As Ye Jingyu and the others deliberated on how to deal with the demons on the Ancient Splendor Continent, far to the north of the Panblass Grasslands in the Demon Realm, lay a region perpetually shrouded in darkness—a place even Ye Jingyu and his companions had never reached.

The grassland remained as it was, its stretching blades of grass a stark, inky black, and the surrounding temperature plunged to the extreme. Anyone arriving here would feel not only the biting cold on their physical body but a deep, bone-chilling frost seeping into their very soul.

This was because of a lake situated here, a body of water that perpetually exuded the foul aura of corpses.

At the edge of this lake sat a figure completely enveloped in shadow, staring blankly at the water, which faintly emitted a sickly yellow glow, and at the man beside the lake who had long since turned into a statue.

This figure was none other than Bing Ming, who had disappeared alongside Ye Jingyu and the others. The man transformed into a statue was Mu Fei, the only disciple Liang Xiaoke had ever taken in. Somehow, both of them had been swept into this desolate location.

Bing Ming could sense that the water in the lake was no ordinary liquid; it was the Yellow Springs Water, formed from the sediment of countless corpses. For an ordinary person, even a demon with their robust physique, merely touching a drop of this water would instantly corrode them completely, body and soul. What astonished him, however, was that after he and Mu Fei fell into the lake, their bodies remained unscorched. Instead, they were enveloped by a strange power, and he lost consciousness, only to awaken in his present state.

Mu Fei had become a lifeless statue, while Bing Ming’s own body had undergone a seismic transformation. Though devoid of any living energy, he retained his consciousness. Furthermore, his physical form was now more resilient than steel; a single casual punch could shatter granite with ease. More terrifyingly, his body contained a formidable power that had once filled even him with despair—a strength certainly not inferior to that possessed by an average Martial Venerable expert.

What in the world was happening? Bing Ming was bewildered. He slowly raised his hands, observing the golden, inhuman palms. A wave of bitterness washed over him. He wanted to laugh, but he found his facial muscles so rigid that even the simplest smile was impossible. Could he still be considered human?

A multitude of questions flashed through his mind, but he slowly straightened up. Regardless of the circumstances, he was still alive; as long as he lived, there was hope. Shaking off the confusion, he took a stride forward, crossing several thousand zhang in a single movement, unleashing a thick surge of nether energy that lingered for a long time before dissipating.

After his silhouette vanished, ten figures materialized where he had stood. These were ten men dressed in royal robes, each radiating intense Yin energy, death qi, and the miasma of the underworld. Yet, beneath these deathly auras, they also contained potent vital energy—a contradiction that elicited sheer astonishment. Even more daunting was the fact that the aura emitted by these ten far surpassed that of the Demon King realm.

“The three realms—Heaven, Earth, and Mortal—the Heavenly Court has long since collapsed, and the mortal world is nearly unrecognizable. Now only our Underworld remains. Is it truly appropriate for us to intervene this time?” the foremost man, bearded and rugged, turned to a dark-faced man bearing a crescent mark on his forehead.

“What is inappropriate about it? We never learned what happened in the Heavenly Court back then. Emperor Dongyue was hastily recalled to the Celestial Realm and never returned. From then on, the connection between the Celestial Realm and the Mortal Realm was nearly severed, and we completely lost all news from above. When our cultivation was low, we couldn't forcibly tear through the void to reach the heavens. When we finally achieved Celestial Immortal cultivation, all we found was a shattered, ruined Celestial Realm. We still don't know what transpired, but regardless, we are members of the Heavenly Court. Now, with the Abyss Demons invading again and the Heavenly Court absent, we are the strongest fighting force available. Should we not do something for the myriad living beings?” the dark-faced man said with deep emotion.

“Yan Luo speaks the truth. Qin Guang, let us cease this debate. After Emperor Dongyue departed, the Underworld gradually descended into chaos. If we do nothing now, let alone the unrecognizable mortal world, even the Underworld itself might be destroyed by those Abyss Demons. Their hunger for souls is far more fervent than that of the Outer Realm Demons!” another man, with fair skin, chimed in.

“Alas… I only hope that he, who has received one-tenth of the strength of every one of us, does not disappoint us too much…” The first man sighed heavily but offered no further objection.

The others merely gazed in the direction Bing Ming had departed, their eyes filled with hope and expectation.

What exactly had occurred in the Ancient Heavenly Court, and why had the overwhelmingly powerful Celestial Realm vanished overnight, remained an eternal mystery, a secret buried deep within the hearts of these ten men.

Meanwhile, on the Ancient Splendor Continent, Liang Xiaoke, after exerting Herculean effort, finally located a body possessing the Fire Spirit Physique. Without a second thought, he slew the possessor and buried the remains in the Land of Fire Extinction, though it would require forty-nine days to fully coalesce.

At this very moment, in Fangtian City, the territory of the Fang family on the western side of the Ancient Splendor Continent, a grand evening gala was underway—a magnificent banquet jointly hosted by the Nine Great Families.

The purpose of the gala was talent scouting. After all, besides the Nine Great Families, the Ancient Splendor Continent hosted many other prominent clans. Though they lacked experts in the Celestial Immortal realm, they possessed numerous masters at the Ninth Heaven level—a considerable fighting force indeed. The Fang family had suffered devastating losses among their Ninth Heaven experts during the previous upheaval and had yet to replenish their ranks. If they were to confront a dangerous figure like Ye Jingyu, they certainly needed to recruit some muscle.

To attract the attendance of these other great families, Fang Zhentian had even boldly declared that whoever won the competition would be granted his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Marrying Fang Zhentian’s daughter was secondary; the real attraction for the smaller families was the prospect of establishing a connection, an alliance, with the Fang family. Thus, regardless of their inherent strength, clans flocked to join the spectacle. In their minds, how many true masters could the Nine Provinces, strictly controlled by the Ancient Splendor Continent, possibly possess?

Consequently, Fangtian City was overwhelmingly crowded. To accommodate everyone, Fang Zhentian moved the venue outside the city limits to a vast plain carpeted entirely with lavender.