The Rain Clan had existed for ages, ancient and glorious, predating even the founding of the Stone Kingdom.
In fact, several of humanity's earliest surnames-Wind, Rain, Thunder, Lightning, and others-were all exceedingly ancient and widespread, not confined to the Stone Kingdom, much less the Desolate Region.
For instance, there was a branch of the Thunder Clan in the Great Wilderness and another in the Stone Kingdom, but aside from sharing a surname, the two had virtually nothing to do with each other.
The moon was dim, the stars sparse, and the night black as ink-the perfect weather for murder and arson.
A nimble figure slipped through the mountainous terrain like a phantom.
Shi Zhao pressed onward, heading straight for several important Rain Clan holdings in the Western Frontier.
Attacking the Rain Clan itself was unrealistic. She did not yet possess that kind of strength; only after becoming a king or marquis could she wage war on them.
Of course, when all was said and done, there was no deep, bitter feud between her and the Rain Clan. Otherwise, she would surely have already grabbed the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk and gone to demand an explanation and an accounting.
Right now, she was merely venting a moment's anger and, along the way, seeking justice for her little brother.
"Not bad. This black gold mine is pretty big, and they're even raising rare birds and exotic beasts nearby. Refuse what Heaven gives you, and you'll suffer for it instead. I'll gladly accept."
The girl smiled brilliantly, revealing pearly white teeth, her large eyes shining.
She focused and held her breath, unleashing another inherited precious technique she had obtained from the Supreme Hall. A dull gray tinge spread across her jade-white skin, and her presence gradually faded until it vanished entirely.
This was the Immortal Silkworm Precious Technique. The ultimate mystery of that clan's strongest divine ability was to reverse life, escape death, and transform into a divine embryo, yet here it was being used to conceal her presence for petty thievery.
Had the Immortal Silkworm not gone extinct, they would probably have flown into a rage upon learning of this.
A large contingent of Rain Clan members was stationed in the territory ahead, with powerful experts guarding it as well. Yet not one of them noticed that someone had already slipped into their heavily defended grounds.
Looking at the storehouse built from huge stones not far away, Shi Zhao summoned the Big Black Cauldron and hurled it over.
Boom!
The magic formation shattered outright, and most of the storehouse collapsed along with it.
The guards had been so bored they were practically dozing off. None of them believed anyone would dare challenge the Rain Clan's might, only for someone to actually come looking for trouble.
That blow was like a stone splitting and the heavens shaking, scaring them half to death. Turning around, they saw that most of the storehouse had collapsed. They stood dumbfounded for quite a while before remembering to shout that they were under attack.
A few unlucky souls were struck by the shock waves and immediately fell to the ground, laid out amid the rubble.
Shi Zhao ignored them and charged into the ruins, sweeping all the black gold ore stored inside into her cauldron. Then, disregarding the battle cries behind her, she stretched out her long legs, turned, and raced toward the nearby Auspicious Beast Ridge.
In the blink of an eye, as a hare sprang and a falcon swooped, she forcibly stuffed who knew how many rare birds and exotic beasts into the cauldron.
After all, she was already here. It was hardly any extra effort.
"Over there! Hurry, chase her!"
"Quick! Don't let her get away!"
Shouts rang through the mountains, but Shi Zhao was not the least bit flustered. Her legs were long, and none of those people could run as fast as she could.
What a joke. Did they really think breaking a record in the Void God Realm was just for show?
Rumble!
The Rain Clan pursuers were beside themselves with fury. Dozens acted together, unleashing precious techniques in unison. Dark clouds gathered overhead, covering the entire mountainous area, and then torrential rain poured down in a vast, unbroken curtain.
Not far away, a low mountain was shaved flat by those terrifying raindrops. Rocks split, ancient trees snapped, and everything burst apart in an instant.
The Rain Clan had a natural affinity for the power of water. When they unleashed the same precious technique together, their runes linked into a single expanse, allowing them to wield even more tremendous power.
"Slanting Wind and Fine Rain Sever Stars and Moon!"
