Along the way, the cultivators of various states were plunged into despair!
In a single day, darkness once again swallowed a hundred states. Even the vast expanse of the three thousand states could not withstand such speed.
Most terrifying of all was not just the surging dark matter, but the true horrors that rampaged—each one immensely powerful, led by those who had evolved into kings.
“It’s over. Our world is truly doomed. I saw an old acquaintance—the former sect master of the Vajra Sect. He has been resurrected, stronger than before,” someone lamented, their face twisted in terror.
They had recognized someone who had perished in the dark lands, never emerging from the abyss, his soul utterly annihilated, leaving only an empty husk. Yet now, he had reappeared, clearly resurrected and transformed by the darkness, far more powerful than before.
Black blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, his eyes cold as lightning, crackling with energy. His skin pulsed with dark radiance, like the hum of sword qi, and as his essence-blood flowed, it roared like thunder.
Wherever he passed, corpses piled high. He tore out hearts, devouring essence-blood with brutal savagery.
The dark region behind him was even worse—he had slaughtered his way out of it. Even the highest-tier kings on the evolutionary chain had fallen to him, their dark essence-blood consumed.
“Treading upon mountains of corpses, endlessly fusing with dark essence-blood—he has devoured countless lives. This transformation is too horrifying!” someone stammered, their voice trembling.
This was indeed a terrifying path. Who could fathom why it had come to this?
For they had all been dead, yet now they walked the earth again, vigorous and alive, stronger than ever. Only their consciousness had changed—cold, ruthless, merciless. They no longer recognized their former kin, attacking on sight.
Amidst this chaos, Shi Hao took action. He had slain so-called evolved kings before, but facing the black mist, he found himself struggling. A single misstep could drown him in dark matter, corroding his soul.
That ocean of black substance was the root of the great calamity—it shielded the resurrected and fueled their evolution.
This was only the beginning, not the end!
If this world were half-consumed, the number of powerful beings would multiply. They would slaughter and devour one another, birthing ever more monstrous creatures.
**Boom!**
A drumbeat resounded through the heavens—deep, oppressive, shaking the hearts of all.
**Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!**
The drumbeats continued, erupting like a tidal wave, resonating like the roar of an ancestral dragon. No matter where they were, every cultivator in this vast realm could hear it.
“The Immortal Domain has sent troops!” someone shouted, elated.
The despairing disciples of various sects suddenly brightened with hope, their spirits soaring.
Though only a day late, it had felt like an eternity. The great sects had been retreating, even the immortal clans of the Nine Heavens preparing to withdraw. How could lesser sects not tremble in fear?
A host of warriors strode across the heavens, appearing above the fringes of the dark region.
Their numbers were few, each shrouded in immortal light. Banners fluttered, unleashing chaotic energy that masked their aura while intimidating the dark creatures.
“Only this small force? Barely a few dozen—can they truly suppress the dark beings?” someone questioned.
If they were Immortal Kings, perhaps. But judging by their armor, they were merely generals. Even the strongest among them could not be the Immortal Domain’s supreme experts.
“The situation is dire. All must retreat—abandon another hundred states!” came the command from the sky.
Mounted on divine beasts, they moved swiftly, surveying the dark region’s borders, measuring the land.
“Fall back!”
They withdrew, ultimately relinquishing hundreds of states.
“This is a dragon vein—let it serve as the boundary. Abandon all beyond it; hold this side!” declared the Immortal Domain’s warriors.
The cultivators of the three thousand states paled. The surrendered territory was vast—their sacred mountains and sects could never be reclaimed.
**Woo—**
A conch horn sounded. In the distance, a passage opened, and the true Immortal Domain army emerged—rank upon rank, shrouded in immortal mist.
All could see their overwhelming might!
“Deploy the formations—proceed as planned!” came the order.
**Rumble!**
One formation platform after another soared into the sky, swelling from the size of a fingertip to towering mountains before descending upon the dragon vein, anchoring the boundary.
Then, countless banners rained down like a storm, embedding themselves into the vein, sealing the dark region.
The dragon vein transformed, rising like a colossal wall—majestic and awe-inspiring.
Seven hundred states now belonged to the dark, severed beyond the boundary.
The three thousand states had lost nearly a quarter of their land!
The Immortal Domain had not come to wage war, but to fortify—raising an impenetrable “wall,” treating this as a dire threat.
Every cultivator’s heart sank. This disaster was far worse than they had imagined.
Many had believed the Immortal Domain’s intervention would sweep the dark lands clean, eradicating the scourge.
Yet now, they saw the Immortal Domain on the defensive—not attacking. It was an ominous sign, stirring unease.
“Why is this happening?” some whispered.
“If they strike now, while the dark creatures are still evolving, wouldn’t that be ideal?” Even sect masters of the three thousand states were baffled.
“What do you know? The true terror is the dark matter. Even Immortal Domain warriors could perish within it,” someone rebuked.
These words chilled their hearts.
Was the dark matter truly so dreadful?
“That is an ill omen—far more horrifying than you can imagine!”
“These dark creatures are merely the slain of this realm. The true dark powers have yet to emerge. If we charge in blindly, only to be ambushed by the true horrors lurking within, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
The Immortal Domain’s words sent shockwaves through the crowd.
This was only the beginning of the true dark calamity—the masterminds had yet to show themselves.
The thought was terrifying. If the Immortal Domain’s forces fell in droves, only to be resurrected and devour one another, evolving further—what kind of monstrosities would arise?
The dark matter seemed unstoppable—the more they fought, the stronger their enemies became.
“How is this possible? It defies reason!” Even the immortal clans were at a loss, sighing in despair.
What was this dark matter? It seemed invincible.
None could comprehend why the dead returned, stronger than before.
“This traces back to the most ancient conflicts, intertwined with the origins of life. You would not understand,” said an Immortal Domain commander.
Upon the dragon vein, banners fluttered as the Immortal Domain’s forces stood vigilant, watching the other side.
In truth, even they did not fully understand the dark matter. Only the highest echelons knew, having faced it in battles of old.
“Normally, lands shrouded in dark matter would take millennia to spawn evolved beings. Yet this mirrors an ancient catastrophe—they must have activated some supreme ancestral artifact to accelerate the process.”
“This is the dawn of the dark calamity!”
“What artifact could trigger such a cataclysmic change?” The two supremes from the Immortal and Sacred Academies had arrived, seeking answers. The implications were too grave.
“There!”
An Immortal Domain commander, calm and composed, responded. He produced a treasure mirror, directing it into the dark depths.
“That is—”
Through the mirror’s reflection, the darkness parted, revealing glimpses of the abyss.
There floated an ancient artifact, radiating nine-colored light—mystical and hazy. It was a box, unopened, hovering above an altar.
It was the source of the boiling dark matter, unleashing its dreadful vitality upon the world!
Shi Hao, watching from afar, was stunned.
Others might not recognize it, but to him, it was eerily familiar.
“Is that the thing?!” His heart pounded, but he quickly dismissed the thought. This was not the same artifact—only similar, deeply connected.
He had once seen such a box in the depths of a burial ground beyond the frontier, exploring with Shen Li and San Zang. Within an ancient hall lay a box neither metal nor stone—unopenable, an artifact of supreme mystery.
San Zang had called it the **Origin Ancient Artifact**—the most precious and powerful relic in existence.
Shi Hao never imagined he would see its likeness here, in the heart of darkness. Yet this was not the same box.
And it had not even been opened!
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