All the worlds trembled. Countless cultivators and living beings watched this scene in terror and shock.
At this moment, no matter which world or universe, one could clearly see that beyond the sky dome, in the void, a land had appeared, filled with dark foam and billowing black mist.
The boundary walls of all the worlds became transparent. The outlines of universes grew faint and hazy, as if about to be squeezed and shattered. That mysterious, unknown land emerged — boundless in size, boundless in vastness, with no end in sight, seemingly existing independently beyond the Vast Expanse of all the worlds.
Strand by strand, dark mist continuously rose and seeped out from within, converging into lakes, marshes, and oceans, as if about to moisten and spread toward the myriad heavens and worlds.
Within that mysterious land, the earth was pitch black and deep, covered in a scene of devastation. Everywhere were ravines and chasms. Even a single fragment of a star that had fallen to the ground was larger than the sky dome itself. It was hard to imagine when it had fallen, or what kind of ferocious battles had erupted there.
And at this moment, with the emergence of that dark land, the outlines of the boundary walls of all the worlds and various True World universes gradually appeared, constantly trembling in time and space as if squeezed and collided by that dark land. Some regions even began to twist, about to collapse and decay.
Around that dark land, various terrifying chaotic thunderbolts emerged. Blood-red cyclones swept across the heavens and earth, accompanied by black rain and ominous lightning — like omens before the great destruction.
Within the various universes and True Worlds, countless cultivators and living beings looked up, filled with terror and trembling.
The beings of all races who did not understand the situation were even more shaken.
And some existences who had survived for extremely long ages walked out of their seclusion, also watching all this. Then their faces drastically changed, their scalps tingled, their spines ran cold, and then they nearly collapsed limp to the ground.
"How is it possible…" Some wore expressions of despair, muttering to themselves, unable to believe their own eyes.
"I knew it…"
"I knew this day would come."
"This day has finally arrived, hahaha. Just wait to die, all of you, just wait to die…"
"Back then, you refused to join forces to deal with the Dark Beings. Now, are you finally satisfied…"
Within the ancestral lands of some ancient races, ancient ancestors who were thought to have long since passed away appeared, their faces ashen, then sat blankly on the ground, their faces pale white and bloodless, their eyes filled with despair.
"Ancestor, what exactly is that mysterious land? Why would you say such things…" A younger generation member cautiously approached and then asked.
They had no time to be immersed in the shock and joy of this ancestor's appearance, as they were shaken speechless by his words of despair.
Back in his day, this ancestor had looked down upon the world and swept away all rivals across time. So why, upon seeing that strange scene today, did he lose his composure so drastically and even reveal such a near-despairing expression?
"That is what the ancient texts record…"
"The Land of the Dark Source."
"How could it appear again? Wasn't it sealed long ago, buried in the void of time and space? Other than the sages who once sealed it, who could find its coordinates in time and space?"
This ancient ancestor's gaze was despairing, his voice trembling, unable to hide his terror.
At this moment, he seemed to already see the scene of all the worlds capsizing, the arrival of the apocalypse. Heaven and earth would return to darkness, and the hope of dawn would be swallowed and drowned by the black mist.
Was the era when all the worlds were once ruled by darkness about to reappear? All races and civilizations would be enslaved by darkness, mountains and rivers shattered, universes collapsed, bloodshed and darkness everywhere.
"What? The legendary Land of the Dark Source?"
The younger member who had asked, upon hearing these words, also froze in place.
After recovering, his eyes also held shock and disbelief, and then despair likewise spread across his face.
That day, the entire Vast Expanse and all the worlds fell into boundless panic and horror.
Countless people who understood the inside story felt as if the sky had fallen, already experiencing the despair of the apocalypse's arrival.
Although the Black Calamity Era was extremely distant, it had never existed only in ancient texts and records.
Especially in this era, the Dark Beings had reappeared in the world, encroaching upon the lands of many races and civilizations, and were still ravaging many lands, wantonly harvesting the nurturing origin for the Grand Sacrificial Ritual.
Many people initially thought this was merely an invasion by the Dark Beings, like the Remnants of the Black Calamity that had plagued various lands in past eras, and did not take it too seriously.
But with the reappearance of the Land of the Dark Source in the void today, they finally realized that something truly momentous was about to happen.
The reappearance of the Dark Beings in the world was not an accident or coincidence at all; it was just an omen.
The true great terror was still to come.
