After the black flower bud closed, not a sound emerged from the entire valley except the tearing of air as the black vortex above the bud drew in the Yin Qi within the gorge.
One year later.
The Yin Qi throughout the gorge had grown exceptionally thin, nearly dissipating altogether, and the Death Qi that had once permeated the air had vanished entirely.
Sunlight had pierced the immensely thick clouds that had hovered over the valley for years, bathing the entire gorge in warmth once more.
As the Yin Qi thinned, the black soil within the gorge gradually returned to its normal color. Green grass began to grow, and the trees began to bud.
Occasionally, animals and low-rank magical beasts appeared within the gorge. The cold, silent gorge, once steeped in the scent of death, was gradually returning to life.
Beside a clear stream within the gorge, a figure sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut. The energy between heaven and earth surged madly into his body, and he drew over the lingering Yin Qi in the air as well.
The energy spilling from his body puffed out his robes. His face was somewhat flushed, and wisps of white mist rose from the top of his head.
The aura within his body was soaring wildly, as though trying to break through some shackle. He frantically absorbed energy, gathering it at a single point within his body and driving it toward a barrier.
Crack!
Suddenly, a sound rang out as though something had shattered. The figure's aura then surged forth like floodwater bursting through a sluice gate, as if he had undergone a transformation.
The terrifying aura churned the river into rolling waves, while the nearby trees were all blasted to pieces.
Only after a good while did the energy