Deep within the strata of the floating lands.

The current Sect Master of Mirage Gate, Su Liao, had a face ashen with rage. His bloodshot eyes glared at the twenty-odd high-ranking elders before him, questioning them with a mix of shock and anger:

“The powerful enemies that attacked us are from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace? How did they manage to find us here? What were our outer defenses doing? Were they completely wiped out? Why didn’t we get any warning?”

A deathly silence filled the room. The Sect Master’s barrage of questions received no response. The elders all looked defeated, heads bowed, saying nothing.

As a shadowy organization, the high-ranking members of Mirage Gate usually operated with extreme caution and discretion. Their base of operations was never fixed, relocating roughly every three thousand years.

Compared to other Dao Lineage powers whose main altars remained unchanged for millions of years, Mirage Gate’s approach was indeed an anomaly.

Moreover, their defensive systems, both outer and inner, were quite comprehensive. To breach their stronghold without alerting them was no small feat.

However, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had deployed three Emperors this time, with absolute power as their backing. With such a calculated and unanticipated strike, no warning mechanism could have been effective.

Deputy Sect Master Ouyang Tie coughed lightly and said in a low voice, “Sect Master, it’s pointless to dwell on these matters now. Our priority should be to find a way to appease Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace and get through this crisis.”

An unprecedentedly strong enemy was at their doorstep, and judging by their stance, there was no chance of resolving this peacefully. To preserve Mirage Gate’s millennia-old foundation, they would have to make significant concessions.

Su Liao’s lips moved, and after a few moments of weighing his options, he sighed, “Then you will represent the sect and negotiate with them. As long as they don’t destroy Mirage Gate’s millennia-old foundation, everything is negotiable!”

Given Mirage Gate’s current strength, they had no choice but to bow their heads. Resisting would be futile, as evidenced by the recent destruction of Bright Moon Sword Sect and Nine Spirit Proto Gate, which highlighted Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace’s resolve.

In the depths of the void, within the floating battleship, Xinyu Emperor and her companions quickly received the message from Mirage Gate.

“Already thinking of surrendering?”

Tongying Emperor sneered, “Offering a huge sum as compensation and promising never to undertake any intelligence operations against Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace again? Do they think we’re children?”

Jinglan Emperor was unimpressed, “Avoiding the main issue and hoping for luck. I don’t see any sincerity from these guys! No need for more words, let’s finish this quickly! We still have another target to deal with.”

Xinyu Emperor nodded gently, “Alright, sisters, let’s take them down together and completely eradicate this disgusting organization.”

In the sky, countless bolts of thunder, radiating destructive energy, converged into a roaring sea of lightning that stretched for tens of thousands of miles. It tore through the sect’s protective array and leveled the cities deep within the floating lands.

The founding ancestor of Mirage Gate, a Quasi Holy Emperor, had long since dissipated his cultivation and passed away. Although there were several Great Golden Immortals within the sect, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had even more Daluo-level elders, not to mention the combined might of three Emperors, crushing them effortlessly.

Escape was a futile hope. With the surrounding void completely sealed, even the divine abilities of a Quasi Holy Emperor would struggle to break through silently. Once discovered, they would immediately face an onslaught from multiple Great Golden Immortals.

Resistance lasted barely half an hour. With the death of the Sect Master and the last few Great Golden Immortals, this organization, which had endured for millions of years, became history, vanishing into smoke.

However, when tallying the spoils afterward, the elders found that Mirage Gate had left behind substantial wealth. Given their long-term involvement in shady dealings, they had amassed considerable ill-gotten gains.

The female elders said little, packing up all the valuables and resources they could carry. They also discovered tens of thousands of imprisoned female cultivator slaves in the sect’s underground palace. These slaves had excellent innate talents, enough to qualify as inner disciples, with some even suitable to be trained as core disciples.

Had Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace not intervened, these female slaves would have been sold as commodities, becoming playthings and furnaces for some powerful figures, meeting tragic ends.

There was no need for further discussion; they were all taken aboard the ship, with the female Emperors deciding later how to distribute them.

