Since the Royal Court left, the once scattered forces of the Taichang Realm had begun to split apart.
In truth, they understood as well that if they did not join forces, being destroyed by the Devil Race was only a matter of time.
Yet the major factions distrusted one another, and some even bore old grudges. This made any alliance nearly impossible.
More importantly, they lacked someone capable of suppressing every dissenting voice, someone who could truly win the conviction of these forces.
This time, Fang Xiao had been able to unite the various powers not only because he wielded both favor and authority, but also because those powers truly needed a leader to stand at the forefront.
It could be said that his appearance had come at precisely the right time.
All dissatisfaction and opposition, even if they could not be completely resolved, had at least been temporarily suppressed.
With Fang Xiao keeping them in check, all contradictions and conflicts had been redirected toward the Devil Race.
This had originally stirred their fighting spirit against the Devil Race and allowed them to see hope of driving them back.
Yet the shadows of the Ruins of the Underworld and the Age of Dharma Decline descended over them once more, and the newly kindled light of hope in their hearts gradually began to dim.
"No wonder I have felt somewhat sluggish in my cultivation lately. So the world's vital energy has already begun to wane."
Clearly, he was not the only one who had noticed this change.
Tian Yue and the other elders, however, saw even farther ahead.
"If this continues, it will not merely affect our daily cultivation. It may even affect our lifespan."
A cultivator's lifespan was greatly linked not only to their cultivation method and physical strength, but