A murky yellow pall hung over heaven and earth. Violent currents of Spiritual Qi raged like a tsunami, and pitch-black spatial rifts spread across the void, as though the entire world would collapse here.
This was one of the Northern Region's most dangerous forbidden grounds-the Fallen God Abyss.
Legend had it that a god had fallen here in High Antiquity. For endless ages, vicious Sha Qi had permeated the Fallen God Abyss, monsters had run rampant, and countless ancient restrictions and killing formations had remained. Even Saint Realm experts who entered would meet certain death; ordinary cultivators did not even dare approach.
Yet today, outside the endlessly deathly still Fallen God Abyss, crowds surged, and the atmosphere was tense to the extreme.
Experts from the Northern Region's major powers had gathered here-Holy Lords, mighty experts, elders, heavenly prodigies... Over a thousand stood densely packed together, accounting for more than seventy percent of the Northern Region's top fighting strength.
Every gaze was fixed on the churning black, vicious Sha Qi deep within the Fallen God Abyss, their eyes holding tension, reverence, and a trace of greed they could hardly conceal.
They all knew that the core of the Fallen God Abyss held the divine legacy left behind by the god who had fallen in High Antiquity!
It was a supreme fortuitous opportunity that could allow a Saint to break their shackles and attain the position of Great Emperor!
It was also the ultimate foundation that could let a weak power leap to become the Northern Region's overlord, and even sweep across the entire Great Wilderness!
Several months earlier, divine light had suddenly shot into the heavens from the depths of the Fallen God Abyss. Extraordinary phenomena had stretched across ten thousand miles, shaking the entire Northern Region. After surviving nine deaths for a single chance at life, scouts from the major powers had finally uncovered the news-the ancient restrictions within the Fallen God Abyss were loosening, and the divine legacy was about to emerge!
The news had sent the entire Northern Region boiling.
Unable to restrain their greed, every power had come out in full force and converged on the Fallen God Abyss, seeking to contend for this supreme fortuitous opportunity.
Now, in the clearing outside the Fallen God Abyss, the major powers stood in clearly separated groups. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, and a heaven-shaking battle could erupt at any moment.
At the very front stood the Northern Region's five greatest powers: the Mystic Heaven Holy Sect, the Purple Mansion Immortal Sect, Ten Thousand Beasts Valley, the Xue Sha Sect, and Netherworld Hall.
These five powers were the Northern Region's overlords. Each had a Saint Realm mighty expert presiding over it, a heritage passed down through countless ages, and deep foundations. They were the strongest contenders for the divine legacy.
The Mystic Heaven Holy Sect's sect master, Daoist Xuantian, wore Daoist robes and had an austere face. Holy light wreathed his body. A veteran mid-stage Saint, his presence was unfathomable. He stood with his hands behind his back, sweeping an indifferent gaze over his surroundings and displaying all the majesty of an overlord.
The Purple Mansion Immortal Sect's leader, Fairy Ziyao, was stunningly beautiful, with a cool bearing. Her purple robes fluttered in the wind, and she held an immortal sword shimmering with brilliant colors. She was acknowledged as the Northern Region's greatest beauty, as well as an expert at the peak of the early Saint stage.
The valley master of Ten Thousand Beasts Valley, the Beast Emperor, had a burly frame and radiated the presence of a savage ferocious beast. Several ancient exotic beasts followed behind him, their roars shaking heaven and earth, their ferocity surging sky-high.
The Xue Sha Sect's leader, Xue Wuya, wore blood-red robes and had a sinister face. Blood mist churned around him, and his Sha Qi pressed upon others. His mastery of the Xue Sha Great Art had reached a miraculous level, and he killed without blinking.
Netherworld Hall's hall master, You Wuji, stood within a mass of pitch-black Netherworld Qi. His figure flickered like a ghost. He excelled at strange secret techniques that were impossible to guard against.
The five Saint Realm experts stood side by side, their presences intertwining into a terrifying pressure that enveloped the surroundings. Every expert from the small and medium powers trembled with fear, not daring to make the slightest move.
