They all had to be ready for a battle to the death with the monsters.
The moment those words were spoken, silence filled the grand hall. You could've heard a pin drop.
Even the ancient divine beasts like the Golden Dragon clan had nearly been wiped out back then, yet they still couldn't eliminate the monsters completely. If those beings couldn't do it, could they really succeed?
No one felt confident.
It took unimaginable effort to reach immortality. No one wanted to die because of monsters. But if an outbreak really happened, none of them would escape unscathed.
The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy, everyone weighed down by grim thoughts.
Mo Yang Xiānzūn swept his gaze across the room and softened his tone. "I only want you all to be prepared. Maybe things won't turn out that way. There's no need to be so tense.
I'll go take a look first. You can all go."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his figure vanished from the hall.
The others sighed one after another and slowly dispersed.
Mu Zixu left the hall as well, but the smug look he'd worn earlier was gone. If the monsters truly broke loose, he'd be in trouble too.
Now, all he could do was pray that Mo Yang Xiānzūn could stabilize the seal.
As Dao Qing passed by, Mu Zixu suddenly said, "Dao Qing, I heard that little disciple of yours has been quite the troublemaker lately, huh?"
Ever since Dao Qing took in that youngest disciple, she'd been nothing but trouble. Every time Mu Zixu heard the gossip, he'd laugh himself half-dead. He never thought Dao Qing could misjudge someone so badly, only to bring back a walking disaster.
Dao Qing's face darkened. He turned sharply.
"Hmph, my disciple's none of your business! You'd better worry about yourself instead. When the battle starts, you'll probably piss yourself and run!"
He sneered, then strode away.
His words sounded calm, but deep down, he was furious. That little disciple of his was always causing chaos everywhere she went. Sometimes, Dao Qing really wanted to pry her head open just to see what went on inside.
No matter how many times he punished her, she never took it seriously. Even the rest of his disciples had started acting odd because of her, which only made him angrier.
"Tsk, someone's touchy," Mu Zixu muttered, clicking his tongue, mockery flashing in his eyes.
Dao Qing was just all bark and no bite.
At that moment, Wang Yang passed by. Mu Zixu was about to call out to him, but Wang Yang walked right past without a glance.
Mu Zixu froze for a second, then lowered his hand. He wasn't sure when it happened, but Wang Yang had grown distant. He didn't chat like before and often ignored him completely. Wang Yang had been his best friend in the Immortal Realm, yet now they'd drifted apart.
Mu Zixu felt bitter about it, but he refused to bow his head. He thought, fine. When Wang Yang regrets it and comes back, he won't forgive him so easily.
~
In the Spirit Realm, Song Wanníng was still fighting.
The monsters here were nothing like the ones outside. They were stronger, faster, and far more vicious.
The little ones fought beside her, shouting curses as they battled, all clearly pissed off.
Even Xuan Yan's aura had turned dangerous. He'd thought he could use these monsters, but he hadn't realized how troublesome they were. Now that he was actually trying to exterminate them, he understood just how hard they were to kill.
These monsters were ridiculously resilient. They'd look half-dead one second, then be bouncing around again the next. And their aura… it was strange.
Song Wanníng's eyes narrowed. She could sense a faint trace of immortal energy from their bodies. It was weak, barely there, but she felt it clearly. The immortal power in her body even reacted to it. Could these monsters really be connected to the Immortal Realm?
Once that thought appeared, she couldn't shake it off. Her expression grew complicated. She didn't know what was happening in the Immortal Realm, so she couldn't tell what that connection might mean.
She quickly told Xuan Yan what she'd sensed.
His brow furrowed as a possibility flashed in his mind. "The other side of this space… could it be somewhere in the Immortal Realm? I once felt an extremely strong spiritual fluctuation from the other side too!"
The more he thought about it, the more stunned he became. Could he really have been this close to the Immortal Realm all this time? If immortal energy was leaking through, it'd explain how he managed to regain his sanity.
They exchanged a look, both realizing the same thing.
"That doesn't matter. Let's break through first. Either way, we'll kill every monster in our path!"
"Right!"
Without wasting another word, they threw themselves back into the fight.
Time passed quickly. There was no sun or moon here, but Song Wanníng could still feel days slipping by one after another.
The number of monsters was decreasing, but each one took a brutal effort to kill.
With a sharp swing of her sword, she suddenly saw Mo Yang Xiānzūn's silhouette flash before her eyes.
Her next strike split the monster in half. Both halves hit the ground, then scurried away in opposite directions. She refused to let them escape and chased forward, drawing closer and closer to the storm's center.
As more monsters appeared, she swung her sword again.
Meanwhile, in the Immortal Realm, Mo Yang Xiānzūn had already reached the Heavenly Chasm.
He stopped before the seal, his divine sense spreading outward to locate the source of the disturbance. The seal had been reinforced not long ago, so why was it showing signs of instability again so soon?
His brow furrowed in confusion.
Just as he was wondering, he stepped forward, trying to peer through the barrier into the depths beyond.
But the seal blocked his view, leaving him to sense carefully instead. Somewhere deep within, he felt something familiar. It was the aura of his own sword intent. He knew that energy better than anyone. There was no way he'd mistake it. But… how could his sword intent possibly exist inside the seal?
Mo Yang Xiānzūn was full of questions he couldn't answer. So he stayed there, continuing to watch.
In the Spirit Realm, Song Wanníng had no idea that Mo Yang Xiānzūn, on the other side of the storm, had sensed her familiar sword aura and felt something strange.
Her spiritual power was nearly exhausted, and her body was starting to wear down. But she didn't dare stop. She could feel more monsters lurking deeper within the passage.
Still, she was getting closer to the storm's core. That realization reignited her determination. After swallowing a few pills, she charged back into the fray.
Compared to her, Xuan Yan was doing much better. This was his tomb, filled with endless demonic energy feeding him strength, keeping him in top condition.
The ones truly struggling were the little ones. They'd long run out of stamina, yet they still refused to back down. Even the Bodhi Tree Spirit had joined the fight, teaming up with the others to support Song Wanníng.
Everyone was giving it their all to clear the monsters away.
Soon, she drew even closer to the storm's center.
"Boom!"
With one mighty slash, she sent another monster flying, closing the distance by several more steps. She could almost reach out and touch the storm's core.
Xuan Yan pushed forward from the other side, and moments later, they met before the raging center.
But the monsters kept pouring out endlessly from the depths of the passage, like a bottomless abyss.