Translator: Fate Translation Checker: Silavin Although there were many Elders in the Zhuo Clan, only a few held significant authority within the Clan. They were collectively referred to as the Heavenly Elders. Zhuo You was one of the Heavenly Elders. Furthermore, she had a high possibility of undergoing her Fourth Spiritual Transformation. In the Immortal Dao Civilisation, she would be on par with True Dao Realm experts, whose strength was unchallenged across boundless Spacetime. Her return could be considered a huge event for the entire Zhuo Clan, especially since she and her companions had gone through a true life-and-death experience and nearly lost their lives in the process. Many of the Clansmen were eager to know what she and her companions had experienced, as well as what kind of terrifying person could crush an Elder to death in a single move. “We, the Heavenly Elders, have already discussed this matter among ourselves. No matter what happens, we must ensure Elder Zhuo You’s safe return. As for what she previously experienced, the news must not spread to the other Clans outside the Zhuo Clan.” Inside the Divine Elder Palace, the current leader was a figure in silver robes that resembled the waning Moon. He swept his gaze over the Clansmen standing below him and calmly announced. This man was one of the Heavenly Elders in the Zhuo Clan, and his name was Zhuo Xiu. He had already successfully undergone his Fourth Spiritual Transformation, and he was closer to Zhuo You’s faction. The rest of the Heavenly Elders nodded in silent agreement. Their most urgent task at the moment was to ensure the safe return of Zhuo You and those with her. As for what she meant by asking the Clan to make preparations, their only option was to wait until she had returned to question her in detail. The Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s heritage was extremely profound, having been passed down for countless epochs. Hence, they could be said to have forged a place for themselves in the Boundless Expanse. Aside from the Zhuo Clan, there were also several other Major Clans in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation. Their heritage and strength were not inferior to the Zhuo Clan, and they generally maintained a competitive relationship with each other. In any case, the Major Clans in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation jointly established the Cabinet of Elders, where each Clan would choose a suitable and respected Elder to serve in the Cabinet of Elders and oversee the entire Immortal Spirit Civilisation. It could be said that the Cabinet of Elders held the greatest authority in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation. Every one million years, the candidates in the Cabinet of Elders would be re-selected. Among the faction that Zhuo You belonged to, there was a Senior who currently served as an Elder in the Cabinet of Elders. That person was Zhuo You’s Grandfather, Zhuo Fengxie. Zhuo Fengxie was ranked among the strongest individuals throughout the Immortal Spirit Civilisation. In fact, it was said that he either rivalled or exceeded the Zhuo Clan’s Founding Ancestor in terms of strength. He was expected to become comparable to Ancestral Dao Realm experts in the future. Even the Heavenly Elders, those with little connection to Zhuo You’s faction, were scared of him. The person speaking at the front was Zhuo Xiu, Zhuo Fengxie’s subordinate. The fact that he came forward to preside over the Elder Conference and supported the proposal to bring Zhuo You back meant that it was also Zhuo Fengxie’s intention. Just as the people in the Divine Elder Palace were discussing among themselves in low voices, several figures rushed over from the outside and reported, “Reporting to the Elders, Elder Zhuo You’s warship has returned. Under the escort of the experts from various Clans, Elder Zhuo You has returned safely. They are coming here now…” Immediately following the statement, the expressions of everybody in the Divine Elder Palace changed drastically. Those who were close to Zhuo You’s faction inadvertently smiled happily and seemed relieved. On the other hand, the rest were emotionless. It was as though they did not care one way or another. Zhuo Xiu smiled. “I’m glad that Elder Zhuo You returned safely. In that case, we can just wait for her here. She recently went out to search for a Nascent True World. Who knows if she has an unexpected surprise for us?” Zhuo You’s strength had only just crossed the threshold to become a Heavenly Elder, so she was slightly inferior compared to the others. Be that as it may, her Talent was immense. She had hope of reaching greater heights in the future, and she was also a direct descendant of Zhuo Fengxie. It did not take long for several dazzling streams of light to seemingly appear out of nowhere outside the magnificent cluster of palaces and immediately head in the direction of the palace. The leader was none other than Zhuo You, leading several other Clansmen behind her as she briskly entered the hall. The expression on her face