Chapter 1452: The Time Has Come

The vast, pure energy from the Gods' Shore was being devoured continuously, and the accumulated power had reached a level that even the gods themselves found terrifying.

After several days, Zhong Qing, who had been sitting cross-legged at the center of this world, finally showed signs of change. A faint divine aura began to emerge, startling the nearby thousand or so deities, causing their eyes to tremble.

Sensing that faint aura, the gods one by one bowed their heads in silent reverence, their eyes filled with awe. At the same time, many terrifying beings seemed to sense something as well, as if a faint light was flickering in the depths of the universe.

Meanwhile.

On the distant Cloud Star, Shadow Island.

The busy residents had returned to their peaceful lives, and the streets were filled with people basking in the sunset.

Bai Qiyu, with his lifeless fish-like eyes, was carrying groceries home. His ordinary appearance made him inconspicuous in the crowd, yet people still greeted him respectfully along the way.

"Sir..."

"Sir, have you been shopping again?"

"Greetings, sir."

As he passed by a clothing store, the shopkeeper enthusiastically greeted him from afar.

"Sir Bai, we've just got a new batch of sportswear, and it's both high-quality and affordable! If you're interested, I can give you a 30% discount!"

A 30% discount!

The words struck Bai Qiyu like a bolt of lightning, causing him to stop abruptly.

He turned around excitedly, about to speak, but suddenly, he seemed to sense something. A flash of insight crossed his mind, making his eyes tremble as he stared blankly at the sky!

In the next moment.

Bai Qiyu took a sudden step forward, his legs propelling him like a streak of light as he flew toward the high-rise building in the city center!

Not far away, by the artificial lake.

Qing Huanxiang and the old turtle were fishing, but their baskets were empty. The two sighed quietly, their faces showing the frustration of a failed fishing trip.

As the lake water grew murkier, the fish were scared away.

The two watched in dismay as the green ox bathed in the lake, and then glanced at Li Taibai, who was lying on the grass. They were angry but dared not speak up.

Just as they were about to pack up and head home.

Suddenly.

Li Taibai's eyes snapped open, and he sat up, gazing intently at the horizon as if he had seen something extraordinary!

The two old men were also startled and followed his gaze, but saw nothing.

Before they could voice their confusion, Li Taibai called out to the green ox, leaped onto its back, and galloped away.

Watching his hurried departure.

The two old men grew even more puzzled, standing up and exchanging bewildered looks.

"What's going on? What could make him so anxious?"

"Something big must have happened!"

"Old turtle, old turtle, listening to you is like listening to a broken record. Can't I tell that something big is happening?"

"Damn it! You old goat!"

The two old men quickly fell into their usual bickering.

But before they could argue further, they felt a surge of terrifying energy gathering in the sky, and their ears were filled with gasps and exclamations.

"That faint aura just now, it felt like one of the great ones!"

"And those shadows in the east, they seemed like the personal disciples!"

"Look at the direction they're heading—it's the office building in the city center!"

"My goodness, in all my years on Shadow Island, I've never seen anything like this!"

"What kind of big event is about to happen?"

As the murmurs of shock and confusion spread.

The two old men also looked up in astonishment, only to see streaks of light flying across the sky, converging from all directions like a sea of stars heading toward the city center!

In an instant.

Their pupils trembled, and they stood frozen in place, their bodies stiff!

The entire Shadow Island erupted in a frenzy of discussion, with residents gazing in awe at the central high-rise building.

Amid the bustling crowd, Da Juan and Xiao Juan were also stunned, forgetting their work as they stared in awe at the gathering stars.

"Dad, what's happening..."

"Son, I've never seen anything like this either!"

In the high-rise building that was the focus of everyone's attention.

In the grand conference hall on the top floor, the three-tiered round table was almost fully occupied!

Led by Wu Tao, Mo Tianji, Su Yunyun, Hong Fengkuang, Li Jin, and others sat at the central table, while the rest were seated at the outer two tables in order of seniority. All the personal disciples were present.

Only the seat at the head of the table remained empty.

The hall was unusually quiet and solemn, with no one daring to speak out of turn.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the empty seat at the head of the table, as if an extraordinary figure was sitting there.

After several moments of silence.

Su Yunyun began to scan the room, her lips parting as she spoke solemnly.

"Fellow disciples."

"Big Brother has begun to condense his divine spark and will soon return. The time has come, and it is time for us to take action, to do everything in our power to condense our own divine sparks and reclaim our divine status."

