Meanwhile, in a hidden place somewhere unknown on the vast Middle Continent, its true location is cleverly concealed behind countless overlapping and distorted Space Wrinkle, making it difficult for even ordinary Dou Sheng Expert to find its trace.
Here, surrounded and protected by endless, continuous, pitch-black mountains resembling the spine of an ancient behemoth and murky rivers exuding an aura of decay and death—this is the lair of the Hun Clan, deep within the Soul Realm.
The sky above the Soul Realm seemed to be eternally frozen in a suffocatingly oppressive and dark color, as if it had been splashed with thick ink, obscuring the brilliance of the sun, moon, and stars, leaving only eternal gloom.
A bone-chilling cold permeated the air, not just an ordinary chill, but a chill mixed with the lingering despair, resentment, and wails of countless souls that had been extracted and tortured. This coldness lingered, making every breath here pierce the soul with its icy chill.
At this moment, in the most core and heavily guarded area of the Soul Realm, Forbidden Area zone within Forbidden Area, on a magnificent Altar Plaza constructed from the black bones of countless unknown and enormous creatures, strange and powerful Spatial Fluctuations spread and intensified like ripples.
This Altar Plaza was vast, its ground paved with polished black bone plates, inscribed with countless twisted, writhing, and seemingly living dark red runes, emanating a nauseating stench of blood and soul energy.
Around the plaza stood colossal bone pillars, hundreds of feet tall, their tops ablaze with eerie green soul flames. The flickering flames added to the eerie and sinister atmosphere.
The once lifeless space was now violently twisting and writhing, emitting a deep spatial hum, as if some enormous creature from the abyss was about to break free of its restraints and descend upon the world.
As the Spatial Fluctuations intensified, figures with terrifying auras, like ghosts crawling out from every corner of hell, silently converged from all parts of the Soul Realm.
Most of them were shrouded in wide, black cloaks that seemed to absorb all light, their faces indistinct and perfectly concealed in the deep shadows of the hoods. Only their exposed eyes gleamed with a cold light that was either blood- Ghost Fire, ghostly green, or deathly white.
Without exception, these eyes were filled with extreme indifference to life and a naked, undisguised greed for the Soul Origin and pure power.
The energy fluctuations emanating from them were at least at the Dou Venerate level, and among them were many Half Sage powerhouses whose auras were as obscure as an abyss, causing slight fluctuations in the surrounding space.
Even more strikingly, several figures, standing like ancient rocks in key locations around the plaza, were causing the space around them to unconsciously distort and collapse slightly, as if even the Heaven and Earth Rules were trembling in fear and groaning. These were terrifying beings who had already stepped into the extraordinary realm of Dou Sheng!
With so many top experts gathered together, the invisible aura of Sectarian Qi, Death Qi, and oppression that coalesced almost solidified the air in this Altar Plaza, making it as heavy as mercury.
At this moment, all of them were silent, but the destructive will they were poised to unleash was more chilling than any shout. Their gazes were filled with fervor and awe, focused on the center of the square.
There, a colossal portal, thousands of feet high and seemingly connecting the dim sky and the pitch-black earth, was slowly but steadily taking shape amidst the frantic flashing of countless intricate and twisted runes and the infusion of massive amounts of energy.
The portal's framework seemed to be constructed from some kind of pure, extreme dark energy, so profound that it seemed capable of swallowing even the gaze.
It is carved with countless ferocious, roaring ghost faces and bizarre, snake-like runes. These runes writhe slowly as if they were alive, emanating an ominous aura.
Wisps of Black Mist, carrying a powerful devouring force, continuously seeped out from within the still unstable doorway, swirling around the entrance and emanating a terrifying aura of absolute nothingness, as if capable of annihilating all life, light, and hope.
This is the super-large inter- Space Passage that the Hun Clan secretly constructed over hundreds of years, pouring in countless rare resources and soul energy! Its scale and stability are far beyond those of ordinary Space Passage, enough to support a large army to pass through quickly in a short time!
And its target was none other than the Spirit Realm Ling Clan, which was the weakest of the Ancient Eight Clans!
Clearly, the Hun Clan, this hidden butcher's knife, honed and awaited through countless years, has been silently raised, coldly and cruelly pointed at its first prey, a fellow Ancient Races.
A long-planned Extermination War is about to begin, drawing a bloody curtain.
In this somber and oppressive atmosphere, so intense it almost stopped one's heart from beating, a figure appeared silently, like a ghost, or as if it were meant to be there, without the slightest Spatial Fluctuations, on a towering bone Altar carved from the skull of some kind of giant Magical Beasts directly in front of the thousand-foot-long black portal.
However, his appearance created a stark, almost contradictory contrast with the gloomy, deathly silence and negative energy of the surrounding environment.
He wore a simple gray-white robe, made of plain material, without any extravagant decorations, and so clean that it seemed untouched by dust.
He looked quite young, with an exceptionally handsome face and fair, translucent skin, resembling a well-read young master from a prominent family in the Jiangnan water towns, appearing to be around thirty years old.
He was tall and slender, not robust, but rather possessed a scholarly elegance and a delicate physique. His overall demeanor was gentle and peaceful, with clear eyes and a faint, gentle smile that seemed to linger at the corners of his mouth.
