Time flew by like a fleeting shadow.
Half a month passed in a flash.
The ancient freaks, who had been sealed for hundreds of years, also gradually adapted through clash after clash, steadily growing stronger.
For instance, the Holy Son and Holy Daughter of Yinyang Valley rose to immense fame over this half-month, challenging the younger generation everywhere and sweeping through dozens of opponents.
Fighting those of higher realms was a breeze for them; even when facing Golden Core Realm cultivators, they held their own and could even gain a slight upper hand.
Such monstrous strength led people to mistakenly believe that the Golden Core Realm was nothing special.
Consequently, some inexplicably confident Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators challenged Golden Core Realm cultivators, only to end up dead or severely injured.
Later, rumors began to leak out.
These so-called ancient freaks were all top geniuses from hundreds of years ago, and every single one of them had previously broken through to the Golden Core Realm. It was only because they had missed the opening of the Ancient Immortal Realm back then, which prevented them from achieving a perfect perception of their own paths, that they chose to seal themselves.
These ruthless figures had shattered their own Golden Cores and dismantled their Violet Palaces to return to the Foundation Establishment Realm, only awakening when the Ancient Immortal Realm was about to open again.
In other words, the ancient freaks were originally Golden Core Realm cultivators. Even though they had reset their cultivation realms, their physical bodies remained at the Golden Core Realm, and their laws of combat were still intact.
Once this news spread, those minor cultivators who still harbored delusions of using the Foundation Establishment Realm to rival the Golden Core Realm began cursing in frustration.
Aside from this, there were also some bizarre rumors and gossip.
For example, some cultivation partners had promised to wait hundreds of years for their sealed lovers, only for the lovers to find upon awakening that the partners who had once sworn eternal love were already married to others.
This topic also generated quite a few laughs.
Over the past half-month, whether in matters of cultivation, challenging sects, or romantic entanglements, the ancient freaks had truly stolen the spotlight.
But all of this came to an abrupt halt with the opening of the Ancient Immortal Realm.
One of the Nine Provinces.
The territory of Cangzhou.
Due to the descent of the Ancient Immortal Realm, this originally desolate region was flooded with hundreds of millions of cultivators within a few days.
These cultivators came in all forms—some trod upon the void, some rode on flying swords, while others sat atop various rare and exotic demon beast mounts.
The magnificent and majestic scene was not in the least inferior to a gathering of ten thousand immortals.
Those minor cultivators who had never seen much of the world felt an indescribable excitement welling up inside them as they gazed upon this grand gathering.
Even some inner sect disciples from the major immortal sects were witnessing such a soul-stirring spectacle for the first time, and their spirits soared accordingly.
“It's coming!”
Someone called out, and in the originally cloudless sky, a black hole the size of a bowl suddenly materialized. The clear sky began to change color.
Crackle!
Billowing thunderclouds rolled in, carrying coiled purple lightning. Tens of thousands of lightning bolts poured down, leaving behind a trail of thick smoke and ruin wherever they passed.
Seeing this, the mighty experts tacitly erected barriers to block the onslaught.
However, this was not the end.
The bowl-sized black hole expanded to the size of a person in just a few moments. Yet, it did not stop; it continued to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, expanding further!
Heaven and earth seemed unwilling to allow the emergence of some taboo and attempted to suppress it directly. Several chains of order materialized out of thin air, lashing out to bind it.
Far from being afraid, the black hole acted like a ravenous monster, swallowing the chains of order in reverse and expanding itself even further.
After about half a burn of an incense stick, the entire sky was covered by the black hole, and even the thunderclouds were integrated into its body.
At this moment, the black hole was completely transparent, reflecting the stars beyond the world. Galaxies upon galaxies were displayed within it, resembling a map of the starry sky—beautiful, mysterious, and terrifyingly dangerous.
Dong!
With a dull, heavy boom, the black hole began to twist, and even the surrounding space became distorted. The transparent sea of stars within shattered one after another, as if True Immortals were fighting inside, making the scene extremely bizarre.
“It's about to emerge!”
A mighty expert spoke, his hands forming a hand seal as the laws of order swirled around them.
“Fellow Daoists, let us cast our spells together!”
