Amidst the mountain range battered by gusty winds, the allied forces filled the horizon. Yet at this moment, Gu Yuan and the others stood before the ruins of a colossal gate, their faces slightly grim. Within the rubble, faint traces of residual spatial fluctuations could still be sensed. "The spatial conduits connecting us to the Spirit Realm have all been completely destroyed," Gu Yuan said, his expression grave, before glancing at the group and adding, "Moreover, through my own detection, the Spirit Clan's spatial presence has been fully concealed—clearly, they've been preparing for this all along." Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, his expression serious. He hadn't anticipated the situation to have become so dire. With the Spirit Clan now fully hiding their spatial presence, even Gu Yuan would be unable to pinpoint their location for the time being. Though the Spirit Clan couldn't maintain this concealment indefinitely, once the Heavenly Emperor of the Spirit Clan fully absorbed the Imperial-grade embryonic pills, the allied forces would surely be at a severe disadvantage. "We've already sent people to investigate the other spatial passages leading to the Spirit Realm," said Yanjin. Guyuan shook his head slightly. Since the Spirit Clan had been well-prepared, it was clear that such a critical vulnerability had been anticipated. With their vast army now launching an assault, yet unable to find any entry points, this mission had clearly failed. "What now?" asked Lei Ying after a moment of silence, his voice slightly hoarse. "Now... we can only wait and see who has better luck," said Guyuan, offering a light sigh. "Wait for what?" Lei Ying was taken aback, asking. "Refining the Imperial-grade embryonic丹 also carries a chance of failure. Right now, all we can do is pray that the Spirit Emperor fails to successfully refine the Imperial-grade embryonic丹. As long as he doesn't advance to the Battle Emperor level, we still have a chance. Of course... if he succeeds..." At this point, Gu Yuan paused, saying, "Then heaven itself will have us destroyed." Everyone fell silent, their hearts heavy—unconsciously, they had already reached such a critical point. "Let's retreat. Leave a few scouts to monitor this area..." Gu Yuan waved his hand and then walked slowly toward the rear. "For now, I'll make every effort to locate the hidden location of the Spirit Realm. If my luck holds, I might discover it sooner than expected. Then, we'll decide whether to make a final, decisive push into the Spirit Realm and engage them in battle." Hearing Gu Yuan's words, everyone remained silent, realizing that at this moment, indeed, there were no other options left. Xiao Yan exhaled softly, gazing upward, then turned his eyes to Gu Yuan's slightly weary silhouette. For the ancient Eight Clans to repeatedly clash over the Ancient Emperor's abode, it seemed that in the end, the Spirit Clan had still reaped the greatest benefits. "Let's go," Xiao Yan said, taking hold of Xun'er and Cai Lin's slightly cold jade hands, shaking his head as he led them away. The vast coalition army gradually withdrew from the mountain range. Though some details had not yet spread far, the heavy atmosphere naturally seeped outward, creating a palpable sense of weight and restraint throughout the ranks. ... As the army withdrew, they all returned to the headquarters of the Heavenly Capital Alliance. Though the journey to the Ancient Emperor's abode had ended in failure, the coalition did not disband. Everyone knew that with the Spirit Emperor now possessing the Imperial-grade embryonic pill, their combined strength might still offer a chance of survival. But if they were scattered, their fate would be truly dire. Thus, the allied forces have remained steadfastly stationed around the headquarters of the While Heaven Alliance, constantly monitoring developments across Zhongzhou. As the allied troops gradually withdrew, time passed day by day under the anxious anticipation of many. Yet, despite this passage of time, Gu Yuan, who had been continuously probing for the hidden location of the Hún clan's realm, had not transmitted a single update—this lack of progress caused growing concern among many. The longer Húntiān Emperor takes to fully integrate and refine the realm, the greater the peril becomes for the allied forces. Though their hearts were filled with anxiety, they also understood that no matter how much they urged, their efforts would ultimately yield no tangible improvement. … In the Star Realm, Xiang Yin looked up at the vast plaza floating high in the distant sky—brought over from the Ancient Emperor's domain. On the plaza stood a colossal stone