When a true dragon emerges into the world, wind and rain are bound to follow.

The sudden disappearance of Dayan City was a momentous crisis, prompting the aged patriarchs of all the major sects across Lingcang to pack their bags and gather for a grand council.

Lingcang was vast, stretching tens of thousands of miles from south to north and west to east. Building teleportation arrays across such distances grew increasingly expensive the farther they reached. Consequently, the various sects directly chose a central city within Lingcang to serve as their administrative hub.

This city was none other than Lingyun City.

In Lingyun City, the Taiyi Sect and Guanhui Temple were the local powers. Because the monks of Guanhui Temple were bound by an abundance of rigid rules, the Taiyi Sect took the lead in organizing the assembly.

Was Master Gu busy? Without a bit of hesitation, Xianhua, Xixuan, and Master Yang—not a single one of them could escape. Master Canghua followed them out of closed-door seclusion, and even Master Duanyue, who usually locked his doors to discipline his disciples, was forced to step out into the world.

The titans of the immortal cultivation world gathered in Lingyun City, intending to debate a resolution into existence.

Inside the Floating Cloud Residence of Lingyun City, a dozen or so cultivators sat scattered across the floor. These cultivators spanned a vast age range, from youths of seventeen or eighteen to elders of seventy or eighty. Though their appearances varied greatly, they shared one defining trait: an overwhelming imposing presence. This aura did not stem from outward majesty, but rather from an innate, effortless composure in every gesture and movement.

"Fellow Daoists, things cannot continue like this. You must say something," Master Gu, as the host, felt compelled to step forward.

Unfortunately, no one cared to give him much face, and a prolonged silence ensued.

Just as Master Gu was about to lose his patience, a pot-bellied monk chanted a Buddhist mantra and drawled lazily, "Daoist Gu, the matter is already right before us; there is nothing left to say."

Master Gu grew anxious upon hearing this. "What do you mean there is nothing left to say? Could it be your intention that we simply go about our business and ignore everything? Hmph, be careful lest you, Master Yuanji, find yourself transformed from Master Yuanji into Master Parinirvana!"

Master Yuanji remained entirely unfazed. "Then what does Daoist Gu believe we can manage? Shall we go search for Dayan City, or repair the Nether Abyss?"

"You bald donkey..."

"Daoist Gu, pray do not agitate yourself," an elderly, white-haired woman interrupted, her face lined with age, though her voice rang as clear and melodious as that of a maiden of sixteen. "You are well aware that these monks have always possessed such a stubborn nature. Why bicker with them and risk harming your own health?"

Master Gu drew a deep breath. He nodded and said, "Daoist Zuo speaks correctly. This poor Daoist allowed his emotions to become unsettled." Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Yet this matter must have some resolution. Otherwise, why would everyone have rushed to Lingyun City?"

The old woman chuckled softly. "In my humble view, this stinky monk Yuanji speaks with a degree of reason. Dayan City has vanished completely, yet which of those ancient predecessors was not possessed of heaven-reaching abilities? Even they were powerless to save themselves. We surely have no solution either. Of course, we must still devise some plan regarding the Nether Abyss; if the Qi of the Nether Abyss leaks out too excessively, our spiritual veins will inevitably suffer."

Master Gu hesitated slightly. "Does Daoist Zuo mean that we should temporarily ignore Dayan City and focus instead on handling the Nether Abyss?"

The old woman gave a slight nod. "It is not that we ignore it; it is that we cannot manage it."

Master Gu pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the Nascent Soul peers present. Each and every one of them was either sitting with eyes closed in meditation or staring straight ahead.

Realizing this, Master Gu was so exasperated he nearly laughed. "Do none of you fellow daoists have any objections?"

After a brief silence, someone finally raised their head, cast a single glance, and offered a faint stance: "Let Daoist Gu make the decisions."

