Outer Space
In the endless darkness of outer space, a gigantic figure slept silently.
This was the Giant Sprite God.
His body was unimaginably huge, like an ancient mountain floating among the stars. Around him, space itself felt heavy and suppressed, as if it dared not move too freely.
For countless years, the Giant Sprite God had been sleeping.
Yet even in his sleep, he was guarded.
Thousands of Open Heaven Stage cultivators stood watch in the surrounding void, forming layer after layer of defensive formations. None of them dared to relax, not even for a moment.
Everyone knew the legend.
Long ago, this Giant Sprite God had awakened once and saved the human race from slavery under the Divine Spirit Clan and the Monster Clan. His name had shaken the entire universe.
There was also a prophecy.
One day, the Giant Sprite God would awaken again…
And this time, he would face an unknown calamity—one capable of destroying not just worlds, but the entire universe itself.
Near the Giant Sprite God, ten figures sat quietly.
They were the strongest among the guards—Open Heaven Ninth Stage cultivators.
All of them came from the great Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Among them, one old man stood out.
He wore a deep purple robe. His long purple beard flowed down his chest, and his eyes were sharp, yet filled with endless depth. Just a single glance from him carried the weight of countless years.
He was the Eleventh Supreme Elder of Purple Jade Cave Heaven.
His name was Long Hao Chan.
His age was unknown, but it was said to be more than one million years.
Among the ten, he was the most respected.
At this moment, Elder Long Hao Chan sat cross-legged directly in front of the Giant Sprite God, his posture steady and unmoving.
Suddenly—
His pupils shrank.
After ten thousand years, his tightly closed eyes opened for the first time.
Almost at the same moment, the other nine masters opened their eyes one by one.
The surrounding space seemed to tremble.
One of them suddenly stood up and shouted, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Lord Mi Jing Lun… is awakening today!"
Just moments ago, they had sensed it.
A faint but unmistakable fluctuation had appeared within the Giant Sprite God's body.
After millions of years of silence, the space around him shook for the first time.
Then—
The giant, seemingly lifeless eyes slowly opened.
A vast and ancient aura spread out instantly, sweeping across the void.
All ten Open Heaven Ninth Stage masters immediately knelt down.
Their expressions were filled with reverence.
"Lord Mi Jing Lun," they said in unison,
"We thank you for your great kindness toward the human race."
Mi Jing Lun's gaze slowly swept over them.
There was no emotion in his eyes—only endless time and boundless will.
In the next moment—
The Giant Sprite God raised his hand.
He punched forward.
Boom—!
Space shattered like fragile glass.
A massive spatial crack opened before him.
Without another word, Mi Jing Lun stepped into the crack and disappeared.
The void slowly closed behind him.
The ten masters did not follow.
Instead, they immediately sent messages back to their respective sects.
This matter was too important.
Purple Jade Cave Heaven
Inside the main hall, a grand meeting was taking place.
At the highest seat sat Zhang Fang, the Purple Void Emperor, an Open Heaven Tenth Stage cultivator.
Suddenly—
Zhang Fang stood up.
Without saying a single word, he stepped down from his throne and left the hall instantly.
The entire hall fell into silence.
The elders stared at each other in shock.
"What kind of matter," one elder thought silently,
"could make an Open Heaven Tenth Stage expert leave a meeting like this?"
No one had time to ask.
At that moment—
A message entered their Knowledge Seas.
Their expressions froze.
Then turned pale.
Then filled with disbelief.
"The Giant Sprite God… has awakened for the second time."
The hall plunged into dead silence.
Everyone understood.
The calm of the universe had just been broken.
Back to the Present
Luo Zheng stood silently, his mind turning over the information the shadow had just given him. The more he analyzed it, the heavier his heart became. His eyes slowly widened.
"This… this is impossible," Luo Zheng muttered.
He clenched his fists and spoke aloud, his voice filled with disbelief.
"The creator of the Ink Clan, the Ink God… he was already killed in ancient times. When Mu first released the future Ink God, a Giant Sprite God appeared. That being used a spatial destruction method and erased the Ink God completely."
His breathing became slightly unstable.
"If the Ink God is truly dead," Luo Zheng said in shock, "then humanity shouldn't face that calamity in the future. Millions died because of him. If he no longer exists… then why?"
He paused, then his gaze turned sharp.
"How is this related to the help you want from me?" Luo Zheng asked coldly.
"Don't tell me you want to revive the Ink God. He was the source of endless slaughter."
The voice in the darkness responded calmly, without any emotional fluctuation.
"You are thinking too much. That is not our plan."
Luo Zheng frowned.
"Then what do you want?"
"I need your help," the voice said, "to find the space gate from where Ink god was first released."
Luo Zheng was stunned.
"You already know so much about ancient secrets," he said slowly.
"If that's the case, why can't you find it yourself?"
The voice remained silent for a moment before replying.
"It is because of the Giant Sprite God's special method. When he destroyed the Ink God, he laid down a Primal Fate Formation."
"Because of this formation," the voice continued, "any being born from this world is unable to locate that place."
Luo Zheng's heart shook.
"Even Mu," the voice added, "the master of the Space-Time River, was executed under his order. Her crime was releasing a being that could bring infinite calamity upon humanity."
Luo Zheng felt a chill run down his spine.
He opened his mouth to ask another question, but before he could speak, the voice interrupted him.
"You are not qualified to ask about this."
The words were calm, yet they carried an invisible pressure.
"I have already told you far more than I should," the voice said.
"Now it is time for you to decide."
"You help me," the voice continued, "and in exchange, I will give you an inheritance. With it, you can reach the peak of the present Outer Space World."
Luo Zheng fell silent.
An inheritance…
An Open Heaven–level inheritance.
For any cultivator, this was something worth risking their life for.
After a long moment, Luo Zheng finally spoke.
"I want one more thing," he said firmly.
"I want the special method you are using to speak with me… and to hide your presence."
The voice did not hesitate.
"No problem."
The moment those words fell, space around Luo Zheng twisted.
In the next instant, his figure vanished without leaving a trace.
As his consciousness drifted through the void, Luo Zheng's thoughts grew heavy.
"What exactly do they want from that gate?" he thought.
"They are even willing to give me an Open Heaven inheritance for it."
"These people… they are not simple."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Did I make the right decision?"
"Or did I just step into another trap?"
The darkness swallowed his thoughts as the unknown future slowly unfolded.
To be continued