cosmos to join the army as it entered the space-time tunnels.
This scene played out in many regions of the Prime-Origin Civilization, leaving countless cultivators and beings in awe and terror.
Where was the Heaven-Slaying Alliance sending its army? What world were they going to conquer? Was another endless war about to begin?
Finally, as the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's army headed toward the territory of the Imperial Immortal Palace, space-time tunnels were opened, connecting to that region.
Countless factions trembled in fear, worried that the flames of war would spread to them.
No one knew why the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's army had suddenly descended upon the Imperial Immortal Palace.
Had the Imperial Immortal Palace offended the leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, leading to its destruction and reckoning?
Deep within the Imperial Immortal Palace, many elders and ancestors were shocked and incredulous, all of them on high alert.
Although the Imperial Immortal Palace had joined the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and become part of it, the sudden arrival of the alliance's massive army was still deeply unsettling and alarming.
"The Alliance Leader has deduced that anomalies have appeared in the Chaotic Space-Time Sea deep within the Imperial Immortal Palace. The mastermind behind the destruction of the Prime-Origin Covenant is hiding there. We have been ordered to suppress and capture the culprit."
"Fellow Daoists, there is no need to worry."
Chu Heng stepped forward, clad in cold armor, his aura imposing. His stern face was filled with killing intent and icy determination.
These words shocked and startled the elders and ancestors of the Imperial Immortal Palace. However, the depths of the palace were extremely special, akin to a forbidden area. In the past, only the palace master and a few others had been allowed to enter.
That place held the accumulated foundations of the Imperial Immortal Palace over the years, a crucial stronghold that even ordinary elders were not qualified to enter.
If they allowed the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's army to pass through so easily, wouldn't that be tantamount to opening their doors and revealing their accumulated treasures to the public?
The expressions of the Imperial Immortal Palace elders were grim, but under pressure, they could only endure and not speak out.
"Since it is the Alliance Leader's order, the Imperial Immortal Palace will naturally cooperate. However, the Chaotic Space-Time Sea is a special place, directly connected to the Vast Expanse. The restrictions left by our ancestors are still in place. If they are accidentally broken, it could allow terrifying beings from the Chaotic Space-Time Sea to enter the Prime-Origin Civilization…"
Finally, the palace master of the Imperial Immortal Palace, Ling Qiuchang, carefully chose his words. While agreeing, he also reminded them, worried about unforeseen consequences.
The Imperial Immortal Palace could not afford any more disturbances.
"Rest assured, we are only here to capture the culprit. We will not damage the restrictions left by your ancestors. You have nothing to worry about."
Chu Heng cupped his hands and spoke succinctly. Then, under his lead, one ancient warship after another rumbled past, enveloped in chaos mist, charging toward the depths of the Imperial Immortal Palace.
There, radiant mist billowed, and the rules of the world collided with cosmic fragments, releasing vast and chaotic waves of power.
The Heaven-Slaying Alliance's army marched forward, quickly breaking through the thick mist and descending into the Chaotic Space-Time Sea.
The atmosphere was filled with broken and chaotic energy, with cosmic fragments and space-time rifts endlessly colliding, forming the dominant theme of this place.
Even with Dao Realm experts leading the way, each ancient warship still seemed to "struggle," unable to tear through space-time as easily as they could in the outside world.
The Chaotic Space-Time Sea was also filled with raging storms of broken Great Dao, ruthlessly cutting through any beings that entered. It seemed as if any material would be ground into nothingness.
"This Chaotic Space-Time Sea feels strange, with a familiar aura…"
"Could it be that the Heavenly Faction has appeared here?"
Old Man Cold Crow, seated on one of the ancient warships, suddenly opened his eyes.
His gaze was profound, and within his pupils, crimson lightning bolts streaked down, as thick as mountains. Terrifying scenes seemed to converge within them, as if he were trying to see through the chaos of the Chaotic Space-Time Sea.
However, the scene there was too chaotic. Even with his strength, which surpassed ordinary Ancestral Dao Realms, it was difficult to see clearly. Various chaotic laws swirled like a deep, dark abyss filled with endless darkness.
His expression instantly became uncertain. If the Heavenly Faction had truly appeared here, things might become troublesome.
Meanwhile, in another region of the Chaotic Space-Time Sea.
Space-time waves surged, and the laws of the Great Dao were shattered. Fragments of ancient beings drifted around, resembling islands trembling in a deep sea when viewed from afar.
A pure white Zhen Hou, exuding a sacred aura, stood on one of these islands, its hooves treading on snow, surrounded by cloud patterns.
"To think someone would come here… What a surprise…"
On the back of this snow-white Zhen Hou, a slender figure wearing a bamboo hat sat cross-legged. Beneath wide sleeves, they held a green bamboo rod connected to a golden fishing line, leisurely fishing in the Chaotic Space-Time Sea.
