"Everyone, be careful. Do not be careless. There may be some extremely well-hidden traps."
A Sacred Land master spoke, warning the overlords not to be careless. Even powerful as they were, their expressions were grave at this moment. Some Sacred Land masters even nearly summoned their prepared forbidden artifacts, just in case.
They waited patiently, but even after a full half-day, there was still not the slightest fluctuation. It remained very calm, as if there truly was no disaster at all. This caused many people's hearts to relax, no longer so tense.
"What should we do?" An overlord spoke, his brow furrowed. The fact that they could not investigate anything inside from the outside was what made it most daunting. Even the overlords dared not rashly enter.
Everyone knew this was the city where the Purple Mansion Great Power once meditated in seclusion. How could it be so easily entered?
But after half a day with no fluctuations transmitted, people couldn't help but grow anxious, because waiting was not a solution.
"Let me try." An overlord stepped forward, splitting off an identical avatar—a projected avatar, containing powerful divine energy and a wisp of divine sense entrusted to it. It plunged into the divine city, wanting to investigate everything inside.
However, once it entered the divine city, this overlord could no longer sense anything about his projected avatar. It was as if it had entered another universe, impossible to sense.
Other overlords hurriedly inquired. He shook his head and truthfully recounted what happened.
The overlords all frowned, but after waiting a moment longer, they finally decided to have several overlords enter first. They wielded sufficiently powerful magical instruments and were instructed by the other overlords to retreat from the divine city at the first sign of trouble.
"Let's go in!"
Three powerful overlords were the first to enter the divine city. Their three figures vanished into the city gate's light curtain. Instantly, their auras and figures completely disappeared, impossible to sense. Even corresponding secret treasures were blocked.
Everyone was closely watching all of this.
One quarter-hour passed, then two, then three...
Time gradually flowed by. A full half-hour passed, yet the three overlords still had not emerged. Even the other powerful overlords began to change color, sensing something amiss. They glanced at each other, their expressions grave.
Suddenly, the city gate's light curtain rippled, spreading out wave-like fluctuations, because a figure rushed out from within. It stood atop the city gate, half its body leaning out.
Although its head was lowered and its hair disheveled, everyone recognized it. It was one of the overlords who had entered earlier—a prince from a central region Immortal Empire, possessing terrifying cultivation comparable to a Saint Lord.
Seeing his appearance, many people couldn't help but sigh in relief, thinking everything was as before inside.
But Ye Chen's expression changed slightly. Old Yan was the same; both could sense an unusual aura.
The Tai Chu Female Saint Lord silently stepped forward. At the same time, the existences from the Great Thunderclap Temple, Yao Chi Sacred Land, and Ancient Heavenly Court did likewise, silently gathering momentum.
"Prince Yun Cang, what is inside? Why did it take so long to come out?" A Sacred Land master asked, voicing the doubt in everyone else's hearts.
Prince Yun Cang suddenly raised his head, startling everyone. At this moment, Prince Yun Cang appeared horrified, as if he had encountered something terrifying. His face was pale, and he let out a desperate, hoarse roar: "Don't any of you come in! There's a hea..."
*Crack!*
Before he could finish his sentence, Prince Yun Cang's brow suddenly split open with a bloody gash. His eyes widened, blood flowed from all seven orifices, and his entire body seeped blood beads that stained his clothes red. Then, as if pulled by something, his entire person was violently yanked back into the divine city. Not a single sound remained.
Everyone else changed color, their hearts panicking. A powerful Saint Lord-level existence had suddenly appeared so bizarrely before them—his brow split, his whole body seeping blood, his expression horrified, uttering only half a sentence telling them not to enter, as if something terrifying existed inside that even someone as powerful as him could not resist.
This was like a layer of gloom shrouding everyone's hearts, causing considerable panic and confusion.
What had happened? Why was Prince Yun Cang so horrified? Why did he suddenly scream?
What kind of being existed inside? It seemed even more terrifying than the alien race. Even a Saint Lord could not resist it; his entire person was dragged into the divine city, unable to emerge again.
Even the powerful overlords changed color, their hearts heavy.
Indeed, the overnight disappearance of the Purple Mansion Sacred Land over a hundred thousand years ago held great eeriness. Perhaps it was related to the alien race, but inside there might also be other terrifying, evil existences, making people tremble and fear.
*Gurgle...*
Not long after, at the city gate, within the light curtain, bright red blood suddenly began to flow out, staining the ground before the gate red. It even transformed into sheets of blood rain swirling about, appearing quite sinister.
Moreover, faintly, it seemed one could hear terrifying roars and howls resounding from within the divine city, as if some fearsome, great evil existed, making people's hearts tremble with fear.
