"Grand Elder Fang, the ancient cultivator survivors have actually always existed in this world."
"As far as we know, before the Dharma-Ending Age, there was a period when rumors of the world's end spread. The mighty ancient cultivators still possessed the foundations of the Dharma Dao then, so they sought ways out, striving to preserve themselves."
"Some placed their hopes in a method of longevity akin to hibernation, sealing away their vitality and spirituality in hopes of crossing the long river of time and reaching the distant future."
"These are the people we call 'ancient cultivator survivors.'"
Bei Yetang began with a brief explanation of the ancient cultivator survivors' origins.
He knew that, as a towering figure, Fang Qianyuan had probably already learned about such things. Still, they were relevant to what he would explain next, so he mentioned them first.
Fang Qianyuan nodded slightly, signaling for him to continue.
Wang Ran, Ding Yuanlong, and the others beside them also looked interested. Their positions were somewhat lower, and they could only learn many secrets through opportunities to interact with mighty experts.
Bei Yetang said, "At first, we believed these ancient cultivator survivors were all rogue cultivators acting on their own initiative, as individuals."
"And the facts bore that out. Over several thousand years, ancient cultivators continually awakened and emerged into the world, indeed without any apparent order..."
"But..."
His tone shifted, and he suddenly grew solemn. "Grand Elder Tian Heng's experiences after joining the Supreme Heaven Sect as an external guest elder, however, led to an entirely new discovery."
Fang Qianyuan asked, "What discovery?"
Bei Yetang said, "Those people may originally have been core members of the ancient Supreme Heaven Sect. They may even have been the chief culprits behind the sudden decline of the Heavenly Realms and Supreme Heaven