The moment these words were spoken, everyone’s bodies stiffened, as if they were frozen in place!
Who was this person? One who dreamed for ten thousand ages, her heart as calm as a still lake, now abruptly awakened—such a description… was utterly terrifying.
However, everyone could see that she couldn’t have survived unscathed. Something catastrophic must have happened—her death, and the near-extinction of her Great Dao.
Inside the coffin lay only a single sheet of skin, flawless and exquisite, as if carved by divine hands, a masterpiece of heavenly craftsmanship.
A ghost becoming an immortal—this was far too similar to those ancient legends!
In the past, there had been no concrete evidence, only myths. But now, it seemed they were witnessing the first real case of a ghost ascending to immortality. It was horrifying.
Who was she? What had her identity been in the past?
“Break free!” The foreign realm’s forces panicked, frantically activating the Immortal-Refining Pot. Without regard for the cost, some among them exploded on the spot. The more the artifact awakened, the more violent its fluctuations became, and the less they could endure.
The young kings paled, but fortunately, the elders stepped in to shield them—otherwise, they would have been annihilated entirely!
*Hum!*
The Immortal-Refining Pot trembled, breaking free from its restraints, desperate to escape.
Great Elder Meng Tianzheng’s expression was grave as he mustered all his strength to activate the Burial Shroud, wrapping it around everyone to flee together.
“Senior, are you from our Nine Heavens? Judging by your attire and immortal voice, you don’t belong to the foreign realm. Please, slay these enemies—these wolves are coming again!” Cao Yusheng shouted.
The battlefield was unstable as the Nine Heavens’ cultivators surged forward.
“What Nine Heavens? What foreign realm? Fleeting clouds—what concern are they of mine?” the woman sighed.
“We meant no disturbance. Farewell!” An elder from the foreign realm clasped his fists, speaking humbly, eager to leave this accursed place immediately. The so-called secrets were no longer worth pursuing—it was far too dangerous.
“This pot seems familiar… I’ve forgotten too much,” the woman murmured, her voice melodious yet tinged with melancholy.
With a *whoosh*, the coffin lid flew open, and she sat up. Raising a hand, her slender, jade-like finger—pure and crystalline—lightly flicked the Immortal-Refining Pot.
The foreign realm’s forces were petrified, their souls nearly fleeing their bodies. What kind of existence was this? Her movements were lightning-fast, striking the pot from a distance with a single flick.
And this was the Immortal-Refining Pot they controlled!
*Clang!*
A piercing sound rang out as the pot was struck, erupting in a blinding light. A terrifying force, like a mountain flood, surged toward the woman.
Yet, with a mere wave of her hand, she effortlessly dispersed it.
The foreign realm’s forces turned ashen. This woman was too terrifying.
“Pot Spirit, awaken!” someone cried out in desperation, chanting in an ancient, urgent tone, urging the artifact’s spirit to rouse from its slumber.
A powerful will gradually stirred, unleashing a heaven-shaking force!
But before the woman could act, the world itself reacted first. This artifact, foreign to this realm, was met with severe suppression—countless Great Dao patterns descended to crush it.
“It gives me a very unpleasant feeling,” the woman murmured, pointing a finger. The Immortal-Refining Pot trembled, ripples spreading as explosive sounds echoed.
At the same time, she immobilized Shi Hao and the others, reaching out to seize the Immortal King’s Burial Shroud.
“If you are one of our Nine Heavens’ ancestors, a warrior of the past, you must recognize this banner! It is the iron-blooded standard of old—how could you forget?!” Great Elder Meng Tianzheng roared.
He channeled all his power, causing the tattered cloth to glow. Immortal light radiated, and several types of blood emerged, suffusing the sky with the aura of Immortal Kings.
This was immortal blood—at least two Immortal Kings had been wrapped within this banner, their souls entombed upon it!
“It feels familiar…” The woman hesitated, her hand pausing mid-air. But soon, she regained her composure. “And what if I do recognize it?”
*Whoosh!*
A gale howled as she flipped her hand, sending both the Immortal-Refining Pot and the Burial Shroud flying into the distant mountain range.
There, an enormous chessboard lay waiting.
“Disaster! This is a supreme formation—she’s trapping us!” the foreign realm’s forces cried out.
“Those who stand in my way shall perish!” At this moment, the Immortal-Refining Pot’s will began to stir, threatening violence.
“Pot Spirit, we beg you—return to slumber!” someone from the foreign realm pleaded, chanting scriptures.
“Why hold back?” another demanded.
“Because the Nine Heavens’ forces were also thrown in here. That woman treats everyone equally. If we provoke her first, the consequences will be dire,” someone whispered.
The Immortal-Refining Pot fell silent, refraining from unleashing its fury.
The world, too, finally calmed. Otherwise, countless Dao patterns would have manifested to suppress the pot entirely.
“I’ve forgotten the past, and I have no desire to recall it. Seize them,” the woman commanded.
