After several twists and turns, Shi Yi finally reached the Sun Flower. Delight crossed his face as he plucked it and sped away from this trouble-ridden place.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion rang out high overhead. The Heavenly Wing Race's divine fire realm expert had paid with his life, choosing to perish together with the Flood Dragon Race's divine fire realm cultivator.
In this earth-shaking self-detonation, the blast swept across the entire battlefield in an instant. Heaven and earth changed color, boulders turned to dust, and mountains collapsed, as though the end of the world had come.
The low-level cultivators seemed utterly insignificant before this destructive force. Some reacted swiftly, desperately unleashing life-saving measures and narrowly escaping disaster, but many others were swallowed by the blast's aftershocks and reduced to ashes.
Chaos engulfed the battlefield. Wails and screams rose one after another, as though hell had descended upon the mortal world.
As the aftershocks gradually subsided, the sight at the center of the battlefield was horrifying. Although the Flood Dragon Race's divine fire realm cultivator had survived by sheer luck, most of his body had been blasted to pieces. Blood drenched him, and his breathing was faint.
He barely held his mangled body upright, but could no longer continue fighting. At last, he fell helplessly to the ground, his fate unknown.
At the cost of his own life, this Heavenly Wing Race expert had deprived the allied races of a powerful combatant.
The atmosphere on the battlefield grew even grimmer. The cultivators on both sides made their final preparations for the fighting ahead.
The outcome of the battle remained uncertain, but without question, this self-detonation would become the war's most harrowing moment, etched into the memory of every survivor.
Things look very unfavorable for the Heavenly Wing Race. They're clearly losing on the venerable realm battlefield, while their strongest fighters are barely holding even. But once those two injured divine fire realm cultivators from the allied forces recover a little, the Heavenly Wing Race's venerable realm cultivators will face slaughter-unless their true one realm ancestor comes to the battlefield in person. Shi Yi assessed the battlefield silently. Now that he had obtained the sacred medicine, the Sun Flower, he did not want to linger for even a moment. He flew toward the outskirts of Flame Valley, shaking off any cultivators from other races who blocked his way as quickly as possible rather than getting drawn into a prolonged fight. This war had nothing to do with him. If not for the Sun Flower, he would not even have spared it a glance.
After several twists and turns, Shi Yi finally escaped the battlefield. Pleased, he was about to dispel the Heavenly Wing Race's Treasure Art when something unexpected happened.
"There's actually another ant here trying to escape."
Looking toward the voice, Shi Yi saw a Flood Dragon appear before him. It was precisely the one the Heavenly Wing Race expert had dragged into his self-detonation. He had fallen to the ground then, but Shi Yi had not expected to encounter him here. Although his body was still somewhat mangled and his wounds were still bleeding, some of his fatal injuries had almost healed. Clearly, he had taken some kind of healing sacred medicine.
"Senior, you may be a divine fire realm cultivator, but you're gravely injured. How much of your strength can you still wield? I have no interest in joining your war. How about pretending you never saw me?" Shi Yi said calmly. In his view, although he could not defeat an uninjured divine fire realm cultivator, he stood a good chance of escaping if he focused entirely on getting away. That was all the more true of this wounded Flood Dragon, whose strength was greatly diminished. Had he not been worried about unexpected complications, Shi Yi would never have spoken to him so politely.
"Ant, you actually dare try to bargain with me? The Heavenly Wing Race acts against all that is right. Anyone has the right to put them to death. Even injured, I have more than enough strength to kill you," the divine fire realm Flood Dragon said. "Thousand Feather Thrust!"
Seeing that words could not resolve the situation, Shi Yi hesitated no longer and immediately unleashed the Heavenly Wing Race's Treasure Art. The wings on his back snapped together, then spread swiftly, sending countless sharp feather spikes shooting toward the wounded Flood Dragon Race cultivator like a torrential downpour.
Every feather spike carried tremendous power, as though it could tear through the air, aiming straight for his opponent's vital points.
"Ant, you dare attack me? I truly cannot spare you!" the Flood Dragon snarled. Faced with Shi Yi's attack, he did not simply wait for death. He swiftly unleashed his inherited Treasure Art-Blackwater Curtain. A massive curtain of black water appeared out of thin air, shielding him.
The curtain of water was like an impenetrable barrier. Countless feather spikes struck it with sizzling hisses, but none could pierce it. They merely stirred ripples across its surface before dropping feebly into the water.
Shi Yi's brows furrowed slightly. He clearly had not expected his opponent's defense to be so powerful. The Flood Dragon Race cultivator sneered, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes, as though mocking the futility of Shi Yi's attack.
Lightning flashed in Shi Yi's eyes. The sword in his hand had already become the Void Halberd, and lightning now flickered across the wings on his back as well.
The divine fire realm Flood Dragon cultivator gave a soft exclamation of surprise at Shi Yi's transformation. Before he could examine it closely, Shi Yi was already before him, smashing the Void Halberd toward him with terrifying force.
Terrifying power surged from the Void Halberd. Even with the Flood Dragon Race's formidable physique, he did not dare take it head-on. He directed his magical weapon, the Blackwater Sword, to meet the Void Halberd.
