As the Sacred Ancestor of the Ethereal Sacred Domain made his move, the massive black lotus in the distant firmament trembled. Terrifying aftershocks spread, boundless energy surged, as if about to tear the cosmos apart.
The void exploded, with endless black light gushing forth there.
The Sacred Ancestor of the Ethereal Sacred Domain gave another cold snort, seemingly provoked. From his sleeve, he produced a glittering golden glazed sacred pagoda of nine tiers, which flew out and hovered over the worlds.
The scale-covered black hand reached out again, but before the Sacred Ancestor's strike, it had little resistance. With a splat, it broke off, black blood spraying across the sky, accompanied by muffled groans.
Accompanied by a pained sound, the being within finally revealed its true form: a massive, ancient black dragon, its scales dense and chilling, as if cast from molten iron, gleaming with cold light.
However, its neck was bound by thick black chains, around which the aura of the Great Dao entwined. As it moved, a clanking sound reverberated through heaven and earth.
It let out a roar that shook the cosmos, spewing black flames from its mouth. The void instantly scorched; the River of Time flickered, even blurring, as if about to dry up.
"An ordinary Ancestral Dao Realm existence would be no match for this black dragon, yet it is bound there, left with only its fighting instinct."
Many ancient existences, watching this scene, felt their hearts tremble.
This was a true dragon whose strength surpassed the ordinary Ancestral Dao Realm, but its true soul had been refined away to serve as a guardian of the Black Lotus Cult.
The guests on Ethereal Peak all changed countenance, never imagining that the Black Lotus Cult, previously held in contempt, possessed such terrifying foundational might.
"A grain-sized light dares to shine so brightly?"
The Sacred Ancestor still gave a cold snort. That glazed pagoda hovered, cascading precious light, and wisps of chaos qi pressed down.
With a thud, it smashed onto the black dragon, and in that instant, it seemed the universe trembled, the surrounding cosmos shook, and boundless ripples burst forth.
At the same time, the Sacred Ancestor strode forth, leaving Ethereal Peak. He had personally presided here, yet the Black Lotus Cult still dared to wreak such havoc unscrupulously, clearly not putting him in their eyes.
Now that he had chosen to emerge into the world, he had to demonstrate his power and intimidate enemies across the myriad worlds.
Buzz!!!
Beneath the Sacred Ancestor's feet, Dao patterns appeared and vanished, order interwove, and indistinct glimmers of time flickered, forming a golden avenue that extended across heaven and earth. Every inch of void seemed laden with the Great Dao of countless jun weight.
He appeared directly before that black lotus, raising his palm and pressing down with overwhelming force, intent on destroying it.
The black dragon roared, trying to resist the blow, but beneath the terrifying light of the Great Dao, its body shattered, collapsed, and dissolved, as if being obliterated from all worlds, even its traces, karma, and aura ceasing to exist.
For existences like the Ancestral Dao Realm, their lives had long reached a nearly inexhaustible state; ordinary methods were utterly ineffective against them.
In ordinary battles between Ancestral Dao Realm existences, it often involved crossing the River of Time and enduring eons before possibly eradicating one another.
For the Sacred Ancestor of the Ethereal Sacred Domain to be so domineering, seeking to outright erase the other's existence, his cultivation and Dao arts had to far surpass the opponent.
At this moment, countless gazes watching this scene trembled slightly, full of shock.
The Sacred Ancestor's intervention was also a show of force to intimidate all the ancient existences and foundational figures on Ethereal Peak, lest anyone try to exploit the chaos.
Gu Changge continued to calmly sip his tea, his eyes placid and indifferent, showing no intention of intervening.
The Heaven-Slaying Alliance senior members behind him also remained silent. Though the Black Lotus Cult struck suddenly, with Gu Changge stationed here, it felt as though even if the sky collapsed, they would be safe and need not worry.
"Master, that woman seems to have been watching me…"
Yao Yao whispered beside Gu Changge, having noticed a woman in white with a cold expression from the Alliance of Righteous Unity constantly looking this way.
"She could be considered your junior fellow apprentice? You will know each other soon."
Gu Changge said casually, knowing well it was Zhao Xiuyan, a chess piece he had left in the Endless Yang True World.
Although Zhao Xiuyan's strength was still insufficient, as the World Heir of the Endless Yang True World, and with her father now the Deputy Alliance Leader of the Alliance of Righteous Unity, she could still be of some use in the following situation.
Moreover, at the time, Gu Changge had valued her long-term worth.
Yao Yao was surprised; when had Master taken another disciple? But she tactfully refrained from asking further.
Luo Zhu and the Eternal Primordial God frowned at the emergence of the Black Lotus Cult. They exchanged a glance, seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.
They were likely the only ones here who knew Gu Changge's true identity.
Thus, they were even more aware… that this so-called Black Lotus Cult was very likely Gu Changge's own handiwork.
After all, all Dark Matter in the worlds originated from him, created by him.
In their eyes, the essential nature of the Black Lotus Cult was derived and transformed from concentrated Dark Matter.
But now, they were unsure whether Gu Changge intended to use the Black Lotus Cult's name to catch all the guests and civilization true worlds of this Immortal Dao Alliance grand assembly in one net, or if it was to stage a play of his own making.
