"The Great Thousand Worlds are vast, and powerhouses are as numerous as clouds."

"However, there are not many who can truly shoulder the heavy responsibility of resisting the Extraterritorial Evil Clan."

His voice was very low, as if he were muttering to himself: "Ever since the Immortal Great Emperor fell and the Ancient Heavenly Emperor passed away..."

"Those who once stood at the Peak have left one after another."

"Those who remain have either lost their spirit, are nothing but remnant souls on the verge of fading away, or..."

"Their minds are no longer on this matter."

He turned around, looked at Xiao Qing, and said: "The Great Thousand Worlds need new people to step forward."

Xiao Qing was silent for a moment, then said softly: "Elder Qin overestimates me."

"It is not an overestimate."

Qin Tian's tone was calm, as if he were stating a fact.

"It is a fact."

He paused, then added: "Moreover, you come from the Lower Plane."

"Cultivators who can emerge from a place like the Lower Plane truly possess a mental state, resilience, and vision far superior to those so-called Geniuses in the Great Thousand Worlds who have been pampered."

This was said bluntly, yet every word rang true.

Xiao Qing did not respond, simply listening quietly.

Seeing that he did not speak, Qin Tian ceased the topic and switched: "After the inspection of the Holy Abyss Continent concludes, you may return to the Heavenly Court."

"However—"

He shifted the tone of his conversation, saying gravely: "The border has not been peaceful lately."

"The Extraterritorial Evil Clan's troop deployments have increased by thirty percent compared to last year, and the concentration of Demonic Qi around the Seal continues to rise."

"I suspect they may be brewing some major maneuver."

Xiao Qing raised an eyebrow slightly and asked: "How does the Great Thousand Palace plan to respond?"

"Strengthen vigilance and increase troop reinforcements," Qin Tian said in a deep voice.

"I have already notified all major powers to heighten their vigilance and be prepared to respond to an invasion by the Extraterritorial Evil Clan at any time."

He looked at Xiao Qing and said: "You should also prepare."

"The Heavenly Court has only just gained a foothold in the Great Thousand Worlds, and its Foundation is still unstable."

"If the Extraterritorial Evil Clan truly makes a major move, the Western Heaven Continent may not be safe either."

Xiao Qing nodded and replied: "I understand."

Only then did Qin Tian reveal a hint of a smile, saying: "Go on, take a good look at those Jade Slips."

"If there is anything you do not understand, come ask me at any time."

Xiao Qing stood up, bowed, and turned to leave.

By the time Xiao Qing returned to his residence, it was already late at night.

He sat down cross-legged, took out the Jade Slip, and probed it with his Divine Sense.

The information recorded inside was even more detailed than he had imagined.

Data on the thirty-two great clans of the Extraterritorial Evil Clan, combat assessments of known Heavenly Demon Emperors...

Battle records of past Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereigns, and even several manuscripts left behind by the Immortal Great Emperor from the ancient era.

He read through them one by one; when he saw the Heart Demon Clan, his finger paused.

The Heart Demon Clan, one of the thirty-two great clans of the Extraterritorial Evil Clan, led by the Heart Demon Emperor, strength unknown, skilled in soul infiltration and mental control.

This clan's methods are extremely covert and can lurk deep within the soul of a living being, remaining undetected for hundreds of years.

The Great Thousand Palace has investigated many times but has failed to find any trace of them, suspecting they have already infiltrated the core layer of the Great Thousand Worlds...

Xiao Qing put down the Jade Slip and closed his eyes in thought.

He recalled the events from the original work.

Qin Tian had been planted with a trap by the Heart Demon Emperor, which was only discovered at the very end.

At that time, the entire Great Thousand Worlds had nearly been destroyed because of it.

Now that he had arrived, he could not let this happen again.

But now was not the time.

He had to gain a firm foothold first, establish the Foundation of the Heavenly Court, and raise his cultivation level.

When the time was ripe, he would find a way to resolve this matter.

Outside the hall, the night wind was biting.

Xiao Qing stood on the steps, looking up at the territory in the distance shrouded in Demonic Qi, remaining motionless for a long time.

The night on the Holy Abyss Continent was very quiet, so quiet that one could hear the wailing carried in the wind.

That was the resentment left behind by the ancient war, which had not dispersed even after tens of thousands of years.

In the distance, one could vaguely see the endless defensive line, and the surging Demonic Qi beyond it.

Xiao Qing withdrew his gaze and strode toward his residence.

He had already made up his mind—after returning, he would accelerate the construction of the Heavenly Court.

The Extraterritorial Evil Clan was stirring.

The Maha Ancient Clan was watching in the shadows.

The landscape of the Great Thousand Worlds was quietly changing.

In the following days, Xiao Qing participated in inspection duties while studying the intelligence of the Great Thousand Palace.

Qin Tian truly held him in high regard.

