A cataclysm descended, plunging heaven and earth into chaos.
Towering mountains had either collapsed or been sheared apart. The earth cracked, the landscape lay shattered, and floods, savage beasts, vicious birds, and venomous insects were everywhere.
A silver moon rose, and the mountains and rivers fell silent.
As far as the eye could see, once-prosperous cities had become ruins. The vast plains where living creatures had once flourished were now deathly still, strewn with broken bones.
The night wind swept across the land, whimpering like someone weeping in grief.
Shi Zhao walked through the shattered Great Wilderness, dried blood still clinging to her body. Her brilliant robes were in tatters, stained a mournful, vivid red.
The night wind blew hard enough to lift her hair, revealing a pair of bright, resolute eyes.
That day, after her primordial spirit returned to her body, one problem had followed another. A rift seemed to have opened between spirit and flesh; they no longer blended as seamlessly as milk and water.
Simply put, her primordial spirit no longer wanted to return to the prison of her flesh, and her body instinctively rejected a primordial spirit that had grown far too powerful.
She coughed up blood all night before finally forcing her primordial spirit fully into her body.
Then she forcibly condensed her primordial spirit and used a method she had accidentally comprehended in the Blood Moving Realm to turn its dissipating power into a mysterious energy that could nourish her flesh in return.
With the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow blood she had collected along the way to supplement it, she opened her eighth Cave Heaven outright.
Afterward, she followed the traces of the great battle. Along the way, she witnessed far too many human tragedies and slew many savage beasts and vicious birds.
Mountains and rivers ran crimson, and blood flowed for a hundred thousand li.
She grew ever more silent, yet her heart burned ever hotter!
Luofu Marsh had once been blue as the sea, a beautiful expanse dotted with islands. Now it had become the site of the decisive battle. Half of it was already destroyed, and thousands of li of water had evaporated completely.
"Qiongqi, though you are merely a descendant of an ancient beast, you truly inspire awe. You have seized the fortune of heaven and earth and grown powerful enough to stand beside the mightiest," Little Red Bird rebuked from within towering flames of li fire.
"But what have you done? You once served as the sacrificial spirit of an ancient kingdom, yet after absorbing its power of faith, you refused to remain and guard it. Instead, you devoured everyone in that kingdom. Your evil knows no bounds!"
She was gravely wounded. She had already fought Zhu Yan for two or three years, and now, after battling for days on end, she was truly nearing her limit.
"Heh heh, keh keh keh! So what?" Qiongqi was utterly cold. An icy light shone in its emerald eyes, and its killing intent shook the wilderness.
Its entire body was blood-red, resembling both a tiger and an ox. Its wide maw and fangs were those of a ferocious tiger, while its eyes and the horns on its head resembled a wild bull's.
A pair of wings grew from its back, like demonic wings, scarlet and terrifying, but now incomplete. Its body was covered in sharp, hedgehog-like bristles, most of which had broken off.
Clearly, it was suffering too. The Vermilion Bird and Zhu Yan had joined forces to attack it earlier, inflicting severe injuries. Had another interloper not charged in midway, it would probably have been eliminated long ago.
On the other side, a golden divine ape roared. With three heads and six arms, it stood tall enough to hold up the heavens. This was Zhu Yan. Its physique was immensely powerful, yet it too was covered in blood and badly wounded.
"I know who you are now. Who would have thought an old bird like you was still alive? And now you dare to compete for the sacred treasure. Aren't you afraid that fine disciple of yours will find out?"
The Bird Saint Honghu remained silent. Back then, only its obsession had enabled it to endure, but its true body was still in terrible condition. How could it remain unmoved when a sacred treasure appeared?
Even at the cost of exposing its identity, it had to fight for it, hoping to continue its path of cultivation.
"I have little life left. Since I have acted, my decision is made. There is no need for further words. Little monkey, take my final move."
A pair of divine wings appeared behind the Bird Saint Honghu, slicing through the sky as they swept toward Zhu Yan.
