The ceaseless roar of the Sea Wall Storm intensified tenfold, a cataclysmic sound that seemed to tear the very fabric of space. Ghastly fissures bloomed around them, whispering eerie wails that mingled with the storm’s deafening shriek. This sound, sharp and overwhelming, carried a power that threatened to shatter minds and crush bodies, radiating outwards from the Sea Wall’s heart in a thunderous wave.

From the Ancient Clan’s ranks, the powerful Three-Vein arrived, traversing rainbow bridges that transformed into a protective net of arcane sigils. They struggled to find their footing, their hearts reeling as they witnessed the furious Sea Wall Storm. They sensed within it a raw, untamed power capable of annihilation. This power could inspire dread in lesser beings, but Wang Lin and the six Grand Empyreans of the Immortal and Ancient Clans stood apart. Having achieved such heights of cultivation, they possessed the strength to either resist or disregard this colossal force.

Wang Lin paid the roaring storm no heed. Its clamor fell upon his ears without stirring his spirit. No matter how violent the sound, it held no power to instill fear within him. He had walked a path so long that, in all the lands of Immortal’s Gloom, and even beyond into the infinite expanse, there were few things that could truly inspire his dread.

The six Grand Empyreans, however, were not so detached. While they withstood the deafening noise, they understood that the warriors and clansfolk behind them, from both clans, were beginning to buckle under its strain. Without hesitation, Song Tian of the Ancient Clan appeared beside his people the instant the Sea Wall Storm’s roar crested. With a flick of his sleeve, a gargantuan sun blazed into existence behind him. Drawing upon his Grand Empyrean cultivation, he shielded the Three-Vein clansfolk from the storm’s sonic assault. Xuan Luo and the other Ancient Grand Empyrean followed suit, their combined might preventing the terrified Ancient clansfolk from collapsing or retreating in the face of the overwhelming sound.

On the Immortal Clan’s side, Jiu Di and his companions acted in unison with Song Tian, forming protective barriers to safeguard their hundreds of Immortal Clan warriors against the tempestuous noise.

Wang Lin remained seated, a serene island amidst the chaos. He offered aid to no one. Such actions were ultimately meaningless; the inevitable outcome twelve days hence was clear to him. He glanced at the surrounding Immortal and Ancient clansfolk, then closed his eyes. “Twelve days until the opening,” he thought, “yet the Sea Wall Storm’s roar is already like the two days before the opening of the Ancient God Realm…”

“At this rate, they will not be able to remain here!”

“This iteration of the Ancient God Realm is peculiar… vastly different from what has come before!”

The six Grand Empyreans flanking the Sea Wall Storm exchanged worried glances. As the days passed, the storm’s roar grew ever more intense. By the time only nine days remained until the Ancient God Realm’s opening, the tempestuous clamor reverberated across the entire Desolate Basin. Even in the distant provinces bordering the basin, amongst the Immortal and Ancient Clans, the distant echoes of the raging storm could be heard.

As the ninth day drew to a close, the Sea Wall Storm’s roar defied description. Even the combined might of the six Grand Empyreans seemed barely enough to withstand it. The deafening blast fractured the sky, cracked the earth, and caused those few hundred under the Grand Empyreans’ protection to bleed from their orifices.

“Nine days remain! We cannot endure! At this intensity, it is like the final day of the previous openings. To continue further will result in deaths, and even we will be injured before we even set foot within the Ancient God Realm!”

“It seems that so many cannot be allowed to enter this time,” Wu Feng declared urgently. Dao Yi, standing beside him, nodded in grim silence.

Jiu Di, gritting his teeth, acted without further hesitation. He sent forth a divine decree. “All cultivators below the rank of Harmony Sovereign, retreat! Quickly teleport out of the Desolate Basin!”

At the same time, Song Tian and his two companions of the Ancient Clan reached a decision. Those amongst the clansfolk they protected who had not yet survived the Three Calamities and Seven Plagues were sent swiftly retreating, fleeing the epicenter of the roaring storm.

Moments later, less than a hundred warriors from each side remained, flanking the Sea Wall Storm. The Grand Empyreans’ burden lessened substantially with their reduced number.

Wang Lin watched silently, his expression unchanging. He merely gazed upon the Sea Wall Storm, observing the widening fissures between the gates formed of the Nine Heavens, as if they were a doorway beckoning to him.

Time continued its relentless march. Three more days passed, leaving only six until the opening. The roar emanating from within and around the Sea Wall was now many times more intense than it had been just three days before. This was the condition of the final day, and anxiety took hold of the six Grand Empyreans. Once again, they teetered on the brink of collapse. Unless their numbers dwindled further, they too would be affected.

