East Kunlun, Yujing Mountain.
"Master? The Yun Meng Swamp in the Western Border is shrouded in evil Qi, taking the form of a giant dragon. What could be the reason?" Although The Three Pure Ones had some premonitions, they still asked, following the principle of seeking guidance when in doubt.
Hong Jun, with his eyes half-open, said indifferently, "The Innate Three Clans have gathered at the Western Border, and a decisive battle will take place at Yun Meng Swamp!"
"As expected!" The Three Pure Ones exchanged looks and asked, "Master, should we not stop this great battle among the Innate Three Clans?"
Hong Jun replied, "Why prevent it? The Calamity is already upon us. Those who prevail will enjoy peace for millions of years, while those who fail will turn to dust! The cycle of calamity is natural; Heaven and Earth have their own slivers of hope, why should we worry!"
Tongtian said anxiously, "But Master, the Primordial Land was opened up by the Pangu God. If this continues and the evil Qi materializes, I fear the Primordial Land is in danger!"
Hong Jun's emotionless eyes glanced at Tongtian and said, "No matter! Someone will stop this great battle!" After speaking, he disappeared from his seat.
Having spent hundreds of years in meditation, The Three Pure Ones, though having reached the Early Quasi-Saint stage, were still shocked by Hong Jun's disappearance. Helplessly looking at each other, they turned and left Zixiao Palace.
Western Border, Yun Meng Swamp.
"Boom!" "Screech!" "Roar!"
Three fierce beasts, like demon gods, were furiously battling in the Primordial Heavenly Outer Heaven.
Claws flashed, blood mist swirled, flames soared, and Divine Thunder descended. The three beings, all at the Sub-Saint Realm, refused to yield to each other.
Unconsciously, the battle had been raging for over a thousand years.
On the land above the Yun Meng Swamp, a group of seven Late Stage Daluo Golden Immortals had surrounded Li Qingming in the center.
He unleashed the Qiankun Ruler nurtured in his Primordial Spirit. The Qiankun Ruler grew with the wind, quickly transforming into a gigantic slab of a hundred yards long, "boom" crushing the attacking Qilin.
"Spurt" Blood splattered as the Qilin was smashed dead by Li Qingming's furious strike, its soul scattering. All living beings within a hundred yards were affected, turning to ash.
The remaining six Daluo Golden Immortals, first startled and then overjoyed at the sight of the Qiankun Ruler in the sky, their eyes filled with greed. A member of the Flying Bird Clan spoke, "Daoist, if you leave this ruler here, we will ensure your safety. Otherwise, your fall will be right here!"
Li Qingming, with a fierce expression, scanned the six Daluo Golden Immortals around him and said, "Keep dreaming! If you want the Qiankun Ruler, maybe in your next life!" With that, he stretched out his hands, boldly pressing the purple lightning seal on his forehead. As his finger pressed down, a dazzling purple light shot up towards the Nine Heavens,
The sky suddenly changed, a pitch-black cloud covered everything. A depressing and oppressive atmosphere filled the entire Yun Meng Swamp. The trio, Ao Long, who were battling in the Outer Heaven, stopped and turned their gaze towards the immense dark clouds.
An odd eye formed amidst the clouds, emotionless and cold, glanced at Li Qingming before shifting its gaze to the six Daluo Golden Immortals surrounding him.
The six Daluo Golden Immortals felt a chill down their spine under that ominous gaze.
"Boom!" Six dazzling purple lights shot from the giant eye, bearing an aura of total annihilation directed at the six.
Terrified, the six quickly sent their Magic Treasures into the void above their heads to protect themselves. Unfortunately, the giant eye was the Zixiao Divine Punishment summoned by Li Qingming at the cost of a realm. Not only Daluo Golden Immortals, but even those at the Early Quasi-Saint Great Ability level would be severally wounded by this punishment. Thus, the unfortunate six became souls lost under the divine punishment.
"Ha-ha, well done!" Blood Dragon Ao Long burst into hearty laughter at this time.
"Ao Long, I don't know if you're feigning ignorance or truly oblivious! That person is clearly not from your Dragon Clan, merely using your clan's name to commit slaughter. What joy is there for you?" Feng Tian mocked at this moment.
"Ha-ha-ha! Yes, Ao Long! Even though this young man has killed many of my clan members, many from your Dragon Clan have also perished by his hand!" Lin Tian, with golden eyes, suddenly burst forth a ten-thousand-yard golden light.
Blood Dragon Ao Long's face became slightly uncomfortable, saying, "Enough talk!" Annoyed, Ao Long lunged at the two once more.
