The Kirins' Tyranny

After leaving the formation, Han Xi looked back at it with deep reluctance. She was about to leave her home.

"It's fine. We can come back later. Ordinary people won't be able to break this formation."

Xuan Qing comforted her.

"Brother, are we going back now?"

"No rush. I came out to travel in search of innate fire and Gold Origin Essence. We haven't found them yet, so we'll return once we do.

"You've never left Zhou Mountain before. This time, follow me and broaden your horizons. Expand your way of thinking, and only then can your realm improve."

Han Xi nodded excitedly.

Xuan Qing asked again, "You're at the early Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage in cultivation. What about your realm? And your physical body?"

"They're both at the early Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage."

"You're not allowed to raise your cultivation for now. Your realm must always remain one major stage above your cultivation, or your foundation will become unstable.

"Your physical body must also keep pace with your Magic Power. Otherwise, you'll suffer easily in future battles."

The physical body was the Container for Magic Power. If one used too much Magic Power in battle, the body would collapse if it could not withstand it. If one wanted to be invincible, every step had to be done perfectly.

"Alright! Brother, what about you?" the little girl asked curiously.

"Mid-stage Magic Power, late-stage physical body, peak realm."

"Wow, Brother, you're amazing! How did you cultivate? How are your realm and physical body so high?"

"My physical body was tempered by climbing Zhou Mountain. My realm came from comprehending heaven and earth, comprehending nature, and comprehending all things."

Before the little girl, Xuan Qing was rather proud. This was a good chance to knock her down a peg so she would not be so easily satisfied with her current state.

Just as Xuan Qing and Han Xi left Zhou Mountain, a Fire Kirin suddenly appeared and called out to them.

"You two, this is my clan's territory. Hand over one-third of your gains, or stay here forever!"

The largest race around Zhou Mountain was the Kirin Clan. These kirins had long grown accustomed to throwing their weight around in the area.

"What? You're trying to rob us?"

Xuan Qing was so angry that he laughed. No wonder the war between the Three Tribes would break out. With such an overbearing attitude, the other two tribes could not possibly be any better.

"Come on, you say Zhou Mountain belongs to your Kirin Clan. Then why aren't you stationed on the mountain? I've been up there for several kalpas, so why haven't I seen a single kirin? Why haven't you announced it to the entire Prehistoric Era?"

Xuan Qing's three consecutive questions left the Fire Kirin completely dumbfounded. It was the first time he had encountered someone who dared offend the Kirin Clan. How was he supposed to answer?

Should he say that the Kirin Clan feared offending those Primordial Great Powers? That they could not climb Zhou Mountain themselves, so they could only secretly prey on people around the outskirts of the Prehistoric Era?

It took the Fire Kirin a long while to realize that Xuan Qing was mocking him. Without another word, he attacked Xuan Qing.

With a casual backhand, Xuan Qing sent out a streak of green light and blasted the Fire Kirin away.

"Han Xi, come. He's yours. Test your combat strength."

This was the little girl's first time leaving home. Giving the Fire Kirin to her would let her experience battle and understand the cruelty of the Prehistoric Era.

Han Xi did not hesitate and immediately engaged the Fire Kirin in battle.

The Fire Kirin had good reason to be arrogant. Despite both being early Grand Unity Golden Immortals, he was actually able to fight Han Xi to a standstill.

Compared to Han Xi, the Fire Kirin had much richer combat experience. The little girl could only fight him on instinct. The fact that she could match him evenly showed that she was indeed quite capable.

They fought like this for several hundred years. As Han Xi learned his fighting style, she gradually began to suppress the Fire Kirin. Seeing this, he knew he could not win and prepared to retreat.

The Fire Kirin secretly took out a High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, a Treasure Sword, and slashed at Han Xi's back.

"Ah!"

The Fire Kirin let out a miserable scream.

Han Xi summoned her Bell and smashed the Fire Kirin straight into the ground. Trying to launch a sneak attack? Han Xi's senses were far sharper than his. He had failed to steal the chicken and lost the rice instead.

"Spare me! My father is Fire Kirin Ancestor. Even if you kill me, you won't be able to escape!"

The Fire Kirin glared at Han Xi with bloodshot eyes.

"Die!"

Han Xi poured all her strength into the Water Bell and smashed it down upon the Fire Kirin. At once, he was taking in more air than he was breathing out.

Seeing that he was not dead, Han Xi raised the Bell again and repeatedly smashed it down. Before long, the Fire Kirin had been reduced to a lump of flesh paste.

The little girl had lost her Sister as soon as she was born. After finally finding a brother, she had been robbed the moment she left Zhou Mountain.

Her heart had long been filled with resentment, and the Fire Kirin had happened to become her outlet.

Xuan Qing came over and put away the Fire Kirin's High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. It had thirty-three Innate Restrictions—not bad. Once they returned, he could nourish it in the Cauldron of Creation and test the cauldron's abilities.

