A sonorous voice, like that of an ancient bell, resounded through heaven and earth.

All the prodigies raised their heads and looked toward the firmament.

Anticipation surged within their hearts. It had finally begun!

BOOM!

A deep crimson rift was torn open in the void. Above the clouds, energy raged chaotically. Countless streams of Spiritual Energy formed a tempest, tearing at, colliding with, and annihilating one another at extreme altitudes.

Space itself was distorted.

One after another, scenes of shattered landscapes and broken images materialized in the sky. There were forests of ten thousand mountains and range upon range of overlapping peaks. There were rivers and mountains, the sun and the moon, and vast, starry galaxies—all growing clearer and more dazzling by the moment.

Soon, people saw Great Demons several dozen zhang tall flashing past the horizon. There were powerful Cultivators standing atop mountain summits, grasping for the sun and moon and plucking stars from the sky. Ancient phantoms of Demons and Gods flickered into view one by one. Beings of unimaginable antiquity waged war across the sea of stars, slaughtering and shattering one world after another.

Chains of order shattered and collapsed, as if the very cages imprisoning heaven and earth were being torn apart.

The terror and grandeur of these apparitions far surpassed the imagination of anyone present. It was like a scene straight out of mythology, difficult to connect with reality.

"Legend has it that the Ancient Sanctuary doesn't belong to the mortal world, but is a fragment of the Immortal Realm!" Zhang Yuge remarked with emotion, gazing at the spectacular scene in the sky. "I never believed such claims before, but now it seems they aren't entirely baseless!"

It was well-known that with the strength of the Cangyuan Realm's Cultivators, they could at most breach the third layer of the void. The space that manifested from the third layer was a Cave Heaven, which was already the highest tier of world-class resources in the entire Cangyuan Realm.

But the space where the Ancient Sanctuary was located… was clearly several tiers higher than a Cave Heaven World. It was a product that existed beyond the rules.

No wonder such legends were told.

***

"...I never imagined that in this lifetime, I would once again witness the opening of the Ancient Sanctuary!"

The bell in Jiang Ling'er's hand jingled softly. Jiang Yourong's seductive, yet somewhat wistful voice resounded in her mind.

Jiang Ling'er blinked, then quickly asked, "Auntie, why were you so quiet just now? Did you fall asleep?"

Jiang Yourong replied, "Me... Ah, yes. I've been a bit tired recently and was taking a nap!"

Inside the bell, Jiang Yourong's face was slightly flushed. She would never tell Ling'er that the thunderstorm triggered by Zhang Yuge and Ji Zidian had scared her so much she didn't dare come out! How embarrassing would that be? Although her remnant soul had recovered a good deal of its strength, it was still inherently suppressed by things like Thunder. If she had been so much as grazed by it, her progress would have likely been set back significantly!

Unsuspecting, Jiang Ling'er asked in her mind, "Auntie, have you been to the Ancient Sanctuary before?"

Jiang Yourong said, "Of course. Back in my day, I was one of the top prodigies in Nanzhou, from the same generation as that little brat Luo Binglan!"

[Ding!]

[It has been detected that someone nearby is boasting. Congratulations to the Host for receiving Mana +233!]

After a pause, Jiang Yourong said proudly, "Don't you worry. I'm very familiar with the Ancient Sanctuary! I know many secrets others don't. Once we're inside, I'll be your guide. I guarantee you'll make a fortune!"

Jiang Ling'er emphasized, "And Senior Brother, too!"

The corner of Jiang Yourong's mouth twitched. She sighed, "Fine, fine. Seeing as the boy has been good to the two of us, we'll bring him along!"

Jiang Ling'er nodded gleefully. "Mhm!"

At that moment, aboard the Other Shore Ark, the elder with the surname Hao stepped out and stood firm in the void.

With a wave of his sleeve, an ancient mirror as large as a full moon flew out.

HUM!

A flash of brilliance. The Ancient Mirror reflected myriads of runes that cascaded downward as beams of pure light.

"Disciples of all sects, form a line! Pass before this mirror in an orderly fashion and board the ark!" the elder surnamed Hao announced loudly.

Hearing this, the disciples from the various Great Blessed Lands lined up neatly. One by one, they soared into the air, passed before the Ancient Mirror, and landed on the Other Shore Ark.

Wang Xiu noticed that as each disciple passed by the Ancient Mirror, a beam of green light would flare from within it, as if performing some kind of inspection.

HUM!

Suddenly, as a disciple from Fuyao Cave Heaven was passing the Ancient Mirror, the light within it surged, erupting in a blinding red glare.

The disciple's expression turned to panic. Gritting his teeth, he tried to rush past.

However, a figure blocked his path. The elder surnamed Hao stood with his hands behind his back, looked at him, and shook his head. "Over one hundred years old. You do not meet the requirements. Turn back."

The disciple from Fuyao Cave Heaven's eyes turned red as he begged, "Senior, I'm only six months over a hundred. Please, have mercy and let me pass! I've waited for this day for so, so long!"

The elder surnamed Hao replied indifferently, "Exceeding the limit by one day is still exceeding the limit."

The disciple dropped to his knees in the void, tears streaming down his face. "Senior, I have cultivated diligently my entire life, slaying demons, exorcising evil, and upholding justice without regret. Must I miss such a heaven-sent opportunity simply because I was born half a year too soon? I'm begging you, Senior, please make an exception!"

The elder's attitude was firm. "This is a matter of time and fate. This opportunity was not part of your destiny, so why force it? It is not that I wish to make things difficult for you; these rules were not set by us, but are the laws of the Ancient Sanctuary's world itself...

"You are too old. If you force your way inside, you will only be flattened and crushed by the world's laws!

"Pain is a trivial matter; losing your life is the true loss.

"You would be better served by continuing your cultivation. Who knows, perhaps other opportunities await you in your life!"

Hearing these words, the disciple from Fuyao Cave Heaven fell into complete despair. His heart turning to ash, he turned and descended from the sky, his figure an image of utter dejection.

Around him, the other disciples watched his retreating figure and couldn't help but lament, "So, it really is impossible, isn't it?"

"Senior Brother Chen's aptitude is ordinary, but in terms of sheer diligence, none of us can hope to match him! He relied on that diligence to stand out from all his peers..."

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