Treasure Land

The crystalline, snow-white holy object changed hands several times, passing between the four creatures. Yet, none could truly claim it as their own, and the great battle continued.

The dozen or so primitive precious bones of the archaic remnants were no longer enough to protect this mountain range. The decisive battle between the four supreme creatures caused the very stones to shatter and the heavens to collapse; one massive mountain after another crumbled, reduced to a ruinous state.

As they fought, they shifted their position, moving toward the distance. The battlefield grew increasingly vast, its reach expanding until the Vast Mountain Range, spanning thousands of miles, could barely contain them.

In Stone Village, the charred Willow Tree suddenly trembled. Its tender branches erupted with brilliant radiance, a green so vibrant it made the heart flutter. A magnificent glow emerged, shrouding the entire village.

"Ah, what is happening?" Little One, who had been playing with three fledglings under the tree, looked up with a startled expression.

Shi Lin, who had been sitting before the stone cliff with his eyes closed, opened them sharply.

"It is time to leave!"

All the villagers trembled, feeling as though they were in the presence of a deity. The ancestral medicine cauldron of the clan began to glow, resonating in harmony; the patterns of the ancient ancestors on the walls of the cauldron became increasingly distinct.

With a resonant "hum," the green light of the Willow Tree surged into the heavens. Chains of order intertwined, so dazzling that one could not keep their eyes open. Then, the light enveloped Stone Village, and suddenly, it vanished from the world, leaving nothing behind in that place.

Far away in the mountain range, amidst thick mists, a pair of emerald eyes as large as lakes peered toward this direction. Extremely sensitive, the creature sensed something and let out a deep, rumbling voice: "It actually escaped..."

"At this rate, it will take days to bathe this land in blood; it is too slow." The fierce bird streaked across the sky like a dark cloud, its blood-moon eyes radiating monstrous malice.

"I loathe the human race; their reproductive rate is astonishing. Let us do it ourselves and end this quickly!" The fierce beast growled, its emerald eyes brimming with killing intent as it fired two bolts of lightning, each as thick as a mountain, toward the former location of Stone Village.

"BOOM!"

The mountains collapsed, the earth cracked, and dust billowed into the sky. A deep pit appeared where Stone Village had once stood, resembling a vast abyss—pitch black and bottomless.

"Eh? It was actually the burial ground of a deity. No wonder it took root there. What a pity, to let it slip away!" The creature with the emerald eyes roared, its killing intent soaring to the heavens.

The snow-white holy object floated, shimmering with light. The four creatures continued their battle, clashing with precious techniques. The entire Vast Mountain Range was devastated, filled with broken peaks. Their conflict rippled across thousands of miles, spilling into the vast lands beyond.

"Your bloodlust is so heavy; do you not fear retribution one day?"

"Who could possibly punish This Seat?!" the terrifying creature with the emerald eyes roared. With that single shout, the clouds across the sky were completely scattered.

The fierce bird was even more direct. It spread its wings, covering the firmament with a sea of black mist. Its body was larger than a storm cloud. This time, it snatched the snow-white holy object and flew tens of thousands of miles away.

The other three creatures naturally gave chase, launching fierce attacks.

"I loathe the human race; I shall bathe this land in blood for you to see!" The fierce bird shrieked. With a single beat of its wings, it swept across the boundless earth, mountains and scenery blurring as they receded at high speed.

Soon, it arrived at a territory belonging to a prince—the domain of the Lei Clan, home to tens of millions of people. It dropped the holy object and immediately began to bathe the land in blood.

"ROAR..."

Though it was clearly a fierce bird, it emitted a bestial roar. It opened its beak, and a terrifying wave of black light surged out, engulfing the entire princely territory of tens of millions.

The territory of the Lei Clan was vast, filled with massive cities and a flourishing population. Yet, on this day, it suffered a calamity of total extinction!

Like a mountain torrent reversing its course, like a vast sea crashing against the heavens, once the princely territory was shrouded in black light, the entire population was pulled upward, flying toward that gaping, massive beak.

It was a terrifying sight, akin to the end of the world. Resistance was impossible, for once the tens of millions were enveloped by the black light, their fate was sealed.

