Before he could examine it closely, the runes beneath his feet flashed, and he vanished from the spot.
He flew toward the outside of the rift, narrowly dodging a massive boulder falling from above.
His feet slammed into the ground, cracking it like a spiderweb. The tremendous force spread into the surrounding stone walls, splitting them instantly.
He shot into the sky, the Black-and-White Twin Swords appearing in his hands. Divine power surged, and with a sweep and a slash, he cleaved the falling boulder in two.
Hovering in midair, he saw spatial fissures constantly appearing in the sky above the Starfall Mountain Range, with Chaos Qi pouring through them into the Secret Realm.
He knew the Secret Realm had begun to collapse.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, a delicate, clear cry reached his ears.
Startled, he quickly turned his head and spotted a little creature, black all over, trembling beneath an enormous stone pillar.
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Chapter 67: Obtaining a Qilin, Breaking Through
Divine power raced through Shi Qingyun's body. Runes flashed beneath his feet as he rushed toward the little black bundle. Streams of runes poured into the Rune Sword in his hand, making it blaze with light.
But when he saw the pillar already toppling, he knew he was too late. A fragment of the Luminous Cocoon still clung to the little creature's fur.
That little fellow must have come out of the Luminous Cocoon.
Steeling his heart, he hurled a Jade Pendant from his chest.
The Jade Pendant spun at tremendous speed, sliced through the void, and struck the enormous pillar. A fierce crimson light flared, and a deafening explosion echoed there.
The tremendous blast shook the surrounding rocks, shrouding the area in smoke.
A moment later, he appeared there as well. A surge of divine power swept out, and the little creature was drawn into his hand.
The little fellow showed no fear of strangers, licking his palm with a warm, moist touch. But he had no time to pay it any attention. Holding it, he kept darting through the air.
With the "source" of all this now in his grasp, joy welled up in his heart.
He quickly reined in his emotions, however. Leaving was his most urgent priority; everything else could wait until he reached somewhere safe.
His figure flickered through the air, the air currents he stirred churning the surrounding clouds amid peals of thunderous sound.
A huge crimson-white sword beam flashed, splitting an enormous boulder evenly down the middle. Shi Qingyun shot through the gap between its two halves.
An adorable little beast lay clinging to his head, its tender, fleshy paws gripping several strands of his hair.
As Shi Qingyun kept flying through the air, it swayed from side to side, its pink tongue occasionally flopping out.
Runes flickered beneath his feet as Shi Qingyun rushed out of the rift. But when he looked up, he saw shattered earth, collapsed mountains, and a fractured sky.
It was a scene of heaven falling and earth splitting, of the world's end. Shi Qingyun hurried outward, flying above the Starfall Mountain Range.
With just a casual glance, he saw countless bones packed densely between the cracks, sending a chill into his heart.
At the same time, he instantly understood where the flesh-and-blood essence at the bottom of the valley had come from.
As he flew swiftly onward, spatial fissures appeared around him from time to time, sharp-edged and utterly silent.
Several times, those elusive spatial fissures nearly cut him in half. Had he not been sensing his surroundings with all his strength, he would have fallen long ago.
He dodged the spatial fissures that appeared out of nowhere again and again, without slowing in the slightest.
He searched desperately for the Secret Realm's exit, but as time passed, his heart slowly sank.
In the blink of an eye, the Yin-Yang Cave Heavens appeared behind him. Operating at full power, they voraciously absorbed the essence of heaven and earth.
An endless stream of divine power surged through his body, and the runes on his feet flashed incessantly.
His speed soared again, and he vanished from the spot in a streak of rainbow light.
His figure became a beam of light, weaving throughout the mountain range. Between peaks and across lakes and seas, a streak of radiance could be seen sweeping through the sky.
As time passed, parts of the Secret Realm had already disappeared, and its collapse was accelerating.
Above an enormous mountain peak that pierced the clouds, Shi Qingyun hovered, his aura stirring the air without any wind.
It shook the clouds around him, sending layer upon layer piling into the distance and leaving a vast clearing around him.
The Yin-Yang Cave Heavens spun frantically behind him, faintly resembling two yin-yang fish leaping out of the water. The runes engraved upon them shone brightly.
Above his head, a Dao Diagram of intertwining yin and yang spread out, sprinkling motes of light over him.
Spatial fissures of every size appeared beside him. The spatial disturbances they stirred were blocked by a protective barrier of interwoven black and white light shining around his body.
An endless stream of heaven-and-earth essence entered his body, and the space behind him rippled.
His aura continued to rise, whipping up fierce winds that made his robes snap and flutter.
The little black bundle lying on his head gripped his hair tightly, swaying in the wind.
Tugging on his hair, it slowly made its way into his sleeve.
His aura climbed higher and higher. Just as it reached a critical point, it seemed to find an outlet and abruptly ebbed.
