Within the great formation, suddenly, wild sands danced chaotically, ice shards flew in all directions, the sky sank and stars fell, rivers overturned and seas churned—it seemed as if heaven and earth were being destroyed in this very instant.
The demon cultivators all turned their heads in unison, looking toward Jing Hu.
"Elder Jing," Die Yi said doubtfully, "didn't the formation break?"
Jing Hu also found it strange. The sky collapsing and earth rending were indeed signs of a formation breaking, but why didn't it happen when the sun was struck down? Was the sun truly the formation's eye?
The gale grew fiercer and fiercer, carrying boundless momentum, instantly shattering Jing Hu and Die Yi's defenses. Over a dozen demon cultivators were caught off guard and violently scattered; those with weaker cultivation were immediately swept away by the hurricane.
Jing Hu sprayed water droplets, barely holding on, his heart filled with shock and terror: "This isn't the formation breaking, this is, this is..."
Before he could finish speaking, his massive body was enveloped by lightning. He looked up in fear, only to find lightning spreading across the entire world...
With a deafening "BOOM," the entire Bixuan Pavilion was shrouded in flying smoke. The mountain gate was blasted apart, buildings collapsed, and the mountains shook and the earth trembled. Demon Lord Xuanyue, quick-eyed and swift-handed, instantly manifested his true form and fled several miles away—his true form was a blue aquatic beast resembling a qilin.
From within the smoke and dust, several figures slowly emerged.
"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!" Feng Ning wrinkled her face without a care for her image, desperately trying to spit out the dust she had inhaled.
After finishing, she pointed at Mo Tiange, who still looked as graceful and ethereal as an immortal, and angrily shouted, "Mo Qingwei! You deliberately wanted to see me make a fool of myself, didn't you?!" She was going to break the formation but didn't tell her, making her so disheveled! Think about it, Feng Ning—when in her life had she ever been so covered in dust and grime? So embarrassing!
Mo Tiange glanced at her and said nonchalantly, "How come others aren't?"
Others? Feng Ning turned her head and discovered Qin Xi was still composed and dignified, not a speck of dust on his blue-and-white robes!
She couldn't help but grit her teeth until they creaked. This couple...
Mo Tiange tossed another sentence her way: "Don't say I didn't tell you—it's time to run for your life."
Huh? Feng Ning was stunned. Before she could ask more, her instinctive vigilance had already awakened her.
Twenty-eight demon cultivators had entered the formation; five survived—two at the Tenth Rank, three at the Ninth Rank! Adding Demon Lord Xuanyue, that made six in total. And on their side, there were only three: one at Nascent Soul mid-stage, two at Nascent Soul early-stage. Although each of them couldn't be considered ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, the opponents weren't ordinary demon cultivators either—they were the elite of the Southern Sea!
Running for their lives—that was the only option.
Feng Ning waved her silk ribbon, and a konghou appeared in her hands. Her five fingers plucked the strings with incredible speed, and music suddenly rang out. The sound waves transformed into dazzling light, charging toward Demon Lord Xuanyue. Then, a spirit talisman that appeared out of thin air in her hand ignited, enveloping her in white light. Before anyone could react, she instantly fled via escape light.
"She runs really fast!" Mo Tiange watched Feng Ning's escape light disappear and curled her lip.
The Luanfeng Immortal Couple were willing to let their precious daughter come participate in the war against the demon cultivators, naturally having made complete preparations. It wasn't strange for her to escape smoothly under the gaze of Tenth-Rank demon cultivators. In fact, they probably wished for Feng Ning to escape; that way, they wouldn't have any worries holding them back.
Qin Xi turned his gaze and gave her a meaningful look. Mo Tiange nodded gently.
"Prince Xuanyue." Mo Tiange smiled brightly as she looked at the nearby Demon Lord Xuanyue, whose face was ugly. "We can give you the East Sea, but shouldn't you pay some price for it?"
Demon Lord Xuanyue clenched his teeth tightly but stubbornly didn't utter a single word.
Twenty-eight went in, five came out. Three Ninth-Rank demon cultivators and twenty Eighth-Rank demon cultivators perished. What a tremendous loss! Although these demon cultivators were insignificant to the Southern Sea, they would certainly become a handle for the Grand Prince to attack him! He had originally thought losing half would be enough...
