At this moment, many ancient beings hidden throughout the Vast Expanse were startled. Deep within their dark and profound sea of consciousness, a flash of silver light suddenly appeared, bright as day, sweeping over them.
It was as if some unfathomable, unimaginable being had opened its eyes and was casting its gaze upon them, scanning them briefly.
The overwhelming silver-white light that swept across the heavens and earth was like a gaze that had pierced through eternity. The boundaries of the Vast Expanse seemed to turn into faint, bubble-like substances.
Of course, the silver-white light that had suddenly flashed through the minds of countless beings and cultivators quickly disappeared. The sea of consciousness of all beings returned to its deep, silent darkness, as profound as the ocean floor.
"What was that just now?"
Many ancient beings felt a chill in their hearts, their faces unable to hide their shock.
"Could it be that a being from the Land of Truth has opened its eyes and is surveying the myriad worlds?"
Many beings hiding deep within the boundaries of worlds felt a similar fear, sensing that something major was about to happen. The Vast Expanse was likely to undergo drastic changes soon.
Or perhaps an unimaginably terrifying calamity was about to descend.
For a time, ancient beings across various space-times began to deduce the future, or fled, planning various countermeasures.
In a secluded land of beautiful mountains and rivers, where mist and rain drifted, purple fog enveloped the peaks, and radiant light surrounded the mountains.
Jade-like lakes dotted the landscape, and all the birds, beasts, fish, and insects were imbued with spirituality. Rare flowers, exotic grasses, tall bamboo, and ancient pines thrived, with even the wild grass in the stone crevices exuding immortal light and Dao charm, making it an extraordinary place.
"White-Browed Elder Brother has been captured for so long, yet the master hasn't inquired about him."
"Since Elder Sister Xingying escaped and returned, she has been recuperating. Although the master hasn't blamed her, it's clear she feels guilty…"
"I really don't know who the leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance is. When Elder Sister Xingying mentioned it after returning, it was the first time I saw the master's expression change."
Atop the highest purple peak in this area, there was a cave entrance several meters tall. Two young-looking attendants, a boy and a girl, stood on either side, quietly conversing.
Though they appeared young, they exuded an ancient, weathered aura, each bearing some non-human traits, such as scales or horns.
Not far from the cave entrance stood a rectangular green stone tablet, three zhang tall and six chi wide. The three ancient characters "Yinxu Cave" were inscribed with bold, flowing strokes, exuding a natural Dao charm, as if embodying the myriad Daos of the universe, surrounded by a hazy radiance.
As the two attendants spoke, a wisp of clear energy suddenly drifted out from the cave, carrying a golden ancient scroll, which landed before them.
"Pu'er, take this scroll to your Third Elder Brother and have him go to the Weiyang Hall."
A gentle, neutral voice came from within the cave.
"Yes, Master."
One of the attendants, a boy, immediately knelt respectfully, picked up the golden scroll, and transformed into a green luan bird, swiftly flying away.
"Ti'er, go find Xingying and have her return to the Prime-Origin Civilization to confirm whether the Dark Tide has arrived," the gentle voice continued.
"Yes, Master."
The other attendant, a girl, responded respectfully, then transformed into a green dragon and flew off on a cloud.
The area outside Yinxu Cave quickly returned to silence. However, not long after, a long sigh echoed from within.
"With Chu Gucheng's death, all my arrangements in the Prime-Origin Civilization have come to naught, vanishing like bubbles. And that will just now… could it be related to the Source of the Dark Calamity? I hope my guess is wrong."
"No matter what, this lifetime I will pull the rug out from under them. No being can stand in my way."
After this sigh faded, Yinxu Cave fell into absolute silence once more, with only the colorful mist lingering among the stone crevices and cliffs, making it seem like a sacred immortal realm.
Meanwhile, in a world of eternal darkness, filled with ash and black skies, endless mountain ranges and plateaus stretched across the land, with hills, plains, and valleys forming various natural landscapes.
There were dark, smoldering volcanic craters, eternally frozen dark soil, and undulating swamps.
This was a lawless, unbound world, formless, traceless, colorless, and desireless. It constantly shifted between reality and illusion, with landscapes appearing and disappearing simultaneously, making it impossible to determine which era it existed in—yesterday, tomorrow, or perhaps eons ago.
Atop the most majestic mountain range stood a grand, ancient dark palace, surrounded by a sprawling complex of structures resembling altars and fortresses.
The palace seemed as tall as the heavens, as if it had existed since the dawn of creation, its form indistinct and hazy.
At all times, ancient sacrificial chants and world-sounds echoed within, as if a figure shrouded in endless sacrificial light sat inside.
Whoosh!
At this moment, a pillar of blood-red light shot up from the dark palace, threatening to crush the heavens. The light was vast and boundless, forming a massive blood-red altar.
Around the altar stood towering pillars made of unknown materials.
Each pillar was carved with ancient runes, depicting mountains, rivers, lakes, insects, fish, beasts, and totemic flowers. Dragons, pinned from their tails, coiled around the pillars, as if about to roar and soar into the sky. There were tens of thousands of them, each tens of thousands of zhang long, their scales as large as mountains.
As the blood-red altar grew larger, the pillars began to tremble, and the dragons came to life. Chaos particles billowed around them, and ancient universes seemed to rotate and float, as if supporting something.
This scene was terrifying and awe-inspiring. The entire world shook as an ancient, indestructible coffin slowly revealed itself, resting atop the blood-red altar. A corner of the coffin was slightly open, surrounded by eerie, terrifying chaos mist.
