The dreaded Forbidden Sea. Even the sky above was sealed.
Fallen Angels generally possessed a half-god's cultivation—beings that weaker races revered as an ancient divine clan. Yet such beings could not withstand the sealing power of the Forbidden Sea. Not far away, a human warrior capable of Sky-Mastery flight was swiftly annihilated by radiant light. He was a half-god-level expert stationed at the island's periphery, waiting to escort his side's young elites home—a towering figure of the Longevity Continent.
Practitioners of the Deathless Longevity and Nirvana realms rarely troubled themselves with the mortal world. Half-gods of the Sky-Mastery realm stood at the very apex of worldly power. They could contend with the legendary ancient divine race of Fallen Angels and vie with Radiant Sacred Dragons. Yet they could not withstand the sealing power of the Forbidden Sea.
The young elites at the island's edge broke down. If even half-gods could not escape the Forbidden Sea, how were they to leave? They were forever imprisoned here. That day, terror swept through Dragon Island. This sudden catastrophe was like doomsday descending upon them.
Dragon Island offered no hope. Dragon Island was a place of despair.
The divine light on Dragon Island faded, returning to its former state. The surrounding seas gradually calmed, the radiance withdrawn. But one could clearly sense that a mysterious power had infused the waters, severing Dragon Island from the Longevity Continent.
For nearly a month, Xiao Chen had been cultivating. Strength was the only truth.
Not until today, when this massive upheaval struck Dragon Island, was he jolted from his practice. He quickly learned what had happened. For him, it was a thunderbolt. But despair and regret were useless. He had to focus on the present. Panic would soon sweep the island, and if certain individuals sought to exploit it, the coming days would be perilous beyond measure.
Xiao Chen confined himself to a stretch of rocky cliffs. He had to ride out this initial dark period. For now, the priority was simple survival.
And indeed, the next three days unfolded exactly as he had foreseen. A bloodstorm swept across the island. A cruel, great reshuffling took place.
This was not the work of one or two instigators. Many fanned the flames, plunging the despairing masses into terror. Chaos and slaughter felled many young elites.
Wherever there were people, there were ambitious, ruthless aspirants. This was Dragon Island's first great reshuffling. The concealed hands were not yet visible; only when the island grew calm again would clues emerge.
For three days, countless practitioners struck out in near hopeless fury. Female cultivators bore the brunt of it—their beauty invited calamity. Desperate crowds, their bestial natures unleashed, no longer hesitated to commit deeds they would never have dared before.
Those days were steeped in sin. The strong lived, the weak died—this became the island's unshakable truth. In just three days, nearly half of Dragon Island's practitioners perished. Hundreds were killed. Many savage beasts feasted to their fill.
It was a terrible disaster. A force-driven reshuffling.
In those dark, chaotic three days, a number of truly fearsome experts fell—those whom the hidden instigators viewed as threats. Now it was over.
After the brutal reshuffling, the island gradually quieted. Everyone woke to their situation. Each began to consider how to survive.
Those who had entered Dragon Island were representatives of various factions, inherently opposed to one another. But now forming alliances became the trend. To survive well, they had to unite and pool their strength.
Tree Valley was a prime example. During the three-day purge, hidden forces had indeed targeted it. Many coveted Zhao Lin'er's unparalleled beauty, and in their despair, they repeatedly assaulted the valley. But before Tree Valley, corpses piled up. The attackers suffered heavy losses and failed to take it. This showed the importance of forming alliances—only through unity could one possess strong survival capability.
Yet only those within Tree Valley knew how precarious their safety had been. Though several powerful trees had joined the defense, they could not have held back the wave of maddened cultivators if not for a fearsome young man who emerged from the valley's depths at the critical moment.
That young man stood over two meters tall, with long, dark green hair. His strength was comparable to a ferocious dragon. The vast majority of practitioners who stormed Tree Valley were slain by his hand.
Once the battle ended, Yarod and Kao left, for Yarod realized he could not subdue the trees there. He and Kao began preparing to form their own alliance.
No sooner had the great purge ended than more than a dozen alliances appeared. They included the Nature Alliance founded by Yarod and Kao, the Dharma Alliance formed by Yizhen and his senior brother Yichi, Undying Alliance established by Yan Qingcheng and Lande, the Radiance Alliance forged by Radiant Spellmaster Shirod, the Blue Rain Alliance founded by female spiritist Blue Rain…
Tree Valley could be considered the first alliance. After the reshuffling, powerful cultivators raced to build alliances and expand their strength. Alliances became the overarching trend—only thus could one be strong and survive better.
Clearly, certain hidden hands behind the purge were among the alliance founders. Now they began recruiting soldiers and expanding their power.
In just two or three days, some alliances had grown to forty or fifty members. With only six to seven hundred people left on the island, an alliance of several dozen was terrifying. Left unchecked, such groups would eventually dominate Dragon Island.
Among the weaker alliances and unaffiliated cultivators, many were shrewd. They banded together to cry out and spread word: There would be no overlord on Dragon Island, no emperor. All individuals were free and equal!
To prevent the rise of super-alliances, a harsh rule gradually gained acceptance: no alliance could exceed ten members. If any alliance did, all others would unite to bring it down.
Thus the emergence of super-powers was curbed.
The vast majority supported this rule, for they understood clearly what it meant. It averted many terrible consequences. Otherwise, someone might become the 'emperor' of Dragon Island, or a regional hegemon, while the rest would be enslaved and turned into obedient pawns.
This was something the hidden instigators had not anticipated. Those on Dragon Island were all elites. The instigators had merely struck first in a single assault. Once others calmed down, they proved no less intelligent.
No comments:
Post a Comment