Calamity Fate Palace Main Altar.

Deep within the heavily restricted secret hall, a grand formation array was already activated. Obscure and hazy clear clouds rose from the array, twisting fate, severing cause and effect, and severely disrupting the laws of space and time, nearly bringing them to a standstill.

This mysterious and unfathomable formation array was a crucial part of Calamity Fate Palace’s profound foundation, requiring the combined efforts of three Quasi Holy Emperors at their peak to activate.

When fully operational, even an Emperor of the Heavenly Human Clan would find it difficult to discern the flaws and essence of this grand array. As for the divine envoys Zihuang and Lingxi, who were still guests at the Main Altar, they were even less likely to detect the secret actions of Calamity Fate Palace.

Inside the array, Palace Master Yun Miaozhi and two indistinct, hazy figures sat at three points, forming a triangle. Three deep gazes silently watched a peculiar, ever-changing light about a meter in size at the center of the array.

“Is it true that most of the disciples from the Goddess Sect have already withdrawn from the Misty Illusion Secret Realm?”

After a long silence, an ancient voice echoed.

Palace Master Yun Miaozhi replied softly, “Yes, according to the information we’ve gathered, it seems that Qingchan Fairy had a fortunate encounter inside, breaking through to the Xuan Immortal realm. Shortly after, Tongying Emperor ordered a mass withdrawal of disciples from the secret realm, leaving only a few hundred behind to cover their tracks, mostly staying within the towns and villages of the Heavenly Human Clan, avoiding unnecessary risks.”

“Why would they do that? Did they sense something amiss?”

A childlike, innocent voice asked, belonging to another Emperor of Calamity Fate Palace.

Yun Miaozhi pondered, “I think it’s unlikely. Tongying Emperor probably has other plans, which is why she made such arrangements. According to secret channels, she recently took a large number of disciples to Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace.”

“What is she doing at Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace? I recall only a few hundred of their people entered the secret realm as well. Could it be…”

“They’re probably discussing an alliance. Qinghuan Emperor seems to have gone there earlier. You know, those Supreme Dao Lineages of female cultivators have always liked to band together. Given the current calamity, such actions are understandable.”

Yun Miaozhi analyzed, feeling a bit regretful. The high levels of those three Dao Lineages were cautious enough, and their secrecy was quite thorough. Coupled with the treasure from the Goddess Sect, Calamity Fate Palace had very limited intelligence.

The childlike voice fell silent for a moment, then said, “Perhaps they’ve learned of our actions here, and those of other factions, and plan to band together for self-preservation? I suspect Lu Palace and Qingqiu Hall won’t stay out of this either. This isn’t the first time such things have happened.”

Yun Miaozhi smiled slightly, “Female cultivator Dao Lineages have a hard time establishing themselves in the Great Void, easily becoming targets for other Supreme Dao Lineages. Banding together is a necessity. Otherwise, they would have long become vassals of other powers.”

The great calamity had yet to pass, and the future was uncertain. Calamity Fate Palace’s grand plans involved secretly communicating with several Supreme Dao Lineages, a fact that couldn’t be hidden for long and would eventually be discovered by other factions.

In fact, many major powers had similar considerations, with some already taking action. The most dangerous time of the calamity of the Magic Clan had yet to come, and with the mysterious return of the Origin Star Palace, forming alliances was a logical choice to ensure the stability of their legacies.

“After the ascension channel was restored, Origin Star Palace was merely the first force to return from the upper realm,” the ancient voice said leisurely. “If our joint deductions are correct, more forces and ancient great powers will return. The Great Void will become very lively.”

Yun Miaozhi was slightly startled, saying, “Are they all coming to compete for the fortune of the Great Void?”

As the current leader of Calamity Fate Palace, Yun Miaozhi had always been sensitive to such matters. Why else would they leave the comfortable upper realm to flock to the desolate and declining Great Void?

“What else could it be?”

The childlike voice sneered, “The rise and fall of yin and yang, the ebb and flow of cycles are the principles of the Dao. Once the Great Void survives this calamity, it will usher in a true revival, returning to the ancient era of the immortal Dao.”