Two enormous Cave Heavens appeared behind him in succession, and the revolving Cave Heavens at his back stopped.
Two yin and two yang, the Four-Wheel Cave Heaven stood on either side of him, facing one another.
Seeing the four Cave Heavens surrounding him, Shi Qingyun gave a wry smile.
The little creature wriggled inside his sleeve, seemingly aware that Shi Qingyun had finished his breakthrough.
It poked its little head out of his sleeve, then climbed along his arm and back onto his head.
It flopped down there again and rubbed its nose with a fleshy paw, seemingly oblivious to their peril.
All four Cave Heavens revolved together. His figure flashed through the air, a little faster than before.
Shi Qingyun returned to the rift once more. He had searched almost the entire Starfall Mountain Range without finding a way out, and there was simply no time to travel beyond it.
Looking at the enormous rift before him, he reasoned that if an exit still existed, it could only be here.
He slowly rose into the sky. The little creature on his head pawed at the clouds around it, and the soft mist slipped between its claws.
It kept letting out little howls, looking thoroughly delighted.
Shi Qingyun, meanwhile, wore a grave expression. He extended his right hand, divine power surged, and the little creature appeared against his body.
A rune swam out of his hand and landed on the little creature's mouth, instantly silencing it. He tossed it into his sleeve.
His gaze fell upon the mountains beneath his feet.
Looking into the rift, he noticed a mysterious fluctuation faintly emanating from the haphazardly scattered stone pillars, and delight stirred in his heart.
Divine power surged around him. The next instant, streams of it landed precisely on the towering stone pillars.
Rune markings appeared on the pillars, and beams of golden light shot out between them.
Within moments, a formation slowly took shape.
The formation stirred ripples in space, and suddenly a passage appeared.
Runes flashed beneath his feet, and he rushed into the passage.
After they left, an illusory figure appeared in the air where they had been. It gazed in the direction of their departure, as though seeing them off.
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Chapter 68: The Great Wilderness
Giant trees towered straight into the clouds as though trying to pierce the sky. Their broad leaves overlapped, firmly blocking out the light.
Among the mountains and countless ravines, all manner of Ferocious Beasts and exotic creatures roamed. Their occasional roars shook heaven and earth.
Their movements stirred dust throughout the forest. The mountains were beautiful and the waters clear, yet deadly dangers lurked everywhere.
Suddenly, a thin silver line appeared in the void high in the boundless sky.
The tremendous spatial disturbance caused by its appearance startled the Ferocious Beasts below, plunging the entire region into panic.
All kinds of Ferocious Beasts fled the forest, scattering in every direction.
The powerful winds stirred by the spatial disturbance sent leaves rustling down, dappling the shadows beneath the trees.
The silver line in the sky slowly split open, resembling an eye of heaven and earth gazing upon this primitive wilderness.
Suddenly, silver runes flew from that "Heavenly Eye," and a pitch-black fissure appeared in an instant.
The moment Shi Qingyun stepped into the passage, he appeared here. With another step, he emerged from the spatial passage.
As soon as he came out, the spatial fissure behind him swiftly closed. The wind stilled and the clouds settled, restoring everything to its previous state.
Standing in midair, he surveyed the dense forest around him and the mountains rising straight into the clouds.
"Where have I ended up?"
The unfamiliar surroundings left him deeply puzzled. He should have been far from the Ten Thousand Mountains, but he had no idea where he was.
After surveying his surroundings, he chose a direction at random and prepared to leave. Those disturbances might attract some powerful existence; it was better to get away early.
Runes flashed beneath his feet, and his figure vanished from the sky, descending like a phantom into the forest below.
Emerald leaves drifted down in the wind, their distinct veins glimmering faintly. Those branching veins resembled a person's fate.
There was no knowing where the next turning point might come.
Inside a cave, wisps of cooking smoke rose.
A fire blazed atop a pile of black firewood, its glow illuminating the space.
The firelight shone on Shi Qingyun's face, revealing determination in his youthful features.
Pots, bowls, ladles, and basins were set beside him. He swallowed, staring fixedly at the fire.
Above the roaring flames, a Beast King's hind leg, skinned, stripped of its sinews, and skewered, sizzled with dripping fat. He sprinkled seasoning over it from time to time.
A rich, meaty fragrance slowly wafted from it, soon filling the entire cave. Dense flesh-and-blood essence permeated the air.
Lured by that flesh-and-blood essence, the pores of his body slowly opened, absorbing the rich vital essence in the air.
Deciding it was nearly done, he reached out, took the wooden spit holding the meat, and began to feast. One bite filled his mouth with its rich flavor.
He bit off a large mouthful and swallowed it almost without chewing. The tender meat turned into streams of energy flowing into his belly.
Feeling the warm currents moving through his belly, he felt the taut string in his heart relax considerably.
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