In this current era, once the seal of the Land of the Dark Source was broken, allowing the sealed Lord of the Dark Calamity within — that is, the Lord of Heaven's Proxy — to revive and reappear in the world, then who in the entire Vast Expanse and all the worlds could resist or stop it?
Previously, many cultivators and living beings had paid no heed to the rumors that the Dark Beings intended to revive the Lord of Heaven's Proxy; they had not taken it to heart.
Only now, seeing the Land of the Dark Source reappear in the world, did they finally panic, finally become afraid, grow worried, and fall into terror.
And in other races and civilizations, similar scenes of horror were also playing out. News about that mysterious unknown land spread like a hurricane, sweeping across all sides.
Many people did not know what it meant at first, but after some began to explain, they finally understood and became trembling with fear.
Who could have expected that the Land of the Dark Source would reappear in the world without warning?
Although that land still seemed some distance away from all the worlds, not yet close, only appearing as a faint silhouette shrouding the sky above.
But many terrifyingly powerful existences, using their eye techniques to look as far as possible, reached a conclusion that made everyone even more terrified and despairing.
That Land of the Dark Source was slowly approaching the Vast Expanse and all the worlds; it was not static.
It seemed to be driven by some great force, falling from that mysterious unknown void, soon to approach the Vast Expanse and all the worlds, colliding and connecting with them.
No one knew exactly where the Land of the Dark Source was located, nor which civilization or universe it would first collide with.
But regardless, once it collided with and touched the Vast Expanse, it would undoubtedly bring endless disasters and darkness to the entire Vast Expanse and all the worlds.
The Dark Beings would at that time exhaust every means to guide it, making it descend.
Many races and civilizations even suspected that the sudden emergence of the Land of the Dark Source was definitely because the Dark Beings had held a Grand Sacrificial Ritual to guide its descent.
The Dark Beings sought to recreate the glory of the past, which inevitably required welcoming the return of the former Lord of Heaven's Proxy.
Although the current Dark Beings were powerful, without a leader, they would still find it difficult to contend with the entire Vast Expanse and all the worlds.
Thinking of this possibility, various races, traditions, and civilizations trembled repeatedly.
The Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity were still engaged in a great war. If both sides ended up exhausted and wounded, would that not allow the Dark Beings to benefit from the conflict and reap the rewards?
"What is that?"
Gu Xian'er stood on a hilltop, also looking up, straining her eyes to see far into the distance. She could clearly see that hazy, indistinct mysterious land shrouded by black mist above the sky dome.
It was full of ravines and chasms, but all were indistinct, unable to be seen clearly, obscured by various diffused dark substances.
"That is the Land of the Dark Source."
"It has already emerged…"
A clear, cold voice came from beside her. The white-robed, ethereal woman also looked up at this sight. Her face, which had rarely shown expression, was now full of gravity.
Gu Xian'er looked at her in surprise and asked, "Senior, have you recovered your memories?"
The white-robed woman shook her head and said, "Not yet, but I have memories concerning it. Once it reappears in the world, the entire Vast Expanse and all the worlds will welcome boundless disaster and calamity, and will once again be shrouded and ruled by darkness."
Gu Xian'er heard gravity and seriousness in her tone for the first time, enough to show the severity of the matter.
"Senior, is there a way to stop all this?" An elder of the Crescent Moon Sect, who had also heard rumors about the Land of the Dark Source, asked with equal gravity.
Hearing this, the white-robed woman seemed to fall into thought, then shook her head and said, "I don't know. I can't remember many things, but there should be a way. It was sealed once before. That it has emerged now likely means the seal is beginning to loosen, or the Dark Beings have guided its descent."
"Even if it can be stopped, it's not something we can accomplish with our strength. In this calamitous disaster, we can change nothing."
A woman wearing a wide, dark green robe, with a slender figure, delicate features, and long hair bound with a wooden hairpin, walked over. She did not show much panic, seemingly able to face all this calmly.
"Miss Qing Nan is right. In a calamity as great as this, what can we change? We can't even deal with the Dark Beings that have invaded our own homeland. How can we presume to stop this calamity?" The Crescent Moon Sect elder who had spoken earlier smiled bitterly, seemingly resigned to fate.
"What if there is still a possibility? Although it is approaching the Vast Expanse, there should still be some time. That time might be the opportunity heaven has given us." The white-robed woman looked up at the sky dome and said softly.
"Yes, Senior is right. It's not over until the end, so how can we give up easily? But before that, we should continue our journey. We'll soon reach the Nine Heavens. Perhaps there will be a solution there." Song Yu also spoke at this moment.