"Fellow Daoist Xuantian, the restrictions of the Fallen God Abyss are about to dissipate completely, and the divine legacy is right before us. Should our five powers establish some rules first, lest we damage our friendly relations when we act?" Fairy Ziyao asked, her cool voice echoing between heaven and earth.
Daoist Xuantian nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Ziyao is absolutely right. There is only one divine legacy. Our five powers are the pillars of the Northern Region, so we should distribute it among ourselves. As for the other small and medium powers, they may wait here. There is no need for them to enter the Fallen God Abyss and throw their lives away."
At these words, the experts from the small and medium powers paled, their hearts filled with anger and resentment.
Why should the five powers monopolize the divine legacy?
They had traveled thousands of miles, risking their lives. Had they come merely to watch from outside?
But their strength fell short. Faced with the pressure of five Saint Realm experts, they dared to feel anger but not voice it. They could only grit their teeth, daring to feel anger but not voice it.
Xue Wuya gave a sinister laugh, his voice hoarse and grating. "Fellow Daoist Xuantian is right. The weak have no right to contend for fortuitous opportunities. If anyone fails to appreciate our kindness and dares enter the Fallen God Abyss, do not blame my Xue Sha Sect for showing no mercy!"
You Wuji of Netherworld Hall also let out an eerie laugh. "The Fallen God Abyss is perilous beyond measure. Not just anyone is qualified to enter. Stay obediently outside, and you can at least keep your lives."
The Beast Emperor of Ten Thousand Beasts Valley simply roared in anger. The ancient exotic beasts behind him roared together, their ferocity intimidating everyone into silence like cicadas in the cold.
Just as the five powers were basking in satisfaction, believing they could monopolize the divine legacy, an indifferent voice suddenly drifted from the distant horizon. It was light, yet reached every ear clearly.
"Oh? Since when did the Northern Region's five powers become so overbearing?"
The voice was calm and unruffled, yet carried an indescribable majesty, as though a Heavenly Emperor had descended to look down upon all living beings.
Everyone abruptly looked up toward the voice.
High in the sky, a white-robed figure approached at a leisurely pace. He stood tall and straight, his face handsome. Not the slightest fluctuation of Spiritual Qi surrounded him, and he looked like an ordinary mortal youth.
Yet with every step this seemingly ordinary youth took, the fierce winds between heaven and earth stilled of their own accord. The violent Spiritual Qi currents instantly grew docile, the yellow sand filling the sky fell to the ground, and the spatial rifts in the void rapidly healed.
It was as though he were the center of heaven and earth, the sovereign of all things!
The newcomer was none other than Lin Chen!
After leaving his sect, Lin Chen had traveled north. Sensing the presence of an ancient god within the Fallen God Abyss, he had made his way here. He had not expected to hear the five powers' overbearing declarations the moment he arrived.
He had signed in for a hundred thousand years and emerged invincible. Never mind the Northern Region's five powers-even all the experts of the entire Great Wilderness combined were nothing but a swarm of ants in his eyes.
They actually dared act so arrogantly before him and monopolize a fortuitous opportunity?
They simply did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth!
"Who is that? Some brat dares act out of line outside the Fallen God Abyss?"
"He looks like he has no cultivation at all. Is he some reckless fool with a death wish?"
"He dares question the five powers? He must be tired of living!"
The cultivators present looked at Lin Chen with disdain and mockery, believing he was courting death.
Daoist Xuantian of the Mystic Heaven Holy Sect frowned and looked coldly at Lin Chen. "Where did this junior come from, daring to spout nonsense here? Withdraw at once, or do not blame this sect master for being discourteous!"
Fairy Ziyao also knitted her brows, a trace of displeasure in her cool eyes. "Brat, this is no place for you. Leave at once."
Xue Wuya was even more direct. Blood mist churned around him, his murderous intent fully exposed. "You thing that knows nothing of life or death! Since you dare provoke us, stay here!"
As his words fell, Xue Wuya raised his hand and struck out with his palm. A blood-red palm imprint blotted out the sky and sun, carrying terrifying Saint power as it slammed down toward Lin Chen. He intended to crush Lin Chen directly into pulp.
In his eyes, he could casually crush a boy with no cultivation. Such a boy was not worth his full strength.
