Bai Ming, patriarch of the White Ghost Race, drove his palm through the chest of a Divine Fire Realm cultivator of the Heavenly Wing Race. His five fingers hooked like claws and instantly tore the man's body apart. Blood rained down, staining half the sky red.
The cultivator did not even have time to scream before his body fell to the ground in two ruined halves. It happened so suddenly that everyone froze. The air hung heavy with the stench of blood and an oppressive silence.
The White Ghost Race and the Heavenly Wing Race had been allies, fighting outside enemies together. For years, they had stood shoulder to shoulder in battle and trusted one another.
Yet Bai Ming's strike shattered that trust completely.
The Heavenly Wing Race cultivators glared at Bai Ming, their eyes wide and blazing with fury. Had the allied army not been watching like tigers poised to pounce, they would have charged forward and torn him into ten thousand pieces.
"Bai Ming! Our race has treated you well. Why would you betray us like this?" an elder of the Heavenly Wing Race demanded sharply, his voice filled with undisguised grief and anger.
Bai Ming stood in the distance, a cold sneer curling his lips, his eyes full of mockery and disdain.
He slowly raised his hand, blood from the Celestial Clan cultivator still dripping from his fingertips. His voice was cold and grating. "Treated me well? Hahaha-how utterly laughable! Where did the lightning Treasure Art your Heavenly Wing Race uses come from? Have you forgotten? That bone was my grandfather's Primitive Treasure Bone! You forced my father to dig it out of my grandfather with his own hands and offer it to your Heavenly Wing Race! From that day on, my father lived like a walking corpse, tormented by pain and regret every day for the rest of his life. That was when I swore that one day, I would make your Heavenly Wing Race repay its blood debt in blood!"
Bai Ming's voice grew increasingly frenzied, and madness glittered in his eyes. He continued, "For countless years, I feared I might forget this hatred, so I sealed the scene of that humiliation within my soul. Whenever I let my guard slip, that scene would surface to remind me never to forget! Now that old fiend of your Heavenly Wing Race is finally dead, and the opportunity I've been waiting for has finally arrived! Today is the day your Heavenly Wing Race is destroyed!"
The cultivators of the various races drew sharp breaths as they listened. They had never imagined such a deep blood feud lay between the White Ghost Race and the Heavenly Wing Race.
Some cultivators murmured among themselves, marveling at Bai Ming's endurance and ruthlessness. He had lain low for so long just to await a chance at revenge.
The Heavenly Wing Race cultivators' faces turned livid, their hearts filled with both fury and shock. They had never imagined Bai Ming's betrayal sprang from such profound hatred.
The Heavenly Wing Race elder abruptly came to his senses, a flicker of suspicion and anger crossing his eyes. He stared hard at Bai Ming, his voice low and icy. "Was urging our ancestor to capture that Human Race cultivator part of your scheme too?"
The corners of Bai Ming's mouth lifted slightly, his eyes revealing the triumph and pride of a man whose great vengeance had been fulfilled.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a blade, as though he meant to pierce the Heavenly Wing Race elder's heart.
"That's right," Bai Ming said, his voice tinged with mockery and contempt. "That old fiend was terrifyingly powerful. On my own, I couldn't shake him in the slightest. Even all the living beings in this world combined would probably have struggled to stand against him. At one point, I fell into despair. I even thought I would never have a chance to avenge myself in this lifetime."
At this, a cold gleam flashed through Bai Ming's eyes, as though he had recalled those long years of torment.
He continued, "Until that day, when I saw that Human Race cultivator-he was the only living being to enter this world from outside in countless ages. That could not have been a coincidence. Either he possessed great strength himself, or he had a formidable power behind him. So I began plotting to use him to exact my revenge."
Bai Ming's voice grew increasingly excited, madness glittering in his eyes.
"I deliberately steered your Heavenly Wing Race ancestor toward capturing him, because I knew that Human Race cultivator would never sit idle and await his death. And sure enough, he didn't disappoint me!" Bai Ming's laughter rang through the open sky, carrying both frenzy and relief. "That old fiend of your Heavenly Wing Race died at his hands after all! Hahaha-at last, my vengeance is complete!"
The Heavenly Wing Race elder's face instantly turned pale, and his body trembled slightly, as though he could not accept this cruel truth. Through gritted teeth, he said, "You-you dared use our ancestor! Aren't you afraid of the Heavenly Wing Race's wrath?"
Bai Ming gave a cold laugh, his eyes full of disdain. "Wrath? Your Heavenly Wing Race has lost its ancestor. In your current situation, you'll be lucky to save yourselves. What right do you have to speak of wrath before me? If you mishandle things today, the balance of this world will change completely from this day forward, and your Heavenly Wing Race will be nothing more than a speck of dust in history."
The Heavenly Wing Race elder's heart turned cold at those words. He knew Bai Ming spoke the truth. Without its ancestor, the Heavenly Wing Race was no longer the powerful race whose might had shaken the region.
And all of this had been a conspiracy meticulously planned by Bai Ming! His betrayal had sent the situation plunging into disaster. The races under their rule had already begun to stir restlessly, and battle could erupt at any moment.
