C995 A New Situation

One by one, figures stepped into the swirling teleportation array. Powered by the forces of the array, a stable connection was maintained with the Desolate Swamp, ensuring seamless travel. As each individual entered, they were instantly transported to the Desolate Swamp without the need to fine-tune their coordinates.

Before long, every survivor from foreign lands, along with their Bloodline Warriors, Xi Quan, Zhongli, Ann Wen, Qi Yunhong, and others from the Blood God Cult, had all made their successful departure.

President Lyi, with a final smile at the Golden Elephant Ancient God, stowed away his golden throne and soared into the array. Zhou You, the operator of the array, then deftly reduced it to a crystalline square with a mere gesture.

"Much obliged," he said.

With a respectful bow to the Desolate God's Demon Soul, Zhou You wielded his whisk and the miniaturized square to carve a luminous spatial rift. This passage also led to the Great Swamp of Desolate God, albeit capable of transporting fewer individuals and not without its perils. Yet for Zhou You and the Desolate God, such dangers were trivial.

The Demon Soul, in the guise of the Old Ape, nodded and vanished into the rift first, followed by Zhou You.

Thus, the survivors, once deemed threats by the upper sects, the Demon Palace, and the Devil Palace, had all slipped away with Zhou You's assistance. The forbidden land was now left to the powerful representatives of the various sects who had gathered from afar.

As the escapees vanished from sight, not a soul dared to intervene, nor did anyone dare to utter a word.

"Desolate God..." It was only after a considerable pause that the Mighty Spirit King, perched atop the Deep Sea Basilisk, spoke the name in a somber tone, weighing heavily on the hearts of all who listened.

The death of Lee Tianxin, Zu Ann's ascension towards the pinnacle of power, and the emergence of the Desolate God from his seclusion had sent ripples of shock through the ranks of the Ninth Level Great Demons and the Unrestrained Stage cultivators. Such monumental shifts had not been seen in the Boundless Land for millennia.

And there, at the Dragon Slash Platform, the dragon, with undying resolve, continued to claw and headbutt the Silvery Land.

The silvery-white expanse remained unmarred, not a single fissure marring its surface—a testament to the dragon's might, which seemed naturally suppressed there. Their attacks, though they appeared heavy and sharp, were pitifully feeble against the Silvery Land.

Loong Jie, the venerable patriarch of the Dragon Clan, had long recognized the futility of their efforts and ceased his vain endeavors. Transforming back into human form, he stood amidst a gathering of dragons still striving valiantly, his golden eyes brimming with sorrow and resignation.

Beneath his feet lay the once-glorious dragon vein, the pride of the Dragon Clan. Yet, the Dragon Slash Platform's presence had turned this vital vein, so integral to the clan's flourishing, into a cage that shackled their hopes for future prosperity.

After exhausting all possibilities, Loong Jie understood that only with outside assistance could the Nagas hope to break free from the earth's grasp and displace the Dragon Slash Platform.

With a look of entreaty, he turned to Cao Jiaze, the Golden Elephant Ancient God, Van Heqing, Yao Huangqi, and the Mighty Spirit King.

Cao Jiaze, the keeper of the Nine Heaven Palace Seals, wore a somber expression, his mood sour. "Nagas, retreat to the Hidden Dragon Lake in the deep sea. As for whether the last Dragon Slash Platform will be moved, that will be determined after further deliberation among all parties," he declared.

"We..." Loong Jie began, but Cao Jiaze cut him off with a cold snort.

"You failed to slay the Green Willow Demon, and you were of no use in the battle at the forbidden ground. Worse, you allowed Yu Yuan to coerce you into assaulting the palaces surrounding me."

Silenced, Loong Jie could only listen as Cao Jiaze continued, "We've refrained from pursuing this matter further because we understand you were acting under duress. Now, return to your homes."

With mournful howls, the dragons let out subdued roars. At Loong Jie's command, they took to the skies with heavy hearts.

Their gaze lingered on the Silvery Land below, as if yearning to penetrate the stone and behold the Dragon Slash Platform that suppressed their clan's destiny.

In the end, they complied and flew away.

On the brink of the abyss leading to the Delude Devil Abyss, Ji Ningshuang, wielder of the Starfrost Sword, ingested pellets capable of regenerating flesh on bare bones, gazing into the pit's depths. Her external wounds, her arms, had been restored with fresh flesh and blood, thanks to the miraculous effects of the pellets and her own vital energy.

An Unrestrained Stage cultivator, while not as physically formidable as a Great Demon, could still regenerate flesh and blood if the heart remained unscathed, nourished by these wondrous pellets and their own life force. A Ninth Level Great Demon, with an intact heart, could even regrow severed limbs, surpassing humans in resilience.

With a swish, a cold, ghostly sword light flickered and vanished within the Realm passage at the bottom of the pit.

A frosty glint appeared in Ji Ningshuang's icy eyes, her brows as if rimed with frost. "The Outer Realm..."

