When Empress Wuyou appeared, all the Ancestral Patriarchs who had been preparing to swarm forward at this opportunity froze in their tracks, not daring to act rashly anymore.
Even the Ancestral Patriarchs who had been using various methods from hidden places in the void to create attacks that filled the sky gradually ceased their actions. The void no longer shifted, the commotion gradually subsided, and the sky-filling attacks vanished without a trace.
The Original Sin Ancestral Patriarchs led by Green Robe and Xuanming, and the Great Dao Ancestral Patriarchs led by Old Taishan and the Nine Immortals of Xuantian—all of them at this moment wore expressions of utter shock, as if they had seen ghosts or gods, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Even the supremely confident and composed Nine Holy Sons of the Sacred Land were no longer confident or composed. Each and every one of them frowned, their expressions turning quite grave. Even Xuanyuan Qinhou, the leader of the Nine Holy Sons, saw the spring-breeze-like smile at the corner of his mouth gradually fade, replaced by a solemn expression.
This included the Nine Sons of the Heavenly Dao. Even those protecting Gu Qingfeng—Fusheng Dijun, Changfeng Great Emperor, Da Xing the Mad Monk, Weiyang Demon Emperor, Xiaoyao Great Emperor, and others—all had faces clouded with astonishment and doubt at this moment.
Because the moment Empress Wuyou appeared, four other women materialized in succession.
When one of them, a woman in black, appeared, it was as if a dark moon had descended upon this place.
In an instant, the area was enveloped by a terrifying dead silence, followed by a Breath of Death that swept over everything like a tidal wave.
The Breath of Death seeped in like wind and water, penetrating everywhere, yet also like a silent river, instantly drowning all vitality. And it did so quietly, without any warning. Before the Ancestral Patriarchs present could even react, their entire beings were already shrouded in death.
Under the envelopment of this sky-filling Breath of Death, every single Ancestral Patriarch who came to their senses felt their scalps tingle and their hair stand on end.
The Ancestral Patriarchs present were all individuals of vast experience and profound knowledge. They were not unfamiliar with various auras of dead silence, extinction, or death. But they had never encountered a Breath of Death so vast and so terrifying.
To them, the woman in black felt like the legendary Death God who presides over death, as if with a mere wave of her hand, she could effortlessly reap the lives of all the Ancestral Patriarchs.
And that was truly the feeling.
Everyone felt this way.
Gazing at the woman in black who resembled a God of Death.
Gazing at the dark moon that seemed like the source of death itself.
Gazing at the sky-filling Breath of Death that flowed like a river of death.
Some Ancestral Patriarchs seemed to realize the identity of the woman in black and couldn't help but suck in a cold breath of air.
Especially those Ancestral Patriarchs who had lived through the Desolate Ancient Era. This scene was both unfamiliar and familiar to them.
Familiar because they had all heard a terrifying legend of death.
It was said that in the early Desolate Ancient Era, a mysterious woman descended from the heavens like a Goddess of Death. After her appearance, the great sun representing sacred light vanished, replaced by a nether moon representing dark death.
It was said that this mysterious woman wielded a Shadow Blade (dark blade). With one slash, she split the heavens; with another, she severed the earth, thereby also cleaving open the River Styx, swallowing all vitality. For a time, the entire Desolate Ancient Era was plunged into darkness, lifeless and gloomy, with the heavens shrouded by the nether moon and the earth submerged by the River Styx.
This was a legend.
A legend of death that every Ancestral Patriarch from the Desolate Ancient Era had heard.
The reason it was unfamiliar was because this legend occurred in the early Desolate Ancient Era, and very few had personally experienced it.
At this very moment.
This scene.
It bore an extreme resemblance to that death legend from the Desolate Ancient Era.
That death-dark moon was none other than the Nether Moon.
That river of death was none other than the River Styx.
In all of heaven and earth, ancient and modern, there was only one person whose appearance would cause the Nether Moon to shroud the heavens and earth and the River Styx to swallow all vitality. And only with the appearance of that one person would such a terrifying Breath of Death accompany her.
That person was Empress Youming, who in the Desolate Ancient Era split the heavens and cracked the earth.
Legend has it.
Before the Desolate Ancient Era, before the Nine Nether Realms had fallen, Empress Youming's previous incarnation, like the three Nether Lords—Avici Endless Evil Asura and the others—was one of the nine Nether Lords of the Nine Nether Realms.