“If someone can unify the entire Great Void during this dark period before dawn, completely controlling the fortune of this realm, they will receive the most divine favor and immense merit and fortune during the revival of heaven and earth. This could not only greatly enhance their cultivation but also allow them to break through the barriers of the Dao laws, truly stepping into the eternal transcendence, the realm of the Primordial Supreme Saint?”

Yun Miaozhi was both shocked and excited. The legendary supreme Dao fruit of the Primordial Saint was the ultimate dream of countless cultivators in the Great Void, and he was no exception.

Unfortunately, since the creation of the Harmony and the birth of the Great Void, no one had ever truly taken that step. No matter how talented or extraordinary, the protagonists of great eras, or the terrifyingly powerful innate gods, they could only approach that supreme realm.

When the great calamity descended, these renowned great powers still turned to dust in various tribulations, returning to the earth.

“Ancestor, does the so-called upper realm have true saints who have transcended and attained eternal Dao?”

Yun Miaozhi couldn’t help but ask. Many great figures who saw no hope of attaining Dao in the Great Void had chosen to ascend to the upper realm, seeking opportunities there.

The ancient voice replied again, “Compared to the ancient era of the Great Void’s immortal Dao, the upper realm is only slightly stronger. There is no essential difference. As for the legendary saints, perhaps they exist? Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing.”

Yun Miaozhi pondered for a long time, sighing lightly. The Dao fruit of the saint was too elusive, but unifying the Great Void and controlling the fortune of a realm had tangible benefits. All of Calamity Fate Palace’s plans revolved around this goal.

“I heard that Ice Toad Emperor of Origin Star Palace has already broken off negotiations with the Demon Path Ancestral Court and is now besieging their stronghold. They might break through the Mountain Protection Array soon, and they’ve requested our assistance?” the childlike voice asked.

“Yes, Ancestor.”

Yun Miaozhi replied, “My suggestion is to assist them, but not now. We must wait until they are desperate, then join forces with the Quasi Holy Emperors of those Dao Lineages to strike, severely weakening Origin Star Palace and quelling their arrogance.”

As the core of the new alliance, Calamity Fate Palace needed to solidify its position. The high-ranking members of the Demon Path Ancestral Court were rebellious and had always been dismissive of Yun Miaozhi. From the perspective of sect interests, they needed a good beating.

Using Origin Star Palace to weaken the Demon Path Ancestral Court, once they had bled enough and their strength was greatly diminished, they would naturally become obedient.

“Very good. Whether it’s the Demon Path Ancestral Court, Qingshen Palace, Demon Path Ancestral Court, Bright Moon Sword Sect, or Nine Spirit Proto Gate, they are all just stepping stones for Calamity Fate Palace’s grand plan! In the coming great calamity, they will all turn to ashes, leaving none behind. The sect will remember their sacrifices.”

The ancient voice spoke indifferently. To the disciples of Calamity Fate Palace, everyone else was just fuel, resources, and tools to die for the sect’s grand plan. It was their rightful duty to die for Calamity Fate Palace.

…

Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace Main Altar.

This time, Qing Muling chose to undergo his tribulation not at Yunji Peak but within the Creation Heavenly Palace, with three Emperors guarding him.

Ascending from the Ascending to Immortality realm to the Elemental Immortal realm was a transformative process for human cultivators, signifying a complete shedding of mortal status and becoming a true immortal, a powerful new being.

As an innate Harmony Spirit Seed, this ascension was even more significant.

Outside the Creation Heavenly Palace, terrifying thunder roared down like a storm. After being weakened by the palace and the Blue Lotus phantom, the thunder’s power was reduced to a tenth when it struck Qing Muling.

Deep within his sea of consciousness, the Harmony Spirit Seed had completely transformed into the form of the Harmony Creation Blue Lotus and stabilized. The Blue Lotus was covered with countless intricate Dao patterns, surrounded by layers of brilliant radiance, enveloped in dense, mysterious Dao energy, filling the grand hall within the palace.

