Every veteran Divine Dao expert and mythical beast scanned their surroundings. Although they had never encountered this person before, the name was not unfamiliar.

Five hundred years had passed since newcomers had entered. Ao Minhang and the others had long since gathered complete intelligence about the outside world; even the three powerful figures from the West would not be strangers to Number One Hundred and Eight. However, after searching for a long time, they were surprised to find that, apart from themselves, there seemed to be only one other female Divine Dao expert. Upon seeing the divine artifact, the Ice Mirror, in her hand, everyone quickly deduced her identity.

It was precisely because of this direct disciple of the Northern Frontier Ice Palace that Di Shitian and the others were able to penetrate the blockade of the Ice Mirror, breaking through the restrictions in this world severely lacking in the Power of Heaven and Earth, and entering the Land of Death.

He Yiming’s gaze also swept the surroundings, but likewise found no clues. He glanced up at the sky, perhaps Number One Hundred and Eight did not wish to be seen by so many people, which was why they were concealed high above.

Yuan Lixun had already arrived beside He Yiming. They looked at each other, their gazes holding countless unspoken feelings, but the predominant emotion was relief—the joy of a long-awaited reunion.

A booming sound echoed again. A residual shadow flickered above the ice island, and magnificent illusions rippled through the void.

Countless massive and grotesque Death Creatures covered the entire world, devouring everything. High above, an unimaginably huge object floated, from which countless Death Creatures ascended and descended, as if without end.

Everyone watched this spectacle with bated breath. Even the Divine Dragon felt a degree of apprehension at this moment. Before finding Number One Hundred and Eight, and with such bizarre events unfolding, it was difficult for anyone to maintain absolute composure.

If an accident occurred while closing the passage, allowing this behemoth to enter their world, the consequences would be unbearable for anyone.

Yuan Lixun and the four mythical beasts stared at the scene, dumbfounded, especially the boundless floating mass, which impressed upon them a sense of fatal pressure.

Merely seeing a mere projection was enough to exert such immense pressure on Divine Dao experts; the sheer power of this entity needed no further elaboration.

Moments later, everything before their eyes abruptly ceased, followed by a series of massive crashes as the entire space shook violently.

He Yiming’s expression changed; he snatched Yuan Lixun’s delicate hand and retreated swiftly.

The reactions of the others were no less immediate. Even the Divine Dragon, possessing heaven-defying might, retreated far away at that instant.

No one wished to contend with the power of space. To be caught within such a force meant that the best outcome would be vanishing from this world, transported to some forgotten corner. But the greater possibility was being torn apart by the spatial storm, disappearing completely.

After a long while, a greater fluctuation of power emanated from the center of the ice island. A burst of white light instantly enveloped an area spanning ten li.

As this light gradually faded, the entire ice island had vanished without a trace, and the freshly formed hard ice on the water surface disappeared entirely. Only vast amounts of seawater rushed inward from all directions toward the center, creating a considerable vortex swirling incessantly on the sea.

The tremors in space did not subside immediately; it took a full half shichen before they slowly settled. During this process, all the people and mythical beasts watched silently. Their hearts were surging with emotion, especially those veteran Divine Dao experts and mythical beasts who had been confined in the Land of Death for over five hundred years; their feelings were even more profound.

Even after all spatial fluctuations completely dissipated, their gazes remained complex.

A long, piercing cry suddenly erupted from the Divine Dragon’s maw. Stimulated by this roar, almost all the Divine Dao experts raised their heads and unleashed their most unrestrained, cathartic howls.

Innumerable terrifying sounds, like wails of the damned, spread far and wide, layer upon layer, reverberating through space and lingering for ages.

A single Divine Dao expert’s full-throated roar was already remarkable, but when so many Divine Dao experts and mythical beasts unleashed their fury without restraint, the resulting commotion was enough to shake the heavens and earth.

Huge waves rose upon the sea surface, crashing against the distant ice sheets. Centered around their location, the distant ice broke apart piece by piece, merging into the Northern Sea.

Every living creature dared not move at this moment. They were utterly suppressed by this unparalleled aura.

A thousand li away, the sentient creatures were scared witless again. They moved their trembling bodies, desperately fleeing towards even more distant lands.

In their minds, this place had become occupied by demons, leaving absolutely no room for their survival.

Thus, for the hundred-plus years that followed, no spirit beasts dared approach this area. It was only after a century, when the residual aura and deterrent force left by all the Divine Dao experts and mythical beasts completely dissipated, that new spirit beasts gradually began to occupy this territory.

After a long time, these powerful beings finally finished venting. The Divine Dragon swung its massive tail, extended its terrifying claws, and lightly flicked the air, saying, "The Power of Heaven and Earth is already recovering, and the passage is completely sealed."

Only then did He Yiming and the others notice that the fluctuation of the Power of Heaven and Earth around them was indeed much greater than before.

