The three members of the Heavenly Wing Race stood nearby, staring at Shi Yi. Divine light radiated from their bodies, and the delight and disbelief in their eyes overflowed.
"A human? Your kind hasn't appeared in this Cave-Dwelling World for countless ages. Our inherited memories and ancient records have almost forgotten your race. Where exactly have you been hiding? Or did you come from the outside world?" one of the three asked.
His voice brimmed with excitement and anticipation. He hoped Shi Yi would give him the second answer. Their ancestors had tried countless methods to escape to the outside world. Countless beings had pressed forward, one after another, yet all had failed. Although they had eventually resigned themselves to their fate, that obsession had merely faded, never vanished.
Seeing the way they looked at him like prey, Shi Yi knew this would not be so simple. He sighed inwardly. It seemed another fight was unavoidable today.
"If you're looking for Netherworld Grass, the underground abyss is vast. Feel free to carry on. If you have something else in mind, I advise you to rein it in. Don't lose your lives before you get what you want," Shi Yi warned.
The three burst into laughter at his warning, then said coldly, "Food from the ancient era dares to boast like this? Our race may not eat humans, but your kind were nothing more than our slaves. Who gave you the courage to act so insolently? Kneel and admit your mistake at once!"
Lightning flashed, and Shi Yi vanished before them. The underground abyss was pitch-black. Thinking he had fled, the three spread their spiritual senses to search for him.
Splat!
One of the three exploded, scattering blood and bone across the ground. Some splashed onto his two companions. Terror filled their faces, and they opened their mouths, whether to shout or demand an explanation.
Before either could make a sound, two more splats rang out. Two more showers of blood and bone burst into the air. Blood splashed across the ground, scarlet and eerily vivid.
In the blink of an eye, Shi Yi had slain all three members of the Heavenly Wing Race. Clad in spotless white, he stood in the air, his expression as still as an ancient well. His gaze was deep and tranquil, as though he saw through all things in the world, yet felt neither sorrow nor joy. Like an immortal transcending the mortal dust, he stood silently between heaven and earth.
"I had no wish to kill, but since you sought death yourselves, I had no choice but to oblige."
His lightning wings unfolded, and Shi Yi flew toward the opening he had carved, following his memory. Now that he had obtained the Netherworld Grass, he had no intention of lingering. He needed to strengthen himself as quickly as possible. As for the Heavenly Wing Race, he had already learned that only one Venerable had come this time. It was not arrogance; an ordinary Venerable would now find it difficult to pose much of a threat to him.
Focused on his journey, Shi Yi soon reached the bottom of the enormous shaft he had dug. Without pausing, he flew upward.
"Who goes there? The Heavenly Wing Race has commandeered this place! Whoever you are, stop and submit to a search, or you'll be executed on the spot!" shouted a member of the Heavenly Wing Race stationed there.
As an Array Formation Realm cultivator, he was far from weak. Apart from a select few, most people were no match for him. Moreover, he was an Array Formation Realm cultivator of the Heavenly Wing Race. His race was a dominant power, naturally enjoying advantages over other races. He even dared to berate Venerable Realm experts of other races.
Shi Yi ignored the man's rebuke and continued flying upward. Their exceptionally tyrannical conduct disgusted him. More importantly, he was human. Wherever he went, people would recognize him as someone from the outside world and seek to capture and imprison him. In this Cave-Dwelling World, he could be said to have the entire world against him.
Seeing his warning ignored, the member of the Heavenly Wing Race flew into a rage. He raised his longsword high, and mysterious runes flickered in the air. Their radiance grew brighter and brighter, finally condensing into an enormous fireball. Blazing flames churned across its surface, radiating suffocating waves of heat.
He hurled it violently at Shi Yi. The fireball tore through the air with a deafening howl, as though ripping apart space itself. Its descent instantly illuminated the darkness at the bottom of the shaft. The surrounding air seemed to ignite, and scorching currents swept outward.
Lightning hissed in Shi Yi's hand, like countless tiny electric serpents slithering about, before condensing into a Thunder Spear that shone with dazzling light.
Violent lightning coiled around the spear's shaft, giving off a low hum, as though the power of heaven and earth had been compressed within it. His eyes blazed as he fixed them on the enormous fireball descending from above. Its searing heat seemed ready to ignite the entire sky.
He hurled the Thunder Spear. It cleaved through the air, leaving a brilliant trail. The instant it struck the fireball, a deafening roar erupted. Scorching flames and raging lightning intertwined, unleashing a destructive surge of energy.
The Thunder Spear pierced the fireball, instantly tearing it apart. Countless sparks scattered like a magnificent display of fireworks. Yet the spear's power did not diminish. It continued hurtling forward with unstoppable momentum.
