Over a thousand years ago, a demon monk appeared in the Totem Heavenly River. This demon monk had obtained an ancient inheritance and was highly skilled in demonic arts, refining the bloodlines of martial cultivators to enhance his own cultivation.
Back then, not only were countless martial cultivators of the Totem Heavenly River killed by him, but even many members of the Totem Dragon Clan fell to his cruel hands.
However, the demon monk's strength was overwhelming. The Totem Dragon Clan had initially underestimated the enemy and suffered devastating losses. Only after dispatching three of the Nine Banner Dragon Warriors from the Totem Dragon Clan was the demon monk finally slain.
It must be known that these Nine Banner Dragon Warriors were the nine strongest experts of the Totem Dragon Clan apart from the Clan Leader himself. Only through rigorous selection and competition could one earn that title.
When the three Dragon Warriors attacked back then, although they successfully killed the demon monk, one of the Dragon Warriors was gravely wounded and ultimately perished.
The one who perished was the father of Lord Long Zhen.
Although Lord Long Zhen later inherited his father's identity as a Nine Banner Dragon Warrior through his own strength, his father's death remained an indelible pain in his heart.
"Impossible. That demon monk was killed by our Totem Dragon Clan long ago. He cannot still be alive."
"This is most likely the work of his subordinates." After saying this, Lord Long Zhen's brows furrowed slightly. "But even if they are merely his subordinates, we must not underestimate them."
"Take my token and relay the news that the demon monk's subordinates have appeared in the Mortal Realm of the Void Domain back to the clan."
"As for how to respond, let the Clan Leader make that decision," Lord Long Zhen said.
"Understood." The middle-aged man accepted the token and stepped into the teleportation array within this forbidden zone.
After the man departed, Lord Long Zhen turned to the other clan members. "Send out the order: have all territories activate their defensive arrays. Before the Strongest Trial begins, unless there is an urgent matter, no one is to leave their territory, and the defensive arrays must not be deactivated."
"Father, is such a measure truly necessary?"
"The Strongest Trial is about to begin, and all factions have already gathered here in the Mortal Realm of the Void Domain. With so many people mixed together, trouble is inevitable."
"Our Totem Dragon Clan should be maintaining order. If people can't see any of our clan members, they may start to suspect things," said a young man who approached behind Lord Long Zhen. He was Lord Long Zhen's youngest son.
"Do not underestimate the demon monk's subordinates. This time, they are either coming after our Totem Dragon Clan or targeting the Strongest Trial. We absolutely must not let our guard down."
"If they are coming for the Strongest Trial, that would be more manageable. Our clan can dispatch experts to stand guard, and they would have a hard time causing too much chaos."
"But if their goal is to retaliate against our Totem Dragon Clan, very few of our clan members here in the Mortal Realm of the Void Domain would be their match. In a direct confrontation, they would simply be waiting to die," Lord Long Zhen said.
Hearing these words, Lord Long Zhen's youngest son finally realized the gravity of the situation.
The other clan members, meanwhile, carried out Lord Long Zhen's instructions and began relaying the message.
……
What they did not know was that at that very moment, two figures stood high above in the sky, watching them.
They were two women.
One of them wore a red robe. Her figure was voluptuous, and even the red robe could barely conceal her stunning curves. Her makeup was extraordinarily alluring, and especially her eyes — they were enchanting, like those of a fox spirit. Yet those captivating eyes seemed to have witnessed countless ages. Despite her exquisite beauty, she could not possibly be young.
The other woman, in contrast to the red-robed one, radiated pure innocence. Her skin was snow-white, and she wore her hair in long white locks. Combined with her white dress, she looked like an elf who had stepped out of pristine snow.
But despite her youthful appearance, those eyes of hers were deeply cold.
Although the white-haired woman appeared even more aloof than the red-robed woman and seemed difficult to approach, there was still a hint of clarity within her gaze.
This white-haired woman was a member of the younger generation.
"Aunt, are they really the demon monk's subordinates?" the white-haired woman asked the red-robed woman.
"The methods are nearly identical to those the demon monk once used to steal cultivators' bloodlines. But since the demon monk is dead, it is most likely his subordinates or a successor who inherited his legacy." Even the red-robed woman's voice carried a touch of seduction as she spoke.
"Are they targeting the Totem Dragon Clan, or the Strongest Trial?" the white-haired woman asked.
"I believe they are targeting the Totem Dragon Clan. If they were coming for the Strongest Trial, why would they alert the enemy prematurely?" the red-robed woman replied.
The white-haired woman said nothing more. Instead, her beautiful eyes flickered with contemplation as she seemed lost in thought.
"Let's not concern ourselves with the Totem Dragon Clan's affairs. It has nothing to do with us anymore anyway."