"What?"
The woman holding the oil-paper umbrella changed her expression upon hearing this, her face turning pale with shock. Originally calm and indifferent, her demeanor shifted abruptly, as if Mount Tai had collapsed before her without her flinching.
She turned to look at the gentle woman, doubting whether she had heard correctly.
"I shouldn't have sensed it wrong. At that time, the power weakened, and it seemed as though the master intentionally let them go?"
The gentle woman was puzzled. She turned her head to gaze at the coffin behind her, which was almost disappearing and becoming increasingly blurred, then whispered, "However, perhaps it was my illusion. How could I possibly perceive the master's will?"
As the fluctuations of the battle dissipated, all laws and order vanished, and the entire sky returned to its deep, lightless darkness. All the dark beings knelt on the ground with reverence and fanaticism, and the universe fell into a solemn and killing silence.
The ruins where the Crescent Moon Sect once stood were now reduced to nothingness, with even traces and causality erased from the world.
If someone were to attempt to deduce the Crescent Moon Sect at this moment, they would find only a blank void.
Its traces of existence, its entire past, seemed to have truly disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed.
"My lady, should we pursue them?" The maid holding the oil-paper umbrella, having regained her composure, asked.
The gentle woman also calmed down. Her bright eyes gazed at the ruins, lost in thought for a long time before she finally shook her head and said, "They can escape the monk, but not the temple. As long as they still exist in this world, they will be found."
"The young lady is about to arrive here. When she does, we can simply report everything that happened here truthfully."
"Since the young lady is so concerned about the secrets of the Crescent Moon Sect, she will undoubtedly find her own way to pursue them."
After saying this, she took the oil-paper umbrella from the maid beside her, took light steps, and the space before her blurred. Ripples spread out, and in an instant, she disappeared.
Wu Yang had been standing respectfully at a distance the entire time, his head bowed, not daring to look up or ask a single question.
Only after the gentle woman had left did he let out a sigh of relief and regain his usual cold and imposing demeanor.
The Crescent Moon Sect was something Miss Nan Qing had specifically instructed to preserve, down to every flower and tree.
Yet, who could have expected this situation to arise? That mad old woman was indeed formidable, with unpredictable and bizarre methods. Under such terrifying pressure, she was still able to refine and take away the Crescent Moon Sect.
Moreover, that strange and terrifying gray substance at the time was actually able to contend with the dark matter, standing on equal footing. This was completely beyond Wu Yang's expectations and imagination.
Although it might have been due to the main priest Li Shuang underestimating her opponent, it was still enough to demonstrate the eerie and terrifying nature of that gray substance.
"Could this be the reason Miss Nan Qing specifically instructed us?"
Wu Yang thought this to himself but did not dare to delay any further. He then ordered the many dark beings to leave the area.
Since the collapse of the defensive line in this region, the dark beings had advanced unimpeded. Many orthodoxies and forces, including the Crescent Moon Sect, disappeared one after another. In just one night, chaos and turmoil spread across various cosmic regions, with widespread suffering and devastation.
The Alliance of Righteous Unity remained indifferent, not sending any reinforcements. Instead, the armies of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance arrived from various places, confronting the dark beings from a distance, reclaiming and protecting many regions, saving numerous clans and forces from disaster.
Relevant news spread throughout the vast expanse, causing a tremendous reaction and uproar among the various civilizations and true worlds.
Many civilizations that had not yet been invaded by the dark beings felt waves of fear and trepidation. The so-called "when the rabbit dies, the fox mourns" sentiment was palpable.
At this time, many hidden orthodoxies and clans that had entered the fray were even more hesitant, wondering whether to ally with the Alliance of Righteous Unity.
The strength and terror of the dark beings were evident to all. Relying solely on their own power, it was almost impossible to resist them.
Thus, alliance was the necessary path and method. And now, the only two choices were the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity.
The Heaven-Slaying Alliance was heretical, truly a group of villains who would not adhere to any sense of morality or righteousness. However, in critical moments, they seemed reliable.
On the other hand, the Alliance of Righteous Unity was a group of hypocrites, outwardly advocating morality and justice, upholding humanity as their foundation. But in critical moments, they would betray their principles, caring only for their own interests.
In such a situation, all clans and forces in the vast expanse had to make a choice. After all, the predecessors of the dark beings were the ones who once ruled the vast expanse, commanded all worlds, and usurped the authority of the Heavenly Dao.
Their footprints spanned countless universes and timelines. There was no space or coordinate they did not know.
No matter how vast the expanse was, no matter where one hid, there would come a day when the dark beings would find them.
With the general trend being what it was, even the higher-ups of the Alliance of Righteous Unity were deliberating on negotiating with the dark beings, willing to pay a great price and offer significant benefits.
How could ordinary clans and orthodoxies stand firm in such an environment?
In the Radiant Ancient Domain, a surging river, mighty and majestic, wound its way like a long snake through the mountains and ridges. The waves were towering, and the river stretched endlessly, with no visible boundary. A thin mist rose from the river, creating a hazy and indistinct scene.
A small merchant ship drifted leisurely downstream. There were not many cultivators or beings on board, all of whom were trying to cross this Radiant Ancestral River to reach the opposite shore.
The Radiant Ancestral River was what the natives of the Radiant Ancient Domain called this river.
It was said that this river originated from the former Radiant Ancestral Court, winding down from the sacred mountain of the Radiant Ancestral Court. Along its path, it flowed through plains, cities, and nations, nurturing countless beings.
In the past, the sects and forces of the Radiant Ancient Domain were all built along this ancestral river. Those closer to the source enjoyed abundant spiritual energy, rich blessings, and more prosperous fortunes. They could stand for tens of millions of years, or even longer, becoming truly immortal orthodoxies.
