Several years later, time drifted on.
Bai Ze and the others, who had originally been in seclusion healing their injuries, were immersed in tranquil cultivation, trying to mend their wounds and return to their former peak.
Yet at that very moment, an incomparably terrifying force suddenly swept over them like a surging flood, forcibly wrenching them awake from their deep seclusion in an instant.
The strength of this force was simply beyond imagination. Compared to Dao Bone, who had been at the second layer of the True Immortal Realm when they encountered him before, it was like the bright moon beside a firefly—countless times more powerful.
Its pressure bore down like Mount Tai crushing an egg, making their hearts tremble with fear, as though heaven and earth themselves were shaking at that moment.
At the same time, a voice brimming with supreme majesty exploded like thunder, piercing straight into the depths of their sea of consciousness:
"Hand over your immortal crystals. Those who refuse—die!!!"
The deafening voice carried unquestionable dominance and resolve, sending chills down their spines.
At that moment, Bai Ze and the others looked at one another, a trace of shock passing between their gazes.
With only that fleeting exchange of looks, they understood each other perfectly. Then their figures flashed, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished from the depths of the Cave Mansion.
When they reappeared, they were startled to find themselves outside the Cave Mansion. Yet they were being ruthlessly suppressed by a power so overwhelming it drove them to despair, unable to stand freely in midair as they normally could.
They could only struggle futilely, yet they could not break free from the restraints of that force.
Looking around, they saw that the surroundings were already packed with countless powerhouses, numbering at