Blood Flowed Across the Great Wilderness

A few days later, in the Primordial Mountains.

Mist rose in wisps, blurring the mountain scenery until it looked like a primordial chaos. The roars of the savage beasts suddenly fell silent, leaving a deathly stillness.

A colossal figure emerged, shrouded in thick mist. Its true form was impossible to make out, but the terrifying aura it exuded shook heaven and earth. Mountain ranges and ravines trembled, while birds and beasts cowered on the ground, quaking as they bowed toward it.

It towered between heaven and earth, its height impossible to measure, rising into the clouds. A pair of emerald eyes gleamed like two lakes embedded in the sky. Each was several miles across—terrifyingly huge, and brimming with murderous intent!

It was hard to imagine what kind of creature this was. Its body was so immense and imposing that news of it reaching the outside world would surely shock the lands in every direction.

"This sacred object is mine." Its low voice rumbled like thunder, shaking the mountains to the brink of collapse. In the distant ranges, countless savage birds and beasts trembled.

Boom!

A gigantic iron staff answered it, thick as a pillar supporting the sky, sweeping toward it. Howling winds surged, rocks flew, and clouds churned.

The blow was like the end of the world. It seemed to pierce heaven and earth!

"Roar..."

A muffled bellow rang out as a baleful aura swept through the nine heavens. The colossal figure thrust out a massive claw, blotting out the sky and covering several mountain ridges. Cold light flashed along its razor-sharp talons.

Clang!

The great claw collided with the iron staff above the clouds. The sky seemed to split open as the clouds scattered and radiant beams burst forth. An unparalleled divine art erupted, swallowing heaven and earth.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

One strange bone after another fell from the sky. Some were as crimson as blood diamonds, some black as ink, and others crystalline white. All radiated treasure-light—each one a remarkable Treasure Bone.

If the human experts beyond the mountain range had seen them, their eyes would have gone red. They were all shed from Primordial Remnants, and there were more than a dozen of them. What an astonishing treasure trove!

These Treasure Bones, inscribed with primitive runes, fell and scattered across the vast Vast Mountain Range, stabilizing its mountains and rivers. When the astral winds swept down from the heights again, they could no longer destroy the peaks.

The enormous beast stood towering between heaven and earth, its body rising above the clouds. Its emerald eyes, like two lakes, were icy as it spoke. "Softhearted fool!"

Boom!

It opened its mouth and spat out a terrifying beam of light that swept across heaven and earth. Without the Treasure Bones suppressing the Vast Mountain Range, all living things would have suffered a calamity. The beast scattered the clouds overhead, and a dazzling divine radiance slashed forward—an unparalleled divine art!

Boom!

An iron staff answered it, smashing into the radiant divine art. Waves of the Great Dao's sonorous music rang out. At the same time, a peerless primitive rune appeared, clanging as it bathed the staff in boundless light. Countless characters swirled around it, empowering it and greatly amplifying its might.

A great battle had begun. Two unimaginable beings had laid down primitive Treasure Runes to stabilize the mountains and fight here.

"You and that Little Red Bird are both badly wounded. Retreat is your only choice!" The terrifying being with jade-green eyes spoke with bone-chilling coldness, its killing intent laid bare.

The battle continued!

Boom!

Suddenly, blazing flames surged from another direction deep in the mountains. A Little Red Bird appeared, fighting a different terrifying creature in a world-shaking battle.

"I never thought you were still alive."

"Roar..."

Four supreme creatures were fighting. Their power surpassed all imagination. Even powerful remnants like the Demon Ape and Li Fire Bull Demon trembled, hiding far away and not daring to move.

Divine radiance pierced the heavens above the Vast Mountain Range, and chaotic energy surged. Even with more than a dozen Treasure Bones suppressing the mountains, the entire range still shook violently.

Peerless divine arts were clashing. Heaven and earth trembled.

The people of Little Lone Mountain Town were horrified, exchanging stunned glances. At that moment, their very souls quivered, and many dropped to their knees with a thud.

Everyone shook and shuddered uncontrollably. The overwhelming pressure made them want to bow down and worship.

What manner of terrifying creatures were these? Everyone felt cold from head to toe. Some remembered that their clans had once planned to search for the Mountain Treasure. They really must have been tired of living. Thank goodness they had eventually backed out!

