In the ancient wasteland shrouded by layers of shifting sand, a colossal palace loomed beneath a sky the color of ash. Numerous figures darted within the dilapidated structure, seemingly awaiting some event.

Beyond the palace walls, amidst the swirling sands, threads of visible, crystalline light wove together into a deadly defensive net. Inside, an unseen tempest whipped the fine yellow dust, rapidly releasing it to billow across the landscape.

Creak! Sigh!

Bizarre sounds echoed from beneath the palace. Some arcane force was stirring deep underground. The massive structure, towering towards the heavens, began to slowly contract, sinking into the earth.

This descent was methodical; a series of palaces, arranged according to a precise pattern, maintained their relative distances. As they sank, the uppermost roof tiles remained undisturbed, demonstrating that this subterranean motion would not cause the structures to collapse into ruin.

Deep beneath this ancient wasteland, the figures of Aoluo Cult members moved about. The underground area was a maze of interconnected tunnels, crisscrossing like a spider’s web.

At the apex of the most magnificent palace, now partially submerged, a group of about ten figures stood with solemn expressions, deep in anxious discussion. Among them were Mu Luo, Ayiguli, and Taji—followers of Ji Changkong. This party was visibly troubled, cornered by some vexing matter.

“Batur, has the news about the Grand Sanctuary truly leaked?” Mu Luo’s face was grim, radiating fury. “The Grand Sanctuary is the bedrock of our Aoluo Cult. If it is razed, the blow to our faith will be fatal!”

Batur, another elder of the Aoluo Cult, nodded with a shadow of despair clouding his features. “The exact location of the Grand Sanctuary has indeed been compromised. I have received word that the Dark Lord of the Mani Sect is bringing his most skilled experts to our sanctuary. This will be the most difficult battle our Cult has ever faced.”

“Alas, I returned a bit too late,” Mu Luo murmured with a sigh. “Otherwise, the progress of our brethren would have been swifter. We have managed to bring back many of the Cult’s profound cultivation secrets, but the Mani Sect grants us no more time.”

“Teacher, as you commanded, I have already sent several disciples with exceptional talent through our secret channels to the Central Lands,” Ayiguli said, her face, usually luminous as the bright moon, now etched with sorrow. She gazed toward the direction of the Shuiyun Kingdom in the Central Lands, breathing heavily. Cult Leader, where are you now? Do you still remember your promises?

Mu Luo rallied slightly. “As long as they reach the Cult Leader safely, our Cult has hope. The Leader’s position at Xuanyuan Valley is unshakeable; the Star Sea Grand Array is fully formed there. Few powers in this world could shatter Xuanyuan Valley, and the Mani Sect would not dare rampage through the Central Lands! Just recently, the Leader displayed incredible might in the Northern Barbarians, even slaying the Yaksha King. As long as the Leader exists, so does the hope of our Cult!”

Taji and his two brothers echoed in unison: “As long as the Leader is here, the flame of hope for the Cult will never be extinguished!”

Batur glanced at them, offering a bitter smile and a shake of his head. “The Cult Leader has never considered himself the Master of this Cult. In his heart, only his own affairs matter; he pays no mind to the Cult at all. How can you remain so stubbornly devoted? The Cult has suffered under the Mani Sect’s oppression for so long. As the nominal leader, he has never returned. Has he ever taken responsibility for the Cult to heart? Can we truly rely on him?”

At these words, Mu Luo, Taji, and the others sighed inwardly, falling into a heavy silence.

“The Cult Leader... the Cult Leader is not that kind of person,” Ayiguli looked up, whispering softly, “The Cult Leader is simply unable to spare the time.”

“Unable to spare the time?” Batur’s bitterness deepened. “Half a year has passed since his return from the Northern Barbarians. In these six months, no one knows where he has gone. He could have easily come to our Western Regions, yet we haven't even received a single instruction.”

Batur concluded dryly, “I believe the Cult Leader has completely forgotten us, abandoned us...”

“No!” Ayiguli cried out, yet found no logical rebuttal, only repeating softly, “No... no...”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Crackle!

From the heart of the swirling sands, strange sounds erupted. Streaks of piercingly sharp energy gradually manifested around the perimeter of the Grand Sanctuary. Clearly, an external enemy was rapidly closing in, preparing to strike the Aoluo Cult’s central seat.

“Reporting to the two Elders, the triple outer defenses of the Sanctuary have been breached! The intruders are forcing their way in rapidly. The perimeter defenses are being torn apart even faster. Elders, you must immediately sink the Grand Sanctuary into the earth!” A cultist rushed in, breathless, shouting urgently.

“Sinking the Grand Sanctuary into the earth...” Batur’s face was etched with desolate resignation. He mumbled, “Once the Grand Sanctuary sinks, it must remain submerged for five hundred years before it can surface somewhere else. This means our Aoluo Cult will face five centuries of silence. Five hundred years! How large is our Cult? Sinking the Sanctuary means our hope must wait five centuries before it can sprout again. I... I cannot be the one to bear this guilt.”

