While the Heaven Sword Sect was undergoing internal shifts and political turbulence, the rest of the Desolate Heaven Empire was also facing huge turmoil.
It began subtly.
A few small villages reported an unusual increase in low–rank demonic beasts appearing near their borders.
At first, it was dismissed as a seasonal migration—nothing that the local militia couldn't handle.
But within a single week… the pattern changed.
Low–level Beast Tide turned into mid–level Beast Tides involving Grade-5–8 Demonic Beasts.
And the number of such Beast Tides had continued to rise despite efforts to stop them.
The fear drove many people from their homes to the Imperial Capital, where the defenses were the strongest.
The same happened with cities located near powerful clans and sects, as those places were generally much safer due to the protection they offered.
Because of this, the influx of refugees continued to grow, reaching numbers that these cities could no longer support.
