The Phoenix's treasured relic—how precious must it be?
Given the Phoenix's nobility, any place it would descend to was not just a sacred land but must surely contain treasures extraordinary enough to attract even a Phoenix. One could well imagine how rare and miraculous such treasures must be. Anyone with power, once learning of it, would never easily let it slip by.
"The valley is likely to turn into a battlefield of strife," Yi Tianxing said, taking a deep breath, his voice decisive. "The winds of chaos will gather; powerful figures will converge. Not only elites from the human race, but also powerful beings from other races, and even fearsome beasts might be drawn here."
In the human world alone, countless prodigies existed. After the fusion of the myriad worlds, innumerable talents had been gathered onto the Eternal Continent. Though some had unfortunately perished, many survived. Some were born with formidable cultivation levels, and upon descending into this world, their original powers had condensed into Core Essence Pills within them. As long as they weren't slain immediately upon arrival, they had opportunities to grow stronger at astonishing speeds—tenfold, even a hundredfold that of ordinary people.
Their cultivation realms were already profound; strengthening themselves further posed no real hazard.
No one knew how many powerful individuals were lurking in the shadows—not just among humans, but also among foreign races and fearsome beasts.
Initially, Yi Tianxing had planned to quietly develop and fortify Xuanhuang Town, to grow strong enough to fear no enemy before seeking out any great treasures. However, these unforeseen events completely disrupted his plans.
In this world, accidents were always lurking, rendering any plans meaningless. There were no certainties here.
"What should we do now?" Cai Yan asked, a look of concern appearing on her face.
The phenomenon of the Immortal Ascent had caused not just the valley but also Xuanhuang Town itself to become a place of conflict. If handled poorly, the town could be overturned by those powerful figures. Xuanhuang Town was Yi Tianxing's foundation—she knew all too well how important it was. Anywhere else could fall into chaos, but not Xuanhuang Town. If anything happened here, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Hmph. There's no need to be overly worried about Xuanhuang Town's safety," Yi Tianxing said, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Everyone here trains in cultivation. No one will dare cause trouble lightly. Besides, we have Elder Huang and Master Lu overseeing things. Anyone daring to cause trouble will pay a heavy price."
Xuanhuang Town was no longer the weak settlement it once was. It was no longer an easy target for anyone to manipulate. Even former martial world experts needed to behave themselves here. The military's strength was not to be underestimated.
Coordinated with various war artifacts and two arrow towers providing formidable defense, even a strong Divine Sea realm cultivator wouldn't easily prevail against the elite army.
"Zhengchun, notify Elder Huang and the others. Convene a meeting in the main hall," Yi Tianxing commanded.
"Yes, Master," Cao Zhengchun immediately responded without hesitation.
Meanwhile, outside the valley,
the ground split open, and the Scorpionmen Chieftain swiftly emerged from the earth. He looked up into the sky, his eyes flashing with a sharp gleam as he beheld the awe-inspiring Immortal Ascent phenomenon. Laughing heartily, he exclaimed, "Heaven aids my Scorpionmen! A supreme treasure is about to emerge within this valley. Such a sign heralds the coming of a peerless artifact. If we seize it and offer it as a sacrifice to the Demon God, we will surely earn the Demon God's favor and rewards, allowing our Scorpionmen race to rise as the most powerful race on the Eternal Continent."
His words carried a strong, unyielding conviction toward obtaining the treasure.
"Seize the treasure, sacrifice it to the Demon God!"
"Seize the treasure, sacrifice it to the Demon God!"
One after another, Scorpionmen emerged from the ground, eyes burning with fanatical zeal as they gazed toward the distant Immortal Ascent phenomenon.
A massive black altar, shrouded in thick black mist, was carried forth by several burly Scorpionmen warriors. At the sight of this mysterious altar, every Scorpionman around bowed respectfully, eyes filled with fervent devotion.
"Move! Dig a passage straight to the treasure's location. Anyone daring to touch it will be our mortal enemy. Whoever it is, they must die!" the Scorpionmen Chieftain commanded coldly.
With a wave of his hand, the Scorpionmen immediately burrowed back underground, starting to excavate a tunnel toward the treasure's area.
Deep within a forest, a man dressed in a black robe, his long hair tied casually behind him, exuded an aura of cold indifference. His presence felt lonely, keeping others at a thousand miles' distance. In his hand, he held a long saber.
Facing him was a giant wolf the size of a calf, surrounded by dozens of feral wolves, their savage gazes locked onto him, murderous intent brimming in their eyes.
Awoo!
With a howl, the giant wolf commanded the pack to charge.
Clang!
The man gripped the saber's hilt. A crisp sound echoed in the air—the saber flashing out like a shooting star.
In the blink of an eye, the saber was back in its sheath.
So fast.
Unimaginably fast.
Before the eye could register movement, the blade flashed again.
Sheath!Draw!Sheath!Draw!
The cycle continued, each movement as fluid and natural as flowing water. The saber lights were so dazzling, so breathtaking, they seemed to freeze time itself. Every flash was stunningly beautiful.
In what seemed like the span of a single breath, dazzling arcs of saber light had bloomed all around him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The wolves, mid-pounce, fell one after another. Their bodies split apart midair—some cleaved cleanly in two, some decapitated, others bisected across the waist. Every wolf fell with a single strike, none surviving to need a second blow.
Awoo!
The giant wolf whimpered in terror, tucked its tail between its legs, and fled.
Clang!
A saber slash chased after it like a brilliant ribbon of light.
Splurt!
The giant wolf ran several dozen meters before its body split apart, blood and viscera splattering across the ground—a grim, hellish scene.
The young man calmly lifted his gaze to the sky, where he too saw the Immortal Ascent phenomenon. A glimmer of something unreadable flashed through his eyes.
"Brother Fu, you're amazing! You wiped out all those wolves by yourself! That's wonderful!" a young girl, around sixteen or seventeen, emerged from behind a tree. Her face lit up with joy at the sight of the wolf corpses strewn around.
"Gather the wolf corpses," the man surnamed Fu said indifferently.
Soon, a group of raggedly dressed commoners—young and old alike—emerged from hiding, their faces filled with excitement as they began collecting the wolf carcasses. To them, the meat meant survival.
"Wonderful, with this meat, we'll survive a while longer!"Cheers and smiles broke out among the villagers.
But the girl's expression changed as she noticed Brother Fu's distant gaze locked onto the Immortal Ascent phenomenon.
"Brother Fu... you're planning to leave, aren't you?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"I can't stay here anymore," Fu said calmly. "I'll take you all to a safe place. My blade thirsts for battle."
His words made it clear: seeing the Immortal Ascent had reignited his fighting spirit. He had to go. Out there... there was a lighthouse.
The villagers' faces turned ashen.
Without Fu, their protector, they knew they would soon fall prey to beasts. Their guardian angel was leaving. What would become of them?
"Is there really hope... at the lighthouse?" someone whispered.
They had seen the lighthouse before but had stayed away, relying on Fu's protection. Venturing into the unknown world had always seemed suicidal.
Now, Fu was offering to escort them. It might be their only chance.
Regardless of their hopes or fears, their thoughts could not change Fu's decision. He owed them nothing. He had already protected them far longer than anyone could expect.