However, as the Radiant Ancestral Court collapsed and disintegrated, the spiritual energy of this ancestral river gradually dried up and dispersed.
By later epochs, it had become an ordinary river, with only occasional glimpses of extraordinary phenomena, evoking sighs and lamentations. People would lean on the railings, mourning and reminiscing about the former strength and longevity of the Radiant Ancestral Court.
At this moment, in a guest cabin on the second floor of the merchant ship, a man and a woman sat by the window, a pot of fragrant tea before them. The tea's aroma was soothing and pleasant.
"Did something happen?"
The woman had a graceful and tall figure, wearing a light gray gauze dress with a veil covering her face. Her black hair was like clouds, held up by a wooden hairpin. Her eyebrows were like ink, and her bright eyes were as deep as lacquer, sometimes profound and vast, sometimes majestic like a ruler.
The man opposite her wore a wide black robe, idly rubbing the teacup in his hand, seemingly lost in thought. His eyes held a hint of something intriguing. He was none other than Gu Changge, who had left the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
"It's nothing."
Hearing this, Gu Changge gently shook his head and put down the teacup in his hand.
At that moment, he had felt an abnormality in his own power—more precisely, an abnormality in another part of his power.
Although he had never reclaimed that part of his power, it did not hinder his control and perception of it.
When he was still the Lord of the Heavens, he had divided his power into several parts in preparation for being "sealed" later, so that it would be justified.
One part of his power was among the Heavenly Faction, sealed together with his previous physical body.
Of course, the majority of his power was within the Eight Desolate Demon Halberd, which had awakened and returned as he unlocked the seals on his memories.
Another part was sealed together with the Sixfold Celestial Abyss, and the final part was sealed by the Six Supreme Treasures of the First Civilization.
In that instant, he had clearly felt that a strand of his power within the Heavenly Faction had been borrowed, and the beings that strand of power was directed against included someone he had specifically marked.
Gu Changge had not marked many people. Apart from the few in the Dao Prosperity True World, there were almost none.
Yue Mingkong, Jiang Chuchu, and others were all in the Dao Prosperity True World and had not appeared in the vast expanse.
Thus, he did not sense them… but he could guess that Gu Xian'er must have gotten into trouble again and collided with his plans.
However, Gu Changge did not forcibly intervene, allowing events to continue unfolding.
Although Gu Xian'er had unexpectedly appeared in his schemes, her presence, in another sense, gave Gu Changge more room to maneuver.
In the coming days, a tripartite balance of power was inevitable. The remnants of the Black Calamity, the Alliance of Righteous Unity, and the Heaven-Slaying Alliance would become the three strongest forces dominating the situation in the vast expanse.
All other clans and orthodoxies that entered the fray would need to find a way to align themselves with one of the three.
Gu Changge had long planned to lure the hidden "big fish" in the vast expanse into the open, using them to balance and restrain the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
Due to the appearance of unexpected variables such as the Transcendence Codex, Gu Changge knew that a greater game was hidden deep within the situation.
Thus, he had to ensure that the current situation in the vast expanse reached a seemingly balanced and mutually restraining state. His schemes were far grander than the current state of the vast expanse, and the players behind the scenes, if they could no longer endure, would inevitably reveal flaws and mistakes.
The appearance of Ye Suyi's fate-defying destiny was no accident. Gu Changge had always been meticulous. When he deduced Ye Suyi, the Transcendence Codex, and other anomalies, he faintly sensed that all of this was related to the Land of Truth.
In other words, apart from him, there were others also laying out their schemes.
The emergence of the Alliance of Righteous Unity conveniently resolved Gu Changge's current dilemma. However, the person behind the Alliance of Righteous Unity was too simplistic, leading Gu Changge to suspect that he might be a puppet pushed forward by someone else.
The player behind the scenes would not easily reveal their flaws and was undoubtedly waiting for Gu Changge to expose his own.
This silent game had begun long, long ago.
"If you won't say, then forget it."
Ji Hanjing withdrew her gaze from Gu Changge and looked out the window at the vast river, slightly lost in thought.
She had now completely merged with the Book of Scavenging, truly becoming a civilization treasure that had taken human form.
However, returning to her peak state would still take some time. She was currently at the strongest state she could recover to, and any further progress would depend on her own diligent cultivation.
Ji Hanjing was quite satisfied with this. She had finally shed her identity as the spirit of the Book of Scavenging and was no longer bound by it.
Initially, she had only wanted to escape from the Book of Scavenging. She had never imagined, nor dared to imagine, possessing the strength she now had.
Gu Changge had fulfilled his part of the agreement, and she would naturally abide by her promise, loyally serving him from now on.
"It's nothing important, so there's no need to mention it."
Gu Changge took a sip of tea, his gaze also resting on the calm and vast river.
"Such strange tranquility."
Ji Hanjing spoke. In the distance, the waves were turbulent, but here it was completely calm, much like the current situation in the vast expanse.
While chaos and turmoil reigned everywhere, Gu Changge's side was always peaceful, truly transcendent.
After overcoming her tribulation of taking human form, she had followed Gu Changge's instructions to come here and find him.
Ji Hanjing did not understand why Gu Changge had chosen the Radiant Ancient Domain or what his purpose was.
"Are you wondering why I brought you here?" Gu Changge looked at Ji Hanjing.
Ji Hanjing was slightly taken aback, a hint of confusion appearing on her face before she nodded.
The Radiant Ancient Domain was no longer what it once was, not even a fragment of its former self.
The Radiant Ancestral River before them could only be considered a small tributary of what it once was.
In the past, the Radiant Ancestral River was magnificent and majestic, like a vast universe, boundless and endless, with spiritual energy surging. Along its banks, divine nations stood, and beings thrived, with dynasties flourishing in peace.