The overwhelming Clan Fate (族运) currently being used in the ritual was the culmination of the Three Great Clans' conquests across the Eternal World over countless years.
Each race dominated a domain—the Phoenixes ruled the skies,the Qilin reigned over the land,and the Dragons commanded the seas.
Together, they had essentially divided the Eternal World in three, forming a triad of dominance.Even if not absolute, their hegemony was clear in name and influence.
All of this amassed a nearly immeasurable quantity of fate energy.
Clan Fate, a higher form of luck and destiny, had allowed them to ascend to this height of power.
"Such terrifying Clan Fate—like a flood, unstoppable!Any who stand in their way will be crushed.When fortune favors them, even heaven and earth lend their strength.Truly, they are the protagonists of this era."
"They're using Clan Fate for a ritual... but to what end?The Soul-Summoning Banner, the Altars, and the Clan Fate—Are they trying to summon lost souls?"
"No… I understand now.They're trying to open the River of Time!"
As countless mighty beings watched in awe, speculation ran rampant.Some already guessed the truth—and were even more stunned by it.
And yet, none dared to interfere.
To offend any one of the three races was suicidal.To oppose all three simultaneously? A death sentence.
Besides, the various races of the Eternal World were secretly anticipating the outcome.If successful, this would reshape the Eternal World forever.
"With Clan Fate as the offering—Open the River of Time!"
On each of the three altars, the manifested Clan Fate Spirits merged with the altar itself,emitting divine brilliance as they poured their essence into it.
Three beams of divine light shot into the sky,piercing the nine heavens.
In the void above—auspicious clouds gathered.
Suddenly, a golden eye appeared out of nowhere.
Its gaze was cold and aloof, yet strangely emotional.This was the Eye of the Heavenly Dao (天道之眼)—the supreme will of heaven and earth,the master of all laws, the eternal overseer.
Its appearance meant only one thing:
The heavens had been moved by the ritual.
The Three Great Clans were no longer mere participants in the world—they were now its rightful protagonists.A ritual of this magnitude could not go unnoticed.
The eye flickered once—and then vanished into the void.
Whoosh!
As it disappeared,a massive river suddenly manifested from nothing.
It had no beginning and no end,and in its flow, scenes flashed by—countless lives, countless eras.
Every drop of water shimmered—illusory and real all at once.Each droplet contained a lifetime, a story, a destiny.
This was—
The River of Time.
"It's real! The River of Time actually exists!"
"This is one of the supreme rivers of the cosmos—alongside the River of Fate and the River of the Netherworld!"
"They're truly attempting it… risking everything. Using Clan Fate as the price—can it really be worth it?"
Some ancient beings trembled.Even merely witnessing it was enough to make one's heart chill.
There were many primordial rivers in the cosmos:
The River of Fate, from which cultivators draw their Heavenly Souls during the True Spirit breakthrough;
The River of Time, which connects all past, present, and future;
The Nether River, governing death and the underworld.
To reach Dao Proving Realm, one must have their Dao imprinted into the River of Time—ensuring their immortality as long as the heavens exist.
But to open the River of Time and force it to materialize…only the Heavenly Dao could allow that.Or one would need strength that defied the natural order.
"It's done. The River of Time has appeared."
"It's time."
The three patriarchs exchanged glances.Their eyes shimmered with a solemn brilliance.
"With the Ancestral Dragon Scale as the medium,the Dragon Clan's fate as the sacrifice—Ancestor, may your soul return!" shouted Ao Sihai.
"With the Divine Phoenix Feather as the medium,the Phoenix Clan's fate as the sacrifice—Ancestor, may your soul return!" cried Huang Wutong.
"With the Ancestral Qilin Horn as the medium,the Qilin Clan's fate as the sacrifice—Ancestor, may your soul return!" bellowed Qi Wujie.
The three ancestral treasures soared into the sky,flying directly into the River of Time.
They looked like boats sailing upstream,defying the current, heading into the past.
But to move upstream in any river was difficult.
To do so in the River of Time,was to confront the forbidden.It risked triggering ancient terrors,and could provoke attacks from the past itself.
Roar!!
Just as expected—a dark beast claw struck out from the past,slamming into the Dragon Scale.
But the scale sliced it apart, shattering the threat.
A war spear burst forth—but was deflected by the Phoenix Feather.
Despite the attacks,the three treasures continued their upstream journey,powered by the vast Clan Fate of each race.
If any ordinary person attempted this,even at the Dao Proving level,they would be utterly annihilated.
Only the boundless Clan Fate could shield this reverse journey.
Suddenly,at the far reaches of the River of Time,a massive gate appeared.
It was the—
Gate of Eras (纪元之门).
It stood between past and present,cutting across all of history.
A gate not of wood or stone,but forged from the essence of time itself.
"That's the Gate of Eras!The River of Time has existed since the dawn of the world.Each Era is like a year—and between Eras lies a gate.The Gate of Eras blocks passage between time epochs!"
"They want to pierce the gate, travel to the last Era,and bring back their ancestral souls…Unbelievable! They actually dare to attempt it!"
The Gate of Eras was an artifact of temporal law.No force could bypass it easily.
To break it required the strength of destiny and heaven itself.
The cost?
The Clan Fate Spirits on the three altars had already shrunk,a clear sign of heavy loss.If Clan Fate is used up, it's permanently gone.
Still,the three patriarchs looked up with burning resolve.
Their eyes shone brighter than ever before.
"Ancestors—may your souls return!"
They shouted in unison.
At that moment,the Clan Fate Spirits shrank rapidly to a mere ten thousand zhang,as the rest of their bodies ignited—turning into a flood of dazzling energy.
The three treasures,now blazing with glory,smashed into the Gate of Eras.
The force behind them:the total fate of three supreme races.
And—
Boom!!
The Gate of Eras shattered.
Nothing could resist it.
"When fortune arrives, even the heavens yield."The ancient saying proved true.
ROAR!!
SCREECH!!
HOWL!!
Three soul-shattering cries erupted from the River of Time.
A chaotic-colored dragon,a massive phoenix,and a giant qilin emerged—souls reborn,following their treasures back downstream.
They were wrapped in immense Clan Fate,drawn toward the altars like beacons.
Time in the River flowed differently.The return could have taken a second—or ten million years.
No one could tell.
But finally—
Above the three altars,three colossal spirits burst forth,radiating ancient and boundless power.
Their aura made all watching clansmen drop to their knees,instinctively worshiping the source of their bloodlines.
"Welcome home, Great Ancestors!"
"Welcome home, Great Ancestors!"
The Three Clans shouted in frenzied unison.
Hovering in the sky,the ancestral souls paused.
As if…a mysterious message had just reached their minds.