Life in Tian Yong City outwardly remained the same; cooking smoke rose, the marketplace was bustling, and the bloodstains on the city walls were covered by a new layer of wind-blown sand.
However, an invisible pressure, like leaden clouds, heavily weighed down on the Human Race territory.
That cold decree from the Suspended Holy Hall transformed into countless streaks of light, piercing through the boundary and landing in the core areas of the Human Race's three major powers—the Immortal Alliance Headquarters, the Divine Dynasty Imperial Palace, and the Immortal City under the Ancient Moon Sect's dominion.
The will of the Yao Saint was beyond doubt, shaking the Human Race's high echelons, and secret orders flew like snowflakes to various strongholds, cities, and fortresses.
“Search for him! A Cultivator of the Chaotic Great Dao!”
“His Aura imprint is here; we must dig three feet deep to find clues!”
“The Nine Heavens Yao Court is furious; if he is not handed over, war will resume!”
…
Tian Yong City, this massive Cultivation City located on the front line at the border between Human Race and Yao Race territories, bore the brunt of it, with the Elders stationed in the city from the three major powers gathering, their expressions so grim they could wring water from them.
The projection of the Suspended Holy Hall floated in the main hall, the Nine Heavens Great Saint’s vertical eyes, which seemed to pierce the Void Realm, felt as if they were right before them, and that fierce and dominant Chaos imprint in the star map was blindingly clear.
“Investigate! Every unfamiliar Cultivator, every abnormal Qi fluctuation, not one must be missed!” The Immortal Alliance Elder’s voice was hoarse.
“The city gates are under strict control, and the city patrol teams are tripled! Suspects are to be apprehended first!” The Divine Dynasty Enforcer clenched his fists.
The Ancient Moon Sect Elder closed his eyes, sensing the Qi in the city, his brows tightly furrowed: “Tian Yong City is a mixed bag; the Qi is chaotic… Difficult! As difficult as ascending to Heaven! But the decrees of the twelve Yao Saints cannot be defied!”
Pressure transmitted layer by layer, permeating every brick and stone of this city; the clanking of the city guard’s armor grew more frequent, their eyes vigilantly scanning every passerby.
The forces of the three major Human Race powers moved through the streets and alleys, and an invisible net quietly tightened.
However, Li Mu cultivated the Chaotic Great Dao, reaching the Dao Seed Realm, forming his own Dao Intent; when he wanted to conceal his Aura, no one could find him, not even the twelve Yao Race Great Saints of this realm.
Time flowed, and in a blink, nine years passed.
Tian Yong City hung low. The invisible net tightened further and further, almost constricting to the bone, and the will of the Suspended Holy Hall hung coldly over all Human Race powers.
The Yao Race's final deadline of ten years given to the Human Race was approaching, and war was about to break out.
To the east of Tian Yong City, at the edge of the horizon, the color changed.
At first, it was a faint, dark crimson, like dried blood scabs, then the crimson churned, spread, swallowed the light, and surged towards the city.
That was not clouds; it was Demonic Qi solidified into substance, viscous, heavy, carrying the stench of sulfur and rust, chilling one’s bones.
Above the crimson tide, dark figures loomed. Giant Yao Beasts flapped their wings, their feathers tearing the low-hanging sky, casting moving abysses. The ground trembled, a dull rumble growing from distant to near; that was colossal beasts the size of mountains galloping, each step shaking the earth.
Within the Demonic Clouds, countless scarlet eyes lit up, densely packed, greedily locking onto the dim outline of Tian Yong City.
The phantom of the Suspended Holy Hall flickered in and out of sight deep within the Demonic Clouds, clearer and colder than ever before; the will of the nine Yao Race Great Saints, like tangible shrieks, violently crashed against the flickering light barrier of Tian Yong City’s precarious city-protecting Formation, stirring up intense ripples.
On the city walls, an uncontainable, pungent Fishy Wind hung in the air; the city patrol’s hands, gripping their Magical Artifacts, were pale at the knuckles.
The bustling noise of the city marketplace was choked by an invisible hand, instantly falling silent, and an Aura of despair permeated under the Demonic Qi’s encroachment.
The invisible net suffocated everyone.
The ten-year deadline was approaching, and the arrival of the surging Demonic Clouds was the final ultimatum.
The air solidified, leaving only the increasingly loud, heart-shattering rumbling from afar—that was the sound of billions of Yao Army soldiers trampling the earth.
Tian Yong City, like a lone boat, was about to be swallowed by the bloody Demonic Qi.
Nine years passed in a flash.
The three naive children from back then were now teenagers. The trials of Tian Yong City seemed to have left few marks on them; instead, they had fostered a striking brilliance.
Li Mu’s small courtyard remained serene, the tranquility falling upon the three now-tall figures. The ripples from when he planted the Dao Seed were merely a circle that had long since calmed in his heart.
Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the Chaotic Dao Tree grew increasingly vigorous, and the three strands of connection originating from the Dao Seeds, fine as gossamer yet indestructible, were even more solidified and profound than nine years ago.
Lin Xiaolun’s figure was graceful, like a willow branch sprouting in early spring, carrying a moist spiritual charm. That “Water Spirit Dao Seed” from back then had now transformed into a clear spiritual spring in her Sea of Consciousness, its pure radiance flowing ceaselessly.
Nine years of nourishment had made her Divine Soul Origin pure and translucent; her former inferior Spiritual Root had long since been reborn, becoming an excellent bridge for drawing in the Heaven and Earth Water Spirit Qi. As she walked, a faint mist seemed to gather around her, and the water vapor in the air naturally drew close; without conscious effort, wisps of cool Dao rhyme swirled around her.
Da Niu, on the other hand, was like an ancient pine tree rooted in the earth, his figure robust, muscles bulging, filled with rock-like solid strength. The “Earth Yuan Dao Seed” within his body was like the core of a mountain range, ceaselessly drawing in the essence of the earth veins day and night, flushing and refining his tendons, bones, and flesh. Beneath his bronze skin, his tendons and bones were far tougher than fine steel, and when his Qi and blood surged, there was a faint sound of the earth’s pulsation. Standing there, he gave off a mountainous sense of stability; ordinary pushes and impacts were like a gentle breeze to him.
Tie Tou’s transformation was the most striking. The scrawny child from back then was now lean and sharp like a blade, every inch of his muscle containing explosive power. The “Burning Fire Dao Seed” deep within his Divine Soul had long since perfectly merged with the hatred in his heart, transforming into a pure, blazing, and inexhaustible source of power.
Tie Tou’s eyes were sharp, like flashing lightning when they opened and closed; molten lava seemed to flow beneath his skin, and he possessed an innate affinity and control over all hot, fierce, and explosive Auras. That sharp edge, even when intentionally restrained, was still unsettling.
Nine years, under the Heaven-Defying power of the Chaotic Dao Seed, their cultivation paths were so fast that they could make any so-called Genius gape in astonishment!
Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Void Refining, Body Integration, Mahayana… The numerous barriers on the cultivation path were like a smooth road beneath their feet. Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was not something difficult to extract for them but a surging river, and the profound mysteries of Dao were as clear to them as the lines on their palms.
In the Lin family courtyard, Lin Xiaolun sat quietly in front of the court, without any objects in her hands. With a slight thought, the clear water in the courtyard’s water Cylinder silently rose, transforming into a crystal-clear ribbon of water, dancing lightly at her fingertips. At times it became a swimming fish, at others it solidified into ice crystals, and finally, it turned into a fine, warm spiritual rain, silently sprinkling onto the plants in the courtyard.
The plants instantly stretched out, full of vitality; her Aura was profound and serene, and the Dao rhyme of water flowed ceaselessly around her, clearly displaying the vast phenomena of the Mahayana Late Stage.
Mr. Lin and Mrs. Lin had long since transitioned from initial shock to numb reverence; they knew that their daughter had already soared to the Nine Heavens, a realm they could not comprehend.
In Da Niu’s backyard, a low, dull thud, and dust flew. A five-stage Yao Beast, “Earth Dragon Rhino,” as large as a small mountain and covered in thick scales, was seized by Da Niu’s single hand on its neck and slammed to the ground! Its brute force, capable of collapsing city walls, seemed so ridiculous before his mountain-like solid physique.
Da Niu stepped on the ground, and an incomparably profound earth vein power surged into his body from beneath his feet. His arm muscles bulged like coiling Dragons, and he actually lifted the enormous beast whole, suffocating it to death.
Da Niu withdrew, his Aura deep and steady like the awakening earth, precisely at the Peak of Body Integration, a half-step into the Mahayana Realm! By the courtyard wall, Da Niu’s father held a large jar of top-grade Yao Beast blood brew, his face filled with uncontainable pride and emotion.
Over the years, the family’s rice bin had long been replaced with a special, massive container, holding not ordinary spiritual rice but dried Yao Beast meat imbued with immense essence Qi. Da Niu’s mother, meanwhile, habitually wiped her son’s tough leather armor, which could no longer be repaired with ordinary iron.
In the blacksmith shop next door, the furnace fire of ordinary iron smelting was no longer common fire but exhibited a nearly transparent bluish-white color, emitting terrifying high temperatures capable of incinerating all things.
Tie Tou stood shirtless before the furnace, dark red patterns on his body like flowing lava, holding his hand in a virtual grip over a piece of deep-sea cold iron essence, the size of a human head, rumored to be “impossible to melt even after ten thousand forges.” Violent Burning Fire True Intent erupted from his palm, transforming into an invisible immense force; the cold iron actually deformed, stretched, and extended like soft mud in the bluish-white intense flames, its Impurities instantly vaporized, emitting a piercing shriek.