statue, towering a hundred zhang high. Though the statue itself seemed unremarkable, its sheer size, resembling a mountain range, still left many in awe. "It's been a month now…" Xiang Yin murmured, gazing at the magnificent plaza suspended in the sky. Since the Day the Soul Emperor had seized the Imperial-grade embryonic pill, it had been exactly one month. Throughout that month, the Soul Clan had vanished completely from the world's stage—no news, no trace. Even some outsiders, unaware of what had transpired, believed the Soul Clan had been utterly destroyed by the Allied Forces and came to offer congratulations. To these guests, Xiang Yin and his companions simply had no patience, offering only brief hospitality before politely sending them away. "Brother Xiang Yin." Behind him, a soft voice echoed. Xiao Yan turned his head, gazing at the girl whose graceful steps and delicate features stirred a gentle smile on his face. "Has there been any news from the old uncle?" Xiao Yan asked. When Xun'er shook her head, he sighed softly, disappointed, closing his eyes as a wave of weariness washed over him. The feeling of simply waiting passively was truly unpleasant. Standing before Xiao Yan, Xun'er gently leaned into his arms, lifting her refined face to rest against his chest. With her slightly cool jade hands, she gently massaged his temples, aiming to ease his fatigue. Inhaling the alluring fragrance of the girl before him, Xiao Yan stretched his arms, embracing her delicate waist, and buried his face in Xun'er's dark hair, murmuring, "After all these years of striving, will it come down to failure after all?" "Xiao Yan brother has already done an extraordinary thing," Xun'er smiled gently and said softly, "No matter what the final outcome is, in many people's hearts, Xiao Yan brother is considered the most successful." "But I've clearly failed," Xiao Yan chuckled, shaking his head. "Didn't Xiao Yan brother himself once say that only by letting go can one truly grasp, and only then can one be at ease?" Xun'er said softly. "Things are not the same now as they used to be. To let go now would mean letting go of the entire Tianfu Alliance, even the ancient clan, the Lei clan, and the Yan clan." Xiao Yan took a deep breath, lifting his gaze to the bright moon in the sky, and said, "Sometimes, one can grasp, yet cannot let go." Staring at the resolute face that had reemerged, Xuanyi gently bit her lower lip, resting her head against Xiao Yan's chest, a beauty so profound it seemed to move the very air. "Xiao Yan brother, we'll succeed..." Amid the dull silence, Lei Ying suddenly slammed his palm down on the table, shaking it into a fine powder. He leapt to his feet, gritting his teeth and shouting, "Who are you fighting with? With whom are you going to fight?" Inu Jin, beside him, furrowed his brow and replied. Lei Ying clenched his jaw, then finally sighed heavily, slumping back into his seat with a sense of defeat. The Hún clan had been avoiding showing themselves—whom could he possibly fight with? "Ladies and gentlemen," Xiao Yan glanced around the hall, ready to speak some inspiring words. But just as he opened his mouth, the space of the hall began to ripple, and the figure of Gǔ Yuán emerged. Upon seeing Gǔ Yuán appear, everyone instantly rose to their feet, exclaiming urgently, "Any news?" Gǔ Yuán's expression was unusually solemn. He nodded slowly, yet before the crowd could rejoice, he continued, "We have indeed discovered the hidden location of the Hún realm—but it's already too late." "Hearing this, everyone felt as though a sudden flood of cool water had been poured over them, their earlier excitement instantly fading. "Uncle Gu?" Xiao Yan hesitated before speaking. Gu Yuan sighed softly and then directed his gaze toward the sky above the Central Province. At that very moment, the entire space of the Central Province began to tremble violently—a phenomenon that was immediately noticed by Xiao Yan and the others, who quickly stepped out of the hall and looked upward. There, a dark circular glow suddenly emerged, expanding with astonishing speed and swiftly enveloping the entire Central Province. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" As the glow appeared, the celestial energies throughout the Central Province surged and boiled, leaving countless powerful figures stunned, lifting their heads to gaze at the sky. Under the watchful eyes of countless people from the Central Plains, the black light began to ripple across the sky, eventually transforming into a luminous tripod amidst the waves of astonishment. The scale of the tripod was beyond description—seeming to encompass the entire Central Plains within its vast form.