At this moment, on the Yun Meng Swamp, the Beast Clan, Scale Armor Clan, and Flying Bird Clan, had already been blinded by the earth-shattering Divine Punishment. None of them had the inclination to fight each other anymore.
Western Sumeru Mountain.
"Hee-hee, it has appeared again! After so many years, the Divine Punishment has manifested once more?" Luo Hou, holding a mature black lotus, muttered to himself, "Let it be chaotic, let it be chaotic, villainously chaotic! My clan members must have started their actions by now, hee-hee-hee..."
At the Primordial Heavenly Outer Heaven, three people covered in black robes suddenly appeared and decisively joined the battle, each stopping Ao Long, Feng Tian, and Lin Tian.
"What has happened within our clan to necessitate the protector coming personally to the battlefield?" Ao Long puzzledly looked at the black-robed man in front of him.
"Fellow Daoist, you should return and see for yourself. If you're too late, I'm afraid your foundation will be destroyed, and years of accumulated Qi Fortune will dissipate!" the black-robed man stated somberly.
Feng Tian and Lin Tian faced the same situation as Ao Long.
"Scale Armor Clan, heed my command, retract your forces, gather all troops, and retreat!"
"Flying Bird Clan, heed my command..."
"Beast Clan, heed my command..."
Almost simultaneously, the three issued commands for their respective clans to return to their territories. Yun Meng Swamp instantly became chaotic. Taking advantage of the turmoil, Li Qingming hid within the Qiankun Map, quietly waiting for the Three Clans to withdraw.
Strangely enough, although Li Qingming had killed millions of members from the Three Clans, Ao Long and the others seemed completely unconcerned about his whereabouts, instead hurriedly rushing back to their clans.
Intuition told Li Qingming that something big must have happened again!
Once Li Qingming emerged from the Qiankun Map, gazing upon the devastated Yun Meng Swamp, he was filled with countless emotions.
Let us not mention Li Qingming, who was cleaning up the battlefield, but rather look at the situation inside the Innate Three Clans.
The original Dragon Clan Sacred Land, which was shrouded in steaming mist and pervasive white fog, resembling a dreamlike illusion, had now transformed into a place of filth covered with dark clouds, scattered limbs and torsos, and rampant resentful spirits and fierce ghosts.
"Roar! What exactly is going on? Where is Tian'er?" At this moment, Ao Long, still in his Blood Dragon form, had transformed into a human form wearing a striking red robe, which appeared extremely sinister.
"Ao Long, Fellow Daoist, your son Tian'er is the chief culprit of this tragic disaster!" said a mysterious figure in a black robe, floating over without touching the ground.
"Impossible, this cannot be! Are you deceiving me?" Ao Tian was Ao Long's most beloved son and also extraordinarily talented; Ao Long could hardly believe that Ao Tian would betray him.
"Hmph!" the black-robed man snorted coldly and said, "Ao Long, Fellow Daoist, you've lost your composure!"
Ao Long paused for a moment, then said, "Sorry, Fellow Daoist!"
"Very well! To make you believe, there's no other way!" The black-robed man extended his pale hands, formed a seal technique, and the spiritual energy in the surrounding Heaven and Earth surged violently. He then shouted, "Retrospective Water Mirror!"
What a wonderful Immortal Realm this was!
The space was filled with lingering Immortal Energy and floating mist which parted the clouds. Spiritual birds and beasts frolicked joyously, and strange flowers and herbs thrived. Forests, bamboos, and rocks formed marvelous scenes, and mountains, lakes, and valleys remained evergreen. Looking everywhere, waiting for clouds to part to see the moonlight; vaguely and dimly, the resplendent palaces appeared. Jade buildings and broad mansions; strange flowers and herbs, auspicious Immortal Cranes, indeed a hallowed ground for cultivation.
Suddenly, the scene shifted. A young man in a black robe with handsome features, wielding an eight-footed snake spear and standing on a Sixth Grade Black Lotus, had a hint of malevolence in his eyes. The face was unmistakably Ao Tian's. Behind him were about two hundred people, all in black, immersed in a menacing aura,
"Kill them!" Ao Tian, with a cold wave of his spear, commanded, "I decree, gather all the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures within the Dragon Clan Sacred Land into the storage space. Leave no one from the Dragon Clan alive! Slay them all!"
The group of individuals in black robes howled frenziedly, brandishing various weapons, and charged towards the stupefied members of the Dragon Clan. Remarkably, all these two hundred some individuals were in the Late Stage of Daluo Golden Immortal, causing devastation with the wave of a hand and easily annihilating souls.
