"Who has disobeyed the Hall Master's command…"
This figure only appeared for a moment, seemingly wary of something, then quickly vanished again.
The Lifeless Hall was an extremely mysterious force; calling it a force wasn't quite right—it was more of a territory, a Dao academy, a spacetime, with no fixed designation.
The Hall Master of the Lifeless Hall believed that this world was a prison and a cage, that living beings were destined to have no chance of survival, and that it was better to die early and be done with past entanglements.
In its philosophy, life was eternal sorrow and suffering; only death could bring Transcendence and freedom.
To fulfill this philosophy, it constantly searched for suitable seeds, granting them immortal bodies and eternal pain and torment. Only by slaughtering lives and granting liberation could their torment be alleviated. When their cultivation and strength reached a certain stage, they had a chance to be granted death.
The members of the Lifeless Hall were ranked by serial numbers; they could not be killed by others and could only be granted death by the Hall Master.
Thus, each member, seeking death, constantly fulfilled missions within the hall…
When No. 1 died, a new No. 1 would inherit the title, repeating over and over, cycling endlessly an unknown number of times.
And in the entire world, the beings who knew of the Lifeless Hall's existence could be counted on one's fingers; they were basically those ultimate ancient existences who had truly experienced the Epoch Cataclysms, having lived for an unknown span of years with no concept of lifespan left on them.
When the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity were locked in fierce battle, members of the Lifeless Hall appeared, causing many beings in chaotic spacetimes to vaguely sense something amiss.
But no one showed themselves; even after just a glance, they hurriedly erased all traces of their own karma completely, leaving no bit behind.
This was a caution that had become a habit, engraved deep into their souls.
The defeat and collapse of the Alliance of Righteous Unity was already an irreversible tide; however, this tide came too late. For the various True World civilizations in the Vast Expanse, with the Grand Dark Sacrificial Ritual initiated, no one could escape.
At this time, the only hope could only be pinned on the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
An icy blood-colored altar stood beyond the myriad worlds, vast and boundless.
Boundless Dark Matter cascaded down from there, as if a rift had torn open in heaven and earth, and endless dark aura surged toward the various worlds and universes.
Within the Dark Matter, numerous dark warships drifted out, charging forth, filled with swarms of Dark Beings wielding dark sabers, spears, and wearing dark armor, cold and solemn.
Ancient horns were blown, directing the Dark Beings to begin slaughtering the myriad worlds.
In other regions, true dragons, immortal phoenixes, white tigers, and other immortal beasts that seemed cast from dark divine metal carried terrifying Dark Beings, beginning their conquests in various realms and collecting nourishment for the Grand Sacrificial Ritual.
Wherever they passed, universes collapsed, worlds disintegrated; even existences in the Dao Realms could not change anything and could only become offerings.
Wuuu… The horn sounds swept by, like ancient gods and demons wailing, and as if the heavens themselves were weeping blood.
The region where the Ethereal Sacred Domain lay remained shrouded in vast black mist; the various races and True Worlds outside had no idea of the situation within.
Even many experts of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance did not know what was happening inside. Could it really be a conspiracy of the Dark Clans to trap Alliance Leader Gu Changge within?
However, no matter what, the most important matter at present was still to obstruct the Grand Sacrificial Ritual of the Dark Beings.
Ling Yuling, clad in armor, took charge of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance on behalf of Gu Changge. While settling accounts with the Alliance of Righteous Unity, she also issued a series of orders to resist the Grand Sacrificial Ritual of the Dark Clans.
After experiencing the collapse of the Alliance of Righteous Unity, the various races and True Worlds in the Vast Expanse finally understood the situation. Setting aside their previous prejudices, they began to actively cooperate with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance to jointly resist the Grand Dark Sacrificial Ritual. Every day, they dispatched numerous experts and clan members, and also responded to all requests for resources without fail.
Without Gu Changge to preside over it, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance did not encounter major problems; after all, Ling Yuling was indeed a former Sage who had once resisted the Dark Clans, and everyone trusted her deeply.
Under her guidance and management, everything was orderly and systematic.
Meanwhile, the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, having finished its campaign against the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom, also dispatched large armies to various True World civilizations at this time to resist the Grand Sacrificial Ritual of the Dark Clans.
For a time, the situation in the Vast Expanse became clear; all True World civilizations, led by the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, began a period of truly resisting the Dark Clans.