“Elder, if the Grand Sanctuary does not sink, it will be utterly destroyed! If the Sanctuary is ruined under your watch, then you two will be the greater sinners against the Cult!” the cultist shrieked.

Batur shuddered. As one who had reached the realm of Bagua Tianwei Peak, the shout struck him like a heavy blow, nearly knocking him to the ground.

It took a moment for Batur to regain his senses. By then, thick, turbid tears were streaming down his face, his expression filled with immense grief and anger. Mu Luo and Ayiguli were also weeping, falling to their knees upon the sanctuary floor, gazing up at the ashen sky, involuntarily chanting the Cult’s Funeral Dirge.

“Hahahaha, today we shall extinguish your lineage! From this day forward, there will be only one sect in the Western Regions—my Mani Sect!” A cold, evil voice echoed through the blowing sand. It was the voice of the Dark Lord!

“Aoluo Cult, hehe, I feel deeply honored to participate in the grand undertaking of destroying the oldest sect on this Five Elements Continent!” A gentle, refined voice sounded from another direction.

“Brother Feihe, with your aid, why should we fear failure?” the Dark Lord boomed with laughter.

“Jiu Gong Tianshi!” Batur’s expression changed drastically, shock replacing sorrow, a deeper layer of despair evident in his eyes.

“The Blood Emperor of the Eastern Sea! The Lord of the Blood Pool! This man holds a deep hatred for Xuanyuan Valley. I never expected... he would come too.” Mu Luo, having spent so long in Xuanyuan Valley, had utilized its intelligence network to learn about powerful figures across the world. Upon hearing the Dark Lord call the newcomer ‘Brother Feihe,’ Mu Luo instantly deduced the visitor’s identity.

Upon hearing of Jiu Gong Tianshi’s arrival, every Aoluo Cult member turned ashen-faced, truly falling into despair.

Batur fiercely bit his lip, feeling his strength drain away. He prepared to issue the order to sink the Grand Sanctuary.

“I come from the Endless Sea of Suffering. I cleanse the world of darkness and bring abundance to my people. Believe in me, and your souls shall be immortal, enjoying eternal life.”

Just then, a faint, ethereal, and solemn Sanskrit chant drifted from an immeasurably distant place. The strange, low melody seemed to descend from the Nine Heavens. Though not loud, the sound permeated every corner.

The Aoluo Cult members, who had just succumbed to hopelessness, lifted their heads to the sky, their faces etched with bizarre expressions. They all dropped to their knees, raising their arms in celebration of the intangible ‘True God’ revered by the Aoluo Cult.

“This is the Cult’s ‘Creation Song’!” Ayiguli suddenly stood up, her bright eyes brimming with hot tears, laughing and crying simultaneously. “The Cult Leader has arrived! The Creation Song was the first ballad I taught the Leader, and it is the only hymn of praise to our Cult that he ever learned!”

Ayiguli’s ecstatic agitation left Batur stunned. His eyes were vacant as he murmured, “Is it him? He hasn't abandoned us?”

Mu Luo’s spirit lifted sharply, and he sprang to his feet like a drawn sword. Closing his eyes to concentrate, he suddenly roared, “It is the Cult Leader! The Cult Leader has arrived!”

“I come from the Nine Hells, demons clear the path for me, gods prostrate themselves. I shall lead you onto the eternal sacred road.”

The strange melody of the Creation Song continued to echo ethereally outside the Grand Sanctuary. Bizarre forces enveloped the entire sandy expanse, reverberating outside the Aoluo Cult’s main temple in tune with the mystical song!

“Elders!” Another Aoluo Cultist came sprinting in from outside, stumbling, his face alight with uncontrollable ecstasy. He shouted, “All the defensive circles destroyed outside the Grand Sanctuary have fully healed! Pure moonlight, like flowing mercury, now envelops the Cult! The essence of the moonlight is pouring, heedless of cost, into the Cult’s long-parched ‘Altar of Sacrifice Pool’! The ‘Divine Punishment’ that no one could activate has... has officially begun to operate!”

This shout exploded within the various halls. Every cultist who heard the news wept with joy, embracing one another, laughing and crying together.

“Wh-what?!” Batur was jolted awake as if from a dream, dazed. “The Altar of Sacrifice Pool is being infused with Moon God Water... the Divine Punishment is activated? How is this possible?!”

“It’s true!!” The cultist jumped and danced, laughing maniacally. “The Cult has hope! Elders, there is no need to sink the Grand Sanctuary into the earth!”

“I come from the land of hope, bringing the light of despair to infidels—Divine Punishment!” The final verse of the Creation Song concluded.

Centered on the Aoluo Cult, the world itself changed color!

Vast meteorites rained down from the sky, and the earth split open with chasms so deep they threatened to drag all within into eternal darkness.

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