Meng Tian, Guan Yu, and Yue Yun watched as the illusory figure gradually solidified. The figure appeared weary, yet no different from an ordinary being, not shrouded in the impenetrable mist.
"Young ones!"
Xi Bai Yu Shan smiled slightly at Meng Tian and the other two, beckoning them closer.
"So many years. I thought this secret realm could never be unsealed again. My divine sense has waited for you here for ninety million years."
Ninety million years!
Meng Tian and the others were shocked. In this world of the Three Thousand Dao Provinces, living beings could only attain a lifespan of ten million years upon reaching the Saint realm.
After the fall of Xi Bai City, not a single Great Saint realm expert emerged from the eighty-seven Dao Provinces under Xi Bai City's control.
If one were to rank by Saints, powers like the Yao Guang Divine Dynasty and Hai Yun Divine Dynasty would have likely experienced nine generations of Divine Emperors.
What a vast expanse of time.
Everything had vanished under the tempering of the Great Dao.
"However, you haven't come too late. This secret realm will collapse in another million years. I see you hold insights from the Saint Lord realm. This is the most precious item within this secret realm."
"What is the situation in Xi Bai City now?"
Xi Bai Yu Shan asked expectantly, his eyes yearning for an answer.
"After Xi Bai City was destroyed, the beings of the eighty-seven Dao Provinces that were under Xi Bai City's control, for ease of distinction, directly adopted the name Xi Bai City."
"Although they retained the name, it is a broad term. The eighty-seven Dao Provinces are now filled with powerful factions, and the experts are far inferior to those of your era, senior." Su Dan Novel Network.
"In ten million years, not a single Great Saint realm being has emerged!"
Meng Tian clasped his fists in a bow.
"Alas!"
"If I hadn't been so reckless and touched upon certain fundamental matters back then, how could Xi Bai City have suffered such a calamity? Most of the cultivation scrolls were destroyed, and the path forward was severed. Reaching the Great Saint realm was never this easy."
Xi Bai Yu Shan lowered his head in sorrow. "What about the Blood Sea Suspended Coffins?"
"The restrictions have been broken, and the beings sealed within have escaped!"
Meng Tian raised an eyebrow. It seemed Xi Bai Yu Shan knew something, as even the current Yao Guang Divine Dynasty and Hai Yun Divine Dynasty were unaware of this.
For ten million years, it had been a place where the six Dao Provinces of Ling Xu were accustomed to acquiring precious resources.
"They escaped?"
"Was it the Hong family who did it?"
Xi Bai Yu Shan's pupils contracted sharply, as if something momentous had occurred.
Meng Tian and the other two merely nodded.
"Alas!"
"I inherited the position of City Lord. In ten thousand years, I cleared out the factions within Xi Bai City that opposed me. In a mere two million years, Xi Bai City gradually grew powerful, becoming one of the four great overlords of the western region of the Three Thousand Dao Provinces."
"Back then, the Primordial Divine Mountain had already declined, but in the west, there were always rumors that a Heaven-Bestowed Spirit Treasure existed on the Primordial Divine Mountain, which might contain a reincarnated Undying Immortal Phoenix."
"Undying Immortal Phoenix?"
Guan Yu questioned.
"The Undying Immortal Phoenix is not truly immortal. In this world, only by becoming an Immortal can one achieve eternity."
"The Undying Immortal Phoenix is favored by the Great Dao, possessing nine lives, allowing it to live for nine lifetimes. However, each time its lifespan nears depletion, the Undying Immortal Phoenix will seal the divine power of that life to nourish its next reincarnation."
"Back then, the Immortal Lord ascended to the peak of the Primordial Divine Mountain and obtained an Unborn Undying Immortal Phoenix. The Immortal Lord extracted the Undying Immortal Phoenix's Innate Cultivation Method from its egg and honed it for a million years to forge the Longevity Art. Later, the Wang family, having rendered meritorious service in protecting the Immortal Lord, obtained this method, and the Wang family became known as the Longevity Family."
"The decline of the Primordial Divine Mountain presented a great opportunity for me. The four great overlords of the west, Xi Bai City, Bei Li Jiang, Dong Bi Yuan, and Nan Qian Hai, joined forces to attack the Primordial Divine Mountain."
"But I never expected that during a fierce battle near the Blood Sea Suspended Coffins, I inadvertently stumbled upon the Hong family's secret."
"They intended to rescue the Candle Dragon sealed within the Blood Sea Suspended Coffins. This was an ancient mystery and a taboo of ancient times. By the time I discovered it, I was in a panic and unable to extricate myself."
"I thought the Hong family hadn't discovered me, but within three months, the Hong family, in league with seven other great families, directly destroyed Xi Bai City, Bei Li Jiang, Dong Bi Yuan, and Nan Qian Hai. The four great powers suffered devastating blows."
"Especially Xi Bai City; all beings above the Saint realm were annihilated, leaving no survivors."
"And this secret realm was created by me when I took over as City Lord, intending it for my own eventual lifespan depletion. Who would have thought..."
"Senior, what is currently circulated in Xi Bai City is that back then, the Primordial Divine Mountain faced a crisis of destruction. The Primordial Divine Mountain had deep ties with the eight great families of the Central Continent, thus the eight great families intervened and destroyed the four powers to preserve the Primordial Divine Mountain."
Meng Tian looked at the sorrowful Xi Bai Yu Shan.
"Heh heh, that is merely a fabrication created by the Hong family to cover their tracks. If the Hong family betrayed the Immortal Lord, they would be opposing the entire Three Thousand Dao Provinces. How could they openly break their ties so soon? Some matters still needed to be carried out in secret."
Xi Bai Yu Shan chuckled coldly. "However, during this time, I have been pondering the eight great families and the Candle Dragon's followers who, alongside the Immortal Lord, traversed heaven and earth, instigated the War of the Gods, and swept across the entire Three Thousand Dao Provinces, ushering in a new era. Such was their formidable power."
"To think... they could share adversity, but not prosperity. In pursuit of the Great Dao, it is truly pitiful."
"What exactly happened back then, only they themselves would know. Very well, I have said what I needed to say. The words that were bottled up in my heart have now been spoken, and I can finally disappear from this world with peace."
"Ascension!"
"The Great Dao!"
"The Empire!!"
"It was all but a fleeting dream!!"
"How many bones of proud heroes has a single Great Dao buried? In the end, is my final destination any different from theirs?"
The figure began to dissipate, its voice fading. The seals within the entire hall gradually crumbled. In a breath, the entire main tomb chamber became ordinary.
"Let's go!"
"The secret realm has concluded. We must return to Chang'an as soon as possible. Who knows what has transpired outside by now."
Meng Tian sheathed his bronze sword, glancing at the end of the tomb chamber. "As for the final destination, who can truly say if it's any different?"
Guan Yu looked at Meng Tian, remaining silent.
Yue Yun's expression was calm, his thoughts unknown.
After a few more breaths, with the suppression and sealing of the grand formation gone, the three of them stepped to Zi Hui's side in a single stride.
"Amitabha!"
"Generals, the matter of the secret realm is concluded. This humble monk will not accompany you back to Chang'an to face the Emperor. I bid you farewell!"