Chapter 283

Chapter 283: Divine Ruins

"Where is that?"

Li Ruoshui gazed toward the Western Region, sensing the eerie aura of Burial Soil and the shifting rules of heaven and earth.

"That’s the Western Region, part of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom’s territory." The Dao King, having descended into the Yuan Realm multiple times, knew its geography well and immediately recognized the strangeness.

Li Ruoshui and the Dao King vanished from their spots.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at the Western Region’s border.

The vast Western Region had transformed into a human Burial Soil—decayed, dark, and utterly devoid of light.

"Burial Soil!"

Li Ruoshui paled, her delicate face losing color. "Burial Soil has descended upon the human world."

"Master, is Burial Soil truly so terrifying?" The Dao King inquired, puzzled.

"The number one malevolent land formed at the creation of the heavens—of course it’s terrifying." Li Ruoshui’s expression turned awe-stricken. "Its appearance in the Yuan Realm means disaster for this world."

The Dao King became thoughtful.

Though Li Ruoshui offered no further explanation, he had gleaned one piece of information:

Burial Soil took form at the very dawn of creation.

"At the creation of the heavens… that was the era of the Innate Divine Beings. The emergence of Burial Soil likely has deep ties to them." The Dao King murmured to himself.

Buzz!

A ripple stirred in the void as Ji Xuan Yi and Meng Changan, alarmed by the anomalies in the Western Region, rushed to the scene.

"Disaster!"

The moment Meng Changan laid eyes on Burial Soil, his face contorted in fear. "Burial Soil has invaded the Yuan Realm!"

Ji Xuan Yi also looked horrified.

Originally sealed within Godfall Ridge, Burial Soil had vanished after the ridge’s seal broke. No one could have guessed it had already silently infiltrated the Yuan Realm.

By now, it had assimilated the entire Western Region and was spreading steadily.

"The Dao King?"

Just then, Ji Xuan Yi and Meng Changan spotted Li Ruoshui and the Dao King. Both men paused in surprise, yet without saying a word, they turned and departed.

"We should leave too."

Li Ruoshui said lightly. "Let them handle the Yuan Realm’s troubles on their own."

"Yes."

The two vanished into the Sea of All Realms.

That day, news of Burial Soil’s invasion spread widely, shocking countless cultivators.

The Western Region became a forbidden realm.

…

Three days later, the Heaven’s Machine Auction House concluded its session. Ye Xu, along with Gu Daojin and the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital, departed the Yuan Realm to explore the Divine Ruins.

Before departing, Gu Daojin specifically traveled to the Western Regions to investigate.

The sky dome of the Western Regions was already engulfed by a dark fog, eerie cries echoed through the air, and a bizarre aura blanketed the heavens and earth. It seemed to alter the very rules of Yuan Realm, as if formed by some writhing, dark monstrosity.

"Back when I saw the Green Lotus Demon Emperor and those Emperor Venerables who claimed to have lived a second life, I always thought them odd. The Western Regions turning into Burial Soil must definitely be connected to the Green Lotus Demon Emperor," Yu Ziwei declared with conviction.

Ye Xu nodded. "You guess correctly. The Green Lotus Demon Emperor has been possessed by the Burial Soil and lost his own consciousness long ago. As for those Emperor Venerables, they’re nothing but puppets."

"Brother Ye, how do you know this so clearly?" Yu Ziwei inquired, astonished.

"Three days ago, I came to the Western Regions and faced off against the Green Lotus Demon Emperor. By that time, the Western Regions had already begun its assimilation into the Burial Soil. Now, that process has become irreversible," Ye Xu revealed to everyone without holding back.

The expressions of the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital and Gu Daojin were peculiar.

"If there’s one place under heaven this old man wouldn’t dare venture, it’s that Burial Soil," Gu Daojin thought inwardly, a shudder running through him. "Just looking at that cursed place makes a man’s hair raise."

"Master, you feel fear?" Yu Ziwei expressed amazement, surprised.

Thwack!

Gu Daojin delivered a sharp flick on her forehead and snorted coldly. "This old man enjoys exploration and archaeology, he has no desire to die."

"Let’s head to Qingyang Realm first," Ye Xu suggested.

The Divine Ruins site was located in the Qingyang Realm, situated southwest of Yuan Realm. It was a medium-sized world, far inferior to the major worlds like Yuan Realm or Spirit Realm.

Consequently, the very strongest cultivators in Qingyang Realm only reached the quasi-emperor level; no Great Emperor had emerged there for a hundred thousand years.

Several days later, the group journeyed across the Sea of All Realms and arrived within the Qingyang Realm.

"The spiritual energy of this world is so thin, no wonder there are no emperor realm experts," Qin Fei Yan remarked.

One more day passed, and they reached the Canglan Mountain Range in the Canglan Continent.

Towering mountains loomed grandly amidst billowing fog, their contours hazy and indistinct.

"It’s likely no one would have guessed that the ruins of the Ancient Divine Court could have drifted into such a small world," the Heavenly Talisman Old Man sighed deeply.

After the collapse of the Divine Court, it was swept into the turbulent void currents, drifting aimlessly without a fixed location.

It was just like the Unsurpassed Divine Mountain of ancient times – also endlessly adrift within the void.