"Don't be foolish," Van Heqing chided, stepping beside her and peering into the pit's enigmatic glow, feeling the tumult and disarray within. "Until the Realm passage below stabilizes, not even someone of your caliber could cross it unscathed."

After a prolonged silence, Ji Ningshuang spoke, "Inform the Sect Master that I will be entering seclusion to heal. Once I've recovered, I request to be dispatched to the Outland Star River to slay the Outlanders and the Demon Gods."

With those words, she turned away from everyone, steering the Starfrost Sword into the distance.

"She once intervened to save Yu Yuan," remarked Yun Hao of the Fiend Sect, once Ji Ningshuang had departed.

The Shattering Sword, Van Heqing, faced him with an impassive look, "All I saw was her relentless assault on the Great Demon God Grayer. While you and many others hesitated, she alone continued to challenge Grayer with her sword."

Those gathered understood Ji Ningshuang's swordplay was motivated by Yu Yuan. Yet, her strikes were indeed aimed at the Great Demon God, Greco, the archenemy of the Boundless Land. Thus, Van Heqing's statement stood unassailable.

"Members of the Profound Sky Sect, Sword Sect, Demon Palace, and the Unrestrained Stage, along with the Ninth Level Demons, stay put."

Cao Jiaze, the keeper of the Heaven Palace Seals, hovered above the pit, surveying the crowd as he announced, "The rest of you, return to your respective sects and await further updates."

His declaration effectively sidelined figures like the Spirit Void Taoist and Yun Hao.

Yet, when Guanghong and the trio of powerhouses from the Profound Sky Sect, including the Mighty Spirit King and Yao Huangqi, converged at the pit, those not among the elite five had no choice but to resign themselves to their fate.

"Senior Chung, please remain as well."

Cao Jiaze suddenly slapped his forehead, as if remembering something important, and called out urgently.

Chung Guanyu, who was on the verge of departing with Zhou Cangmin, Faang Yao, and others, paused, then acknowledged with a slight nod.

"Red Devil Sect!"

The mention of the Red Devil Sect by Cao Jiaze caught the Spirit Void Taoist, Yun Hao, Wei Zhuo, and many other visiting dignitaries off guard, sparking a light of astonishment in their eyes.

It dawned on them that the tales of the Red Devil Sect's master must indeed be true.

The current leader of the Red Devil Sect had recently achieved the formation of a Primordial Spirit, ascending to the highest echelons.

With Lee Tianxin's demise, the Primordial Yang Sect was left with a single Primordial Spirit, putting it on par with the Red Devil Sect in terms of overt power.

Chung Guanyu being asked to stay signaled that the Profound Sky Sect regarded the Red Devil Sect as surpassing the Fiend Sect, the Filthy Spirit Sect, and the Voodoo Cult.

The Red Devil Sect had formally gained recognition and secured a status on par with the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace!

As the powerful figures departed the forbidden area, each with their own thoughts, it became clear that the seismic shift that had occurred there wouldn't need to wait for their return to the sects to become common knowledge.

The Great Demon God Grec's personal appearance, the manifestation of the Chaos Roc, Yu Yuan's flight beyond the heavens, Lee Tianxin's death, Zu Ann's ascension to divinity, the emergence of the Desolate God from the Great Swamp, and the Red Devil Sect's rise to preeminence...

These monumental events were set to sweep across the Boundless Land's three continents, prompting all sects, empires, and families to reassess the landscape in the wake of this transformation.

Surrounding the deep pit, the Golden Elephant Ancient God was the first to break the silence. "After the escape of the one in the bronze coffin, the long-hidden Divine Soul Sect has seen four great Divine Kings emerge," he began. "Rumor has it, another Divine King lies dormant, bound to awaken sooner or later."

His gaze shifted to the expanse of land housing the final Dragon Slash Platform as he spoke.

"Should the five great Divine Kings unite, the Divine Soul Sect will reclaim its zenith of combat prowess. Add to that the Desolate God, Zu Ann, and the White Bone Ghost from Horror Land, and their strength becomes even more formidable," the Golden Elephant Ancient God said, his voice growing heavier with each word. "Without the aid of foreign tribes, the power at the Divine Soul Sect's disposal is already formidable."

"Isn't there a limit to the highest echelons of the Boundless Land?" Chung Guanyu of the Red Devil Sect interjected with a soft inquiry.

"That's true," the Golden Elephant Ancient God acknowledged with a nod. "Yet, aside from the one in the bronze coffin, the other three Divine Kings ascended in the remote reaches of the Outland Star River, seemingly independent of the Boundless Land's fortune. As for the one in the bronze coffin, he reclaimed his divine status through means unknown to us, with the aid of the Divine Soul Sect."

He paused briefly before adding, "Similarly, the elusive Moon Sect Master, in some arcane corner of the Outland Star River, is being propelled by the Divine Soul Sect towards godhood, free from the constraints of our Boundless Land's rules and fortune."

"This very fact is why the Divine Soul Sect dares to return, igniting the urge to rebel in many," the Golden Elephant Ancient God declared emphatically.

Chung Guanyu and the other Unrestrained Stage cultivators were visibly moved by his words.

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