But immediately afterward, it revealed its true form. An old, white-feathered honghu spread its wings and spat out a gleaming white divine sword, formed from its beak. The sword severed one of Zhu Yan's arms. It then snatched the Mountain Treasure from that hand in its beak and turned to flee, moving at a world-shocking speed. In an instant, it was gone!
"Roar! You old bastard! You have no honor! Sneaking up on me, tricking me!" Zhu Yan flew into a rage, so furious that it hurled the iron staff in its hand like a spear.
Little Red Bird and Qiongqi immediately abandoned their standoff and gave chase together.
"Trying to leave? Not a chance!"
Shi Zhao, who had been hiding nearby to watch the battle, could no longer afford to conceal herself. Seeing the old honghu flying straight toward her, she drew her bow repeatedly and fired all three Roc Feather Arrows.
The Willow Deity's blessing had yet to fade. Every arrow was powerful enough to wound a Venerable.
Whoosh!!! The arrows blazed like rainbows, as though cast from gold, tearing through the sky.
The Bird Saint Honghu was struck. After all, it was only a spirit body. Snatching the Mountain Treasure and fleeing had been a desperate last resort.
At the same time, the other three Venerables charged over. With no time to investigate who had fired the ambush shots, all three immediately began fighting for the Mountain Treasure.
After changing hands several times, the Mountain Treasure was struck by an iron staff and sent flying, smashing through several mountaintops.
As Shi Zhao watched the Mountain Treasure hurtling toward her, her bright eyes first widened, then abruptly narrowed. A thousand words crowded her mind, but she had no idea where to begin.
She hurriedly took out the Black Cauldron and enlarged it, then ducked beneath it.
With a clang, the Mountain Treasure dropped squarely into the great cauldron.
The Black Cauldron awakened, emitting all manner of sacrificial chants as images of ancient ancestors and traces of ages past appeared upon it.
The sun, moon, and stars adorned it. Primeval savage beasts and divine birds soared, joined by flowers, birds, insects, fish, towering mountains, and waterfalls. The spectacle was magnificent.
The next moment, several terrifying attacks descended at once.
Shi Zhao immediately flipped into the cauldron. At that crucial moment, the Black Cauldron revealed its miraculous nature. Its defenses were astonishing, and hiding inside shielded her from most of the damage.
She was just about to repeat her old trick, bringing out her primordial spirit to flee with the cauldron and the Mountain Treasure. She figured those three were already arrows at the end of their flight; as long as she ran fast enough, victory would be hers.
Unexpectedly, the Mountain Treasure shone within the cauldron, and the Black Cauldron seemed to resonate with it. Indistinct runes flickered inside, and it actually tore open a rift in the void and fell through.
"..."
Little Red Bird's eyes widened. She was crimson all over, with only her jewel-like eyes showing distinct black and white. At that moment, she could not help rolling them dramatically.
Zhu Yan sucked in a great breath of cold air, feeling as though its teeth ached. It tossed aside its iron staff and sat down, crushing several mountaintops beneath its rump, then remained silent.
Qiongqi trembled all over with fury, roaring incessantly. It went completely berserk, plowing through the already shattered mountains and rivers once more.
The Bird Saint Honghu's spirit body reacted most directly. Filled with shock, rage, and resentment, it dissolved on the spot into a shower of light...
"Where the hell have I ended up? Is this still the Great Wilderness?"
Shi Zhao climbed out of the Black Cauldron and looked at the dim, gloomy world before her, momentarily at a loss for words.
Everywhere she looked, there was nothing but devastation.
The mountains and rivers were shattered, all things had decayed, and not the slightest trace of life remained.
This was a desolate land, so vast that its boundaries lay beyond sight. Ribbons of gray mist drifted through it. Far in the distance, pitch-black whirlwinds swept dust and sand from the ground, and blood-red lightning struck from time to time.
This was a small world, but it had already "died" and stood on the brink of destruction.
She sensed something. In a daze, she seemed to feel this world's faint breathing, see the brutal battles of its ancient inhabitants, and hear the funeral dirges of immortals and gods.
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