But this seemingly harmless, out-of-place "scholar," as he stepped out of the void, his exceptionally bright and clear eyes—eyes that seemed to reflect all things in the world and see through the deepest secrets and desires of people's hearts—casually swept over the densely packed, Sectarian Qi -filled Hun Clan powerhouses in the plaza below, as if glancing at unrelated scenery—
The air in the entire square, which was already almost frozen solid, seemed to freeze instantly into Myriad Years Profound Ice! Time itself seemed to stand still for a moment!
Every Hun Clan powerhouse whose gaze swept over them—whether they were infamous Dou Venerate with countless blood on their hands, arrogant and powerful Half Sage, or even the few Dou Sheng Elder who had already transcended the mortal realm and were usually haughty and looked down on all living beings as ants—at this moment, it was as if an invisible giant hand containing the Law of heaven and earth had gripped their throats and the core of their souls. They involuntarily and extremely quickly lowered their heads, symbols of power, arrogance, and cruelty, their eyes fixed down, not daring to make the slightest contact with that calm and unwavering gaze, thus expressing the deepest and most extreme awe and submission from the depths of their souls!
Under that gaze, all their power and ferocity became insignificant, like fireflies compared to the bright moon.
He is none other than the current Clan Leader of the Hun Clan, the peerless giant who has been hidden behind the scenes for a thousand years, like the most skillful chess player, quietly influencing the changing winds and clouds of the continent— the Hun Tiandi!
"The time has come."
The Hun Tiandi's calm voice rang out, not loud, yet like the first Law of creation, clearly and undeniably penetrating the deepest recesses of the souls of every Hun Clan powerhouse, carrying a cold indifference that determined the fate of other races.
"The Ling Clan has occupied the resources of the Spirit Realm for a long time. The souls of their people are pure and full of Spirituality, which should be the supreme resources for our Hun Clan to reach the pinnacle." His words were simple and direct, describing a massacre of a race as naturally as harvesting crops.
His gaze slowly swept over the array of powerful figures below, which resembled a black tide, his tone still calm, yet carrying an unyielding will:
"This mission will be personally led by Nihility Devouring Flame. Remember, a swift and decisive victory is essential. Leave no survivors and erase all traces related to our race. I do not wish to hear even the slightest 'speculation' about the destruction of the Ling Clan being connected to our Hun Clan afterward. Understand?"
"I will obey the Clan Leader's command!"
A thunderous roar of responses erupted, perfectly synchronized, filled with fanatical Killing Intent and worship of absolute power. The sound waves surged, causing the surrounding spatial barriers to tremble slightly.
Standing beside the projection of the Hun Tiandi was a ball of pure black flame that constantly wriggled and changed shape.
This flame seemed to possess its own life and will, radiating a terrifying aura capable of incinerating heaven and earth and devouring the souls of all things. Its temperature was not scorching, but rather extremely cold and destructive. It was none other than the Void Devouring Nihility Devouring Flame, ranked second on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, which had long since cooperated with the Hun Tiandi and possessed incomparably terrifying power!
Upon hearing this, the ever-changing black flame Black Flame violently, then subsided and transformed into the Human Form in a black robe.
His face was blurred, seemingly shrouded in a layer of flowing Black Flame, making it difficult to see clearly. Only his deep, Black Hole -like eyes were clearly visible. His entire body was covered with strange and ancient black runes, which moved slowly beneath his skin like living things, emitting a mysterious and unsettling aura.
He stood there like a walking Black Hole, constantly devouring the surrounding light and energy.
At this moment, Nihility Devouring Flame, now appearing as a middle-aged man in black, swept his gaze over the Soul Clan Army below, poised for battle. Without any unnecessary words or mobilization, he simply uttered two cold words in his voice, which sounded as if it came from the Nine Nether abyss of hell and carried a metallic, abrasive quality:
"Set off."
The next moment, the thousand-foot-tall pitch-black portal suddenly burst forth with dazzling dark light. The center of the portal stabilized completely, transforming into an incomparably deep, slowly rotating Black Vortex, leading to the unknown land of destruction and slaughter— the Spirit Realm!
Nihility Devouring Flame made the first move. His figure flickered and transformed into a black thread condensed to the extreme. Its speed was beyond the limit of visual perception. He silently shot into the spinning Black Vortex and disappeared.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Immediately afterwards, it was as if the gates of hell had been opened on the plaza! Countless dark figures, like arrows released from a bow or like hungry locusts pouncing on their prey, densely packed together, blotting out the sky, carrying an overwhelming, tangible Killing Intent and Death Qi, frantically and relentlessly surging into the Space Passage.
The condensed, chilling Sectarian Qi and destructive will caused the entire Soul Realm to tremble and groan violently, as if it could not withstand the terrifying power that was about to be unleashed, enough to destroy an entire realm.
The massive spectacle, though silent, was more impactful than any war drums or shouts.
The Hun Clan, this greedy behemoth that had lurked and lay dormant in the shadows for far too long, finally revealed its sharpest and most cruel fangs to its fellow Ancient Races for the first time, opening its gaping maw to devour everything.
The fate of the Ling Clan was ruthlessly sealed the moment the Hun Tiandi uttered his calm words. The superficial balance that had been maintained on the Middle Continent for so long was about to be shattered by this sudden Extermination War against the Ancient Races, ushering in an unprecedented storm of chaos that would sweep across all the top powers.