56: His presence was revealed in the abyss, and his authority was established in the cloud court.

Yun Feng advanced to Legendary, establishing the Cloud Court in the Northern Region and shaking the continent with his might. For a time, figures from all directions paid him homage, and his glory was unparalleled.

Yun Feng presided over the central hub, simultaneously stabilizing his Realm and digesting the "Ruins" Legacy, while acting as an anchor, deterring all potential enemies.

However, even when the tree desires stillness, the wind continues to blow.

On this day, Nie Li came forward to report with a grave expression.

"Court Master, urgent report from the border! The 'Black Water Marsh,' located at the junction of the Northern and Western Regions, had its Spiritual Qi completely depleted three days ago, turning it into an absolutely dead, silent swamp. The area... is expanding outward at a rate of fifty kilometers per day! A small Sect stationed there, the 'Shui Yuan Sect,' along with over a thousand Disciples within, have all... gone missing!"

Nie Li handed over a recording crystal. The scene displayed within was chilling: the formerly misty, vibrant marsh had now become a pitch-black, inky mire devoid of any life fluctuation. Above it, a gray, decaying mist permeated the air, swallowing even light, leaving only a chilling, dead silence that made the Soul tremble.

"The characteristics are similar to the 'Dead Zones' we monitored before, but this time the scope and speed of erosion far exceed the past!" Nie Li said heavily. "Furthermore, according to Cultivators who managed to escape nearby, before the mist completely closed in, they seemed to hear... a low, inhuman babbling, and saw vague, shadow-like, writhing outlines!"

Yun Feng took the crystal, his Divine Sense sweeping into it, and his eyes instantly became sharp as knives. The aura in the image was all too familiar to him—Abyssal Erosion! Moreover, the Abyssal power appearing this time was far more concentrated and aggressive than the remnants of Souls and the strange figures colluding with the Feather God Sect that he encountered in the desolate ruins.

"Are they finally done hiding, starting a frontal erosion?" Yun Feng scoffed coldly. He understood this was the "Abyss's" response—or perhaps a test—to him obtaining the Legacy and advancing to Legendary in the desolate ruins.

"Court Master, this matter is not trivial. If we let it spread, the consequences will be unimaginable! We must take immediate action!" Nie Li's tone was urgent.

"Of course we must act." Yun Feng stood up, his Legendary Domain naturally activating around him, causing space itself to ripple slightly. "Not only must we act, but we must use the momentum of thunder to completely sever this claw that has been extended!"

He looked towards Nie Li: "Gather three hundred Yun Ting Guards. You will personally lead the team and depart immediately for the Black Water Marsh perimeter to establish a defensive line, evacuate surrounding lifeforms, and prevent the Dead Zone from spreading further."

"Yes, sir!" Nie Li accepted the order, then asked, "Court Master, and you..."

"Me?" Yun Feng curled his lips into a cold arc. "I will go meet those things hiding in the shadows. It's a good opportunity to test my strength on them and let all forces on the continent clearly see the consequences of provoking my Cloud Court!"

Before his voice faded, Yun Feng's figure vanished from the spot, directly tearing through the Void Realm and traveling toward the Black Water Marsh! After advancing to Legendary, his application of spatial Rule had reached the Transcendent Realm; a distance of thousands of miles could be traversed in an instant!

Nie Li dared not delay. He immediately turned around and gathered the three hundred most elite Yun Ting Guards under his command. The lowest Realm of these guards was Silver Rank. They wore standardized armor personally "enhanced" by Yun Feng, Cultivated optimized Cultivation Techniques, and their battle formation was enough to contend with a Legendary! They moved like a black torrent, following closely behind Nie Li, heading mightily toward the border.

The attention of all continental forces was once again drawn to the Northern Region border. Everyone wanted to know how the newly advanced Legendary, Yun Feng, would respond to this unprecedented, bizarre disaster.

Yun Feng stepped out of the Void Realm, already standing on the edge of the Black Water Marsh.

The sight before him was even more shocking than in the recording crystal. The dense, gray, dead silence Qi rolled like a living thing, constantly eroding the surrounding land. Grass and trees withered and decayed at a visible rate, ultimately turning into black dust. The low, maddening babbling acted directly upon the Soul; any person with weak willpower here would likely fall into instant madness.

Yun Feng scoffed coldly, and his Legendary Domain burst open! A massive power containing vitality, order, and life spread out from him, acting like an invisible barrier that firmly blocked the gray, dead silence Qi. Where the Domain reached, the erosion immediately ceased!

"Things that hide their heads and show their tails, get out here!"

Yun Feng joined his fingers like a sword and pointed toward the densest part of the rolling, dead silence mist!

That finger strike contained his understanding of the Rule, and furthermore, it leveraged a trace of the chaos source blood Qi deep within his heart! Where his fingertip passed, the Void Realm seemed to ignite, and a brilliant pillar of light, purely condensed from Rule Energy, shot forcefully into the depths of the dead silence mist, like the first ray of light splitting the heavens and earth!

"Screeech—!"

A sharp, piercing shriek, utterly unlike anything a living creature could produce, erupted from the mist! Immediately following, several twisted, bizarre figures composed purely of shadow and chaotic energy materialized under the purification of the Rule light pillar. They struggled wildly, their bodies constantly being evaporated and dissolved, finally turning into several wisps of even purer, pitch-black Abyssal aura, attempting to flee.

"Still trying to run?"

Yun Feng spread his large hand, and his Legendary Soul Power transformed into a massive, sky-covering hand. Rule runes flowed in its palm, as if containing a small world, firmly grasping the wisps of Abyssal aura attempting to escape!

"Refine!"

With a thought, Rule Energy erupted within the giant hand like a furnace, forcibly refining the wisps of resistant and corrupting Abyssal aura!

[Pure Abyssal Origin Energy detected. Analyzing, stripping, and transforming...]

[Transformation complete! Obtained Special Materials: [Abyssal Crystal] x3. Obtained Rule Energy: 500 points!]

At the same time, the lingering power of Yun Feng's finger strike, which contained the Qi of Chaos, completely pierced through the dense dead silence mist, revealing a "spatial rift" deep within—a wound-like opening constantly spewing Abyssal energy outward!

"A passage indeed!" Yun Feng's eyes were icy, and he was about to move to completely Seal the rift.

Suddenly, the rift violently expanded, and a terrifying pressure far exceeding anything before descended! A colossal, sharp claw, composed entirely of shadow and eyeballs, radiating despair-inducing Legendary Rank Abyssal aura, suddenly reached out from the rift and grabbed toward Yun Feng!