The Eastern Realm is Shaken

The mist of Purple Bamboo Peak slowly closed behind Gu Changge. He stepped aside, revealing Fang Hanyu behind him.

The bloodstains on the youth's body had been washed away, and his coarse clothes were replaced by a plain white Daoist robe, though his clenched fists still trembled slightly.

It was not out of fear, but because the surging primal chaos sword qi within his body had yet to be fully contained.

"This will be your residence from now on."

Gu Changge pointed to the empty space next to Xiao Ruobai's bamboo hut.

"Build your own bamboo hut. If you don't have enough materials, go chop some in the back mountain."

Fang Hanyu looked up, only to see that the spiritual energy of Purple Bamboo Peak was so dense it materialized into light, radiating a tranquil, otherworldly peace everywhere.

He suddenly recalled the gore of the Great Yan Holy Land. His eyes grew slightly hot, and he bowed deeply to Gu Changge: "Thank you, Master."

Gu Changge waved his hand.

"You are my second disciple. You also have an eldest senior brother."

"He is currently tempering himself in the back mountain. You will meet him when he returns."

Meanwhile, the news regarding the Great Yan Holy Land exploded like a clap of thunder, instantly sweeping across the entire Eastern Region, and even other great regions.

"Did you hear? The Great Yan Holy Land was overturned!"

The news seemed to have grown wings, sweeping through every teahouse and tavern in the Eastern Region within half a day.

Cultivators slammed their tables, their spittle flying into their tea bowls. The shock in their voices could have blown the roofs off.

"Overturned is an understatement! The Holy Lord was crushed into flying ash on the spot! The two Saint-level elders didn't even leave their divine souls behind!"

A cultivator in a green shirt took a fierce gulp of wine, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Even that genius with Saint-level aptitude, hailed as the Great Yan's once-in-a-millennium prodigy, supposedly didn't even have a chance to resist. He was wiped out just like that!"

A white-haired old man at the neighboring table stroked his beard, though his fingertips were trembling slightly.

"I used a communication talisman to ask the outer disciples of the Holy Land. They said a stream of sword qi struck down from above the forbidden grounds, shattering all nine mountain-suppressing stone steles. Even the Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon 'Yan Heaven Sword' was pinned to the ground, not even daring to let out a sword hum!"

"An Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon! That's a divine artifact capable of clashing head-on with a Great Emperor!"

An iron-armored cultivator clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"Just who has such capability? Could it be some hidden old monster making a move?"

"I'm guessing it's an entity from the Forbidden Zone!"

Someone lowered their voice, glancing out the window as if afraid of being overheard by something.

"Other than those Supreme Beings who have lived for countless tens of thousands of years, who could suppress an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the noisy teahouse instantly fell silent.

The Forbidden Zone. That was the most mysterious and terrifying existence in the Xuanhuang Great World.

Legends said that Supreme Beings who survived from the ancient era slumbered there. They were once hegemons who shook the universe, but nearing the end of their lifespans, they chose to linger on their last breaths within the Forbidden Zones.

Every inch of land there was soaked in the gore of the ages, and every wisp of wind carried the aura of death.

They did not awaken easily, but once they stepped out of the Forbidden Zone, it would be a dark hour for the world.

"But don't the Supreme Beings of the Forbidden Zones never interfere in the disputes of the outside world?" someone asked with a trembling voice.

"Who knows..."

The white-haired old man sighed.

"Perhaps the Great Yan Holy Land dug up their ancestral graves? Otherwise, why would they attract such a harbinger of death?"

Guesses surged in like a tide, but no one could clearly state the origins of that figure in the green robe.

Only one thing was beyond doubt—the sky over the Eastern Region was about to change.

Eastern Region, God-Burial Forbidden Zone.

Black mist, dark as ink, lingered all year round, impenetrable even by sunlight.

Ruined altars were hidden in the mist, carved with long-lost runes. Occasionally, dry bones rolled off the altars, making soft clattering sounds.

Within the deepest bronze hall, a figure who had sat cross-legged for a hundred thousand years slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes had no pupils, only endless darkness, as if capable of devouring light itself.

He was the Lord of the Forbidden Zone, a Supreme Being who had survived from the ancient era to the present. Once brilliantly talented, his oil was now exhausted and his lamp dry, leaving him only able to slumber here to extend his life.