*Boom!*
The corpses of six undying creatures advanced, colossal and boundless, attacking the chessboard in the mountains.
At the same time, several immortal corpses arrived, encircling the area!
“Senior, you are one of our Nine Heavens’ ancestors—how can you do this?!” Shi Hao shouted.
The younger generation could see it clearly—this woman must have been a fallen warrior of the Nine Heavens, reborn through fate. Even if she was now a ghost-turned-immortal, her former self had fought for their side.
“Not all memories are worth keeping. Since they are lost, why chase them? I no longer wish to remember. Enough—leave this place. I will not contend with the world. From now on, this realm shall be a forbidden zone, standing beyond the mortal dust. Do not disturb me!”
To everyone’s astonishment, the woman spoke these words—first with hesitation, then with unwavering resolve.
*Whoosh!*
The chessboard opened, and they were all flung out, hurled toward the edge of the realm by a sweep of her sleeve.
“Chirp chirp…” The juvenile phoenix cried, unwilling to let them go, communicating with the woman.
“Senior, you can’t spare them! These are the foreign realm’s forces—your death is directly tied to them! You should annihilate them all!” Cao Yusheng yelled, filled with indignation.
The foreign realm’s forces gnashed their teeth, fists clenched, glaring from beneath the Immortal-Refining Pot’s protection.
Indeed, Shi Hao, Da Xutuo, Qi Gu, and the others all wished to use the woman’s power to eliminate their enemies.
Yet, to their dismay, this peerless woman was resolute, untouched by worldly affairs, expelling them all without taking sides.
“The convictions of the past hold no beauty. Better to sever them—what concern are they of mine? Henceforth, I shall watch the eternal flow of time, as heaven ages and earth withers. This place shall be a forbidden zone, standing beyond chaos, severed from calamity and strife!” the woman declared coldly.
The Nine Heavens’ forces could only sigh, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness.
*Boom!*
The next moment, they were all ejected from the ancient realm. A massive black stele, a hundred thousand feet tall, slowly descended, sealing the place once more.
Chaos churned as the ancient realm vanished from sight.
“What a waste! We had the perfect chance to wipe out those wolves, but they escaped!” Cao Yusheng fumed.
“Killing them wouldn’t have changed much. The true threat lies with the foreign realm’s undying creatures,” someone consoled themselves.
On the other side, beneath the Immortal-Refining Pot, the foreign realm’s forces sneered.
*Swoosh!*
Just then, an object shot out from the chaos, landing on the Burial Shroud, accompanied by the woman’s voice.
“What once belonged to a side shall return to it.” Her tone was indifferent, as if she had let go of everything.
*Boom!*
Finally, the black stele trembled and sealed the ancient realm completely, erasing it from existence.
Clearly, the object that had flown out and landed on the Burial Shroud proved the woman had once belonged to the Nine Heavens—for it had chosen them.
Everyone stared at it, examining it closely.
It was an incense stick, less than half a foot long, once lit but long extinguished.
“What does this mean? Is she telling us to burn incense?” someone grumbled.
The stick appeared ordinary, with no obvious special qualities.
Inscribed upon it were characters—two in the ancient script of the Immortal Ancient Era, the rest unrecognizable, likely belonging to some powerful race.
The two legible words read: *World’s End!*
This was horrifying. Did it mean the destruction of the world?
Why had the woman given them this incense?
What purpose did it serve?
“This is no ordinary object. Guard it well—it must have a monumental purpose,” Great Elder said gravely.
The foreign realm’s forces glared with murderous intent, itching to seize it. But faced with the Great Luo Sword Embryo, the Burial Shroud, the Ten Crown King’s World Sapling, and the Horn of the Heavenly Horned Ant in the hands of the Banished Immortal, they restrained themselves.
“I suspect that woman wasn’t from the Nine Heavens at all—she may have shared origins with my ancestors,” Dugu Yun said, his gaze profound. “She might have been the one who fought Luo Mo to the death!”
“What? That supreme expert with traces of chaos blood, who perished alongside the foreign realm’s ancient ancestor?” someone gasped.
The possibility was chilling.
“Let’s go. We need to leave this place!” Facing off against the foreign realm’s forces, they retreated from the chaotic zone, returning to the borders of the Great Scarlet Sky.
Many fell into silence, pondering what had transpired.
“To become a forbidden zone, untouched by worldly strife—what a pity!” someone lamented, thinking of the woman. Even as a ghost-turned-immortal, she likely wielded immortal-level power.
“Could it be that the forbidden zones of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were all born for similar reasons?” Shi Hao mused.
The thought sent shivers down their spines.
This was a terrifying question. The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths housed true forbidden zones—places no one dared enter, home to enigmatic beings of unfathomable power, existing since time immemorial!
If one delved deeper, there were surely countless buried tragedies and horrifying secrets lurking within.
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