The Azurewood Immortal Sect.
It was a world formed from an unimaginably vast tree that towered into the heavens. Living beings multiplied upon it, plants grew in profusion, and cultivators lived their lives there from birth to death.
Through it, the Azurewood Immortal Sect had flourished without decline and held sway over the realms for hundreds of thousands of years.
Now, at the heart of the Azurewood Divine Tree World's canopy, Grand Unity Azurewood energy filled the air in overwhelming concentration.
Eight immensely heavy, terrifying auras, each comparable to a planet, gradually stirred. Their injuries stabilized and ceased to worsen.
The Azurewood Immortal Sect was the best place in the realms to recover from injuries.
"We failed."
"There was no miracle."
An aged voice from the Heavenly Mechanism Immortal Palace sighed. "People often focus on raw strength while dismissing intangible things like spirit and the will to fight. They believe those things can be kindled in desperate straits, allowing someone to surpass their limits."
"Now it seems that, intangible though those things may be, they too have an uncrossable chasm. No matter what we do, we cannot cross it."
The other great powers fell silent.
The instinct to save oneself in the face of death was entirely natural.
How could they overcome that?
And if they poured all their effort into overcoming that instinct, only to die anyway?
Would they make the wedding clothes for someone else to wear?
"There's no need to discuss this anymore."
The great power of the Myriad Beasts Immortal Sect said gruffly, "We couldn't beat them, and that's that. I fled first, I admit it, but none of you did much better.
"When death came knocking, I didn't see anyone risk falling to shield another. You all vanished in an instant, leaving a gaping hole