The enigmatic dark mastermind behind the epoch ending calamities!

Back in the Fortune Dominion, Lin Xun had heard Chen Linkong mention that he had been searching for clues to the mastermind behind it all for countless years. The Fortune Dominion contained numerous epochal civilizations, yet no one could escape from there. The reason was that they were trapped within by a strange, unpredictable force.

Furthermore, this force had originated from that mysterious and unfathomable hand behind the scenes! However, Lin Xun never imagined that the calamity currently befalling the Origin Sect might also be related to the mastermind behind the change of epochs! If that were true, it would be incredibly chilling.

Suddenly, Tian Wu barked out an anger filled laugh before saying, "Old rascal, stop playing tricks! To this day, no one in this world knows whether the mastermind behind the cycles of epochs is a living being or a special kind of law power. Yet you shamelessly claim it's a scheme orchestrated by that mastermind—how laughable!"

"I wish it were all a lie." Xu Yin's eyes were deep and unfathomable as he sighed softly.

Shi stepped forward and said, "Too much time has been wasted. A battle will settle all disputes."

"Exactly."

The yellow-robed elder, Yuan Feihu, had eyes that were filled with sharp fighting intent. The other powerful Eternals present on their side were all eager to act.

"Since you are all so willing to go all out, my Spirit Sect will naturally not hold back too much." Xu Yin stated coldly, and his words had barely come out of his mouth when—Whoosh!

A violent ripple spread through the void, and two figures emerged. One wore a straw hat paired with a straw raincoat, resembling a mundane fisherman. The other had a feather fan and a turban, possessed the refined appearance of a scholar, and held a jade ruler.

Both exuded the aura of the Eternal Stage; they were Sector Heads of the Spirit Sect. The former's daoist name was Dongli, whereas the latter's daoist name was Zhizheng. Suddenly, the Origin Sect had two more Eternals on their side. Together with Taixuan, Kong Jue, and Yan Ji, they were evenly matched with the five Eternals from the Ninth Heaven Domain!

A commotion erupted in the arena; no one had expected the Spirit Sect to go to such lengths to help the Origin Sect.

"Old Daoist, do you really want me to owe you a favor?" Yuan Chu sighed.

Xu Yin said, "If the lips are gone, then the teeth will be cold. If the Origin Sect falls, the next to fall will probably be my Spirit Sect."

The situation had changed, but before Lin Xun could even breathe a sigh of relief, the Zen Sect's founder, Shi, couldn't help but sigh, "I foresaw that there were going to be many variables today. It seems that a victor is destined to be decided among the Four Great Ancestral Courts today."

His voice was still echoing when a chorus of Buddhist chants resounded in the void, and two majestic golden figures appeared one after another. The former was incredibly old, his face deeply lined with wrinkles; he was the Zen Sect's Past Buddha, Jiaxiu. The latter looked like a young man, full of youthful vigor; he was the Zen Sect's Future Buddha, Jiajing.

In an instant, the situation had changed again! Lin Xun couldn't help but feel a headache coming on and a tightness crept up in his chest. These old guys had far too many backup plans, causing the situation to change multiple times. Who could have imagined so many variables before?

Looking at the expressions of Xuan Feiling, Tu Muhun, and Jikong, they were all filled with surprise and doubt, clearly caught off guard. This was obviously something they couldn't have foreseen!

"Shouldn't your Shaman Sect's Eternals be making their move?" Yuan Chu, the founder of the Origin Sect, asked coldly, his expression icy. Today's changes were truly breathtaking; everyone had prepared a backup plan, pushing the situation to an extreme precipice.

Once it all erupted, the Origin Sect would undoubtedly be the first to suffer! At this moment, Taixuan, Yan Ji, Kong Jue, and the others wore solemn yet calm expressions. This was a deadly game of chess. Until the very last moment, no one knew what the other players might have up their sleeves.

Tian Wu, the founder of the Shaman Sect, said, "Things have come to this point; it is indeed time to determine a winner. Lei Wu and Xiao Ying, you two can come out now."

This announcement weighed heavily on Lin Xun's heart. As expected, the Shaman Sect also had true Eternals deployed! If so, the enemy now possessed a total of nine Eternals, giving them an absolute numerical advantage.

Even more terrifying was that once a battle broke out, leaving aside the ultimate impact of that destructive power on the entire universe, the Origin World, where the Origin Sect resided, could very well be destroyed!

If that happened, how could any of the Origin Sect members sheltered in the Heavenly Origin Secret Realm possibly survive? How could You Beihai, who was currently undergoing his eternal tribulation, remain unaffected?

However, as Tian Wu’s voice faded, there was a prolonged silence. The atmosphere suddenly became eerie. Both the Origin Sect and their opponents sensed something was amiss.

What's going on?

Even Lin Xun noticed something unexpected had occurred. Finally, a spatial fluctuation arose. Immediately afterward, a figure appeared out of thin air. However, it wasn't the two Eternals from the Shaman Sect. Instead, it was a man in black robes.

He was as handsome as jade, with a refined and elegant demeanor, and his bearing was unparalleled. The aura emanating from him was merely at the perfect Transcendence Stage, which seemed insignificant amidst the crowd of Eternal Stage experts.

Upon seeing him, Lin Xun couldn't help but exclaim, "Second Senior Brother, how could it be you?!"

That man was none other than Zhong Qiu, the second disciple of Fangchun Mountain. The Lord of Fangchun Mountain had once bestowed upon him the daoist name Qianyu, wishing him to be a humble and gentle gentleman, as warm and refined as jade.

