The Abandoned Sword Mountain had shattered into several hundred pieces of land, floating within the Dao Foundation of the Seven Extremes Heavenly Painting Realm, which was as vast as the universe. By the time the Gate of Heaven and Earth had been opened, the immortals had long since been wiped out. That did not mean all life had vanished, however. Some ancient ferocious creatures lurking within the Abandoned Sword Mountain might gradually be awakening. The moment they detected an outsider's invasion, they would surely swarm over and pounce.
Xue Qingcheng had gathered treasures, sought an opportunity to prove the Dao, ventured deep into the mountains in search of unknown things, and even sought to prove the Dao through the Dao Foundation. That was precisely because she had grown anxious. I should have kept a close eye on her, but for the sake of the bigger picture, I had allowed her to go alone into the unknown regions of the Abandoned Sword Mountain. As a result, I could not eliminate the dangers she faced, and when she fell into peril, I grew frantic as well.
I sped along the entire way, searching for any aura Xue Qingcheng might have left behind, but discovered that she had not left many traces of her presence. A wave of vexation rose in my heart. Azure clouds blanketed the area ahead, and even from afar, they seemed ready to disgorge some hideous beast at any moment. Clearly, the dangers lurking here had not been fully investigated.
"Dao Ancestor! We're over here!"
Just then, a group of two men and one woman waved at me. They were the young disciples who had last obtained news of Xue Qingcheng. Since they were all disciples of the Heavenly Unity Dao Sect, and thus disciples under my rule, they