"Hmph!" Die Yi, flapping her wings, snorted coldly. "What's the use of all this nonsense? Better to leave your lives behind!" As soon as the words fell, Die Yi danced lightly, sprinkling yellow powder that suddenly transformed into sharp thorns, covering the sky and earth as they came.
"Go!" The Three Yang True Fire Sword spread out into a sword formation as Qin Xi shouted lowly.
Golden lightning shot out, spreading into a vast net of thunder, blocking the six demon cultivators. Immediately after, the two of them showed no desire to prolong the fight, riding their escape lights as they fled toward the direction of Tianmo Mountain.
However, Tenth-Rank demon cultivators weren't so easy to fool. Jing Hu's massive body, as if weightless, left behind a string of afterimages as he appeared in front of them.
Then came Die Yi. The two Tenth-Rank demon cultivators firmly blocked their path.
"Do you think it's that easy to escape, esteemed ones?" Demon Lord Xuanyue and the other three Ninth-Rank demon cultivators had them completely surrounded.
Mo Tiange and Qin Xi exchanged a glance. Without even giving them a look, crimson sword light swept toward Demon Lord Xuanyue. Taking advantage of the moment when the other demon cultivators rushed to his aid, they fled toward the sea surface.
Jing Hu still employed his unique escape technique, but Mo Tiange casually tossed an object over. With a thunderous explosion, the unprepared Jing Hu was immobilized.
It was that thunder pearl Jing Xingzhi had given her—perfectly used at this moment.
Jing Hu's strength was formidable, so the thunder pearl only delayed him for a brief moment. But that was enough. Mo Tiange swung her Fusheng Sword, leaving a wound on him before fleeing without hesitation.
"Elder Jing!" Demon Lord Xuanyue cried out in alarm, rushing forward.
Jing Hu's injury was minor, but by the time he stopped Demon Lord Xuanyue, Mo Tiange and Qin Xi had already fled far into the distance.
"Second Prince!" Jing Hu transformed into human form, sighing as he watched their disappearing escape lights. "You must learn to make choices. Failing to capture those two is very disadvantageous for you.
Demon Lord Xuanyue shook his head with a bitter smile. "Elder Jing, I've disappointed you again."
"It's fine," Jing Hu said calmly. "We demon cultivators have long lives. It's still very early before the Monarch abdicates. The Second Prince has plenty of time to grow. And right now, there's still a chance to remedy the situation."
His gaze turned toward the sea. This was their territory, the demon cultivators' domain.
Having fled three thousand li with no pursuers behind them, the two finally stopped.
Mo Tiange patted her chest and asked, "What do you think? Did they not chase, or do they have a backup plan?"
Qin Xi sheathed his Three Yang True Fire Sword and said, "I don't know. But we'd better think of a way to evade their pursuit." He looked down at the calm, waveless sea beneath their feet. "This is their territory."
Fleeing toward the sea was a choice born of necessity. With two Tenth-Rank demon cultivators blocking the way and three Ninth-Rank demon cultivators surrounding them from behind, a swift escape was impossible. If they got bogged down, they would be drawn into a chaotic battle. It was better to flee toward the sea, shake them off, and then quietly return. However, this "quietly" wouldn't be easy.
Using her spiritual sense to probe the surroundings and finding no high-rank demon beasts nearby, Mo Tiange took out the Ten Thousand Li Solitary Boat and said, "Let's rest first."
The Ten Thousand Li Solitary Boat was called a boat, but it could actually transform into various shapes. The artifact refiner who crafted it was a madman about refining—his eyes would glow at the sight of Mysterious Iron Heartwood. Although he wasted a lot of materials, he still refined the Ten Thousand Li Solitary Boat quite excellently.
They entered the Ten Thousand Li Solitary Boat. Mo Tiange made a hand seal, and the boat's body rapidly changed. From the outside, it looked like just a piece of wood floating on the sea's surface. Inside, Mo Tiange set up a Spirit-Concealing Array, and with Qin Xi's peach branch added, even if a Ninth-Rank demon cultivator came, they wouldn't detect it. As for Tenth-Rank demon cultivators... that would depend on luck.
"I'll go bring Xiaofan out." After saying this, Mo Tiange entered the Void Heaven Realm. The East Sea was also Xiaofan's homeland. After the cataclysm of heaven and earth, it was unknown whether the Cang Dragon's gathering place was still in the East Sea. Perhaps by finding the Cang Dragon clan, they could learn about the current situation in the Southern Sea.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the Void Heaven Realm, she saw the entire realm covered in a layer of red light.