Master Gu drew a deep breath, finally forcing down his rising anger. The realm of Cangming had remained peaceful for far too long, especially Lingcang. The major sects were entirely complacent with the status quo, friendly on the surface but estranged at heart. Even knowing a disaster had occurred, none of them wished to take the lead. Because of its geographical advantage, the Taiyi Sect was forced to host the council, yet they desperately wished to shed the burden of decision-making so that whatever catastrophe followed would never be blamed on them.

"Since no one opposes Daoist Zuo's proposal, let it be decided thus." Master Gu pointedly added, "This is something agreed upon by all present daoists."

Still, no one spoke.

Master Gu cursed inwardly while keeping his expression as calm as if he had done nothing at all. "Since that is so, let us deliberate further on how to resolve the leakage of the Nether Abyss Qi..."

The old fogies of the Lingcang Continent desperately wished to remain detached, but they soon found themselves unable to maintain their composure.

At first, when spiritual beasts appeared in Ning'an City, these people were not alarmed; in fact, they were quite pleased. The resources of the Lingcang Continent were not scarce, but they had already been largely carved up—the major sects claimed the lion's share, middle-ranking sects took smaller portions, and rogue cultivators alongside minor sects were left with mere scraps. Consequently, rogue cultivators adored heading to the Star-Net Sea region, where resource distribution was relatively free.

Ning'an City bordered the Star-Net Sea region and served as the primary gathering place for rogue cultivators on the Lingcang Continent—countless rogue cultivators journeyed there through untold hardships, saving up spirit stones to venture into the Star-Net Sea.

The appearance of spiritual beasts signaled danger, but it also represented opportunity. These people traveled in packs to hunt beasts, thereby acquiring resources. Every part of a spiritual beast was a treasure: their hides, horns, claws, and fangs could be used to forge magical artifacts; their flesh and blood could refine medicinal pills; and their inner cores were even better, offering immense tonic benefits. Naturally, everyone rushed to harvest these spiritual resources, regardless of how high the danger might be...

Yet, under the tacit indulgence of the major sects, the situation gradually began to change.

Spiritual beasts grew increasingly numerous, with many achieving human form. Coming from the boundless seas to the east, Ning'an City bore the absolute brunt of the impact.

At last, besieged by multiple Nascent Soul demon cultivators, Ning'an City suffered catastrophic casualties and appealed to the major sects for rescue.

Although the immortal cities were independent of the sects, they maintained extremely close ties with them. One could say that the immortal cities were extensions of the sects' influence, and numerous resources relied upon the immortal cities for acquisition. Therefore, the destruction of an immortal city would deal a devastating blow to the sects.

The major sects, which had previously been too indolent to move, were now forced into action.

The Lingcang Continent was brimming with talent; what storms could a mere handful of Nascent Soul demon cultivators possibly stir up? The turmoil in Ning'an City was quelled swiftly.

However, the matter did not end there. On the contrary, the true disaster was only beginning at that very moment.

Once the crisis in Ning'an was resolved, the major sects captured several humanoid demon cultivators and interrogated them regarding their origins.

To the east of the Nether Abyss lay the Great Wilderness and Tian'e, the homelands of the demon race. Ten thousand years ago, the Heaven-Collapsing Cataclysm occurred, altering the geography of Cangming. The Nether Abyss completely severed the Eastern and Western Nether realms, leaving no communication between them whatsoever, save for Dayan City. From that day onward, humanity lived in the Western Nether while the demon race inhabited the Eastern Nether, never interfering with or visiting one another.

Much like the Western Nether, the Eastern Nether had suffered severe losses of its orthodox heritage over the past ten thousand years, yet it remained relatively peaceful without major catastrophes. Amidst this peace, while humanity remained largely stable, the reproductive capacity of the demon race was magnified infinitely. The originally vast Great Wilderness was overrun by various tribes of beasts, while Tian'e, the realm of flora and vegetation, became choked with relentless greenery, leaving scarcely any footprint of open ground.

It was precisely then that they discovered the leakage of the Nether Abyss Qi, which had caused several regions to collapse, even forming passable conduits.

