Outside the Void Dragon Hall, golden light spilled out, and the merged Ancient Dragon Island resembled a precious gem polished by the primordial ages, floating in the endless void.
The newly formed mountain range meanders like a dragon's spine, covered with strange vegetation where lush greenery and crystals coexist, reflecting a breathtakingly energetic glow under the sunlight.
The Dragon Clan's unique aura and vitality permeated every inch of air, symbolizing that this ancient race was ushering in an unprecedented era of prosperity.
However, this boundless vitality and the pouring sunlight could not dispel the heavy atmosphere that hung between the brows of the Ancient Dragon Clan leaders gathered in the core area.
The initial joy and excitement that Lin Ming felt upon successfully leaving the pass had not yet fully spread before it was extinguished like a bucket of ice water by the intelligence he subsequently received from the outside world.
Elder Qing Mu, who was in charge of intelligence gathering, looked more solemn than usual, and his wrinkles seemed to have deepened at that moment.
He held a Jade Slip with a warm, lustrous sheen in both hands and respectfully presented it to Lin Ming. The Jade Slip looked ordinary, but it contained information powerful enough to shake half of the Middle Continent Plains.
"Mr. Lin Ming, this is a summary of the most widely circulated and core information on the mainland over the past six months." Elder Qing Mu's voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.
"The complete uprooting of the Soul Hall and the Human Hall, along with more than ten key Branch Hall under their command, has stirred up a massive wave in the Middle Continent. All forces are shaken and making various speculations, but they have yet to pinpoint the true culprit."
Lin Ming nodded slightly, said nothing, and calmly accepted the Jade Slip.
He closed his eyes slightly, and a vast and boundless Soul Power, like invisible mercury, instantly seeped into the Jade Slip. In an instant, a massive flow of information surged in, quickly sketching out the dramatic changes in the Middle Continent over the past six months in his mind.
Just as he had sensed and predicted, the earth-shattering changes at the Soul Hall unsurprisingly became the hottest topic of the past six months.
Top forces such as Pill Tower, Flower Sect, and Blazing Flame Valley were shocked by the audacity and strength of the unknown force. They also significantly raised their alert levels, keeping their mountain gate formations in a semi-activated state at all times.
The remaining forces of the Soul Hall, like wounded venomous snakes, became even more elusive and ruthless, frequently darting about in the shadows of the Middle Continent.
However, another piece of information recorded in the Jade Slip, which sparked widespread attention and various bizarre speculations, to some extent even overshadowed the shock of the destruction of the Soul Hall's foundation.
"The Spirit Realm is closed." Lin Ming opened his eyes, a hint of understanding flashing in them, but more so a cold confirmation of "I knew it."
He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and calmly repeated the key record in the Jade Slip: "The Ling Clan, one of the Ancient Eight Clans, also completely sealed off its independent space, the Spirit Realm, without any warning during this period, severing all contact with the outside world, even the most secret Space Passage vanished without a trace?"
"That's right." The North Dragon King Zhu Xu voice. His golden dragon eyes, which were full of endless majesty, were now filled with confusion and bewilderment.
"This matter is strange in every way. Although the Ling Clan has always been reclusive and dislikes conflict, they are not entirely without contact with the outside world, and they also have allied forces within their own race. This time, the Spirit Realm was closed without any prior warning, and not a single word was sent to any allies. It's as if the entire race evaporated from this world overnight."
"Therefore, in the Middle Continent today, there are many different opinions and much speculation about this matter. Some believe that a tremendous upheaval has occurred within the Ling Clan, such as a change of power or a break in the lineage; others speculate that they have discovered some ancient and extraordinary Secret Realm, and the entire clan has migrated in search of a breakthrough... There are various theories, and no consensus has been reached."
Hearing this, Lin Ming's lips curled into a cold, emotionless smile. He slowly shook his head, his gaze, sharp as a sword, sweeping over the Three Great Dragon Kings, Elder Qing Mu, and several core elders whose cultivation had also reached the Dou Sheng realm. His voice clearly shattered all their guesses, carrying an undeniable certainty:
No, you're all wrong.
This simple sentence instantly captured the attention of all the powerful figures present, causing them to hold their breath. All eyes, as if drawn by invisible threads, were firmly locked onto Lin Ming.
"The closure of the Spirit Realm was not their own choice, nor was it due to the discovery of the Secret Realm paradise that would allow their entire race to migrate."
Lin Ming's tone was resolute, each word seemingly containing immense power, carrying a penetrating force that seemed to pierce through the ages and point directly to the truth.
"The truth is far more cruel and dark than any of your speculations can imagine."
At this moment, Lin Ming paused slightly, allowing the heavy atmosphere to reach its peak, before revealing, word by word, the earth-shattering conspiracy shrouded in the mists of history. "All of this... is because the Hun Clan has already invaded the Spirit Realm!"
"What?!"
"The Hun Clan has invaded the Spirit Realm?!"
"This... this is impossible?! How dare they do this?!"
Even the Three Great Dragon Kings, who had lived for countless years and possessed vast knowledge and unwavering resolve, could not help but gasp in astonishment, their faces filled with utter disbelief and horror.
Ancient Races maintained a balance of power, and although there were frictions and disagreements, directly launching an attack on the core settlement of another race was an act that could completely shatter the balance and trigger a world-destroying war that engulfed both races!
Even if the Hun Clan is powerful, does it dare to defy the world and become the target of everyone's hatred?
"This is not the kind of ordinary invasion you think it is!"
Lin Ming's voice, as cold as ice, continued to reveal the chilling truth, exposing the Hun Clan's sinister ambitions, hidden for millennia, to the light of day.