He not only let him attend core defense meetings but also arranged for him to accompany Clan Leader Qing Muxuan to inspect several key Seals, allowing him to understand the defense system of the Holy Abyss Continent on the ground.

Clan Leader Qing Muxuan took him around for an entire day, from the Demon Realm fissure in the far east to the Seal array eye in the far west, explaining every location in great detail.

"The Seal in this area was personally laid by the Immortal Great Emperor during the ancient era."

Clan Leader Qing Muxuan stood at the edge of a cliff, pointing to the rift valley below that was shrouded in a pale golden light curtain.

"Tens of thousands of years have passed, and there has never been a problem."

"But recently, the monitoring array has shown that the strength of the Seal is declining."

Xiao Qing closed his eyes to perceive for a moment, then opened them and said: "Someone is consuming the power of the Seal on the other side."

Clan Leader Qing Muxuan glanced at him, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes: "Correct."

"The Extraterritorial Evil Clan strikes the Seal every so often to test our reaction."

"Previously, it was only once or twice a year, but this year it has already happened five times."

"They are looking for an opportunity."

"Yes."

Clan Leader Qing Muxuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking toward the territory in the distance shrouded in Demonic Qi.

"Once they find a weak point in the defense line, it will be a great war."

Xiao Qing was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked: "How many years has the Clan Head of the Budur Clan been stationed here?"

Clan Leader Qing Muxuan was taken aback, not expecting him to ask this.

"Over sixty years..."

When he said this, his tone was flat, as if he were speaking of a very ordinary matter.

"There is about forty years left before it is time to rotate to the next Fellow Daoist."

Over sixty years.

Xiao Qing looked at this middle-aged man in white as snow, and a feeling he could not describe suddenly welled up in his heart.

Guarding this desolate border for over sixty years...

Facing a war that could erupt at any moment, and being in a state of high tension every second—if it were an ordinary person, they would have gone mad long ago.

Clan Leader Qing Muxuan seemed to notice his gaze, smiled, and said: "I am used to it."

"All Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereigns of the Great Thousand Worlds must take turns serving on the Holy Abyss Continent."

"This is the rule, and it is also a responsibility."

He paused, looked at Xiao Qing, and chuckled: "In the future, you will also come to guard this place."

Xiao Qing did not answer.

Clan Leader Qing Muxuan did not say anything more, turned, and continued walking forward.

...

Meanwhile, far away in the Heavenly Court, the lights in the Spirit Array Pavilion were still on.

Qing Yanjing was hunched over the desk, the jade brush in her hand placing the final stroke on the array diagram.

The entire array diagram lit up with a pale golden glow, runes circulating, layered and complex; it was clearly a Spiritual Grade defensive array.

Qing Yanjing put down the brush and let out a long breath.

This was the third array she had designed for the Heavenly Court; it had taken months and several revisions, but it was finally complete.

With this array, the defensive capability of the Heavenly Court could be increased by at least thirty percent.

Qing Yanjing looked at the array diagram, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.

When the Heavenly Emperor returns, she would send it to him.

On the other side, in the Alchemy Hall.

Yao Lao, along with Cao Ying, Yao Ling, and many Elders and disciples skilled in alchemy, were refining Medicinal Pills in the Alchemy Hall.

Cao Ying wiped the sweat from her forehead, looked at the Tier 9 Medicinal Pill that had just been successfully refined in her hand, and let out a long breath.

"Grandmaster, is this batch of Medicinal Pills enough?"

She looked at Yao Lao and asked.

Yao Lao glanced at the stock in the Alchemy Hall and shook his head: "It is still far from enough."

"Continue."

Yao Ling did not speak, simply silently organizing the medicinal herbs, her movements lighter and steadier than before.

...

The inspection of the Holy Abyss Continent ended a few days earlier than expected.

Xiao Qing stood on the highest watchtower at the end of the defensive line, taking one last look at the surging Demon Realm in the distance.

Those black mists were like living creatures, slowly writhing on the other side of the invisible barrier.

Occasionally, they condensed into some twisted shape, then quickly dispersed, as if they had never existed.

Qin Tian stood beside him, hands behind his back, also looking in that direction.

His golden robe fluttered slightly in the wind, and the Demon-Slaying pattern on his cuffs was faintly visible.

Over the past half year, Xiao Qing had read the intelligence on the Extraterritorial Evil Clan treasured by the Great Thousand Palace.

He had pored over the breakthrough insights of past Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereigns.

He had also followed Clan Leader Qing Muxuan to walk the Holy Abyss Continent defensive line from beginning to end.

These things were enough for him to digest for a long time.

"What are your plans after returning?" Qin Tian asked.

Xiao Qing thought for a moment and said: "First, I must set up the framework for the Heavenly Court."

"The Fusion of the Nine Provinces Continent and the Western Heaven Continent is not yet completely stable and requires time."

"The areas of Medicinal Pills and Array Dao must also be pushed forward as soon as possible."