Clearly, having her own companion Divine Beast sign a contract with someone else was still far too hard to accept.
Even if it would save a life... besides, Xiao Ziyan did not know Yi Tian well. Not rejecting him outright was already the most she could tolerate.
"All right. If you make up your mind, come back to Great Xia..."
Yi Tian was still speaking when his voice abruptly faltered.
Xiao Ziyan had yet to notice. She turned and stepped onto the Vermilion Bird's back, preparing to leave.
But at that very moment, something changed!
Endless black clouds shrouded heaven and earth, completely blotting out every inch of sky over Great Xia.
Xiao Ziyan's brows instantly knitted together. "This is bad!"
The next instant, a hairline crack split the sky, then burst wide open, spreading rapidly like a spiderweb.
Deep within the cracks, a viscous, dark red glow swiftly enveloped the heavens, turning them a filthy leaden gray, as though the sky had plunged into a mire.
Daylight could barely penetrate it. Only darkness blanketed the land.
Viewed from afar, the Abyss rift above Blue Star was utterly engulfed in red light, like a bloodthirsty Ferocious Beast opening its eyes!
"A Demon Tide?"
Somewhat surprised, Yi Tian vanished from where he stood and returned to East China.
Xiao Ziyan stared deep into the rift in the heavens, anger burning in her eyes. "It's him?!"
Xiao Ziyan, who had been about to leave, stopped in her tracks. Then she gritted her teeth and hurried after Yi Tian.
Above Great Xia, the rift in the heavens suddenly expanded into an enormous black hole.
Two grotesque, gigantic hands reached out from within. A thick, dark red blood vessel ran along the back of each finger, with filthy gray slime trickling down from