Talisman Emperor

The blood red shadow appeared at the Grand Abyss of Catastrophe's bottom.

His hands were kept behind his back as he gazed at the enormous Door of the Last Days that towered in the distance, and he felt into a long period of deep thought.

"Samsara has actually appeared for real…. Looks like this era is this King's final chance to step foot onto the end of the Ultimate Path….

"In this way, I can't be said to have failed on the verge of success. All of this is a new opportunity as well. Unfortunately, that child, Aruye….

"Now, I can only wait for the Calamity of the Last Days to descend!"

The blood red shadow muttered and sighed with emotion.

In the next moment, his figure swiftly vanished on the spot.

On this day, a great calamity struck the Forgotten Grounds of Chaos. The sky collapsed, the stars exploded into pieces, and all things fell into seemingly endless chaos.

A terrifying aura of destruction started to rage like a storm throughout the Forgotten Grounds of Chaos, and it seemed like the world here had transformed into purgatory itself.

No one dared to step foot here anymore!

…

Outside the Forgotten Grounds of Chaos.

Om!

A wave of fluctuation arose in the starry sky, and then a door appeared there. After that, Kong Youran, Shi Yu, Qin Xinhui, Yea Chen, Yu Jiuhui, Jia Nan, and Zhao Qingyao emerged successively.

"All of you are back." Daolord Xue Ling from Nuwa's Dao Palace was already waiting there, and she welcomed Kong Youran, Shi Yu, and Qin Xinhui back.

At practically the exact same moment, Daolord Cai Ya welcomed Yu Jiuhui and Yea Chen back.

Only Oracle Mountains Grand Lord, Wu Xuechan, the Sovereign Sect's Divine Sovereign Priest, Xu Tuo, and the Divine Institute's Daolord Xuan Ming were stunned on the spot.

Because the disciples from their respective sects weren't amongst the disciples who had returned!

"What's going on?" Daolord Xu Tuo's expression instantly turned cold, and he emanated an oppressive aura. He turned to gaze at Jia Nan and Zhao Qingyao.

Jia Nan's expression was tranquil and composed, and he remained silent.

Zhao Qingyao hesitated for a moment, and she spoke in the end. "Besides Chen Xi, all the others have probably… suffered calamity."

What!?

Daolord Xu Tuo and Daolord Xuan Ming's eyes had narrowed simultaneously, and they emanated an extremely terrifying aura.

Only the Grand Lord, Wu Xuechan, was stunned, and then he seemed to have thought of something.

"The passageway has shattered. It's almost impossible for them to return even if they're still alive…." Meanwhile, a sigh resounded as the thin figure of the Dean of the Dao Institute, Liu Shenji, appeared here. He just stood there casually, yet he completely dispersed the terrifying auras emanated by Xu Tuo and Xuan Ming.

"That's impossible!" Xu Tuo's muddy eyes were filled with a shocking glow, and he seemed like an infuriated ferocious beast while his voice was filled with boundless rage.

He was unable to accept such an outcome!

A total of five disciples from the Sovereign Sect had entered the Forgotten Grounds of Chaos this time, and it was even a leading figure like Leng Xinghun who'd led the group there. So, how could they have possible been annihilated?

It wasn't just Xu Tio, even Xuan Ming's expression had turned gloomy when he found out, and the figures of Donghuang Yinxuan, Zhu Qianyu, Gongsun Mu, and the others had appeared in his mind. At this moment, he felt shocked, furious, and filled with disbelief.

Wu Xuechan spoke in a warm voice as he asked Zhao Qingyao. "What exactly happened?"

Zhao Qingyao thought for a moment, and then she shook her head and said, "I don't know about the death of the others. All I know is that Wang Zhong's true identity was an expert of the Ancient Shamans from the last era…."

After that, she described everything related to Wang Zhong, and it was even to the extent that she told them about all the dangers they faced in the Grand Abyss of Catastrophe.

Of course, Zhao Qingyao hadn't mentioned anything about the energy of Samsara that Chen Xi possessed.

The last era!The Ancient Shamans!

