Under the cover of night, at the Great Cang River.
Emerging from the misty swirls on the water's surface, Su Yi and his group walked out in an orderly manner, reaching the riverside.
"Where is Jīn Xiàochuān?"
Su Yi scanned the surroundings with indifference and spoke calmly.
"Sir, I'm right here."
A voice came from afar.
Before long, Jīn Xiàochuān, the leader of the Green Fish Gang, rushed over. When he saw that Su Yi and his companions were unharmed, deep awe surged within his heart.
To be able to emerge unscathed from such a dangerous place like a dragon's den, they truly deserved to be called godlike existences!
"Later, you'll take them and leave on the mounts, while I and Líng Xuě return by land."
Su Yi's gaze shifted to Níng Yīhán.
"Why don't we act together?"
Níng Yīhán was taken aback.
Su Yi raised an eyebrow and said, "Didn't you say your mount can only carry three people?"
Níng Yīhán couldn't help but suppress her laughter and pursed her lips. "That was just an excuse. I didn't want to bring along a little girl like Zhèng Mǔyāo on the journey. With Xiaoqīng's abilities, she can easily carry ten people while flying."
Su Yi: "..."
When will women learn not to deceive people?
Seeing that it was a good opportunity, Níng Yīhán stopped and let out a clear whistle from her rosy lips.
Before long, the extraordinary divine green-scaled eagle arrived in the sky and landed beside them.
Witnessing this scene, Táo Qīngshān realized that Su Yi and the others were about to leave. He hurriedly said, "Immortal Master, should I help you carry this bundle back?"
"No need."
Su Yi waved his hand and effortlessly stuffed the enormous bundle into the ink jade pendant at his waist.
Táo Qīngshān felt a bit disappointed. He had originally wanted to see Su Yi's place of residence so that he could conveniently seek advice in the future.
But now, it seemed clearly impossible.
"Immortal Master, then I'll take my leave."
Táo Qīngshān bowed respectfully.
"In the future, focus more on your cultivation and don't involve yourself too much in these murky matters. Remember, as a rare talent like you, only by staying true to the Dao can you achieve greatness."
Su Yi casually remarked.
Táo Qīngshān trembled all over and respectfully bowed once again.
Afterward, he hurriedly left with Téng Yǒng.
"Daoist Friend, didn't you say you wanted to erase this place? Can I witness it?"
Níng Yīhán blinked her eyes and asked with a smile.
"Why not? Let's first ride on these mounts and ascend into the sky."
Su Yi spoke indifferently.
Once again being called a "mount" by Su Yi, the green-scaled eagle remained silent but wondered in its heart how he would level this place...
Soon, the green-scaled eagle carried everyone and soared into the sky. In the blink of an eye, they arrived beneath the clouds.
Su Yi carried Wén Língxuě on his back, grasping the Profound Yuán Sword in his right hand, and suddenly slashed in the void.
Swish!
A flash of sword light vanished in the darkness of the night.
The night was as dark as ink, and all sounds ceased. Nothing seemed to have happened.
Is that it?
A hint of mockery flashed in the eyes of the green-scaled eagle, almost wanting to burst out laughing.
But soon, it sensed something was amiss.
The meandering and turbulent Great Cang River suddenly shook, emitting a dull rumbling. Like an earthquake, the river water boiled, and muddy waves surged into the air!
The Thousand Vortex Ridge by the banks of the Great Cang River also began to tremble, rocks and vegetation on the mountains quivered, and the terrified cries of wild beasts echoed through the ink-like night, creating an eerie atmosphere.
If one observed carefully, rocks fell from the Thousand Vortex Ridge, vegetation was in disarray, and the animals fled in panic, creating a chaotic scene.
"This..."
Even Jīn Xiàochuān, slow-witted as he was, couldn't help but be shocked by the unfolding scenes.
The eyes of the green-scaled eagle flickered with suspicion and astonishment.
Meanwhile, in the underground depths of the Nine Curves City, at its center.
Around the vast hundred-zhang range of the grand Daoist courtyard, bronze gates emerged with a loud roar. Each gate burned like fire, unleashing terrifying destructive torrents of wind, thunder, earth, fire, and celestial bodies, spreading madly in all directions.
Boom!
The first casualty was the nine-foot-tall black altar at the center of the courtyard, instantly shattering into drifting powder.
Then, the surging and violent torrents of destruction, centered around the Daoist courtyard, swept and spread in all directions.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
One after another, houses resembling black coffins were instantly reduced to ashes. The wandering ghosts in the streets and alleys all dispersed in screams of fear and despair.
The horrifying destruction thundered and spread across the entire city in an almost hurricane-like manner within a short period of time.
The old ghost who was calculating on an abacus made of bones was instantly obliterated by a blood-red thunderbolt. Before dying, he was still calculating the accounts of the living people who had died in the Nine Curves City over the years.
The male and female ghost children who were playing and chasing in the streets didn't even have time to escape before being engulfed by a sea of flames.
The old woman sewing clothes made of human skin, the butcher selling human flesh, the vendor boiling head soup...
They all turned into ashes, as fragile as paper, within this torrent of destruction.
In the end, the vast Nine Curves City was engulfed in an overwhelming sea of fire. Thunder and lightning danced, hurricanes ravaged, and blood-red light spread...
This realm of ghosts seemed to have fallen into a purgatory of destruction.