Everyone changed color, panicked and confused. Even when facing the alien race army, they had not been like this; they had directly pushed through.
Perhaps the unknown was truly terrifying. No one knew what great evil existed inside.
"What should we do?"
No one knew who exactly spoke, but no one paid attention. More importantly, everyone looked toward the overlords, for they were the highest decision-makers, possessing the authority over the alliance army's advance or retreat.
But the sudden disappearance of the three overlords and the mysterious incident with Prince Yun Cang had left none of them calm. They were panicked and confused.
The overlords glanced at each other, hesitant. At this moment, a powerful Saint Lord stepped forward. He appeared heroic and extraordinary, tall and burly, wearing a dragon robe. He was the imperial sovereign of a great Immortal Empire, an emperor who held the fate of billions of living beings. He was also Prince Yun Cang's elder brother, the imperial sovereign of the Xia Kingdom.
Now, his dragon eyes swept over the overlords, full of authority. He said in a deep voice, "Advance into the divine city. Everyone, do not forget the reason we spared no effort to form this alliance—to obtain the divine treasure heritage of the Purple Mansion Sacred Land. We have come this far; are we to give up now?"
An overlord couldn't help but frown. "Imperial Sovereign Xia, the divine city contains great eeriness. It is not suitable to enter rashly. We should deliberate carefully."
Imperial Sovereign Xia flicked his sleeve and snorted coldly. "Still deliberate carefully? Here we have gathered the top forces of all major powers, unprecedented. Moreover, everyone has made ample preparations, very thorough, even bringing forbidden-grade magical instruments. What is there to fear? We can directly advance inside. At worst, we can summon our respective forbidden artifacts; everything can be resolved."
"Correct. Imperial Sovereign Xia's words are not wrong. Everyone has long been prepared; there is no need to worry. Moreover, if everyone enters together, all overlords united, we fear nothing. Even if an invincible Heavenly King-level being comes, we need not fear; we can face it with ease." Another overlord also spoke. He was also the master of an Immortal Sacred Land, held considerable authority, and gained the agreement of many.
From beginning to end, the Tai Chu Female Saint Lord's peerlessly beautiful face remained expressionless. She said not a word, indifferently watching all this.
In the end, the overlords unanimously decided: everyone would enter together. Everything seemed well-prepared. They believed that even if there was some great evil, as long as they summoned forbidden-grade Dao weapons, everything could be resolved smoothly.
*Rumble...*
Under the leadership of the overlords, everyone charged toward the divine city's great gate.
The divine city was grand and magnificent; its gate was naturally huge, capable of accommodating many people. Under the overlords' leadership, everyone entered one after another.
"Let's go in too." The young prodigies followed and entered.
Each overlord was prepared. Divine power boiled, Dao and laws surged together, ready to strike. But upon entering the divine city, everything before their eyes changed, astonishing everyone.
"This is..."
Everyone's eyes widened, mouths agape, dumbfounded by the sight before them.
Because what lay before them was not the scene of a forest of palaces one would expect from an ancient city, but a vast small world. Although far inferior to the Purple Mansion Sacred Land world, it still appeared quite expansive.
Moreover, this place was completely different from the imagined darkness and evil. It was a small world like a paradise—immortal mountains towering into the clouds, spiritual mists billowing, forests stretching in patches, lush and verdant.
There were also Heaven and Earth Treasures glowing with flowing light and vibrant colors, exotic medicinal fragrances spraying forth. Immortal cranes flew, spirit deer leaped, a demonic flood dragon extended its massive dragon head from a waterfall deep pool, and a great roc bird flapped its wings soaring high.
All of this appeared so extraordinary, just like a true paradise. Sunlight shone everywhere, divine springs emerged, the void bloomed with divine lotuses, and seven-colored rainbows hung in the sky. It was peaceful, immortal energy overflowing, refreshing the heart and pleasing the mind.
"Is this a paradise?"
Everyone couldn't help but sigh at this small world. The atmosphere was very peaceful, spirit herbs were everywhere, divine springs gurgled and flowed, hazy spiritual mists permeated the air—completely devoid of the imagined evil.
But precisely this made the overlords change color, because it was too peaceful, which made it seem sinister.
Clearly, outside they had seen Prince Yun Cang looking horrified, his body grabbed by a terrifying existence, his blood staining the divine city gate red. Yet now it appeared so peaceful. Too strange.
"Everyone, you have finally entered. We have been waiting for you for a long time."
A warm, gentle laugh sounded. A tall figure was seen stepping through the air from the sky, as if treading on invisible steps. His brocade robe fluttered elegantly, billowing, appearing ethereal and transcendent as he landed before everyone.
However, what left everyone dumbfounded was that this figure was precisely the horrified Prince Yun Cang from moments ago.