Void Cultivation

Chapter 361: Chapter 360- Arrival of the Foreign Sects (2)

The moment the specter-like young woman appeared, the Sect Master, who had been patiently waiting in silence, immediately turned around and cupped his fists respectfully.

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

His loud greeting seemed to awaken all the sect elders standing behind him. One after another, they quickly turned toward the ethereal young woman and bowed deeply.

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

Their voices merged into a single thunderous wave that reverberated across the heavens. The echoes rolled through the clouds before descending upon Sky Mist City below, reaching every citizen, cultivator, and visitor. Even those aboard the enormous magic flying ships heard the respectful greeting.

The appearance of the young woman instantly attracted everyone’s attention.

Unlike the solemn expressions of the Sky Mist Sect elders, the middle-aged man standing opposite them merely frowned. His expression darkened as he stared at the young woman with cold eyes.

"So, the Sky Mist Ancestor has finally decided to show herself."

His rough voice carried immense pressure as it echoed through the sky.

"Sky Mist Ancestor, why have you ignored the orders of the International Alliance of Sects? Furthermore, why has Sky Mist Sect refused to become a subsidiary sect under the Alliance’s supervision? Such defiance is considered a grave offense and is punishable by complete eradication."

Although his tone remained calm, every word carried unmistakable hostility.

Faced with such open intimidation, the young woman merely smiled faintly.

Her smile seemed capable of calming every restless heart.

With a graceful wave of her hand, she replied in her soft, dreamlike voice,

"Buried Nether Sect Ancestor, I’m certain you are already aware of the situation that has recently been announced throughout the Alliance of Sects."

"Because of this unforeseen crisis, my sect has been unable to respond to the Alliance’s summons. Every resource we possess has been dedicated to working alongside neighboring sects in an attempt to contain the situation before it grows beyond control."

Her voice remained gentle and serene, as though every word was carried upon a cool spring breeze.

Anyone who listened to her would naturally feel their anger subside.

Unfortunately, such soothing words had absolutely no effect on the Buried Nether Sect Ancestor.

His expression remained as cold as ever.

"That is insufficient."

"The International Alliance of Sects does not tolerate silence, regardless of circumstance. Because of Sky Mist Sect’s continued refusal to answer the Alliance’s summons, representatives have been dispatched to investigate the reason for your disobedience."

Although his voice remained composed, the malice hidden beneath his words was obvious to everyone present.

The young woman simply nodded elegantly.

"Marvelous."

"Since the Buried Nether Sect Ancestor and the other representatives have already traveled such a great distance, I naturally cannot allow everyone to remain outside."

"You are all welcome to Sky Mist City."

She extended a graceful hand toward the city below, inviting them inside as though she were welcoming honored guests instead of potential enemies.

The middle-aged man remained silent.

After giving the Sky Mist Ancestor one final glance, he turned around without another word and slowly flew back toward the colossal flying vessel from which he had arrived.

Moments later, the remaining experts followed suit.

Soon afterward, the seventeen enormous magic flying ships slowly descended from the heavens.

Each vessel was so massive that it resembled a floating mountain.

As they landed upon the sea surrounding Sky Mist City, deafening booms erupted one after another.

The impact displaced enormous quantities of seawater, creating towering waves that surged toward the city’s ports and harbors.

Merchants hurriedly abandoned their stalls.

Dock workers dropped their cargo.

Cultivators leaped onto rooftops.

Ordinary citizens screamed as they rushed away from the approaching waves.

Not everyone managed to escape in time.

Many people were thoroughly drenched by the salty seawater before the waves finally receded.

Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

The sheer size of the magic vessels quickly became apparent.

Each flying ship was so enormous that a single harbor could accommodate only one vessel.

There were seventeen harbors...

And now every single one of them had been occupied.

The smaller merchant ships and local magic boats that had previously filled the docks were all forced to move elsewhere, making way for the newcomers.

Each flying ship represented one of the seventeen super sects that had been dispatched by the National Alliance of Sects.

To every observer, the message was painfully obvious.

This was not merely an official visit.

It was a display of overwhelming power.

An unmistakable warning.

The seventeen super sects had arrived with the intention of suppressing Sky Mist Sect through intimidation alone.

Their actions soon confirmed everyone’s suspicions.

Only a few days after settling into Sky Mist City, representatives from the various sects began openly issuing challenges and making increasingly unreasonable demands.

The peaceful atmosphere within the city gradually disappeared, replaced by growing tension and unease.

---

The world itself consisted of three vast continents.

Rather than possessing individual names, they were simply referred to as the First Continent, the Second Continent, and the Third Continent.

Before the era known as God’s Descendance, countless races and inhuman civilizations flourished across the Second Continent.

Because of its enormous size, the continent was divided into five major regions.

The Northern Quadrant.

The Southern Quadrant.

The Eastern Quadrant.

The Western Quadrant.

And finally...

The Central Quadrant.

Separating these five regions was the infamous Boundless Sea.

The waters of the Dead Sea were unimaginably vast and filled with countless dangers. Crossing from one quadrant to another was no easy feat.

Even under ideal conditions, the journey could take many weeks.

As a result, ordinary ships were useless.

Only massive magic flying vessels such as those currently anchored outside Sky Mist City possessed the speed and durability required to travel safely between the quadrants within a reasonable amount of time.

Several tens of thousands of years ago, humanity had abandoned the First Continent and migrated to the Second Continent in search of a new homeland.

However, the moment they arrived, they encountered fierce resistance from the countless inhuman races that already ruled the land.

Bloody wars erupted across the continent.

Humanity fought desperately for survival.

It was during this darkest era that the First Human Emperor appeared.

His rise completely changed the fate of mankind.

Under his leadership, humanity united and expanded rapidly, eventually claiming the Central Quadrant as their territory.

For countless years, the Central Quadrant served as the undisputed homeland of the human race.

Unfortunately, that glorious age did not last forever.

The mysterious disappearance of the Human Emperor, followed shortly afterward by the descent of the Gods, completely transformed the balance of power.

The once-unified human domain gradually fractured.

One by one, powerful inhuman races invaded the Central Quadrant until it was no longer ruled solely by humanity.

Instead, countless races now shared its territory.

Sky Mist City occupied only a tiny corner of a part of the Central Quadrant.

Because of its remote location, humans remained the dominant race there, and conflicts with other races were relatively uncommon.

However, the deeper one traveled into the Central Quadrant, the harsher reality became.

Powerful inhuman races openly oppressed humanity.

Discrimination, slavery, and massacres were far from uncommon.

To prevent endless warfare from consuming the continent, many powerful races eventually united to establish an organization known as the International Alliance of Sects.

The Alliance brought together countless super sects belonging to both humans and inhuman races, creating a fragile peace that had endured for many generations.

On the surface, the Alliance existed to maintain order and ensure peaceful coexistence between races.

However...

Anyone with even the slightest bit of intelligence could immediately tell that the Alliance’s true purpose for visiting Sky Mist City had very little to do with investigating why Sky Mist Sect had ignored their summons.

Their real objective was obvious.

They had come to pressure Sky Mist Sect into submission.

And if intimidation alone failed...

They would simply force Sky Mist Sect to become a subsidiary sect under the authority of the International Alliance of Sects.