The demon races rejoiced and began migrating across the Nether Abyss into the Western Nether...

In truth, the Western Nether also harbored various spiritual beasts—some dwelt within the boundless seas, while others hid deep in mountain forests. Had these demon tribes quietly integrated into the Western Nether, not a single human would have ever noticed. Yet, accustomed to their arrogance in the Eastern Nether, upon arriving in the West, they immediately sought to seize territory and besiege neighboring Ning'an City, causing their grand enterprise of conquering the Western Nether to abort before it even truly began.

Upon learning this news, the major sects, which had previously sworn to avoid sticking their necks out, suddenly surged with the fervor of cultivators pumped full of spiritual blood, vowing with their swords to purge the demon cultivators from the Western Nether.

Faced with an assembly atmosphere that was the polar opposite of a few days prior, Master Gu shattered several tables in private. "These old fogies, sounding so righteous and awe-inspiring, when all along they simply had their eyes on the demon beast inner cores!"

Master Xianhua, who had not made a public appearance but consistently oversaw affairs in Lingyun City, smiled faintly. "Isn't this entirely normal? We took the lead because circumstances forced our hand; had it not been so, we would have remained just as reclusive as them."

Hearing this, Master Gu let out a long sigh and slumped defeatedly into his seat. After a long moment, he looked up and said, "Senior Brother Xianhua, I always feel this matter is not so simple. What kind of place was Dayan City? For it to vanish without a trace—this is fundamentally beyond our capacity to resolve."

"Who doesn't know that?" Master Xianhua said calmly. "Do not assume those old scoundrels were merely short-sighted in their prevarication; in truth, they understand the situation far better than anyone. Yet human nature is simply thus: when faced with a potentially conquerable formidable enemy, it stirs the fighting spirit, but once a crisis exceeds one's capabilities, lethargy sets in. Against a terrifying enemy capable of making Dayan City vanish, what do we have to defend ourselves? We can only leave it to fate."

These words filled Master Gu with an indescribable sorrow. The disappearance of Dayan City was still being tightly concealed; once leaked, panic would inevitably sweep through the ranks. If high-tier cultivators whose Dao hearts had long remained unshakable could lose their fighting spirit, how much more so the lower-tier cultivators?

The three characters "Dayan City" represented far more than just a city. It served as the ballast stone anchoring the hearts of Cangming Realm cultivators and embodied their enduring dreams. For countless years, they had grown accustomed to the existence of Dayan City, knowing that a group of heaven-defying cultivators resided there, seeking a lingering breath of the Heavenly Dao on behalf of the Cangming Realm.

Now, this ballast stone had vanished. Did this signify that the Heavenly Dao had become severed from the Cangming Realm?

Once the news leaked, this terror would spread with terrifying speed.

"We cannot let things continue like this!" Master Gu's ordinarily serene disposition was stirred into fierce determination. "We must do something!"

"Senior Brother Gu speaks wisely," Master Xixuan said with a solemn expression. "Things may not be as dire as we imagine; perhaps Dayan City merely suffered an accident."

"Let us hope so." Master Xianhua appeared far more composed than either of them. "Let us temporarily set aside Dayan City; everything else has a solution. If demon cultivators come, we kill them. As for the Nether Abyss, we can simply array formations to block the Nether Abyss Qi; none of these are insurmountable challenges. However..."

Master Gu hurriedly asked, "Does Senior Brother Xianhua harbor any misgivings?"

Hesitating slightly for a moment, Master Xianhua said, "Do you all remember the Heavenly Mystery Decree from four years ago?"

All three of them, including Master Yang who habitually remained silent, nodded in unison.

"At the time, we felt that the opening of the path to the heavens was far too peaceful, fearing that the emergence of the destined one would inevitably trigger a tempest."

Master Xixuan started slightly and murmured, "Could it be..."

"When the true dragon emerges, wind and rain will unfailingly follow." Master Xianhua smiled gently at Master Gu. "Junior Brother Gu's remark from back then is likely about to be fulfilled."