Flee!

That was what everyone was thinking. In this savage wasteland, every extra moment they stayed meant greater danger. One wrong move, and not even their bones would remain.

Panic gripped Little Lone Mountain Town. The great clans and powerful figures from every region began fleeing, rushing toward the ends of the earth as fast as they could. They would not stay a moment longer.

Boom!

Suddenly, an earth-shaking crash came from the heart of the Vast Mountain Range. Rocks shot into the sky as the mountains split apart, and chaotic energy spread across the entire range.

Immortal light soared into the heavens, and auspicious mists surged. It was as if they had returned to the time before creation, with a primordial treasure emerging and rising and falling amid the chaos, shaking the entire Great Wilderness.

"The Mountain Treasure has emerged!"

No one needed to say it. At that moment, everyone knew that the sacred object had reappeared beneath the light of day.

With a rumble, the depths of the mountains erupted into chaos. The battle grew fiercer as four unimaginable creatures fought to the death over the newly unearthed Mountain Treasure.

"Roar..." A bellow shook the eight wildernesses. Even those at the very edge of the Vast Mountain Range could hear it. The fleeing experts went weak in the knees, and many collapsed on the ground.

Their mounts had long since stopped obeying them. Trembling like sieves, they lay flat on the ground, shuddering uncontrollably in terror. They did not even dare raise their heads, bowing again and again toward the Great Wilderness.

Deep in the mountains, terrifying auras shook the world as the four creatures fought. It was as if they had returned to the time before creation: one moment, flames blazed into the sky; the next, dark clouds blotted out the sun; then an iron staff swept across the heavens...

This was a world-shaking battle. Had the more than a dozen Treasure Bones not suppressed this vast mountain range and stabilized its peaks, it was impossible to imagine what would have become of it.

Amid the chaotic mists, a bird's cry pierced the heavens. The scarlet Little Red Bird shrieked furiously as it fought its opponent, unleashing a flood of crimson flames that burned half the sky to ashes. Their scorching heat was unbearable.

"Roar..."

A great bellow shook heaven and earth. Its opponent had the might to swallow mountains and rivers and the presence of a ruler of all beneath heaven. Radiant light soared skyward as it used an unparalleled divine art to suppress the heavenly flames.

Anyone who had seen it would have gaped in astonishment. The Little Red Bird's opponent was a giant raptor, yet its cry sounded like a beast's roar, shaking mountains and rivers. Without the primitive Treasure Bones anchoring the mountains, they would surely have shattered.

Rumble!

Its enormous wings stretched across the sky, blotting it out like a bank of dark clouds and dimming the crimson flames. A pair of massive claws reached down, grasping for the Little Red Bird.

The savage bird was so enormous it filled the sky. One outstretched wing was like ten thousand mountains pressing down, and its baleful aura made the soul tremble.

"Caw!"

With a piercing cry, the fiery bird shot upward. Though small in stature, its imposing might was unmatched. It collided with the giant claw, ringing like metal on metal as sparks flew everywhere.

The two fought fiercely. The enormous raptor blotted out the sky, its body wrapped in thick black mist so that its true form could not be seen. From far away, only its enormous blood-red eyes were visible, like two blood moons hanging in the heavens.

Boom!

The giant raptor was so vast it seemed to have no end. It spread its wings and soared into the sky, making even the heavens above the Vast Mountain Range seem too small to contain it. Its attack power was unmatched, and each flap of its wings made heaven and earth roar.

The Little Red Bird was struggling. It was wounded, having once fought a prolonged battle against the being that wielded the iron staff. That fight had ended with both sides badly injured.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

Crimson rays slashed through the clouds. Runes shimmered all over the Little Red Bird, weaving together in dense patterns. It opened its crystalline beak, red as a diamond, and spat out wave after wave of blazing light.

This was an incomparably sharp, peerless divine art. The rays of light turned into one translucent scarlet immortal sword after another, each razor-sharp and wreathed in flames as they slashed toward the giant raptor.

"Roar..."

The enormous raptor, vast as a dark cloud, let out a beastlike bellow, sensing grave danger drawing near. It spread its wings and soared toward the heavens, vanishing into the azure sky in an instant.

