Long Qing stood on the hillside, gazing at the enormous eye in the sky with terror etched across his face. He wasn't alone; other disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect were there as well, including An Xin.
Everyone who heard the Dread Emperor of Calamity's words felt a chill run down their spine, consumed by fear.
None of them had ever heard of the Realm of Nine Abysses, nor did they know what Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven referred to. This was their first exposure to such terms.
"Within Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven, there are many Heavenly Demon reincarnations. These beings could be your family, your closest friends. If you wish to survive, you must eliminate every last one of these reincarnations. The Heavenly Demons will do the same—annihilate all living beings of Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven, and freedom will be yours."
The voice of the Dread Emperor of Calamity echoed, filled with cold malice and murderous intent.
Ye Lan and Zhen Qin furrowed their brows upon hearing this, instinctively scanning their surroundings, wary of any impending attacks from the Heavenly Demons.
Gu An, on the other hand, silently speculated that the Dread Emperor of Calamity was specifically targeting Long Qing.
But why didn't the Emperor simply eradicate all beings that had fallen into the Realm of Nine Abysses in one stroke?
Gu An quickly found the answer.
It was due to the protection of the Heavenly Dao!
The moment the Dread Emperor of Calamity's words fell silent, Gu An felt the emergence of numerous demonic auras. These were the reincarnated forms of Heavenly Demons awakening their original essence. As the demonic presence grew, a corresponding aura began to radiate from the beings of Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven. This was none other than the aura of the Heavenly Dao.
The so-called Heavenly Dao aura bore a striking resemblance to the protective light layer that surrounded Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven, the same barrier that prevented any beings below the realm of Flying Immortals from leaving.
Indeed, everything within Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven was imbued with the essence of the Heavenly Dao. This was also true for the other vast worlds Gu An glimpsed during his breakthrough.
The Heavenly Dao is everywhere.
This power was distinct from the Grand Dao; it was an omnipresent and mysterious force that seemed to dictate the fate of all. The saying "the will of the heavens" was a reference to these Heavenly Dao rules.
The beings from the Desolation Domain were easily identifiable precisely because they lacked this aura of the Heavenly Dao. On the contrary, their energy repelled the natural order, instilling discomfort in beings born under the Heavenly Dao. This was the root cause of the irreconcilable enmity between the two sides throughout history.
It was evident that the Dread Emperor of Calamity, too, had delved deeply into the Dao of Karma. The Emperor was likely wary of slaughtering too many beings protected by the Heavenly Dao, fearing a karmic backlash from this omnipresent force.
Killing a few individuals wouldn't matter much. But large-scale carnage? That would come at a cost.
In the memories of Long Zhan and Lu Han, there had been mentions of the Heavenly Dao, though it was often regarded as a nebulous legend by cultivators.
That being said, if pushed to the brink, the Dread Emperor wouldn't hesitate to act. After all, as a being from the Desolation Domain, he wouldn't face obliteration from karmic retribution.
If the Heavenly Dao were truly invincible, there would be no such thing as the Desolation Domain.
The Emperor's enormous eyes finally vanished, and the world fell silent once more.
Gu An's divine sense detected that Ji Xiaoya, An Hao, Li Ya, Wu Jue, Xuan Tianyi, Jiang Qiong, Long Qing, and An Xin had all been pulled into the Realm of Nine Abysses. Interestingly, apart from the reincarnated Heavenly Demons, the beings dragged here seemed to be far from ordinary. At the very least, they all possessed remarkable destinies.
A sudden thought struck Gu An: Could the Emperor's actions be connected to the commotion caused by his recent breakthrough?
It was highly probable.
Upon closer reflection, if not for Gu An's intervention, Long Qing wouldn't have emerged ahead of schedule. According to the black-robed elder on Qingtian Peak, Long Qing required at least several millennia to fully mature.
Gu An's influence had advanced many events by thousands of years.
"What should we do now?" Zhen Qin asked, turning to Ye Lan. She had grown accustomed to relying on Ye Lan for direction.
Ye Lan took a deep breath before answering, "We'll have to play it by ear. From what the Emperor said, it seems possible to form alliances with others. This isn't just about individual survival—it's a clash between two factions."