"Such strong sword intent..."

A hoarse voice squeezed out of his throat, carrying the ear-piercing sound of grinding metal.

"To actually be able to suppress an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon, such power..."

He raised his hand and waved. The black mist receded like a tide, revealing the tens of thousands of miles of territory outside the Forbidden Zone.

His divine sense spread out like a heavenly net, sweeping across every inch of the Eastern Region's land. From the prosperous holy lands to the desolate deserts, even the ants deep within the earth veins were clearly visible.

However, that green-robed figure seemed as if he had never existed, leaving not the slightest trace.

"Strange..."

A hint of doubt flashed through the dark eyes of the Lord of the Forbidden Zone.

"To be able to completely hide from my perception, it is either an existence of the same tier, or..."

Behind him, several equally ancient auras quietly awakened.

"My Lord, should we go out and search?"

A figure wrapped in a black robe bowed and asked. His arms had long since turned into dry bones, yet they still exuded a coercion that would make a Saint tremble.

The Lord of the Forbidden Zone fell silent for a moment before slowly shaking his head: "There is no need."

He closed his eyes again. The bronze hall was once more shrouded in black mist, returning to dead silence.

The tragic state of the Great Yan Holy Land was like a massive boulder thrown into the power map of the Eastern Region, stirring up a thousand layers of waves.

Taixuan Holy Land, inside the Council Hall.

The Hall Master looked at the text on the communication jade slip. His fingertips crushed the cyan jade teacup, and tea dripped through his fingers, blooming into dark stains on the golden bricks.

"To think there is still such a powerhouse nowadays!"

His voice was deep.

"To even suppress an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon, we must handle an existence of this caliber with the utmost caution!"

The elders below kept quiet out of fear, none daring to speak up.

The ability to crush Saints and suppress Emperor Weapons was a level of strength that had long exceeded their comprehension.

Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets. The Pavilion Master stood on the highest floor of the Starry Palace, looking in the direction of the Great Yan Holy Land, his brows tightly knitted.

His fingertips stroked a tortoise shell. That was the pavilion's ultimate treasure, the "Heaven-Peering Talisman," yet it had just been shattered by an invisible force during his investigation.

"This person's strength is beyond estimation..."

He muttered to himself, a trace of terror flashing in his eyes. "Pass down the order: close the pavilion! Without my command, no one is allowed to take a single step out of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets!"

The major holy lands of the Eastern Region either closed their doors and grounded their members, investigated madly, or secretly formed alliances.

That green-robed figure was like a shadow, looming over the hearts of all factions.

No one knew who he was, and no one knew where he was. They only knew that with a raise of his hand, he could annihilate a holy land with a legacy of a million years.

The sandalwood incense in the Azure Cloud Hall had just burned down to its third inch when the communication jade slip in Xuanyangzi's hand suddenly lit up.

"Cough, cough... Good heavens!"

Xuanyangzi wiped the tea stains from his beard, his eyes bulging like brass bells.

"Which malicious god did the Great Yan Holy Land provoke? Even their Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon was rubbed into the dirt?"

From outside the hall came the thudding sound of footsteps. Shi Wanshan's rotund figure crashed through the hall doors, clutching a half-eaten spirit melon in his hand.

"Sect Master! Did you hear? The Great Yan Holy Land is gone! The Holy Lord and two Saint-level elders are all dead cold!"

"I just received the message."

Xuanyangzi rubbed his throbbing temples.

"Just how capable do you think they are? Casually overturning a million-year-old holy land, even daring to suppress an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon..."

"Those holy lands are usually so high and mighty, and now they've been directly flipped over. What a fierce guy, so satisfying!"

The more he spoke, the more alarmed he became. He suddenly remembered his own complacency from a few days ago when he touched the threshold of the Saint Realm, and instantly felt a chill run down the back of his neck.

Back then, he had even considered taking a stroll through the Central State after his breakthrough. Looking at it now, thank goodness he had not acted on impulse.

The ruthless figures hidden in this Eastern Region were probably more numerous than the weeds in a spirit field. With his meager cultivation base, venturing out would likely not even be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

"No, I need to play it safe."

Xuanyangzi slapped his thigh, turned around, and rushed straight out of the hall.

"I must urgently summon the various peak masters. This matter needs to be thoroughly discussed!"