My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty

"In fear!?"

Gu Lan's pupils contracted. These demonic beasts had been dominating this savage small world for at least thousands of years.

Even the weakest among them reached the peak of the Emperor Realm. What could make them simultaneously feel fear?! What could make them linger and swirl in this place?

"The thing they fear seems to be in that Endless Sea... But since the Deputy Dean said it's a forbidden land, I might as well observe first."

Gu Lan made up his mind. He held down the Phoenix Egg and retreated to behind the group of demonic beasts. He stood on a mountain peak, watching from a distance.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Unexpectedly, just as Gu Lan steadied himself, the mountain under his feet suddenly shook. It wasn't just the mountain under his feet; the deep waters of the Endless Sea started to overturn and sway!

"Howl!!"

"Roar!!"

Sensing this shaking, the demonic beasts became visibly uneasy. They began to run restlessly, causing earthquakes and making this small world seem like it might collapse at any moment.

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"This shaking seems to be caused by the source that frightens them!"

"It should be beneath the sea..."

Whatever was causing the overlords of demonic beasts to be afraid, Gu Lan didn't dare to be negligent. His gaze was fixed on the deep, ink-like Endless Sea!

At the same time, in other parts of the Secret Realm:

In the mountains, countless demonic beasts were running wildly through the woods. It looked like a beast tide, but they didn't attack passing cultivators. Their objective was clear–they were heading towards the outskirts of the mountains, toward the direction of the Endless Sea!

Seeing this scene, young cultivators waiting for the Secret Realm to end and return to the outside world were shocked.

"What's going on!?"

"What happened to the Endless Sea? Why are they so restless?"

"Hey! Do you feel the earth trembling?"

"Not just the earth; it feels like everything is shaking... Damn, look at the sky; this small world is not going to collapse, is it!?"

"What?!"

"..."

At this moment, almost all the cultivators noticed the changes in the sky. They anxiously looked up.

For the past two days, it had been cloudless, much like the outside world. But now!

The black thunderclouds covered the sky. Purple thunder flashed within them. The nearby sky turned pitch black, and in the distance, only a blood-red mist was visible. Huge cracks tore through the sky, and a storm brewed within!

"Is this what it looks like when the exit of the Secret Realm opens? Why does it seem different from what the elders told us?"

"It's definitely not... I suspect this place might really collapse!"

"What?! Collapse, you're talking nonsense; how is that possible!"

"What should we do? Where should we escape?"

"When the small world collapses, there's nowhere to hide. We'll all be engulfed in chaos... We might all die!!"

"No! I just obtained an opportunity and legacy. I need to return to the sect. I'm still so young; I don't want to die!"

"..."

In the mountains, chaos erupted among the young cultivators!

They couldn't believe that just a moment ago, they were peacefully waiting for the Secret Realm to end, planning to return to their sects to show off their gains.

The next moment, they faced an unimaginable disaster–an apocalyptic scene that shook countless cultivators to their core.

Some of them had weak legs, directly collapsing in confusion; others scattered and fled, in a panic like ants on a hot pan, headless flies.

Similar to the fleeing demonic beasts, someone among the cultivators shouted, "Wait, the demonic beasts! If these demonic beasts are running so uniformly, should we follow them? Perhaps there's a chance for survival!"

"Hey! That might be true!"

"Let's go, follow them, and see where they are headed!"

...

In the forest, Lin Tan'er's eyes shimmered with contemplation. After a moment of thought, she tightened the sword in her hand and followed suit.

On a desolate mountain, a child dressed in Daoist robes witnessed the scene of the small world collapsing. His expression also turned solemn.

Biting his teeth, he joined the group of demonic beasts and headed towards the direction of the Endless Sea.

...

In the outside world, within the hall of the Liangyi Academy:

Five deputy deans were originally meditating on cushions. Suddenly, the wind chimes hanging in a corner of the hall vibrated violently, producing eerie bell sounds.

Hearing this, the five deputy deans abruptly opened their eyes, seeing fear in each other's eyes.

"What's happening... Why would there be such movement? Could it be..."

"Has that demon truly awakened?!"

"Master's suppression could have lasted for some more time. Could it be that someone tampered with the restrictions and released it?!"

"Bad! The cultivators from the outside are still experiencing the Secret Realm... Let's not worry about this for now; we need to open the gate and let them out!"

The stern-looking elder among them was the most anxious. He hurriedly rushed out of the hall to unseal the restrictions. The other elders did not dare to slack off either.

Working together, the five elders emitted five clear lights straight into the sky, attempting to prematurely gather the exit of the Secret Realm.

Seeing this, the apprentices outside the academy showed confusion.

"What are the deputy deans doing? It seems like the Secret Realm hasn't ended yet?"

"They seem so anxious. Could something unexpected have happened?"

"The five deputy deans have cultivation levels that reach the heavens; how could anything go wrong?"

...

After a while, where the clear lights gathered in the sky, a spatial passage had yet to form.

The exit of the Secret Realm was difficult to materialize!

The elders' white hair was now drenched with sweat.

"Not good! Ending the Secret Realm prematurely is already as difficult as reaching the heavens, and I also feel that the demon inside seems to have awakened... It's disturbing us from releasing people!"

"That demon gains power through devouring. If it devours all the creatures inside, its strength will likely return to the world!"

Thinking of this, the faces of the deputy deans turned extremely grim.

The demon's cultivation was beyond the saintly realm. At this moment, no one on the continent could match its might!

By then... the consequences would be unimaginable!

At this moment, the elder with a pale face spoke softly, "The millennium foundation of the Liangyi Academy cannot be destroyed by our hands. This day... has finally come!"

"Remember the promise we made before! If that demon truly returns, we should fight to the death. We must not become sinners in this mortal world or sinners of the academy!"

"Yes, Senior Brother!"

Hearing this, the other four elders showed sorrowful expressions and changed their formation once again.

Exerting all their strength to shatter the spatial tunnel, they desperately hoped to open the gateway of the Secret Realm.

......

The Endless Sea!

On the edge, an increasing number of demonic beasts gathered, all of them large demons beyond the King Realm. Behind them, numerous smaller demons and human cultivators were desperately rushing over.

The lords of these ferocious beasts became more and more restless.

The small world was shaking more violently, and the sky seemed to transform into a curtain painted with blood and fire, ready to collapse into fragments at any moment.

In this atmosphere of despair, at a certain moment, the pitch-black tide of the Endless Sea suddenly receded.

It seemed like there was a deep abyss in the center of the sea, sucking rivers and causing a reverse flow.

Is it coming...?

Gu Lan felt a premonition, holding her breath, and looked up with focused attention. In the center of the profound sea, a familiar figure suddenly appeared, making Gu Lan's heart tighten!

It was that dead puppet!!

And at this moment, it was bowing devoutly, kneeling under the steps made of seawater, seemingly welcoming something.

On the steps!

A massive bronze coffin was slowly lifted by the tide, appearing in the sight of Gu Lan and the numerous demonic lords.

At its eight corners, eight mysterious iron chains had been bitten off!

Lingering black mist filled the air, and the coffin lid emitted continuous creaking sounds.

All these eerie signs indicated that... whatever was inside the coffin had awakened!