In just a moment, the Prototype of a short blade, its cold light sharp and its edge subtly flowing with fire patterns, had already taken shape.
Fire flashed in Tie Tou's eyes, and a wisp of extremely condensed fire shot from his fingertip, engraving complex and profound Vessel pattern onto the blade.
Buzz!
The short blade chimed softly, and an incomparably sharp Killing Intent soared into the sky, causing the furnace fire to sway.
Tie Tou's mother stood at the entrance of the forging room, holding a rare fire-attributed Ore called "Molten Heart Marrow" that she had just acquired from the inner city auction house.
Watching her son's methods and cultivation, which were capable of burning mountains and boiling seas, her eyes held both satisfaction and a hidden trace of worry about this overly powerful force.
Nine years passed, and the beast roars and smoke outside Tian Yong City remained, even drawing closer.
Panic spread within the city, and defensive fortifications were layered on.
In Li Mu's perception, the three Chaotic Dao Seeds were no longer the faint sparks of yesteryear.
They were like three rising Dao Stars, radiating brilliant light in their respective Seas of Consciousness, absorbing vast Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and profound Dao principles, growing astonishingly.
The Chaotic Great Dao Tree connected to them grew even more lush and verdant, with continuous strands of pure and profound Origin power—the Spiritual Wisdom of water, the solidity of earth veins, the Eternal nature of burning fire—feeding back, nourishing the Foundation of the Three Thousand Great Daos.
East of Tian Yong City, a red tide surged, and demonic clouds obscured the sun.
A heavy pressure, like a tangible shackles, was placed around everyone's necks.
The city was dead silent, with only the distant, muffled thunder-like sound of the Yao Race army marching, striking their hearts repeatedly.
Lin family courtyard.
Lin Xiaolun stood quietly in the courtyard, a drop of water silently spinning on her fingertip, reflecting the dazzling crimson sky.
Her Aura was as deep and still as a profound pool, with the Dao rhyme of water flowing incessantly, subtly isolating the despair and Fishy Wind permeating the outside world.
Her clear eyes gazed into the depths of the demonic clouds, where the ethereal form of the Suspended Holy Hall was clearly visible.
The water droplet on her fingertip suddenly solidified, transforming into a translucent ice prism, radiating chilling cold.
"They're here," Lin Xiaolun's voice was clear and cold, devoid of joy or sorrow, only a calm, poised power flowing within her body.
The plants in the courtyard moved without wind, and fine frost condensed on their leaves.
Her parents hid inside the house, looking through the door crack at their daughter's figure, as tall and solitary as a Peak, their eyes intertwined with fear and a glimmer of faint reliance.
Blacksmith shop.
The furnace fire was more intense than ever, its cyan-white flames licking the furnace walls, emitting a piercing shriek.
Tie Tou was shirtless, dark red patterns flowing like living things beneath his skin.
In Tie Tou's hand was a newly forged, dark red sword embryo.
The terrifying demonic Aura from outside the city and the oppressive might of the Suspended Holy Hall, far from making him retreat, instead acted like oil poured onto a raging fire!
The cluster of hatred fire in his eyes completely merged with the Burning Fire Dao Seed, erupting with Battle Intent capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas.
"Dong!"
The heavy hammer struck down fiercely, sparks splattered like torrential rain, and the sword embryo hummed like a Dragon's roar.
A sharp, all-tearing Killing Intent shot into the sky, temporarily pushing away the demonic Aura pressing down from above!
Tie Tou's mother held several fiery red Ores and stood by the door, her face pale, but seeing her son's Aura, like a drawn fierce blade, she silently placed the Ores into the reserve pile next to the melting furnace.
The furnace fire illuminated his taut profile and the flames dancing in his eyes, as if he himself was a fierce weapon about to drink blood.
Da Niu's backyard.
Da Niu stood like a mountain, his bronzed skin rippling with muscles like coiled Dragons.
He inhaled deeply, and a powerful, solid earth-vein force surged up from beneath his feet.
The solid ground beneath him seemed to become one with him, resonating slightly.
The distant trembling of the earth and the roaring of the charging Yao Race army clearly transmitted to him.
"Roar..." A low, beast-like grunt escaped his throat, with the texture of rubbing rock, and he stomped his foot suddenly!
"Boom!"
The solid rammed earth ground of the backyard undulated like waves, shaking dust from the courtyard walls, and a visible earthy yellow ripple spread several feet from him before subsiding.
Da Niu's parents leaned on the door frame to avoid falling, looking at their son in horror.
Da Niu's eyes were as solid as the earth, gazing towards the red tide.
