Chapter 1353: North Star Drastic Change

Rain struck the bluestone.

The Demon Sea was home to tens of thousands of monster tribes, yet the area he had explored was less than a ten-thousandth of its total expanse. What most captivated Qin Sang was the Four Saint Palace of Canglang Sea. The Four Saint Palace preserved a God Transformation Dao lineage. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, Qin Sang was now qualified to aspire to the God Transformation stage. While his breakthrough to the mid or late Nascent Soul stage remained uncertain, early preparation was always prudent.

During the Battle of Yitian Peak, Qin Sang forged a connection with the descendants of the Four Saint Palace and was gifted a token. He had initially intended to personally visit the Four Saint Palace once the Ziwei Palace had stabilized, but unforeseen circumstances arose. Now, the prospect of locating Canglang Sea amidst the boundless storm in the future seemed incredibly bleak.

On the journey back, all the Nascent Soul cultivators were visibly troubled. After a brief consultation, Qin Sang, True Lord Cang Hong, King Yu, Lu Boyuan, Demon Lord Tong You, and the other remaining top experts called the rest of the Nascent Soul cultivators to a halt.

"Regarding today's events and the news about the Ascension Platform, it would be best for all of us to swear a profound heart-demon oath not to reveal anything. This would prevent turmoil in the Three Realms and unrest in the Beichen Realm... What are your opinions?" True Lord Cang Hong stated.

The matter of ascension carried significant weight. A storm barrier separated the Beichen Realm from the Three Realms, ensuring they remained distinct and undisturbed. If the news were to spread, the Nascent Soul cultivators from the Three Northern Sea Realms would undoubtedly become restless, compelled to visit the Beichen Realm to verify the truth for themselves. In such a scenario, with its own top experts having ascended, the Beichen Realm facing cultivators from the Three Realms would undoubtedly ignite a major conflict, placing them in an extremely perilous position. Fortunately, with only Nascent Soul cultivators present, sealing the news would not be difficult.

The Nascent Soul cultivators exchanged glances; with their vast responsibilities and legacies, none wished to see the Beichen Realm plunge into chaos.

"True Lord's words are sensible! If we were to disclose the destruction of the Ascension Platform, others might not believe us, potentially leading them to suspect we are concealing something and thus causing more trouble. It's better to keep it a secret." A female Nascent Soul cultivator concurred. The Beichen Realm had only recently emerged from internal strife, and people yearned for stability. She, too, had no desire to be embroiled in further conflict.

"However..." An elder revealed his hesitation, saying, "This Ascension Platform may be destroyed, but there might be others. Regardless, this represents our sole chance of escaping the storm. In the future, if an opportunity arises to venture out and seek assistance, we surely cannot be constrained by a heart-demon oath, can we?"

His words resonated with a number of those present. Although the Ziwei Palace had vanished, other secret realms still existed within the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Even if nothing could be found within the Beichen Realm, the other three realms, with their territories far exceeding Beichen, undoubtedly harbored numerous secret realms and forbidden zones.

"Old Demon Ye once stated that even with the Immortal Palace paving the way, one would require at least the strength of a Grand Cultivator to secure a sliver of hope within the spatial storm. Should we find another Ascension Platform in the future, it's highly unlikely it would be another Ziwei Palace, perhaps..." The speaker, dressed as a Taoist, clicked his tongue twice before pausing. "It would be best for us to focus on diligent cultivation; otherwise, even if we encounter opportunities, we'll remain mere onlookers, just as we were today."

The elder gave a dry chuckle. "Are you suggesting, fellow Daoist, that one must reach the God Transformation stage to 'ascend'? Cultivators at the God Transformation stage can venture far deeper into the storm belt than we can; perhaps they could even escape the storm directly, without needing to take such immense risks."

The Taoist shrugged. "Who can truly say? In the most optimistic scenario, one would need to be at least in the late Nascent Soul stage. How many of us can achieve that?"

Silence fell upon the group. Among the Nascent Soul cultivators present, True Lord Cang Hong and King Yu held the most hope, yet they lacked true confidence. They were quite optimistic about Qin Sang, the rising star, but only Qin Sang understood his own unique challenges.