At the same time, dark clouds churned. Once the raptor had fled far into the endless sky, its iron feathers spread wide, runes glittering across them as they blotted out heaven and earth. A boundless rain of dark light shot down.

"Clang!" "Clang!"

Divine rays erupted across the sky. The dark light clashed with the scarlet swords, ringing out like an apocalyptic collision of comets beyond the heavens, terrifying the Great Wilderness.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

Elsewhere, astral winds howled and swept through the nine heavens. The enormous iron staff, held in a pair of furry hands, swept across heaven and earth as its wielder fought the towering being in a fierce, deadlocked battle. Each collision was like the creation of the world, sending chaotic energy surging outward.

Radiant light poured everywhere, and auspicious mists swirled around the unearthed artifact as it rose and fell. The four creatures did not immediately seize it; each was still fighting its own opponent.

With these four creatures here, no other being dared approach. Even remnants like the Demon Ape and Li Fire Bull Demon could only tremble and hide far away, not daring to come near.

The battle grew more and more intense. The four unimaginable supreme beings fought desperately, heedless of their lives. A terrifying aura surged toward the eight wildernesses, making all living things tremble in fear.

With a hum, heaven and earth shook violently. A terrifying claw swept through the air toward the Little Red Bird, divine light surging like waves crashing against the shore, boundless and vast. It was a sneak attack. The being towering into the clouds, its eyes jade-green, had suddenly abandoned its opponent with the iron staff to attack the Little Red Bird.

The fiery bird shrieked furiously and beat its wings with all its might. A violent whirlwind formed and spun rapidly, becoming a crimson tornado that tore through heaven and earth. Terrifying flames blazed within it as it swept toward the great claw.

At the same time, the giant raptor opposite it swooped down. They crossed paths, and it attacked the being wielding the iron staff, concealed in chaotic energy. It stretched across the horizon, more majestic than a bank of clouds, trailing a vast black mist. Its blood-moon eyes shot forth two blood-red spears, each thick as a mountain, hurtling toward its target.

Rumble!

Heaven and earth shook violently. In the blink of an eye, the four creatures had switched opponents, launching murderous attacks against one another in a battle to the death.

The mountain range stretched across a vast and magnificent expanse, with tens of thousands of towering peaks standing side by side. One patch after another of blazing runes lit up across it—some crimson as blood, some black as ink, others crystalline white. These were the primitive Treasure Bones of the Primordial Remnants at work, suppressing the entire range. Otherwise, even the shockwaves alone, sweeping down from the sky, would have brought disaster.

Far beyond the mountains, the experts fought against the terror rooted in their souls as they stumbled away in a desperate flight. This region was far too terrifying. They could hardly imagine what kind of creatures those were. The mere aura they gave off had left them limp on the ground, yearning to bow down in worship and trembling with dread.

At that moment, they wished they could flee into the ancient kingdom of legend and take shelter!

In Stone Village, the willow tree stood tall as its tender branches swayed. Though the villagers felt wave after wave of unease, their souls did not tremble like those of the experts outside. Clearly, they were under its protection.

"A great battle is raging in the mountains. I wonder what kind of sacred object could cause such a fierce struggle."

"I feel as if a mysterious force has locked the mountains and rivers in place. Otherwise, the land within a radius of fifty thousand li would probably have suffered a calamity."

Shi Feijiao and Shi Linhu murmured to each other, both uneasy and uncertain how long this disaster would last or how terrible it would become.

Deep in the Vast Mountain Range, a crystalline white sacred object shot back and forth between the four creatures. They continued fighting fiercely, reaching out with their great claws from time to time to seize the divine object.

Boom!

Chaotic energy surged as the shining white divine object was knocked flying into the distance. It pierced through the runes spread across the mountains. The more than a dozen primitive Treasure Bones could no longer hold this place in check.

Boom!

A gigantic beast's foot stepped out. The creature rose to stand upright, its body wreathed in mist. Its emerald eyes swept across the surroundings as it said, "This sacred object is of immense importance. The fewer who know about it, the better!"