With a shout, experts at the Void Return Realm and above acted in unison. In an instant, dozens of streams of the power of order merged into a multi-colored torrent of magic power, pouring into the black hole.
Roar!
Immediately after, a ferocious roar resembling that of an ancient wild beast echoed from within the black hole. Dozens of bone gates, hundreds of feet tall, broke through the chains of order and descended from the black hole.
They came in various forms—some carved with the patterns of ferocious beasts, some with human figures, and others constructed from the skeletal remains of sacred beasts that had long been extinct since ancient times.
Dong!
The bone gates emitted a faint silver glow. Through the gates, a vast sea of stars was visible, with thousands of dim ancient stars orbiting in lonely isolation within.
“The Ancient Immortal Realm has opened! Go and seize your opportunities!”
The high-ranking figures of the major sects waved their hands, pointing toward the bone gates.
“Charge!”
“Supreme opportunities await!”
Countless cultivators roared with frenzied expressions, surging into the bone gates from all directions.
“Master, we are going.”
“Go on.”
Leng Ning'an and the others bowed, then followed behind the Golden Core Realm elders as they flooded into the Ancient Immortal Realm.
No matter the era, the opening of the Ancient Immortal Realm always drew cultivators from all over the Nine Provinces, resembling a carnival exclusive to cultivators.
Or perhaps, a graveyard for them.
To stand out among these hundreds of millions of cultivators was easier said than done.
Which genius had not climbed up by stepping on the bones of countless others?
And which cultivator was not defying the heavens?
The answer was clear—every single one of them was.
“Big Brother, Qing'er will be waiting out here for your good news.”
Murong Qing waved from Su Qian's arms. Although she was reluctant to part, she knew the path of cultivation was arduous and difficult, so her small body could only pray in her heart.
“Mhm, we will.”
Zhu Huai bowed to Su Qian and the others, then looked at Shen Shi. Bowing slightly, she sent a sound transmission: “Father, I am going.”
Shen Shi's expression was complex. He opened his mouth as if to speak but stopped, finally saying helplessly, “Return early, and keep yourself safe.”
As her father, he understood his daughter's personality very well.
Especially from the moment Wang Xuanyi dragged her out of that lonely room, this moment had been destined.
To resolve the influence of her Peach Blossom Eyes, her only choice was to seek a sliver of hope on the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.
The disciples of the various immortal sects were more or less bidding tearful farewells. This opening of the Ancient Immortal Realm was just like before—countless cultivators would enter, but only a meager few would emerge.
Of course, the mood shifted entirely when it came to Wang Xuanyi.
Wang Xuanyi poked his nose and threw a storage ring to Mo Yan, saying with a speechless face, “Old geezer, there are hundreds of jars of Green Bamboo Wine inside. It's enough to last until I get back, so don't you dare steal my wine to drink again.”
Smack!
Mo Yan caught the storage ring, then smacked Wang Xuanyi on the head. He pulled out a jar of Green Bamboo Wine, took a wild swig, and said, “You little brat, I was actually quite touched, but look at the nonsense you're spewing.”
“Can't help it. Who told you to have a criminal record with me?”
Wang Xuanyi said, rubbing his head.
“I'm your master. It's only right for a disciple to show filial piety to his master.”
“Then give me back the storage ring!”
“Piss off! Hurry up and get in there.”
“How shameless!”
Watching this bizarre master-disciple duo, the people of the Heavenly Martial Immortal Sect were utterly speechless.
A solemn and dignified atmosphere had been turned by these two into something akin to going on a vacation. This parting vibe was truly one of a kind.
“You brat, I'll be waiting for you to come back and brew more wine. Otherwise, I'll drink your entire wine cellar dry.”
Mo Yan scolded with a laugh, but in his heart, he was just as deeply worried as everyone else.
With his back to Mo Yan, Wang Xuanyi waved his hand, then turned his head slightly to show his profile, grinning. “Master, if you dare steal my wine, I'll tell my future master's wife about your drunken antics and let her teach you a lesson!”
“...”
Talk about breaking Mo Yan's defense with a single sentence.
The rest of the Heavenly Martial Immortal Sect members also fought hard to suppress their laughter, trying their best to look completely oblivious, as if they had heard nothing.
“Sigh.”
Mo Yan let out a soft sigh, silently saying, “Have a safe journey, disciple.”
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