Inside, a faintly visible coffin lay horizontally, reflecting through the blood-red altar. Endless blood-red substances billowed, exuding an aura so terrifying it could crush all worlds. Strands of this aura cascaded down, capable of annihilating all tangible and intangible matter.
The blood-red altar projected onto the sky, with dark energy so dense it fell like a waterfall, resembling a celestial river bursting its banks, surging and flooding all directions.
All beings in this world knelt in reverence, kowtowing fervently, their eyes filled with fanaticism, as if the coffin contained a supreme, unparalleled being.
"What's happening?"
"Why has the Coffin of World Burial suddenly shown signs of activity? It's awakening on its own?"
"The Coffin of World Burial is trembling slightly, and the coffin inside is trembling as well…"
"I knew it! The great master cannot be killed. This is a sign of his imminent return."
Countless dark figures knelt in the surroundings, resembling an endless dark tide filling the heavens and earth.
Cheers, excitement, and jubilant voices echoed everywhere, reaching a fever pitch.
"The Coffin of World Burial wouldn't awaken without reason. Something must have happened…"
"The young lady isn't in the Nightmare Demon Domain right now, and none of the high priests are near it. It must have sensed the master's will to return and is trembling in fear."
"It's afraid of that day's arrival."
Excited whispers and speculations filled the air.
From the blood-red altar, dense dark substances fell like waves, engulfing everyone. The dark energy that terrified beings outside was met with cheers and joy here, as if they were basking in warm sunlight, feeling utterly at ease.
The terrifying scene in the sky appeared quickly and disappeared just as fast. The blood-red altar and the coffin within it vanished, as if sinking back into the palace.
"The Coffin of World Burial hasn't shown such activity in a long time. The last time was when that sage risked his life to break in and stole…"
Suddenly, a path opened through the crowd, and a figure dressed in dark robes, wearing a green ghost mask, walked forward. His hair was disheveled, and he carried a simple, unadorned blade at his waist, resembling a constable from a mortal kingdom.
Yet, the beings around him looked at him with fear, making way as he approached the mountain.
"Ahem…"
"Be careful with your words. In the Nightmare Demon Domain, it's best not to mention such things. Although the young lady isn't here now, if word reaches her, she won't be pleased."
A coughing sound interrupted the figure's words.
An old woman with a hunched back, her face covered in wrinkles and pockmarks, walked over. She wore a dark golden cloak and, despite her occasional coughs, her eyes were sharp and piercing.
"With Feng Zang the Priest here, what do I have to worry about? The young lady won't hear of this," the figure with the blade said, letting out a meaningful laugh.
"Chu Shuang, in the Nightmare Demon Domain, you must follow the rules. Even if High Priest Li Shuang values you, you cannot be insolent. All the high priests acknowledge the young lady's status. Who are you to speak sarcastically?"
The old woman, Feng Zang, narrowed her eyes and struck her cane heavily on the ground, her tone turning sharp.
"Heh, I wasn't being sarcastic. Priest Feng Zang, you're overthinking it," Chu Shuang replied with a careless shrug, his hand resting on the blade at his waist, as if ready to draw it at any moment.
The surrounding beings, regardless of their strength, fell silent, not daring to speak.
Although the Nightmare Demon Domain had strict rules, the two before them were figures they could not afford to offend. Every priest held life-and-death authority under the high priests, their strength unfathomable.
And Chu Shuang was a trusted subordinate of a high priest, his power equally terrifying and unyielding.
Normally, they wouldn't even have the chance to see one of these figures, let alone witness such a confrontation.
However, it was no secret that many high priests were at odds with each other, often clashing.
"If you have a dispute, take it outside and settle it with a life-and-death battle. This sacred place dedicated to the master cannot tolerate anything other than reverence."
Suddenly, a calm, emotionless voice rang out. A human-shaped black mist appeared, surrounded by faint blue lights, obscuring the figure within.
The mist appeared abruptly, without any warning or aura. All the beings present immediately kowtowed, lowering their heads in reverence.
"Wu… Wu Yue, the Grand High Priest…"
Chu Shuang's smile vanished, his face pale beneath the ghost mask. His voice trembled as he hurriedly bowed. "Chu Shuang pays respects to the Grand High Priest."
Feng Zang's expression was similarly fearful, her hand gripping the cane trembling. "Feng Zang pays respects to the Grand High Priest. I did not mean to quarrel with Chu Shuang. Please forgive me…"
She never expected the Grand High Priest, who had been silent for so many years, to appear today.
Even the other high priests dared not show any disrespect in front of Wu Yue.
The high priest she served was no exception.
"This place is dedicated to the master. No disrespect will be tolerated."
The calm voice from the black mist carried a hint of coldness.
Chu Shuang and Feng Zang grew even more fearful, recalling the many legends about the Grand High Priest, their faces pale.
"Grand High Priest, forgive us. We meant no disrespect. Our reverence for the master has never wavered."
"Please spare us…"
"Death may be avoided, but punishment cannot. Before the Heaven-Warring Hall, I will not tolerate even a speck of dust."
The Grand High Priest's voice remained cold. With a wave, two strands of mist shot out like flames, landing on Chu Shuang and Feng Zang.
Terrified, they dared not dodge. They let out cries of pain and fear, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, transformed into a dog and a chicken.
"When the Heaven-Warring Hall is spotless, you may return to your original forms," the Grand High Priest said indifferently.
The other priests and high priests who arrived later couldn't help but shudder at the sight.
The Grand High Priest ignored them and walked alone toward the majestic mountain range, entering the grand palace within.
"The Coffin of World Burial has shown signs of activity. I have finally heard your voice again. Are you about to return?"
"I've waited so long for you…"