The night was as calm as water.
The protective mountain formation shimmered with a faint glow, faithfully guarding the safety of the sect. The hundreds of peaks were silent, and occasionally, one could see several streaks of light passing by at high speed. Those were the inner disciples who were on duty at night.
At this quiet moment, the elder disciples who had nothing to do were mostly busy cultivating, while the maidservants without cultivation were mostly already asleep.
At this moment, on the surface, Fengge Peak seemed normal, but all the defensive formations had already been activated. The reason given to the outside world was that the senior sister was in seclusion and should not be disturbed.
“Nine Spirit Proto Gate, Calamity Fate Palace, Azure Fall Divine Sect, Bright Moon Sword Sect, armillary sphere Star Palace… These are all super forces in the Dao Lineage, also known as the orthodox cultivation sects, naturally incompatible with the forces of demons and monsters…”
Xuebing Xuan sat upright behind the jade table, her expression calm. She gently opened her red lips and explained the origins of many major forces in this world.
In addition to the Dao Lineage and the Buddhist sect, which were based on the human race, the forces of the other races in this world were also not to be underestimated. The Demon Clan, Magic Clan, Witch Clan, Ghost Clan, Sea Clan, as well as some strange creatures and the descendants of ancient divine beasts, each formed their own factions and dominated in the vast and boundless starry sky.
In terms of the size of the intelligent races, the human race was undoubtedly the ruler. The number of humans was so terrifying that it was one in ten million times the combined number of all other intelligent races.
However, in terms of individual strength, the human race was undoubtedly the weakest. Even a low-level demon or an untransformed little demon could pose a deadly threat to ordinary humans. Unless they obtained a cultivation method and embarked on the path of cultivation, they would be unable to resist.
Due to the exaggerated number of ordinary humans, there were countless geniuses suitable for cultivation, providing a constant stream of fresh blood to the Dao Lineage and increasing their strength and influence. They gradually gained a strategic advantage over the forces of other races.
After the super sects, there were various powerful figures in this era, such as immortal cultivators, demonic powerhouses, eminent monks from the Buddhist sect, demon emperors, and ghost lords. They were all ruthless characters who had emerged from a sea of blood and corpses. It was said that in some ancient forces, there were even ancient monsters and living fossils sleeping, and it was uncertain when they would appear and stir up the world.
Powerful individuals, treasures that could suppress the luck and fate of a race, divine medicines that could revive the dead and change one’s destiny, mysterious hidden clans, ancient void caves, legacies left by ancient powerful cultivators, and the vast and unimaginable outer space… If all of these were to be described in detail, it would probably take three days and three nights.
Therefore, Xuebing Xuan did not waste too much time on this topic. She only gave a general overview, focusing on the content related to Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace.
She performed a secret technique with the golden gourd on the table, causing it to tremble slightly. After a few breaths, a faint clear light sprayed out from the mouth of the gourd, slowly spreading in mid-air and forming a high-definition magical projection.
Moreover, the images in this projection were three-dimensional. Qing Muling could observe the corresponding scene from different angles.
Countless floating land masses of various sizes and distances filled the field of view. They were not fixed, but moved slowly in the void along mysterious trajectories.
Most of the edges of these land masses were damaged and uneven, not like they had formed naturally, but rather like they had been forcibly torn apart by some terrifying force.
In the vast starry sky, it was difficult to say how many of these land masses with different shapes were floating. Even the most knowledgeable cultivators found it difficult to explain.
The trajectories of many of these land masses were unstable, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and occasionally they would be hit by other land masses. Therefore, their surfaces were basically lifeless, without even a stable atmosphere, and no signs of life could be sensed.
At the end of the field of view, Qing Muling saw three dazzling suns. All the floating land masses in this space, as well as the billions of living beings on them, relied on their light and heat to survive.
“… This is our current location,”
Xuebing Xuan lightly tapped on one of the land masses, enlarging its image. Qing Muling then saw a gray-black land mass with a radius of over thirty thousand li. In the southwest area of the land mass, there was a pale blue formation that covered hundreds of li. Within it, there were hundreds of beautiful and vibrant peaks of different sizes, as well as many exquisite pavilions, towers, palaces, and temples scattered among the peaks.
Outside the protective formation, there was an area with a radius of about seven thousand li, nourished by the overflowing spiritual energy of the earth veins, forming large oases, plains, lakes, and rivers. It supported a large number of ordinary humans, and numerous cities and towns were located in this area. They belonged to six mortal empires and some independent city-states, trade organizations, and the like.
These mortal nations naturally relied on the protection of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, and in return, they provided the sect with security. They also had to offer a large amount of resources every year and were responsible for selecting talented geniuses to send to the sect.
The royal families of these empires and the important ministers all had close ties with Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace. Many of the important figures’ female relatives had once been disciples or maidservants in the sect. If they did not have the opportunity to advance further, they would serve a certain number of years before returning to the mortal world to enjoy wealth and prosperity.
Of course, if they were fortunate enough to become inner disciples or even core disciples, their destinies would undergo fundamental changes, and they would no longer need to return to the mortal world.
“… Huh? What’s the situation in this area? Is it all a no man’s land?”Qing Muling’s gaze swept over the eastern half of the void landmass. It was a vast expanse of grey-black earth. Although there were mountains, hills, lakes, and rivers, there was no sign of life. Not to mention humans, not even a blade of grass or a tiny insect could be seen. The area spanning tens of thousands of miles was utterly silent.
“These places… are abandoned dead zones,”
Xuebing Xuan sighed, “The spiritual energy there is chaotic and violent, the geomagnetic feng shui is complex and ever-changing. Ordinary beings simply cannot withstand it. Even the Demon Clan and Magic Clan, who are naturally highly adaptable to harsh environments, find it hard to bear. There are no resources to exploit, so it just remains vacant.”
Qing Muling asked in surprise, “Why is it like this?”
“It’s all because of the great catastrophe in the ancient times…”
Xuebing Xuan explained. Numerous ancient powers had taken action, using all kinds of earth-shattering divine abilities, forbidden treasures, and horrifying dark curses, which had brought the entire space-time world to the brink of destruction.