A hundred years was actually a vague figure. The dissipation of the Darkness River had been a gradual process. Beginning in the 60th Void Ember Year after the Ancient Secret Realm ended, it had already started vanishing bit by bit. By the time Qin Heng broke through to become a King, the Darkness River had thinned to less than a hundred thousand light-years.
That distance was only the width of a single star system, nothing much to Eternal Experts.
Some warlike Old Universe powerhouses had long since crossed the Darkness River ahead of time, reached the other shore, and begun observing the border situation of the God Nation Era.
The God Nation's powerhouses had also formed up in grim readiness. Millions upon millions of Eternal Experts stood arrayed across the border starfields, like mortal soldiers guarding the frontier, ready at any moment to meet the invading enemy.
That day, Qin Heng, Yan Feng, Meng Xing, and the others arrived at a border region of the Void Ash God Kingdom—the Eagle Nest Star System.
The star system spanned 260,000 light-years in diameter and had earned its name because its shape resembled an eagle's nest.
In a Barren Zone on the outskirts of the system, facing the Darkness River, a gigantic turtle-serpent creature more than ten billion kilometers long floated silently in the void.
That was the true body of the Black Tortoise Saint Emperor. It had transformed into a war fortress and guarded this vital location. More than ten thousand Eternal Experts had gathered nearby, watching the enemy's movements.
"Black Tortoise Saint Emperor." Upon arriving, Qin Heng and the others first greeted this elder from the Ten Emperors Hall.
Seeing these youngsters, the Black Tortoise Saint Emperor was in high spirits. He chuckled. "Why have all of you come? Aren't you