If the former, was he preparing to unify the Vast Expanse?
And if the latter, was it to fish?
Luo Zhu considered his strength far greater than the Sacred Ancestor before him, yet before Gu Changge, he was still as weak as an ant.
Gu Changge's current strength could sweep across the entire Vast Expanse with ease, yet he still refrained from doing so. What was he waiting for, what was he plotting?
Both felt a chill run down their spines.
Boom!!!
In the distant firmament, the Sacred Ancestor struck, and as expected, the black dragon shattered into powder that scattered across the sky.
The guests were not surprised either; if even the mighty Sacred Ancestor couldn't stop the Black Lotus Cult, then other true world civilizations wouldn't necessarily be able to handle it.
However, just as the Sacred Ancestor was about to destroy that black lotus, the black dragon, whose body had shattered, seemed to rewind in time, rapidly restoring itself, its strength returning to its peak.
This scene made all the ancient existences and foundational figures on Ethereal Peak gasp, filled with shock and disbelief.
Many even stood up, their pupils constricting, voices trembling: "Can it not be killed?"
"How is this possible?"
"We saw with our own eyes the Sacred Ancestor kill that black dragon, even erasing its traces. How has it reappeared?"
Those who witnessed this scene firsthand were all shaken, finding it inconceivable.
"The power of resurrection comes from that black lotus. It must be destroyed first."
An ancient figure with keen insight said gravely, finally casting aside contempt for the Black Lotus Cult and staring intently at that black lotus.
"We cannot stand idly by. This Black Lotus Cult is truly bizarre; even a dead Ancestral Dao Realm existence can be resurrected. Truly unheard of."
Someone said in a deep voice, rising from Ethereal Peak, intending to join forces to destroy those black lotuses.
Looking across the entire Ethereal Sacred Domain, the number of black lotuses appearing was considerable. If each possessed such bizarre source power, how were they to be dealt with?
"The number of believers on those black lotuses is declining. They cannot be resurrected indefinitely."
Another being noticed this scene: as the black dragon in the sky revived, many of the believers seated upon it vanished, dissolving into a rain of light.
However, as those believers vanished, from some areas of the Ethereal Sacred Domain, even more divine lights rushed over, taking the vacated spots and seating themselves again.
Those were likewise Black Lotus Cult followers.
If they could replenish like this, didn't it mean that the many cosmic spaces of the Ethereal Sacred Domain were nourishment for those black lotuses?
This sight made everyone's hearts sink. The mastermind behind the Black Lotus Cult had yet to appear, yet already everyone was forced to deal with it seriously.
"In that case, I will simply destroy this black lotus and see how many times you can revive."
After a moment of surprise, the Sacred Ancestor quickly understood: to deal with the Black Lotus Cult, he had to strike at those slowly spreading black lotuses.
He lightly stomped, and the void shook as if the myriad worlds would collapse. Wave after wave of the Great Dao, heavy as billions of jun, surged forth to sink that black lotus.
At the same time, atop that black lotus stood an ancient temple, which also trembled slightly.
Around it sat circles of believers, and as they chanted, threads of faith power converged.
Faintly, that ancient temple glowed, and some blurry supreme figure seemed about to descend upon the worlds, bringing an incomparable terrifying pressure, not to be insulted.
"Hmm?"
The Sacred Ancestor frowned. His power was actually blocked—truly inconceivable. What was enshrined in that ancient temple, that merely a projected shadow possessed such terrifying power?
Meanwhile, in other parts of the Ethereal Sacred Domain, from those black lotuses, dragon roars and phoenix cries rang out as true dragons, phoenixes, peacocks, and other powerful ancient beings emerged.
Light beams filled the sky, energy astonishing, their true bodies massive, but all had lost their true souls, bound by chains, resisting the powerful existences attacking those black lotuses.
"Alliance Leader, shall we lend a hand?" a senior member of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance asked.
Gu Changge waved his hand. "No need. With the Sacred Ancestor stepping forward, we needn't concern ourselves with this Black Lotus Cult. Just sit back and watch the show."
Not only would he not intervene, he would pour oil on the fire.
In the end, this Black Lotus Cult was nothing but making a wedding gown for him. Gu Changge's true aim was still fishing, only this time his bait had switched to the Master of Fate and Progenitor Xu.
Not far away, Deputy Alliance Leader Zhao Tianqi of the Alliance of Righteous Unity frowned slightly, but said nothing and did not assist.
However, several senior members behind him had flickering eyes, strands of silver light flashing deep within their pupils, before their expressions quickly returned to calm.
Boom!!!
A startling chaotic battle erupted. The various true world civilizations that had planned to wait and see on Ethereal Peak were now forced to enter the fray, their ancient existences moving to block the Black Lotus Cult's onslaught.
Atop each black lotus stood an ancient temple, emitting infinite light, a blurry shadow about to project and reappear in the world, chilling hearts.
Meanwhile, in that deep, dark underground palace.
Wuxiang, clad in armor, stared intently at the scene reflected like a blood mirror before him, his gaze blazing with a hint of confusion.
