A dim, chaotic thought began to stir—
Vague and half-formed, like a mind newly awakened from an eternal slumber.
Confusion lingered in the air, yet every being present could feel it.
A terrifying will surged through their minds, wild and unrelenting—
And its sole intent was clear:
To destroy everything.
A strange whisper rose from the depths of the ruins—soft, guttural, like a dreamer's muttering in a nightmare.
Yet each word was perfectly understood, as if the madness itself transcended language.
The murmur was laced with a deep, indescribable insanity, and it slithered into the hearts of all who listened.
Fear gripped them.
Their bodies trembled instinctively.
There was no longer any doubt—
The ancient ruins housed an unimaginable terror.
One far beyond their power to resist.
And just as that horrifying will took form—
A group of cultivators, rushing eagerly toward the glowing, emerald brilliance in the distance, suddenly froze in place.
Their expressions twisted in horror.
An instant later—
Pop!
The sound was like a balloon bursting.
A cloud of blood mist exploded into the air.
Even among them, one had reached the Pathseeker Realm—yet he was reduced to vapor in the blink of an eye.
Not even a scream remained.
At that moment, Luo Chuan's expression changed.
His gaze turned toward the World Tree.
The information panel he'd been monitoring had updated.
The message at the bottom had shifted from:
"Life force declining. Immediate treatment recommended."
To:
"Abyssal Invasion."
A sharp realization dawned on Luo Chuan.
That voice they had heard earlier—
It was the last cry of the World Tree, a final warning to stay away from this place.
But the stunned cultivators—those foolish few who rushed forward—
They had become the final straw.
The pressure that allowed the Abyss to fully seize control of the World Tree's will.
Even the High Priest's expression changed drastically.
A sense of cold dread washed over him.
He had believed that lowering the ancient ruins into this world would bring great change.
But now, for the first time—
He wondered if he had made a terrible mistake.
Across the field, the customers from the Origin Mall—Murong Bai, Ying Wuji, Ji Wuhui, and others—instinctively gathered around Luo Chuan.
Their reactions were almost synchronized, as though they shared a single thought.
"The boss is the safest place."
Even some unaffiliated cultivators noticed the sudden movement.
After a painful internal struggle, many of them made the same decision—
They too drifted toward Luo Chuan's side.
Others, however, fled into the distance in a panic, expressions filled with horror.
It was a gamble, and they had chosen to run.
After all—
Luo Chuan was mysterious and powerful, true. His cultivation realm was unfathomable, beyond their comprehension.
But the World Tree…
It was something else entirely.
The tree's very presence shook the entire ruin. A mere tremor from its roots caused the earth to quake.
And that thought—just a single thought—had instantly erased a cultivator at the Pathseeker level.
That was not power they could comprehend.
That was annihilation.
Next to such horror, the calm air surrounding Luo Chuan seemed too still, too quiet—
But many would rather take their chances there.
Chen Mo and Chen Yiyi arrived at Luo Chuan's side, breathing heavily.
Both were ashen-faced, their bodies trembling with fear they couldn't hide.
Chen Mo glanced back at the monstrous tree in the distance—
A tree that now raged uncontrollably, its branches twisted in grotesque patterns.
His voice quivered:
"This kind of terror… is the Azure Continent about to face another catastrophe?"
Meanwhile, outside the ruins—
Across distant mountains and hidden sects, ancient powerhouses opened their eyes.
They had not awakened in centuries, but now—
Their gazes turned sharply toward the source of the disturbance.
"This aura… impossible!"
"The Abyss? Didn't it get purged during the Ancient Era? Why has it returned?!"
"A new calamity is upon us…"
Even the Buddha of Mount Xumi, usually serene and unmoved, stared into the distant horizon.
His expression was unreadable, but a flicker of emotion passed through his eyes.
He was peering through time itself.
And what he saw shook him.
Far to the east, on the edge of the Azure Continent—
Where the land met the roaring sea and mountains rose like spears into the sky—
Lay the towering Heavens Secret Peak.
Here stood the ancient and mysterious Heavens Secret Pavilion.
Cultivators were climbing the endless stone steps, one after another.
It was tradition—no one, not even those at the Pathseeker Realm, was allowed to fly.
To seek answers from the Pavilion, one must walk every step.
For this was a place where destinies were calculated, where secrets of Heaven were unraveled.
And today, the heavens were in turmoil.
Something was coming.
Something that could not be stopped.