As soon as she finished speaking, the room nodded in silent agreement, their eyes filled with determination.

Even the usually lazy Wu Tao spoke up with rare seriousness.

"Indeed, the time has come."

"Now that the hearts of all worlds have been gathered, and the construction of the city is nearly complete, our only remaining task is to follow in Big Brother's footsteps and reclaim our divine status!"

As his words fell, the personal disciples exchanged glances and nodded, their eyes shining with unprecedented resolve.

In the next moment.

Stars appeared in the sky above the city, illuminating the evening horizon!

Instantly, the people on the ground erupted in gasps and cheers, their voices rising like a tidal wave!

"Ah!"

"Second Young Master! And Fifth Young Lady?! All the great ones are here today!"

"Dad! Look! All the great ones are in the sky! Is the Master about to return?"

"Holy cow!"

"Greetings, great ones!"

"Greetings, great ones!"

The people of Shadow Island bowed in unison, their eyes filled with excitement.

At this moment.

The bustling streets were filled with a sea of people, from long-time residents like Master Lu to newcomers like the Juan father and son, and even the elders of Cloud Star like Jiang Yuan...

Looking at these familiar faces, the disciples in the sky also smiled. Seeing the excitement and anticipation in everyone's eyes filled Wu Tao and the others with satisfaction.

In the next moment.

At Wu Tao's signal, Su Yunyun spoke softly, delivering shocking news.

"Everyone."

"In the coming days, all of us disciples will be leaving, and we do not know when we will return. This journey is of great significance, and we entrust Shadow Island to your care."

As soon as she finished speaking, many looked up in surprise, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"The great ones are leaving?"

"Shadow Island is being left to us?"

"This..."

Although their cultivation and demeanor had improved greatly, their current achievements were all thanks to Shadow Island. The sudden responsibility of guarding this sacred place left them feeling overwhelmed.

Even the usually sharp-tongued Xiong Fen and his son were momentarily stunned.

Wait, were they about to become temporary bosses?

Was such a thing even possible?

This...

The father and son were dumbfounded, staring at each other in shock.

Looking down at the panicked crowd, Su Yunyun smiled and reassured them.

"Everyone, there's no need to panic."

"We are only leaving Shadow Island temporarily, and we will return. You are all part of Shadow Island, and this is our home. It holds deep significance for our Master, and there is no one more suitable to guard it than you."

"As long as everyone fulfills their duties, Shadow Island will continue to function as usual, even in our absence. If any major issues arise, you can discuss and decide together."

With that, Su Yunyun led the group to the central square, where she bowed to the vast crowd.

"From now on, Shadow Island is in your hands. We thank you all!"

The other disciples also bowed in unison, their eyes filled with sincerity.

"Thank you, everyone!"

This gesture of respect shocked the people of Shadow Island, who quickly bowed in return.

"Great ones, this is too much!"

"We dare not accept such honor, it is too humbling!"

Seeing the sincerity of the personal disciples, the old employees of Shadow Island exchanged determined glances, and vows began to ring out.

"Great ones, please rest assured, we will defend Shadow Island with our lives!"

"While we live, the island stands!"

"While we live, the island stands!"

Led by Master Lu and others, the people of Shadow Island united in their resolve, their determination evident to all the disciples, who nodded in approval before taking their leave.

In an instant.

Over a hundred figures flew into the sky, scattering like streaks of light.

Watching the last of the five great ones, Zang Tian, disappear into the night, Xiong Fen and his son continued to bow toward the sky, their faces filled with emotion.

"Who would have thought that all the great ones would leave."

"From now on, we can only rely on ourselves. We must do everything in our power to protect Shadow Island!"

With his words, Xiong Fen raised the stakes of their duty to a life-and-death level, living up to his reputation as the "King of Overwork."

Inspired by his words, the people around them began to cheer, their spirits lifted as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

"Protect Shadow Island with our lives!"

"Manager Xiong is right! Shadow Island is our home, and the great ones have placed their trust in us. If anyone dares to cause trouble, we'll fight them to the death!"

With their blood boiling, the various departments immediately sprang into action.

Even without a central organizer, each department formed its own guard unit, dividing responsibilities by region. Xiong Fen and his son even generously issued new uniforms to their workers, joining forces with Jiang Yuan and others to form the strongest gatekeepers, guarding the highway entrance at the urban-rural junction.

From that moment on, Shadow Island entered a state of super-high alert!