BOOM!

Gu Daojin’s body suddenly surged. The power of his Rising Dragon Dominance erupted as he violently thrust his fist into the void.

RUMBLE!

The void for hundreds of thousands of miles around shattered violently. Towering mountains crumbled one after another, dust and mist mingling together. An immense earthquake rocked the entire Qingyang Realm, the heavens and earth shaking.

Cultivators throughout Qingyang Realm trembled in terror, praying incessantly.

"Still not showing yourself?" Gu Daojin roared ferociously, his life force energy billowing like a dragon. He swept aside the turbulent void currents with one hand, and finally, the others saw it—a mere corner of the Divine Ruins, hidden deep within the chaotic expanse, steeped in profound mystery.

THOOOM!

Gu Daojin grabbed onto a fragment of the Divine Ruins with one hand. Channeling the Rising Dragon Dominance to its utmost limit, he unleashed its immense power, physically plucking the Divine Ruins out from the depths of the chaos.

More and more remnants of the ruins began to slide into view.

CRRRRASH!

In just a few breaths, a colossal palace complex spanning millions of miles in all directions plummeted from the sky and crashed to the ground.

Boom!

The earth stretching millions of miles across collapsed. The seismic tremors rippled through the entire Qingyang Realm, tearing it violently into several fragments.

The Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital and Ye Xu joined forces, stabilizing the situation to prevent the aftershocks from harming the living beings of the Qingyang Realm.

Yet, some creatures inevitably perished.

The Divine Court ruins were simply too immense; the Qingyang Realm could barely withstand them.

They ascended into the void. Before their eyes stood countless palaces wreathed in a terrifying power, a sight that instinctually filled their hearts with profound reverence.

"This power… it feels like the aura of heavenly tribulation?" Yu Ziwei murmured, perplexed. "But why would heavenly tribulation’s power enshroud the Divine Ruins?"

"This is the power of divine punishment," stated Gu Daojin.

Channeling his formidable magic with explosive vigor, he raised his hand and sent a brilliant sword ray slashing towards the Divine Ruins.

He knew everything about the Divine Ruins from Ye Xu.

Therefore, Gu Daojin was certain that the power veiling the ruins was indeed the power of divine punishment.

However, why the Divine Ruins would suffer such divine punishment remained a mystery to him.

After all, this pertained to secrets of the Human Emperor not included in the information about the ruins.

Whoosh!

The mighty sword ray struck the Divine Ruins. Instantly, a great change swept through the heavens. A vast, rolling surge of divine punishment’s power condensed into an enormous, utterly blank face brimming with boundless fury.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Above them, the Divine Thunder of punishment manifested. Thousands upon thousands of thunder dragons surged towards Gu Daojin and his companions.

"Fear not," Gu Daojin reassured them, his tone flippant. "This is merely residual divine punishment power—a mere piece of cake!"

His body rapidly expanded to a height of several tens of thousands of miles, his muscles powerful like dragons, his vital essence as vast as the sea. Immersing himself in the sea of lightning, he tore through thunderbolts with his bare hands, exuding exhilarating power.

Yu Ziwei’s face twitched. This was outright absurd. Her mentor genuinely showed zero respect for divine punishment.

Boom! Crack! Fizz! Crack! Crack!

Gu Daojin moved freely within the thunderous ocean. Lightning strikes blasted against his body, causing only minor tingles and numbness—nothing remotely serious.

Before long, the power of divine punishment was thoroughly exhausted.

Creeeeak…!

Freed from the bindings of divine punishment, the main gate of the Divine Court, sealed for countless millennia, emitted a low groan. Gently blown by a breeze, it slowly swung open.

"Come with me, lads!" Gu Daojin roared with excitement. "Treasure, here I come!"

Before the words fully faded, he had streaked like a comet into the Divine Court.

“……”

The group exchanged silent, speechless looks before hurriedly giving chase.

…

Yaoguang Realm

Within the confines of an ancient noble clan, the very instant the Divine Ruins opened, an ancient, dark yellow bell glowed with a faint golden light. No one struck it, yet the bell resonated with a deep, resonant ‘Dang! Dang! Dang!’, instantly invigorating every disciple of the Zhong Clan.

"The Morning Bell rings!"

Deep within their secluded Secret Realm, the Zhong Clan’s Ancestors awoke one by one. Murky eyes snapped open, erupting with divine light as blindingly intense as the sun itself.

These eighteen Ancestors were no mere Emperors—their cultivation had breached the Emperor Venerable Realm, ascending them to the True Immortal Realm.

A single clan boasted eighteen true immortals.

Yet, nineteen figures resided in this Secret Realm.

As the bell tolled, the eighteen true immortal Ancestors turned their gazes towards the nineteenth figure—a woman in simple robes, barefoot and seated in the lotus position. She had snow-white hair yet retained flawless skin, possessing an eternally youthful visage.

After the third toll of the bell, the woman in simple robes slowly opened her eyes. Clear and luminous as autumn waters, they held within them the majesty of the cosmos and the brilliance of stars.

"Your Highness!"

The true immortal Ancestor kneeling closest to her bowed deeply, his voice reverent. "The Morning Bell resonates! It signifies the emergence of the Divine Court! Your Highness, we await your command!"