was very calm. She did not seem happy even though she had returned safely. On the contrary, she seemed extremely gloomy. Inside the Divine Elder Palace, everybody’s eyes were focused on her face. They had noticed the abnormality in her expression, and many of them consequently revealed strange expressions. It would seem that Zhuo You had suffered something horrifying during her journey. She had always been confident and arrogant in the past. Moreover, her attitude at that time could only be described as fearless. “Looks like the recent crisis has taught Elder Zhuo You a huge lesson.” One of them secretly laughed to himself. “Thank you for your hard work, Elder Zhuo You. Now that you have safely returned, you don’t need to worry about other things anymore. There is no danger in the Zhuo Clan’s territory. “But, what danger did you encounter during your journey, Elder Zhuo You? Why did you ask the Clan to prepare for a great catastrophe in your message?” Zhuo Xiu and the other Heavenly Elder did not say much. They simply showed concern and asked about what Zhuo You had experienced. The entire Zhuo Clan was paying attention to this matter. After all, almost all the people who went with Zhuo You had been wiped out in the process. An Elder was also included among the casualties. Such losses were not insignificant for the faction that Zhuo You belonged to. Even with Zhuo You’s status, she would have to be punished for these losses. Zhuo You looked at the people in the hall with a complicated expression. There was unconcealed fear written all over her face, almost as though she did not wish to recall what happened back then. Nevertheless, she heaved a sigh and began to recount her experience. “At the time, I never expected to encounter such a crisis either. I originally thought that it was just a weak Nascent True World that had the embers of an Immortal Dao Civilisation’s Immortal Flame Core for some reason. Therefore, I wanted to search for the rest of the remaining embers and extract the Source Matter from it…” She took a deep breath before continuing. “It was supposed to be a battle with a sure chance of victory. The most powerful being among the enemy was only as strong as me. Compared with the army under my command, the gap between our strength and the rest of the enemy cultivators was immense… Who could have known that a terrifying figure would arrive at a critical juncture during the battle? He crushed countless with a flick of his hand. We later realised that something was wrong, so we hastily fled the battlefield. Unfortunately, some of our people will remain there forever.” Her next words were trembling with fear. “That figure was just a Dharma Body! It was not even his True Body. If his True Body had appeared, we would not have been able to escape! I believe that the True Body is at least comparable to the Ancestral Dao Realm expert, those found in Immortal Dao Civilisations!” “The Ancestral Dao Realm! This means that individual must have survived at least Six Decay Tribulations. Even in the Boundless Expanse, such an individual would be considered a supreme figure on the level of those who founded the Clans and established Civilisations. His strength was immeasurable. A single thought would be enough for him to split the Spacetime of the universe and create a boundless world. Furthermore, his True Body had managed to escape the shackles of his destiny, so he was no longer controlled by destiny. Simply by using his perception, he could easily perceive the living creatures and objects all around the world. In other words, he was effectively omniscient and omnipotent.” “If he were any stronger, then he could even control his own destiny and create causality in the true sense. He would be able to turn a speck of duct into a world with a snap of his fingers.” It had to be said that the Zhuo Clan’s Founding Ancestor was close to undergoing his Sixth Spiritual Transformation, so he was almost comparable to Ancestral Dao Realm experts in terms of strength. Thus, Zhuo You’s words caused a drastic change in the expressions of the people in the Divine Elder Palace. In particular, the words ‘Ancestral Dao Realm’ pressed down on their heads like a terrifying mountain and caused them to become breathless with fear. Only those who had actually stepped into the Dao Realm would know the horrors and incredibility of an Ancestral Dao Realm experts. They simply could not imagine the means of an existence stronger than such being. When the frog at the bottom of the well came out of the small well, it would finally realise how vast the world was. Similarly, it was not until they walked out of their world and began to understand everything in the universe that they realised how insignificant they were. “If she really offended an Ancestral Dao Realm expert, then we must prepare ourselves to fight back. The fury of an Ancestral Dao Realm expert would not be easy to appease.” The expressions of Zhuo Xiu and the other Heavenly Elders became solemn. Although the Zhuo Clan was one of the strongest Clans