The trio observing the Shadow Eggs changes from a distance of safety tensed slightly. The radiance of silver light intensified gradually, releasing a strange droning sound that could set one's mind abuzz with apprehensiveness and fear. At a certain point, it seemed as if three silver-colored Solar Stars had abruptly emerged, orbiting each other in a strange, mystifying formation.
"This is safe, right?" The cloaked woman emanating an icy aura asked skeptically, the faint quivering tone of her voice betrayed her lack of confidence despite her high cultivation base. "We're safe, right?" She changed her question almost immediately, her icy-blue eyes began to become tainted by the silver light growing in brilliance.
Her heart pounded heavily in her chest.
She was Bing Tian, a high-ranking member of the Bing Clan, rivaling the Clan Leader in terms of personal power and authority, only losing out on seniority and relations. If Wu Yu was here, he would instantly recognize her as the Demi-Mortal Lord that had chased him across the Aeternal Sky Starfield after he had brazenly slaughtered that rather forgettable Young Master of theirs.
"We're safe." Those words came from the crimson-eyed, white-haired young woman with the aura of a mortal. She was also a figure that many would recognize, the beloved adopted daughter of the Everlore Association's San Luoyang, the Grand Secretariat of the association, who recently rose to prominence over the last few years—San Yongli!
"..." The last woman that felt trust in San Yongli remained silent, her eyes watching as the brilliant light show began to expand for thousands of miles. She was a recently Ascended Demi-Mortal Lord, a former subordinate of the Soul-Rising Saint, and once the ruler of a Spirithall—Highlord Spiritwalker.
While she presented herself as being calm and assured, her tense fists similarly betrayed her stressed heart and mind. The fear in her couldn't help but stir. They needed to be close, but if they were too close, they would be caught in the world-ending aftereffects if what San Yongli said was the truth.
Moreover, they had to do so without being caught or leaving any evidence. The thought of being hunted by Trueborn, this clandestine organization with all sorts of ties, connections, and unknown power was soul-crushing. She would likely die without even knowing how.
Unfortunately, the gamble was already set and the die was cast. She could only hope that it worked out in their favor. If it worked, the benefits would be ecstasy-inducing.
"It's here!!" San Yongli abruptly shouted as the light seemed to reach a crescendo, even the three Shadow Eggs couldn't be seen, and the entire space for tens of thousands of miles was dyed by the silver light.
This light was quivering as if it was releasing seismic waves across the Dark Void. This was a sign of the power unique to those amongst Star Cores—Star Implosion!
The Shadow Eggs were like genuine Solar Stars at this moment, and they were undergoing one of the most intense astronomical transformations possible beneath the Mortal Dao!
Supernova!
The depth of their brilliance deepened as the Shadow Eggs began to shrink inwardly, sucking the light with it, seemingly as if it was on the verge of absorbing all of itself into a single molecular point in space.
It was often said that the Dark Void was a vast expanse where sound could not be transmitted, but while air particulates were lacking, Chaos Mana was as abundant as any type of gas on any type of planet or continental flat earth.
"..." The trio of women was shielded by the Voidships protective arrays, yet they all saw waves upon waves of quivering space ripple out in every direction as the silver light shrunk further and further. In their chests, it felt as if their hearts were mimicking this phenomenon. But what caused them to feel shaken was the…
The sound…
The sound of three pseudo-Solar Stars shrinking to an absurd state, exuding a type of unique pressure that could barely be described. It was like classical music composed by the world itself, as beautiful and intense as one could possibly imagine.
"Amazing…" Highlord Spiritwalker sincerely praised. She wasn't hearing the sounds with her ears or her eyes but through her Mystic Soul.
They heard a symphony.
A symphony preluding death and destruction, but also a cry of a desire that every cultivator of the Sealed Regions felt in the depths of their souls—freedom.
Then, the three Shadow Eggs expanded!
BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!
Just a few seconds earlier, in the City of Endless, Liu Yinlan sat within her cultivation chambers, lounging lazily on a comfortable L-shaped couch. Her eyes were dazed, her expression languid, and her body was soft as if she was a pile of loose strings. She was sprawled across the couch without a single care for her image.
Within the room were two females, seated in a lotus position, quietly cultivating. The air was stiff and heavy. They were Ye Ziling and Liu Suyin.
After Liu Yinlan had arrived at the City of Guardians, she was met with a grand interrogation that threw her for a loop. She learned about Liu Suyin's imprisonment after she had assaulted a member of the Myriad Transformations Academy named Cao Cuifen, and supposedly went mad with rage. Before answering any questions, she hastily retrieved Liu Suyin from her cage and then proceeded to learn everything else.
It would be a gross understatement to say that she was mad. She was freaking livid! After spending months refining, and exhausting her strength, she learned that Wei Wuyin, her True Destined Voyager, had committed what could be essentially referred to as suicide by Time Vortex.