Within the black light, any struggle resulted in the body exploding into a mist of blood!

"The Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow! It is actually the legendary Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow!"

"Heavens, what great sin has our clan committed to be punished by a demonic bird that only exists in legends!?"

Wails echoed from within the Lei Clan. Everyone was stunned, utterly powerless to resist.

Struggle was futile; no one could save them. The black light blotted out the sun and sky, shrouding the land, leaving them to watch as they were swallowed into that beak.

It was a horrific scene: a massive, fierce sparrow hovered in the firmament, its body wreathed in black mist, obscuring the entire sky. Its eyes were as large as blood moons, and as it opened its massive maw, it swallowed tens of millions of people whole.

"Puff," "Puff"...

As these people entered its maw, they all exploded, turning into blood mist and being swallowed into its belly.

"So much blood essence; I am barely half-full." Nourished by the massive influx of blood essence, the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow became spirited, its exhaustion swept away.

An iron staff swept down, shattering the firmament, striking at the demonic bird's head—which was larger than an archaic mountain—intending to smash it into a thousand pieces! Alas, the fierce bird was too powerful. With a spread of its wings, it tore through the sky and vanished in an instant, dodging the staff. Despite its massive size, it was incredibly agile, possessing divine speed.

"You are so savage; do you not fear offending the heavens?" A voice came from the mist, and the iron staff struck out once more.

"What are the heavens? The heavens cannot claim This Seat!" The fierce bird's massive body filled the sky. It flapped its wings with force, attempting to tear the world asunder. A gale rose, and the entire world plunged into darkness.

Such a massive fierce bird unleashing its precious techniques was a display of demonic might that shook the world. The sound of its wings was like a wail from the Nine Netherworlds. Thousands upon thousands of black feathers, condensed with terrifying runes, flew forth. Each one was shockingly thick, whistling down as if to destroy the world, surging toward the creature wielding the iron staff.

A fierce battle erupted once again. The iron staff pierced the heavens, colliding with the endless black feathers. The radiance of precious techniques bloomed, shaking the heavens and earth, causing the winds and clouds in all directions to vanish.

"SHI—"

The black light intensified. The black feathers filling the sky condensed, suddenly transforming into a black furnace. It was taller than hundreds of mountains, its aura terrifyingly majestic, standing between heaven and earth. It was a furnace of heaven and earth.

The Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow had woven its demonic feathers and condensed its runes to form this terrifying demonic furnace. With a soft hum, it began to pull the creature wielding the iron staff inside.

"HUM"

The energy surged to the heavens. The massive creature swung the iron staff with all its might. Simultaneously, a vertical eye opened in the center of its brow. Golden light flared, runes filled the sky, and it transformed into a peerless immortal sword, slashing toward the black furnace.

This was a battle of life and death; they had fought until their true fury was unleashed!

On the other side, the crimson bird was also locked in a life-or-death struggle with the massive fierce beast. Firelight and giant claws collided with a metallic clang, the sound of the Dao rumbling as heaven and earth resonated.

They fought all the way, soaring through the air, crossing boundless mountains and rivers. The scope of the battlefield grew ever wider.

Across the land, the once-prosperous Lei Clan had become a thing of the past. Great city after great city stood empty, their tens of millions of inhabitants devoured in a single gulp by the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow—a true catastrophe.

As the four supreme beings moved on, a gust of wind swept through, causing dozens of massive cities and countless smaller settlements to collapse instantly, reduced to broken walls and rubble.

The Lei Clan, which had once ruled this land as its most powerful force, had become a wisp of smoke in history, existing no more!

"Within a radius of one hundred thousand li, no living soul shall remain. These mountains and rivers are only beautiful when stained red with blood!" The ferocious beast, standing between heaven and earth and shrouded in thick mist, possessed emerald eyes that shone with a chilling, murderous intent.

It commanded all spirits, and as it moved, it shook off the Little Red Bird's entanglement, surged forward, and vanished toward the edge of the horizon.

"Heavens, what kind of monster is that?"

Within the territory of another prince, the Purple Mountain Clan watched in shock as a pair of emerald eyes, as large as lakes, approached through the vast, swirling mist, the pressure so immense it left them gasping for air.