In the following days, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace’s war party swiftly attacked two more dark organizations, Lingfeng Sect and Shadow Ghost Sect, achieving similar victories. They razed their strongholds, slaughtered all disciples, and seized all their movable wealth and resources.

News spread, shaking the high echelons of all powers in the Great Void. The ruthless and decisive methods of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, an all-female sect, took many by surprise.

Moreover, the strength Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace displayed shattered many preconceived notions. If the previous destruction of Bright Moon Sword Sect and Nine Spirit Proto Gate could be attributed to luck, this time, luck was clearly not a factor.

Even if they had external support, the fact that Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace could attract such powerful allies was a testament to their formidable capabilities. Henceforth, any power harboring ambitions against Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace would have to think twice.

Within days, several covert operations targeting Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace were quietly canceled. The surviving dark organizations returned their deposits, stating they would no longer accept similar commissions for the foreseeable future.

As for when they might resume, no timeline was given. Perhaps they never would, especially if Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace’s influence continued to rise.

“Why didn’t we destroy Calamity Fate Palace? Are we saving them for later?”

On the return journey, Qing Muling asked, puzzled.

Previously, they had been wary of the two Quasi Holy Emperors from the Heavenly Human Clan. But now that the Misty Illusion Secret Realm had closed, making it nearly impossible for Heavenly Human Clan’s experts to descend upon the Great Void again, it seemed like the perfect time to deal with Calamity Fate Palace.

“Unfortunately, Junior Brother, you’re mistaken.”

Yu Lingzhou’s tone carried a hint of frustration, “According to the information received by the sect, the space-time gate has not closed as expected. It remains connected to the Great Void, even after the three-year period has passed.”

“…”

Qing Muling’s expression changed slightly. After a moment of silence, he continued, “So, the Misty Illusion Secret Realm and the Great Void will never be separated again? The Heavenly Human Clan can freely enter and exit this space-time?”

If the Misty Illusion Secret Realm and the Great Void were no longer bound by space-time constraints, allowing easy communication between the two realms, it would be disastrous news for the countless cultivators of the Great Void.

“It seems… that’s the case,” Yu Lingzhou said helplessly.

“Seems?”

“Yes, seems.”

Xinyu Emperor added, as such a situation had never occurred before, even the female Emperors couldn’t be certain of what would happen next.

Qing Muling frowned, lost in thought.

The true intentions of the Heavenly Human Clan from the Misty Illusion Secret Realm were now clear—they aimed to control the fortune source of the Great Void. If they succeeded, the future of this space-time would be grim.

For a vast and boundless space-time world, having its fortune source controlled and drained would lead to its destruction, rendering it uninhabitable, turning it into a desolate, abandoned universe, possibly collapsing into a black hole, leaving no trace behind.

“Perhaps we need to do something,” Qing Muling murmured.

“You needn’t worry about this,” Tongying Emperor said softly, “It won’t be long before everyone organizes to deal with the Heavenly Human Clan. This isn’t just our problem.”

If the Heavenly Human Clan intended to stay, no power in the Great Void would feel safe. They would have to unite to drive them back.

“Yes, that makes sense.”

Qing Muling felt reassured. The overall strength of the Great Void was still considerable. If all the Quasi Holy Emperors could set aside their differences and unite, even nine Quasi Holy Emperors from the Heavenly Human Clan wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Alright, we don’t need to concern ourselves with this for now,” Yu Lingzhou eagerly pulled Qing Muling along, “The night is short; let’s cultivate for a while! Once we return to the sect, you won’t have any free time!”

Tongying Emperor bit her lip, swallowing her words. Her status was somewhat different, and it wasn’t appropriate to speak out rashly. She would have to wait for another time.

“Alright!”

Qing Muling knew this Lolita Elder wanted more Dao Rhyme. Since his senior sisters weren’t around, giving her some wouldn’t be a problem; he had time to recover.

For safety reasons, Qing Muling’s official Dao Companions were not allowed to accompany him on his travels. If any of them were pregnant, they represented the sect’s next generation and could not be put at risk.

Ten days later, the female cultivator army returned safely to the sect’s main altar.