In the central region of the Divine Martial Continent, mist billowed like waves, making the entire area seem like a celestial paradise. Spirit birds and immortal herbs blanketed the land, and above in the sky, mysterious palaces floated atop the clouds like sacred realms. Towering mountains pierced the heavens, with vast, milky-white waterfalls cascading down their cliffsâa scene of breathtaking grandeur.
“Craaaâ”
High above, several celestial cranes circled the palaces, letting out clear, piercing cries. Everyone who passed by would bow deeply in reverence.
PfftâŚ
Yet deep within this holy land, a middle-aged man clad in all white sat silently. His chiseled features exuded nobility, but suddenly, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
âDaughter⌠DaughterâŚâ
Like a madman, the man rushed out. An overwhelming aura exploded from his body, shaking the heavens and shattering several nearby palaces.
âPrepare the teleportation array! Weâre heading to the Northern Region!â he roared in panic.
âPatriarch, whatâs going on? What happened?â Several elders rushed over, alarmed by the sudden commotion. The sight of the middle-aged man left them stunned.
âI said prepare the teleportation array! Did you not hear me?â the man bellowed. His fury sent chills down the spines of the eldersânever before had they seen him like this. Without delay, they scrambled to activate the formation.
Aaarghâ!
In the Northern Region, Tian Fan had gone completely berserk. His eyes were bloodshot, and behind him, a faint soul projection stood tall.
A terrifying pressure emanated from itâthough it was merely a soul shadow, it now was the heavens, was the earth. The world could no longer bear its power. Within a thousand-mile radius, the sky turned pitch-black, crimson lightning slashed across the firmament, and not a single patch of land remained intact. Mountains vanished without a trace, reduced to dust in the blink of an eye.
“Roaaaar!”
Xiao Huaâs tiny body instantly expanded, transforming once again into a fierce tiger. It let out a sorrowful howl toward the sky, its eyes brimming with tears. Its massive head nuzzled against Zi Yingâs bloodstained cheek. At the sight of this, Tian Fanâs eyes turned even redder, and he let out another earth-shattering roar.
“Pfft⌔
“Pfft⌔
“Pfft⌔
All three great experts spat out blood simultaneously, frozen in place, terror etched into their faces. To other cultivators, this was utter annihilation. Even those dozens of miles away were not sparedânone escaped. Including the Yin-Yang Sect Master, the strongest among them was only at mid-stage Primordial Unity, and under this pressure, all were reduced to ash, leaving behind nothing.
Aaarghâ!
Tian Fan clutched Zi Yingâs body tightly, his black hair standing on end. The killing aura radiating from him surged to the heavens. Behind him, the soul shadow stood silently, indistinct and blurred, yet the space around it cracked and collapsed, slowly morphing into a chaotic void.
The three great experts were utterly horrified. In their vision, the heavens were shattering, the earth was sinking, and countless black holes in time and space emerged in the void. Within a thousand miles, not even the faintest trace of life remained.
âRun!â
The three made a decisive move. Not daring to stay another second, they fled at their utmost speed.
âYou’re all going to dieâevery last one of you!â
Tian Fanâs crazed scream echoed across the land, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the fleeing figures. The soul shadow behind him seemed to move in sync, its gaze following his.
“Pfft⌔
“Pfft⌔
“Pfft⌔
Three explosions of blood mist burst in the distanceâso fast, the victims hadnât even managed a final scream. Only a few weapons clattered to the ground, eventually cracking and scattering across the earth.
âZi YingâŚâ
Tian Fan held the jade-like woman tightly in his arms, repeating her name over and over.
BoomâŚ
Suddenly, in the heavens above, streaks of purple lightning crackled as blood-red clouds gathered over Tian Fan’s head. A suffocating aura of destruction seeped out from the sky. Thunder roared, red light flashing ominously.
BangâŚ
A single thread of red lightning struck down. Though it was no thicker than a silver needle, the result was catastrophicânear Tian Fan, a pit a hundred meters wide was blasted into the earth, its depths pitch-black and unfathomable.
âZi YingâŚâ
Despite the overwhelming destructive force hovering over him, Tian Fan seemed unaware, mindlessly murmuring her name, his eyes flickering between daze and madness.
“Sigh⌔
Behind him, the blurry soul shadow looked down at Tian Fan, crouched on the ground. It actually let out a soft sigh. Then, it glanced skywardâthere, the endless tribulation clouds began to fracture and dissipate. With one last look at Tian Fan, the soul shadow slowly faded.
The sky and earth returned to clarityâŚ
But it would never be the same again.
A second Great Wasteland of the Northern Region had appearedâthis one far more terrifying than the first.
BoomâŚ
In the distance, a portal of time and space opened, and several figures stepped out. Each of them exuded an earth-shaking aura, with the weakest still at the peak of the Primordial Unity realm. But the moment they saw the scene before them, every one of their expressions turned to utter shock.
âDaughter! Where are you? Where are you?!â
Among them, a figure in white shot out like lightning, shouting madly as he dashed into the distance.
