Hell on Earth
When Song Wen and Jiang Wanyue arrived at Northwind City, the sun had already sunk below the horizon, leaving only a dim afterglow on the earth.
The entire city was shrouded in dim light and shadow.
The vast Northwind City was eerily quiet; not a sound of people could be heard, nor the chirping of birds.
In the city, houses collapsed, walls crumbled, and the scene was one of utter devastation; not a single living creature could be seen, only scattered bones on the ground.
As the night wind swept by, a low, mournful sound emanated from the ruins and bones, like the wailing of ghosts or a lament.
But the air still held an indelible, pungent smell of blood, along with fragments of souls.
"This city was sacrificed with blood. It seems that Yuan Yuze really might have been here," Jiang Wanyue said.
Song Wen gazed at the dimly lit mountains in the distance.
"Not only in this city, but all the nearby villages have been wiped out."
"Yuan Yuze has already left. Which direction should we look for him in?" Jiang Wanyue asked.
"Judging from the size of Northwind City and the nearby villages, the original population should not have exceeded two million. Yuan Yuze, as a Celestial-level expert, came all this way; he wouldn't do this for such a small amount of Essence Blood and souls. He will definitely continue to sacrifice mortals."
Song Wen paused, as if thinking, and then spoke.
"Yuan Yuze is likely using this city as a practice groundwork before refining a larger city... What is the largest mortal city in the vicinity?"
Jiang Wanyue took out the map Jade Slip again, activated it, gazed at it for a moment, and then pointed to a plain.
"It should be Yuecang City. Judging from the city's size, its population should be no less than 20 million, and there are also many towns surrounding it."
Song Wen looked at the plains on the map and nodded.
"This place is indeed suitable for mortals to live and reproduce, so let's go and take a look."
The two set off again.
Flying over rolling mountains, the two arrived over a plain late at night.
The plains are vast and boundless, crisscrossed by numerous rivers of varying sizes, with scattered villages dotting the landscape. Along the riverbanks, towns and cities are also present.
As they ventured deeper into the plains, towns and villages appeared more and more numerous and larger in scale.
Suddenly.
Song Wen slowed down and looked to his left, where the night was like a curtain.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Wanyue slowed down and asked.
"There's a faint smell of blood coming from that direction," Song Wen said.
"The smell of blood? I can't smell it." Jiang Wanyue then said, "Then let's go take a look."
The two deliberately suppressed their speed and moved slowly, and the stench of blood gradually intensified, which Jiang Wanyue also noticed.
After traveling several thousand miles, the two stopped.
Thousands of miles away, a crimson light shot into the sky, turning the pitch-black sky scarlet.
There once stood a vast city, but now it has become a living hell.
Thirty-six Formation Flags were set up around the city.
The Formation Flags, reaching a height of a hundred feet, fluttered in the wind.
Within the city, countless array patterns crisscrossed, eventually converging at the city's center, where a massive pool of blood lay.
Countless mortals were imprisoned near the array patterns like blades of grass, unable to move.
They knelt on the ground, some wailing with their heads up, others clinging tightly to their loved ones beside them, their eyes filled with despair and pain.
Their blood was flowing away, their flesh was melting. Like rivers flowing into the sea, the blood and flesh slowly flowed along the array patterns, eventually returning to the pool of blood.
The cries of anguish were everywhere, shaking the heavens.
Above the city, a figure stood suspended in mid-air.
This person had a young and handsome face, dressed in white robes that were as white as snow, with the sleeves fluttering in the wind, exuding the utmost elegance.
If there were no towering blood and devastation throughout the city, he would simply be a refined gentleman under the moonlit night.
If it weren't for the blood-red light that illuminated half the sky and the horrifying scene of carnage throughout the city, anyone would have mistaken him for a white-robed immortal.
Not far away, there was also a middle-aged man.
Compared to the younger man, this person appeared much busier.
His body was shrouded in corpse energy, which condensed into black chains the size of fingers. These chains spread across the sky and sun, engulfing the villages and towns around the city, sweeping up mortals and sending them into the city, which was shrouded in an array.
Having already reviewed detailed intelligence on Yuan Yuze and Xu Hai, Song Wen immediately recognized them:
The young man in white was Yuan Yuze, and the middle-aged man was Xu Hai.
"Madam Jiang, it seems we've come to the right place." Song Wen's lips curled slightly.