Although the current density of the Power of Heaven and Earth did not yet reach that of the Land of Death, or even half of it, these Divine Dao experts could clearly sense that the concentration of this power was still increasing, and at no slow pace. If it continued at this rate, in at most one year, the concentration of the Power of Heaven and Earth in this world would be comparable to that of the Land of Death.

"With such abundant Power of Heaven and Earth, ascending to the Divine Dao realm will no longer be a dream," the Qilin Beast suddenly sighed.

Mou Zilong burst into laughter, "The Power of Heaven and Earth here has still not reached its peak. If this old man estimates correctly, in ten years, the Power of Heaven and Earth here will gradually stabilize, but by then, its intensity should be more than double that of the Land of Death."

He Yiming paused slightly. "Brother Ao, is it truly that rich?"

Mou Zilong raised his eyebrows slightly. "Little brother, the Land of Death is already a dead land, yet it possesses that level of Power of Heaven and Earth. Our world is vibrant and teeming with life, so naturally, it possesses much more. Ten years from now, it will only reach double, and then it will slowly continue to recover, until it reaches the level of five hundred… oh, the level of five thousand years ago."

He Yiming pondered for a moment. "Was the Power of Heaven and Earth five thousand years ago really that immense?"

Mou Zilong nodded proudly. He heavily clapped He Yiming’s shoulder. "In at most one jiazhi, you will personally experience that level of Power of Heaven and Earth."

He Yiming slowly nodded. He finally understood why such a massive number of Divine Dao experts and mythical beasts emerged during the Divine Dao era five thousand years ago.

It turned out that the concentration of the Power of Heaven and Earth back then was truly beyond imagination now.

And he also began to understand why Di Shitian and the others, upon entering the Land of Death, could all advance to the peak of the Human Dao within half a year without exception.

Even when the Power of Heaven and Earth was so scarce, they could advance to the pinnacle of the Human Dao; then, after obtaining a massive influx of the Power of Heaven and Earth, taking a further step forward was almost inevitable.

Leopold suddenly spoke loudly, "Brother Divine Dragon, esteemed friends, the three of us have been away from the Western World for five... thousand years, so we deeply miss our homeland." He gave a slight bow in mid-air. "Since the passage is now closed, please permit us to take our leave."

After the three Western Divine Dao experts spoke, they turned and departed without hesitation, swiftly vanishing from sight.

A restless aura immediately began to stir. The decision of the three from the West immediately awakened the homesickness in the hearts of the crowd, especially among those veteran experts.

Ao Minhang bowed deeply to the Divine Dragon. "Brother Divine Dragon, we also wish to return to our Sect headquarters as soon as possible. As you were a friend of our founder, would you be willing to travel with us?"

Liu Mu and the others felt a chill. He was actually inviting the Divine Dragon to accompany them. If the Divine Dragon agreed, wouldn't it become the guardian beast of their Five Elements Sect?

The Divine Dragon shook its massive head. "I still have matters unfinished, so I cannot go." It paused, sweeping a glance at the slightly dejected Ao Minhang. "However, once my business is settled, I might pay a visit to the Five Elements Sect."

Ao Minhang was overjoyed and quickly replied, "If Brother Divine Dragon graces us with your presence, Ao will certainly prepare the best reception!"

The Divine Dragon waved its huge claw, and Ao Minhang and the others paid it no mind. After all, the Divine Dragon and the founding ancestor of the Five Elements Sect had known each other and seemed to have a good relationship. Thus, treating the disciples of the former Five Elements Ancestor with a degree of casualness was understandable.

Ma Yu, however, looked dejected. The few experts from the West and the Divine Dao experts of the Five Elements Sect all had places to go, but the Linglang lineage, once the second-largest sect in the world, had vanished into the dust of history over these five thousand years. Returning to his homeland now left him with a feeling of displacement and nowhere to go.

A warm, small hand reached out, grasping his tightly. Yuan Juan whispered softly, "Come with me to the Southern Border."

Ma Yu was momentarily stunned, then let out a soft laugh. He tightened his grip slightly. "I will accompany you for my entire life."

A deep growl issued from the mouth of the Twin-Winged White Tiger as it nodded toward the Divine Dragon.

The Divine Dragon smiled. "Since you are out now, you are free to go wherever you wish; I will not stop you."

The Twin-Winged White Tiger let out another low roar, then turned and flew to the side of the couple, Ma Yu and Yuan Juan. "I will go with you too."

"Brother Hu, thank you very much," Yuan Juan said emphatically.

In the Land of Death, the three of them had always been together, but for the White Tiger to accompany them after they came out demonstrated a truly deep bond. Moreover, this journey meant the White Tiger would undoubtedly become the guardian mythical beast of the Glazed Island lineage. For that sect, this was an opportunity that came once in a millennium.