446: The enemy is coming

Deep within the distant Blue Star Universe lies a mysterious and vast world.

Blue Star, an ancient planet filled with mysteries, floats quietly in a corner of the Universe.

In the endless depths beneath Blue Star, scorching magma flows slowly; the temperature there is so high that it seems as if even time itself is melted.

In this sweltering environment, a figure sat cross-legged in silence, as if merging with the surrounding heat.

It was a naked, bald young man, his skin shimmering under the reflection of the magma.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a profound light flashing within them.

He muttered to himself unconsciously, his voice soft yet carrying an unquestionable majesty: "This Xun Xiuyuan is truly not simple. Judging by his Aura, he is clearly an eight-system Saint King, but he feels no less powerful than a Hongmeng Realm Expert."

Although he appeared to be a young man with a bald head, a closer look revealed the familiar outline and charisma of the Dao Law Progenitor.

Clearly, this young man was the Rebirth body of the Dao Law Progenitor, bearing ancient memories and supreme power.

He could clearly sense the powerful Aura emitted during Xun Xiuyuan's Breakthrough, which meant that the myriad things cauldron had never left his control; everything was under his surveillance.

From this perspective, the actions of Bai Guang and Ye Mao were merely those of two clowns, fruitlessly attempting to challenge his authority.

The Dao Law Progenitor had long held everything in his grasp, calmly laying out the chess game of the future.

The Shadow King was in a rare mood to talk today, recounting many secrets he had known and heard over the years without reservation, as if opening a long-sealed door.

The three of Mortal World listened intently, like students thirsting for knowledge, their expressions focused and holding their breath, afraid of missing a single detail.

One was willing to teach everything, and the others were willing to learn humbly; the atmosphere between them was exceptionally harmonious, as if they had transcended a normal conversation and entered a state of spiritual connection.

However, at this moment, the Shadow King suddenly stopped speaking, his brows furrowed slightly as he turned to gaze into the depths of the Void Realm to the south, his eyes revealing a hint of solemnity.

The three of Mortal World had been listening with great interest and fascination, so when the Shadow King suddenly stopped, they were momentarily stunned. After exchanging glances, they all instinctively looked in the direction of the Shadow King's gaze.

In the distance, in the almost immeasurably far Void Realm, a group of figures stood silently. They were no longer moving forward, but were silently gazing at the base of the Yuan Ling Universe, as if scrutinizing something.

Although that group of people was clearly within the range of the three of Mortal World's vision, amazingly, their Divine Sense had not detected them at all until this moment, as if they did not exist in this space-time.

The Shadow King's expression was grave as he whispered, "There are Hongmeng Realm Experts; bloodthirsty and cruel."

These brief seven words not only accurately described the Shadow King's intuitive feelings but also revealed an indescribable sense of oppression.

Hearing this, the three of Mortal World could not help but feel nervous.

Although they had long been mentally prepared to face death calmly, when that moment truly approached, they still could not completely avoid internal anxiety and unease.

The Void Spirit Beast still leaned lazily on the magnificent palanquin, its eyes indifferent as it calmly reminded, "Bai Huang, there is the Aura of a Hongmeng Realm Expert ahead. You must be very careful."

Although the Shadow King was not top-tier in actual combat, his Realm of cultivation could not be underestimated; he had already reached the Middle Stage of the Hongmeng Realm, and his strength was unfathomable.

As a Void Spirit Beast at the Early Stage of the Hongmeng Realm, it was confident in ensuring its own safety, but the companions around it, whose cultivation only remained at the eight-system and Guiyi Realm, would likely find it difficult to protect themselves under the pressure of a Hongmeng Realm Expert.

Bai Huang knew nothing about the identity of the Hongmeng Realm Expert in the distance, because the Shadow King had deliberately restrained his own radiance and Aura, appearing no different from an ordinary person, without revealing any sharpness.

Therefore, when Bai Huang led everyone to the scene, he did not rashly launch an attack, but chose to stop and observe from a distance, carefully evaluating the situation.

The deterrent power of a Hongmeng Realm Expert was no joke. If the opponent truly possessed strength at the Star Swallower level, then even with the Void Spirit Beast assisting them, they would likely face total annihilation with no chance of victory.

The Shadow King said slowly in a low and firm tone, "I will do my best to resist. If I truly cannot hold them off, you must quickly retreat into the interior of the Universe. I will guard the only entrance to this Universe and will never let the external enemy step in easily."

Yuan Yi chuckled upon hearing this, his expression revealing a hint of open-mindedness and fearlessness as he replied, "Senior, you need not worry too much. The three of us have long decided to stay at the base; at worst, we will just die. If they truly cross the defense line, perhaps they will not continue to attack the Yuan Ling Universe after venting their anger."

Yuan Yi's words were very clear. If the three of them entered the interior of the Yuan Ling Universe, and the enemy broke through the Shadow King's defense, those furious opponents would inevitably break into the Yuan Ling Universe, and the situation would become extremely dangerous.

As soon as Yuan Yi finished speaking, the Shadow King could not help but turn his head and look deeply at Yuan Yi, a faint smile appearing on the corner of his mouth as he said, "I have always disliked fighting and killing, but this time, I choose to face it together with you."

Seemingly infected by Yuan Yi's fearless spirit, the Shadow King also made up his mind and prepared to risk everything.

Although his actual combat strength was not outstanding, due to his long-term study of various unorthodox methods, he possessed a large number of strange and bizarre Magic Treasures and items.

After all, his Realm was there; these items might have limited effects on a Hongmeng Realm Expert, but if used against enemies in the Guiyi Realm, they could still exert quite good effects.

Just as the four were determined to fight to the death, the voice of the Artifact Spirit suddenly rang in everyone's minds.

"Come to the Artifact Spirit Hall immediately!"

It was just a concise instruction, without any superfluous words, yet it carried an unquestionable majesty.

A sharp light flashed in Yuan Yi's eyes, and he turned and sped towards the Artifact Spirit Hall without hesitation.

Mortal World and Hong Yu also sensed the anomaly at the same time. The two looked at each other, both seeing solemnity in the other's eyes, and then followed closely behind Yuan Yi, turning into two streams of light and rushing towards the hall.

The Shadow King was stunned in place, his expression revealing a bit of bewilderment and confusion.

He considered his Divine Thought to be powerful, covering the entire base as if looking at the lines on his own palm, yet he had not detected the existence of any other living beings besides the few of them at all—he had not even sensed a shred of Aura from the Ling Tian Pagoda currently in the Artifact Spirit Hall.