Chapter 216

Chapter 216: Overture of the Great Change

Clang!

A bell toll echoed from the south, faint yet enduring, reverberating between heaven and earth.

The instant she heard it, Lin Qianmo’s gaze shifted subtly.

Almost instinctively, she looked toward Godfall Ridge. Bathed in twilight, the ridge grew hazier, its shadows and crimson clouds intertwining mysteriously.

"The Ji clan’s Bell of Time and Space!" Lin Qianmo murmured.

This bell, passed down through the aeons from the ancient Ji clan, was a Celestial-level treasure. Lin Qianmo had once visited the Ji clan and seen this Immortal Bell.

Yet, with Godfall Ridge’s seal still intact, not even a Celestial treasure could project its toll beyond.

Their ability to hear the bell now could only mean one thing.

The great change was imminent!

Ye Xu’s eyes narrowed sharply; he too realized the implication.

The overture of the great change would begin unfolding today.

"Esteemed friends, have you felt it? The spiritual energy of the Yuan Realm grows denser," Ji Tianjue solemnly noted. "The prophecy of the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion stated the seal over Godfall Ridge would lift in two days. It seems to be true."

"Hahaha…"

Great Emperor Senluo laughed boldly. "We come precisely for this Yuan Realm great change! We shall seize opportunity amidst this upheaval, reaching the rank of Emperor Venerable!"

"Great minds think alike," Great Emperor Leize grinned.

Feng Suiyuan, Great Emperor Lingbao, Han Jiuxiao, and others all wore solemn expressions. Their purpose, indeed, was to claim their share of fortune within the coming transformation.

"Back to the sect."

Lin Qianmo’s words were curt. She swiftly departed with Qi Ruyu and Ye Hongchen.

Nangong Zhandao left alongside Lan Youruo.

"Friends, why not visit Godfall Ridge for a closer look?" Great Emperor Leize suggested. "Legend speaks of an area of Burial Soil upon Godfall Ridge – a place steeped in profound strangeness. Now that its seal weakens and the strangeness spreads, We wished to witness this terrifying, legendary anomaly firsthand. How fearsome is it, truly?"

"Why not?"

Great Emperor Senluo declared fearlessly.

"Go where you will, friends. I shall not accompany you," Ji Tianjue retreated into the void and vanished.

"Let us proceed!"

Great Emperor Leize swept his sleeve, shattering the void. With one step, the group traversed the fabric of space toward Godfall Ridge.

Upon Linglong City, only Ye Xu and Great Emperor Ziwei remained.

"Brother Ye, shall we also go see?" Great Emperor Ziwei pressed, his eagerness clear.

Ye Xu shook his head.

"Do not underestimate those… Creatures," Ye Xu cautioned.

Great Emperor Ziwei’s expression shifted. "Brother Ye, have you seen them before?"

Ye Xu said lightly, "In the Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest, you witnessed the Burial Soil firsthand, so how could you not know its strangeness?"

When this matter was mentioned, Great Emperor Ziwei felt a wave of fear, his heart palpitating intensely.

For the rest of his life, he did not wish to have even the slightest connection with the Burial Soil.

Inside the Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest, just a section of the Burial Soil almost caused them to be completely annihilated without realizing it; the terror of the Burial Soil was considered at an unsolvable level.

"There are still two days; get ready to break through to the Emperor Venerable Realm." Ye Xu smiled, "That is the real business at hand."

Great Emperor Ziwei nodded.

……

Ji Tianjue flew all the way into the Sea of All Realms and landed on an island closest to the Yuan Realm.

On a solitary peak, a man in yellow stood facing the wind, his robes fluttering fiercely, his black hair dancing wildly in the wind, his back filled with loneliness and vicissitudes.

"Master."

Ji Tianjue bowed deeply and said, "Disciple has seen the Great Emperor Golden List and fought with people listed on it; the rank of the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion had not a single flaw."

"This person was able to choose ten people from all realms; it was truly remarkable wisdom, unfathomable."

"Being able to spread his fame throughout all realms in just over half a year, naturally, he has true abilities." The man in yellow spoke in a calm tone, not surprised.

"Counting the time, the seal of Godfall Ridge should be lifted soon?"

"There are still two days."

Ji Tianjue hesitated for a moment and asked, "Master, you came from the Three Thousand Immortal Islands to the distant Yuan Realm; is it also for matters of the Yuan Realm?"

The man in yellow nodded gently.

"Master, disciple has one thing unclear."

Ji Tianjue said solemnly, "Even if Yuan Realm is the ancestral home, and fortunes improve after extreme adversity, how much benefit can its opportunities bring to master?"

It must be known that master’s cultivation had long reached the Immortal Dao; he was a true immortal from the Red Dust who could ascend to the Immortal Realm at any time.

