Chapter 96: The Mountain Treasure Obtained, Qiongqi Slain, and the Fire Emperor Pleads for Mercy!
"BOOM!!!"
Deep within the Great Wilderness, heaven and earth collapsed!
The pure white bone fragment wrapped in chaotic qi floated within the void, stirring the greed of three Venerable-level creatures.
They were too impatient and far too arrogant.
In their eyes, the charred old willow tree standing beside the mountain treasure, with only a single remaining willow branch, was nothing more than a reckless plant spirit courting death.
"ROAR!!"
Zhu Yan attacked first.
The iron staff in its hand swung violently, shattering the void itself like a mirror beneath the strike.
The staff carried immeasurable divine power, wrapped in surging golden blood qi as it smashed downward toward the willow tree below!
At the same time, Qiongqi dove down from the sky.
With a savage roar, it spat out a beam of black demonic light capable of corroding mountains and rivers. Even a wisp of the escaping aura spread as far as Stone Village in the distance.
Although the Vermilion Bird possessed divine nature, it could not retreat before a supreme treasure.
With a flap of its wings, endless divine flames transformed into a crimson inferno descending from the sky, intending to reduce this entire world to ashes!
One strike! One beam! One sea of fire!
The full-force attacks of the three great fierce beasts converged into a single devastating assault. Even the emperor of an ancient kingdom would tremble before such power.
Inside Stone Village, the villagers had already collapsed onto the ground in terror. Even through the green protective barrier, the overwhelming pressure left them gasping for breath.
Beside them, Qian Renxue clutched the hem of her clothes tightly. The piece of meat in her hand had long been forgotten as she struggled between wanting to look and not daring to.
Yet just as the world-destroying attack was about to land—
The charred willow tree finally moved.
A single emerald willow branch, gently swaying in the breeze, suddenly shot upward toward the heavens without warning.
Then it swept lightly toward the blazing sky.
"Clang!"
A crisp sound rang out.
When the seemingly fragile willow branch collided with Zhu Yan's iron staff, it erupted with brilliant green divine light!
The murderous aura surrounding the staff was instantly shattered.
"Roar?!"
Zhu Yan staggered back several steps from the tremendous recoil, its golden eyes filled with shock.
But before it could react, the willow branch flew forward again.
It wrapped around Zhu Yan instantly, ignoring its Vajra-like indestructible body, and bound its enormous form tightly!
"Bang!"
With a casual flick of the branch—
The towering golden divine ape was hurled away and smashed directly toward Qiongqi.
"What?!"
Qiongqi was startled and immediately folded its wings to evade.
But the willow branch was too fast.
So fast it seemed to surpass the limits of time itself.
"Puchi!"
A flash of green light streaked past.
The willow branch, sharp as a sword, pierced effortlessly through Qiongqi's chest, penetrating the armor of its hard scales.
Black demonic blood erupted instantly, pouring down like a dark waterfall across the sky.
Each drop of blood that fell corroded the earth, leaving massive craters in its wake.
"ROAR!!!"
Qiongqi let out a miserable scream.
It tried to flee.
But it was already too late.
"Since you have committed slaughter, you shall repay it with your life."
A cold voice echoed through the heavens.
The willow branch trembled slightly.
Terrifying lightning power surged through the wound!
"BOOM!"
The infamous Primordial Fierce Beast Qiongqi, which had devoured countless living beings across the Great Wilderness—
Did not even have time for its primordial spirit to escape before exploding into a cloud of blood mist in midair!
One strike!
A pure-blooded Primordial Fierce Beast, a Venerable-level existence, had fallen!
This brutal scene shocked the remaining Zhu Yan and Vermilion Bird.
They had assumed it was merely a dying willow.
Who could have imagined such terrifying strength?
"Chirp!"
The Vermilion Bird cried mournfully toward the sky.
Because it realized that its proud divine flames could not burn before the willow branch.
It attempted to soar into the sky but discovered that the entire space had already been sealed by that faint green aura.
"Crack!"
The willow branch lashed out again, striking the Vermilion Bird's back.
Instantly, divine flames scattered across the sky, and countless crimson feathers drifted down.
The proud divine bird had its spine shattered in a single strike.
Wailing miserably, it plummeted from the sky and slammed into the earth, pulverizing an entire stone mountain into dust.
Meanwhile, Zhu Yan was still struggling wildly within the binding vines, attempting to unleash its Three Heads Six Arms divine technique.
But the willow branch merely tightened slightly.
"Crack! Crack!"
Every bone in Zhu Yan's body exploded with cracking sounds.
Its divine strength was completely suppressed.
With another flick of the branch, its massive body rapidly shrank until it became nothing more than a palm-sized monkey.
It was tossed directly at the entrance of Stone Village.
"Buzz…"
After accomplishing all this, the willow branch did not stop.
It gently curled and retrieved the mountain treasure still floating within the void.
Then it swept across the land.
The vast chasms torn open by the battle, the collapsed mountains—
All began to heal slowly beneath the green light.
Even the spreading magma seas were instantly calmed, transforming once more into fertile soil.
All laws obeyed its will.
Heaven and earth were reshaped!
This was the true supreme divine ability.
…
The world fell silent.
Only the heavy breathing of the villagers in Stone Village could be heard.
Qian Renxue slowly opened her eyes.
Looking at the dreamlike scene before her, at the two Primordial Fierce Beasts lying like dead dogs on the ground, and at the rain of Qiongqi's blood falling from the sky—
She was shocked beyond words.
"So this is… the Sacrificial Spirit?"
"One branch killed Qiongqi, suppressed Zhu Yan, and crippled the Vermilion Bird?"
"Heavens!"
…
After Liu Shen forcefully suppressed the three Venerable-level creatures, the other hidden beings across the Eight Regions no longer dared to make any moves.
At the same time, the powers of Demon Spirit Lake, the Rain Clan, and Stone Kingdom all hesitated and withdrew.
However, just when everyone believed the matter had finally ended—
A crimson rainbow suddenly streaked across the distant sky.
It was a middle-aged man wearing a blazing red imperial robe.
Imperial dragon qi swirled around him. Though not as domineering as the Stone Emperor, he possessed a sacred dignity and majesty.
It was the Fire Emperor of the Fire Kingdom.
Looking at the tragic scene below, especially the severely injured Vermilion Bird, shock filled his eyes.
But he did not dare act rashly.
Stopping a hundred li away from Stone Village, he bowed respectfully toward the charred willow tree.
"Junior, the Fire Emperor of the Fire Kingdom, greets Senior."
"This Vermilion Bird is the Sacrificial Spirit of my Fire Kingdom. Though greed clouded its mind for a moment and it offended Senior…"
"It has protected my people for ten thousand years."
"I humbly beg Senior to spare its life."
A human emperor who ruled endless territories now pleaded humbly like a junior.
Yet the willow tree remained silent.
It gave no response at first.
After a long while, the willow branch gently pointed toward the half-dead little red bird.
"The death penalty may be spared."
"But punishment cannot be avoided."
"Since it carries divine flames, it shall remain here as the village's guardian divine bird and guard my gate for one hundred years."
"And the Vermilion Bird's clan's precious technique shall be left behind for my disciple to observe."
"Do you… have any objections?"
Hearing this, the Fire Emperor's brows tightened.
But seeing the miserable state of the Sacrificial Spirit, he hesitated only briefly before bowing deeply once again.
"Thank you, Senior."
"We dare not object."
End of Chapter.