A plot that had been in motion for a long time!Wu Xuechan's expression couldn't help but become serious when he heard this, and his eyes were filled with an expression of deep thought.

Even the infuriated Xu Tuo and Xuan Ming had frowned while their expressions changed slightly, and they fell into silence.

They as well had never imagined that such numerous dangers would actually exist in the Forgotten Grounds of Chaos, and it would even be connected to the Ancient Shamans of the last era!

This was slightly unusual.

After all, the reason they'd joined forced to send the disciples of the sects into the Forgotten Grounds of Chaos was actually very simple, and they merely wanted to allow their disciples to establish a new region, grasp Region Energy, and step foot into the ranks of Region Lords.

Their other objection was to search for the mysterious area in the Forgotten Grounds of Chaos and see if the true secrets of the Ultimate Path towards the Dao really existed there.

But none of them had imagined that the development of the situation would completely exceed their imagination!

"Wait! Something's not right!" Suddenly, Xu Tuo stared coldly at Zhao Qingyao and said, "According to what you said, that Aruye clearly possessed a strength that wasn't inferior to a Ninth Star Region Lord, so why was he defeated by that kid, Chen Xi, in the end?"

Zhao Qingyao's face froze.

"You're lying!" Xu Tuo didn't give Zhao Qingyao the time to respond at all, and he shouted loudly with a tone that was suffused with killing intent. It caused Zhao Qingyao's entire body to tremble while her pretty face turned ghastly pale.

He was a Daolord, so how could Zhao Qingyao who'd just stepped foot into the ranks of Region Lords be able to endure his might?

"It was the River Diagram!" Jia Nan who'd remained silent until now had finally spoken, and he helped Zhao Qingyao deal with the invisible pressure she faced. "Seniors should probably be aware that Chen Xi possesses the River Diagram. According to those heretics, the Ancient Shamans, the energy of the River Diagram is capable of being a threat to them."

The River Diagram! Just these two words caused the Daolords in the surroundings to fall silent. This treasure was of mysterious origin, and it was unprecedentedly rare. It had even caused countless slaughters a very long time ago.

However, since the ancient times until now, very few had been able to possess it, and this caused the River Diagram to seem even more mysterious.

So, when they heard from Jia Nan that Chen Xi had utilized the might of the River Diagram to deal with Aruye, many of them started to become only partially doubtful.

However, Jia Nan and Zhao Qingyao were clearly aware that it was actually not the River Diagram that defeated Aruye….

Of course, they wouldn't expose this secret. Moreover, Kong Youran, Yea Chen, and the others would keep the secret for Chen Xi as well.

After all, the energy of Samsara was too much of a taboo. Once it was exposed, then even if Chen Xi was able to return safely from the Door of the Last Days, Chen Xi would instantly become a thorn in the eyes of all the great figures within the universe. The consequences of this were absolutely unimaginable.

"Since it's like that, then where's Chen Xi?" Xu Tuo was still slightly suspicious, and he glanced coldly at Jia Nan and Zhao Qingyao. If it wasn't out of consideration for Liu Shenji's presence here, he would truly wish for nothing more than to capture the two of them and question them.

"Chen Xi entered the Door of the Last Days!" Kong Youran, Shi Yu, and Qin Xinhui walked over successively under Daolord Xue Ling's lead.

Obviously, Xue Ling had found out everything from them just now.

The Door of the Last Days!

Wu Xuechan, Xu Tuo, and Xuan Ming were clearly aware of that door's origins.

So, when he heard that Chen Xi had actually entered it and hadn't returned until now, Wu Xuechan's brows couldn't help but knit together tightly while a wisp of worry arose on his face.

On the other hand, Xue Tuo and Xuan Ming seemed as if they'd found balance in everything, and they heaved sighs of relief in their hearts. Now that the passageway has been destroyed, that kid will probably be unable to return forever, right?

At this moment, when he saw that everyone had found out about what happened in the Forgotten Grounds of Chaos, Liu Shenji finally said, "Everyone, do all of you know who I say just now?"

Who? All of them simultaneously gazed at Liu Shenji.