However, as the Alliance of Righteous Unity collapsed and disintegrated, the Weiyang Emperor Lord was nowhere to be seen in the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, as if he too had fled and hidden like the high-ranking members of the Alliance of Righteous Unity.
Of course, no one was paying attention to such matters at present.
Ling Yuling appeared on the front lines every day. Drawing on her past experience resisting the Dark Clans, she constructed an Immortal Great Wall, using ruined universes and worlds as borders and building battlefield fortresses there.
The various True World civilizations continuously sent resources, naming it "Shanhai Pass" and building it into the strongest, most impregnable defense line.
Behind that defense line, many array masters of the Dao Realms level arrived, setting up layers of terrifying restrictions; boundless divine light pierced through heaven and earth, drawing upon Great Dao runes and interweaving there.
Behind the restriction arrays, there was also a chaotic exile zone personally crafted by many existences of the Ancestral Dao Realm.
Behind the exile zone, rows upon rows of suspended stars and continents were stationed, with experts from various races and True Worlds permanently garrisoned there.
On the Immortal Great Wall, the high-ranking members of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance dispatched experts and cultivators daily to patrol and resist the Dark Clans' advances, while also sending out squads to help distant races evacuate and relocate within the Immortal Great Wall.
Under such circumstances, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's prestige surpassed that of the past. Unlike the time when Gu Changge presided over it, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance under Ling Yuling's governance made all living beings of all races feel a sense of security, a genuine peace of mind.
With the Heaven-Slaying Alliance as the main force resisting the Grand Dark Sacrificial Ritual.
The Dark Clans were not particularly hurried, instead focusing their energy on other empty and depleted universe-spacetimes, such as some chaotic regions. Some Divine Dao Civilizations also suffered invasion and were slaughtered.
Within the Divine Dao Civilizations, the Taixuan Divine Realm was corroded by Dark Matter and became the territory of the Dark Clans. Other Divine Realms hidden in spacetime were also invaded by the Dark Clans, who intended to sacrifice the entire Divine Dao Civilization.
Apart from the Taixuan Divine Realm, the Jiu'ao Divine Realm and other Divine Realms also suffered invasions, with continuous chaotic battles for many years. The Dark Taixuan Ancestral God personally led her dark divine kingdom subjects to attack the other Divine Realms.
After the Grand Dark Sacrificial Ritual began, many powerful Dark Beings appeared to assist her in attacking the other Divine Realms.
The entire Divine Dao Civilization system was now in chaos and turmoil; the other Divine Realms were in imminent danger. Some Ancestral Gods who rarely manifested in the myriad worlds had to show themselves and seek help from the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
However, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance initially did not respond. Ling Yuling wanted to intervene, but she was unanimously advised by the leaders of various races, who urged her not to meddle.
Because the Divine Dao Civilizations, both in the past and present, had never intervened in the affairs of other races and civilizations in the Vast Expanse. When the Black Calamity Catastrophe descended, they adopted an attitude of aloof indifference, never offering any aid or support.
The Ancestral Gods considered themselves Innate Beings and disdained to be tainted by the "Post-Innate" mortal world. Today's consequences were of their own making.
Thus, many True World civilizations had no intention of sending support, especially since the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, while seemingly strong and confident externally, still had a major internal threat that remained unresolved.
That was the matter of the Black Lotus Cult.
Many True World civilizations believed that the Black Lotus Cult was a tool of the Dark Clans, a scheme concocted jointly by the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Dark Clans.
It was to trap the various races attending the Immortal Dao Alliance founding assembly, and also to trap Gu Changge, the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, within it, thus giving the Dark Clans the confidence to hold the Grand Dark Sacrificial Ritual.
Such speculations and ideas were unanimously agreed upon.
Therefore, the top priority was to resolve internal problems first; there was truly no time to worry about the life or death of the Divine Dao Civilizations, for they had been in decline up to now, and whether they were rescued or not made little difference. The strength of each Ancestral God was at most on par with an existence of the Ancestral Dao Realm.
The surviving Ancestral Gods in the Divine Dao Civilizations numbered no more than ten; such strength was not worth the great cost for the various True World civilizations to go and rescue.
Ling Yuling could only give up and focus more energy on building defense lines and managing the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. She knew Gu Changge's strength well and did not think he would be trapped in the Ethereal Sacred Domain. But currently, experts from various races had investigated and found that region dark and eerie, shrouded in endless black mist; no one could enter and they had no idea what was happening.