"Whoosh!"

The Little Red Bird, pursuing from behind, opened its beak and spat out a sheet of radiance. Infused with torrential divine fire, it birthed a crimson immortal sword that slashed toward the gargantuan beast.

Alas, it was too late to stop it. The colossal creature, whose body towered into the clouds, opened its maw like a sea of blood, swallowing everything in its path.

"Heavens, no! What is this beast? How can it be so powerful?"

The Purple Mountain Clan was gripped by terror. Their entire royal city was lifted from the ground; the black, mountain-like walls and magnificent palaces cracked and crumbled, and the entire population of the city fell into that blood-red maw.

The Little Red Bird tried to intervene, but the human physique was too fragile. At the slightest touch, the people would explode into blood mist within those gaping jaws, caught as they were in the beast's lethal treasure technique.

A wave of demonic light surged across the land, sweeping back to envelop countless living beings. The tens of millions of the Purple Mountain Clan were lifted into the sky, forming a torrential flood that poured into the beast's gaping maw and down into its belly.

Even their powerful Sacrificial Spirit had no strength to resist; it exploded in the sky, turning into a mist of blood that drifted into the creature's mouth.

A true slaughter of living beings!

The Purple Mountain lineage was wiped out. Save for the Marquis of Purple Mountain, whose whereabouts were unknown, the entire clan perished, leaving not a single survivor.

The Little Red Bird was furious, but it was held back by the fear of causing collateral damage. The ferocious beast, however, had no such qualms, devouring tens of millions in one go.

A wind blew, chaos energy overflowed, and every great city in the area collapsed into ruins.

"Within a radius of one hundred thousand li, whether human or otherwise, as long as they have formed tribes or clans, leave none behind. Wash it all in blood!"

Of the four supreme beings vying for dominance, two roared madly, commanding all spirits to trample this land and turn the territory into ash.

Ferocious birds and savage beasts rioted, obeying the command to bathe the world in blood.

The land erupted in chaos; roars and screams filled the air as beasts surged like a flood, slaughtering everything in their path.

"Why? Is Heaven punishing our human race?"

Someone cried out. On this day, numerous tribes were attacked, unable to resist. Once their Sacrificial Spirit was slain and their strongest warriors fell, it meant the end of their clan.

"The human race already struggles to survive in this cruel wilderness; how could such a disaster befall us?!"

In daily life, the land was filled with savage beasts and ferocious birds. This was the reality of human survival—one had to fight and struggle, or there would be no path to life.

This was a catastrophe that swept across the land. Led by the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow and that heaven-piercing beast, the mountains and rivers were stained red, and every clan was wiped out.

The landscape turned crimson, blood flowing like a river!

All the great clans were annihilated, and the catastrophe spread to even more distant territories.

Just as the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow and the other supreme being had declared, one hundred thousand li were laid to waste. Mountains and rivers were soaked in blood, and the wailing of the dying painted a scene of the apocalypse.

Once-prosperous cities were now ruins, and the vast plains suitable for life were deathly silent, littered with broken bones and rivers of blood.

Once the catastrophe appeared, no one could escape. It ravaged the world, leaving living beings to wail in terror, blood flowing for one hundred thousand li!

"Boom!"

It was not until several days later that the life-and-death struggle between the four supreme beings finally concluded and the curtain fell. The entire world suddenly fell silent, devoid of any sound.

Looking out, the towering mountains were either collapsed or shattered. The earth was cracked, devoid of life, and stained with blood—a dead land.

This was the true reality: a harsh environment where primeval beasts roamed, ferocious birds blotted out the sky, and poisonous insects hid in the forests. To survive, one had to constantly fight and struggle.

Tragedies like today's were playing out across the land.

The silver moon rose, and the mountains and rivers remained silent and deathly still. No sound could be heard. The night wind swept across the land, emitting a "woo-woo" sound, like someone weeping in sorrow.

The people of Stone Village had been in a pocket dimension for two months.

Two months later.

"Crack."

Like a jade bottle shattering, the space trembled violently, flickering in and out of existence. Finally, with a low rumble, the gray mist vanished completely. The chaos dissipated, and sunlight poured down. The sun was large, hanging high in the sky. Though it was blinding, the people were ecstatic. They looked up, cheering loudly; they had escaped and returned to the world.