Mo Tiange was startled. Xiaofan and Xiaohuo came running over—one biting her sleeve, the other grabbing the hem of her robe.
"What's going on?"
Xiaofan said, "Xiaofeng is advancing a rank!"
Xiaofeng was the name they had given to Qin Xi's Chongming Bird. Qin Xi had always been lacking in sentimentality; he only had one spirit beast, and he just kept it casually, so he never bothered to give it a name. Later, when the Chongming Bird was released into the Void Heaven Realm, it often played with Xiaohuo and Xiaofan. Xiaofan called it Xiaofeng, the Chongming Bird accepted it, and Qin Xi didn't object. From then on, Xiaofeng became the Chongming Bird's name.
Mo Tiange looked up. In mid-air, there was a cocoon formed from a mass of red light, carrying faint traces of Vermilion Bird aura. The red light illuminated the entire Void Heaven Realm, making it look as if bathed in the slanting rays of the setting sun, covered in a layer of red.
After learning the method to condense Vermilion Bird Pearls from Feifei, Qin Xi would often condense one or two to feed to Xiaofeng and Xiaohuo, so they also carried Vermilion Bird aura.
Confirming it was the Chongming Bird advancing, Mo Tiange touched the center of her brow and exited the Void Heaven Realm.
"What's wrong?" Qin Xi had just taken out a map and looked at her in surprise. She had only been inside for a few breaths, hadn't brought Xiaofan out, so why did she come out already?
Mo Tiange took his hand and said, "Let's go in and talk."
Entering the Void Heaven Realm and seeing the red light everywhere, Qin Xi was startled, then a look of joy appeared on his face. "The Chongming Bird is advancing?"
"Yes." Mo Tiange pointed at the cocoon formed from red light in the sky. "Look, I estimate it won't be long before it breaks out of the cocoon."
Qin Xi gazed at the red cocoon in the sky and said, "When the Chongming Bird reaches the Eighth Rank, it can undergo Human Transformation. We need to prepare to welcome the Heavenly Tribulation of transformation."
"Mhm." When cultivators reach Spirit Transformation, and when demon cultivators undergo Human Transformation, they both experience Heavenly Tribulation. The Chongming Bird at the Eighth Rank was fine inside the Void Heaven Realm, but once it left, the Heavenly Tribulation would descend. Only by successfully passing the tribulation could it become a true demon cultivator and awaken its spiritual intelligence.
The two busied themselves. Xiaohuo and Xiaofan squatted outside the door, looking up at the Chongming Bird in the sky with identical movements.
"Xiaohuo, what do you think Xiaofeng will look like?" Xiaofan asked.
Xiaohuo crouched on its hind legs, raised its head, and called out twice.
Xiaofan understood the language of demon beasts but shook its large head. "No, it must be a beautiful big sister." Xiaohuo called out twice again, as if protesting.
"It must be a beautiful big sister!" Xiaofan said indignantly.
Xiaohuo called out again.
"Fine, you don't believe me? Then let's wait and see!"
"Last time in the Guixu Sea, do you remember the Heavenly Tribulation of those three demon cultivators?" Qin Xi asked while preparing spirit herbs for alchemy.
Mo Tiange flipped through the books in the bookcase, searching for information about the Heavenly Tribulation of transformation, and replied, "No, last time we were right in the midst of the Heavenly Tribulation ourselves. How could we have thought to watch someone else's tribulation?"
Putting the book in her hand back, she sighed. "If only Feifei were here. It would know what to do." With so many Feifeis to deal with, she had let Feifei return to Kunwu with Tang Shen and the others.
Qin Xi looked up at her. "Always relying on it isn't good."
Mo Tiange was taken aback, carefully recalling in her heart. Ever since Feifei awakened its spiritual intelligence, whenever she was unsure about something, she would go ask Feifei. It had become a habit. This really wasn't good. Although Feifei was her spirit beast, it didn't belong to her. It would have its own path sooner or later.
"I understand." She nodded.
Actually, even if she didn't know exactly what the Heavenly Tribulation of transformation was like, what did it matter? She herself had experienced Heavenly Tribulation. Even if the two tribulations were different, they probably weren't that far apart. She could just handle it accordingly. Thinking this, she put the books aside and said, "Then I'll prepare a defensive array."
"Good." Qin Xi nodded with a smile.