At the same time.
A similar scene unfolded across the globe.
There were women being bullied who were suddenly infused with a wisp of black energy, gaining immense strength and easily fighting back.
There were children being bullied who were suddenly infused with a wisp of black energy, becoming abnormally strong and achieving retribution.
There were heinous criminals, utterly wicked and unrepentant.
There were those driven to desperation, yet holding onto goodness in their hearts.
There were those consumed by obsession, never letting go of their grievances.
There were those with malicious intent, seeking to gain through plunder and without honest effort.
Besides these...
There were also various fierce beasts locked in combat, ocean overlords clashing, and certain terrestrial spirits cultivating tangible forms...
All sorts of beings.
Endless in variety.
Always being silently infiltrated by a lurking, dark, and bizarre energy that entered their bodies, causing all manner of transformations, making them unrecognizable from their former selves.
Such as strength, reaction time, agility, emotions...
These changes could be drastic, or as subtle and silent as gentle rain...
But without exception.
They were all slowly, or rapidly, being influenced in their minds, emotions, and personalities by the black energy, leading to irritability, bloodlust, greed...
Within a secret chamber of the Xuanyuan Palace.
Ji Xianyun, though in seclusion, sensed a presence.
This presence...
Vast and boundless, as if one with heaven and earth!
Ancient and primordial, as if from the dawn of creation.
It was the wisp of chaos energy extended by the Xuanyuan Palace, sensing the impending great tribulation of darkness and strangeness, and conveying information to Ji Xianyun.
"Chaos energy..."
Upon sensing this energy, Ji Xianyun immediately proceeded to the previous Three Sages' Cave and, without delay, merged with the chaos energy.
"Hum..."
"Swish swish..."
Upon Ji Xianyun's arrival.
The chaos energy began to writhe restlessly.
And from its writhing, Ji Xianyun learned extremely important information concerning the fate of all living beings.
"The day of darkness and strangeness has arrived..."
"There is not much time left."
A look of solemnity crossed Ji Xianyun's face.
During the last descent of darkness and strangeness, Senior Martial Aunt, Master, Senior Martial Uncle, and others had borne the brunt of the effort, devising comprehensive strategies that ultimately secured a sliver of hope.
This time...
In the entire world of cultivators, how many could be considered allies?
Ji Xianyun felt profoundly uncertain.
"Junior Martial Brother, I wonder how you are faring within..."
Her only hope now rested on her Junior Martial Brother, who possessed several divine artifacts and was favored by the Penglai Immortal.
As long as he comprehended chaos...
His strength would undoubtedly skyrocket, and there would be a chance to fight against this great tribulation!
Otherwise, it would be exceedingly difficult.
"Hum..."
The chaos energy continued to shift.
At one moment it coalesced into a sphere, at another it flattened into a plane, displaying things that ordinary people would find inexplicable.
But Ji Xianyun nodded slightly.
She had communicated with the chaos energy for a long time and could easily understand the messages it sought to convey.
However...
With each transformation of the chaos energy, Ji Xianyun's expression grew more somber.
To the point where...
By the end, her exquisitely beautiful face was etched with profound gravity, clearly startled by the cascade of information.
Emerging from the Three Sages' Cave.
Ji Xianyun quickly went to another location – the ancestral shrine of the Xuanyuan Palace.
The founding ancestor of the Xuanyuan Palace was, of course, the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, followed by Yan Emperor and many other historical figures.
However...
These figures were too distant in history, and Ji Xianyun knew little about them.
It was not until the newest row of spirit tablets, those with no carved names and not yet erected, signifying that their owners' fates were unknown.
If Ji Xianyun were to turn these tablets over.
She would see that among them were Bai Zihe's master and his peers, though this was in their past lives.
"Ancestors of the Xuanyuan Palace, we beseech you..."
Ji Xianyun knelt on the ground, bowing devoutly: "The great battle draws near, we pray for the protection of Xuanyuan and the Great Xia..."
Leaving the shrine, Ji Xianyun immediately convened the experts of the Xuanyuan Palace in the main hall to discuss the current situation.
Concurrently.
Long Bai, who had just emerged from an ancient ruin, also sensed the anomaly.
"This is..."
Gazing at the increasingly darkening clouds in the sky, Long Bai's eyes narrowed slightly, a look of deep solemnity on his face: "The dark and bizarre energy..."
"I never expected that after being confined for so many years, this thing would still be around."
Immediately.
Long Bai gave a self-deprecating smile: "Indeed, who could truly eradicate this thing... Unless one masters chaos, there is any hope of a real fight."
Speaking of chaos.
Long Bai suddenly paused, his thoughts turning to Bai Zihe within the ancient ruin.
"This fellow..."
"He has already awakened the Water Saint Body through the Weak Water, and now through the Earth Spirit Pearl, he has awakened the Earth Saint Body. If he can awaken the Gold Saint Body, Fire Saint Body, and Wood Saint Body..."
"It is entirely possible!"
However, awakening even one Saint Body is an exceptionally difficult task.
Let alone awakening all Saint Bodies and then comprehending chaos...
This is a feat harder than climbing to the heavens.
"Whoosh..."
The next moment, Long Bai oriented himself and sped towards the main hall of the Xuanyuan Palace, disappearing from view in the blink of an eye.
Within the ancient ruin.
For the past few days, Bai Zihe had spent most of his time cultivating in the Haotian Tower, allowing the tower to cultivate autonomously.
Following an extremely rapid pace of cultivation.
Bai Zihe had now reached the early stage of Tribulation Transcendence, approaching near-completion.
"Little Tower..."
Bai Zihe felt an indescribable sensation, as if the world had changed. He no longer wished to linger within and asked, "Can you sense if there are any other treasures beneficial to me within this ruin?"
"I can't sense anything too inferior."
Little Tower's reply nearly choked Bai Zihe on the spot.
What did it mean by "too inferior"...
However.
If Little Tower said so, it meant that anything within the ancient ruin would not be of higher value than the Earth Spirit Pearl.
Relenting, Bai Zihe stopped dwelling on it.
"Let's go, we'll revisit the treasure hall and see if we can take away a few more items."
Bai Zihe still harbored thoughts of that place.
This was understandable.
The treasury of an immortal...
Who wouldn't desire it?
At least, Bai Zihe certainly couldn't stand by indifferently. He intended to empty it out by any means necessary.
Half a day later.
Bai Zihe arrived at this grand hall.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Bai Zihe noticed that Dugu Jian had returned.
When Bai Zihe saw Dugu Jian, Dugu Jian also saw Bai Zihe. However, his expression remained neutral, only a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of black energy flickered deep within his eyes.
"Kid..."
At this moment, a dark and bizarre voice echoed in Dugu Jian's mind: "You must be more restrained in front of Bai Zihe."
"The divine artifacts he carries can easily detect your presence."
"At that time..."
"You will have no way to survive, understand?"