"Just because we cannot achieve it doesn't mean our descendants cannot. Ten peerless geniuses, occurring once every thousand years, could emerge within ten millennia, and their accomplishments might not fall far short of Old Demon Ye's. When taking an oath, we must consider future generations; we cannot truly bury this secret and extinguish their hopes..." Someone voiced.

The unspoken implication was clear, and the Nascent Soul cultivators showed signs of agreement. This was, in fact, precisely what Qin Sang and the others had just discussed. "All regions of the Beichen Realm shall set aside past grievances, disregard the conflicts between righteous and demonic cultivators, and the distinctions between humans and demons, to establish the Beichen Alliance!"

The Nascent Soul cultivators reached a consensus, though the specifics required careful deliberation. The allocation of benefits was paramount. As they deliberated, they flew towards the nearest Xuanlu Pass.

As they sped along, the group gradually sensed that something was amiss. Traditionally, after the Ziwei Palace closed, the spiritual tide in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield would gradually subside, only occasionally exhibiting celestial phenomena until the palace reopened. This time, however, an anomaly was occurring. They were already halfway there, and the spiritual tide showed no signs of abating; instead, it seemed to be growing more intense.

Noticing the unusual phenomenon, the Nascent Soul cultivators landed and observed for a period, their expressions becoming increasingly grim. If this continued, the Ancient Immortal Battlefield would transform into a forbidden zone, much like the storm belt in the outer seas! Even more alarming was that the barrier here was imperfect, possessing seven breaches—precisely the Seven Hero Passes! Previously, these breaches appeared only once every few centuries, and the Minor Cold Region alone could repel the spiritual tide's incursions. However, if this occurred daily, the Seven Hero Passes certainly wouldn't endure for long. This once-treasured land would now cast a long shadow over the Beichen Realm!

"So that's the explanation! It was the Ziwei Palace that had been suppressing the spiritual tide all this time, making the Ancient Immortal Battlefield unique and different from other places," Demon Lord Tong You remarked, his voice uncharacteristically solemn. The other Nascent Soul cultivators from the Minor Cold Region and the Demon Kings also wore grim expressions. Should the Seven Hero Passes fall, the Minor Cold Region and the Heavenly Demon Hills would be the first to suffer! The consequences of the Ziwei Palace's ascension proved far more extensive than they had ever imagined.

"It appears the Beichen Alliance is now absolutely imperative," Lu Boyuan sighed. As the saying goes, "When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold" – and the spiritual tide offered no quarter. The Beichen Great Desert, being the furthest from the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, had reaped few benefits from it. Now, with the Seven Hero Passes in dire straits, they were obligated to contribute to their defense, a truly vexing situation.

"Let's first assess the situation at the Seven Hero Passes..." The Nascent Soul cultivators resumed their journey. As they neared the Seven Hero Passes, True Lord Cang Hong suddenly received a communication, and his expression grew even grimmer than those of the Nascent Soul cultivators from the Minor Cold Region. The message came from Fairy Qiu Zhi. She had not entered the Ziwei Palace, choosing instead to remain with her people outside the Immortal Gate to prevent Old Demon Ye's escape.

True Lord Cang Hong let out a deep sigh and announced, "The Sinful God Palace, much like the outer hall, was obliterated by the residual shockwaves of the Immortal Palace's ascension. The Abyssal Ruins... were also impacted! The Immortal Gate crumbled, the Abyssal Ruins sank into the earth, and the base of the Heavenly Scar transformed into a bottomless abyss riddled with spatial fissures, becoming a death trap! Fortunately, Fairy Qiu Zhi and her group were vigilant and managed to evacuate in time, narrowly escaping demise within."

"What?!"

"The Abyssal Ruins were also destroyed because of this?"

Everyone present was stunned by the revelation. The Beichen Realm had indeed suffered tremendous losses this time. The two most enigmatic secret realms had been successively annihilated, and the future state of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield remained uncertain. While other regions contained secret realms and forbidden zones, their scale and the rarity of their treasures paled in comparison. The challenge of discovering new opportunities had significantly increased.

Xiang Qing suddenly gasped in alarm, "Oh no! Endless Valley!" The Blood Lake within the inner confines of Endless Valley was connected to the Abyssal Ruins, with some even suspecting it was an integral part of them. As the Qingyang Demonic Sect's mountain gate was situated right beside Endless Valley, how could Xiang Qing not be anxious?