Perhaps because of the Chaotic Current Vortexes appearing in many of these ancient ruins, shortly after the group of ancestors from Yu Hua Immortal Realm and Purple Mist Immortal Realm arrived one after another, many others descended from other ancient ruins in succession.
Among them were Great Desolate Magnates like Yu Hua and Purple Mist, as well as ancient, hereditary great clans and major sects.
For instance, the Haolei Family was a prominent and prestigious clan renowned throughout the Great Desolate.
Another example was the Shangqing Sect, also a major sect of immense influence within the Great Desolate.
Within the Great Desolate, neither the Haolei Family nor the Shangqing Sect was inferior to those Great Desolate Magnates in terms of influence or strength and power. Some, with even more formidable backgrounds, possessed deeper roots than the Magnates themselves—especially the Shangqing Sect. Though it appeared merely as a sect in the secular world, the key point was that almost every secular realm across the Myriad Heavens had a Shangqing Sect, much like the immortal dynasties established by the Nine Heavens across the realms.
Rumor had it that the Shangqing Sect's backing was none other than the Shangqing Cavern, one of the Thirty-Six Cavern Heavens.
If the rumors were true, then the existence of the Shangqing Sect was truly terrifying, for the backer of Shangqing Cavern was none other than the Shangqing Heaven, one of the Nine Heavens.
And who was Shangqing Heaven's backer?
That was even more immense.
Legend stated that Shangqing Heaven was the territory of the Heavenly Dao.
Of course,
this was merely rumor.
Whether it was true or false, no one knew for certain.
However, judging from numerous signs, most believed the rumors might be true.
There were many reasons. If the Shangqing Sect had no backing, it would be utterly impossible for it to establish itself across the Myriad Heavens and become a top-tier sect in every world. One must remember that in the Current Era, the Immortal Dao dominated heaven and earth. To act so domineeringly within the Immortal Dao's territory, how could it be without backing? And an ordinary or mediocre backer would certainly not suffice—not even the Great Desolate Magnates, nor perhaps even the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, could provide enough cover.
Surveying heaven and earth, likely only the Shangqing Cavern, one of the Thirty-Six Cavern Heavens with the backing of Shangqing Heaven, could shield the Shangqing Sect.
Only with the backing of the Heavenly Dao would the Immortal Dao turn a blind eye and tolerate the Shangqing Sect blooming everywhere, spreading across the Myriad Heavens.
Beyond this, there was another very obvious characteristic: within the Great Desolate, those bearing the Heavenly Mandate were, eight or nine times out of ten, from the Shangqing Sects across the Myriad Heavens. This included the majority of Heavenly Immortals, who also emerged from the Shangqing Sect. There was an even more striking feature unknown to ordinary cultivators, but known to the ancestors of the Great Desolate Magnates: the Heavenly Dao Enforcers of the Myriad Heavens rarely showed themselves, but that didn't mean they didn't exist. On the contrary, they not only existed, but most of them concealed themselves within the Shangqing Sects across the Myriad Heavens.
Precisely because of this, many great immortal realms, including the Great Desolate Magnates and even some Cavern Heavens and Blessed Lands, regarded the Shangqing Sect with a degree of wariness.
Although the Immortal Dao dominated heaven and earth in the Current Era, it was only nominally so.
The true master of heaven and earth remained the Heavenly Dao.
That had never changed.
It was just that the Heavenly Dao, for unknown reasons, had always been slumbering. When it would awaken, no one knew.
This time, the Haolei Family also brought quite a few people, similarly with over a dozen ancestors who had reached the Profound Mystery realm, and also led by a Great Dao Immortal King.
In the Great Desolate,
whether they were prestigious clans, flourishing major sects, or Magnate immortal realms, they all possessed, to varying degrees, their own Great Dao Destinies. Some had not just one, but several. And they would expend countless effort and inexhaustible resources to nurture these Great Dao Destinies.
After all, a Great Dao Destiny received a Heavenly Mandate from above. They were both people of destiny and children of destiny. Regardless of the future, they would have their place in this era. The Great Desolate Magnates poured their efforts into these chosen ones, which was equivalent to forging their own futures.
There was another even more important reason: in any era, the Great Desolate Magnates needed a Great Dao Destiny to serve as a representative figure. The greater the fame, the better, and the same went for influence. This not only helped enhance the prestige of the clan or sect but also boosted its influence. Whether recruiting disciples in the future or venturing out for training, it offered certain advantages and saved many unnecessary troubles.
The people from the Shangqing Sect this time didn't seem numerous, only a scant nine individuals.
Six of them were also senior predecessors who had reached the Profound Mystery realm. Though they had no Great Dao Destiny leading them, they brought a full three Heavenly Immortals.
That's right!
Three.
Two of them had a certain degree of fame within the Great Desolate, and many present recognized them. One Heavenly Immortal was Chi Feng, the sect master of the Shangqing Sect in the Guishui World. The other was Yun Wan, the sect master of the Shangqing Sect in the Gengu World.
The one leading them had far greater fame than Chi Feng or Yun Wan. He could be said to be one of the most representative Heavenly Immortals of the Ancient Era.
His Dao title was Qing Hong, the sect master of the Shangqing Sect in the Lanri World. In the Ancient Era, with a single person and a single sword, he had slaughtered countless demons, ghosts, and monsters. Even Monster Kings and Ghost Kings had fallen beneath his blade. How powerful his strength was in the Current Era, probably no one could say clearly.
Older-generation cultivators almost all knew that those of the Heaven-Marked Generation were terrifying. In a certain sense, they might be even more fearsome than Great Dao Destinies.
One must understand that while Great Dao Destinies received a Heavenly Mandate from above, it was a Mandate acquired postnatally.
But those of the Heaven-Marked Generation, from the day they were born, inherently bore the character 'Heaven' upon their foreheads.
Therefore,
since ancient times, there had always been rumors that Great Dao Destinies were postnatally acquired children of destiny, while those of the Heaven-Marked Generation were innately bestowed children gifted by heaven.
One a postnatal child of destiny, the other a prenatal child gifted by heaven.
Which was stronger, which was weaker, had always been a subject of endless debate.
Some said that compared to the heaven-gifted children of the Heaven-Marked Generation, the children of destiny were more powerful. Though acquired postnatally, what they received was a Heavenly Mandate, representing both the Heavenly Dao and fate itself—destined by fate.
The heaven-gifted children, no matter how innate, were merely bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, completely incomparable to the children of destiny.
Others believed the heaven-gifted children of the Heaven-Marked Generation were stronger, for a simple reason: the Heavenly Mandate of a child of destiny could be seized, meaning it wasn't truly destined. But the heaven-gifted child was inherently, innately possessed; no one else could take it away. If one between the heaven-gifted child and the child of destiny was truly destined, then it must be the innate heaven-gifted child.
Each side had its own reasoning.
If the Black Pig Monster King were to speak, he also believed the beings of the Heaven-Marked Generation were comparatively stronger. Cultivating all the way from the Ancient Era to the present, he had encountered many Great Dao Destinies—some weak, some powerful. Though he hadn't met many from the Heaven-Marked Generation, each one had been exceedingly terrifying. Especially back when he followed Gu Qingfeng to wreak havoc across the Nine Netherworlds, he once encountered an extremely dreadful Heavenly Demon. That incident left a deep shadow in the Black Pig Monster King's heart. Ever since, whenever he saw a being from the Heaven-Marked Generation, he steered clear.