Unfortunately, Zhong Qiu was completely unlike a gentleman. He was too arrogant, to the point that he became the only disciple whose daoist name was later revoked by the Lord of Fangchun Mountain. Their master had lamented that Zhong Qiu's arrogance was a reflection of his heart; the higher his cultivation, the more arrogant his heart, and it was an unchangeable trait...

In short, barring unforeseen circumstances, arrogance would permeate Zhong Qiu's entire life.

“Why couldn’t it be me?”

After Zhong Qiu appeared, he completely ignored the scrutinizing gazes of the terrifying beings around him and said, “Junior Brother, do you think that someone like me, who hasn’t even reached the Eternal Stage, is just a burden?”

As he spoke, he appeared in front of Lin Xun.

Lin Xun shook his head and said, “How could that be? I just didn’t expect you to be here.”

Back in the Ancient Nebula Road, his second senior brother, Zhong Qiu, had left before him, heading to the Eternal True Realm, leaving only Big Yellow to guard the Underworld. From then until now, Lin Xun had never heard any news about his second senior brother.

He knew that his eldest senior brother and the others were trapped in the Taiyu True Realm whereas his third senior sister and the others had entered the Spirit Sect to cultivate. Only his second senior brother, Zhong Qiu, and fourth senior brother, Ling Xuanzi, had remained completely out of contact.

Thus, seeing his second senior brother, Zhong Qiu, appear now caught him somewhat off guard.

"That's exactly what I expected; that's what you call a variable." Zhong Qiu smiled slightly. "Junior Brother, since today's situation arose because of our Fangchun Mountain, it should naturally be resolved by us too."

As he spoke, he bowed to Yuan Chu, Xu Yin, Xuan Feiling, Taixuan, Yan Ji, and the others, saying earnestly, "Zhong Qiu, the second disciple of Fangchun Mountain, greets you all."

He was merely at the perfect Transcendence Stage, yet at this moment, he displayed a demeanor that was in no way inferior to any of the great figures present—magnificent, composed, and possessing unparalleled charisma.

Yuan Chu, Xu Yin, and the others, though somewhat puzzled, nodded slightly. They all could see that Zhong Qiu had clearly come prepared.

"Resolved by your Fangchun Mountain?" In the distance, Tian Wu sneered, saying, "This old man wants to see how a Transcendence Stage ant like you will resolve this."

He too had sensed the peculiarity behind Zhong Qiu's arrival.

Zhong Qiu turned, his gaze sweeping over the terrifying figures in the distance before finally settling on Tian Wu. He chuckled. "Do you know why the two Heaven Shamans, Lei Wu and Xiao Ying, couldn't come?"

His words were like a thunderbolt, causing everyone present to change their expressions. Previously, Tian Wu had planned to send two Eternals from the Shaman Sect to join the battle, thus gaining an absolute advantage and securing the victory.

However, the two Heaven Shamans, Lei Wu and Xiao Ying, still had not appeared. This unusual situation had already attracted everyone's attention. Now, with Zhong Qiu here, it was as if the answer to this mystery had been revealed!

"Was this your doing, Fangchun Mountain?" Tian Wu roared in fury.

Two Eternals! If either of them had died, the very foundation of the Shaman Sect Ancestral Court would suffer a severe blow!

Zhong Qiu smiled and said, "Don't worry, they should have been sent to the Kunlun Dominion by now. If they're lucky, they won't suffer from any disasters."

Kunlun Dominion!

Everyone present became shocked and uncertain. No one had expected that the disappearance of Lei Wu and Xiao Ying would be related to the Kunlun Dominion, one of the four great dao dominions. What exactly was Fangchun Mountain up to?

At this moment, Yuan Chu, Xu Yin, and the others looked at Zhong Qiu with a strange light in their eyes. Lin Xun’s senior brother had clearly arrived to break the deadlock!

"What do you mean by that?" Tian Wu's voice was low, his brows furrowed with shock and anger.

Zhong Qiu's smile faded, and he said earnestly, "My master said that if a great battle breaks out here, not only will the Origin Sect be destroyed, but countless lives in the entire Seventh Heaven Domain will also be in danger. Such consequences are certainly not what anyone here wants to see. Rather than that, it would be better to settle things in the Kunlun Dominion. Even if the Kunlun Dominion is shattered, it won't affect a single blade of grass or tree in this world."

"So it was that Old Bodhi who was behind this!" Tian Wu's eyes were terrifyingly cold.

A commotion arose. This was too unexpected; no one had anticipated that, with both sides constantly revealing their trump cards, that the appearance of Fangchun Mountain would suddenly cause such a dramatic shift in the situation!

Lin Xun, however, was filled with excitement. Previously, he had felt stifled and powerless as the ever-changing situation had even left him with little hope. However, with the arrival of his second senior brother, everything seemed to be reversing!

Zhong Qiu calmly said, "Your various groups have joined forces, displaying overwhelming power, to settle this score before the Origin Sect's gates. Since this matter arose because of my Fangchun Mountain, how could Fangchun Mountain not meddle?"

"So, the Lord of Fangchun Mountain has already arrived?" asked Shi abruptly, his voice resounding throughout the entire area.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Even Lin Xun couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.

However, Zhong Qiu shook his head, saying with utmost composure, "My master went to the All-Wonder Dominion long ago. Even the power of his Will Dharma Form remains in the Kunlun Dominion; he has not come."

Everyone was stunned, utterly bewildered.