“Back then, our ancestor, with a selfless act, left behind a path for us…”

“Hmm?”

Liu Ruchun’s voice suddenly became filled with astonishment.

“What is it?” Huang Lao couldn’t help but ask.

“Strange, why has the trajectory of the Medicine King Cauldron deviated?” Liu Ruchun’s voice was filled with confusion. “Could it be that the Dao Marker’s sensing is malfunctioning?”

Moments later.

“The Medicine King Cauldron is functioning normally.”

“Then what exactly…”

Before Liu Ruchun could find an answer, Huang Lao’s panicked voice came through.

“Sect Master, something doesn’t feel right.”

“Why does it feel like we’re not moving forward, but upward?”

The surrounding scenery abruptly shifted.

Their perspective continuously narrowed. Xiao Heng and the others saw that shortly after leaving the Xuanhuang Realm, the Medicine King Cauldron, which had been flying straight ahead, inexplicably changed its course.

As if something above was attracting it.

The Medicine King Cauldron traced a curve in the dark void.

Helplessly, it slowly drifted upwards.

Its speed grew increasingly faster.

There wasn’t a single star in sight, only endless darkness.

Yet, at that moment, it felt like a ferocious beast, opening its maw, waiting for its prey to arrive.

Liu Ruchun’s heart turned ice-cold.

Gazing at the luminous cloud below, representing the Xuanhuang Realm, which was growing smaller and smaller, he felt as if he saw a mocking gaze coming from it.

In that instant, Liu Ruchun understood everything.

Why did the Ten Immortal Sects know they were trying to escape, yet didn’t stop them?

Because they already knew.

There was no way to escape.

“Ten Immortal Sects…” Liu Ruchun gritted his teeth.

The Medicine King Cauldron’s speed had already surpassed its limit, causing it to violently shake.

“Sect Master!”

Creaking sounds echoed from all directions. Huang Lao’s voice was filled with panic.

Just a few breaths later.

“Sect Master, you…”

First, Huang Lao let out an incredulous scream.

“Disciples of the Medicine King Sect, listen to my orders…”

Following that, Liu Ruchun began issuing commands to the disciples within the Medicine King Cauldron.

He ordered them to quickly return to their respective chambers.

“Don’t blame me…”

Liu Ruchun’s soft murmur reverberated through the space.

“With just my strength, it’s impossible to escape from there…”

His voice revealed a hint of despair.

“But, for the Medicine King Sect.”

“I must do this.”

In an instant, a vast expanse of azure-green light enveloped the entire Medicine King Cauldron.

“Ten Immortal Sects!

!”

Amidst his furious roar filled with resentment.

The azure light intensified.

The Medicine King Cauldron’s speed abruptly slowed down.

However, it was still unable to change its downward trajectory.

But slowly, from within the Medicine King Cauldron, wisps of the same azure-green light began to emanate.

The azure light became increasingly dazzling.

The Medicine King Cauldron slowed down even further.

Slower and slower.

Finally, it came to a standstill amidst the endless darkness.

In that instant, a large amount of green light was extracted.

Only then did the Medicine King Cauldron begin to change its direction.

It avoided being swallowed and started plummeting downwards.

During its escape, the azure light flickered continuously.

As if it was being rapidly consumed.

Eventually, when the Medicine King Cauldron fell back into the Xuanhuang Realm, the green light had become almost invisible.

…

The scene abruptly ended.

“This is what happened back then,” Linghu Chang said with sorrow.

Xiao Heng and the others were still in shock from the scene they had just witnessed, unable to react.

After a long time.

“What was that?” Su Xiaomei, who was never afraid of anything, asked with fear.

Although she didn’t say it directly, everyone present understood what she was referring to.

“That is the Immortal Ruins. A long, long time ago, when the path to ascension was still open, that was where the celestial realm’s passage was located,” Linghu Chang answered her question.

“Before our Sect Master passed away, he understood many things,” Linghu Chang said.

“The celestial path is hidden, the connection with other cultivation realms is severed…”

“All of this is because a terrifying existence appeared above the Xuanhuang Realm.”

“It devours everything, even distorting time and space.”

“Just by circling around it, a thousand years have passed in the outside world.”

Linghu Chang’s voice was low, as he spoke slowly.

“And the Ten Immortal Sects back then, knowing this truth, watched as we were sent to our deaths, without offering any warning…”

Linghu Chang clenched his fists, his nails digging into his flesh.

“Immortal Ruins…” Xiao Heng and the others muttered, their hearts filled with indescribable terror.

“We… will this world be completely sucked up?” Su Xiaomei opened her mouth, asking with confusion.

Linghu Chang let out a cold laugh. “Back then, the Ten Immortal Sects were still engaged in open and covert struggles, constantly conflicting.”

“But suddenly, from a certain point, they became incredibly united, speaking with one voice.”

“I suppose the Xuanhuang Realm being able to survive until now is thanks to their efforts back then.”

Xiao Heng and the others felt slightly relieved upon hearing this.

However, the lingering sense of unease in their hearts couldn’t be easily dispelled.

…

Just as Xiao Heng and the others finally became aware of the Xuanhuang Realm’s true predicament, Li Fan, who was still oblivious to all this, had completed the final inspection of the Soul-Locking Array in the last province.

The Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array was about to completely cover the entire realm, and all the array masters who had participated in its construction received invitations from the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters.

“Go to Tianling Province to witness the Soul-Locking Array’s debut?”

“What does this mean?”

Li Fan looked at the black and gold jade-like invitation in his hand and asked Huangfu Song.

“Perhaps it has something to do with the void in Tianling Province,” Huangfu Song whispered.

“Anyway, it’s almost certain that the Five Elders Association will start another war.”

“So, the Alliance decided to take advantage of the Soul-Locking Array’s debut and give them a severe lesson.”

Li Fan nodded slowly upon hearing this.

Looking at the jade token, for some reason, a sense of unease suddenly welled up in his heart.

“Let’s go, many people have already arrived.”

“We can’t miss such a grand event.”

Huangfu Song piloted the Dust Crossing Boat towards Yanghua Immortal City.

Then, they used the teleportation array to continuously travel towards Tianling Province.

On the way, Li Fan suddenly stopped.

“Senior Huangfu, you go ahead.”

“I have something to do and need to go to the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters first.”

After a moment, Li Fan said to Huangfu Song.

He also gave him a “you know what I mean” look.

“Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance headquarters?” Huangfu Song was surprised, but quickly understood.

“Then congratulations to you, my friend!”

Looking at Li Fan with envy, Huangfu Song shook his head silently and left first.

After Huangfu Song left, Li Fan’s expression remained unchanged.

But in his heart, he was recalling the message that Lu Xuejing had just sent him.

“Danger.”

“It seems my premonition was right, there is indeed something wrong with Tianling Province.”

Li Fan secretly made plans.