Refuse to trample on the pride of heaven

The grass leaves swayed lightly, and the dewdrops flowed in the morning light, but they could not withstand the growing tremors, and they quietly slid down from the tips of the leaves, fell into the dust, and shattered into countless tiny points of light.

At first, there was only an imperceptible tremor, as if the deep pulse of the earth was gradually awakening, and then a rumbling sound came from deep underground, as if countless giant beasts were breaking free from their shackles and trying to break out of the ground.

The mountains began to tremble, the rivers began to whimper, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth suddenly became manic and chaotic.

Outside the continuous mountain range where the three realms of cultivation, demon and mortal world intersect and where forces are intertwined, the void seems to be torn apart by an invisible giant hand.

The vast and boundless demon army finally revealed its full hideous appearance.

First, a thick shadow stretching as far as the eye could see swallowed up the horizon, and then, a suffocating demonic power came crashing down like a tsunami.

Countless hideous and ferocious monsters of various shapes were galloping and trampling. Wherever their hooves landed, the rocks collapsed and the earth wailed.

They were surrounded by blood-red evil spirits and inky-black demonic energy, the two intertwined and lingering, as if from the karmic fire of the Nine Nether Hell. Wherever they passed, life rapidly withered - lush forests withered and charred at a speed visible to the naked eye, flourishing flowers and plants turned to ashes in an instant, and clear streams became stained and gurgled with poisonous bubbles.

The evil aura that was so dense that it could not be dissolved rose into the sky and gathered in the sky to form extremely thick dark clouds that covered the sky and the sun.

The clouds hung low and rolled endlessly, their color as deep as the eternal night, with faint flashes of blood-red lightning in between, as if a giant beast was crawling and gasping, casting a heart-pounding shadow, accompanied by the shrill howling of the wind and the faint roar of monsters, as if it wanted to swallow up all light and hope.

This overwhelming momentum and pressure are as vast as the abyss. Even though there is a special law barrier formed since ancient times between the mortal world and the world of cultivation, it is difficult to completely isolate them.

In that mortal realm regarded as a "pure land" and protected by laws, the sky is still a relatively clear blue.

In the fields, farmers are working as usual, their sweat dripping into the fertile soil.

Between the villages, smoke rises, the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard, and children chase and play in the fields, creating a scene of peace and tranquility.

However, suddenly a sharp-eyed farmer straightened his back, squinted his eyes and looked at the distant sky with a puzzled look on his face.

"Huh? What's going on over there? It's pitch black. Is it going to rain heavily?" An old farmer held his hoe and pointed at the unusually dark sky. His voice was filled with a farmer's instinctive concern for the weather.

The woman in the neighboring field also looked up upon hearing this, her hands resting on the awning as she observed carefully, her brows gradually furrowing. "It doesn't look like it... Why do these clouds look so sinister? There's an indescribable red glow in the darkness. Why am I suddenly so panicked?"

Several children who were playing also stopped, raised their little faces curiously, and pointed into the distance: "Mom, look! Those clouds over there look like a giant monster's mouth!"

Gradually, more and more people noticed the abnormality in the sky.

It was not an ordinary rain cloud, but a deep black that was slowly creeping and expanding, like thick ink dropped into clear water, gradually eroding the azure sky with an ominous silence.

An inexplicable feeling of unease began to quietly spread among these ordinary people who were completely unaware of this.

They whispered to each other, pointed and speculated about this rare astronomical phenomenon, but no one could explain it. They just felt as if their hearts were being weighed down by something, heavy.

But on a towering ancient city wall at the border of the mortal world, the atmosphere was completely different.

The core members of the Zhitong Society, led by Qi Zhaoshu, had already gathered here.

They are not ignorant people. They hold jade slips that connect to the world of cultivation and have long received warnings about the resurgence of demonic disasters.

At that moment, they stood shoulder to shoulder behind the battlements, their faces as solemn as steel, gazing out at the dark, swirling clouds on the distant horizon. Even at such a distance, and with the barrier of laws weakening them, the oppression and throbbing emanating from the depths of their souls was still clearly palpable.

That was not just a cloud, it was evil spirit condensed into substance, a harbinger of destruction and death.

Qi Zhaoshu was dressed in a blue shirt, standing with his hands behind his back in the whistling wind, his brows furrowed, his eyes as sharp as an eagle, as if he wanted to penetrate the distance of space and see the real scene under the evil cloud.

He held tightly in his hand a warm jade slip, which continuously emitted a faint, flickering spiritual light, and was obviously communicating closely with a distant place.

Lou Wancen, who was dressed in a formal suit beside him, couldn't help but whisper, his voice slightly dry with nervousness: "Looking at the momentum, it's far more terrifying than the news from the jade slips... The seal is probably completely broken."

Ying Wanmin leaned on his Panlong Staff, gazing up at the ominous sky, and sighed deeply, "Red evil lingers in the sky, demonic clouds obscure the sun. This is the omen of great misfortune recorded in ancient texts. Catastrophe is ultimately unavoidable."

Qi Zhaoshu nodded slowly, his knuckles turning slightly white from gripping the jade slip so tightly.

Every time the jade slip's light flickered, it brought the latest and increasingly serious news from afar.

He said in a deep voice, "The Wenxian Sect has issued the highest level of the 'Demon Suppression Order'. All the righteous forces in the world, as well as the demon world alliance, have been mobilized. This time, it is no longer a battle between one sect or one faction, but a battle that concerns the survival of all living beings in this world."

His eyes swept across the tense faces of every member of the Zhitonghui on the city wall. Among these people were warriors, low-level cultivators, and ordinary mortals with chivalrous hearts.

He continued, "Although we are in the mortal world and protected by the laws, we cannot completely stay out of it. If the demonic calamity completely gets out of control, how long can the legal barrier hold up? The immediate priority for the Zhitong Association is to immediately activate the emergency plan, comfort the people, strengthen vigilance, organize manpower, and be ready to deal with the possibility of low-level monsters infiltrating or to receive the wounded retreating from the front lines."

When everyone heard this, they all agreed with awe.

They know very well that no eggs will remain intact when the nest is overturned.

The surging evil clouds in the distance are not a scenery that has nothing to do with oneself, but a sword hanging over everyone's head.

On the city wall, the wind howled, blowing everyone's clothes, but it could not blow away the solemn atmosphere.

They are like the last coast guards before the storm, staring closely at the approaching darkness that swallows up the light. The jade slips in their hands, which are closely connected to the world of cultivation, flicker with a faint but persistent light, becoming a vital link between hope and struggle in this dark world.

The grass leaves were still trembling and the dewdrops were still shattering on the ground. The evil cloud rising from the junction of the three realms had become an indelible, heavy shadow like a mountain hanging over the hearts of all those who knew about it.

The curtain of catastrophe is slowly opening with unstoppable force.