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Not long before everything plunged into chaos in the secret realm, even in the outside world the people of the various factions were witnessing something strange.

Just like inside the secret realm, the sky had grown heavy with dark, rumbling clouds that were becoming more and more oppressive, as if ready to crush everything beneath them in a single blow.

The sky of the outside world was in the same state, with fierce winds followed by rolling thunder that echoed above, sending shivers through those standing in the area below.

The dark clouds weren't just gathered above the mountain where the entrance to the secret realm was located, they had spread across most of the surrounding area as well, chilling every living creature. Beasts began to flee in haste, as if they could sense something dreadful was about to happen.

The people of the factions, on the other hand, exchanged confused and complicated glances, some even thoughtful about the sudden phenomenon that had just begun to unfold.

Only a short while ago, everything had been normal. They had simply been waiting in their designated places, some passing the time chatting, others choosing to isolate themselves to cultivate a bit.

Even Long Huoyan, the Headmaster of the Academy, and Huo Lian, the Pavilion Master, who had both kept a low profile ever since everyone entered the secret realm, were now paying closer attention as they felt the gravity of the situation.

Their eyes met, and they could tell at a glance that they were thinking the same thing.

The heavens were about to deliver judgment on someone. In other words, a tribulation lightning bolt was about to descend.

Under normal circumstances, that would be a cause for joy, because it meant someone was about to break through mortal limits, or even more rarely, ascend from the spirit realm itself.

But in this case, both of them, who had already experienced the first option and had heard of the second, knew this was neither.

It was a third possibility, the heavens were about to punish someone.

Witnessing a tribulation lightning strike was already rare in itself, something that might only happen once in several centuries. But to see one not for testing whether someone was worthy of advancing, but rather as punishment, was so exceedingly rare that even the most knowledgeable scholars of the whole continent could count the times it had happened on their fingers.

Needless to say, this only made the situation more troubling and confusing, especially for those who understood the nature of this phenomenon.

"Someone has actually managed to anger the heavens… but who?" Huo Lian said as she scanned the surroundings, covering an area of tens of miles without sensing anything particularly unusual.

"I don't know, but one thing is certain, its target is somewhere here," Long Huoyan replied, his expression extremely serious.

He didn't know who the target was, but an unsettling thought surfaced in his mind. His gaze instinctively turned toward the luminous vortex that served as the entrance to the secret realm.

Could it be…?'

Just like him, Huo Lian reached the same conclusion. With a grim expression, she couldn't help but mutter,

"To provoke even the heavens themselves… just what in the world is happening in there?"

The realization that the heavens were furious, and that the cause lay within the secret realm, was enough to draw everyone's attention.

One by one, their eyes turned toward the swirling vortex of energy with dark expressions, as the implications of what was happening weighed heavily on their minds.

If it weren't for the cultivation level restrictions and the capacity limit of the secret realm still in effect, many of them would have already rushed inside.

While the others drowned in thoughts of how this might all end, the two Spirit Realm experts debated whether they should intervene.

Forcing their way into the secret realm could very well accelerate whatever fate awaited inside, and trying to stop the lightning's descent might lead to even worse consequences. In fact, in this case the results could be far more devastating than a simple punishment from the heavens.

At their level, they both understood this perfectly, and it was precisely why they now hesitated.

Just as they were considering what to do, the skies above suddenly roared with far greater violence. And at the same time, another strange phenomenon seemed to manifest, something that felt as if it was obstructing them.

Yes, obstructing them.

As soon as the two Spirit Realm beings perceived it, disbelief filled their eyes. Both sensed a presence. Their heads lifted, their gazes drawn toward a certain position.

There, high above in the dark, roaring sky, a solitary feminine figure had appeared out of nothing.

"It can't be…" A flash of recognition crossed Long Huoyan's eyes,

he had been the first to spot her, but he was cut off as Huo Lian instantly shot upward, closing the distance between her and the figure in a heartbeat.

When she appeared before her, she spoke, voice trembling with suppressed emotions,

"Master… you've returned."

She looked at her with eyes heavy with countless repressed feelings, staring at the figure so achingly familiar to her.

She wore a long, dark flowing robe that seemed to reflect a starry night sky, fabric that clung to her graceful figure without fully concealing it.

Her face was delicate, with flawless, refined features. Her deep blue eyes stood out vividly, while from within them a restrained yet intense glow shone through her cruciform pupils, unnatural and sharp like slits of light.

Those below, who had also noticed the figure's sudden appearance in the sky, could only watch in confusion, until, almost simultaneously, realization dawned in their minds.

The moment it struck, their faces twisted into disbelief, and their bodies trembled as they recognized who it was that had appeared before them.

"I… I can't believe it! It's her! Heavens, I never thought I'd see her with my own eyes in this lifetime," exclaimed the head of one of Qiyan City's four great families.

"Wasn't it said she had already ascended? Why is she still here?" another asked in a solemn tone, careful not to raise his voice.

"Shut up, damn it! Do you want us all dead? One word from her and we're all dead!" another snapped, trembling, not daring to look up at her for long.

And so, one by one, they brought their hands together in a silent yet respectful salute toward the woman, who did not spare them even a single glance.

She gave no reply to Huo Lian's words either. She only nodded, her attention fixed on the swirling vortex below.

With a single step forward she appeared right in front of it, her penetrating gaze locked onto its depths.

Watching her, both Spirit Realm experts wondered if she had been drawn here by the disturbance in the sky, especially as, from the moment of her arrival, the heavens fell into a hushed silence, testament to the immensity of her power.

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