It was midday, with the sun hanging high overhead. Mu Jizi and Kunpeng chatted casually. Both had been born in the North Sea, and an indescribable bond connected them.
At this time, only a little over three thousand years had passed since the creation of the world. Kunpeng had gained spiritual intelligence merely two thousand years ago, and his mind was still simple, unlike the cunning and savage creatures of later ages. He also felt an inexplicable dependence on Mu Jizi, who had enlightened him.
But Kunpeng was, after all, a demon beast. The bloodthirstiness in his bones was unavoidable; it was merely lying dormant for now.
Time flew by, and another ten years passed!
One day, a hazy aura began to emanate from Mu Jizi's true form, the nanmu tree.
The hazy aura spread, carrying waves of strange fragrance. For a moment, heaven and earth shone brilliantly. Then multicolored light descended in a rush, directly merging into the nine dark green fruits on the nanmu branches.
"Bzzzz~~~"
In that instant, a rippling charm spread from the nine dark green fruits. They then began to pulse, halos echoing around them, like human hearts beating.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The pulsing green fruits seemed to follow some law. Each time they beat, a ripple spread outward in every direction.
For some unknown reason, the ripples traveled far into the distance without dissipating!
Just then—
Heaven and earth abruptly changed color. Winds swept away the clouds, waves howled, and enormous figures emerged one after another from the sea. Powerful auras spread through the air.
"Th-this..." Mu Jizi's face appeared on the tree trunk. Sensing the countless enormous auras roaming beneath the sea with his divine sense, he was left dumbfounded. He had never imagined that the ripening of a few fruits on his true form would cause such a tremendous reaction!
"Big Brother, Big Brother!"
At that moment, Kunpeng's voice entered his mind. Mu Jizi froze and asked, "What is it?"
"I feel that the fruits on you would benefit me," Kunpeng transmitted.
"Hm?" Mu Jizi's heart stirred. "You want to eat these fruits too?"
"Yes!" Kunpeng nodded. "I feel that if I eat them, I'll be able to break through my current realm and, like you, attain the Dao Fruit of a Taiyi Golden Immortal!"
"Really?" Mu Jizi was astonished. He had never expected the fruits borne by his true form to have such an effect.
"Yes!" Kunpeng answered firmly.
"If that is so, then eat the fruits," Mu Jizi transmitted after a brief pause.
"Alright!" Kunpeng nodded. Yet rather than immediately eating the nine fruits on the nanmu tree, a bloodthirsty and vicious gleam rose in his eyes. He continued, "But first, we need to deal with those troublesome pests!"
Roar!
Without waiting for Mu Jizi's reply, Kunpeng let out a low roar. He spread his great wings, darkening the sky, and soared upward. He flew through heaven and earth, stretching for thousands of miles, before diving down. His claws were like swords and needles. With a slight movement, they flashed like lightning as they clawed at the sea's surface.
In an instant, towering waves surged and wind and rain converged. His claw plunged deep into the sea, like a heavenly talon stirring the ocean. An enormous whirlpool appeared!
Roar!
A tremendous roar rang out—the furious, trembling howl of an ancient giant beast. Afterward, with a splash, a colossal beast hundreds of miles long was forcibly dragged from the seabed by Kunpeng!
The giant beast resembled a snake and was hundreds, perhaps even a thousand, miles long. Its tail split into forks, like a swallow's tail or a silver hook. Dense scales covered its entire body. Its mouth was as wide as a basin, and two scarlet, savage fangs protruded from it. It was utterly terrifying!
"Th-this is actually an ancient ferocious beast, a Hook Snake!" Mu Jizi's eyes widened. That ancient giant beast looked exactly like the Hook Snake he had seen in a collection of ancient ferocious beasts in his previous life. This Hook Snake, an ancient ferocious beast at the early Golden Immortal realm, had actually been forcibly dragged from the seabed by the Roc. One had to know that creatures born in water could exert several times more strength in the water than above its surface. Yet even with strength several times that of an early Golden Immortal, it was still no match for the Roc in a single exchange!
The Roc roared repeatedly, like a canopy of heaven covering the horizon. Mu Jizi's heart shook!
"Could it be... could this Roc be the great deity of the Primordial Wilderness, the ancient demon master, Patriarch Kunpeng?"
At this moment, Mu Jizi could not help recalling the first time he had encountered the roc bird. Back then, it had still been a strange fish that had swum from the sea. Only after soaring into the sky had it transformed. It had seemed familiar then, but the Roc had only been a dozen meters long, so Mu Jizi had not dared to associate it with the ferocious beast Kunpeng!
But now, with one spread of his wings, the Roc stretched for thousands of miles. His beak, feathers, and claws all matched the bird-like true form of Kunpeng described in that collection of ferocious beasts. Coupled with such savage might, though Mu Jizi did not dare believe it, the thought could not help arising in his mind!
Roar!
With a low roar, Kunpeng released the Hook Snake from his claws. A bloodthirsty light flashed through his eyes. He beat his wings and drifted through the air, then his claws, like blades and swords, slashed fiercely across the sky. In an instant, cold light gleamed from them, like an illusion—as though a Milky Way had streaked across the heavens.
Splurt! Roar!
The Milky Way slashed across the Hook Snake's vital point. Instantly, an earthshaking shriek rang out as blood poured down from the sky like heavy rain. Then, with a bang, the Hook Snake's huge, mangled body crashed heavily into the sea.
Roar~~~~~~
The moment the Hook Snake fell, the waves churned violently. Ancient ferocious beasts roared one after another, then rushed toward its corpse. In no time, blood dyed this stretch of sea red. Within moments, the Hook Snake, hundreds of miles long, had been torn apart and devoured by more than a dozen ferocious beasts!
Mu Jizi kept his divine sense spread at all times. The scene beneath the sea, where the beasts devoured raw flesh and blood, entered his mind as clearly as a film. He had never witnessed such savagery before; he had not even heard of it. Yet it was unfolding vividly before his eyes, and his state of mind began to change slightly.
"In the forest, the weak are prey to the strong. Hongjun has yet to preach the Dao, and scenes of creatures devouring flesh and blood alive are playing out every moment throughout the Primordial Wilderness! If I do not wish to be eaten alive by others, then I can only become stronger myself!"
At that moment, age-old depths flickered in Mu Jizi's eyes. He suddenly felt as though he had seen through worldly affairs and stepped beyond the Five Elements! His ambitions also expanded without limit...
A gentle breeze swept past. Strange fragrance and the stench of blood filled the North Sea. For a time, the tides surged as powerful auras raced toward the island.
At this moment, more than a thousand ancient ferocious beasts had gathered around the small island where the nanmu tree grew. Each beast stared greedily at the nine small fruits on the nanmu tree, desire blazing in its eyes—yet that desire was tempered by deep apprehension!
The stench of blood filled the surroundings, and countless bones bobbed upon the waves. High in the sky, Kunpeng watched everything with cold, indifferent eyes. His feathers were black and gleaming, while blood dripped from his claws, giving off a startlingly bloody aura. By now, no fewer than a hundred ferocious beasts had died beneath those claws...
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