According to Bing Chen, after he left the Ice Sea, he intended to cross the Boundless Wasteland Sea beyond the Nine Dragons Sea to see what was at the center of the Wasteland Sea.
However, one day, while deep within the Wasteland Sea, he suddenly felt a great terror descend.
A terrifying pressure came from the sky, leaving even him, an Ice Phoenix at the Spirit Transformation stage who stood at the pinnacle of the Human Realm, with no power to resist.
It felt as though even a sliver of that terrifying power falling upon him would cause him to instantly explode.
Fortunately, the terrifying power was not directed at him. After catching his breath, Bing Chen was shocked to discover that two colossal beings were fighting in the sky.
These two colossal beings were indescribable; Bing Chen couldn't recall their appearance even afterward, only the profound sense of dread they instilled, making him feel like an ant before them.
Furthermore, it wasn't accurate to say they were fighting in the sky. In reality, they were battling in the void outside the Human Realm's boundaries, but very close to the Human Realm's dimensional barrier.
Bing Chen couldn't tell how long those two terrifying existences had been fighting. During this time, he felt as though years were passing like days, even doubting if these terrifying beings would descend upon the Human Realm and destroy it.
After an unknown period, a bright light, like a shooting star, flew from where the two terrifying beings were fighting and descended into the Human Realm. Immediately afterward, the two terrifying beings vanished.
Bing Chen finally recovered from his terror, his heart filled with shock.
He had a bold guess: those two terrifying beings were likely legendary True Spirits, which explained their terrifying pressure and their indifference to the spatial storms outside the dimensional realm.
Thinking of this, Bing Chen's heart surged with excitement. He saw that special bright light falling from the two True Spirits, and he knew without a doubt that it was an unimaginably precious treasure.
Therefore, Bing Chen immediately changed direction, heading towards where the bright light had fallen.
He spent several years crossing the Wasteland Sea and finally arrived at the Cangyuan Cultivation World.
This was also where the bright light was last suspected to have fallen.
Upon arriving in Cangyuan, Bing Chen quickly confirmed that a world-shattering upheaval had indeed occurred in southern Cangyuan several years prior.
An area of several million miles in southern Cangyuan had, overnight, transformed into a vast marsh.
The several countries that had originally been in this region, along with countless mortals, cultivators, and demonic beasts, had all perished.
This marsh was then called the Cloud Wasteland Great Marsh by the people of Cangyuan, who considered it an inauspicious place that ordinary cultivators dared not approach.
Bing Chen immediately guessed that this must have been caused by the items dropped by those two great True Spirits. With the might of True Spirits, achieving this was hardly surprising.
Bing Chen immediately set off for the Cloud Wasteland Great Marsh, wanting to investigate.
Soon, he reached the deepest part of the marsh, where he saw a peculiar lake.
This lake spanned a thousand miles, and an indescribable, terrifying pressure emanated from it, confirming for Bing Chen that the fallen item was likely within this lake.
Bing Chen hesitated whether to enter the lake to search for the fallen item, as he felt a chilling pressure from it.
However, the item held a powerful allure, especially since it had fallen from True Spirits.
Perhaps obtaining it would allow him to advance his cultivation significantly, break through the limitations of this realm, and ascend to the Spirit Realm. With his Ice Phoenix bloodline, his potential would be limitless.
But just as Bing Chen finally decided to take the risk, a discovery made him immediately abandon the idea.
He had discovered two corpses floating in the lake, and the residual spiritual pressure on them clearly indicated that they were also Spirit Transformation cultivators.
Clearly, these two Spirit Transformation cultivators had entered earlier and died tragically within. Judging by their state, not even their Nascent Souls had escaped.
They were likely local Spirit Transformation cultivators from Cangyuan.
This discovery naturally filled Bing Chen with dread. He no longer dared to enter, nor even to linger nearby, and immediately retreated from the Cloud Wasteland Great Marsh.
However, Bing Chen was unwilling to give up just yet. He speculated that other Spirit Transformation cultivators might have noticed the anomaly and found their way to Cangyuan. If so, he could let them act as decoys.
So, Bing Chen decided to lie low in the vicinity and wait patiently.
Indeed, within the next two years, two more Spirit Transformation cultivators found their way there.
Given Bing Chen's mid-stage Spirit Transformation cultivation at the time, coupled with his Ice Phoenix bloodline, he was so powerful that even the First Elder of the Zi Yin Immortal Dynasty was no match for him. His strength could be said to be unparalleled in the Human Realm. These Spirit Transformation cultivators did not detect his presence.
Next, these two Spirit Transformation cultivators also arrived near the lake in the center of the Cloud Wasteland Great Marsh. They also discovered the corpses of the two Spirit Transformation cultivators, and both hesitated.
However, they were clearly more eager for the potential treasure, and ultimately entered the lake together.
Bing Chen observed them carefully, but the next day, he discovered two more corpses in the lake – those of the two cultivators from before.
At this point, Bing Chen finally gave up any thought of entering the lake, knowing that the risks involved were beyond his capabilities.
Over the next few years, Bing Chen observed several other Spirit Transformation cultivators arrive, but they all retreated after discovering the corpses.
Ten years after Bing Chen arrived in Cangyuan.
