The dense Ancestral Dao Realm substances swirled around the green-robed woman.
She sat cross-legged on the white crane, her gaze clear and her tone cold. Wisps of the Great Dao flowed between her fingers, carrying the aura of the four seasons and the stars, cycling endlessly, exuding an overwhelming power.
"Fairy Qing has actually appeared!"
This caused a stir among the people inside the light barrier. Everyone was somewhat incredulous.
Clearly, the green-robed woman held an extraordinary status on the floating continent. Her arrival brought immense respect from Elder Zhu, Wang Tong, and the others, but also great surprise.
This was because they heard the green-robed woman actively speak up, asking the peerless woman outside the light barrier to stay.
Moreover, this was the first time they had heard the green-robed woman mention her mother, the one they referred to as the Sacred Ancestor.
The name Nan Zun was also something they were hearing for the first time.
"So the Sacred Ancestor's name is Nan Zun. If that's really the case, then is the woman outside the light barrier truly an old friend of the Sacred Ancestor?"
Elder Zhu's face was filled with shock and disbelief.
If this were true, then all their earlier panic and vigilance would have been a huge misunderstanding.
"I told you, Grandpa, you're too jumpy. The Witch Empress wouldn't appear so easily. Besides, how could such a beautiful fairy be something like the Witch Empress?" Zhu Xuan still looked indifferent, muttering softly.
Elder Zhu's expression turned awkward, and he really wanted to smack his adopted grandson's head.
The many beings who had rushed to the floating continent were also filled with astonishment and confusion.
Was the woman in the snow-white dress outside the light barrier really not the legendary Witch Empress?
Had everyone made a mistake earlier? Was it all just a false alarm?
"There's no need to be overly nervous. If the Witch Empress were to appear, there would be no way to miss it. Moreover, her aura feels familiar to me. She is neither the Witch Empress nor a shadow."
Fairy Qing spoke again, her cold voice calming the uneasy emotions of the crowd.
Since Fairy Qing had spoken, the people of the floating continent naturally didn't dwell on it further, nor did they doubt her words.
After all, Fairy Qing was the biological daughter of the Sacred Ancestor, and her seniority was shockingly high.
However, she usually secluded herself in the Sacred Ancestor's Mountain, almost never involving herself in the affairs of the floating continent and rarely leaving.
Her appearance today had taken everyone by surprise.
"It was my oversight. I hope Fairy Qing can forgive me," Elder Zhu said with a bow, his face full of embarrassment.
Fairy Qing glanced at him and shook her head slightly. "Elder Zhu, you were just doing your duty. There's no fault in that. The Shen is difficult to detect, and it's normal for you to be unable to distinguish it at first."
Outside the light barrier, Ling Yuling watched this scene, a look of surprise on her face.
She had noticed that the green-robed woman addressed her not as "senior" but as "fellow Daoist," which slightly puzzled her, but she didn't say anything.
However, she hadn't expected that her old friend Nan Zun already had a daughter.
And from the words of the local residents of the floating continent, it seemed that Nan Zun had long since passed away and was no longer in this world.
Thinking of this, Ling Yuling couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
Soon, the light barrier covering the floating continent became blurry and faint, and a transparent gate appeared. Fairy Qing, sitting on the crane, gestured for Ling Yuling to enter.
The crisis was thus resolved, and everyone relaxed from the tense atmosphere. The heads of the major families dispersed the residents of the floating continent who had gathered and followed behind Fairy Qing.
They were still very curious about Ling Yuling's origins and identity.
After all, the floating continent hadn't had any real contact with outsiders for countless years.
What the outside world had become was something everyone was extremely curious about.
"The floating continent is often attacked by strange creatures from the Sea of Time and Space, so we tend to be overly cautious. I hope you can forgive us for any offense," Fairy Qing said apologetically as she led the way on her crane, with Ling Yuling following behind.
Ling Yuling finally entered the floating continent with her and headed toward the Sacred Ancestor's Mountain.
She waved her hand gently and said in a warm tone, "It's fine. Although I don't know what The Shen and shadows are, it's always good to be cautious."
She also observed her surroundings. From the outside, she had thought this place was a paradise, but upon entering, she realized it was just an illusion.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was quite thin, far inferior to even the small worlds created by some immortal sects.
Fairy Qing seemed to notice her surprise and softly explained the origins of this continent and some of the things her mother had experienced during her lifetime.
Although this was their first meeting, Fairy Qing felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity and a desire to get closer to Ling Yuling, as if it were fate or some other reason.
Moreover, Ling Yuling claimed to be an old friend of her mother.
The floating continent was originally a fragment of the Epoch Mother Tree drifting in the Sea of Time and Space. It had been broken into countless pieces by some unknown force, with the larger fragments drifting into the Sea of Time and Space.
Later, her mother found it and refined it into this floating continent, providing a sheltered place for the remnants of various civilizations.
However, the Sea of Time and Space was chaotic and not suitable for long-term residence. Although this fragment of the Epoch Mother Tree was extraordinary and rich in spiritual energy, over time, it would eventually be depleted.
In the past, this continent had treasures that even Ancestral Dao Realm beings coveted, but in this era, many of these rare materials had lost their spiritual essence.
Even divine trees at the Dao Ancestor level were now just withered roots.
Everything was no longer as it was. Even cultivation had become difficult. Many of the newborns on the floating continent had become ordinary people. Even with cultivation techniques, they couldn't cultivate.
Fairy Qing herself cultivated by capturing and refining the chaotic substances from the Sea of Time and Space, progressing slowly and having no time for other matters.
"A place of shelter?"
Ling Yuling caught these words and couldn't help but frown.
She had noticed earlier that the local residents of this floating continent seemed to have fled here to escape something.
But since the end of the Black Calamity Era, the various eras and epochs had been peaceful, with no major disasters occurring.
What force had been relentlessly pursuing a faction led by Nan Zun? Why didn't they leave this place and go to the outside world?
She really couldn't understand.
"Yes, there are likely many such sheltered places in the current Vast Expanse, protecting the remnants of those times. If there's a chance, I can try to find those places," Fairy Qing said softly.
Fairy Qing revealed that her surname was Nan, but she didn't mention who her father was.
This made Ling Yuling both curious and surprised.
After all, there was a reason why Fairy Qing's mother was revered as Nan Zun.
In that era, she was a peerless talent, surpassing all others in both talent and charisma.
In the vast and boundless Vast Expanse, throughout the ages, few could compare to her.
Among such top-tier figures, Nan Zun was at the forefront, with countless suitors.
The fact that she later married and had children truly surprised Ling Yuling.
However, this was Nan Zun's private matter, and she didn't press for details.
Then, as Fairy Qing spoke about the remnants, Ling Yuling was once again shocked, finding it hard to believe.
She truly hadn't expected that so much had happened during the time she was trapped in that dark space.
Ling Yuling had thought that the Black Calamity, which had swept through the Vast Expanse countless years ago, had long been quelled by the joint efforts of everyone at that time. Even though remnants of the Black Calamity continued to emerge over the years, in her view, they were no longer a significant threat and would eventually be eradicated.
The only thing they needed to worry about was preventing the Lord of the Black Calamity from reappearing in the world, reigniting the calamity, and plunging the Vast Expanse into darkness once more, causing endless suffering.
But from Fairy Qing's account, her thoughts were wrong—not just wrong, but completely underestimating the endless disasters that had followed the disappearance of the Black Calamity.
"The Shen and shadows, you say, appeared only after that period? So all of this is closely related to the Lord of the Black Calamity?" Ling Yuling asked with a grave expression.