"An existence that could be considered the one and only overlord of the last era, and he was called the King of Holy Shamans!" Liu Shenji spoke word by word, and his voice was slightly low. "I fought him with my will just now. Unfortunately, I was utterly unable to harm him at all. Based on this, I'm able to infer that fellow's strength is probably not inferior to me at all!"

The hearts of everyone shook and couldn't calm down. The one and only overlord, the King of Holy Shamans? Such an extraordinary figure actually survived from the last era?

Even Kong Youran, Jia Nan, and the others were shocked and extremely horrified when they heard this. Because they were very clearly aware that Aruye who possessed the strength of a Ninth Star Region Lord merely possessed a single drop of that Holy King's blood….

Since such a great figure was still alive, then why hadn't he shown himself throughout these years while we waited for Chen Xi?

When they thought up to here, a wisp of coldness couldn't help but arise in the hearts of Kong Youran and the others. They were clearly aware that if the Holy King had made an appearance at that time, then the Holy King would have been able to annihilate them in an instant!

But he just so happened to have not shown himself.

Why?

Could it be that there's some sort of plot hidden behind all of this?

It was unimaginable to them.

"I very long time ago, I'd once conducted a deduction with some friends, and we unanimously determined that a world shocking and unexpected event would definitely occur in the Ancient God Domain. But I never expected that it would actually be triggered in the Forgotten Grounds of Chaos...." Liu Shenji's expression was slightly complicated as he sighed with emotion. "Fortune, Fate, Karmic Luck, the destiny of the Dao… everything can't overcome the unexpected. From today onward, the Ancient God Domain will probably fall into a monstrous unexpected event. No one can determine if it's be a blessing or curse."

After he finished speaking these words, a wisp of shock arose in all the Daolords that were present here.

"Then may I ask Senior a question. If it were to occur in the Ancient God Domain, then where would it strike first?" Xue Ling couldn't refrain from asking this question.

Liu Shenji fell silent for a long time before he lightly spat out a few words. "Godrank Mountain, the Divine Dao Protector Clans!"

It was just a few words, yet it seemed as if they possessed supreme magic that made the surroundings fall deathly silent for a very long time.

After a long time, Liu Shenji shook his head and said, "Destiny can't be defied, the unexpected is unfathomable…. What's coming will come."

He paused for a moment, and then he spoke with slightly flagging interest. "Let's go. It's pointless to continue staying here."

The others fell silent once more. No matter how puzzled, unwilling, perplexed, and bewildered they were, they could only do that.

Leave.

Yes, it was time for them to leave.

All of this information related to the Door of the Last Days, the Ancient God Domain, the Holy King, the world shocking unexpected event…. All of them were too astounding, and they had to return to their respective sects to make plans and preparations in advance.

As for Chen Xi….

Wu Xuechan could only hope that his Little Junior Brother would be able to return safely in the future.

Because when facing such a sudden and unexpected event, even a Daolord like Wu Xuechan could only choose to wait and was powerless to do anything else….

Similarly, he couldn't stay here anymore.

Because Xu Tuo and Xuan Ming were eying him with hostility from the side. It was even to the extent that he suspected that it was very likely for the Sovereign Sect's Master to take revenge on him if he stayed here any longer!

After all, he'd called Daolord Mo Lin from the Sovereign Sect, and it had utterly infuriated the entire Sovereign Sect.

In the end, Wu Xuechan's remained gloomy, and he carried a wisp of heaviness in his heart as he left.

It wasn't just Wu Xuechan who was in such a state. The others were mostly the same. Perhaps their thoughts were different, but a wisp of an oppressive feeling that couldn't be eliminated remained in their hearts.

For example, Xu Tuo and Xuan Ming were indignant and resentful. Moreover, they were filled with rage and suspicion towards the deaths of their disciples.

For example, while they'd gotten out of the predicament they were in, they were unable to relax when they thought about how Chen Xi's fate was still unknown even until now.

…

After 13 years of time, the expedition to the Forgotten Grounds of Chaos had finally come to an end, and only 7 out of the 30 disciples that participated had returned!

The others were either dead or had gone missing….

— End of Book Eighteen —