Before the Heaven's Proxy Hall, the Coffin of World Burial floated up and down, suspended high there. At this moment, the coffins within all opened silently, shrouded by an endless dark aura.
Faintly, one could seemingly see a blurry and enormous figure sit up inside, yet it was extremely indistinct. No light could illuminate that place—dark, cold, exuding a profundity that could swallow all worlds.
That opened terrifying eye occupied the entire sky beyond, seeming to survey everything. The spacetime domains its gaze swept over collapsed and disintegrated, as if utterly unable to withstand such majestic aura.
"Respectfully welcoming the Master..."
The territory where the Dark Clans were located resounded with endless frenzied cries, like roaring mountains and tsunamis, shaking all the worlds.
All Sacrificial Priests and Dharma Protectors kowtowed and knelt there together, their faces full of fanatical expressions.
The dark mass of Dark Beings, like a black ocean, spread and covered the surrounding mountains and lands.
"You have finally returned."
Grand High Priest Wu Yue lifted her lustrous, fair face, her eyes full of dependence and yearning, her entire body trembling gently.
For this day, she had waited for who knows how long. Endless years passed, how many civilizations and True Worlds collapsed and crumbled in the River of Years.
The past chaos of The Eight Tribes was also quelled by her alone, precisely because she had always believed that the Lord of Heaven's Proxy would eventually return one day in the future.
In this epoch, she had even heard that familiar sound of breathing. From Jing Tianyun of the outside world, she learned that the Lord of Heaven's Proxy had long revived, and she received a wisp of life essence bestowed by him.
Now, after thousands of years of the Grand Sacrificial Ritual, they had finally awakened the will he had sealed in the Land of the Dark Source.
How could this not shock and delight her?
The entire Nightmare Demon Domain was immersed in this unimaginable revelry and joy. All the Sacrificial Priests, regardless of their previous thoughts, kowtowed and knelt at this moment, not daring to give rise to any disrespectful thoughts.
And for the entire outside Vast Expanse, the revival of the Lord of Heaven's Proxy, who had personally shaped the Black Calamity Era, was tantamount to adding frost to snow for the already turbulent and chaotic situation of the Vast Expanse.
Everyone's expressions changed drastically, terrified and trembling. They felt that aura that swept across all worlds and reached everywhere, shivering with fear. At the instant that gaze swept over, their souls seemed frozen.
With the Lord of Heaven's Proxy presiding over the depths of the Dark Clans, the Dark Clans would only become even more unbridled.
In the region where the Land of the Nine Heavens and the Dark Clans were locked in battle, the fighting grew increasingly brutal. Slaughter shook the heavens, and blood light surged, submerging one universe after another.
And with the revival of the Lord of Heaven's Proxy, many of the supreme figures in the Land of the Nine Heavens finally could not sit still.
"This is bad, the situation has become even more chaotic."
"If the Lord of Heaven's Proxy personally makes a move, the other heavens simply won't be able to hold..."
"Even Ancestral Dao Realm existences entering the fray would be no match. If he sinks the Land of the Nine Heavens, it might cause those Heavenly Avatars once buried here to awaken and emerge, leading to even more terrifying consequences."
In the Sixth Heaven, in a towering palace, shadows of figures moved about. The strong ones who could be named in the current Land of the Nine Heavens were all gathered here.
These strong ones all exuded Dao Realms auras, hailing from various civilizations, the vast majority alone.
Their former homelands had been destroyed in the River of Years due to various reasons, and they had finally found the Land of the Nine Heavens and settled here.
Of course, there were also some clans that had migrated here with their entire people, having lived in the Land of the Nine Heavens for a long time, always spared from the interference of the outside world's Cataclysmic Tribulation, considering themselves transcendent.
At this moment, the clan leaders of these clans had personally rushed here to discuss, their expressions grave, many even carrying panic and tension.
Living and multiplying in the Land of the Nine Heavens had caused many clans to lose their former competitive spirit, lacking tempering. Facing the slaughtering Dark Clan army, they had no power to resist, retreating steadily with heavy losses.
"I have already reported to those several existences."
The leader figure of the Ninth Heaven, the Eternal Life Dao Lord, the Sect Master of the Heaven-Slaying Sect, also appeared in this towering palace.
He stood with his hands behind his back. Compared to the other Dao Realms existences, he appeared quite composed.