Clang! The Void Halberd collided with the Blackwater Sword. Powerful currents of force scattered in every direction, actually opening tiny cracks in the surrounding space.
Shi Yi's speed was astonishing. Amid flashes of lightning, his figure was as elusive as a phantom.
Every swing of the Void Halberd carried the crushing might of thunder, as though it would tear this stretch of heaven and earth apart.
Although the Flood Dragon Race's divine fire realm cultivator possessed a profound cultivation base, Shi Yi's ferocious assault caught him somewhat off guard.
The Flood Dragon Race cultivator was secretly shocked. He had never expected Shi Yi to be so terrifyingly powerful. Although he was driving the Blackwater Sword with all his strength, every collision with the Void Halberd sent his blood and vital energy churning violently, filling him with alarm.
This brat-how can he be so strong?! the Flood Dragon Race cultivator cursed inwardly. But he was, after all, a divine fire realm expert with abundant combat experience, and he soon regained his footing. The Blackwater Sword instantly transformed into a water dragon that roared as it charged at Shi Yi.
Shi Yi sneered. The lightning wings on his back shuddered sharply, and he vanished from where he stood. A moment later, he appeared behind the Flood Dragon Race cultivator, bringing the Void Halberd down hard with boundless lightning power.
Boom! With a tremendous crash, the Void Halberd and Blackwater Sword collided once more. Terrifying waves of energy swept outward, and cracks spread through space again. The force drove the Flood Dragon Race cultivator back repeatedly, and a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.
"You-how is this possible?!" Horror flashed in the Flood Dragon Race cultivator's eyes. He had never imagined that Shi Yi, an array formation realm cultivator, could possess such strength.
Shi Yi gave him no chance to catch his breath. Lightning flashed beneath his feet, and he closed in again. Lightning flickered in his eyes, as though they held boundless destructive power. The Void Halberd seemed alive in his hands, every swing carrying the might to destroy heaven and earth.
The Flood Dragon Race cultivator was horrified. He knew he could no longer hold anything back.
Otherwise, he might truly perish here today. He abruptly bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood essence. The Blackwater Sword instantly erupted with dazzling light, transforming into a gigantic water dragon that lunged at Shi Yi, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.
"A paltry trick!" Shi Yi snorted coldly. He swung the Void Halberd sharply, sending an immense bolt of lightning cleaving outward to collide with the water dragon.
Boom, boom, boom! Lightning and the water dragon intertwined, erupting in earth-shaking thunder. The entire space trembled, as though it might collapse at any moment. The force sent the Flood Dragon Race cultivator flying backward. He crashed heavily to the ground, blood spraying wildly from his mouth.
Shi Yi did not stop. His figure flashed, and he appeared before the Flood Dragon Race cultivator once more. He raised the Void Halberd high and brought it crashing down with boundless killing intent.
Shi Yi severed the divine fire realm Flood Dragon's head. The Flood Dragon's enormous body and massive head both plummeted toward the earth.
Shi Yi's battle was over, but the Heavenly Wing Race's situation in the skies was far from promising. Few races had stood on their side to begin with, while all their enemies possessed powerful innate gifts.
The Heavenly Wing Race would naturally have feared none of them in a one-on-one confrontation, but against an alliance of so many formidable races, their strength fell short. After all, their greatest advantage lay in their cultivation speed.
Of course, none of this had anything to do with Shi Yi. Had the Human Race been involved, he might have joined the fighting, but the Human Race did not exist in this world.
Just as Shi Yi was about to leave, an unexpected change occurred. An immense pressure descended over the entire battlefield.
Time seemed to freeze across the battlefield. Every cultivator, friend and foe alike, was cowed by the pressure descending from the heavens and stopped whatever they were doing.
Their gazes turned toward the sky in unison. There, hurricanes, clouds, and lightning intertwined to form a mysterious passage, as though it connected to another world.
A figure slowly emerged from the passage. Each step seemed to fall upon the hearts of everyone present. Space shattered beneath his feet with a low rumble.
As he drew closer, the pressure grew ever stronger. Many cultivators with lower cultivation bases could no longer remain standing. They knelt prostrate, their foreheads pressed tightly against the ground, not daring to raise their heads and look directly at him.
At last, he emerged fully from the passage and hovered in midair. His features were handsome, and an inviolable majesty shone between his brows. The pure white wings on his back radiated a gentle yet sacred light, as though he were a deity descended from the heavens, bearing boundless power and majesty.
"A true one realm expert of the Heavenly Wing Race..." someone murmured, their voice filled with awe and fear. The true one realm stood above the divine fire realm. An expert of such caliber had not appeared in the world for a very long time.
His gaze swept across the battlefield, indifferent, as though he were looking at a swarm of ants. Regardless of which camp they belonged to, every cultivator felt a chill rise along their spine, as though their life or death rested upon a single thought of his.
"All rebels who took part in today's battle shall die." His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority, as though heaven and earth themselves were answering his words.
The allied forces made up of Riftwind Eagles, Flood Dragons, Earth Dragons, and other races wore utterly grim expressions. They had miscalculated. The Heavenly Wing Race's strongest expert was not on the verge of death as the rumors claimed. Meanwhile, every cultivator in the Heavenly Wing Race's camp cheered, for they had won this war.