Apart from the clash between the Tianli Sect and the Mechanical Empire, the entire Ancient Realm lay in an eerie calm.
In the wilderness, amid treacherous mountains and hostile waters, Mutant Beasts grew ever more numerous. Venturing into the wilderness to hunt them became increasingly difficult, and many teams could only operate around the safe zones, no longer daring to go deeper.
Yet the Mutant Beasts rarely launched frenzied assaults on human settlements. Even so, the restless atmosphere filled the air with tension.
Even ordinary martial artists knew that a Beast Tide was coming, and that the coming eruption would be terrifying.
The major factions naturally understood this even better, and all were rushing to build safe zones.
By now, the major factions had all built fortified cities around the Yin Ruins, providing their sects with stepping stones into it. After negotiating with the Tianli Sect, the Mechanical Empire stalled for time while preparing supplies, and meanwhile, its fleet arrived outside the Yin Ruins.
A fortress-class starship came to a halt in the mountains ten thousand li north of Soaring Sky City.
It was a mobile megacity, able to attack when advancing and defend when retreating. Fearing the Tianli Sect's threat, the Mechanical Empire had still chosen to use a starship as its fortress.
And the Mechanical Empire's liquid metal warriors finally made their official entry into the Yin Ruins.
The Purple Winged Blade Emperor led nine level seven liquid metal warriors into the Yin Ruins. It was an impressive lineup, comprising well over half of their level seven liquid metal warriors.
Once the party entered the Yin Ruins, they could see martial artists hunting Mutant Beasts everywhere.
All these people were after Primordial Spirit Fragments.
Primordial Spirit Fragments were now hard currency in the Ancient Realm, worth even more