"This is... a long-planned, meticulously orchestrated Extermination War!"
At this moment, Lin Ming no longer hesitated. He immediately extracted the most crucial information from the fragments of the Hall of Souls Vice Hall Master Hun Yan and the Great Heavenly Venerate Venerable's soul memories, combined with his own premonition of the original plot, and stated it clearly and coldly. "The ambition of the Hun Clan has a long history, its roots can be traced back a thousand years."
"Their ultimate goal has never been as simple as the Soul Hall capturing souls. Their true purpose is to devour all Ancient Races with the Dou Di Bloodline, and to collect the legendary Tou She Ancient God Jade, which is said to be able to open the Dou Di Ruins. In order to open the legendary Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion, they want to obtain the Dou Di Inheritance that may exist inside, and help their Clan Leader Hun Tiandi, break through to the Dou Di Realm that no one has been able to reach for ten thousand years!"
"And there are two keys to their realization of this insane ambition. The first is the Nihility Devouring Flame, which ranks second on the Heavenly Flame Ranking and possesses the ability to devour! This Fire Spirit is extremely intelligent and powerful, and has long since cooperated completely with the Hun Clan, becoming one of the Hun Clan's most important reliance."
"The Hun Clan later created the Soul Hall, ruthlessly capturing souls across the continent and extracting their Soul Origin. Their purpose was to nourish the Nihility Devouring Flame, helping its weak Soul Power continuously improve, thereby achieving the ultimate transformation at the soul level and reaching the Emperor Realm Soul!"
"Secondly, there is the Heaven-Defying Ability of the 'Tunling Clan,' a strange race that once struck fear into the hearts of all races in ancient times!"
"The Tunling Clan?" The elders exchanged glances, feeling both unfamiliar with the name and a vague sense of unease.
"That's right!" Lin Ming affirmed.
"This race is exceptionally gifted, possessing the heaven-defying ability to devour and plunder the Dou Di Bloodline) and use this to perpetuate its own race's bloodline! And this Nihility Devouring Flame, countless years ago, secretly devoured the Last Place Clan Leader of the Tunling Clan, who was then handed over to the Hun Clan for disposal, thus perfectly inheriting this terrifying ability!"
"The reason why the Hun Clan can still continuously produce geniuses with Divine Bloodline in this era when the Dou Di Bloodline should be gradually depleting is not because they are exceptionally talented or have special bloodlines, but because they rely on the ability of Nihility Devouring Flame to constantly plunder and devour the Dou Di Bloodline from other races in order to prolong their lives and nourish themselves!"
Lin Ming's words were like meteorites carrying destructive power, bombarding the hearts of the Ancient Dragon Clan's powerful members and stirring up towering waves!
"A thousand years ago, the Xiao Clan, once incredibly powerful and dominating the Hun Clan and the Ancient Clan, suddenly perished. On the surface, it was the result of power struggles and resource plunder. In reality, however, it was the first step in a meticulously planned scheme by the Hun Clan to seize the Xiao Clan's incomparably powerful Dou Di Bloodline!"
"Back then, Xiao Xuan, the Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan, was an exceptionally talented individual. He attempted to forcefully break through to the Dou Di Realm by gathering the Bloodline Power. After failing, he was severely injured, and the clan's bloodline vitality was greatly damaged. That was precisely the best opportunity that the Hun Clan had been waiting for for countless years!"
"Now, the Ling Clan, with its relatively mild Bloodline Power and the weakest overall strength among the Eight Clans, has become the second target on their hunting list!"
"The so-called closure of the Spirit Realm was not a voluntary action at all. Rather, it was caused by the Void Flame using its supreme devouring power to forcibly separate the entire Spirit Realm space from the real dimension and completely swallow it into the Internal Space formed by its own body, thus forcibly severing the connection between the inside and outside!"
"It is conceivable that within the Spirit Realm at this moment, the Hun Clan's army may have already completed their inhumane massacre and cleansing of the Ling Clan's people! Their goals are twofold: first, to seize the Tou She Ancient God Jade Fragment that has been passed down through generations in the hands of the Ling Clan; and second, to have the Nihility Devouring Flame devour the entire Ling Clan's Dou Di Bloodline in order to replenish and strengthen the Hun Clan's own Bloodline Source!"
Silence!
A deathly silence enveloped the core area outside the Void Dragon Hall.
Only the wind, blowing from an unknown source, brushed against the massive stone pillars inscribed with the ancient epics of the Dragon Clan, emitting a faint, plaintive sob, which only served to accentuate the stagnant and oppressive atmosphere.
The Three Great Dragon Kings, Elder Qing Mu, and all the Ancient Dragon Clan powerhouses who were fortunate enough to hear this earth-shattering Secrets were all frozen in place as if they had been subjected to a spell.
Their pupils contracted sharply, as if unable to bear the overwhelming information; their breathing became incredibly rapid and heavy, their chests heaving violently; their faces, usually dignified, composed, or arrogant, now displayed only extreme shock, horror, and a bone-chilling cold!
This news was too shocking, too mind-blowing! It completely exposed the Hun Clan's hidden, ferocious ambition and madness, capable of devouring all living beings on the entire continent!
Devouring the bloodlines of other races to perpetuate their own? Plotting for millennia, all for the sake of enabling one person to ascend to the Dou Di? The once glorious and prosperous Xiao Clan, which ultimately perished mysteriously, and the Ling Clan, which is currently suffering or has already been tragically wiped out, are actually victims of this earth-shattering game?!
This... this is an incredibly insane, terrifying, and inhumane plan that has been in place for millennia!