In the central region of the Great Luo Realm, a vast, boundless plain stretched out. Above the plain, there were no sun, moon, or stars, only an ocean of immense black mist.
The plain was covered in endless black soil, devoid of any life. All that could be seen were corpses scattered across the black earth, corroded by time, leaving behind only piles of white bones.
This was the place known to cultivators of the outside world as the Dark Plain, a forbidden zone for life, dark and silent, like the netherworld.
A completely black divine palace stood in the center of the plain, over nine thousand zhang tall. It was ancient and mysterious, its celestial canopy-like walls covered in knife marks and sword imprints. Each mark exuded an indelible ancient aura, resisting the erosion of time, broken yet eternal. Dense dark power continuously emanated from within the palace, spreading throughout the entire Great Luo Realm.
On the edges of this Dark Plain, faint figures of birds and beasts could be seen. They lingered outside the Dark Plain but dared not step foot into it.
On this day, the gate of the divine palace suddenly opened, its three-thousand-zhang tall doors slowly swinging apart, revealing the endless space within. A profound power instantly enveloped the entire Great Luo Realm, causing all living beings within it to seethe.
Figures streaked through the sky at incredible speeds, rushing towards the Great Luo Palace. They had been hidden around the Dark Plain, waiting for this very moment.
Before the Great Luo Palace opened, the Dark Plain was a forbidden zone for all life. Any cultivator who entered would be eroded by the ferocious dark power and could not survive.
However, when the dark divine palace opened, the ferocious dark power would be absorbed by the palace, allowing cultivators from the outside to enter. Yet, the beings within the Great Luo Realm still dared not step into the Dark Plain.
"A once-in-ten-thousand-year opportunity! I never expected to have the chance to enter this legendary Great Luo Palace in my lifetime. I would die without regret!" a black-robed cultivator at the Fifth Tribulation Realm flew on his sword, covering a hundred li in an instant. He was getting closer and closer to the Dark Plain, already sensing the eternal aura emanating from the palace, his heart filled with excitement.
However, just as he was about to enter the bounds of the Dark Plain, a gigantic hand emerged from the earth and grasped him. Before the black-robed cultivator could even let out a scream, he was crushed into a mist of blood.
Concurrently, other cultivators who dared to enter the Dark Plain also suffered fatal attacks. Some were swallowed whole by suddenly appearing demonic beasts, while others were struck by a whipping tail from the sky, dying instantly…
Those who had intended to seize the initiative instead met with unseen attacks. Not a single human cultivator was able to step into the Dark Plain.
Cultivators hidden in the shadows watched this scene with shock. They had never imagined that powerful demonic beasts were lurking around the Dark Plain, hunting every cultivator who dared to enter.
At this moment, in a cave, an old man in white stood at the entrance. His name was Gong Li. Although he was merely a rogue cultivator, he had now cultivated to the Seventh Tribulation Realm of the Nascent Soul stage, placing him among the top powerhouses in the Wu Shan Star Domain.
He had originally planned to rush directly into the Dark Plain as soon as the Great Luo Palace opened. However, certain events that occurred in the Great Luo Realm a year ago had made him change his mind. Watching the figures being brutally killed by demonic beasts, he felt immense relief.
"The rumors are indeed true. The actions of the Flying Immortal Pavilion and the Black Sand Cave Heavens have enraged the beast kings of the core region. It seems entering now will be somewhat difficult," Gong Li cursed inwardly. He decided to withdraw and wait for the experts from those top factions to arrive before following them in.
Just then, the earth began to tremble, and the mountains shook. Gigantic figures appeared from all directions: colossal apes whose bodies were like small mountains, iron-feathered fiery eagles with wingspans of over a hundred meters, and swarms of spirit-devouring rats, each no larger than a palm, yet stretching as far as the eye could see. They covered the sky and earth, dense and numerous. As far as the eye could see, there were only demonic beasts.
"It's over!" Gong Li looked at this scene, his heart turning to ice.
…
At the bottom of the Realm Lake, cultivators from the Flying Immortal Pavilion, Black Sand Cave Heavens, and the Giant Spirit Hall were in secluded cultivation. Although the top-grade spirit crystal mine at the lake bottom could not be excavated in time, they had taken advantage of the period before the Great Luo Palace opened to set up a Spirit Gathering Array at the bottom of the lake, continuously absorbing the spiritual energy from the spirit crystal mine for their cultivation.
With a large amount of spirit herbs and Nascent Souls as the primary source, supplemented by the Spirit Gathering Array, their cultivation had greatly improved in less than a year.
The moment the Great Luo Palace opened, they all sensed it. Fu Tianling opened his eyes, a terrifying divine light flashing within them!
Above the Realm Lake, figures burst out of the water, soaring into the sky and creating monstrous waves. Dozens of figures stood in the air, all looking towards the center of the Great Luo Realm's core region, their eyes filled with unconcealed excitement and anticipation.
"Haha, the Great Luo Palace has finally opened! I can finally witness the strength of the various prodigies in the Wu Shan Star Domain!" Qin Hao shouted, his eyes filled with fighting spirit. A thousand waves surged around him, and a powerful pressure emanated, forcing the demonic beasts within ten thousand li to prostrate themselves in awe and fear.
Leveraging the Great Luo Realm's superior cultivation environment and abundant resources, he had reached the late stage of the Ninth Tribulation Realm during his two years in the realm.
Qin Hao possessed the bloodline of the Giant Spirit Clan and had cultivated a golden Nascent Soul, making his combat power even stronger than that of ordinary peak Ninth Tribulation Realm experts.
Nangong Feng held his spear, standing tall in the sky. Though silent, his eyes conveyed an overbearing aura. He had now reached the peak of the Ninth Tribulation Realm.
"Let's go. I'm very curious about what surprises Zhang Fan and the Six Royal Mansions will bring. I hope they don't disappoint me," Fu Tianling's eyes flashed with sharp sword intent. Since entering the Great Luo Realm, he had not forgotten his father's instructions.
Kill Zhang Fan and bring back the Golden Sparrow Silver Silk Lamp.
"Zhang Fan?"
Hearing this, Nangong Feng softly repeated the name and shook his head. He said, "Just kill him if the opportunity arises. Don't forget, we went through great trouble and traversed dangerous lands. I hope the beast kings in the core region won't disappoint me."
The group of dozens, carrying an unstoppable momentum, flew towards the Great Luo Palace.