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In the video…

Whenever the giant beast opened its mouth, it swallowed several people whole.

The person taking the video retreated explosively, until the people being filmed were barely even visible. Only then could they fit the entirety of the beast in the frame.

Comparing it to the soldiers, a rough estimate put the beast at hundreds of meters tall.

Then, the beast swallowed up one of the three divine generals leading the group.

“Vice-General Zheng!” 

Based on the sound of this mournful wail, it came from the person filming the video.

Not long after, the camera shook.

“General Li, we’re the Sixth Alert Squad. We’re three million miles Outside, and all of us were wiped out following a surprise encounter with a primordial giant beast.”

“I’m currently the only survivor, but I won’t run….”

“When you receive this video, I hope you can tell my son that his father was a hero. I hope you can do the same for my comrades and their families. Tell them we of the Sixth Squad were pioneers!”  

The video came to an abrupt halt.

Based on the speaker’s final words, he’d sent his phone to General Li through some secret art. Then, he charged towards certain death, just as his comrades had.

Everyone in the meeting room sunk into a mournful silence. They were shaken by the videographer’s spirit.

General Li stood off to the side, trembling uncontrollably. When the video ended, Zuo Mo returned to her seat, and General Li stood at the center of the meeting hall.

“This is a video the scouts of the sixth squad sent me. It depicts how all of them fell following an encounter with a vicious beast in the Outside. The man who filmed this was my son, and he used a secret room only the two of us could access, as well as the Grand Dao of Space, to ensure his phone reached me.”

“....”

The atmosphere was suddenly even heavier. No one knew what to say. Only Ye Zichen rose, walked toward General Li, and patted him on the shoulder. “My condolences.”  

“No need. I’m proud on his behalf.” General Li forced a smile. “He sacrificed his life to send us this important video, and even when he had the chance to flee, he decided not to forsake his brothers in arms, as befits the son of Li Mingyuan.”

Ye Zichen nodded heavily, then returned to his seat. Xiao Yumei coughed, breaking the silence, then said, “While you were in the Divine Mausoleum, the higher-ups and I decided to send out scouting expeditions in your absence.”

“The end of the era is imminent, but we don’t know the specific date or time. If they want to destroy our era, the Enders will have to invade from the Outside. That’s why we chose to send people Out; so that they could give us advance warning.”

“There are twenty squads in total. Thus far, only the Sixth Squad has been attacked.”  

“The rest of us have never seen an Era-Ending Giant Beast, but you have, Alliance Head. That’s why…” Xiao Yumei glanced at him, and Ye Zichen nodded.

“That’s an Ender, an Era-Ending Giant Beast!” When Ye Zichen first visited the Outside, he’d once been fortunate enough to see the primordial giant beasts in person.

Following the First Era’s destruction, Ye Zichen’s memories of everything he’d seen there were incomplete and blurry, but he still remained one thing clearly: the beast he’d seen in the video was just like the giant primordial beasts he’d seen attacking the First Era. 

“Don’t tell me we’re going to have to face monsters like that in the future?”

“It’s a little too big, don’t you think? Is it even possible for us to beat them? 

“Will we have to use dharma bodies?”

The meeting room suddenly fell silent.

Although you could condense a supreme dharma body when you became a diviner, after that, people didn’t generally use them. Of the imperial experts present, more than half hadn’t used theirs since reaching the diviner level.

The ones who’d just spoken were all people Ye Zichen was unfamiliar with. Old, familiar faces like Su Yan, Su LIu’er, and Yin Shang showed no outward reaction.

Especially Gou Yuzhan. He was just sitting there with his characteristic ahoge, chewing on a piece of straw, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

“Heh, so this is the courage of your Upheaval Alliance’s higher-ups?” Gu Li grinned, and from his words, it was clear that he wasn’t a member of the alliance. 

Those who’d spoken earlier frowned, and one of them pointed at Gu Li and snorted, “You aren’t a member of the Upheaval Alliance, so why are you in the second seat?”

“Is that any of your business? Your Alliance Head and Vice Alliance Head are talking, so what are you people shouting about?” Gu Li pointed at the group who’d given into terror after seeing the primordial giant beast. He snorted, “Ye Zichen, look at how pathetic they are! People like this actually made it into your administration? What a joke…”

Although Gu Li’s words were unpleasant, the facts were the facts. 

They hadn’t even started fighting yet, but this bunch was scared out of their wits. When the time came to fight for real, they might very well directly seek refuge with the Outsider Gods and become their lackeys!

“Yumei?” Ye Zichen glanced at her, and she immediately understood.

“These people are the heads and elders of clans subordinate to the Upheaval Alliance, and not true members of our administration. Considering the importance of today’s meeting, we thought it best to invite them too so as to help them understand the situation with the Outsider Gods.”

When he heard that, Ye Zichen narrowed his eyes and looked at the various elders and clan heads. 

For some reason, although Ye Zichen looked young - or at least, much younger than the group who’d been so terrified earlier - he had a certain presence that made others respect and fear him instinctively.

The elders and clan heads lowered their heads. Then, Ye Zichen pressed his lips into a smile. “If you’re afraid, you don’t have to stay. Return to your homes.”

“Alliance Head!” The elder in the last seat shot to his feet. “We humbly request your understanding. We aren’t the cowardly type, it’s just that the era-ending giant beasts are too….”

“Too what? From the moment you said ‘it’s just’, you effectively admitted you were afraid, didn’t you? What? Will fear fix the problem? If you’re afraid, will the Outsider Gods refrain from sending their giant beasts to attack our era?” asked Ye Zichen.

“Alliance Head Ye, we didn’t mean it that way,” said another white-haired elder. “The beast in the video’s strength was a little over the top. A group of a hundred experts, devoured in an instant! I’m afraid not even imperial lords and sovereigns could do something like that.”

“What of it?”

“Alliance Head Ye, might I ask how many of these beasts….”

“There are a lot of them.”

“How is that possible? If there are really so many of them, how did the First Era transcend?”

“Did you know that the First Era, despite its transcendence, has already been destroyed?” said Ye Zichen, his expression dark.

When they learned of the First Era’s destruction, the heads of other clans and the elders visibly started. However, those who’d known Ye Zichen for a long time didn’t have much of a reaction; they’d found out about this a long time ago.

“See? You’re afraid, aren’t you?” Ye Zichen shook his head helplessly, then glanced meaningfully at Xiao Yumei. “See off our guests!”