One day, as he went to check on the lake as usual, he was stunned to find that the lake had completely vanished, as if it had never existed.
Bing Chen was dumbfounded. He stayed in the area for over a decade, and when the lake showed no signs of reappearing, he moved to the extreme northern ice plains of Cangyuan to settle, leaving behind only a clone to monitor the area.
As a result, the lake never reappeared before his death.
The reason Bing Chen wanted to leave this information behind was to inform his successor.
Because it was possible that the lake might reappear one day, and perhaps the terrifying killing intent hidden within would dissipate. If that happened, his successor might be able to ascend to the upper realm by relying on the opportunities within.
This information left by Ancestor Bing Chen naturally shocked Ning Fa immensely.
He had never imagined that the Cloud Wasteland Great Marsh had such an origin.
Ning Fa finally understood why powerful sects from other cultivation worlds, such as the Blood Heaven Sect and the Profound Fire Sect, had established branch sects in the remote Cangyuan.
Clearly, it was because the Spirit Transformation Ancestors of these sects, like Bing Chen, had sensed the commotion at the time, knowing that an unimaginably precious treasure had fallen into Cangyuan.
The mysterious lake had disappeared, and since they couldn't stay in Cangyuan indefinitely, they decided to establish a branch sect there. Their purpose was to monitor changes in the Cloud Wasteland Great Marsh and see if the mysterious lake would reappear.
Now that he thought about it, the Seven Saints Sect, from another cultivation world, had their original mountain gates located near the Cloud Wasteland Great Marsh.
Ning Fa's thoughts then turned to the Sea Race.
After all, from what he had heard from Bing Ling Palace and others, the Sea Race's initial target was the Cloud Wasteland Great Marsh.
This led Ning Fa to suspect that the Sea Race's objective might also be that True Spirit item.
If that were the case, then the Sea Race's sudden decision to invade Cangyuan at this time was also worth serious consideration.
Could it be that the Sea Race knew the mysterious lake might reappear soon?
This wasn't impossible, considering the Sea Race had the mysterious Ancestral Sea and also that individual who had awakened the Prophecy Talent.
Thinking this, Ning Fa's heart began to pound. If this were true, it could indeed be a tremendous opportunity.
After all, it was something that had fallen from a True Spirit, and even in the Spirit Realm, True Spirits were top-tier existences. Even many Mahayana cultivators might not be a match for a True Spirit.
He never expected that the small Cangyuan would hide such a great opportunity.
Of course, even if the mysterious lake reappeared, if it was still as dangerous as Bing Chen had encountered before, then he would have to abandon this idea.
At this moment, a flash of inspiration struck Ning Fa. He suddenly wondered if Tianli's choice to invade Cangyuan at this particular time also had something to do with this.
Did they also have some kind of foresight, similar to the Sea Race?
As Ning Fa pondered, he had already arrived at the Huayu Sect's mountain gate.
Ning Fa temporarily suppressed these thoughts. He swept his gaze forward, and a smile immediately curved his lips.
Ahead, dense figures appeared, neatly lined up on both sides. Cang Lei, at the forefront, was looking at him with a smile.
Behind him were twenty Core Formation cultivators of the sect.
Among them, those close to him, such as Cheng Susu, Cheng Ziyi, Ouyang Qinghe, Fairy Bai Feng, and Duanmu Ling, were moved to tears of excitement.
Further back were numerous Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation disciples.
Nearly ten thousand sect disciples looked at Ning Fa with fervent expressions, and then a resounding, powerful shout echoed through the sky.
"Welcome back, Old Ancestor!"
"Welcome back, Old Ancestor!"
This was repeated nine times, the sound so loud that it even dispersed the clouds in the sky.
Ning Fa couldn't help but be taken aback. What was going on?
He hadn't just returned, so why such a grand reception? And what was with the expressions on the disciples' faces?
He immediately transformed into a beam of light and flew forward.
Little Ice exclaimed, "As expected of the boss, such a grand display... Or perhaps the sect knows that I've successfully transformed, and this is to congratulate me?"
Upon saying this, Little Ice's face lit up with joy.
Blue Lightning kicked him, then grabbed him and flew forward together.
"Senior Brother, what's going on?" Ning Fa flew to the front, smiled and nodded at the surrounding disciples, then asked Cang Lei with some confusion.
Cang Lei smiled, and before he could speak, a clear, excited shout rang out.
"Uncle Fa, don't you know yet? The latest issue of the Profound Ranking is out, and you're ranked third! Third!"
A figure in a goose-yellow dress flew up to Ning Fa, excitedly shaking his arm and shouting. This was naturally Zhao Yuer.
After speaking, Xiao Yu carefully examined Ning Fa again, and then her eyes welled up with tears. "Uncle Fa, you're finally back!..."
Ning Fa looked at Xiao Yu, whom he hadn't seen in decades, and couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion. He dotingly patted her head.
The last time he returned, he hadn't seen Xiao Yu and had been very worried. Later, he learned that Xiao Yu had gone with Ning Xiuying to Zhenwu City in the center of Wu Kingdom to purchase supplies for the Ning Family, which was why they had missed each other. Now, the two had finally reunited.