"Then kill them all. Start with the human race. Wipe out every species and creature on this land that can't keep its mouth shut." The raptor agreed. It, too, burst out, surrounded by chaotic energy. Its wings spread wide, blotting out the sky and covering the endless mountain range below. It was incomparably vast, with blood-moon eyes and a murderous aura that shook the heavens.

With a boom, an iron staff thrust out, enormous as a mountain ridge. It was gripped in a furry hand, and its wielder was shrouded in mist. The creature swung the staff with peerless might!

Then the Little Red Bird burst out, bringing a sky full of flames with it.

The four creatures were all unimaginably powerful. They fought as they roared, shaking this boundless land. The primitive Treasure Bones could no longer hold the area in check.

"Let all living things obey my command and trample this land flat!" In the mist, the creature with emerald eyes grew even colder as it issued its order.

"Go. Sweep aside everything in your way!" The raptor stopped roaring like a beast and began to speak the human tongue. Its voice rumbled as it gave its command, its blood-moon eyes chillingly cold.

Chaotic energy filled the air as the shining white sacred object rose and fell, about to fall into the hands of the creature wielding the iron staff. The other three terrifying beings all let out sharp cries and rushed forward together in pursuit.

The Great Wilderness stretched on without end, its towering mountains following one after another. Dense forests spread across the land, ancient beasts roared, and savage birds struck at the sky. The whole place descended into chaos! "Moo..."

A bull's bellow rang out for more than a hundred li as Li Fire surged into the sky. A giant bull, crimson as blood, charged out from a split-open mountain. It stood more than ten meters tall and stretched thirty meters long, trailing magma and wrapped in flames.

It was the Li Fire Bull Demon, who had once fought the Golden Suanni and had a fiery red horn broken off. It had lived for countless years and ruled the Great Wilderness with its might. Even the elders of Stone Village had grown up listening to its legends. Flames blazed beneath its hooves, and its red hide gleamed like silk as it raced into the distance.

Countless ferocious beasts followed behind it, densely packed and all of them strange species. They skirted the magma and flames and charged out of the Vast Mountain Range alongside it, heading toward the lands beyond.

"Ah... no!"

Everyone in a village of several hundred households was terrified. So many savage beasts were charging toward them, and the leading Li Fire Bull Demon was far more powerful than their Sacrificial Spirit. How could they possibly resist?

The village's Sacrificial Spirit sensed danger and abandoned the place at once, fleeing without a second thought. It did not dare fight back and eventually even merged into the stampede, becoming one of the beasts.

It was a catastrophe. The Li Fire Bull Demon charged straight through. Forget the village's Sacrificial Spirit— even the Sacrificial Spirit of a great tribe would not have been its match. Nothing could stop its advance. Stone houses and altars were tossed into the air by the single crimson horn it had left, smashed apart, and ruthlessly trampled underfoot.

Dust surged into the sky as it charged toward the distant horizon.

Behind it, savage beasts covered the mountains and plains, baring their claws and fangs as they swept through. The villagers fought desperately, but amid the flood of beasts, they were insignificant. The sounds of bodies being torn apart rang without end. Sharp claws and white teeth harvested life after life.

It was a scene of utter human tragedy. In the blink of an eye, the stampede swallowed the village, leaving every last villager dead.

The same thing happened elsewhere. In a short time, seven or eight villages on the outskirts of the Vast Mountain Range were razed to the ground, leaving wide swaths of blood behind.

Deep in the mountains, the two terrifying beings had issued their commands. All manner of savage birds and beasts dared not disobey. They poured out of the Great Wilderness in droves, slaughtering their way across the land.

In truth, some of the savage birds and beasts were stopped. The red Little Red Bird and the being wielding the iron staff had ordered them to halt. Otherwise, even more would have followed.

A Golden-Haired Lion charged toward Little Lone Mountain Town. Its fur gleamed, and golden light flowed over its body. It walked upright, stood twenty meters tall, and had a great horn on its forehead that crackled with electricity. Its blood-red eyes fixed on the town as it stormed inside.

"Heavens! The Golden-Haired Lion is here!" The townspeople were terrified. It was an ancient beast, and many elders had heard its legends in the Great Wilderness. None of them had expected it to come here.

"Run!"

