Zhao Qinglan couldn't remember exactly how far she had escaped.
The dim sky of the Fourth Multidimensional Universe rushed past her head; layer after layer of broken ancient domains of the Void Dharma Realm were left behind. Her feet sometimes swept across black crystal veins that stretched across the void, and sometimes crossed ancient boundary rivers that had long since dried up. In the distance, the shattered star continent hung silently in the boundless darkness.
She didn't stop, and didn't even dare to look back. The True Annihilation Origin was forcibly squeezed from the depths of her Fate Soul time and time again, enveloping her already exhausted body, and rushing forward relentlessly.
Her dress had been torn in many places during the battle, and dark red bloodstains clung to her shoulders and waist. Her once neat long hair was now disheveled by the strong wind, with a few strands of wet hair sticking to her pale cheeks. Her lips were cracked and almost bloodless.
Each rise and fall of her chest carried with it the heavy palpitations and piercing pain of her overdrawn Fate Soul. Yet her right hand remained firmly pressed against the storage pouch at her waist, her fingers never loosening their grip.
The mysterious ancient box was hidden inside, and it was the most precious treasure that Chen Yong and his group risked their lives to return to their clan.
The final scene of the Ten Thousand Swords Golden Ruins kept replaying in Zhao Qinglan's mind. Chen Yong, covered in blood, stood alone at the forefront, his words, "Qinglan, take the storage bag and leave as soon as you find the right opportunity," were so clear that each word pierced her heart, making her tremble.
The other junior brothers and senior brothers formed an array to hold off the three Primordial Dao Clan cultivators, their backs as resolute as mountains. They knew that staying meant certain death, yet not one of them turned back, and not one of them fled with her.
She knew they had perished. As they fled for their lives, she tried several times to sense the remaining ties between their Fate Soul, but all she received was deathly silence. Just now, the last few familiar Fate Soul connections were also completely severed.
Her body trembled slightly as she soared through the air, her eyes already red-rimmed.
A single tear finally escaped her eye and rolled slowly down her pale cheek, only to be swept away by the oncoming wind. Then, a second tear, a third tear... She bit her lower lip tightly, forcibly suppressing the sobs churning in her throat. Her vision was completely blurred by the tears, and she just wiped them away haphazardly, refusing to stop for even a moment, continuing to rush forward.
"Senior Brother Chen..." Her voice was extremely soft, and when it came out, it was already trembling uncontrollably. The figure who would always step forward first in times of danger would never answer her again.
A deep sorrow welled up in Zhao Qinglan's eyes, and her shoulders trembled slightly. Yet, the five fingers gripping the storage bag tightened even more. She had no right to stop and weep, much less to collapse. Chen Yong and the others had risked their lives to cover their retreat, never so that she alone could survive.
What they were protecting was this ancient box, a testament to the immense sacrifices the Annihilation God Clan had made to complete their sect's grand undertaking. "I will take it back..."
Zhao Qinglan fiercely wiped away her tears, her red eyes fixed on the road ahead. From the depths of her nearly depleted Fate Soul, she squeezed out a meager wisp of True Annihilation essence. "I will definitely bring it back."
Whoosh!!! Her figure suddenly accelerated, tearing through the last layer of the Dark Realm the Void Dharma Realm, and rushed towards the ancestral domain of the Annihilation God Clan at full speed. After an unknown amount of time, the dark and boundless world ahead finally began to change.
A vast, ancient territory, seemingly without end, slowly revealed its true form from beneath layers of dark clouds. This place was the ancestral domain of the Annihilation God Clan.
The entire ancestral domain stands majestically atop the vast and desolate black divine land. Looking into the distance, one can see magnificent ancient palaces stretching into the depths of the heavens and earth, following the undulating terrain.
Unlike the cramped and crowded layout of ordinary cities, the palaces are spacious and connected by wide ancient roads, long black stone steps, and magnificent ancient venues. Outside the ancestral domain, dozens of towering black peaks, thousands of feet tall, stand. They are not naturally formed, but their bodies are covered with dark gold ancient patterns carved by time. Ten-thousand-foot-long locks run across the peaks, forming the first supreme forbidden zone protecting the ancestral domain.
As it extends deeper inland, the terrain rises layer by layer, becoming increasingly majestic.
Hundreds of magnificent halls stand in a row, with their ridges soaring into the sky and their massive pillars standing tall. The main colors of the halls are deep black and dark gray, interspersed with mottled and ancient silver-white crystals.
Each hall bears the marks of countless ages, and some stone pillars are covered with fine cracks. Yet, deep within these cracks, a profound and mysterious radiance still flows, allowing the entire ancient architectural complex to accumulate a profound and enduring heritage that transcends millennia.
