C1163 The Sky Was Opened
In the Land of Terror, within the Everlands, Zu Ann stood before the towering Shadow Mountain, enveloped by the Mirror of Fates. He immediately felt the oppressive force of the Way of Heaven upon arrival.
Before him lay a stretch of soft earth, shrouded in mist, with a solitary tree upon it. The once vibrant and enigmatic tree now bore leaves that had turned a brittle yellow, devoid of all vitality and moisture.
"What is this?"
White Bone, draped in a brown robe with the Shadow Moon Essence coursing through him like a spring, had seemingly cultivated a fleshly body, complete with blood, sinew, and an effortlessly handsome visage.
As the first God of Ghosts to rule the Land of Terror, his presence was commanding.
"According to the soul of the Songbird from the Marsh, this should be the third nest of the secular bird," Zu Ann mused, his eyes narrowing as he regarded the Bone Wraith God, who had assumed a human form. After a thorough sensing, he quickly surmised that battling White Bone in the Land of Terror would leave him without a sliver of hope for victory.
However, should the battlefield shift to Skyreach Peak, White Bone would stand no chance at all.
"The Rebirth Nest of the secular bird?" White Bone exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, the very Rebirth Nest that has eluded all who have sought it," Zu Ann confirmed. He then observed the strange tree withering rapidly, its psionic power seemingly siphoned away by an unseen force.
Simultaneously, in the northern reaches of the Land of Quiescence, home to Shadow's Keep, deep purple demon energy swirled like dense clouds.
The Devil Palace, Ruby Hand, Skyblight Cult, Poison Cult, Order of Healing, Artifact Sect, and numerous other sects scattered across the continent were stirred.
A multitude of watchful eyes, spiritual senses, and dark wills were intently focused on the gathering demon energy.
The clouds of purple demon energy roared into existence, swiftly materializing above the Land of Terror.
White Bone and Zu Ann fell into a hushed silence, their gaze lifting to the expansive and formidable purple mists above. Their eyes pierced through the Yin Qi that shrouded the Land of Terror, peering into the deepest reaches of the purple cloud sea.
Inside, White Bone and Zu Ann caught a glimpse of a purple phoenix gracefully unfurling its wings.
Suddenly, beneath the Land of Terror, the waters of the River Styx surged violently as the will emanating from the Root of the Lunar Meridian grew increasingly distinct.
Zu Ann's face bore a grave expression.
White Bone, in his God of Ghosts realm, remained composed, his handsome features betraying no hint of panic as he fixed his gaze on the purple clouds above, unblinking.
Across the entire Land of Quiescence, those who dared to gaze upon the purple clouds below grew tense.
Many didn't even dare to cast a glance at the expansive purple clouds, yet they were acutely aware of the unfolding events, too afraid to even let out a breath.
It felt like an eternity had passed before the purple clouds that hovered over the Land of Terror finally began to dissipate slowly.
As if they had never existed at all.
Those who had been covertly monitoring the situation in the Land of Terror through various means finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"As long as I remain here, if she dares to intrude, she'll have to confront me and... it," White Bone said, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly as he gestured to the ground beneath him. "You needn't worry, Zu Ann. I wouldn't have summoned you if I weren't confident. As long as I stay within the Land of Terror, neither the primordial spirits nor the Dark Deities of the Everlands can touch me."
"That's a relief," Zu Ann exhaled deeply.
Even as a primordial spirit, he had felt his nerves stretch taut in those moments.
The highest authority of Shadow's Keep had made her presence known in the Land of Terror, her demon soul wrapped in her own demon energy. Perhaps in the next instant, she would marshal all her strength and descend in person.
Who wouldn't fear such power?
Zu Ann reflected, realizing that even as a newly ascended deity, he would likely be overwhelmed facing the full arrival of the Dark Phoenix, even at Skyreach Peak.
Perhaps only a being like the Untamed, who had cultivated for eons and transformed the Marsh, could stand fearless.
White Bone's serenity as a God of Ghosts stemmed not only from his ascension to the pinnacle of necromancy but also from the extraordinary entity of the Everlands beneath him, ready to aid him against all threats.
