In an unknown location, an ordinary-looking black temple stood at the foot of a mountain.

Surrounding the mountain were many wooden houses, forming a small village.

Everyone in the village wore a black robe embroidered with the image of a mysterious being.

It was eerily quiet, with everyone minding their own business.

On the street, there was no sound of children playing or of animals.

Only the rapid footsteps of people going back and forth could be heard.

Inside the black temple, men and women stood on both sides, staring at the old man seated on the throne at the center.

"Has it been done?" the old man on the throne asked.

"Yes, ancestor." A middle-aged man stepped forward. "But they are holding strong," he added with a slight, shaky voice.

Hmm?

Everyone inside the temple was confused.

How was that possible?

Against such a powerful beast tide, how could a mere mortal city hold on?

"From our spies, we found out the Frostwind Academy was also in the city, joining in the battle," he explained.

When everyone heard this, a look of realization appeared on their faces.

But the danger of not completing their mission lingered in their minds.

"What should we do? The tide cannot last long." A woman asked. "Our deity has given us a mission, and failure is not an option."

The temple descended into eerie silence.

The mention of their deity sent a cold shiver down their spines.

Although their deity was powerful, they knew how brutal and cruel it was.

It would not tolerate failure; anyone who failed it was eaten alive.

This had happened repeatedly, turning into a heart demon for them all. Thus, on no occasion did they want to fail their deity.

After a moment, an old man suggested, "Should we personally deal with them?"

"No, we can't. It is not time for the world to know of our existence," another replied. "Then, what should we do?"

This was a question no one could answer.

They thought, with the ruin beast tide, it would be easy to wipe out the Mystic City and kill the chosen heaven.

But they were wrong.

Their target seemed to have been prepared for their attack.

Suddenly, a man said, "Why don't we lure him out?"

Hmm?

Everyone inside the temple turned and looked in the direction of the voice.

Feeling the gaze of everyone, the man stepped forward and looked at their ancestor.

"Everyone knows the chosen one is a master in array formations. We can use this to our advantage…" He paused, waiting for the ancestor's decision.

"Continue…" the ancient voice of the ancestor loomed inside the temple.

"Yes, ancestor." The man smiled. "We have many ancient array formation diagrams and manuals. I suggest we place a Peak Tier-1 Ruin close to a Tier-2 Ruin and spread the ruins."

"With a few bait, I don't believe the chosen one would come out to explore the ruin. Then, our men can easily finish him, completing our deity's mission."

Listening to his plan, everyone's eyes inside the temple shone with brightness.

This was brilliant.

"Good. You will be in charge of this plan. Succeed and I will mention it to the deity," the Ancestor said, his voice devoid of emotion.

…

Inside the Gong Clan main hall, two ordinary men dressed in plain robes sat staring at the Gong Clan matriarch.

"May I know who you are?" the matriarch asked in a cold, cautious voice.

The older of the two men smiled amiably.

"Matriarch, you don't have to be cautious against us. We're friends."

However, the cold, cautious expression on her face did not lessen.

Two expert cultivators were no ordinary force.

Apart from the Jun Clan, she did not know of any force that could produce such powerful men.

Even her clan could not easily dispatch two expert cultivators at once.

For the two men, they did not mind her cautious behavior.

"Matriarch, what do we join hands to deal with Jun Wu, the Heaven-Chosen?" he asked calmly.

The matriarch's expression did not change; her eyes were locked on them.

"Why should I do that? I know nothing of you. Who knows whether you're enemies pretending to be friends?"

"I understand your caution, but you shouldn't fear. If we really intend to target your Gong Clan, you will be done before you know it."

Hmm?!

The casual confidence in his voice told the matriarch that the man was bluffing.

But she was not willing to believe them easily.

"Since you're so strong, why don't you destroy him?" she fired back.

She was not naïve enough to believe anything anyone casually said.

This time, it was the second man who responded.

"There are some secrets that must not be revealed. This is the reason many powerful cultivators have not been taking action. Dispatching expert realm cultivators should be done moderately, else…"

"I hope the matriarch could understand what I'm trying to say." The Gong Clan matriarch did not respond immediately.

She was privy to some secrets, although not all.

She understood that powerful cultivators must not fight frequently.

"Why should I trust you?" she asked, neither agreeing nor rejecting their offer.

"Simple. Because we're in the same boat." The first man chuckled. "You might know the region is changing quickly, and if we continue to allow the chosen one to exist…."

His voice trailed off.

"Forget about maintaining your life or saving your clan. The incoming danger is beyond what you can imagine."

"Why do you think we came out to meet you?"

The matriarch stared at the men and realized they were telling the truth.

But this shocked her deeply.

She could not wrap her head around the incoming danger.

Their clan archives were not complete, missing much important information.

Yet there had been many instances mentioning their world facing a powerful threat.

Could this be the threat the records were talking about?

She took a deep breath and asked,

"How do we cooperate to handle him?"

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