When the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan forged the Demon-Suppressing Tower, they specifically left behind a treasure that had been refined over a long period of time to prevent this place from being accidentally opened by outsiders.
However, after the long erosion of time, the runes on that treasure had dimmed, and its power was far from what it once was. In the end, it had completely failed.
Several Ancestral Dao realm experts joined forces and instantly destroyed it, reducing it to fragments that scattered like dust in the air.
In this way, the hidden Land of Eternal Life naturally lost its most effective barrier.
At the top of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, the black-robed old man watched this scene with fierce and excited eyes. He stood up, as if he could break free at any moment.
"Soon, soon. All the precautions and seals left by the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan will soon completely fail. When that happens, even the Demon-Suppressing Tower won't be able to hold me anymore."
"Over the years, in order to survive, I've carefully nurtured these descendants of the Jing Clan."
"Once I break free, they will all become nourishment to help me restore my peak state."
He let out a cold, low laugh, as if it came from the depths of the Nine Nether Hell, sending chills down one's spine.
Inside the Demon-Suppressing Tower, the ancestors of the Jing Clan were still unaware that a pair of cold eyes was watching them from the top floor.
Outside the ancient tower, the sky now resembled a transparent layer of Heavenly Decline, reflecting the surging and chaotic Great Void.
Boundless and endless, it seemed as if it was about to descend from a distant universe and engulf this place.
One after another, dazzling beams of light connected heaven and earth, vast and immense, continuously crashing down, causing the entire sky to tremble.
The many ancestors of the Jing Clan looked out from within the ancient tower in shock, their faces filled with surprise and excitement. It seemed as if they were waiting for the entire sky to crack under the intense bombardment of this energy.
In their view, this was undoubtedly the result of outsiders attacking this place.
Whether it was members of the Jing Clan or forces from other factions, as long as they could break through here, it would mean they had a chance to see the light of day again and leave this place.
At the same time, in the deepest part of this Great World, within a deep void that was forever shrouded in dark aura.
A spring, large enough to require dozens of people to encircle, slowly floated in this void, resembling an ancient well.
Threads of cold, dark aura intertwined and spread out, continuously seeping from it into the surroundings.
However, the dark aura here was too dense. Even a Dao Realm expert might not be able to clearly see the surrounding scenery.
The only source of light was the faint primordial glow emanating from this spring.
Faintly, one could see a graceful figure sitting cross-legged within it. Her body was flawless and translucent, as if carved from immortal jade, though her face was indistinct.
At times, she was enveloped in radiant light, and at other times, she was washed over by dark aura.
Behind this figure stood a tightly shut door.
The door was not particularly tall or large, and its material was ancient and weathered, as if cast from bronze.
Some parts were covered in rust and bloodstains, as if it had experienced countless battles and struggles.
The faint glow in this place seeped from the door, like a lone candle flickering in the endless darkness—remarkably distinct.
At this moment, as if sensing the fluctuations from the outside world.
The figure sitting cross-legged in the spring trembled slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering as if she wanted to open her eyes.
But a strange black aura swirled around her brow, making it difficult for her to open her eyes.
Her delicate brows furrowed, as if she were trapped in a terrifying and endless nightmare.
"Ling Yuling, you and I have been entangled here for countless years. Even now, you still can't do anything to me. Are you still unwilling to give up?"
"Your physical body has long been devoid of any vitality. Even if your divine sense recovers, it will still be a lifeless corpse, posing no threat to me."
A cold, arrogant laugh suddenly echoed through this void.
The entire space seemed to be engulfed in a terrifying storm, sweeping through everything, as if it wanted to grind this place into dust.
The source of this voice was unknown, its direction unclear, as if it was everywhere, yet also as if the entire space itself was speaking.
The spring also trembled as if it was about to burst open.
"If you were truly capable, you would have devoured me long ago. Why bother saying all this now? You're just boasting, nothing more."
A gentle, calm voice echoed through the space.
Similarly, its source and direction were unknown, as if it was everywhere.
"Hehe, you've sealed me for so many years, but you're already exhausted. Do you really think I'm like you, making no progress all this time? Let me tell you, I can feel that the day of my escape is not far away."
"And I'll tell you something that will make you despair. I've sensed the aura of the great Lord of the Black Calamity once again."
"A being like him cannot be killed or sealed forever. I've said it before—my master will return, and he will reign over all worlds once more. All the efforts you made back then will be in vain, washed away like water under the bridge."
The cold, arrogant voice burst into unrestrained laughter.
These words caused the gentle voice in the void to fall silent, as if shocked and unable to believe what it had just heard.
She couldn't believe these words.
The Lord of the Black Calamity, who had been sealed by the combined strength of the entire Vast Expanse, was truly going to return?
At this point, did the Vast Expanse still have the power to stop him?
Even if she were to break free and see the light of day again, the Vast Expanse she would witness would likely be filled with nothing but darkness and despair.
After a long silence, a voice filled with deep sorrow finally spoke.
"You were once the spirit of the Gate of Eternal Life. Yet now, you call a being who brought calamity to the Vast Expanse your master. Do you still remember your original duty? Do you still remember the purpose for which the Gate of Eternal Life was created?"
"Do you still remember the battle when the entire Vast Expanse joined forces, combining the power of the seven primordial Supreme Treasures of Civilization, to seal the Lord of the Black Calamity?"
She sighed softly, her voice filled with deep helplessness and powerlessness.
"I forgot. You've already been corrupted by darkness. You are no longer the Eternal Spirit of the past. Now, you've fallen into endless darkness, no different from the Black Calamity that once ravaged the Vast Expanse."
"I wonder if, in the future, when you regain your memories, you will feel disgust and regret for what you've done."
Long ago, this place was not filled with such deep and dense dark aura.
The Gate of Eternal Life had not yet been eroded by the dark aura, its origin pure and natural.