The difference was that Avici Endless Evil Asura was the Nether Lord who presided over Hell.
Shangqiong Biluo Xiah Huangquan was the Nether Lord who presided over Purgatory.
Devour-Heavens Swallow-Earth Blood Taotie was the Nether Lord who presided over the Abyss.
Empress Youming's previous incarnation was the Nether Lord who presided over the Netherworld.
The Netherworld presides over death.
And precisely because Empress Youming's previous incarnation was the Nether Lord presiding over the deathly Netherworld, in her current life, her person is like the Nether Moon, her breath like the River Styx, her presence like the Netherworld Death Mansion.
However.
Some also say that Empress Youming is not the reincarnation of the Netherworld Nether Lord, but rather that she possesses the consciousness and demonic thoughts of the Netherworld Nether Lord within her—much like how Gu Qingfeng possesses the consciousness and demonic thoughts of three Nether Lords.
As for whether Empress Youming is the reincarnation of the Netherworld Nether Lord or merely possesses her consciousness and demonic thoughts, it remains a mystery to this day.
If only Empress Youming had appeared, it would not have been enough to shock the Nine Holy Sons of the Sacred Land, the Nine Sons of the Heavenly Dao, or even those protecting Gu Qingfeng like Fusheng Dijun and Demon Emperor Blood River.
Besides Empress Youming, there were three other women. And the identities of these three women were in no way inferior—and perhaps even surpassed—Empress Youming, the Lord of Langya Cang Yan, Empress Wuyue, and the others.
When one of them, a woman in blue, descended, she was accompanied by a vast, rolling Heavenly Might.
Yes.
Heavenly Might.
And this Heavenly Might was so vast and mighty, stronger than that of any Heavenly Demon or Heavenly Immortal present, and more terrifying than the Heavenly Might of any Great Dao Destiny. Even the so-called elders of the Shangqing Heaven could not compare, nor could the so-called Nine Sons of the Heavenly Dao—not even Dugu Fengyun, their leader—come close.
The vast, rolling Heavenly Might swept forth like gathering clouds and rising winds, like flashing lightning and rumbling thunder, even like the legendary Milky Way of the Nine Heavens, giving all the Ancestral Patriarchs present a feeling of suffocation.
Those who recognized the woman in blue knew her name was Ye Tianlan.
And those who understood Ye Tianlan knew her true identity: she was Empress Tianzong from the Desolate Ancient Era.
In the Desolate Ancient Era, the Great Dao Destiny had not yet descended.
The Heavenly Dao vied to become the leader of the Great Daos, dominating all beings between heaven and earth.
After the Heavenly Dao unified the Three Thousand Great Daos, the Immortal Dao, Monster Dao, Buddha Dao, Monster Dao, and Ghost Dao had no choice but to submit.
After submitting, immortals became Heavenly Immortals, demons became Heavenly Demons, buddhas became Heavenly Buddhas, monsters became Heavenly Monsters, and even humans became Heavenly Humans. Even unparalleled geniuses were called Heaven-Blessed Talents, Heaven's Favorites. Even those of the supreme ruler (Nine-Five Supreme) status were True Destiny Sons.
Those who acted on behalf of the Heavens were honored as Heavenly Envoys.
Those who guarded the Dao on behalf of the Heavens were called Heavenly Generals.
Those who propagated the Dao on behalf of the Heavens were known as Heavenly Ancestors.
Whether Heavenly Envoys, Heavenly Generals, or Heavenly Ancestors, in that era of Heavenly Dao dominance during the Desolate Ancient times, they all existed like Heavenly Gods. Their comprehension of the Heavenly Dao was profound and unfathomable, and their cultivation strength was unparalleled.
However, with the end of the Desolate Ancient Era, the Heavenly Envoys who acted on behalf of the Heavens have likely long been extinct. Of the Heavenly Generals who guarded the Dao on behalf of the Heavens, only Dugu Qizhan remains. And of the Heavenly Ancestors who propagated the Dao on behalf of the Heavens, it seems only Ye Tianlan remains. At the very least, since the Desolate Ancient Era, no one has seen another Heavenly Envoy, the only Heavenly General seen is Dugu Qizhan, and the only Heavenly Ancestor seen is Ye Tianlan.