The blood-red palm imprint descended. Space collapsed, and waves of air surged sky-high. The cultivators present closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight of Lin Chen being smashed into pulp.
But just then, Lin Chen merely glanced at it indifferently, gently raised one finger, and casually pointed.
Hum!
An insignificant white light shot from his fingertip. It seemed utterly unremarkable, yet instantly pierced the blood-red palm imprint, reducing that terrifying Saint's strike to nothing!
Then, without losing momentum, the white light shot toward Xue Wuya.
"What?!"
Xue Wuya's expression changed drastically, his eyes filling with incredulous terror. He had never imagined that this seemingly ordinary youth possessed such terrifying strength!
He hurriedly mobilized all his cultivation, condensing the blood mist around him into a thick defensive barrier to block the white light.
But it was all futile.
The white light effortlessly tore through the blood-mist barrier and instantly pierced Xue Wuya's shoulder, bringing a spray of blood with it.
"Aah!"
Xue Wuya let out a wretched scream. His body flew backward like a kite with its string cut and slammed heavily into the ground. He spat out a great mouthful of blood, his Saint cultivation dropping an entire stage as he suffered severe injuries!
One move!
Just one move!
The leader of the Xue Sha Sect, one of the Northern Region's five greatest powers, a Saint Realm expert, had been casually defeated by Lin Chen and left gravely wounded, on the verge of death!
Deathly silence fell over the entire gathering!
Everyone stared wide-eyed, their mouths open wide enough to swallow an egg. Their faces were filled with disbelief, as though they had seen a ghost.
The cultivators who had mocked Lin Chen moments earlier now trembled all over, their faces pale as paper, their hearts filled with boundless fear.
The expressions of the four Saint Realm experts-Daoist Xuantian, Fairy Ziyao, the Beast Emperor, and You Wuji-also changed abruptly. Shock and apprehension filled their eyes as they stared fixedly at Lin Chen, no longer daring to underestimate him in the slightest.
They finally realized that the seemingly ordinary youth before them was no reckless fool, but a supreme mighty expert who had concealed himself deeply!
His strength far surpassed their imagination!
"You... who exactly are you?" Daoist Xuantian's voice trembled. His former overlord's majesty was gone, leaving only tension and reverence.
Lin Chen walked slowly to the edge of the Fallen God Abyss and swept an indifferent gaze over the five powers. His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable majesty. "My name is Lin Chen. I came here today only for the divine legacy within the Fallen God Abyss."
"I will give you one chance. Get lost now, and you can keep your lives."
"If you insist on obstructing me, do not blame my sword for showing no mercy!"
As his words fell, an utterly terrifying presence erupted from Lin Chen. Though he deliberately restrained it, that invincible pressure originating from a hundred thousand years ago still swept across the surroundings like a tsunami. It pressed down until every cultivator struggled to breathe. They fell to their knees, trembling all over, without even the courage to raise their heads.
Daoist Xuantian and the other three Saint Realm experts also turned deathly pale. Their legs weakened, and they nearly fell to their knees, while towering waves surged in their hearts.
Such pressure far surpassed the Saint Realm, and even exceeded that of a Quasi-Emperor!
Could this youth before them be a legendary Great Emperor Realm expert?
Yet no Great Emperor had emerged in the Great Wilderness for endless ages!
"Arrogant!"
The Beast Emperor of Ten Thousand Beasts Valley roared. Hot-tempered by nature, even after sensing Lin Chen's terror, he refused to back down. "The Fallen God Abyss is already in the pockets of our Northern Region's five powers. You, an outsider, want to seize it? Today, I will show you the might of the Northern Region's experts!"
With those words, the Beast Emperor waved his great hand. The ancient exotic beasts behind him instantly roared and charged, pouncing toward Lin Chen.
Each of these ancient exotic beasts possessed Half-Saint fighting strength. Together, they could make even a mid-stage Saint wary.
"Kill!"
The Beast Emperor also attacked personally. A savage presence erupted from his body as he wielded a beast-bone scepter and smashed it toward Lin Chen's skull with sky-high might.