The only way was to wait.
Time passed. With the commencement of the Grand Dark Sacrificial Ritual, the entire Vast Expanse welcomed its darkest and most tragic era. Even with the Heaven-Slaying Alliance as the main force resisting, they still seemed powerless against the Dark Clans that could hardly be wiped out.
Vast swathes of territory were invaded by Dark Matter; countless worlds and universes withered, and the myriad worlds became ruins.
However, for some universe-worlds guarded by Dao Realms existences, the Dark Clans did not completely reap them; they only killed and took away beings above the Immortal King level. Other beings were too weak with insufficient vitality to serve as nourishment.
Wave after wave of worlds were harvested like leeks.
Despite the aid of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, after many years, a large number of races still completely disappeared. The dark sacrificial altar beyond the Vast Expanse grew increasingly grand and solid, and ancient sacrificial chants resounded there, echoing in the ears of every living being.
During this period, the previously stubbornly resisting Divine Dao Civilizations also collapsed, completely darkening. Facing the heavy invasion of the Dark Clans, they had no chance to resist.
One extremely ancient Ancestral God emerged, whose strength was comparable to an existence that had crossed nine Heavenly Decline Tribulations. She attempted to resist, but in the end a High Priest personally took action, piercing her pipa bone with dark chains, sealing her divine flame tightly within her body, and took that Ancestral God back to the lair of the Dark Clans.
Soon, the Dark Clans would give birth to an immensely powerful Dark Ancestral God.
Despair, terror, and trembling swept across the myriad worlds of the Vast Expanse; all living beings were affected, living each day in trepidation.
While the Dark Clans encroached upon and sacrificed other worlds and universes, they also did not forget to try to breach the defense line created by the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. Though unsuccessful, each attempt triggered a great battle.
As the Deputy Alliance Leader, Ling Yuling felt weary every time, a sense of powerlessness, not knowing how long this situation would last.
The Dark Clans were probing, not truly launching their greatest assault on the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
And at this time, Gu Changge was still in the Ethereal Sacred Domain, with no sign of breaking free.
Having failed to overcome the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, the Dark Clans began to turn their gaze to other regions in the Vast Expanse, such as the Land of the Nine Heavens, known as the source of immortality, and the Ancient Treasure Civilization, which was said to control the great tribulations.
The Land of the Nine Heavens and the Ancient Treasure Civilization had always been two extremely special regions in the Vast Expanse.
The Land of the Nine Heavens was supremely transcendent, said to be the source of the Immortal Dao system; some also said it was actually the beings of the Land of the Nine Heavens who had pioneered the cultivation methods of the Immortal Dao system, for in ancient times, there was actually no Immortal Dao.
Of course, such claims could not be verified, but in the eyes of every cultivator of the Immortal Dao Civilization system, the Land of the Nine Heavens indeed held extraordinary significance.
As for the Ancient Treasure Civilization, it was because the Epoch Mother Tree, which created and evolved the myriad heavens and universes, grew within it—of course, the Epoch Mother Tree was also called the World Tree.
Each of its branches and leaves bore a vast realm; the birth, death, and reincarnation of the myriad worlds rippled at the foot of the Epoch Mother Tree, turning into an emerald deep sea of immense mystery.
Some said that behind the Ancient Treasure Civilization actually lay the path to the Land of Truth. Every time an Epoch Cataclysm descended, the Ancient Treasure Civilization served as the vanguard, acting on behalf of heaven.
And whenever that time came, the path connecting the two lands would emerge, so the beings from the Land of Truth responsible for the Cataclysmic Tribulation would appear, pushing the world-destroying millstone to overturn the myriad worlds and bring heaven and earth into an Epochal Winter.
After all, Epoch Cataclysms were different from Minor Cataclysms and Major Cataclysms; they were great calamities that affected the entire Vast Expanse. Even Supreme True Worlds could not escape, and there was no Sole True World that could stand aloof.
Such claims could not be verified, but the one certainty was that the Ancient Treasure Civilization was indeed connected to the Land of Truth. Through the long passage of ages, the legacy and existence of the Ancient Treasure Civilization had never been severed.
It was just that each era called it by a different name. Its true name should be the Ancient Burial Civilization.
This was a civilization that had personally witnessed the burial of all ages, seen the cycles of the myriad worlds, and the rounds of reincarnation.