C621 Behind the Turn of the Era

The situation was becoming increasingly bizarre; the Great Desolate Ancient Clan could trace its origins back to the distant era of the Great Desolation!

"Yes, but that's a very long time ago. After the Great Desolation era, the Ancestor shattered the void and departed, yet the river of time continues to flow relentlessly forward..."

"The era that followed is what you now call ancient times, but before the great catastrophe, people referred to it as the ancient era. That catastrophe marked the beginning of a new epoch," the clan leader of the Great Desolate Ancient Clan remarked with a sigh.

The Great Desolation era!

The ancient times!

The ancient era!

And now, the present era!

Indeed, it's all so distant that Woo Zhengyang couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia, as if witnessing the world’s dramatic changes over time.

"In the Great Desolation era, the Ancestor ushered in a new epoch, transitioning into ancient times. The ancient era, due to the great catastrophe, led to the current era. But how do we define ancient times and the ancient era? Since your clan has existed since the Great Desolation era, you must have experienced the transition between ancient times and the ancient era. Could you tell us what happened back then?" Lee Yuanye suddenly asked.

"Are you trying to test me, kid? I bet you don't even know yourself!" the clan leader retorted with a hint of annoyance.

"Sir, I do know a bit, but there are some parts I can't quite grasp. I hope you can enlighten me. From what I understand, it had something to do with the sky," Lee Yuanye said, pointing upward.

Seeing Lee Yuanye's actions, the leader of the Great Desolate Ancient Clan's expression changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Even in this sealed world, you still know these things. I underestimated you. Indeed, that event was related to the heavens, and it could be considered a calamity from above, though not as devastating as this one."

"Sir, what happened back then?"

"No one really knows what happened. People only know that for an entire month, the sun, moon, and stars disappeared, plunging the world into endless darkness. After a month, the sun finally shone again, but the world had already shattered into various regions of different sizes."

At this point, the leader of the Great Desolate Ancient Clan sighed, "Ah, you young ones, the more I talk, the more I say, perhaps because I haven't spoken in a long time, I just can't stop."

"Sir, you can't blame us for that. It's because you haven't explained why your clan had a warrior emperor back then. Does your clan not fall under the restrictions of the Heaven Shrouding Great Array?"

"Heaven Shrouding Great Array? That's the name you gave the seal? Quite fitting. But do you know why the so-called Heaven Shrouding Great Array was established?"

"They say it was to seal the ancestral land, Profound Mountain?"

"That's right. The so-called calamity didn't truly come from the heavens but from our enemies. When the ancestor Profound Mountain led the Human Clan to rise, they couldn't completely eradicate the gods and demons. These two calamities were likely their doing, and their target is Profound Mountain! But Profound Mountain is sentient, forged from the essence and souls of our Human Clan, and it's not so easily shaken."

"Don't even mention Profound Mountain; even the people living nearby are under its protection. They can't control it, which is why the Heaven Shrouding Great Array exists. It seals the world and people's bodies, preventing them from practicing energy cultivation techniques. Their abilities are limited to the Martial King Stage."

"But some people can't be sealed by this so-called Heaven Shrouding Great Array!"

"Are you talking about your Great Desolate Ancient Clan?" Lee Yuanye pressed.

"Not just us! There are many, many more..."

"There are many more? Are there others not restricted by the Heaven Shrouding Great Array?"

"Of course. Back when the ancestors followed Profound Mountain, countless clans joined. How could it be just us?"

"So where are they now?"

"Sigh... I wish I knew where they are, whether they're alive or dead..."

The leader of the Great Desolate Ancient Clan sighed and continued, "This place is the ancestral land, the sacred ground of humanity. The strongest humans have always gathered here. When the great calamity struck, a force first targeted the ancestral land. When it couldn't do anything to it, it began to destroy everything in a frenzy."

"Naturally, those powerful humans didn't stand by. They gathered to uncover the force behind it. All the ancient clans, including ours, went out to confront it. But they never returned, disappearing without a trace. Not long after, the Heaven Shrouding Great Array appeared."

"Our mission back then was to guard the ancestral land, so we stayed behind. When we discovered this world was sealed by an unknown force, the old clan leader sensed something was wrong. He tried to enter the human ancestral land, only to find problems there too. In the end, the old clan leader and others sacrificed themselves to send us back."

At this point, the leader of the Great Desolate Ancient Clan couldn't hold back his tears. He didn't go into detail about how tragic those times were, but everyone could feel it—those memories must be the most unforgettable sorrow for the clan.

"But that wasn't the end. Shortly after we returned, the Myriad Desolate Mountain descended from the sky, isolating the human ancestral land. Along with it came the mountain on our backs!"

"This mountain? It fell from the sky with the Myriad Desolate Mountain?" Woo Zhengyang asked in surprise.

"Yes, but at that time, it was just a small mark that landed on us. Initially, we didn't understand what it was until we noticed our vital energy and life force draining into it, transforming into this shackle, into this mountain."

"This mountain is actually formed from your cultivation?" Lee Yuanye was shocked.

"Yes, the Heaven Shrouding Great Array couldn't restrain us, but this shackle can. No matter how much we cultivate, our power can only reach the peak of the Martial King Stage. The rest transforms into this mountain. But we can't stop cultivating because the shackle constantly absorbs from us. If we stop, it will drain us dry. As we cultivate, the mountain grows, creating an endless cycle. So, we can only hide here, trying to maintain balance, waiting for the day we can see the light again. And we've been waiting for ten thousand years," the clan leader said bitterly.

Woo Zhengyang and Lee Yuanye, along with others, gazed at the massive mountains on the backs of the Great Desolate Ancient Clan members, feeling a deep sense of empathy. The idea of cultivating under such burdensome conditions was truly unimaginable.

"Isn't there any way to resolve this?" Bing'er asked, looking at the clan members with a compassionate expression.

"We've tried everything we could think of," one of the clan members replied. "We even attempted to use a mystical treasure we acquired, but unfortunately, it was ineffective for us. It seems these shackles were specifically designed for our clan."