Global Catastrophe: I Begin to Evolve from an Ancient Tree-Chapter 160: Ancient Power—Jing Shen Palace

Central Province.

Suddenly, a mountain range collapsed, as if a great battle had once taken place here. Remnants of buildings and palaces could still be vaguely seen.

The mottled bloodstains, even after ten thousand years, still evoke a chilling feeling.

Suddenly.

The mountain range quaked, and a startling divine light shot into the sky, shaking the heavens.

Surrounding the mountains were already numerous gathered factions, and everyone’s eyes were fixed on the divine light, barely concealing their fervor.

"It is rumored that this place was the former site of Jing Shen Palace thirty thousand years ago. When the great disaster struck, Jing Shen Palace was destroyed, and all the powerful combatants perished in battle.

The lingering, indestructible resentment even transformed into a Spiritual Forbidden Area.

Later, various factions came bearing Emperor’s Soldiers and pacified this Spiritual Forbidden Area, preventing further disasters!"

"Jing Shen Palace was once a Great Emperor-level Influence, with its roots tracing back to the Ancient Times. Though it later declined, losing its Great Emperor foundations, once in its zenith, it was a fearsome entity."

"It’s true Jing Shen Palace declined, but a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Thirty thousand years ago, Jing Shen Palace also produced a peerless prodigy who attained the status of Quasi-Emperor. The recently unearthed Secret Realm heritage should be from them."

The gathered experts were talking amongst each other, their words filled with sighs.

A Great Emperor-level Influence from Ancient Times, not even they could escape eventual destruction. It shows that in the face of time, nothing is truly eternal and immortal.

Perhaps only by stepping onto the fabled Immortal Path and truly ascending to immortality could one achieve genuine permanence.

However.

Achieving ascension and immortality is easier said than done.

Throughout the ages, many supreme Great Emperors have ventured onto the Path to Immortality, only to meet their demise. It seems that the pursuit of immortality is but a lie and a deception.

But for those who crave eternal life, even the slightest hint of truth in this lie is enough to drive them mad.

However.

For ordinary cultivators, becoming immortal feels utterly illusory, and even reaching the realm of Great Emperor seems out of reach.

As the divine light shot into the sky, cultivators arrived riding Fierce Beasts, manning Flying Ships, or commanding Chariots, traversing through the air.

The distinct aura of the strong intertwined, causing some ordinary cultivators to turn pale.

As various cultivators gathered, Gu Qingyang’s gaze also fell upon Central Province.

The anomalies at the Jing Shen Palace ruins were not a first occurrence; several sightings had been reported half a month ago, leading to the spread of the Quasi-Emperor Secret Realm’s existence.

The factions in Central Province initially tried to suppress this news, but the allure of the Quasi-Emperor was too strong. By the time they reacted, regions like Divine Wilderness and Celestial Desolation had already learned of it.

Thus.

Now, not only have local forces from Central Province gathered here, but factions from Divine Wilderness, Celestial Desolation, and Ancient Wilderness have also arrived.

"Except for the Demon Realm, which has no strong figures here, forces from Central Province, Divine Wilderness, Celestial Desolation, and Ancient Wilderness have all gathered.

As it stands, Central Province appears the strongest, with Divine Wilderness slightly weaker, Celestial Desolation a bit less so than Divine Wilderness, and Ancient Wilderness clearly at the bottom of the strength hierarchy..."

Gu Qingyang observed the gathered factions, particularly focusing on those from Ancient Wilderness, shaking his head in silence.

Compared to the other factions, Ancient Wilderness was indeed somewhat less impressive.

The only notable representatives from the three Sacred Lands are the Saint Masters, all at the pinnacle of being Sixth-tier True Monarchs, and other Sixth-tier cultivators are so few they can be counted on one hand.

Then come the Fifth-tier Daoists, elders of each sect, some not belonging to any of the three Sacred Lands but considered major sects in Ancient Wilderness. Still, they only have Fifth-tier Daoists leading them.

Looking at factions from Divine Wilderness and Central Province, Sixth-tier True Monarchs are not abundant but aren’t rare. No need to mention the Fifth-tier ones.

Next.

Gu Qingyang shifted his focus to the divine light anomaly.

It had been half a month since the anomaly appeared, and judging by the convergence of various factions, it seemed that the Secret Realm would officially open within a few days.

Despite rumors that this Secret Realm of the Jing Shen Palace ruins was left by the last Quasi-Emperor thirty thousand years ago, there could still be remnants of the Great Emperor-level influence from the past.

After all, Jing Shen Palace, during its heyday, was indeed a top-tier force that produced Great Emperors.

But, worn down by time, Jing Shen Palace fell into decline, ultimately perishing just as it seemed poised to climb back to its peak.

...

Sure enough.

In less than three days, the anomaly at Jing Shen Palace intensified, and the previous entrance to the Secret Realm fully opened.

As soon as the entrance to the Secret Realm opened, all gathered cultivators rushed in immediately.

Most of these cultivators were from various factions, some were Loose Cultivators, and a few were from the Divine Kingdom chat group.

This time.

Both realms of the Divine Kingdom chat group had delegates present.

However, because the chat groups from the Two Realms do not communicate with each other, they didn’t recognize each other.

After all, those like Gu Fang who joined powerful factions find it hard to secretly develop a belief system. Only those who haven’t joined factions, traveling the world as Loose Cultivators, have the opportunity to cultivate belief.

It’s clear that both approaches have advantages and disadvantages, but the risk of developing followers is considerable, unlike relying on a large faction.

Ten years ago, tens of thousands of cultivators from the Cyan Yang Realm entered the Immortal Extinction Realm, and now their numbers have halved, showing a high elimination rate.

Calming his mind, Gu Qingyang focused all his attention on the Quasi-Emperor Secret Realm.

Unlike the Secret Realm of Saint Shenxiao, this one was a vast palace complex, seemingly the true location of the Jing Shen Palace from Ancient Times.

Grand and majestic.

Moreover, the entire Secret Realm was filled with a terrifying pressure, making it hard for cultivators to levitate.

From the perspective of a believer, Gu Qingyang could also clearly feel this powerful pressure.

With his keen perception, he could naturally see where this pressure originated from.

"If I’m not mistaken, this Quasi-Emperor Secret Realm should have a powerful Anti-Air Array. Judging by its strength, anyone below the Seventh-tier has no chance of levitating, only those at least at Seventh-tier Saint level can ignore the array."

Apart from the Anti-Air Array, the Secret Realm contained numerous arrays, both large and small. Since entering the Secret Realm, many had triggered Slaughter Arrays, leading to their deaths.

Continuously switching perspectives with his believers, Gu Qingyang gained a deeper understanding of the Secret Realm Space.

Witnessing a Sixth-tier cultivator accidentally activating an array and being killed instantly, Gu Qingyang’s estimation of the Quasi-Emperor Secret Realm’s danger level rose significantly.