“Wang Lin!” Xuan Luo called out to him, the first time he had addressed him in this tumultuous place. In truth, Song Tian and the other Ancient Grand Empyrean had already placed their hopes upon Wang Lin, but they were puzzled why Gu Dao had not appeared. However, this was not the time to ponder these things. As they heard Xuan Luo’s words, Song Tian and the other Ancient Grand Empyrean looked towards Wang Lin.

“Master…” Wang Lin rose to his feet, casting a sympathetic glance upon Xuan Luo, who was exerting all his power to withstand the relentless roar. “Master, it is futile. They will not reach the Ancient God Realm in the end, and perhaps not even you…” Wang Lin spoke softly. Still, he raised his right hand and waved it towards the less…
More than one hundred Ancient clansfolk were protected by Xuan Luo and the others. The instant Wang Lin swept his hand through the air, Xuan Luo and his comrades felt all pressure vanish. The roar seemed to cease entirely, and the Ancient clansfolk instantly recovered from their agony.

“Gu Dao must have sensed this as well. That is why he has not yet appeared, to forcibly intervene,” Xuan Luo said.

Xuan Luo and his companions remained silent, now sensing the unsettling nature of the Ancient God Realm’s opening. Only six days remained. They could scarcely imagine the extent of the roar on the final day. Perhaps even they would be forced to…

While the Ancient Clan had Wang Lin’s aid, the Immortal Clan on the other side of the Sea Wall were forced to make more sacrifices under the struggling protection of Jiu Di and his companions.

“Gold Sovereign… Heaven Sovereign… all of you retreat! Quickly teleport out of this Desolate Land!” Jiu Di’s voice echoed.

Amongst the near hundred warriors, a vast majority looked with sorrow at the Sea Wall, filled with regret. They retreated one by one, leaving only eleven. Not all Transcendence Sovereigns chose to come. These eleven were those who dared.

Only six days remained. For all but Wang Lin, those six days were torture. Although the Ancient Clan’s numbers were considerable, Wang Lin’s earlier words caused them to hesitate.

As the time passed and only three days remained until the opening, the Sea Wall’s roar was many times greater than previous openings. The Immortal Clan’s remaining eleven Transcendence Sovereigns departed in silent resignation, choosing to teleport out of the Desolate Basin.

Jiu Di and his companions sat cross-legged, clustered together. With no more Transcendence Sovereigns to protect, they were free to focus their power on withstanding the Sea Wall’s roar, prolonging their endurance.

Witnessing the plight of the Immortal Clan on the other side, Xuan Luo and his companions felt a bitter taste. They had a feeling that what Wang Lin said was true. If not for Wang Lin’s intervention, perhaps they too would be reduced to only three.

The final three days were the most agonizing. Unnoticed, one day passed. As the day drew to a close, the Sea Wall Storm suddenly intensified a hundredfold in a terrifying burst!

A hundredfold increase! Heaven and earth shattered, becoming countless fragments that scattered in all directions. The sky and earth were turned to nothing. Jiu Di and his companions instantly paled, swiftly connecting their spirits to defend themselves.

On the Ancient Clan’s side, all remained calm. Xuan Luo and the others felt no increase in the storm’s ferocity. What they witnessed only gave them a deeper understanding of Wang Lin’s power.

On the second to last day, Gu Dao arrived. His appearance was silent and subtle, as if he had always been there. Emerging from the void, he sat beside Wang Lin. After a glance at the Sea Wall Storm, he sighed.

“Xuan Luo, the three of you remain. The rest, depart,” he said.

As he spoke, he raised his right hand and waved it towards the nearly one hundred clansfolk. They immediately turned ethereal and slowly vanished.

Wang Lin glanced at Gu Dao, but said nothing. He continued to gaze at the Sea Wall Storm, focusing on the widening gap in the stone gates. A trace of anticipation flickered in his eyes.

At that moment, only eight of them remained outside the Sea Wall Storm. A void surrounded them, for heaven and earth had collapsed, leaving a landscape that was but an illusion.

When the day faded and the last day arrived, the Sea Wall Storm’s roar engulfed the void, forming an immense vortex. As it spun, Jiu Di and his companions spewed blood, thrown backwards thousands of feet. Filled with regret, they knew that they had reached their limit. Dao Yi was the first to grit his teeth and leave, followed by the unwilling Wu Feng. Only Jiu Di, his expression contorted and veins bulging, roared in defiance as he attempted to endure. But he only lasted another two hours before he vanished, his face etched with bitterness.