The sound, though not loud, possessed a power that struck directly at the very soul. Those cultivators outside the planet-sized form of Wangyue felt its impact lessened, but those within its colossal body bore the brunt of its force.

Within Wangyue, Yao clansmen and members of other cultivating families alike were seized by a primal dread, a terror born from the deepest recesses of their being.

The instinctive urge to flee consumed them all. They surged upwards, towards the surface. Some, closer than others, broke through, poised to escape. But in that instant, the countless swaying tendrils upon the land stirred to life, whipping forth with terrifying speed.

These long, sinuous appendages formed an impenetrable barrier. Every attempt to break free was met with failure!

As more and more cultivators clawed their way towards the surface, the tendrils emitted a choking black mist. None could escape its suffocating embrace!

Any attempt to break the tendrils with spell or weapon proved futile. All magic was rendered useless. One unfortunate cultivator, caught in the grasping coils, had his body crushed instantly. His nascent soul, upon contact with the tendrils, was devoured whole.

The gruesome spectacle sent shivers of horror through the remaining cultivators.

Yao Bingyun, shrouded in a veil of ice magic, materialized within Wangyue. Even as she appeared, she coughed up a mouthful of black blood, her face turning a sickly green as dark veins pulsed beneath her skin.

“What sorcery is this?!” she gasped, spitting more tainted blood, blacker than before.

She had been caught in a blast of frigid wind during her ice-shrouded teleport. Though immune to the cold through her own cultivation, she had felt a bone-chilling touch. Now, despite purging much of the wind’s influence, a trace remained, an unyielding sliver that refused to be banished. This constant cold weakened her, and even more terrifying, her very essence seemed to be fading.

With grim determination, Yao Bingyun made for the surface, only to be confronted by the writhing forest of tendrils. No cultivator could break through.

Before, she had dismissed the tendrils as mere curiosities. Now, her keen mind recognized them for what they were: identical to the appendages of the strange beast she had encountered before!

Yao Bingyun’s eyes widened in horror. A chill ran down her spine, raising gooseflesh upon her arms. Her face was a mask of dread, her eyes reflecting utter disbelief.

“This… these tendrils… the Northern Domain cultivators spoke true! This cultivating star… it is that beast, grown to unimaginable size!”

The tremors continued to intensify, until finally, the land began to crumble, disintegrating into swirling dust. The roar emanating from within Wangyue grew deafening.

Deep within the planet, Wang Lin relentlessly severed the crimson threads that bound the beast. With each thread broken, the tremors grew stronger.

He plunged deeper, into the heart of the crimson web. The density of the threads increased with every step. His eyes glinting with cold fury, Wang Lin unleashed his Severing Hand technique, shattering thread after thread.

Suddenly, he stopped. Before him stretched a network of crimson cables, each thicker than a man. These were unlike anything he had seen before. With a surge of adrenaline, Wang Lin launched himself forward, grasped the cables, and tore them apart with all his might.

A furious, earth-shattering roar echoed through Wangyue’s body, as the crimson cables were rent asunder.

With a deafening crash, the cultivating star began its final, irreversible collapse. An ancient aura permeated the air. Before the stunned eyes of the outside cultivators, a colossal rift opened in the heart of the star, widening until it revealed an oval-shaped monstrosity!

A wave of pure rage washed over the land. Wangyue had awakened!

At that moment, Wang Lin focused his intent, concealing his presence within Wangyue’s body. He sat down in a meditative posture, alert and prepared.

ROAR!

The cry was like a hurricane, like a thousand thunderclaps erupting at once. Sonic booms reverberated outwards, scattering and pulverizing the surrounding space. The cultivators nearby paled, stumbling backwards in terror.

At that moment, regardless of their cultivation level, they were filled with a sense of dread, utterly unable to face the awakened beast.

Gigantic tendrils, each thousands of feet long, uncoiled and writhed from Wangyue’s body. A massive crevice slowly appeared on its head.

“What… what is this?!”

“This cultivating star… it truly was a monstrous beast! How can we possibly hope to defeat such a thing?!”

“This beast must predate the Immortal Realm’s collapse! Xu Mu has lured us here to die by proxy!”

“There is no fighting this thing! Retreat!”

A cacophony of cries erupted as a large portion of the surrounding cultivators turned and fled. Only Second Step powerhouses, it seemed, could stand against such a beast.

Wangyue was enraged. The pain throbbing within its body was minor, merely enough to rouse it from its slumber. Its true fury stemmed from being awakened so prematurely.

A few decades were but a blink of an eye for it. As far as it was concerned, it had only just fallen asleep before being rudely disturbed.

Consumed by rage, it saw the swarm of tiny, insignificant creatures fleeing. It unleashed a roar a thousand times more powerful than before. The roar shattered the surrounding starry sky, creating fissures that spread uncontrollably throughout the Northern Domain of Luotian.

Some of the weaker cultivators were instantly obliterated by the shockwave, their bodies exploding and souls unable to escape their destruction.

Wangyue’s anger was far from spent. It lurched forward, a simple movement for it, but to the fleeing cultivators, it was a monstrous beast bearing down on them with terrifying speed.

The pupils of the cultivators ahead contracted in horror…