The other arriving clan leaders, seeing his expression, slightly calmed the panic in their hearts.
From their gaze, they could see that the spacetime of the universe where the Land of the Nine Heavens was located was collapsing at varying speeds. The number of Dark Beings was simply too great, endless, like a boundless dark tide crashing toward this isolated island of the Land of the Nine Heavens.
And within that dark tide, one after another terrifying Dark Being stood tall, including many who had already reached the Ancestral Dao Realm level.
Once these experts took action, ordinary beings simply could not resist.
Previously, outside the Land of the Nine Heavens, there was the mysterious Gravekeeper guarding it. But now he was severely wounded and had fallen to who knows where in spacetime. The strongest on the surface of the Land of the Nine Heavens was the Eternal Life Dao Lord, an Ancestral Dao Realm existence.
In normal times, such chaotic scenes would never appear in the Land of the Nine Heavens; it was enough that the Eternal Life Dao Lord presided high above the Nine Layered Heavens.
But now it was clear that the Eternal Life Dao Lord could not possibly block those strong ones among the Dark Clans. Any High Priest who took action could easily obliterate him.
Within that seemingly endless dark tide, they could even faintly see the figures of those High Priests who had fought the Gravekeeper before.
They were still waiting, not entering the battle personally, as if knowing that there were other supreme beings sitting in reserve in the Land of the Nine Heavens.
"I have personally reported to that one..."
"He should act, but why has the Gu Family's side yet to show any movement? The Dark Clans have already reached the doorstep, and still there is no response?"
The Eternal Life Dao Lord stood with his hands behind his back, but calculations flickered in his eyes.
By his side, Ji Yu, who had once cultivated with Gu Xian'er and others on Xieyue Mountain, was also here.
But now, his aura had already broken through to the Dao Realms. In these years in the Land of the Nine Heavens, he had clearly obtained some fortune, becoming a Dao Realms existence in one fell swoop, with the aura of fortune surging over him.
"The Dark Clans and the Heaven-Slaying Alliance have reached some kind of agreement, hence they will not intervene in this battle."
"But why, when the Land of the Nine Heavens was hidden within multi-dimensional spacetime, concealing all auras, with its external formations never broken by anyone, was it exposed before the Dark Clans and marked with coordinates?"
In the towering palace, many people were filled with confusion, not knowing for what reason the Land of the Nine Heavens was completely exposed to the Dark Clans' view.
At this moment, in a spacetime domain suspended outside the Land of the Nine Heavens, ripples spread. It was an incomparably terrifying dojo, so vast that no end could be seen. Any star within it appeared no larger than a speck of dust.
And now, in the depths of that dojo, an enormously massive figure opened its eyes. Beside him, boundless energy boiled. A single breath was like the light of years blowing past, enough to corrode all matter.
He wore a slightly decayed dragon robe, his face indistinct, a crown on his head, with tasseled beads hanging down.
Beside him, some mysterious great power spread out, maintaining the stability of this spacetime domain.
If infinite spacetime were a mesh of endlessly extending time threads intertwined, then this spacetime domain was a pure, undisturbed region within infinite spacetime.
In this spacetime domain, the past was undisturbed, the future unpredictable, everything developing naturally along the present timeline.
Thus, within this spacetime domain, all living individuals and worlds lived in an orderly manner according to natural laws.
"Has the Land of the Nine Heavens encountered danger again?"
At this moment, this massive, boundless figure opened its eyes, with various vicissitudes flashing by.
Before him stood several figures as tiny as dust, their forms not even comparable to a single strand of his hair.
"We beseech Yong Zu to take action..."
Those dust-like figures all knelt and kowtowed, crying out loudly.
"Are the other members of the Palace of Fate Defiance not around?" This enormous voice sounded, like clashing thunder, grand and majestic.
"We do not know." The kneeling figures responded, nearly torn apart by the gusts of breath that came as this enormous being spoke.
This tremendous disparity was like ants standing before a true dragon; the true dragon's single fiery breath could annihilate them.
The Palace of Fate Defiance was very mysterious. Its members were not something they could know.
In the outside world, they were Dao Realms existences who looked down proudly over regions. But in this spacetime domain, they were not even worthy of ants.
"Is this intended to test me?"
The enormous being called Yong Zu sat on the dragon throne but showed no intention of acting.
