The smog did not come quickly.
But it seemed to carry the might of heaven and earth, relentlessly encroaching with an unstoppable, world-sweeping momentum.
"Dragon Island?"
A voice drifted from the mist.
It sounded clear, like a child's.
Yet, it struck the ears as utterly sinister, evoking a desire to avoid any contact, sending shivers down the spine.
"Buzz..."
"Whoosh..."
"Swish..."
As the voice emerged, several phantoms appeared on Dragon Island.
Leading them was Bai Zihe's master, Old Yuan!
Then came the Dragon Emperor, and the martial aunt, and the others.
"They've arrived."
"Yes... they've finally come."
"But whether we can endure this time remains to be seen."
"We will, certainly. We've prepared for so long, and Bai Zihe should have obtained all the destinies. With just a little more effort, he can take an unprecedented step."
"Let's hope so..."
The voices of the people gradually faded.
They...
Had already turned to dust in the last great war.
What remained now was but a wisp of remnant soul.
Yet, even as remnant souls, they were beings beyond compare, enough to strike terror into the hearts of mortals, revered as deities.
"Buzz..."
The mist continued to advance, soon engulfing Dragon Island.
Visibly.
Shadows within the mist, clawing and baring their fangs, were exceptionally ferocious and terrifying, like specters from the Avici hell.
"Swish!"
"Splish!"
"Swish..."
"..."
The mist swept across the ocean. On the endless horizon, shadows leaped and writhed, their eyes filled with the chill of death.
Just a simple sweep.
These marine creatures were already corrupted by the darkness.
Because...
This was the origin of the dark, bizarre, possessing an incredible power akin to chaotic energy.
The corrupted darkness and strangeness of beings like Dr. M, the Black Demon, and the Vampire King were merely its derivatives.
"Hoo..."
"Refreshing, so refreshing!"
At this moment, a voice echoed from the depths of Dragon Island.
It was the fake Emperor, who had been thrown into the spatial rift by the Dragon Emperor's illusion that day. Now, he had a new name—Black Emperor!
Yes.
Within that rift filled with demonic creatures.
He had committed enough slaughter, absorbed enough dark strangeness.
His strength had also grown unprecedentedly powerful.
He was revered by the demons in the rift as the Black Emperor!
At this very moment.
The Black Emperor sensed the origin of the dark strangeness drifting outside Dragon Island, feeling his very black blood boil.
Even...
Every cell in his body was cheering.
His power was gradually increasing, slowly elevating. Though the pace was slow, he could sense it clearly.
"Hiss..."
The Black Emperor couldn't help but gasp.
A bold idea surfaced in his mind.
If...
He could digest and absorb all this dark, strange energy, wouldn't he then achieve the position of the Primordial Ancestor of Darkness and gain supreme destiny!
It was too crazy.
This thought was too insane.
But.
The dark, strange energy was born for plunder and madness.
Therefore, once this thought arose, it lingered in the Black Emperor's mind, and he immediately began to ponder its various possibilities.
"Sizzle..."
At this moment, a divine thunderbolt descended from the sky, striking the Black Emperor's head.
A strong smell of burnt flesh permeated the air.
A wisp of acrid smoke flashed.
The dark, strange energy on the Black Emperor's body had actually decreased by a bit.
But in reality, the Black Emperor himself knew that as it decreased, that dark, strange energy had also become more refined.
He was actually using this method to temper the dark, strange energy!
"It's useless."
The Black Emperor looked up at the massive phantom in the sky.
Despite the phantom's radiant divine power, he felt no fear. Instead, he said with mockery, "If this move worked, I would have died three hundred times over by now."
"One day..."
A fierce light flashed in the Black Emperor's eyes. "I will break the seal and grind you all into dust, scattering your souls to the winds."
"Hmph."
"You will never see that day."
The Dragon Emperor glanced at him indifferently, then slowly dissipated.
The commotion on the ocean was too shocking.
After the black mist, came endless darkness, as if heaven and earth were covered, the universe tainted, and in the vast expanse, only the mist remained.
Therefore.
Any country with satellites captured this scene.
"The great fog has arrived!"
"What on earth is happening? What is this mist? It's so terrifying. Everywhere it passes, nothing else can be seen."
"It's over. The apocalypse must have arrived."
"What can we do? I don't want to die, I'm still a virgin!"
"Damn it, it's the apocalypse every day, and now it's finally here."
"Sigh..."
The internet today is too advanced.
Soon, related reports appeared on major news outlets.
Although governments wanted to block this news, the affected area was too vast, and many civilian vessels and individuals had personally experienced it, making it impossible to seal.
Simultaneously.
Governments, Dr. M, the Xuanyuan Palace, and other transcendent forces also received this news.
Xuanyuan Palace.
"Dong..."
"Dong..."
Heavy bells echoed throughout the Xuanyuan Palace.
Even Bai Zihe, who was in seclusion attempting to break through to the Great Perfection of the Tribulation Crossing realm, felt his spirit tremble and emerged from his seclusion.
"Hmm?"
The bells continued incessantly, sounding urgent.
Bai Zihe frowned slightly.
It seemed a major event had occurred.
In the grand hall of Xuanyuan Palace.
Ji Xianxian, Qi Donglin, Long Bai, and other important figures had all gathered here.
Furthermore, the leaders of the major sects within the Great Xia had also arrived at Xuanyuan Palace from thousands of miles away.
Everyone...
Had solemn expressions and remained silent.
They all knew that the most critical moment had arrived.
"Everyone..."
On the throne, Ji Xianxian's expression was unusually grave for the first time. "The great fog has arrived, signifying the dawn of darkness."
"The origin of the dark, strange energy has appeared."
"And it is spreading outwards with the momentum of sweeping across the land."
"Whether it is us in the Great Xia, the Land of the Rising Sun, the shores of the Great Ocean, or its depths, there is nowhere to hide."
"This battle is unavoidable."
Everyone remained silent, listening to Ji Xianxian's words, not daring to interrupt.
Bai Zihe's face was also solemn.
The origin of the dark, strange energy...
Based on the information he had, it was an existence comparable to chaotic energy, and it was not easy to deal with, having caused countless wars.
It was unlikely for ordinary cultivators to destroy it.
Being able to avoid corruption was already fortunate.
"Therefore..."
A strange light flickered in Ji Xianxian's bright eyes. "It is time to fight with our backs against the wall!"