87: Chapter 87 Epochal Fluctuations
Just as Ning Yuan, following Jiang Baihe's pointed finger, looked out the porthole with confusion.
BOOM!!!
Above the Yan River, which had just returned to calm with its vortex dissipated, an unprecedented terrifying fluctuation erupted without any warning!
That fluctuation did not originate from spatial vibrations, but from an even more ancient, more profound level of law!
A visible, invisible ripple, centered on the point where the ruins had vanished, shot skyward in an instant!
It ignored the ancestral planet's atmosphere, ignored the vast distances between star systems, and even ignored the Human Race Territory's layer upon layer of defensive arrays!
Like a beacon fire piercing through the cosmos, it broke free from the ancestral planet's constraints at a speed countless times faster than light, traversed the hundreds of star domains under humanity's control!
And finally, spread throughout the entire vast and boundless sea of stars!
In the face of this fluctuation, even the massive xiawu voidship seemed as insignificant as dust, rocking violently like a tiny boat in a storm!
"What... what is this?!"
Ning Yuan's eyes widened, and for the first time, an indescribable shock rose in his heart.
This commotion was even grander, even more profound than the "Nine Resonances of the Great Dao" he had triggered during his cultivation earlier!
It was as if it was declaring something to the entire universe!
Inside the ship's cabin, all the students were completely stunned.
They stood there with mouths agape, staring blankly at the invisible ripple spanning the starry sky outside the window, their minds a complete void.
Before this might of heaven and earth, they, the so-called "heavenly talents," appeared so fragile and powerless.
Among the crowd, Jiang Mingyue let out a soft sigh.
A flicker of complex, inscrutable light passed through her clear, delicate eyes.
"This day... it was indeed brought forward."
Ever since she saw that living Young True Dragon cub in the ruins, she had harbored a certain premonition in her heart.
The Ancient Dragon Clan, the overlords of the previous era—their emergence was definitely not just a coincidence.
It meant that the "Pandora's Box" sealed away for countless ages had been completely opened!
She subconsciously turned her head to look at Ning Yuan not far away.
That guy who was always annoyingly cheeky and lacked any proper demeanor, yet could always create miracles.
"Where exactly... will the future of this lifetime lead?"
"And you... how far can you go?"
On the other side, Ling Wanhe's gaze also turned peculiar.
Looking at the continuously spreading fluctuation outside the window, she couldn't help but recall a sentence once spoken to her by the clan's ancestor, who had lived through countless ages.
"The sea of stars will be thrown into chaos, and eras will change. The future of our Spirit Clan lies not in the starry sky, but... with the chosen one."
The chosen one... could it be him?
Her gaze also subconsciously fell upon Ning Yuan.
In her mind, the image of that invincible figure from the ruins—one man, one spear, slaying dragons as if slaughtering dogs—became increasingly clear.
"Perhaps... he really is..."
Jiang Baihe looked at the scene outside the window and let out a long sigh.
His always upright spine now seemed slightly hunched, as if he had aged a dozen years in an instant.
"Troubled times are upon us..."
Ning Yuan keenly caught these words. He withdrew his gaze and secretly transmitted a voice message, asking:
"Martial Uncle, is this commotion... related to that so-called 'Ancient Era'?"
Jiang Baihe turned his head and gave him a deep look. Without speaking, he merely nodded silently.
He tacitly acknowledged it.
But he didn't elaborate further.
Some things—knowing too much at Ning Yuan's current stage was not a good thing.
The karma and terror behind it were something even a Martial Saint might not be able to bear.
Seeing this, Ning Yuan didn't press further.
Though curious, he also knew his limits.
Since his Martial Uncle didn't wish to speak, there must be a reason.
Anyway, when soldiers come, we block them with generals; when water comes, we dam it with earth!
Who cares about some ancient era or some earth-shattering upheaval!
As long as my fists are hard enough, there's nothing that can't be smashed with one punch!
If one punch isn't enough, then two!
Jiang Baihe took a deep breath and straightened his back once more.
He surveyed the cabin, looking at the students with their varied expressions, and said in a solemn voice:
"Alright! This expedition to the ruins ends here!"
"After you return, properly digest your gains from this trip and improve your strength as soon as possible!"
"The days to come... will likely become quite lively for our Great Xia Martial Academy."
His tone carried a trace of unconcealable worry.
With such a huge commotion stirred up on the ancestral planet, it was impossible to hide it from those star-faring powerful races that were constantly watching humanity.
It was foreseeable that in the time to come, the eyes of the myriad races would be focused on the ancestral planet and the Great Xia Martial Academy like never before!
Even more, stronger alien heavenly talents, even older-generation powerhouses, would come flocking!
The Great Xia Martial Academy would suddenly become the very eye of the storm in the entire sea of stars!
Whether this would be a blessing or a curse for humanity as it stood now, no one could say.
Everyone's mood became somewhat heavy.
The joy of returning fully laden with spoils was also diluted considerably by this sudden turn of events.
Only Ning Yuan—his heart suddenly became exceptionally calm.
Looking out the window at the vast, boundless starry sky, the corner of his mouth slowly curved into a confident and arrogant arc.
"A little liveliness is good."
"Just as well, I was starting to find the academy a bit too quiet."
"Since they all want to come, then let them come!"
"I'd like to see if these so-called heavenly talents of the myriad races can withstand these fists of mine!"
RUMBLE!
The xiawu voidship let out another roar as its massive hull tore through the void, carrying these heavenly talents, each with their own thoughts, speeding towards the direction of the Great Xia Martial Academy.
And at the same time.
In the distant and profound depths of the starry sky.
The Golden Divine Mountain, the Nether Blood Sea, the Forest of Ten Thousand Spirits...
Within one ancient and powerful forbidden land after another.
One terrifying great being after another, who had slumbered for who knows how many ages, seemed to sense something and opened their eyes one by one!
Those pairs of eyes, containing endless vicissitudes and majesty, pierced through layers of void, and in unison, turned towards that remote and mysterious place—
Humanity's ancestral planet!