396: Do one thing first.

Within the Shen Family ancestral land, the vast and boundless stars still shone as brightly as ever, twinkling with mysterious and ancient light.

The starlight spilled onto this ancient and mysterious land, as if draping it in a dreamy veil.

Cangtian Palace.

On the mountain peak.

"I've never seen anyone traverse the Heavenly Net Dao of Inquiry so quickly. You..." A small boy was filled with shock, his eyes wide with disbelief. He racked his brains, but truly couldn't find the words to describe the person before him. He could only take a deep breath, exclaiming with profound admiration, "You are truly too fast. The Ninth Generation Demon Sealer, the strongest and most demonic of all generations, truly lives up to their reputation!"

Before him, Shen Nian's expression was calm, his entire being exuding an extraordinary and transcendent aura.

He didn't speak, merely turned his head slightly, his gaze falling upon the preaching value that had been reset to zero. Only he knew how much time it had truly taken—a full thousand years.

"Ninth Generation Lord, what do you plan to do next?" The small boy's expression suddenly turned serious as he rephrased his question.

"If my senses aren't mistaken, the Demon Sealing Sect has already appeared. With Candle Nine Nethers' temperament, he would never sit idly by. It's likely the Lower Realm is already completely surrounded by the Yao Race..."

"How about we go retrieve the demon sealing jade first?" The small boy tentatively suggested.

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian slowly shook his head. He looked up, his gaze piercing through the dome of the palace, as if looking towards the endless sky.

In his eyes, the essence of this world seemed to have been seen clearly by him. His vision penetrated through infinite space,

and saw that black barrier. The barrier was sticky and exuded a nauseating aura, as if all the evil in the world had gathered there.

He knew that was Candle Nine Nethers' abdomen.

"First, do one thing," Shen Nian said softly.

Now, his strength had reached the Luotian Immortal level, possessing the formidable combat power of the Ancient Realm.

In his heart, the first thing to do was to bring his Revered Master, Luo Li, back.

After that, he would head to the Lower Realm.

Most importantly, he was still somewhat worried that Candle Nine Nethers would use Luo Li as a hostage to threaten him, which was the situation Shen Nian least wanted to see.

The small boy listened to Shen Nian's words, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Ninth Generation Lord, you should know that the true mastermind. It's best to reveal your information about becoming a Demon Sealing Dao Venerable and Heavenly Net a little later..."

"It's fine..." Shen Nian replied casually, his tone relaxed yet exuding a powerful confidence. Immediately, his figure gradually began to dissipate, merging into this serene space like smoke.

Seeing this, the small boy rose and bowed respectfully.

"Then I wish the Ninth Generation Lord, Ancient Dao eternity!"

After speaking, he stood up, looking at the spot where Shen Nian had disappeared, his eyes filled with starlight.

Outside the ancestral land.

"Xiao Nian!" Shen Min immediately stood up, calling out with some excitement. He couldn't tell how much Shen Nian's Realm had improved, but he had a faint feeling in the depths of his being.

The current Shen Nian was very unfamiliar to him!

Shen Nian glanced at the Old Ancestor with a gentle smile, then said, "I know about the Lower Realm. Old Ancestor, go tell Old Man Tianji to send all top Human Race Cultivators to reinforce the Lower Realm!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Shen Min was stunned. Although he had anticipated Shen Nian saying such a thing, hearing it firsthand still shocked him.

"But..." Shen Min suddenly remembered the news he had just received: Immortal King An Huang was assaulting Imperial City. If all the Human Race powerhouses left, then Imperial City would be in danger.

Shen Nian saw through it at a glance; his Divine Thought could already cover the Imperial Pass, covering this entire world.

"Leave An Huang to me then..." Shen Nian said casually. If he wanted to find Candle Nine Nethers, he had to pass through the Heavenly Demon Realm. The Heavenly Abyss was his only path, so he could resolve it along the way.

Shen Min immediately showed a shocked expression. If Shen Nian did that, it would completely tear apart relations with the Heavenly Demon Realm, and the one-day agreement would no longer exist.

He didn't doubt that Shen Nian could deal with An Huang, but... After a moment of thought, Shen Min understood. Regardless, this battle was unavoidable. Thus, he stepped forward, patted Shen Nian's shoulder, and said, "Xiao Nian, Old Ancestor will wait for you in the Lower Realm."

Shen Nian nodded, then turned and strode away.

At his speed, it wouldn't take long to go there... At the tense Imperial Pass, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt tangible, suffocating everyone.

Suddenly, figures descended like meteors, drawing everyone's attention.

"That's an Old Ancestor of the Wang Family; he's here!" Someone in the crowd shouted. A black-robed elder appeared on the Imperial Pass city wall like a phantom, his robes flapping in the wind.

His face was stern, his eyes deep and sharp, as if he could see through everything, exuding an aura of majesty tempered by years.

After him, powerhouses from the Ji Family and Shen Family also descended, a scene like falling stars, grand and imposing. These powerhouses each had immense Qi, like towering mountains, giving off a strong oppressive feeling.

At the same time, Hedao Cultivators also arrived one after another, their presence making the atmosphere on the Imperial Pass city wall even more solemn.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan, what's the situation?" A Hedao powerhouse frowned, asking with an anxious expression.

Daoist Yuan's face was solemn, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Heavenly Abyss, and he slowly said, "After Immortal King An Huang arrived, there have been no movements for now. I have activated the Imperial Array, but..." He paused slightly, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes, then continued, "If he truly makes a move, this Imperial Array won't be able to stop him for long."

Everyone's expressions changed upon hearing this.

Daoist Yuan continued, "Unless all Human Race powerhouses arrive together to maintain the Imperial Array, but the situation in the Lower Realm is also urgent..."

At this moment, another Hedao Cultivator urgently said, "Haven't you made a decision yet? Which side are we protecting..."

His words were full of anxiety and helplessness.

"His Majesty the Human Emperor has not yet come out of seclusion, so we can only stall for now!" Daoist Yuan replied, which was why he said they needed to stall.

"Stall?" A Hedao powerhouse asked, full of doubt, then continued, "How do we stall?"

"What if this Immortal King makes a move?"

Just as the Hedao powerhouse's words fell, the entire Imperial Pass city wall instantly fell into a dead silence. Everyone's hearts were troubled by this series of questions, as if shrouded in a haze, unable to see a glimmer of hope. Everyone knew that the current situation was like a tightrope walk on the edge of a cliff; one wrong step and they would be doomed forever.

A terrifying aura suddenly circulated!

"Damn it, what a jinx!"

On the Imperial Pass city wall, all the Hedao Cultivators showed unprecedentedly solemn expressions. Daoist Yuan said coldly, "Then we can only stall with our lives!"

Rumble!

The sound of a giant beast treading the sky echoed throughout the Heavenly Abyss.

A Golden-Backed Python-Ox, like a majestic small mountain, slowly walked with steady steps. Its body was robust, muscles bulging all over, exuding a chilling aura. Its thick limbs seemed capable of crushing all obstacles in the world; the golden fur on its body shimmered with a metallic luster under the sunlight, each strand seeming to contain endless power. Even more peculiar was the wisps of Chaos Qi swirling around its body, as if it had existed since the dawn of Chaos, mysterious and ancient. Its pair of ox horns were golden and brilliant, like two peerless divine weapons, radiating sharp edges.

Behind it, a golden war chariot slowly moved.

What this represented was self-evident!

"An Huang is going to cross the pass!"

"He's going to make a move!!"