The Da Luo Realm had been opened dozens of times, and in its history, human cultivators had engaged in large-scale battles with demonic beasts on several occasions. However, the intensity of those past conflicts paled in comparison to this one, placing them on entirely different levels.
The beast tide, launched by the thirteen great Beast Kings leading millions of demonic beasts, was of a scale unprecedented in the history of the Da Luo Realm. The outcome was something no one had anticipated.
Of the thirteen great Beast Kings, only the Savage Bull Beast King, which had fought with Shen Feichen, managed to escape with its life. All the others perished here, and of the millions of demonic beasts, more than half were slaughtered, with only tens of thousands fleeing in disarray. It was a brutal scene.
This day would become a nightmare for the demonic beasts of the Da Luo Realm. In the future, recalling the scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, even the sole surviving Beast King would likely feel fear.
Although the human side suffered considerable losses, they were almost negligible when compared to those of the demonic beasts.
"The Da Luo Realm was opened this time, bringing together a multitude of talents. I originally thought the most intense struggles would occur within the Da Luo Palace, but I never expected such an unprecedented beast tide," Xiao Yi remarked with a sigh as he looked at the piles of demonic beast corpses before him.
"The Da Luo Palace will likely not be contested this time. It will all come down to luck," Cang Lan Mingyue said to Zhang Fan with a wry smile.
With Zhang Fan, a powerhouse comparable to a half-step Deity Transformation realm expert, present, how could other cultivators possibly contend with him? Fortunately, the opportunities within the Da Luo Realm were not solely determined by strength; luck also played a crucial role.
This was also why those low-level Nascent Soul stage cultivators dared to venture into the Da Luo Palace. If it were purely a contest of strength, their presence would be akin to seeking death, so why take such a risk?
"Let's clean up the battlefield. After we collect the spoils, everyone will enter the Da Luo Palace together," Zhang Fan said, looking up at the distant Da Luo Palace. The closer they got, the more he could feel the mystical power emanating from it, a power that seemed ancient yet eternal.
Although the corpses of every Nascent Soul stage demonic beast were treasures, capable of fetching considerable prices outside, most cultivators had limited storage space. They could not carry many, so they could only extract the most valuable parts.
The Double-Winged Black Tiger, a colossal creature exceeding three hundred zhang in height and a peak Nascent Soul stage demonic beast that cultivated both body and spirit, was worth more than several Beast Kings combined. Its enormous carcass drew significant attention.
Just as everyone was speculating how Zhang Fan would divide its remains, he waved his hand, directly collecting the corpses of the nine great Beast Kings into his storage artifact.
"How vast must this storage space be to contain the corpses of these several Beast Kings?" everyone was astonished but not entirely surprised. Given Zhang Fan's strength, possessing such a treasure was not out of the question.
As his cultivation advanced, his Star Constellation Space had long since expanded into a small world with dimensions exceeding a thousand li in length, width, and height. However, with his current vision, he disdained ordinary demonic beasts. After collecting the nine Beast Kings he had slain into his Star Constellation Space with a wave of his hand, Zhang Fan collected nothing further.
The distribution of demonic beast corpses proceeded harmoniously. Besides the sheer number of them, no one dared to contend too aggressively in Zhang Fan's presence.
After all, without Zhang Fan's leadership, most of them would likely have been annihilated by the beast tide, their bones scattered to the winds, leaving no trace.
After surviving the beast tide, the weakest cultivators had reached the Five Tribulation realm. The process of dissecting the demonic beast corpses was swift. However, the sheer quantity of beasts meant that it took more than half a day to complete, with everyone sporting satisfied smiles.
Despite facing considerable danger, the付出 was clearly matched by the reward.
"Let's go!"
With Zhang Fan's command, the numerous human cultivators followed him in an orderly fashion, flying towards the Da Luo Palace.
Upon entering the Dark Plains, everyone felt a dense, dark energy permeating the heavens and earth. The rules of the Dao within their bodies were faintly suppressed, and a sense of inexplicable unease arose, creating an unbearable feeling.
This sensation grew even more intense the closer they got to the Da Luo Palace.
This was already the Dark Plains after the Da Luo Palace had opened and absorbed all the dark energy. If any cultivator below the Deity Transformation realm had dared to enter the Dark Plains before the Da Luo Palace opened, they would have been corroded and perished within mere breaths.
"The Dao of Darkness can influence a cultivator's mind and spirit. I wonder how the cultivator of the Dao of Darkness in the Da Luo Realm met their end?" Zhang Fan mused, glancing at Luo Xiaoxiao beside him, a hint of worry flashing in the depths of his calm eyes.
Accompanying her master, Luo Xiaoxiao felt a sense of security. The closer she got to the Da Luo Palace, the more impatient she felt.
It was as if she were returning home.
As if she belonged here.
The Dao of Darkness not only affected the minds of others but also had a significant impact on its practitioners. Zhang Fan had seen many cultivators of the Dao of Darkness whose temperaments were abnormal due to its influence.
Some were apathetic, completely devoid of human emotion; others were bloodthirsty, treating all life and everything in existence as mere grass; and still others were capricious, like fragmented souls inhabiting a single shell.
Of course, a small number of cultivators of the Dao of Darkness were similar to ordinary cultivators, but such individuals were rare.
The Dark Divine Palace, standing nine thousand zhang tall, could only be truly appreciated for its magnificent grandeur when approached. Its body was covered with sword and blade marks, each imprint radiating an ancient and eternal aura, which even the passage of time had failed to completely erase.
At this moment, the gates of the Da Luo Palace were fully open. Zhang Fan stood outside, gazing into the interior, but no matter what means he employed, he could only see a hazy expanse.
"Let's go. What you can obtain from here on will depend on your own fortune," Zhang Fan said softly, then stepped into the palace. The others followed him, entering the Da Luo Palace.
As everyone walked into the Da Luo Palace, its two massive gates slowly began to close, and then, the entire Dark Plains returned to tranquility.
...