in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, facing an Ancestral Dao Realm expert was still a frightening thought to them. A Civilisation with the protection of an Ancestral Dao Realm expert would have the qualifications to evolve into a Supreme Civilisation, which were also known as a Transcendent Civilisation. Be that as it may, that did not mean a Supreme Civilisation would have only one Ancestral Dao Realm expert. (Supreme Civilisation is like the pinnacle, which may include Transcendent Civilisations) That standard was just a threshold in a certain sense, so it could not be used to infer the true strength and heritage of a Civilisation. Take the Immortal Spirit Civilisation for example. The Immortal Spirit Civilisation might just be an Ancient Civilisation without the qualifications to become a Transcendent Civilisation, that did not necessarily mean it did not have the power and means to compete against an Ancestral Dao Realm expert. “This matter will require long-term consideration, but there’s no need to worry too much. Even an Ancestral Dao Realm experts would have difficulty finding the Immortal Spirit Civilisation without its coordinates. Besides, we might have been worrying too much. If he really wanted to, then Elder Zhuo You would not have returned safely. Even if he found us, we have the means to fight back. There’s no saying who will lose in the end.” The Elders in the hall might be worried, but they believed that the possibility was very small. Hence, they remained relatively optimistic about the situation. Zhuo You was filled with bitterness at this sight. Faced with the rather optimistic Elders, there was nothing else she could say to convince them. The disaster was already upon them. It was just that they did not know it yet. After all, she was the one who brought the disaster down on the entire Immortal Spirit Civilisation. The Elders in the Zhuo Clan soon relayed the news to their respective factions and began making preparations to face the coming disaster. On the surface, it would seem as though the Heavenly Elders handled the day-to-day affairs of the Zhuo Clan. However, the real decision-making power lay in the hands of the several Veteran Elders in the Zhuo Clan. Zhuo You’s Grandfather, Zhuo Fengxie, was one of them. “When Zhuo You asked me to divine and deduce the situation back then, I clearly perceived that there was no danger whatsoever at the time. So, how did the situation turn out this way? Could it be that something had already happened when I first performed the divination? Somebody had perceived my actions in advance and concealed the Heavenly Secrets there?” “If that’s the case, then I’m afraid Zhuo You’s return to the Zhuo Clan will not be such a simple matter. There might be a huge crisis hiding in the shadows… I knew it… A True World with the remains of an Immortal Dao Civilisation’s Immortal Flame Core would not be that simple…” At this moment, deep in the Zhuo Clan, where Spacetime as quiet and peaceful as a tranquil lake, a magnificent crystal ball shimmering with strange colours floated quietly in the air. Turbulent waves of Spiritual Energy surged inside the crystal ball, almost as though a great storm was raging within. If the storm were released, the impact would surely destroy the world and obliterate Spacetime. The substance contained within the strange crystal ball was the Spiritual Energy of Zhuo You’s Grandfather, Zhuo Fengxie. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was one of the strongest existences in the Zhuo Clan. His Talent was also the most extraordinary among the Zhuo Clan. Having already undergone his Fifth Spiritual Transformation. In other words, he was almost comparable to the Zhuo Clan’s Founding Ancestor in terms of strength. In any case, he was most proficient at divination. He once received the legacy of an Ancestral Dao Realm expert, which gave him profound attainments in the field of divination. Needless to say, the legacy was not the sole reason why he managed to achieve such heights. He not only encountered various opportunities in his life but also stole the opportunities of his descendants in the Clan. Whenever his original body decayed, he would take over and possess the body of his descendants. Take his current body for example. It actually belonged to one of his descendants. If he actually took his true Seniority into account, then he was very much older than Zhuo You’s Grandfather. It was just that his age and Seniority did not hold much significance in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation. Zhuo Fengxie was very cautious. As soon as he noticed that something was wrong, he immediately made plans to instruct his Clansmen to begin preparing countermeasures. Moreover, he was worried about the return of Zhuo You and her companions. There was a high likelihood that somebody was hiding in the shadows and plotting something nefarious. The situation was certainly not that simple. “It seems that I will have to meet Zhuo You and the others in person to determine if there will be any issues.” At this moment, the shuttle-like