"Hehe, the Ancestor Dragon old man hid the treasures of the Dragon Clan too well! I've asked several times, to no avail. Necessity forced me to execute the plan prematurely and seize these riches. As for the remaining materials, I'll deal with them later!" Ao Tian muttered to himself, and followed by the group in black, attacked mercilessly. These individuals showed no mercy, striking directly at the neck with every slice...
The scene shifted again, and by now, the Dragon Clan Sacred Land had turned into ruins. Ao Tian led the group in black robes, stepping into the void toward the west.
"Roar! Why is this happening?" Ao Long's eyes turned blood red, appearing almost crazed.
"Fellow Daoist, please restrain your grief!" The black-robed man withdrew his magic technique and said, "Prince Ao Tian might have already fallen into the hands of evil men. Comparing him in that scene, his face cruel, and black qi streaming from his eyes, if the prince had not cultivated any evil techniques before, this likeness would be that of a puppet!"
"Is what the protector says true?" Ao Long trembled between his brows upon hearing the words.
"Indeed! Before Chaos was opened, among the primal chaos were three thousand Holy Demons proficient in the Puppet Technique, and Puppet Ancestor, who had fought with me multiple times! I have some research on the Puppet Technique. Therefore, I am certain that your son is controlled by the Puppet Technique!" This Black Robed Man was truly mysterious, having been born before the era of Chaos.
Ao Long's expression changed several times, and he finally said in a dejected tone, "It was my overstepping, please forgive me, Protector!"
The Black Robed Man said no more.
"Your Majesty, perhaps we should first tidy up our clan's terrain before making other plans!" At this time, a Quasi-Saint standing beside Ao Long advised.
"Convey my orders to clean up our clan's terrain!" Ao Long waved his hand, his expression somber.
The situation of the Phoenix Clan and the Qilin Clan was quite similar to that of the Dragon Clan. However, the leader of the Phoenix Clan was Feng Yan'er, and the leader of the Qilin Clan was the long-missing Bai Shu. Most tragically, the Phoenix Clan's treasure vault had been emptied by a group of black-clothed individuals led by Feng Yan'er.
Flowers bloom on both sides, each branch telling its own story.
At this moment, Li Qingming was absolutely delighted. The Innate Three Clans, who had hastily retreated from the battlefield, didn't have time to clean up the battlefield, which greatly benefited Li Qingming and the Twelve Ancestor Witches he had called, hiding under the Yun Meng River.
Items like knives made of Taiyin Gold Essence, swords forged from Nine Heavens Cold Iron, and long spears crafted from Star Essence Gold—countless materials accumulated, amounting to millions of pieces. What made Li Qingming most thrilled was that he obtained many innate materials from the Innate Three Clans, such as Qilin horns, Dragon horns, Phoenix beaks, Tiger claws, and a significant amount of Dragon liver and Phoenix gallbladder.
"Brother Li, why collect these disgusting things?" Houtu, with her innocent nature, was most reluctant to witness such a bloody scene.
Li Qingming looked up at Houtu and said, "You'll understand in the future!" But in his heart, he ruefully smiled, "The world is worsening day by day, with scarce spiritual energy and sparse materials. My actions are merely preparations for the future of my disciples!"
At this time, nobody in the Primordial Land noticed. In the Western Border airspace, a miasma of resentment, evil Qi, and other negative emotions from countless deceased creatures boiled and spread over the entire Yun Meng Swamp. Above the Western Border's skyline, a tiny crack appeared, and bands of Qi Fortune descended continuously from the river of Qi Fortune belonging to the Innate Three Clans. The evil Qi gradually condensed into the form of a dragon, awaiting the onset of the next great battle.
Western Sumeru Mountain.
"Master, your subordinates have returned without dishonor! We ambushed the main bases of the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Qilin Clan. Aside from the Phoenix Clan, which yielded a large number of Spiritual Treasures and innate materials, the other two clans offered only small gains," three figures knelt before Luo Hou, slightly trembling.
"Heh heh, you have all worked hard!" Luo Hou extended his hand in a supportive gesture and said, "Now, I have already reached the late stage of Sub-Saint. The plan can be executed."
The three figures' eyes flickered with joy as they knelt once more and said, "Congratulations to the Master for achieving the late stage of Sub-Saint! Congratulations to the Master for your fulfilled goal!"
Luo Hou laughed uproariously towards the sky:
"Heh heh heh heh! Pangu, on that day you destroyed our physical bodies, today I shall destroy your world! Hahahaha..."