Jiang Wanyue's face also revealed an undisguised smile.
"Yuan Yuze, he will not escape my grasp today. His handsome body is meant for my son, Xiao Yuankui."
"No!" Song Wen said, "We are acting on behalf of Heaven to protect the peace of this region."
"Hahaha..." Jiang Wanyue laughed, "That makes sense."
At the same time.
Yuan Yuze and Xu Hai also noticed the two of them.
Xu Hai stopped capturing mortals.
Yuan Yuze also stared intently over.
"Gentlemen, where do you come from? We are here on business, so please step aside and do not disturb us," Xu Hai said.
"You harm mortals and bring calamity to the common people; your crimes are unforgivable! You actually expect us to back down? You are utterly absurd!"
As Song Wen roared, he immediately summoned the three swords, Startling Wind, Cloud Chaser, Thunder Tamer, and charged towards the two people opposite him.
"Indeed. You two sacrificed mortals alive, your crimes are heinous and you deserve to be executed!" Jiang Wanyue also summoned her Jade-White Flying Sword and launched it through the air.
Seeing the four swords coming at him menacingly, Yuan Yuze's expression hardened, and he immediately shouted.
"I am Yuan Yuze of the Cloud Pill Sect, and my father is Yuan Zhe. If you two know what's good for you and leave, and promise not to reveal what you saw today, I will let you go."
"You're about to die, yet you still dare to spout such nonsense!" Jiang Wanyue sneered.
Yuan Yuze and Xu Hai instantly realized that there was no way to resolve this peacefully today, and each of them unleashed their Law Treasure.
Xu Hai wielded a Bone Spear.
The Bone Spear, about ten feet long, trembled in mid-air, releasing a chilling aura of death that transformed into countless black chains that coiled and intertwined, instantly forming a giant net that seemed poised to intercept the four flying swords simultaneously.
Yuan Yuze then summoned a Bronze Furnace.
The Bronze Furnace swelled upon seeing the wind, instantly transforming into a colossal vessel thousands of feet tall, suspended high above his head.
The furnace lid flew off, and raging flames shot into the sky.
The blazing flames were a deep blue, turning the originally blood-red sky a deep, dark blue.
The first thing to encounter the four flying swords was a giant net woven from chains of corpse energy.
Jiang Wanyue's Jade-White Flying Sword was the first to strike.
An extreme cold burst forth, causing transparent icicles to quickly condense on the chains.
Then, with a flick of the Jade-White Flying Sword, all the frozen chains shattered.
The Jade-White Flying Sword, its power undiminished, continued to close in.
Behind them, the three swords, Startling Wind, Cloud Chaser, Thunder Tamer, followed closely.
The Bone Spear swept across the sky, striking the Jade-White Flying Sword.
Both were launched into the air simultaneously.
However, the three swords, Startling Wind, Cloud Chaser, Thunder Tamer, were completely unaffected and seized the opportunity to attack Xu Hai.
Xu Hai's expression changed slightly, but he did not appear flustered.
A sudden, loud cry rang out.
A Blue Luan phoenix swooped down from the sky, flapping its wings.
The phoenix's wingspan was several miles, and with each flap of its wings, a fierce wind accompanied by scorching heat swept through the area.
The three flying swords were blocked by the gale and scorching waves, their momentum halted, and then they were swept away by the wings.
As for the phoenix, only a few sparks flew from its feathers, and a few blue feathers were clipped off.
Immediately afterwards, the Blue Luan phoenix spread its wings and soared into the sky, its body drawing a deep blue arc in the air as it pounced towards Song Wen and Jiang Wanyue.
"Be careful, this is the Azure Firmament True Fire, nurtured by the Cloud Pill Sect for tens of thousands of years. It was only after Yuan Zhe's repeated persuasion and maneuvering that it was bestowed upon Yuan Yuze. Its power surpasses even your own True Fire."
As Jiang Wanyue spoke, wisps of Taiyin Cold Qi surged from her body.
The Taiyin Cold Qi of the moon swirled and intertwined, instantly condensing into a massive ice shield.
Upon hearing this, Song Wen was not surprised but rather pleased.
Another True Fire.
If he could recruit it for his own use, and even fuse it with the Great Sun Golden Flame to transform into the Vermilion Bird, his strength would surely increase greatly.