No one dared resist. This remnant was terrifying. As soon as it entered the town, it swung a paw, smashing seven or eight people in the street into a bloody pulp. It struck again, and several stone houses collapsed, crushing more than a dozen people beneath the rubble.

Little Lone Mountain Town descended into chaos. People fled in every direction, only to discover that savage beasts surrounded the town on all sides. There was nowhere to run. The stampede had arrived and swallowed the place whole.

"Why are the Heavens punishing us like this?" A white-haired old man roared at the sky.

"Father, save me!" A child cried out in terror.

Panic engulfed Little Lone Mountain Town. The end had come. Everyone ran for their lives, only to discover there was nowhere to go. People roared in despair.

"Old Golden-Haired Lion, I'll fight you to the death!" The strongest man in town was a burly middle-aged man. He gripped a broad sword taller than half a person, his hair and beard bristling, his whole body glowing as he charged at the beast king.

Pfft!

Unfortunately, he was no match for the remnant. With a single swipe of its claw, it tore him and his sword in two. Blood sprayed high into the air.

Boom!

In the middle of town, the low Stone Mountain shook violently. A boulder shot up from within it, glowing faintly, covered in runes, and hurtled toward the Golden-Haired Lion.

Clang!

The Golden-Haired Lion swung a razor-sharp claw. With a smack, it struck the boulder and sent it rolling away amid a shower of sparks.

"Roar..."

The stampede swallowed Little Lone Mountain Town. A herd of savage beasts charged toward the rune-covered boulder, biting at it as metal clanged and stone fragments flew. The boulder shone and released a vast force, charging again and again. Amid a series of thuds, a mass of beasts was crushed into pulp, blood spraying everywhere.

The Golden-Haired Lion roared, and the whole town trembled. The great horn atop its head released a dazzling beam of light. A bolt of lightning struck the boulder, and with a crack, several fissures appeared.

"You're slaughtering across the land with such wanton savagery. Aren't you afraid of punishment? I am descended from the Mountain God!" The boulder glowed and sent out a ripple of divine thought.

"Go tell that to the beings in the mountains!" The Golden-Haired Lion answered with a ripple of divine thought. It opened its bloody maw and spat out an even more dazzling mass of lightning, then pounced.

Crack!

Though Little Lone Mountain Town's Sacrificial Spirit fought back fiercely, weaving runes together, it was ultimately smashed apart by the Golden-Haired Lion. Brilliant blood splattered everywhere, and a savage beast swallowed it in one bite.

Moments later, Little Lone Mountain Town was reduced to ruins, with shattered walls and bloodstains everywhere. Everyone had died, and not even their bones remained. They had all been buried in the beasts' bellies.

Savage beasts covered the mountains and plains. Beyond the Great Wilderness, the land looked like the end of the world. Led by powerful remnants, the stampede swept across the four directions and charged toward the ends of the earth.

In Stone Village, the willow tree stood silent. Its tender branch radiated a gentle glow, enveloping the whole village. The stampede thundered past, but kept well clear of the place.

Perhaps this was the only place to escape the disaster.

"Living things are being slaughtered everywhere. Who knows how many people will die? I'm afraid none of the nearby villages will survive." An elder of the clan sighed, sorrow on his face. They all struggled to survive in the Great Wilderness, so seeing disaster descend brought grief and sympathy to his heart.

He did not know that this calamity was far more severe than he could imagine. It was no longer confined to the area around the mountains; it was spreading across the boundless land!

That day, blood splashed across the earth. Countless clans were wiped out as savage birds and beasts rampaged and primordial beasts appeared, sweeping through every inhabited region. It was a calamity.

In the Vast Mountain Range, chaotic energy filled the air, and immortal light occasionally soared upward. Four supreme beings were locked in a decisive battle over the sacred object.

Divine fire burned half the sky to ashes, giant raptors swept across the nine heavens, savage beasts tore through the firmament, and iron staffs pierced the clouds. The battle grew ever more intense!

The crystalline white sacred object changed hands several times, passing between the four creatures. Yet none of them could truly claim it, and the battle continued.

The more than a dozen primitive Treasure Bones of the Primordial Remnants could no longer protect the mountain range. The four supreme beings' battle sent rocks flying into the sky and toppled one giant peak after another, reducing the mountains to ruins.