Over two months, the Immortal Domain's army receded like the tide. Wave after wave of cultivators set out on the journey home, returning to that legendary Land of Eternal Life.
The camps stationed along the Dragon Vein Defense Line grew emptier by the day, their banners increasingly sparse. Only a handful of Immortal Domain powerhouses remained to oversee the final withdrawal.
They moved in an orderly fashion, neither hurried nor slow, clearly unconcerned that the Dark Creatures might launch a surprise attack at this time.
And that was indeed the case.
The Dark Region was drawing back as well. Those shadowy phantoms retreated deeper within, and the black mist churned far less frequently.
It was as though both sides had reached a tacit understanding and were withdrawing their forces.
During this period, rebellions broke out. Some people had been tainted by darkness and could not eradicate its aura. Forbidden from returning to the Immortal Domain, they rebelled outright!
But under iron-fisted measures, the rebellions were quickly quelled. The gloom in people's hearts, however, was not so easily dispelled.
Mu Chen did not interfere in the Immortal Domain's affairs. He had his own goals.
Within the Dark Region, Mu Chen restrained his aura to the utmost. Concealed by the Heavenly Scripture of Tribulation Transcendence, his presence could not be sensed unless someone saw him with their own eyes.
He had already worked out the Dark Creatures' patterns of activity and found several suitable targets to hunt.
A Dark True Immortal was patrolling an area some distance from the Origin Ancient Artifact.
His entire body was shrouded in black mist, obscuring his face. Only his eyes flickered eerily in the darkness like two ghostly flames. His aura was powerful, placing him among the very best of True Immortals.
Mu Chen gave him