The Qingyun vessel halted, and everyone emerged from within, finding themselves in this peculiar ruin.
It was only after stepping out that Ye Yun realized what had happened and why their spatial coordinates were somewhat anomalous. The void they were currently in bore a resemblance to the cyclical space of Moon Island. Once one intruded into this warped spatial region, leaving would not be an easy feat. And now, they were trapped within it.
Fragments of broken structures surrounded them, but many intact palaces also floated about in the zero-gravity environment. Ye Yun led the group, wandering through this void of ruins, hoping to discover something.
However, before they could find anything, a chilling gust of wind suddenly swept over them, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
"What's going on? This wind..."
Just as Ye Yun frowned, preparing to investigate their surroundings, a clear, ancient voice echoed from above.
"Who are you people? How dare you trespass into my divine domain?"
The voice sounded as ancient as someone on the brink of death. Yet, the formidable pressure contained within it made Ye Yun dare not underestimate the speaker. This person was undoubtedly an extremely powerful being! Ye Yun concluded, hence adopting a remarkably humble demeanor.
"Reporting to Senior, my name is Ye Aotian. I am the Star Lord of the Second-Tier Great World, Tianyu. I was on my way to participate in the Myriad Realms Selection held by the Eighth-Tier Great World, Tianlan Domain. We accidentally entered this place along the way. Junior did not intend to offend, and I hope Senior will forgive me!"
As he spoke, a frail figure emerged from somewhere. The next moment, she appeared before Ye Yun. At this point, Ye Yun finally understood who this visitor was. To his surprise, the figure before him was an ancient, petite woman, her hair completely white, exuding an intense aura of twilight. If not for the extraordinarily powerful divine energy fluctuation emanating from her, she would have appeared like any ordinary centenarian from the mortal realm.
What drew attention was a sword mark on her clothing, seemingly left long ago, with faint traces of blood still visible. As she appeared, Xing Wu and the others behind Ye Yun immediately tensed up. Song Ziyue, in particular, tried her best to conceal her aura upon noticing this woman. The frustration she felt internally was indescribable.
"What kind of luck does this guy have? He's run into another monstrously powerful individual..." Although the current individual was clearly not as terrifying as the Creator God, she wasn't far off.
That's right, the person before them was an incredibly powerful being, a supreme god at or above the Extreme Tier!
"Ye Aotian... You've arrived at quite the opportune moment." The ancient woman scrutinized Ye Yun, her gaze sweeping over him. "You are indeed an extraordinary young man. At such a young age, with such strength, you are truly a rare genius. Unfortunately, you don't quite fit my technique..."
Her sudden remark left Ye Yun somewhat confused. "Doesn't fit my technique? What does that mean?" He couldn't help but feel that her gaze towards him had been like that of someone appraising an object.
Upon hearing this, the ancient woman shook her head. "It's nothing, just that we have no destiny."
Ye Yun was utterly bewildered. What destiny? This was incomprehensible. However, regardless, the other party did not seem hostile towards him, which was undoubtedly excellent news.
Not long after, the ancient woman's gaze shifted from Ye Yun to the others. When she saw Lin Xueyan and the others, her expression was one of surprise. These young ones, though not old, were all exceptionally talented in their cultivation. "Alas, alas, none of them are quite what I had imagined."
Until her eyes fell upon Xing Wu, her gaze seemed to lock there. "Hmm... not bad, this one is good."
Noticing her reaction, Ye Yun and his group became instantly vigilant. Xing Wu also sensed the peculiarity in the woman's gaze and frowned. "Senior, what is good?"
However, the ancient woman eagerly asked, "Little girl, what is your name?"
To be addressed as "little girl" by someone who had lived for tens of thousands of years felt quite peculiar to Xing Wu. Xing Wu frowned, but out of caution towards the elder, she replied, "I am Xing Wu."
"A truly excellent name." The ancient woman nodded with satisfaction. It seemed to fit the saying that when one finds someone pleasing, they find everything about them likeable. Afterward, she seemed to notice the guardedness of everyone, including Xing Wu, towards her. The ancient woman finally came to her senses, a somewhat benevolent smile appearing on her face.
"Don't misunderstand. I am just an old bone now, someone on the verge of death. I have no intention of harming anyone."
Hearing this, Ye Yun and Xing Wu both breathed a sigh of relief. After all, considering the aura the elder exuded, if she truly intended to harm them, it would have been an extremely troublesome affair!
At this moment, Xing Meng, standing beside them, looked at the elder, then at Xing Wu, and asked, "Speaking of which, is there a reason you're looking for this old woman?" Although she didn't say it aloud, she was clearly very concerned about Xing Wu's situation.
The ancient woman looked at both of them, her eyes filled with a hint of surprise. "Eh, the relationship between you two is truly interesting..." Clearly, she could see the subtle connection between Xing Wu and Xing Meng at a glance. However, she did not press for details. Instead, she turned to Xing Wu and said directly, "Enough, I won't waste more words. I want to ask you, are you interested in inheriting my entire cultivation?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Yun and his entire party were stunned. "What? Inherit cultivation?" Xing Wu looked utterly astonished. Even Song Ziyue appeared somewhat surprised. "Is this person joking?"
Ye Yun immediately asked, "May I know Senior's name, and why would you want my wife to inherit your legacy?"
"So, you are husband and wife..." The ancient woman nodded, then said with a faint smile, "It has been too long; I have forgotten my own name. I am only known as Elder Mei externally."
"As for why I want her to inherit my legacy? You must have sensed my weakened vitality, haven't you?"
"Uh, while that may be true, your cultivation level..." Ye Yun found it difficult to believe. After all, with her cultivation, she should have been able to live as long as the heavens. The intense aura of twilight emanating from her now was truly unconventional.
"Sometimes, the strength of divine power cannot alter life and death," Elder Mei sighed and said slowly. "Without creating heaven and earth, a person remains a person, living through the dawn only to perish at dusk..."