âPatriarch…â
The others shouted and quickly followed. Along the way, they encountered fragments of three Ascension Relics, which left them stunned.
âDaughter!â
Suddenly, Shangguan Yuntian shouted and rushed forward. There, a blood-soaked youth in white was holding a girl in purple. He stared at her blankly, unmoving, as if in a trance.
âYingâer!â
The others arrived and, seeing the girl in Tian Fanâs arms, all revealed looks of astonishment. None of them knew who was responsible, but each one radiated murderous intent so intense that it shattered the void behind them.
âDaughter!â
Shangguan Yuntian tried to pull Zi Ying out of Tian Fanâs arms, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldnât move her. Tian Fan clung to her tightly, as if she were his very life, unwilling to let go no matter what.
âLet her go!â
A short-tempered elder behind them spoke, stepping forward to snatch her away.
At last, Tian Fan reacted. He lifted his head and looked out coldly. When they saw his blood-red eyes, everyone involuntarily shuddered.
What kind of eyes were those?
They held no trace of human emotionâonly boundless chaos. Just one glance made their souls ache.
At that moment, they all thought of something terrifying. Everything within a radius of thousands of miles had been completely destroyed, yet this boy had survived without a scratch. Could it be… was it all caused by him? Just the thought made them tremble again.
âIâm Zi Yingâs father. Let her goâI need to heal her!â Shangguan Yuntian said anxiously. Though his cultivation was formidable, he didnât want to use force. He didnât want to hurt the person his precious daughter had protected with her life.
âZi Yingâs… father…â
A trace of clarity returned to Tian Fanâs eyes. He stared blankly at Shangguan Yuntian, finally loosening his grip a little. Shangguan Yuntian immediately took the girl from his arms, pouring divine energy into her body without pause.
âHow is she, Yuntian? How is Yingâer?!â
Most of the people present were elders to Shangguan Yuntian. Normally, they addressed him as the patriarch, but now, seeing their beloved little princess in such a state, they were too anxious to bother with formality.
âBack to the clan! Get Tianyi!â Shangguan Yuntian said urgently. He picked up Zi Ying and ran toward the portal ahead. Tian Fan, now gradually regaining his composure, silently followed behind. His eyes never left the girl in Shangguan Yuntianâs arms. Xiao Hua, now the size of a kitten, lay exhausted on Tian Fanâs shoulder.
Boom…
One by one, the group stepped into the portal. Below, a mysterious rune formation flickered slightly. With a thunderous sound, the spatial channel closed, stirring up a whirlwind and leaving behind only desolation.
In the central region of the Divine Martial Continent, a dense immortal mist lingered year-round. The atmosphere here rivaled even the Sword Immortal Sect, the top immortal sect. It was once a peaceful land, a sacred and harmonious place. But now, it was drenched in sorrow and fury, all because of the girl cradled in Shangguan Yuntianâs arms.
âLittle sister!â The Shangguan brothers emerged, and when they saw the pale girl in Yuntianâs arms, their expressions turned grim. Shangguan Jingyi grabbed Tian Fan by the collar and roared, âWhat happened?! Wasnât she looking for you? How did she end up like this?!â
Tian Fan raised his head, eyes blank, unsure of how to respond. Shangguan Yunfeng pulled his brother backâhe had seen the pain buried deep in Tian Fanâs eyes.
âYoung Miss!â As Shangguan Yuntian made his way through the compound, everyone from ancient elders to lowly servants revealed looks of heartbreak. Even the big yellow dog barked mournfully.
âWhereâs Tianyi?! Get Tianyi, now!â
An elder of the Shangguan Clan with flowing white hair roared with fury. The force of his voice shattered several temples behind him. He was the one Zi Ying had risked her life to find a sacred fruit to save.
In a flash, another elderly man with white hair appeared and quickly took Zi Ying from Shangguan Yuntianâs arms. He said nothing. Brilliant green light radiated from his body, flowing into Zi Ying atop the divine altar. He was one of the rare few in the Shangguan Clan who had studied the “Medical Canon”. Though he had only fragments of the text, it was enough to astonish the world.
âHow is she, Tianyi?â Shangguan Yuntian asked urgently, seeing Tianyiâs furrowed brows.
âIâm sorry, Patriarch…â the old man said heavily. Everyoneâs hearts sank. Tian Fan felt like his mind exploded. On his shoulder, Xiao Hua let out a sorrowful cry, leaping beside Zi Ying and rubbing its furry tiger head against her face, tears falling from its tiger eyes.
âBullsh!t! Keep treating her! If anything happens to that girl, Iâll skin you alive!â the Shangguan Clanâs elder bellowed, grabbing Tianyi in anger.
âIâm sorry, Grand Ancestor, Iâhuh?â Suddenly, Shangguan Tianyi exclaimed, âNo, wait! Thereâs still a trace of life left in her!â
At those words, everyoneâs face lit up with hope. Tian Fanâs eyes gleamed, and he stepped forward in large strides, grabbing the elderly manâs hand like a drowning man clinging to a lifeline.