Han Xi grabbed Xuan Qing and tried to pull him away. If the Kirin Clan arrived, they would not be able to leave. The Kirin Clan's main base was right here.

"Don't rush. Don't forget the good stuff."

Xuan Qing collected the intact portions of the kirin's body, then took out the Green Lotus of Creation to erase their auras and conceal their Karma.

If their auras were collected, Grand Luo Golden Immortals could trace them through karmic techniques or Spiritual Treasures. With their current abilities, even encountering an early Grand Luo Golden Immortal would leave them with nine chances of death and only one of survival.

Above the Golden Immortal realm, it was impossible to fight across major realms. Even with the Green Lotus of Creation, Xuan Qing could only hold out for a while. He had merely a ten percent chance of escaping successfully.

Elsewhere, at the Kirin Clan's main base, Fire Kirin Ancestor had absorbed the merit gained from the Fierce Beast War and broken through to the Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm. Before he could even celebrate, he sensed the life force connected to his bloodline vanish.

"Who was it?"

Fire Kirin Ancestor flew into a rage and rushed out of his cultivation chamber.

"Who killed my son?!"

The Second Generation Fire Kirin had been nurtured by the first-generation Fire Kirin using earth vein energy and his own Origin blood essence for half a kalpa. He was far superior to ordinary innate lifeforms.

After painstakingly raising a descendant with limitless potential, he had disappeared while Fire Kirin Ancestor was merely in seclusion.

"Elder Fire, what happened?"

The Four Elders suddenly appeared beside Huo Lin.

"For Huo Lin to be this furious, it must be because his most beloved son is dead. What else could it be?"

Azure Water Kirin snickered mockingly.

Fire and water naturally clashed, and Azure Water Kirin and Fire Kirin were no exception. They had been at odds since birth. Seeing that Huo Lin's son had died, Azure Water Kirin could have stayed happy for thousands of kalpas.

"Are you courting death? Today, either you die or I live!"

"Bring it on! Who's afraid of whom? Today it was your son who died. Maybe next time, it'll be you."

"Say a little less. Right now, we need to help Huo Lin find the culprit."

The other three Kirin Ancestors hurriedly held back the two who were about to fight.

"Now isn't the time for infighting. Someone has targeted our Kirin Clan. We must work together to find the killer, or we won't know whose turn it will be next."

Hearing the three men's advice, Huo Lin gradually calmed down. Azure Water Kirin also stopped speaking, unwilling to further provoke Huo Lin.

Not long afterward, Huo Lin led the four of them to the place where the Fire Kirin had died.

"Is this the place? This is troublesome. Zhou Mountain's aura is too dense here, making it difficult to investigate. If the killer fled into Zhou Mountain, are we supposed to go in after them?"

Gold Kirin's expression darkened. The killer was too cunning, leaving them nowhere to begin.

"I'll use a bloodline secret technique. Protect me."

Fire Kirin Ancestor decided that even at the cost of his Origin, he had to find the culprit. Otherwise, his fury could not be quelled. After saying that, he sat down cross-legged and slowly stirred his bloodline.

Gradually, under the pull of his bloodline, clumps of flesh paste flew toward Huo Lin.

The five of them were instantly enraged beyond measure. Killing was one thing, but smashing him into a pile of flesh paste was another. This was clearly a declaration of irreconcilable enmity with the Kirin Clan.

"Pfft!"

Huo Lin spat out a mouthful of blood essence in fury. Even his Dao Heart became unstable.

Fire Kirin Ancestor anxiously punched the flesh paste away. His aura weakened, and he was nearly unable to stabilize his cultivation.

Seeing this, the others hurriedly helped him up and urged, "Let's use the Time Rewind Art."

With that, the four of them activated their respective laws, and a curtain of light appeared.

Time slowly began to reverse. Suddenly, the image of the Fire Kirin being smashed to death by a Bell appeared on the curtain.

Huo Lin stared at the curtain with gritted teeth, only to find that the killer was shrouded in green mist and could not be seen at all.

The four of them hardened their hearts and poured their laws into the mist.

Bzzz!

A phantom Lotus Throne that covered the sky and blotted out the sun passed through the curtain of light and descended from above, pressing directly down upon the four of them.

Xuan Qing and Han Xi were traveling when Xuan Qing suddenly felt the Green Lotus of Creation tremble.

Boom!

The curtain of light shattered, and the four were pressed directly into the ground, unable to move.

Bitterness rose in Huo Lin's heart. This vengeance was likely impossible to take. Just from that Lotus Throne, he knew its master was an existence on the same level as Hongjun and Luohu.

After a long while, the four finally climbed to their feet and patted Fire Kirin Ancestor on the shoulder.

"This isn't someone we can afford to offend. Forget it. Next time you raise descendants, make sure they keep their eyes open."

After saying that, the four flew away, leaving Fire Kirin Ancestor alone to lick his wounds.