Deep within the territory, a supreme ancestral temple stands atop the highest peak of the clan's land.
Behind the ancestral hall, several towering mountains pierce the dark sky, with clouds only able to entwine around their waists. Between the mountain peaks float vast, boundless black ancient continents, upon which more ancient halls, cultivation caves, and forbidden areas for the clan are faintly visible. A hundred-zhang-wide suspended ancient staircase rises from the core clan territory, piercing through thousands of layers of clouds, leading directly to the supreme ancestral domain.
Above the sky, long, dark rivers flowed slowly, their banks unpredictable, traversing between peaks, ancient palaces, and floating islands, their inner essence flowing with an extremely pure True Annihilation power.
Occasionally, a powerful member of the clan would leap across the long river, causing ripples of deep, ancient energy to spread across the surface. Deeper still, groups of disciples could be seen moving back and forth between the various cultivation halls, and from the giant ancient martial arts platform, the deep, resonant sounds of colliding primal energies could be heard from time to time. Outside the mountain gate, squads of clan guards clad in black armor patrolled back and forth, forming a formidable fortress.
The entire ancestral domain was ancient, vast, solemn, and majestic. Seeing this homeland, Zhao Qinglan's Ultimate mind, which had been taut the entire way, finally relaxed slightly. "We've arrived..." Her lips trembled slightly. Finally, she was back.
But this momentary lapse in concentration caused all the injuries she had been forcibly suppressing to erupt suddenly, turning Zhao Qinglan's face ashen white in an instant.
Her flying figure suddenly plummeted downwards. She barely managed to stabilize herself by using the last of her meager True Annihilation Essence, thus avoiding falling from mid-air. She staggered through the outer perimeter of the ancestral domain and walked along the wide ancient road leading directly to the mountain gate. Her steps became increasingly heavy, and her speed slowed down. In the end, she was only able to hold on by her stubborn will.
The two Annihilation God Clan disciples guarding the mountain gate noticed the staggering figure immediately. At first, they only felt that the figure was familiar, but as Zhao Qinglan approached step by step, one of the guards' expressions suddenly changed.
"Junior Sister Qinglan?" The other guard turned around immediately upon hearing the voice. Upon seeing Zhao Qinglan's disheveled and miserable state, both of them froze, their eyes filled with shock. "Junior Sister Qinglan!" The two guards practically leaped forward to meet her. "How did you...?"
One of them had barely opened his mouth when his gaze swept over her tattered, blood-stained robes and pale, bloodless face. The rest of his words caught in his throat, and he could no longer utter them. Another guard felt a sudden, intense unease rise in his heart. He subconsciously looked at the ancient path behind her, but the road ahead was empty and desolate, with no other figure following her back.
His heart sank completely. "Weren't you on a mission with Senior Brother Chen Yong and the others?" Upon hearing the name "Chen Yong," the grief that Zhao Qinglan had been forcibly suppressing instantly surged through her heart, overwhelming her.
Her eyes instantly reddened, and her lips moved several times, but she couldn't utter a single complete word. The two guards exchanged a glance, their expressions becoming extremely grave. The situation had far exceeded their expectations in terms of severity.
Zhao Qinglan swayed violently, her right hand still tightly gripping the storage bag at her waist. Having forcibly overdrawn her life force along the way, her Fate Soul essence was on the verge of depletion, and her legs could no longer support her weight. A guard beside her reacted quickly and immediately reached out to support her arm.
"Junior Sister Qinglan!" Another person quickly supported her other shoulder.
Zhao Qinglan's breathing became increasingly rapid, her vision blurred, and her consciousness gradually faded. With her last bit of strength, she looked up at the majestic ancestral hall deep within the ancestral domain, a hall that had stood alone for eternity. Her fingers, which were protecting the storage bag, tightened again, and a hoarse, dry voice squeezed out intermittently from her throat.
"Quickly..." she gasped for breath. "Take me to see the clan chief..." The two guards were terrified, their hearts pounding.
The fact that Zhao Qinglan, who had just returned from severe injuries and near death, immediately requested to see the clan leader indicates that this was no ordinary sect event and was far beyond their jurisdiction.
"Go!" Without the slightest hesitation, the two firmly supported the weak and powerless Zhao Qinglan from the left and right, quickly passed through the mountain gate, and sped towards the depths of the ancestral domain along the wide black stone ancient road.
Supported by the two, Zhao Qinglan walked forward, her steps unsteady and her consciousness gradually becoming hazy. Only the hand that was protecting the storage bag never relaxed for a moment. Inside was the sect's most precious treasure, which Chen Yong and his group had obtained with their lives. She had to personally deliver it to the clan leader.