These Domain Lords had slipped out of the Primordial Heavenly Restriction, endured a journey spanning more than a decade, dodged Yang Kai's interceptions along the way, and finally reached No-Return Pass. Before they even had time to recover their injuries and strength, they were dispatched under Mo Naye's orders—as mere pawns—to form a killing formation against Yang Kai. Many of their clansmen perished. Those who survived, believing their suffering was finally over, never expected another such turn of events, finding themselves inexplicably trapped in this void, unable to leave.
They felt a mingled grief and indignation. How could the outside world be so dangerous? Life within the Primordial Heavenly Restriction had been monotonous and dull, but at least it had been safe.
They were beginning to miss the Primordial Heavenly Restriction.
It wasn't just this particular void where the strange apparition had materialized. Across every major battlefield where the Human and Ink Clans clashed, similar phantoms had formed out of thin air. Even beyond the Primordial Heavenly Restriction, and within the otherwise deserted Void Domain, the same phenomenon had manifested.
Though scattered throughout the cosmos, these phantoms all shared the same form—as though some wondrous existence had projected itself across multiple locations simultaneously. The phantom shrouded a vast expanse of void, but aside from the unfortunate Innate Domain Lords of the Ink Battlefield trapped within it, no other living beings had been caught. The apparition appeared slowly, and anyone with even a shred of wariness could flee in time.
The Ink Clan was completely baffled by this, but among the Human Race, some veteran experts were jubilant, declaring it the blessing of the heavens upon humanity, as though the phantom's appearance was an extraordinary boon for the Human Race.
General Command—after the phantom materialized, intelligence flowed here first. Mi Jinglun quickly grasped what had happened.
Fate and timing. The appearance of this object at this particular moment meant that the delicate balance the Human and Ink Clans had deliberately maintained for thousands of years was destined to be shattered.
A tide of war, long brewing and destined to sweep across the cosmos, was about to arrive.
Orders were issued rapidly, disseminated in every direction. The vast Human Race forces, like a precision formation, began to mobilize under the direction of General Command at its core.
Mi Jinglun also dispatched people to collect the ancient texts and records that the various Paradise Realms had accumulated over many years, funneling them to General Command for study.
A streak of light descended from beyond the heavens and landed before General Command. The soldiers on duty recognized the newcomer and made no effort to stop him, allowing him to enter freely.
Mi Jinglun, who had been poring over intelligence reports, looked up, and a flicker of melancholy crossed his eyes. He had already suspected that Xiang Shan had most likely failed to advance to the Ninth Order, but seeing the result laid bare still brought a measure of disappointment.
Xiang Shan walked straight to the desk, glanced at the reports spread before Mi Jinglun, and raised an eyebrow. "It really is the Universe Furnace?"
Mi Jinglun nodded. "You must have sensed it."
Xiang Shan said, "I was in closed cultivation recently, and my mind kept wandering—cosmic fluctuations. They say that whenever the Universe Furnace manifests, every peak Eighth Order cultivator can sense it. Looks like the rumors are true."
He paused, then asked, "Where is it?"
Mi Jinglun rubbed his temples in a display of exasperation. "There's more than one location!"
"What do you mean?" Xiang Shan was taken aback.
"See for yourself." Mi Jinglun pushed a jade slip across the table. Xiang Shan took it and examined it, his expression turning to one of surprise. "How can this be?"
The intelligence currently gathered by General Command indicated that the phantom of the Universe Furnace had appeared across multiple major battlefields—and this was only what the Human Race had detected. Whether there were additional manifestations they'd missed remained unknown.
Mi Jinglun explained, "According to the records in the ancient texts of the various Paradise Realms, when the Universe Furnace manifests, it can indeed appear at more than one location. At most, there have been three simultaneous projections—but more than ten, as is the case this time, has never been recorded."
Xiang Shan's expression grew thoughtful. "A long time ago, I once heard my master speak of the Universe Furnace. Our predecessors theorized that its true body has always existed somewhere between reality and unreality, and no one has ever seen it directly. Everything that has been observed is merely its projection. Though the projection is itself intangible, it is intimately connected to the true body—and serves as the entrance into the Universe Furnace."
Mi Jinglun nodded. "I've heard the elders speak of this as well. Additionally, the number of projections seems to be related to the quantity and strength of the beings that have perished. In the records, when there were more projections, more beings had died—and the greater the number and strength of the fallen, the more likely the Universe Furnace's projections would be drawn forth."
Xiang Shan immediately understood. "So that's why projections have appeared on every major battlefield this time?"
"Most likely for that very reason. Over these years, the casualties on the various battlefields—both Human and Ink—have been beyond counting, and many powerful cultivators among the fallen as well. It's only natural that the Universe Furnace's projections would appear there."
"Then the Void Domain and the areas beyond the Primordial Heavenly Restriction should have them too."
In both the Void Domain and the regions outside the Primordial Heavenly Restriction, countless beings had perished. In the Void Domain especially, Ninth Order Patriarchs and even the Ink Clan's King Masters had been nearly wiped out to the last—there was a high probability that the Universe Furnace's projections would appear there as well.