Fang Yuan sat cross-legged atop the Obsidian Throne, his breathing synchronized with the tectonic vibrations of the continent. Every time he inhaled, the ambient Qi of the world grew slightly thinner; every time he exhaled, a dark, corrosive mist spread further from the Sect of Ancient Void.
"System," Fang Yuan whispered, his voice resonating through the soul-tethers of his enslaved elders. "Status of the 'World-Nerve' network."
[System Status: 42% of the continent's major Ley-Lines have been hijacked. The 'Seven-Cycle Marrow Refinement' has spread to 150 minor sects. Total Void-Energy accumulation: 18% of the target for Space-Time Weaver ascension.]
"Too slow," Fang Yuan mused, his dark eyes scanning a holographic map of the world. "The 'Hero' is gathering the northern essence, but the rest of the world is still stagnant in their 'righteous' peace. They need a reason to bleed. They need a war."
Fang Yuan stood up, his Rank 9 presence causing the floating mountains to tilt. He didn't just want to conquer the remaining Great Sects; he wanted them to reach their absolute peak before he harvested them.
"If they want to call me a Demon, I shall give them a hell to fight against," he coldy smiled.
He raised his hand toward the sky, and black lightning erupted from his fingertips, striking the five cardinal points of the continent. These weren't attacks, but "Evolutionary Triggers". In those locations, ancient monsters and forbidden zones that had been dormant for millennia suddenly surged with unnatural power.
Fang Yuan was artificially forcing the world into a "Great Tribulation". By creating a global crisis, he would force every martial artist on the continent to push past their limits, to burn their life-force, and to refine their Qi to the highest possible density just to survive.
"Fight, struggle, and grow stronger," Fang Yuan whispered to the wind. "The more you fear the dark, the brighter your souls will burn... and the more delicious the final pill will be."