Su Li and Thunder Emperor walked side by side, ascending the ancient steps as if passing through a tunnel in time and arriving in a mysterious world.
On either side of the steps, towering old trees reached for the sky, their lush leaves seeming to drip with green. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the foliage and fell upon the two of them, lending the scene a warm and peaceful feeling.
As they entered the great hall, a faint fragrance wafted toward them, refreshing their spirits.
The light inside the hall was gentle, and a mysterious aura permeated the air. Various enigmatic designs had been carved into the surrounding walls, leaving them marveling at the exquisite skill of the ancients.
Looking up, they saw colorful gemstones set into the domed ceiling, glimmering with enchanting light. The gems seemed to contain boundless power, filling them with a wonder beyond words.
Su Li and Thunder Emperor could not help but stop in their tracks, a profound sense of awe rising within them.
Those strands of supreme, majestic aura seemed to have crossed over from the distant past, filling them with a shock they could not put into words.
They looked up and saw three towering figures faintly emerging from the misty chaos deep within the hall.
They were the three Immortal Kings of legend. Their figures were tall and solemn, like guardians of heaven and earth, and they radiated an imposing presence that commanded respect without anger.
Immortal King Six Paths Reincarnation!
Immortal King Wuzhong!
Immortal King Lingbao!
"Greetings, Father, Uncle Wuzhong, and Immortal King Lingbao," Su Li and Thunder Emperor said in unison, their voices full of reverence and sincerity. They bowed deeply to show their respect for the three Immortal Kings.
"You're here?" Immortal King Six Paths Reincarnation spoke, his voice imposing.
"Yes, Father," Su Li and Thunder Emperor replied together, their voices tinged with awe.
"Take your seats."
Su Li and Thunder Emperor respectfully walked over to the sandalwood table in the hall and sat down.
After the two of them had taken their seats, Immortal King Six Paths Reincarnation exchanged a few pleasantries with them before they fell into conversation. Then the three Immortal Kings bestowed several treasures upon them.
Immortal King Wuzhong's gaze was profound, and his tone grave as he continued, "The border is now in turmoil, and the wolves of the Foreign Realm are watching us like tigers. All signs indicate that they are preparing to wage war against our Ancient Realm.
"At this critical moment, you young prodigies must grow quickly and take on the responsibility of protecting the Ancient Realm."
Su Li and Thunder Emperor listened, their blood surging with excitement. They could feel the authority and bearing radiating from Immortal King Wuzhong.
They knew he spoke the truth. The threat from the Foreign Realm was already imminent, and as members of the Ancient Realm, they had to do their part.
Immortal King Wuzhong continued, "After discussing it, the three of us have decided to open a rift in space and time within the Ancient Realm's secret realm on a day three months from now.
"This rift will be a path to rapid growth. Through it, you can enter the Immortal Realm in an extremely short time, without any side effects, and increase your strength."
Su Li and Thunder Emperor were stunned. They knew that not everyone had the chance to encounter such an opportunity.
For the safety of the Ancient Realm, these three Immortal Kings were willing to pay an immense price to open a rift in space and time, giving young people like them a chance to grow quickly.
They would remember this kindness forever.
"I hope you will cherish this opportunity and devote yourselves to cultivation, contributing your strength to the future of the Ancient Realm." Immortal King Wuzhong's words rang out with conviction, filling Su Li and Thunder Emperor with renewed vigor.
"Will the Foreign Realm wage war against our world again?" Thunder Emperor asked heatedly, hatred glimmering in his eyes.
One of his ancestors had been an exceedingly powerful giant Immortal King. But at the end of the previous era, during a war with the Foreign Realm, three supreme giants who had returned from the Boundary Sea had cruelly suppressed him, leaving no remains and utterly destroying his soul.
This tragic history had always been a wound in Thunder Emperor's heart. He had sworn to avenge his ancestor, flatten the Foreign Realm, and slaughter every last wolf from its ranks.
Even with his extraordinary talent, he had cultivated for a mere six hundred years. He was still far from matching the powerful Immortal Kings of the Foreign Realm.
Immortal King Wuzhong said gravely, "Yes. According to our intelligence, the Foreign Realm began gathering its armies twenty years ago, preparing to launch a full-scale invasion of our world. This is a war we cannot avoid. We must be fully prepared."
"Twenty years ago?" Su Li was startled. The Foreign Realm had been preparing for war for twenty years already?
Thunder Emperor frowned and asked in confusion, "The Foreign Realm plotted for twenty years, and now they're finally about to act? But why didn't they attack twenty years ago?"
Immortal King Wuzhong did not answer.
But Immortal King Six Paths Reincarnation said softly, "Twenty years ago... The Foreign Realm should have launched its war back then."
Then Immortal King Six Paths Reincarnation revealed a hidden secret.
Su Li and Thunder Emperor stared at Immortal King Six Paths Reincarnation in shock, waiting for him to continue.
Immortal King Six Paths Reincarnation drew a deep breath and slowly recalled, "Twenty years ago, when Su Li had just been born, the entire sky suddenly brightened.
"Sweet dew fell from the heavens, every drop as crystal clear as a pearl, bringing boundless vitality to the world.
"Countless wondrous signs appeared, as if heaven and earth were celebrating the birth of a new life."
The spectacle had been so grand that the entire Imperial City was blanketed in holy dew—a sight never before seen in all history.
Immortal King Six Paths Reincarnation paused, as though remembering that awe-inspiring scene.
"Even more astonishingly, at the moment Su Li was born, a massive River of Time suddenly stretched across the sky above the Imperial City, like a flowing river of time. I had never witnessed anything like it. It was mysterious and solemn."
As Immortal King Six Paths Reincarnation described it, the immense River of Time seemed to unfold before their eyes.
It resembled a vast ribbon spanning the heavens, flowing with the boundless power of time.
The river surged and rolled, its waves cresting as if one could watch time itself pass. Every ripple and spray seemed to contain the rise and fall of a universe—terrifying beyond measure.
"I went outside the hall then and stood in the square, looking up at the heavens. I felt a powerful aura step out from the River of Time.
"It was so powerful that it seemed capable of shaking the entire world and intimidating all the myriad realms. Awe and fear intertwined in my heart."
That aura was powerful and solemn, like the eruption of an endless force.
It made one feel the majesty and mystery of time, while also revealing one's own insignificance and helplessness. Even Immortal King Six Paths Reincarnation had felt a trace of fear and reverence before that aura.
The entire Imperial City was shrouded in that aura, and everyone felt its presence.
They fell to their knees, expressing their reverence and devotion to it. It was a moment beyond the mortal world, and the entire world seemed to tremble.
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