He greedily licked his lips, breathing rapidly.
"Truly worthy of the power source from the Lord of Heaven's Proxy, incomparable."
"Even just a piece of flesh possesses such inconceivable, unmatched strength."
"But why is the resurrection of the guardians faster than I imagined? Even with all the source poured into one place, it would take at least half a day to revive an Ancestral Dao Realm existence…"
"And the spreading speed of the black lotuses is also inconceivably fast. At this rate, the Black Lotus Sacred Realm will soon take shape."
"Could there be some special place in the Ethereal Sacred Domain, once contaminated by strange substances?"
Though greedy, Wuxiang was not stupid, and he felt that some of these phenomena were strange.
Though he had amassed a vast number of believers, he did not have such capability to instantly resurrect a fallen Ancestral Dao Realm existence.
If that were true, he would have long swept across the Vast Expanse and established his own Black Lotus Sacred Realm.
This strange phenomenon puzzled him deeply; he could deduce nothing, and instead vaguely felt it was due to the Ethereal Sacred Domain.
Perhaps it had once been tainted by some substances, causing the faith power corrupted by Dark Matter to become more active and violent, thus granting such previously inconceivable power.
"For me, this is a great blessing."
Wuxiang suppressed all thoughts, his gaze once again turning fervent and greedy, awaiting the moment the Black Lotus Sacred Realm took form.
At this moment, countless gazes across the entire Vast Expanse were fixed on the Ethereal Sacred Domain, shocked by the emerging black fog.
Due to the black fog, the entire Ethereal Sacred Domain became isolated from the world, and prying eyes from outside could no longer see what was happening within.
Unless one went there in person, but who would dare act rashly at this time?
The establishment of the Immortal Dao Alliance preoccupied the minds of countless orthodox civilizations, and even the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance was inside. If even he had no solution, then it was useless for others to go.
At this time, many true worlds in the Vast Expanse began to worry in secret, thinking that the Black Lotus Cult was a ploy by the Dark Clans to catch all the experts who had come to the Immortal Dao Alliance assembly in one fell swoop.
If all were lost, it would be a catastrophic loss for the entire Vast Expanse.
To guard against a sudden assault by the Dark Clans, the various true world civilizations stood as if facing a great enemy, arrayed for battle.
Just as this major event unfolded in the Ethereal Sacred Domain, turmoil rose again in the Vast Expanse. At the border between the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity, fierce battle broke out once more, far more intense than before.
The surrounding cosmic space-time collapsed immediately, affecting countless star domains, with seas churning and stars falling. The participants were Forbidden Zone existences surpassing ordinary Ancestral Dao Realm beings.
Each had survived eight Heavenly Decline Tribulations, and from the start of the battle, they fought with true fury, to the death.
This great war was undoubtedly the heaviest blow to the true world civilizations that were on high alert against the Dark Clans.
With the Immortal Dao Alliance assembly disrupted, the two largest forces in the Vast Expanse, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity, had begun slaughtering each other again. Wasn't this deliberately giving the Dark Clans an opportunity to strike?
Did they not understand the principle of first securing internal peace before resisting external threats?
Unfortunately, at this moment, both the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Heaven-Slaying Alliance seemed to have decided on a decisive battle, utterly disregarding the situation in the Vast Expanse.
Every day, one could see ancient warships taking to the sky within the Alliance of Righteous Unity, blotting out the sun, wolf smoke rolling, numbering in the billions, endless.
Tunnels opened between universes, dark masses continuously surging to the battlefield, and the affiliated true world civilizations dispatched and assembled their most elite and powerful forces, joining the fray.
The Alliance of Righteous Unity's actions were more resolute and direct than ever. In many people's eyes... it seemed the Alliance of Righteous Unity had long anticipated that the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's Alliance Leader would be trapped in the Ethereal Sacred Domain.
Thus, the Alliance of Righteous Unity seized the moment when the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's Alliance Leader could not command his forces to launch a massive counteroffensive against the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
This battle was a matter of life and death, one would live and the other perish.
Under such circumstances, it was hard not to suspect whether the Alliance of Righteous Unity had some connection with the Black Lotus Cult.
Of course, this suspicion had no proof, and no one dared speak carelessly. But at this moment, the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, founded by the Alliance Leader of the Alliance of Righteous Unity, the Weiyang Emperor Lord, immediately stabbed the Alliance of Righteous Unity in the back.
The current Weiyang Immortal Dynasty was already under the control of that ancient princess of the Radiant Ancestral Court.
She personally took the field, proclaiming to the world to quell the chaos, intending to crusade against the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom, former ally of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty.
And using the identity of the Weiyang Emperor Lord Jiang Yun, she issued a self-condemning edict, stating that the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom colluded with the Dark Clans, plotted against Jiang Yun, causing him to be corrupted by Dark Matter, and incited local feudal princes to split the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty.
The Alliance of Righteous Unity was wolfishly ambitious, long infiltrated by the Dark Clans. While crusading against the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom, she dispatched a large number of troops to aid the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, clarifying her stance.
For a time, the situation in the Vast Expanse grew increasingly turbulent and chaotic, unclear to all.