Unfortunately, when they wanted to verify his death by checking his life talisman, she was placed in an awkward situation as Wei Wuyin had never left behind one. However, she smartly said that he was cultivating a special method that prevented leaving a wisp of his Astral Core's Spirit into a life talisman. While frustrated, they could only accept this explanation.
There were a few that could be brought up off the top of her head. Still, their suspicions led to a vote that placed her on house arrest until the reason for the Time Vortex's changes was identified and dealt with properly. She could only agree, taking Liu Suyin with her.
As for the two Earthly Saints that she had trapped with Wei Wuyin, she went there and found two lifeless puppet-like avatars. It seemed like Wei Wuyin had fooled everyone into believing that he actually had two Earthly Saints following him at all times. But she discovered that the Avatar Art was quite interesting and profound, containing wisps of a real Earthly Saint's Spiritual Aura and Mystifying Unfathomable Aura.
However, as she delved into it, she easily discovered Wei Wuyin's Soul Light infused in both avatars. Since Wei Wuyin hadn't entered the Temporal Stasis Field, he couldn't leave behind his Soul Light unless these two avatars were already made before arriving. She had learned of his unique usage of Soul Light during his initial arrival. She was unaware that the Legion Commander had been refined using Wei Wuyin's Soul Light as well, and that he could replicate Wei Wuyin's False God Avatar Art.
Unfortunately, they were unresponsive without their owner, so she just kept them with her for further study on this strange avatar art. As for reporting their existence to others? They would want to study them too, and she refused to let them benefit after their accusatory behavior.
Suddenly, Liu Yinlan's eyes became focused and intense. She rose rapidly, her bountiful chest bounced, but she didn't care as her eyes erupted with Spiritual Light.
Ye Ziling was still cultivating, but Liu Suyin broke out of her half-hearted cultivation efforts due to her ancestor's sudden movements. Her thoughts of Wei Wuyin were chaotic and depressing. She couldn't reconcile that he had died. Not like that. Not after what she experienced. What she felt…
"Hm?" Liu Suyin's thoughts were stifled as she heard a beautiful symphony of music from everywhere in the world. She couldn't pinpoint its origins, but she felt moved.
"Fuck!" Liu Yinlan's eyes widened in abject horror. She hurriedly moved, grabbing Liu Suyin and Ye Ziling before breaching space, immediately conjuring her control talisman of the Endless Void Mirror from her glabella. Even if the others were suspicious of her, they couldn't take away the authority and power bestowed to her by the grace of the Ascended Sovereigns.
WOOSH!
She instantly vanished using a Void Energy-empowered Spatial Shift!
RUMBLE!!
The World Between the Fold began to rapidly tremble!
In the 7754th Pathway…
The Commander had just learned that Trueborn had some method of resurrecting their soldiers. If they could replicate this feat with Ascended beings, the World Realm was in genuine danger. She hastily attempted to send back word to the World Realm.
"..." The staff-wielding Starlord looked at her as she sent spiritual force into her communication talisman. He frowned slightly. She was taking a long time. He was also feeling just as urgent as his family was in the World Realm. It was best they evacuated if these Trueborn were making their greatest push yet.
Impatiently, he asked: "Did you sen-"
BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!
The tunnel they were in was enveloped by destructive power, sweeping across them in a fraction of a second. The figure of the Commander who couldn't figure out why her talisman fizzled out and the outstanding Starlord that dominated countless enemies was swept away by blinding light, obliterated in the briefest of moments.
The others in the tunnel followed suit, Trueborn or Destined. It didn't matter…
In the World Realm that contained the Core Projection Star, tens of billions of lives, and Ascended beings of the Human and Celestial race, including Destined, Firstborns, and Guardians native to the World Between the Fold, were all preparing for the possibility of Trueborn coming in from one of the many static pathways they were assaulting.
But most citizens didn't feel any danger; when had Trueborn ever succeeded? It was only by the existence of an accident that they lost one of their Core Projection Stars, and the Worldly Saints had excavated the World Realm ahead of time after learning of the Tiangou's trajectory and possible result. If they were in any danger, the Worldly Saints of the Endless Voyage Realm, those beings of true god-like power, would easily save them.
Unfortunately, their complacency was no longer solvable.
BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!
The Core Projection Star, the reflection of one of two remaining Central Nodes of the Sealed Regions, exploded!
A deluge of destructive silver energy swept in from every direction, sweeping through the World Realm like a world-ending catastrophe. No, that wasn't right. It was a WORLD-ENDING CATASTROPHE!
The event happened so fast that even the Earthly Saints stationed couldn't react, being obliterated in body and Mystic Soul without the slightest chance to retaliate.
Only death and destruction were born from the symphony of Trueborn.