The chaotic tides crashing around them silently dissipated upon nearing the figure.
Further away, a pitch-black gourd floated, massive and devoid of any light. It seemed to absorb all light that fell upon it.
This black gourd hung in the Chaotic Space-Time Sea, rising and falling, spewing thick, terrifying black mist like smoke from its mouth.
Various eerie substances emanated from the black mist, extending far into every space-time rift.
Within the mist, twisted and grotesque figures reassembled, merging into the space-time like rolling smoke, rapidly engulfing everything.
In the thick fog, several more indistinct and terrifying figures stood, their faces unclear, with only eye sockets and mouths visible. They stood there respectfully, motionless, as if awaiting some command.
"Hehe, things are getting more and more interesting. A Li, we've been watching this show for so long. Shouldn't we make our move?"
The snow-white Zhen Hou let out a bizarre laugh, its large, bell-like eyes gazing at the distant Chaotic Space-Time Sea, where the rumbling of ancient warships breaking through cosmic fragments could be heard, filled with urgency.
"No rush, the timing isn't right yet. After waiting so many days, what's a little more time?"
"If you ruin that person's plans, she won't let you off easily. Even I won't be able to save you then."
The figure named A Li replied indifferently, still holding the bamboo rod, trying to fish something out of the Chaotic Space-Time Sea.
Hearing this, the snow-white Zhen Hou visibly shivered, its eyes showing clear fear. It shrunk its head and didn't dare to speak further.
"Why would someone suddenly come to the Chaotic Space-Time Sea at this time, and with the same destination as us?"
The figure named A Li raised her eyes, murmuring thoughtfully. Then, sensing something, her slender hand suddenly lifted, the fishing line tightening as she quickly reeled it in.
At the same time, the previously calm sea surface erupted into chaos. Fierce waves surged, and dark clouds loomed low, threatening to crush the heavens and earth. A terrifying creature covered in thorns and scales, as large as a mountain, was pulled out of the Chaotic Space-Time Sea.
The creature's eyes were blood-red, filled with chaos and savagery. It struggled against the fishing line, which seemed fragile enough to break with a single tug. However, an overwhelming force pressed down, rendering it immobile.
At the same time, the snow-white Zhen Hou beneath A Li grew excited, leaping up and opening its massive maw, which transformed into a terrifying black hole.
Foul-smelling, corrosive acid dripped from its mouth as it swallowed the creature whole, chewing it to bits in a few bites.
"The scent of fresh blood and flesh… It's been so long since I've tasted it. A Li, when will you take me for a feast? I've already picked out a few promising civilizations on this trip, including one that's on the verge of decay, a divine kingdom…"
It let out another eerie laugh.
"Quiet, don't disturb my fishing."
However, A Li simply slapped its head impatiently, telling it to shut up.
"Since even the Eight Follower Tribes possess such formidable power, it seems I need to reconsider my approach and make better use of the Heaven-Warring force. The fact that remnants of Heaven-Warring have survived is unexpected, but ultimately beneficial."
Meanwhile, within the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, Gu Changge dismissed everyone and appeared in the depths of an ancient, secluded hall.
After a moment of silent contemplation, he finally made a decision.
Originally, in his plans, he intended to let the Heaven-Slaying Alliance grow and develop like a snowball, gradually taking control and consuming the current Vast Expanse.
Meanwhile, he would use the power of his True Ancestor form to initiate the Epochal Tribulation ahead of schedule, bringing about an early reckoning.
The current situation in the Vast Expanse was still too stable and peaceful. Although the emergence of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had caused some unease and wariness among certain civilizations, it had not led to any significant changes in the overall situation.
Thus, he needed to employ some means to introduce an external force so powerful that it would shake the entire Vast Expanse. That force was the Epochal Tribulation.
Only by bringing the Epochal Tribulation ahead of schedule could he force the various civilizations to unite and submit to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
However, some things had ultimately gone awry, such as the appearance of the Transcendence Codex and the emergence of another force secretly plotting within the Vast Expanse.
This made Gu Changge feel that something unexpected had occurred in the Land of Truth.
Alternatively, his actions might have aroused the suspicions and speculations of certain individuals.
Thus, he needed to accelerate the situation, no longer allowing the Heaven-Slaying Alliance to grow at its original pace.
"If even the Eight Follower Tribes have not been annihilated, then you must still be alive."
"Wu Yue…"
Gu Changge slightly closed his eyes, and his vast, boundless consciousness instantly swept through the entire Vast Expanse like a beam of light. This was the first time since arriving in the Vast Expanse that he had used his identity as the Heaven-Warring Lord to sense someone.
In an instant, countless brilliant rays of light, like galaxies, rose within the dark, boundless Vast Expanse. These were the purest strands of faith.
Even after countless eons, across billions of space-times and countless universes, there were still countless fervent believers of the Heaven-Warring Lord.