Chapter 344 - 343: Gu Cangming, The Eternal Calamity Demon Lord (2)

Then the fractures began to widen, as a thin crack appeared across one of the damaged sections of the ward, spreading through the ancient formations like a line of black lightning. The crack extended farther, branching into several smaller fractures that spread across the barrier, while the surrounding spatial laws began to collapse beneath the pressure coming from the Hollow Beyond.

The ward attempted to resist.

Golden runes flared across its surface, and the ancient formations released a surge of defensive energy that spread through the damaged sections. For a brief moment, the pressure seemed to stabilize, but the next wave of spatial force arrived before the ward could complete its adjustment.

The crack widened.

Then another appeared.

The entire barrier shuddered, and the fractures spread outward at an alarming speed, connecting previously separate sections of damage into a vast network of broken lines. The spatial pressure continued to expand, forcing the ward to stretch beyond its previous boundaries as the ancient formations struggled to accommodate the overwhelming force pressing against them.

The Nine Heavens Ward was no longer merely cracking.

It was being forced to expand.

The damaged sections stretched outward, and the surrounding spatial layers bent beneath the pressure, causing the enormous barrier to grow beyond its original dimensions. The expansion did not strengthen the ward, because the additional space only placed greater strain upon its already damaged foundations, and every new fracture threatened to destabilize another section of the ancient formation.

Far away, within the Central Continent, the Grand Court stood above a vast sea of clouds.

The enormous palace complex had been constructed from immortal jade and ancient spiritual metals, its towers rising toward the heavens while countless formations protected the surrounding territory.

At its center stood the Grand Court’s highest chamber, where the Five Emperors had gathered to examine reports concerning the weakening of the Nine Heavens Ward and the increasing number of demons entering the Nine Provinces.

The chamber had been filled with a tense silence.

Emperor Tianxu stood beside a massive golden table, his expression grave as he examined the latest spatial readings. Emperor Xiyan rested one hand upon the hilt of his White Tiger blade, while the other three emperors studied the floating images of the Nine Heavens Ward that had been projected above the table.

The images showed a barrier already covered with countless fractures.

Every passing moment brought new reports of disturbances along the boundary, and the five emperors had spent the better part of the day discussing how to reinforce the damaged formations before the situation deteriorated further. None of them believed that the ward could remain stable indefinitely, but they had hoped that the remaining structure would provide enough time for the cultivation council to organize a response.

Then the image above the table suddenly changed.

A new fracture appeared across the ward.

Emperor Tianxu’s expression shifted immediately, and he stepped closer to the projection as the crack spread across the displayed formation. The fracture branched into several smaller lines, each one expanding faster than the formations could repair them, while the entire barrier began to distort beneath a pressure that the emperors could not identify.

"What is happening?" Emperor Xiyan demanded.

Before anyone could answer, the projection trembled violently.

The Nine Heavens Ward began to expand.

The spatial structure surrounding the barrier stretched outward, causing the ancient formations to deform as though an invisible force were pulling them apart. The fractures widened, and the golden runes that had once maintained the ward’s stability began to flicker, their light weakening beneath the pressure coming from beyond the boundary.

Emperor Tianxu’s face became pale.

He had witnessed the ward suffer damage before, and he understood how dangerous a spreading fracture could be. But this was different from the previous disturbances, because the barrier was not simply weakening at its existing boundaries.

Its entire structure was being forced to expand.

The implications were horrifying.

If the ward continued to stretch, the strain upon its foundations would increase until the ancient formations could no longer maintain their integrity. The resulting collapse might not create a single opening through which demons could enter, but countless breaches spread across the Nine Provinces, allowing the forces of the Hollow Beyond to pour into the world from every direction.

One of the emperors slowly shook his head.

"Such a calamity."

His voice was low, carrying the weight of a man who had finally recognized that the situation had exceeded the limits of their previous calculations. The remaining emperors exchanged grim looks, and none of them attempted to contradict him, because the images above the table showed that the ward’s deterioration was accelerating.

Emperor Xiyan clenched his jaw.

"Can the formations be reinforced? If we mobilize the cultivation council and direct every available resource toward the damaged sections, perhaps we can stabilize the barrier long enough to—"

He stopped speaking when another crack spread across the projection.

The ward shuddered violently, and the surrounding spatial layers distorted as the pressure from the Hollow Beyond continued to expand. The five emperors could not see the source of the disturbance, but they could feel its consequences through the ancient formations that connected the Central Continent to the boundary, and the sheer magnitude of the pressure left them with a terrible realization.

Something within the Hollow Beyond had awakened.

Something powerful enough to affect the Nine Heavens Ward without directly attacking it.

Emperor Tianxu slowly lowered his hand.

"The cultivation council has already been informed," he said, his voice heavy with restraint. "They are gathering the available experts and preparing to reinforce the damaged formations, but I do not know whether they can accomplish anything if the pressure continues to increase at this rate."

He looked toward the projection.

The fractures continued spreading.

The golden runes dimmed.

And the Nine Heavens Ward expanded farther into the surrounding spatial layers, its ancient structure groaning beneath a force that threatened to tear it apart.

Emperor Tianxu’s expression became increasingly grim.

"But this..." He paused, unable to take his eyes away from the image of the failing barrier. "Is this the end?"

No one answered.

Above the Central Continent, the distant heavens trembled, and the ancient barrier separating the Nine Provinces from the Hollow Beyond continued to crack and expand.