The Heavenly Wing Race faced both the allied army watching like hungry tigers and internal unrest threatening to tear it apart. The allied army was in dire straits as well, having lost more than half its Divine Fire Realm cultivators to the Heavenly Wing Race's True One Realm ancestor. The Heavenly Wing Race's few remaining Divine Fire Realm experts gathered together, preparing to fight with their backs to the river.
The two sides faced off once more, divine power surging and runes swirling. Suddenly, a Heavenly Wing Race Divine Fire Realm cultivator brought forth a magical treasure, enveloping everyone in his camp. Several Divine Fire Realm cultivators of the Heavenly Wing Race activated it together, and a pillar of light shot into the heavens.
"They're trying to escape! Stop them!" someone in the allied army shouted. But it was already too late. The pillar of light soared skyward, carrying the Heavenly Wing Race's cultivators away from Flame Valley.
The allied cultivators could only watch as the Heavenly Wing Race cultivators vanished into the pillar of light, their hearts filled with regret. They had thought the Heavenly Wing Race was already a spent arrow, never imagining it still had such a contingency in reserve.
"Damn it!" A Divine Fire Realm expert in the allied army slammed his fist into the ground, his heart filled with frustration. After painstaking effort, they had finally driven the Heavenly Wing Race into a desperate corner, only for their enemies to escape so easily.
"Ah..." A cultivator of the Riftwind Eagle race let out a long sigh, his voice steeped in exhaustion and helplessness.
His gaze swept across the surroundings. Corpses littered the battlefield, tattered banners fluttered limply in the wind, and the air reeked of blood and scorched earth.
He spoke slowly, his voice low and hoarse. "In our current state, we can no longer keep fighting. Our losses are simply too great. The elites of every race have been all but wiped out, and even those of us in the Divine Fire Realm are spent arrows. Besides, the Heavenly Wing Race's ancestral grounds are a thousand miles away. Even if we wanted to pursue them, we have no strength left to fight. They've tended those grounds for generations, and there must be
"powerful contingencies hidden there. Pursuing them recklessly would only plunge us into an even deeper abyss."
The Earth Dragon Race cultivator knitted his brows at these words, anxiety flickering in his eyes. He asked gravely, "With things as they stand, what should we do? Do we simply stop and let the Heavenly Wing Race catch its breath and recover?"
The Riftwind Eagle race cultivator shook his head, resolve showing in his gaze. "No. Stopping isn't admitting defeat; it's the wise choice. Both we and the Heavenly Wing Race have suffered grievous losses. Continuing this slaughter will only lead both sides to destruction. Rather than that, we should call a temporary truce and let everyone recuperate. To ensure peace in the future, I propose that we establish a pact of mutual protection in the names of our races. Under this pact, no race shall invade another, and we shall stand together against outside enemies. Any who violate it shall be forsaken by heaven and earth and slain by all races!"
The Earth Dragon Race cultivator fell silent for a moment before finally nodding, his voice solemn and firm. "Very well. Let us do as you suggest. Our Earth Dragon Race is willing to join this pact and safeguard the peace of this land together."
The Fire Lion Race's Divine Fire Realm cultivator slowly raised his hand, a ball of searing flame appearing in his palm. He declared solemnly, "Then let us swear upon our bloodlines, with heaven and earth as our witnesses, and establish this eternal pact!"
As his words fell, the cultivators of the other races raised their hands as well, each releasing the power that represented their race. Flame, earth, storm, water-all these powers intertwined in the air before condensing into a brilliant light that shot into the clouds. Endless majesty and strength seemed to dwell within that light, symbolizing the oath shared by all the races.
"From this day forward, all races shall watch over and aid one another! Any who violate this oath shall be forsaken by heaven and earth!" the cultivators cried in unison. Their voices shook heaven and earth, as though even the world itself was moved.
Once everything had been settled and the battlefield cleared, the various races departed one after another.
Within the sacred, magnificent palace, the Teleportation Array in the square suddenly erupted with a dazzling pillar of light that shot into the clouds. Violent spatial tremors accompanied it, as though the void itself were being torn apart. A moment later, the pillar gradually faded, revealing a figure covered in wounds-Shi Yi.
His clothes were shredded, his body stained with blood. Several of his bones were broken, and his internal organs had suffered severe damage. Shi Yi's face was as pale as paper, his breathing faint. He had clearly endured an exceptionally brutal battle. Barely holding himself upright, he staggered down from the teleportation platform, every step painfully difficult.
Shi Yi knew his injuries were severe. Without timely treatment, his life might be in danger. Enduring the agonizing pain, he quickly pulled a bottle of precious medicine from inside his robes and swallowed it without hesitation. The medicine dissolved the instant it entered his mouth, turning into a warm current that swiftly spread through his body and began repairing his damaged bones and internal organs.
As the medicine took effect, a little color returned to Shi Yi's face, and his breathing gradually steadied. He sat cross-legged and circulated the divine power within his body, working with the medicine to hasten his recovery. The palace was silent save for his faint breathing and the subtle sounds of spiritual power flowing.
Time trickled by, and under the combined effects of the precious medicine and spiritual power, Shi Yi's injuries gradually improved.
A resolute light kindled once more in his eyes.