Their group had been traveling for some time. Because of the war between the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity, they had avoided some universes and routes that might be affected, causing them to travel rather slowly.
Along the way, they also had to deliberately avoid the territories of some Dark Beings to avoid attracting trouble.
"Why do I always have an indescribable feeling? The sense of urgency is growing heavier…" Gu Xian'er withdrew her gaze and murmured softly to herself.
Whether it was the destruction of the Crescent Moon Sect or the war between the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, all of them gave her a pressing sense that she needed to become stronger quickly.
Now that the Land of the Dark Source had reappeared in the world, this sense of urgency grew even stronger, even making her feel suffocated.
Clearly, Qing Nan was right — in the face of such a calamitous disaster, they could do nothing.
But why did she always have an intuition, as if some voice or great momentum in the unseen was telling her, urging her to turn the tide and stop all this?
Was she born to answer the Cataclysmic Tribulation?
***
Hundreds of years had passed since the official start of the war between the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity.
A hundred years might be a long lifetime for mortals, but for cultivators whose cultivation had already reached a certain level, these hundred years were but a snap of the fingers.
For the various races and traditions within the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity, these hundred years marked only the beginning. From ancient times to the present, no wars between civilizations and True Worlds had ever ended in just a few hundred years.
They often spanned tens of thousands of years, or even longer — or even several epochs.
And for behemoths like the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity, although the fighting between them was even more ferocious, it also meant that the conflict would likely last even longer.
No one knew when this war would finally end.
The entire Vast Expanse would also endure such a turbulent and chaotic period for who knew how long.
On one ancient warship after another, chaotic energy surged, crushing through time and space as if crossing the river of ages. Many powerful figures of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance appeared, standing upon the ships.
One stretch of starfield after another extended continuously, with vast universes in between, along with various shattered time-space rifts.
Chaotic energy overflowed in all directions. Numerous broken continents, like fragments, flew rapidly through the universe, shattered and blasted apart by terrifying forces. Everywhere were scenes of fierce post-war devastation.
Ling Yuling, White Bone Ancestor King, Hun Yuanjun, Chu Xiao, and many other high-ranking members of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had gathered here. In addition, there were masters from the Forbidden Zones, such as Mu Fuguang, Tong Xian, and other existences.
"Recently, a mysterious powerful figure has appeared in the Alliance of Righteous Unity. Many of our side's Ancestral Dao Realm existences have been successively defeated by this person, and some even nearly perished…"
"I suspect that this mysterious powerful figure is related to the person behind the Alliance of Righteous Unity. None of the Ancestral Dao Realm existences who fought him have even seen his true face. They only know that he wears a white robe, his form is ethereal and untraceable, and his strength is unfathomable."
"In the lands where this mysterious powerful figure appears, our forces are routed and cannot match him. If he is not obstructed, I fear it will affect the subsequent battle situation."
White Bone Ancestor King, dressed in a black robe, his face withered and gaunt, his eyes deep-set, looked toward the battlefield ahead where fierce fighting was taking place and war cries rose to the sky, and spoke with a heavy voice.
"I have also heard of this matter. That mysterious white-robed figure's strength far exceeds that of ordinary Ancestral Dao Realm existences. I'm afraid we are no match for him." Chu Xiao also said in a deep voice.
In this fierce war, Ancestral Dao Realm existences could already determine the outcome. Currently, the comparison between the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Heaven-Slaying Alliance came down to which side had a greater number of Ancestral Dao Realm experts.
Now, the sudden appearance of a mysterious existence whose strength far surpassed the Ancestral Dao Realm had drawn the attention of many high-ranking members of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
Of course, this attention had not yet risen to the level of wariness. After all, all the high-ranking members of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance were deeply aware of their Alliance Lord's strength and unfathomable depth. This mysterious existence was not enough to alarm Gu Changge.
"Senior Yuling, could we invite those few existences to take action? Test that mysterious white-robed powerful figure?" A high-ranking figure of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance could not help but look at Ling Yuling and ask.
Mu Fuguang, Tong Xian, and the other Forbidden Zone masters rarely acted, but many high-ranking members of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance knew well how powerful they were. Ordinary Ancestral Dao Realm existences were no match for them.
But at this moment, Ling Yuling seemed to turn a deaf ear to these words. Her beautiful hair fluttered, her flawless face showing no emotional fluctuation. She raised her head and looked at the vast, boundless, deep and dark land outside the sky dome, speaking in a daze as if lost in some memory.