Over the past few months, rumors of the Heavenly Demons had already spread. Within the Tai Xuan Sect, numerous legends about these beings had circulated. Knowing they came from beyond the heavens made them even more fearsome, discouraging any blind overconfidence.
Ye Lan continued, "I sense the presence of other Tai Xuan Sect disciples. Let's regroup with them first."
Zhen Qin nodded in agreement, and Gu An didn't object either. He was curious to see how Ye Lan and the others would handle themselves in the face of such a massive calamity.
The three of them began their descent from the mountain.
Gu An extended his divine sense, surveying their surroundings. The number of Heavenly Demons was staggering, exceeding a million. Though this was less than the living beings of Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven, the cultivation levels of the Heavenly Demons were much higher.
This was going to be a fierce battle. Gu An decided to observe how these chosen individuals would perform under pressure.
As far as Gu An was concerned, the Dread Emperor of Calamity was not particularly formidable.
Both he and the Emperor had delved into the Dao of Karma, but Gu An's mastery was clearly ahead. The Realm of Nine Abysses was formed from karmic power, and breaking through it would not pose much of a challenge for him.
"Master, who would've thought the three of us would get the chance to adventure together?" Zhen Qin suddenly turned her head toward Gu An, a playful smile on her face. Her earlier nervousness seemed to have dissipated.
Ye Lan glanced at Gu An as well, though her expression was more filled with concern.
In her mind, Gu An was under the protection of the Sword Master of Dao, but whether the Sword Master could locate the Realm of Nine Abysses was uncertain. Thus, Ye Lan worried about her own ability to protect Gu An.
She would rather sacrifice herself than see Gu An perish before her eyes.
Her intuition told her that the Heavenly Demons were unimaginably terrifying, and she resolved to fight with the determination to die if necessary. There could be no room for carelessness.
"Don't worry. I'm stronger than I look. I won't hold you back," Gu An said seriously, pulling out the Pen of Destiny.
Zhen Qin couldn't help but laugh. She teased, "Oh, Nascent Soul Realm, huh? Very impressive."
"Getting bold, are we? Looking down on your master's cultivation now?" Gu An retorted with mock indignation.
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," Zhen Qin quickly replied with a grin.
The two of them began bantering back and forth.
Meanwhile, Gu An's divine sense spread out further, keeping tabs on Ji Xiaoya, An Hao, and others to ensure they didn't encounter any enemies beyond their capabilities.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Gu An, Ye Lan, and Zhen Qin met up with a dozen other disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect. Together, they decided to search for the rest of their sectmates.
No matter how vast the Realm of Nine Abysses was, it couldn't compare to the immensity of Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven. The remaining disciples weren't far off.
Only a few dozen Tai Xuan Sect disciples had been dragged into the Realm of Nine Abysses. All of them either possessed unique destinies or were extraordinary geniuses.
Long Qing, for instance, had not awakened as a Heavenly Demon due to the enhancements Gu An had made to the Return to Origin Divine Dao within him.
Preparing for the impending battle with the Heavenly Demons, Long Qing was visibly thrilled. He had long yearned to explore the world, but his master had never allowed it.
As they flew onward, a deafening explosion rang out from the distance, startling the Tai Xuan Sect disciples. They hastened their pace, moving away from the commotion.
Standing behind Ye Lan on their shared sword, Gu An spotted the source of the disturbance. A familiar figure was engaged in a fierce battle in the distance.
It was Li Ya.
This kid had gone all out, using the power of Mysterious Divine City to suppress the Heavenly Demons, which in turn attracted even more of them to swarm him.
Gu An decided to observe for now, curious to see just how much progress Li Ya had made.
Time slipped by rapidly.
After nearly half an hour, the scattered Tai Xuan Sect disciples finally reunited. The karmic forces at play hadn't dispersed them too far from one another.
"Master!"
An Xin's eyes lit up when she saw Gu An. She immediately flew to his side, her previously worried expression now replaced with pure excitement.
Long Qing, equally animated, flew over and started chattering away, eager to prove himself in battle against the Heavenly Demons.
Ye Lan, meanwhile, began coordinating with the other Tai Xuan Sect disciples.
Zhen Qin glanced at An Xin and Long Qing, her expression turning slightly strange. How were these two not scared in the slightest?
Long Qing's eagerness was one thing; he was a reckless youth after all. But why was An Xin so exhilarated as well?