The man in yellow turned his head; his appearance was ordinary, only his eyes like bright moons or stars, making it hard to ignore his presence.

The corners of his mouth gradually lifted, revealing a faint smile, as he said, "The Heavenly Emperor Li rose in the ancestral home, harnessing the power of all beings to forge the Immortal Realm, only then leading to today’s situation where there are no immortals in the lower world."

"You think the peak of the lower world is the Emperor Venerable?"

Ji Tianjue’s heart shook violently, as if struck by lightning, and he looked at the man in yellow with disbelief.

"There are immortals in the lower world, and I am one of them."

The man in yellow turned around, stood with hands behind his back, and said as if to himself, "The operation of the universe is a cyclic process; everything that once disappeared will ultimately return."

……

Godfall Ridge.

Ancient Ji clan.

The ancient clock of time and space shook, its sound deep yet clear, spreading throughout the cave world of the true immortal; Ji clan disciples gathered one after another, forming a large, densely packed crowd.

"Patriarch."

Ji Zhe held the imperial sword with both hands, respectfully handing it over to the Ji clan patriarch.

Ji Ning stood tall and straight, as graceful as a jade tree in the breeze.

After several months, he had cultivated to the Divine God realm. Divine light glimmered in his eyes, brimming with vigor like a dragon or tiger.

"Commence the ritual!"

The Ji clan patriarch swept his hand grandly. A High Priest ascended the altar, waving his scepter and chanting under his breath.

In the next moment, countless Ji clan members recited incantations, their individual voices converging into a lengthy stream that surged into the altar.

Buzz!

The octagonal altar trembled. Above it, ritual inscriptions rose one after another, transforming into birds, beasts, insects, fish, stars, suns, and moons, adorning the celestial canopy and the earthly realm.

Elder by elder, Supreme Elder by Supreme Elder, witnessing this scene, joined the ceremonial ranks.

The Ji clan patriarch’s expression remained calm, yet his eyes couldn’t hide his profound agitation.

"Our clan, sealed away for millions upon millions of years, is finally about to see the light of day once more!"

Pointing his imperial sword toward the heavens, the Ji clan patriarch roared towards the sky.

"In two days, our clan shall break the seal and emerge, to conquer the world!"

"Conquer the world!"

"Conquer the world!"

The Ji clan youths bellowed, their voices like a tidal roar, vast and mighty, resonating endlessly without cessation.

This very scene unfolded across the ancient divine clans dwelling within Godfall Ridge.

For the ancient divine clans imprisoned within Godfall Ridge for millions upon millions of years, the next two days heralded their rebirth.

Then, the splendid mountains and rivers of the Yuan Realm would ignite their fervor for battle and dominion.

…

Simultaneously, outside Godfall Ridge, the silhouette of a Man in Black Robes slowly materialized. Like a phantom, his appearance was utterly silent. He exuded not a trace of aura, seeming like an utterly mundane mortal.

His gaze fell upon Great Emperor Leize and his companions.

These five emperors had arrived at Godfall Ridge long ago, attempting to enter.

The Man in Black Robes’s gaze was indifferent, ignoring the group. He transformed into a strand of ghostly light and flew into Godfall Ridge.

Roar!

Within Godfall Ridge, the seals had loosened; everywhere was weirdness and strangeness.

As soon as the Man in Black Robes entered, he was enveloped by a cloud of black mist. Whispering wraiths, bound by limitless resentment, surrounded him like he stood within hell itself.

Yet, the Man in Black Robes paid no heed.

He walked as if treading on flat ground, moving directly out of the black mist.

Inside the black mist, the group of wraiths froze stiffly in place. As the Man in Black Robes passed them by, each wraith shattered into nothingness one after another, and the black fog abruptly dissipated.

They were without life, existing solely through sheer obsession. Yet in this moment, it was as if they had been completely erased from existence, vanishing without a trace.

The Man in Black Robes glided through the sky like a phantom, seemingly bold through sheer skill, indifferent to all the bizarreness of Godfall Ridge. Everywhere he went, any strangeness attempting to hinder him vanished like smoke scattered by the wind.

After a quarter of an hour, he entered the Burial Soil.

"Daoist friend, please halt your steps."

Suddenly, a mechanical voice, devoid of any emotion, sounded above the Man in Black Robes’s head.

The Man in Black Robes’s footsteps paused ever so slightly.

He looked up.

A Green Lotus blossomed slowly above his head.

Seated within the lotus, cross-legged, was an exceptionally handsome man bearing a striking, seven-fold resemblance to Lian Jiuyou.

Had Lin Qianmo and Lian Jiuyou been present, they would certainly have recognized this figure before them.

The Green Lotus Demon Emperor!