Daoist Xuantian, Fairy Ziyao, and You Wuji exchanged glances and attacked as well.
At this point, they had no way back. They could only join forces to surround and attack Lin Chen. Otherwise, their five powers would surely become the laughingstock of the entire Northern Region today!
For a moment, four Saint Realm experts and several ancient exotic beasts struck together. Saint power swept through heaven and earth, the void shattered, and the sun and moon lost their light. Their terrifying might was enough to destroy everything!
The cultivators present were frightened out of their wits. They hurriedly retreated ten thousand miles, terrified of being caught in the aftermath of this dreadful battle.
"With four Saints joining forces, even a Quasi-Emperor descending to the mortal world would have to avoid their edge for now. However strong this youth is, he is certain to die!"
"What a pity. To possess such strength at such a young age, only to insist on being arrogant and offending the five powers!"
Everyone believed that Lin Chen was certain to die.
Yet faced with the combined assault of four Saints and ancient exotic beasts, not a ripple crossed Lin Chen's face. His expression remained indifferent.
He slowly raised his right hand, and a snow-white immortal sword wreathed in the presence of chaos appeared in it out of thin air.
This was the Chaos Immortal Sword he had obtained through a hundred thousand years of signing in-a supreme divine artifact that could shatter heaven and earth and slay gods with a single strike!
"A pearl the size of a grain of rice dares shine?"
Lin Chen spoke softly, then gave a slight flick of his wrist and brought his sword down.
There was no earth-shaking crash, no dazzling brilliance.
Only an insignificant white sword trace passed through the void.
Yet this seemingly unremarkable sword trace instantly tore apart the four Saints' combined attack, severed the bodies of the ancient exotic beasts, and reduced every attack to nothing!
Without losing momentum, the white sword trace slashed toward the four Saints.
"No!"
Daoist Xuantian let out a desperate roar. He tried to resist, but was utterly powerless.
The sword trace fell. The Saint armor on the four Saints instantly shattered, blood sprayed from their bodies, and their cultivation plunged straight out of the Saint Realm, leaving them crippled!
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The four Saints slammed heavily into the ground, covered in blood, their presences feeble. They no longer had the slightest fighting strength, and their eyes were filled with boundless fear and despair.
One move!
Just one sword strike!
Of the five Saint Realm experts from the Northern Region's five greatest powers, three were dead and two crippled. Every ancient exotic beast had fallen!
Deathly silence filled the gathering!
A falling pin could have been heard!
All the cultivators collapsed to the ground, trembling all over, their eyes filled with utter terror. They looked at Lin Chen as though gazing upon an invincible god!
One sword shattered ten thousand arts, and all heroes bowed!
This was Lin Chen's strength!
Invincible upon emerging, sweeping aside every foe!
Holding the Chaos Immortal Sword, Lin Chen swept an indifferent gaze over the gathering. His icy voice echoed between heaven and earth. "Who else dares stand in my way?"
No one dared speak. No one dared raise their head.
Every cultivator lay prostrate on the ground, trembling, not even daring to breathe heavily.
Even the five Saints had been defeated with a single sword strike. For people like them, stepping forward would be nothing but throwing their lives away.
Seeing this, Lin Chen paid them no further attention and turned toward the depths of the Fallen God Abyss.
His steps were measured. With every footfall, the vicious Sha Qi, ancient restrictions, and killing formations within the Fallen God Abyss dissipated of their own accord, as though welcoming their sovereign.
To him, the ancient god's legacy was merely an insignificant little trinket along his hundred-thousand-year journey of signing in.
But to the Northern Region's heroes, it was a supreme fortuitous opportunity they would spend a lifetime fighting for.
Without sufficient strength, even a fortuitous opportunity placed right before one's eyes could not be grasped.
Only by being invincible could one control everything!
Lin Chen's figure slowly vanished into the depths of the Fallen God Abyss.
Yet every cultivator outside the Fallen God Abyss remained prostrate, not daring to rise for a long time.
After today's battle, Lin Chen's name would surely sweep across the entire Northern Region like a thunderclap and spread throughout the Great Wilderness and the four seas!
His legend of invincibility had only just begun.