They roared together. The densely packed raindrops in the sky all transformed into blades, whistling and flashing with dazzling light as they swept forward, blotting out heaven and earth.
Shhk! Shhk!
Every raindrop was visibly as sharp as refined metal, piercing mountain after mountain with countless holes. Huge boulders became hornets' nests, a truly chilling sight.
"Burn the Mountains and Boil the Seas!"
Shi Zhao formed a seal with one hand, and blazing blue-and-red flames instantly swept through heaven and earth.
The Bifang was a ferocious bird, a symbol of calamity. Its flames had nothing gentle about them; they were supremely fierce and savage, even brimming with a demonic nature.
In ancient times, a pure-blooded Bifang had once been hailed as a heavenly-tier demonic bird, a demonic lord ruling over its own domain.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle-
Flames surged into the sky, burning countless raindrops away. They rose as clouds of steam, only to be reduced to nothing in turn.
"Stop right there, little thief! Lightning, come!"
An old man let out a long cry nearby. The dark clouds on the verge of burning away gathered once more, and with a crack, a bolt of blue lightning struck down in an utterly terrifying spectacle.
This was not lightning produced by human strength, but the divine might of heaven and earth, frightening beyond measure.
Shi Zhao had already sensed it. She leaped up in an instant and dodged it.
Crack!
Beside her, a mountain peak was struck by lightning and split apart on the spot, loose rocks tumbling down in a startling sight.
Clearly, this was an Inscription Realm expert, a full two major realms above Shi Zhao, whose strength could only be described as terrifying.
Anyone who reached the Inscription Realm was unquestionably an expert among humans. They would be treated with great respect wherever they went, and the best among them could be granted the rank of king or marquis.
This realm was difficult to break into. It required engraving runes into one's bones and cave heavens and beginning to arrange the laws and patterns of the Dao. It marked the point when humans truly stepped onto their own path, no longer drawing entirely upon the runes of vicious beasts.
"So powerful! A clan elder has made his move! He's cultivated our clan's precious technique to the realm of divine mastery and can unleash lightning attacks at will!"
"Lightning born from rain, each complementing the other-this is the very foundation of our Rain Clan's transcendence! That little thief has nowhere left to run. Death is certain!"
The Rain Clan members were all excited.
For so many years, no one had dared challenge the Rain Clan's might. Yet today, someone had appeared who dared plunder their precious mine and steal their rare birds and exotic beasts. The culprit had to be severely punished as a warning to others.
Boom!
Blue lightning danced and struck at Shi Zhao, falling again and again, its radiance chilling to behold.
Shi Zhao's gaze had initially been somewhat grave, but when she saw that this fellow refused to stick to water techniques and insisted on showing off with lightning instead, she nearly laughed aloud.
She possessed the pure-blooded Suanni Precious Technique, a truly powerful technique for controlling lightning. Wasn't the Rain Clan's paltry lightning technique just brandishing an axe at the master carpenter's door?
Even if this half-baked lightning born from rain hit her, she felt she could withstand it without her life being in danger.
Of course, she had only come to collect interest today. She had no intention of fighting anyone to the death, nor did she plan to reveal too much.
"Rain Clan, you've committed evil upon evil! Sooner or later, retribution will find you!" Shi Zhao shouted in a lowered voice, making it impossible to tell for the moment whether she was male or female.
Runes flickered behind her, transforming into a pair of blue
wings speckled with crimson. Standing amid towering flames, she resembled a rising sun, melting even the nearby rocks.
A hundred and eight fiery feathers appeared behind her, transforming into divine swords one after another. They rang with metallic clangs, their killing intent shaking all directions and forcing back every attacking enemy.
As for the lightning striking down from above, she blocked it all with a Black Tortoise Shield.
When a treasure was needed, she would use it. There was no reason to insist on showing off and suffering for it herself.
Whoosh-
"Aah!" Amid the flames, a streak of dark light flashed past. The Rain Clan's Inscription Realm elder was struck by an arrow, and half his body exploded outright, a sight too ghastly to behold.
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