In the distance, the Heavenly Wing Race's Array Formation cultivator tried to flap his wings and flee, but the Thunder Spear moved as fast as lightning, closing in within the blink of an eye. The winged man looked back in terror, the deadly spear reflected in his eyes. Before he could react, it pierced his chest and nailed him hard against the mountainside behind him.
Rock shattered and dust billowed. The Thunder Spear pinned the winged man firmly in place, its lightning ravaging his body and wringing agonized screams from him. His wings drooped limply. Blood streamed down the mountainside, staining a patch of rock red.
Shi Yi slowly lowered his hand, his gaze cold and stern, as though everything he had just done required no more effort than lifting a finger. The smell of burning lingered in the air, and the residual power of lightning still reverberated, as though proclaiming his might and inviolability.
In the blink of an eye, Shi Yi arrived before the member of the Heavenly Wing Race. His eyes darkened slightly, remaining as still as an ancient well. The other winged men were shocked by his strength, but they still flew over and surrounded him.
The Heavenly Wing Race's Array Formation cultivator coughed up blood, gasping for breath. "Human, you-you can't kill me. If you kill me, the Heavenly Wing Race won't let you off. You may be strong, but compared with our race, you're still far too weak. As long as you cooperate with us, our race will give you whatever you want. Power, money, beautiful women-all will be yours for the taking."
"Annihilation." Unwilling to waste more words, Shi Yi raised his fist and struck. The winged man's body was instantly blasted apart, leaving only a pool of blood to tell of what had just happened.
"Split up and flee!" One of the winged guards saw how powerful their enemy was. Even an Array Formation Realm cultivator could not withstand a single blow. He knew
that none of them stood a chance, and cried out in alarm.
The winged men quickly scattered, trying to divide Shi Yi's attention. But the lightning wings behind him beat fiercely. Amid flickering electricity, his figure darted through the air like a phantom.
After a few flashes, he caught up with the fleeing winged men before they could get far. Lightning erupted, slaying them one by one, and several corpses fell to the ground. In his hand was a pristine white precious bone, mysterious runes flowing across its surface.
"If I wanted power, money, or beautiful women, I would take them myself. I have no need for your race's charity. With your paltry cultivation, your words carry no weight within your race, like a weightless feather. Besides, we're already enemies. There's even less reason to show mercy."
After speaking, Shi Yi beat his lightning wings fiercely once more and flew upward. Wind and thunder howled, and trails of afterimages lingered behind him.
Not long after he left, a figure flew up from the bottom of the shaft, his entire body seemingly wreathed in flames. After looking around, his gaze sharpened, and he instantly appeared beside his clansmen's corpses.
"Aah! You villain! Don't let me catch you, or I'll tear out your tendons and flay your skin to appease my fallen clansmen! You cannot escape this Cave-Dwelling World!" Venerable Skyfire roared.
He had been directing operations in the underground abyss, not far from here. Upon sensing the violent fluctuations of power, he had rushed over without stopping. Yet he had never expected the battle to end so quickly. The clansmen he had left to guard this place had been wiped out almost instantly, unable to resist at all. It had been an entirely one-sided slaughter.
Although the deaths of his clansmen pained Venerable Skyfire, he knew there was no time to grieve. He had to give chase immediately. Even if he could not capture or kill the culprit, he had to learn who they were. At the very least, he needed to discover their race, so he could come knocking and demand an accounting later.
He flew upward at his greatest speed. Wind whistled past his ears, and a succession of afterimages slowly faded behind him. Only one thought remained in his mind: Faster. Faster still.
Venerable Skyfire seemed to forget time itself, doing nothing but flying upward. At last, a ray of sunlight pierced the darkness and shone into the shadowed gorge. Joy stirred in his heart. This meant he was close to the surface. Confident in his speed, he believed he could catch up or at least see which race was responsible. His heart brimmed with both delight and rage.
Reality, however, played a cruel joke on him. The moment he burst out of the gorge, the beam of light above the Teleportation Array vanished, and the surging energy subsided.
"Aah!"
His fury reached its peak. Energy poured uncontrollably from his body, sweeping through his surroundings like a raging torrent. The air trembled beneath his wrath, giving off a low hum.
Boulders instantly shattered under the impact of his energy, exploding into countless fragments as dust filled the air. The ground split beneath his feet, cracks spreading rapidly like a spiderweb, as though the earth itself trembled at his anger.
His eyes blazed with scorching light, as though he would burn everything to ashes. His surroundings crumbled beneath his power, as though the entire world were collapsing in his fury. Waves of energy kept spreading, until nothing remained between heaven and earth but his unrestrained rage and an aura of destruction.