Some ghosts and monsters who had come to attend the feast had just escaped from the Nine Curves City when they saw these shocking and extraordinary scenes from a distance. They were all so frightened that their bodies went weak, their faces drained of color.
Only then did they finally dare to believe that the young immortal master truly possessed the means to erase this city!
"Run! Run for your lives!"
"Woo woo woo... It's too terrifying... No, it's too ghostly!"
All the ghosts and monsters were fleeing desperately, filled with panic and fear. They were completely terrified.
Behind them, the Nine Curves City collapsed like a shattered building under the relentless force of destruction.
In the end, the vast underground space collapsed suddenly, and the surging waters of the Great Cang River poured in, completely submerging the area.
From above, one could clearly see countless reefs tumbling down on the meandering Great Cang River, causing the river surface to sink abruptly, forming an immensely deep pit.
However, soon, as the rushing water continued to pour in from upstream, the water level of the enormous pit rose steadily, quickly returning to its previous level.
"This one sword harnesses the power of the mountains and rivers, invokes the might of the grand array, severs the veins of the mountains and rivers, and destroys the underground realm of ghosts. It is an ingenious manipulation of fate!" exclaimed Níng Xīhuá, her eyes filled with wonder.
She discerned the power and mystery behind this sword, and her heart was filled with a hint of astonishment.
Jīn Xiàochuān stood there, completely dumbfounded, with only one thought in his mind: a miracle! This must be a divine miracle!
The green-scaled eagle lowered its head in dejection and frustration.
It finally understood that with Sū Yì's methods and power, he truly deserved to call it a wretched beast...
But then, Sū Yì shook his head and said, "I merely borrowed some power. It's not worth praising."
The Nine Palace Blood Slaughter Array covered the riverbed beneath the meandering course of the Great Cang River, connecting the veins of the mountains and rivers. Over the years, Wūhuán, the Water Lord, wreaked havoc using this array, destroying numerous passing ships.
Back in the Daoist courtyard of the Nine Curves City, he had gradually inscribed array diagrams on the nine bronze pillars, thereby taking control of the "Nine Palace Blood Slaughter Array."
And the Yùxuán Sword was the "Array Disk" that manipulated the power of the grand array.
When Sū Yì just made that sword strike, it seemed like an ingenious twist of fate, but in reality, he simply triggered the power of the Nine Palace Blood Slaughter Array.
"You don't need to be modest, fellow Daoist. As they say, when the time comes, heaven and earth share the same power. With your actions, you not only annihilated a realm of ghosts but also altered the flow of the mountains and rivers in this area. From now on, passenger ships passing through here will no longer face any danger. This is an immeasurable good deed," Níng Xīhuá said softly.
"What good deeds? I only did it to save Líng Xuě," Sū Yì chuckled. "Let's go, it would be best to return to Gǔnzhōu City before dawn."
"Alright!"
Níng Xīhuá nodded.
Soon, the green-scaled eagle let out a clear cry, and its wings, like scissors, cut through the clouds and disappeared into the vast night.
"Is this the magic of immortals?" Téng Yǒng, in a remote wilderness, turned his head and stared fixedly at the water area where the Nine Curves City used to be. Cold sweat poured down his body.
Just a moment ago, the earth shook, the mountains trembled, and the murky waves of the Great Cang River emptied out. The muffled rumbling sound was like thunder, resounding through the night.
Although he couldn't see what had happened, everything frightened Téng Yǒng to the core, thinking that a natural disaster had occurred.
"I don't know if that immortal master is a true god, but I'm certain that martial practitioners in this world are destined never to reach such a level!" Táo Qīngshān's eyes were filled with fanaticism, and his expression was full of admiration.
He was certain that Wūhuán, the Water Lord of the Nine Curves City, had undoubtedly been wiped out from this world!
"Run!"
"Quick, run!"
At the same time, in the darkness of the night, the ghosts and monsters who had luckily saved their lives were all screaming and fleeing.
"Look at those guys, how pathetic!" Táo Qīngshān scorned, shook his head, and turned away.
From that day on, a long-lasting myth was left behind near the Qianxuān Ridge—a legend of a green-robed immortal who had once severed the mountains and rivers with a single sword, exterminating countless evil spirits and monsters!
The meandering river, known as the "Nine Curves and Eighteen Bends," had been completely transformed because of this legend.
And even because of this legend, the local people built a temple on the Qianxuān Ridge by the Great Cang River, enshrining the image of the immortal, with constant incense burning throughout the year.
...
In a dark and murky world.
Everywhere there were horrifying scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
"You scoundrel! You scoundrel!!"
An angry roar resounded, "Daring to kill my divine messenger and disrupt my plans. Once I regain my strength and escape from this 'Mothworm Blood Nest,' it will be the day of your death!!"
On a mountain of white bones, a nine-headed bird let out a resounding cry.
Its wings were rotten and full of holes, and its three-zhang-long body was covered in shocking wounds. Only two of its nine heads remained.
It looked truly miserable.
"Although I am currently unable to escape, I have a way to cultivate countless followers who will serve me!" it exclaimed.
"Sū, you scoundrel, wait for me!!"
After a long time, the angry roar of the nine-headed bird gradually subsided.
This murky world, like a sea of corpses and blood, once again fell into its previous silence.
It seemed that over countless billions of years, all the other living beings in this world had turned into the scattered bones and blood, leaving only this severely wounded nine-headed bird as the sole survivor.