warship that Zhuo You previously managed was resting on a flat and wide crystal in the Zhuo Clan’s headquarters. A series of bright portals appeared around the warship, and the remnants of the army that departed with Zhuo You came out of these portals. There were many members of the Zhuo Clan waiting in the surroundings, responsible for calculating the losses. At the same time, a crystal-clear mirror that was a thousand metres wide emerged high in the sky and reflected a blazing light down below. All the living creatures that came from the flying shuttle would be reflected in the light to prevent any unknown existence from sneaking in amidst the confusion. Chu Lian joined the group of youths and followed behind the Immortals from the Spirit Ruin Civilisation. He was very nervous and worried. His back was covered in a layer of cold sweat. Just moments ago, he personally witnessed a dense layer of black mist coming out from the body of a creature that was illuminated by the light from the mirror. Then, a pillar of light as wide as a star came blasting down from the sky. The creature was annihilated and reduced to ashes in an instant. It was inevitable for one to be contaminated by strange energy when travelling through the Boundless Expanse. In fact, one might even be possessed and occupied by various indescribably mysterious substances or other living creatures. Chu Lian did not know whether he, a living creature from the Spirit Ruin Civilisation, would show any abnormality when reflected in the mirror and be struck to death on the spot. Thus, he could only hope that the Treasures given to them by Gu Changge would be effective against the mirror. It did not take long before the people from the Spirit Ruin Civilisation bravely passed through the reflected light with various emotions in their hearts and cold sweat pouring down their backs. Fortunately, they only felt a slight warmth flooding their bodies when they passed through the light. There was no danger to be seen, so they immediately relaxed in relief. Chu Lian breathed a sigh of relief. It would seem that Gu Changge truly hailed from a mysterious origin, and the Treasures he bestowed upon them were really capable of protecting them from danger. Nevertheless, he could not help wondering why he had not seen Gu Changge or the Spirit Empress. It was obvious that they had not remained in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s ship. He had also gone to the mountain valley where Gu Changge had been before he left the Small Universe, but Gu Changge was nowhere to be seen. [Forget it. What does his whereabouts have to do with me anyway? Besides, my top priority is to survive.] Chu Lian quietly thought to himself. The Immortal Spirit Civilisation was significantly older and more powerful than the Spirit Ruin Civilisation. Although this place only encompassed the Zhuo Clan’s headquarters, it was still much more extensive than the territory owned by any Clan Chu Lian knew of. Moreover, the number of universes and worlds under the Zhuo Clan’s jurisdiction was so large that they could no longer be counted. It could be said that trying to obtain information on the Zhuo Clan or the entire Immortal Spirit Civilisation would be an incredibly difficult task. “The Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s territory is vast indeed. It seems to be many times larger than the territories of the Spirit Ruin True World. Just the Zhuo Clan’s heritage alone cannot be underestimated.” … At this moment, three figures leisurely walked through the silent starry sky of the territory where the Zhuo Clan was located. Gu Changge was accompanied by the White Bone Ancestor King and the Spirit Empress. They joined him as soon as they entered the Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s territory and disembarked from the shuttle-like warship together. Afterwards, they followed behind him and came to the Zhuo Clan’s territory. The Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s territory was heavily guarded, so it was not easy for outsiders to enter at will. However, they had been hiding inside the Zhuo Clan’s warship earlier. Seeing as the Zhuo Clan was one of the strongest Clans in the Immortal Spirit Civilisation, it was only natural that not many people dared to check their warship that thoroughly. The person who spoke earlier was none other than the Spirit Empress. She was surveying the scenery before her in amazement and comparing the situation with the Spirit Ruin Civilisation. After all, the Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s world structure level was very different from other Civilisations. The magnificent crystal structures were very similar to the Ancient Stars of filled with life, and they were likewise permeated with a dense energy of life. Each huge crystal could be regarded as one of the Immortal Spirit Civilisation’s living galaxies (galaxies filled with life). Be that as it may, the overall strength of the Clans living in these galaxies was not strong. It was far from being comparable to the strength of the Zhuo Clan.