A group of children, unable to contain their excitement, shrieked and rushed out of the village, greedily breathing in the fresh air scented with grass and trees, jumping and leaping about.

"Hey, this isn't right. This isn't the forest outside our village." Er Meng looked dazed, seeing that the landscape was completely different from the one he had known since childhood.

A river flowed before the village, and from time to time, large fish leaped out, their golden scales shimmering and splashing water. Not far away was a lake, clear and azure, where a group of large birds with brilliant, colorful plumage were strolling leisurely. Each was over two meters long, radiating a faint glow. There was also a herd of Unicorns, their silver light shimmering as they drank by the lake.

"What a beautiful sight!" After their initial shock, the children were filled with wonder.

The adults were also dumbfounded. Having escaped the strange space, they found that the scenery before them was completely different from the forest they had known for decades. They had arrived in such a beautiful place.

"Chirp, chirp..."

"The air is so fresh! We've finally arrived at a place with flowers and water!" Shi Lin shouted.

"Chirp, chirp..."

Ziyun, Dapeng, and Xiao Qing rushed over, extremely excited, drooling at the large fish in the water. They were now about three and a half meters long; after the initial two or three months, their growth rate had begun to slow down.

The Green-Scaled Eagle appeared, flapping its massive silver wings and sending waves crashing onto the shore. Seven or eight large fish covered in golden scales leaped about on the bank, each weighing over a dozen pounds. Most miraculously, two dragon-like whiskers grew from the corners of their mouths, crystalline and translucent, emitting a fragrant aroma.

The three young birds joyfully charged forward to enjoy their meal.

Shi Yunfeng was startled and hurried over. He picked up a large fish, turning it over and over to inspect it, exclaiming, "It really is a Dragon-Whisker Fish? And a high-quality Golden-Scaled variety at that! This is a rare treasure, rich in spiritual essence. Eating it long-term can increase strength and fortify the bones and tendons; it will be of great benefit to the children!"

Hearing this, the group of children let out loud cheers and dashed toward the water's edge.

This type of fish was very rare and rich in spiritual essence, fetching a high price in the outside world, yet there were plenty in this lake—enough for the entire village to hunt and eat for a long time.

"Village Chief, look, is that flock of large birds by the lake the Five-Colored Chicken, also known as the 'Little Luan Bird'?" Er Meng's father asked, somewhat agitated, pointing ahead. He had once seen one from afar deep in the mountains, but had never managed to catch it.

"It seems... it really is!" Shi Yunfeng widened his eyes, identifying them carefully, and was instantly moved.

The Five-Colored Chicken was covered in gorgeous, vibrant feathers and looked very much like a Luan bird. Each one was over two meters long and was a rare medicinal supplement for bones.

If one broke a bone or injured a tendon, boiling a cauldron of Five-Colored Chicken and consuming the meat, bones, and broth together had miraculous effects, allowing broken bones to knit back together very quickly.

Shi Yunfeng regained his composure and earnestly instructed, "There is a large flock living here. Do not act rashly or hunt them at will. I will notify you when we need to refine medicine. We cannot let them be startled; we must ensure they remain by the lake year-round."

The group of strong men all nodded in agreement, though their focus was not on the Five-Colored Chickens. Their minds were restless, all fixed on the Unicorns on the other side. That silver-shimmering steed made every man's heart race. Growing up in the great mountains, every powerful man dreamed of having a steed capable of traveling ten thousand miles a day; it was a dream and obsession unique to men.

The Unicorns were mutations of Scaled Horses and were extremely rare, yet here there was a massive herd of no fewer than fifty or sixty. Naturally, the eyes of the grown men turned red, though they knew these were also fierce beasts and difficult to provoke.

"Take it slow. Sooner or later we'll catch a few. Don't startle them. As long as they live on this fertile land year-round, they will be ours eventually!" Shi Feijiao whispered.

The scene outside the village had changed drastically. After the initial shock, the villagers no longer felt dejected, for this place was truly excellent. With so many rare, spiritual creatures in the immediate vicinity, it was a beautiful and precious land.