A force rippled through the space, and a bronze ancient door stood suspended in mid-air.
Deep within, it contained a chaotic abyss that made souls tremble.
A group of peerless heroes surrounded the ancient door, each with a different expression.
Some had looks of shock, others displayed evident indignation.
Some even had an unmistakable fear hidden in their brows.
Beyond this ancient bronze door lay the Qingyang Realm, which terrified all beings.
A fierce battle had just taken place.
The Wuxian Realm fought desperately but suffered heavy casualties.
Most cultivators perished within the Qingyang Realm.
Only a few narrowly escaped, marking this as the greatest catastrophe in nearly a millennium for the ancient wilderness.
Not only did hundreds of Dragon Transformation Realm masters die, but even a revered giant at the True Man level was not spared.
It is said that this person was among the pinnacles of the ancient wilderness, a True Man whose name shook the eight wildernesses, yet they were severely injured within the Qingyang Realm.
"For thousands of years, though the ancient wilderness has connected with many realms, never has there been a place as formidable and unpredictable as the Qingyang Realm."
"It appears desolate and nearly exhausted of spiritual energy, yet it harbors peerless experts capable of defeating the masters of the ancient wilderness."
"There must be extraordinary secrets hidden within!"
A middle-aged cultivator in a black robe spoke coldly, his gaze on the ancient door mingling with intense greed and deep wariness.
Upon hearing his words, everyone focused their attention on the middle-aged cultivator, showing respect on their faces.
This was none other than Qin Ye, the head of the Qin family, one of the nine great families!
A powerful cultivator who had stepped into the Dragon Transformation Realm and was poised to ascend to the True Man level.
In the current ancient wilderness, a True Man was seen as a transcendent being, rarely appearing in the world, while those at the Dragon Transformation Realm were held in high regard and could dominate regions.
"What the head of the Qin family says is true. There must be significant secrets within the Qingyang Realm. Unfortunately, the current strength of the Qingyang Realm is formidable. Even if the master of the ancient wilderness himself came, it might be difficult to match them."
"Now, if we want to conquer the Qingyang Realm completely, only the combined efforts of the three great heavenly caves might suffice."
Someone sighed in frustration, their words full of helplessness.
The master of the ancient wilderness, Gu Tiangang, was at the pinnacle of the True Man realm, also bearing the ancient desolate holy body, known as the invincible True Man.
He was recognized as the strongest existence in the ancient wilderness.
Gu Tiangang's defeat dealt a heavy blow to the ancient wilderness.
Now, with only the power of the ancient wilderness, the hope of conquering the Qingyang Realm was slim.
Unless the Tianyang and Taixu heavenly caves were willing to step forward, there was little chance of completely subduing the Qingyang Realm.
Moments later.
Another voice sounded: "It's a pity that the head of the Overlord Sect, Di Gang, perished in this battle, along with several Dragon Transformation elders. The sect's strength has been severely damaged."
Upon hearing this, a subtle change flashed in everyone's eyes.
Mountains rose and fell, among them a towering sacred peak piercing the clouds, surrounded by thick auspicious clouds, resembling a fairyland.
This was the location of the ancient wilderness, one of the three great heavenly caves.
In the center of the heavenly cave, within the divine temple of the ancient wilderness, Gu Tiangang, dressed in a black and gold robe, sat at the head, with the elders of the heavenly cave seated below.
"Has the master's injury healed?"
The question came from an elder in a gray robe, his face withered like a dried tree, looking like he was at the end of his life, yet his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
This person was Zhong Song, one of the elders of the ancient wilderness heavenly cave and a strong cultivator at the early True Man stage.
Gu Tiangang gently shook his head: "My injuries are not serious. The True Man of the Qingyang Realm is extraordinary, but if it were a life-and-death battle, he would not be my match."
"Unfortunately, at the critical moment, the power of the Heavenly Dao in the Qingyang Realm suppressed me, greatly weakening my strength, resulting in severe injuries."
Mentioning the reason for his injury, a cold light flashed in Gu Tiangang's eyes. If he had been defeated by Lu Qingyang in a fair fight, he could have accepted it calmly.
However, losing due to the suppression of the Heavenly Dao left Gu Tiangang filled with resentment.
Yet, no matter how unwilling he was, Gu Tiangang knew he was currently unable to contend with Lu Qingyang.
Unless.
He could break through the shackles of the True Man realm and ascend to a higher level.
However, taking that step was far from easy, even Gu Tiangang could not confidently claim success.
"The Qingyang Realm is sparsely populated with spiritual energy, clearly in a period of decline, and theoretically, such a place should not nurture such powerful beings."
"From this, it can be inferred that the Qingyang Realm must harbor shocking secrets."
"And that person's extraordinary strength, combined with the protection of the Qingyang Realm's Heavenly Dao, means I cannot subdue him for now."
Gu Tiangang shook his head helplessly and continued:
"For the next period, I need to retreat to heal and cultivate. The ancient wilderness heavenly cave will temporarily put aside its exploration of the Qingyang Realm and station disciples at the ancient bronze door to prevent Qingyang Realm cultivators from entering the ancient wilderness."
An elder, hearing this, showed a look of surprise: "The master believes that the Qingyang Realm would dare to invade the ancient wilderness?"
It was already considered polite for the ancient wilderness not to trouble the Qingyang Realm. How could the Qingyang Realm dare covet the ancient wilderness?
It should be noted that,
Despite the ancient wilderness's defeat, it was ultimately due to that mysterious True Man of the Qingyang Realm. Apart from him, the Qingyang Realm had no other True Man, only a hundred or so Dragon Transformation cultivators.
Such strength, although notable, was insignificant compared to the entire ancient wilderness.
Gu Tiangang replied: "One must always be prepared. There have been past incidents of foreign forces invading the ancient wilderness and causing significant damage."
"Although such events did not have a major impact, they did tarnish the dignity of the ancient wilderness."
The other elders nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
At this moment.
Zhong Song spoke in a low voice: "If, during the master's retreat, the other two heavenly caves decide to act against the Qingyang Realm, how should we respond?"
"Ignore them. With that person and the power of the Qingyang Realm's Heavenly Dao, the other two heavenly caves will find it hard to succeed unless they are willing to risk everything."
"But even if they conquer the Qingyang Realm, it will be meaningless."
Gu Tiangang clearly understood the situation of the ancient wilderness, believing that if the other two heavenly caves attacked the Qingyang Realm, the cost would far exceed the gain.
The other elders seemed to understand the implications of "cost" as a subtle change flashed in their eyes.
At this moment.
Gu Tiangang's gaze was deep, and he spoke earnestly.
"I sense that the shackles of immortality are about to be lifted, and the path beyond the True Man is about to be revealed."
"Soon, a golden age will dawn again, providing us with a great opportunity for ascension."
"This retreat is not only to heal my old wounds but also to seek the path beyond the True Man. Once I break through, surpassing the limits of a True Man, the small Qingyang Realm will be insignificant!"
Gu Tiangang's eyes burned with passion. The shackles of immortality had oppressed the ancient wilderness for five thousand years, and they were finally coming to an end.
The other elders were deeply shaken upon hearing this.
The golden age!
These four words contained an immense amount of information, leaving them in awe.
It was an opportunity for the ancient wilderness and for the entire Wuxian Realm.
4o