“Amazing, this Dao Rhyme feels beneficial even to us now!”

Qinghuan Emperor marveled, raising her jade hand. Clusters of dynamic Dao Rhyme gathered like fireflies, forming a flawless pearl at her fingertips, shining brightly.

“Of course, the divine power of the Creation Blue Lotus is crucial to our Dao path and grand plans. This is our shared fortune!”

Xinyu Emperor nodded in agreement. No matter how the Great Void changed in the future, as long as they held onto Qing Muling, they would remain undefeated.

Tongying Emperor’s beautiful eyes narrowed, a seductive glint in her gaze. “When he reaches the Golden Immortal level, this Dao Rhyme should help us perfect our Dao foundations and repair any flaws in our Dao bodies. We must discuss this properly and ensure no one takes more than their share.”

“You’re always thinking about that!”

Xinyu Emperor rolled her eyes at her, but they all had the same thoughts, so no one could blame anyone.

As the tribulation lightning continued to fall, the palace trembled slightly. Brilliant and mysterious starlight poured down like a river, continuously merging into the Harmony Creation Blue Lotus. The eleventh phantom Blue Lotus leaf was becoming increasingly clear.

Around the Creation Blue Lotus, the dense light-quality roots grew thicker, deeply embedding into different spatial depths, drawing back immeasurable spiritual energy to refine the perfect Dao body.

An Elemental Immortal’s lifespan could exceed 300,000 years. Given Qing Muling’s special status, his lifespan was nearing a million years, and his fortune had increased fourfold from the peak of the Ascending to Immortality realm, with no sign of stopping.

In other words, Qing Muling’s fortune alone now equaled that of a Dao Court plus a dozen old Supreme Dao Lineages, including their Quasi Holy Emperors.

As his Elemental Immortal realm stabilized, Qing Muling’s innate divine abilities evolved and improved. His fortune-sensing ability could now easily see through all secrets of targets below the Xuan Immortal level.

His void-shifting ability’s maximum range exceeded twenty million miles, allowing him to escape any perilous situation or formation array unless faced with multiple Quasi Holy Emperors.

With his ability to cultivate using spiritual herbs and grasses, he could now enhance their potency by 20,000 years in a single use. At three days per use, he could turn a newly sprouted spiritual grass into Heavenly Medicine in just 150 days, or half a year.

His ability to temporarily boost his cultivation now cost 8,000 years of lifespan per use, granting him peak Golden Immortal level strength for one hour. With his nearly million-year lifespan, he could afford to use it more liberally.

His ability to detect all formation arrays, traps, and curses now covered nearly 20,000 miles, making it impossible for anyone below peak Golden Immortal level to escape his detection.

After breaking through to the Elemental Immortal realm, his temporal manipulation ability extended to 300 breaths, allowing for small-scale time reversal within a 40-foot radius. Each use permanently cost 4,000 years of lifespan, with no way to recover it unless he reached a higher realm.

His stealth ability had also improved, perfectly hiding his presence, even his fate, for six hours.

The “Distant Horizon” divine ability ignored space and time constraints, allowing him to instantly reach any place he had been before, bypassing any formation arrays. It could be used once every three days.

Even after the Misty Illusion Secret Realm closed, Qing Muling could now use this divine ability to freely enter and exit with many cultivators, making the realm his exclusive garden.

With the support of his Elemental Immortal laws, the purification ability of his “Heavenly Palace Paradise” divine ability had further improved. Each use could transform a 10,000-mile radius, 200-mile deep area into a land rich in spiritual energy within half an hour, purifying even the most corrupted regions.

“With this ascension, the Light of Dao Enlightenment should be even stronger…”

Shepherd Ying silently watched Qing Muling’s reaction in the hall’s center. If she could close-door cultivate with him for a while, using the enhanced Light of Dao Enlightenment and absorbing some Dao Rhyme, breaking through to the Great Golden Immortal realm should be within reach.

However, if he took advantage and made more excessive demands, should she agree or not?