While the sky remained covered in darkness, blog the view of mortals and ordinary cultivators—

  The true cause of the turmoil was hidden beyond their sight.

  CRRREEEAAAAAAKK!

  A sound echoed across the world.

  Above the darkness, beyond what couldn't be seen—

  The sky itself litting Apart.

  And it was happening Everywhere.

  .

  .

  Somewhere within the Supreme Dao Sect.

  Atop a floating mountain, within one of the Gra Buildings, an old man sat in quiet meditation.

  A Supreme Existence.

  A being who had stood at the peak of cultivation for turies.

  He had grown Bored.

  Stretg zily, he stepped toward the window of his grand pace, gazing down at the sect's disciples, who were all gathered, looking up at the sky.

  "What's all this noise about?" he grumbled.

  "Even up here in the sky, I hear their excitement. Are they admiring me? Hmph, well, I 't bme them."

  "But still… so noisy."

  He sighed.

  "Maybe I should ask that brat for a formation that prevent noise. I refused st time, saying no one in the sect would dare attack this pless they had a Death Wish."

  The old man stroked his long beard, shaking his head.

  His brows furrowed in slight annoyance.

  "Still… what's with these Dark Clouds?"

  "Hmm. Another awakening? This geion of disciples truly is blessed. Just days ago, some brat awakehat Heavenly Physique. I nning to take him as my disciple…"

  "But that damned brat of a Sect Master refused, saying I should give others a ce—g the boy should choose his own master."

  I had been somewhat intrigued by that young disciple with the Dark Sword Aura too, but I vowed to take only One Disciple in my Lifetime.

  It was only natural to choose the one who possessed both the Golden Aura and Aor's Physique.

  "Hmm... Hmmmm."

  Annoyance deepened in his expression.

  "This dark cloud... it's suffog. It really is making me sick, after all."

  His fiwitched against his beard.

  "Should I split it apart with a single ss—"

  Then, his words died in his throat.

  His body Froze.

  His Instincts Screamed.

  His seretched Outward—

  And he saw it.

  The sky had Split Open.

  And then—

  His legs Trembled.

  "hat is this feeling…?"

  "A-Am I… scared?"

  His entire body shook.

  The feeling in his chest, the Overwhelming Pressure—

  It was something he had not felt in a Thousand Years.

  A sensation Long Fotten.

  Fear.

  Absolute Fear.

  "W-What in the world is this entity… that dares to make me, the Tempest Sword Saint, feel that long-fotteion of Weakness?"

  And the sky itself was not what terrified him—

  It was what was i.

  Slowly—

  Ever so slowly—

  Something began its Dest upon the world.

  Then—

  It Stopped.

  It loomed above all.

  A Presence beyond Mortal prehension.

  A Presehat defied Reality Itself.

  A Singurity of Annihition.

  It was that same thing—

  The one Reon had seen.

  That ic Celestial Eye.

  But this time—

  It did not behave as it had with Reon.

  It did not Speak.

  It did not Watch.

  It simply Existed.

  And from its Mere Presence—

  A Fra—no, a Fra of a Fra of its pressure leaked into the world.

  Only those at the Pinnacle of Power could Feel it.

  A—

  It was Enough t them to their Knees.

  For before their very eyes—

  The universe itself was being Devoured.

  The Supreme Dao Sect's Aral Elder—a being who had long transded Mortal Cultivation and stood on the Precipice of Assion—

  Stood there, legs shaking, uo suppress his Fear.

  Well, it couldn't be helped—

  After all, he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

  Across the world—

  Every Supreme Bei It.

  Felt the weight of something Beyond Gods.

  Beyond Fate.

  Beyond everything they had ever known.

  And for the first time in tless Decades—

  They Felt Terror.

  .

  .

  "Fuck! Is this truly an ability awakening… or something far beyond our uanding?"

  An old maed upon the Grand Throne of the Azura Drago, narrowed his eyes.

  His voice was ced with urgency as he barked orders at his subordinates.

  "Find the source of this disturbance. If it does not e from our sect—hunt down the individual responsible… and elimihem."

  —

  Far away, a Lone Girl stood beh the vast, trembling sky, whispering softly to herself.

  "Xue Taiyang… when will I finally meet you in this lifetime?"

  Her voice carried a Quiet Sorrow.

  "This life… it's se. None of this happened in my past life."

  She ched her fists.

  "Will I die before I evehe ce to see you again?"

  "Then who will protect you? And how will I ever get the answer for what you did to me?"

  —

  "Amitābha… please protect us, Merciful Buddha," an Old Monk intoned, his prayer heavy with reverence.

  —

  "Oh, Great Fire God, if this is a blessing, may it bring fortuo our Fire Mage Tower," a Fire Mage prayed fervently.

  "But if it is a curse… the fall upon those damn Water Mages instead!"

  —

  "Is the Third Catastrophe arriving soohan prophesized?" an Awakener murmured, gripping his on with white-knuckled hands.

  —

  "It seems… new winds are stirring in Jianghu."

  A carefree martial master took a long swig of wine, his usually sharp eyes now distant.

  —

  "Great Dragon God… please, lend us dragons your strength in this hour of uainty."

  A Legendary Dragon y within its Great Dragon Hall, its mighty form coiled as its a eyes stared toward the heavens.

  —

  "It seems the Aral Demon God will desd upon this World for Salvation… soohan we ever imagined," a Dark Mage whispered, his voice ced with a chilling sense of anticipation.

  —

  "Oh, Aral Goddess of Mercy, please five us sinners," a Saintess pleaded, kneeling before a Grand Statue, her hands trembling in prayer.

  —

  "Fairy Goddess…" the Fairy Queehereal voice carried through the wind.

  "Is the Fairy of Destru about to be Reborn?"

  —

  "Oh, Great Oni God," the Oni Queen muttered, her crimson eyes flickering in the shadows.

  "Was this why you taught us to remain hiddee being one of the Stro Races?"

  —

  "Aral Spirit of the World Tree…" the Elf Matriarch pced a hand upon the a bark, her gaze solemn.

  "Are you still angry with us Elves?"

  —

  "If only the world remained forever cloaked in Darkness… how fortunate ires would be," the Vampire Emperor mused from atop his Obsidian Throne.

  "But even I… do not wish for the Existence of that thing Looming Above the Sky."

  —

  "Is the Peace of our ti on the Verge of Colpse?"

  An elderly schor from the Grand Academy gazed out from his tower, his heart weighed down by Foreboding.