The Rebirth Nest, along with the Nest of Perdition in the Marsh, has been utilized by the Songbird Queen. White Bone reflected briefly, his voice deep and cautious, "The entity below informed me that the Songbird Queen is currently in the Blood Fiend's sacred territory—the Primal Blood Continent. There, another being exists, equally ancient and unique."
Zu Ann was taken aback. "As ancient and unique as that?"
"Yes, the creator of the Blood Fiend, born from the chaos of the void, known as the Root of the Solar Meridian."
In the Godsblight Marsh, the gray-haired Ape stared in amazement as the Nest of Perdition rapidly shrank, resembling a straw hat woven from branches such as those worn by mortals in the summer heat.
"Are you dead?" he asked.
"No," came the Songbird's weak reply from the now minuscule nest. "Lord Untamed, my master in another Domain has completely extracted the sealed power of destruction from this nest."
"I'm aware," the Ape responded, a sigh escaping him. "Zu Ann just informed me about the Primal Blood Continent, the holy land of the Blood Fiend. Alas, another old friend has fallen in battle."
"Primal Blood Continent!" the Songbird shrieked.
"The Old Elephant has perished, and Shadow's Keep has felt it. Even the Dark Phoenix has been stirred," the Ape lamented. "They haven't even clashed blades with Boulderdawn, yet many elders have already met their end. Who is responsible for all this? Whose fault is it?"
In the next instant, the old Ape revealed its colossal demonic form—a giant ape towering thousands of feet high, as if bathed in the light of a dazzling galaxy, suddenly emerging in the marsh. It then let out a thunderous roar toward the north of the Land of Quiescence.
The giant ape's head pressed against the wall of the Everlands, seemingly capable of tearing through the fabric of reality with minimal effort.
While the weak could not hear his roar, every ninth-level Unbound cultivator and their peers felt the reverberation in their ears.
Those lacking in strength or status as an archdemon lacked even the privilege to gaze upon him or perceive his formidable presence.
A cry of a phoenix echoed from the deepest sanctum of the ancient Shadow's Keep. Within the Shadow's Keep, as well as scattered across the lands, the archdemons loyal to the Shadow's Keep ceased their actions upon hearing the cry. They turned their gaze towards the Keep, bowing their proud heads in a gesture of submission to the supreme being.
The old Ape, towering with the sky above and the Marsh below his feet, let out a cold snort before retracting his formidable demon form.
"The Starway nearest to the Primal Blood Continent will soon witness a frenzied surge of experts from five major powers, joining forces to decimate the Blood Fiend," the old Ape, having withdrawn his real body, observed the Nest of Perdition. "Should your master survive and manage to flee the Primal Blood Continent, there lies a thread of hope for his survival."
...
In the sacred land of the Blood Fiend, Chen Qinghuang's utterance of "death" extinguished the lives of Blood Fiend clansmen across the realms, as if they were fireworks burning out.
The three faces and six arms of the Divine Visage, once oriented in different directions, abruptly aligned, adopting a uniform stance.
The Songbird Queen's Divine Visage ascended, with the Deathwing Lair encircling her waist like a belt, becoming the power source for her imposing form.
Her colossal Divine Visage's six hands gently pressed upon the Dragon Slaying Stage, its mountainous contours yielding to her touch. Waves of psionic power—death, destruction, and rebirth—rippled across the stage, merging with this legendary artifact.
"Open the sky."
Chen Qinghuang's Divine Visage, cradling the Dragon Slaying Stage, thrust towards the dark red barrier of the Primal Blood Continent.
Thunderous booms resonated as the void appeared to shatter and time itself to halt. Countless Blood Fiend clansmen perished from the shockwave.
Innumerable stars, suns, and moons within the dark red barrier were obliterated by the impact.
The heavens of the Primal Blood Continent were pierced, leaving a colossal breach. Chen Qinghuang's Divine Visage, embracing the Dragon Slaying Stage and girdled by the Deathwing Lair, charged through the gap in the barrier and into the beyond.