Within his gaze, scenes outside this spacetime domain emerged: the endless dark army slaughtering forth, like two torrents converging and colliding in the universe. Everywhere they passed was devastation and chaos.
"Heh heh..."
"I reminded them back then to pay attention to the Lord of Heaven's Proxy behind the Dark Clans. If possible, perhaps he could be invited to join the Palace of Fate Defiance..."
He laughed, his voice still rumbling like thunder, shaking the entire spacetime domain.
"Hm?"
But then, as if sensing something, he suddenly narrowed his eyes.
At this moment, outside the Land of the Nine Heavens, the endless army charged in. In the unseen spacetime region beyond the universe, a crack suddenly split open. Then, an enormous, pale hand abruptly pressed down.
That hand was simply too colossal, instantly blotting out the universe. No matter what being, before that hand, it was like dust facing the blazing sun. A mere wisp of its escaping aura could tear and obliterate everything like a storm.
Any world, barrier, spacetime, years... at the instant that hand reached down, instantly vanished into nothingness, turning to flying ash.
The Land of the Nine Heavens also quaked violently. Vast swaths of universes collapsed and disintegrated, as if this world could no longer contain such an aura.
At this moment, the countless converging and slaughtering Dark Clan army instantly vanished into nothingness, easily slapped apart into ash, leaving nothing behind.
Even those as powerful as Ancestral Dao Realm existences felt chills all over. Under such a presence, no thought of resistance could arise, just like ants facing an enormous star.
"An existence beyond the End of the Path has taken action..."
In the endless dark tide, the four High Priests of the Dark Clans all changed color drastically. They, relying on the Innate Artifacts bestowed by the Grand High Priest, could together contend against an End of the Path figure.
But facing such vast and boundless presence, there was no chance to resist. The life levels of the two were completely different dimensions.
Such an existence, to put it bluntly, could destroy a Supreme True World with a single breath.
At the moment the four High Priests' faces changed drastically, that giant hand was already aimed, slapping toward where they were, just like ants facing a terrifying mountain pressing down. No matter where they fled, escape was impossible.
The other Dark Beings around them wore expressions of terror and trembling, full of despair.
The surrounding cosmic spacetime instantly exploded. Any means seemed pale and powerless under such an unstoppable presence.
Within the Land of the Nine Heavens.
In the towering palace of the Sixth Heaven, all the strong ones were staring fixedly at this scene, their breathing seemingly stopped, filled with shock and horror. Even they never imagined that such an inconceivable existence was in the Land of the Nine Heavens.
The Eternal Life Dao Lord could not conceal his surprise and reverence, gazing toward the direction from which that giant hand had extended.
"The Dark Clans dare arbitrarily invade the Land of the Nine Heavens? Truly ignorant of fear. Do they really think the Heavenly Burial Grounds of the Land of the Nine Heavens are mere decorations?"
When this giant pale hand extended, the entire Land of the Nine Heavens seemed to fall silent. Even the entire Vast Expanse trembled in its wake. Countless True World civilizations and experts were horrified to the extreme, an indescribable dread sweeping through their bodies.
Under such an aura, even a Supreme True World would be easily destroyed and crushed, overwhelmingly domineering to the extreme.
Within the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, Gu Changge still sat quietly in the courtyard.
"Finally unable to hold back?" His gaze looked over, but the corner of his mouth held a hint, whether mockery or indifference.
In the depths of the Land of the Nine Heavens, there had always been the Palace of Fate Defiance. Each member of the Palace of Fate Defiance was a figure who had left a profound mark in the River of Years from ancient times to the present, with extraordinary and unparalleled strength.
However, just as the name 'Palace of Fate Defiance' suggested, these members all shared a common grand wish and goal.
And now, a certain supreme existence in the Palace of Fate Defiance had taken action, not as a probe against the Dark Clans, but against Gu Changge, against his Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
Amidst a hum.
Before the Heaven's Proxy Hall shrouded entirely in Dark Matter, the Coffin of World Burial also trembled, then seemed to emit a crisp sound of opening and closing, resounding across all worlds of the Vast Expanse.
An endless thick blood light shot through from there, piercing infinite cosmic spacetime, as if transforming into a boundless blood-colored ancient sword, and with a pu-chi, slashed toward the descending pale giant hand outside the Land of the Nine Heavens.