His mountain-like Aura steadily climbed, and his Body Integration Late Stage Peak power was unleashed without reservation, forming a solid earthy yellow force field around him.
"It needs to be thicker," he rumbled, his gaze sweeping over his not-so-tall courtyard wall, then towards the distant, majestic but seemingly crumbling city walls.
His large, fan-like hands slowly clenched, his knuckles cracking like popping beans.
Da Niu's father subconsciously rubbed his hands, as if wanting to find something to do, but ultimately just sighed heavily, his eyes complex as he looked at his son's mountain-like dependable back.
East of the city, the red tide's ferocious outline was clearly visible, demonic clouds hung low, and the oppressive might of the Suspended Holy Hall gripped the city like a cold giant hand.
The invisible net was stretched to its limit.
Cold currents surged from Lin Xiaolun's fingertips.
The sword embryo in Tie Tou's hand hummed and trembled.
The earth beneath Da Niu's feet pulsed steadily.
The gazes of the three, whether calm, fiery, or solemn, converged on the same direction, passing over the chaotic city—Li Mu's tranquil small courtyard.
The teacher is watching.
East of the city, the demonic Aura surged like a sea of blood, and the ethereal form of the Suspended Holy Hall pressed down heavily.
The Cultivators in the city turned pale, and the city's protective Formation light barrier violently swayed, emitting groans of unbearable strain.
"It's over!"
"The Yao Saint has arrived in person, Heaven wants to destroy our Tian Yong!"
...
Desperate shouts exploded on the city walls.
Just then, three figures moved.
Lin Xiaolun's figure flickered, transforming into a clear, cold stream of light, soaring over the chaotic crowd and heading directly for the East Gate.
Wherever she passed, the scorching Fishy Wind was dispelled by invisible water vapor, leaving a faint coolness.
The city wall guards only felt a gentle breeze, and the graceful figure had already floated over the battlements.
Tie Tou was even faster!
A circle of cyan-white flames exploded beneath his feet, and he shot towards the city wall like an arrow from a bowstring, enveloped in a burning wind.
Approaching the base of the wall, he let out a low roar, not dodging or evading, and crashed head-on into the thick city wall, reinforced by a Formation!
"Boom!"
The city wall, harder than steel, was actually smashed open, forming a molten gap!
Shattered stones, wrapped in raging flames, splattered everywhere, but Tie Tou's figure did not pause, rushing out of the city with an unstoppable, fierce Killing Intent, directly into the vanguard of the red tide!
Da Niu moved the slowest, his steps heavy.
He took large strides, and with each step, the bluestone bricks beneath his feet silently cracked and sank.
He was like a silent giant rhinoceros, parting the panicked flow of people, walking towards the city gate.
The gate guards were so awed by the powerful Aura that rushed towards them that they forgot to stop him.
"Open!" Da Niu exhaled, pressing his fan-like hand onto the heavy profound iron city gate.
"Screech—Boom!"
The city gate bolt snapped!
The two massive gates, which required dozens of strong men to move, were pushed open by his single hand, crashing against the city walls on either side with a deafening roar.
He stepped out of the city gate, standing before the drawbridge, his colossal body like a solitary mountain erected outside the city.
Outside the city, the red tide's demonic Aura rushed forward, so thick it was suffocating.
Billions of Yao Race soldiers let out earth-shattering roars, their crimson eyes locking onto the three suddenly appearing figures.
Behind them were mountain-sized ferocious giant beasts and fierce Yao Race birds that obscured the sun.
The ethereal form of the Suspended Holy Hall cast a cold gaze.
Three youths, facing this heaven-destroying Yao Race army torrent, were as tiny as dust.
Tie Tou stood by the molten gap in the city wall, the dark red sword embryo in his hand, not yet fully cooled, hummed and trembled, pointing directly into the depths of the demonic clouds, his eyes burning with fiery flames, utterly fearless.
Lin Xiaolun hovered above the drawbridge, an ice prism on her fingertip flowing with cold light, the Dao rhyme of water around her dispelling the Fishy Wind, her clear eyes reflecting the demonic Aura of the blood sea, calm and unruffled.
Da Niu stood at the open city gate, yellow light flowing beneath his feet, connected to the earth, his Aura as solid as a mountain, directly facing the surging beast tide, his fists slowly clenching.
Newborn calves, defiantly showing their horns!
The city wall was dead silent, all eyes fixed on these three youths who seemed unaware of the immensity of Heaven and Earth, their astonishment, incomprehension, and despair mixed with a touch of absurd hope.
Inside the small courtyard, Li Mu stood quietly, frowning slightly, his gaze piercing through the Void Realm, landing on the small yet upright figures of the three children.
The three connections of the Chaotic Great Dao Tree glowed faintly.
(End of Chapter)
