Chapter 238: The Cataclysm of the Middle Land (1)

A thunderous roar echoed through the air, rattling the very foundations of the earth. The noise seemed to erupt from hundreds, if not thousands, of black-scaled beasts, their hooves pounding against the ground in a deafening rhythm. More and more of these creatures poured out from the depths of the abyssal cavern.

A swirling purple fog engulfed the area, stretching almost a hundred li in every direction. Within this haze, flashes of purple lightning danced.

...

Within a hundred-li radius of the abyssal cavern stood a grand stone hall. Within the hall, a large light screen displayed the chaotic scene unfolding at the entrance of the abyssal cavern.

Before the projection stood an imposing, black-scaled jiaolong alongside two elderly men, one in white and one in purple. Their expressions were grave as they watched the countless strange beasts howling toward the sky.

"The creatures have broken through to the surface," the jiaolong spoke in a low voice.

"Hall Master, they have yet to emerge completely," the white-robed elderly man spoke with a trace of panic. "With the combination of Hall Master's array and the treasure left behind by Deity Huang, we should be able to suppress this menace with ease."

"Hall Master," the purple-robed elderly man said, his tone equally somber.

They all understood the direness of their situation. Deity Huang had fallen. A hall master descended into the depths of the devil's lair with a powerful artifact to look for him, but she was never seen again. And now, the creatures have surfaced in the mortal world. If they made a single misstep, the thousand-year legacy of the Huang Temple would be reduced to rubble in an instant.

"Deity Jiao, what course of action should we take?" Both the white-robed and purple-robed elders turned their attention to the immense black-scaled jiaolong.

In terms of raw power, Black Jiao King might not be stronger than them. However, every Heavenly Ranker of the Huang Temple was a junior to the Black Jiao King, almost all having received his guidance and tutelage.

"What other option do we have?" Black Jiao King shook his colossal head. "Activate the array and eradicate these devils."

The two elderly men exchanged a knowing look. Walking to the stone platform at the center of the grand hall, the elder in white sat cross-legged, his hands deftly weaving intricate seals. Cryptic patterns in shades of purple materialized around him. In a fraction of a second, the patterns erupted into brilliant radiance, encircling the white-robed elderly man. The air grew saturated with purple fog, veiling the stone hall’s interior in an ethereal haze.

...

From the depths of the devil’s lair, a legion of black-scaled beasts surged into the open. Wherever they passed, flora wilted, and all life was extinguished.

The sky above was enshrouded in an unending expanse of violet fog. Those streaks of lightning seemed to grow increasingly tangible with each passing moment, meandering through the sky like serpentine dragons of unfathomable power.

Then, without warning, a resounding boom echoed through the atmosphere. It was as though all the lightning in the world converged in one place, as thousands upon thousands of purple lightning bolts, thick as water barrels, descended wrathfully from the fog. This onslaught of thunder sought to reduce the abyssal cavern, black-scaled beasts, and all that stood in its path to ash.

Then, a thunderous roar reverberated from the depths of the devil's lair. The sound carried across the boundless wilderness, its echoes resounding with an untamed fury.

Then, with an earth-shattering boom, an immense figure burst forth from the depths of the cavern. Layer upon layer of black scales enveloped its colossal form, resembling a larger version of the beasts that surrounded it. Its sheer enormity was beyond comprehension—and it reached an astounding length exceeding 300 meters.

However, its most prominent feature was the two pairs of enormous wings that adorned its back, their plumage an interplay of onyx and crimson feathers. Razor-sharp spikes adorned the edges of the wings, and it gleamed like forged metal.

Whoosh!

Its two pairs of wings unfurled, blotting out the sky, and instantly shielding the black-scaled creatures below.

Crack! Boom!

Countless thunderbolts mercilessly cascaded down, engulfing the entire area in an instant, forcing the horde of black-scaled beasts to scatter in fear, only to be bombarded into oblivion. Numerous lightning bolts also struck the colossal creature’s body.

As the lightning dissipated, a series of wounds appeared on the colossal creature's head, wings, and back, some reaching as deep as several zhangs, exposing bone. Its body was drenched in crimson blood, and it looked like a picture of misery.

Hum~

Then, the wounds on the massive creature's body began to mend at a visible rate. In the blink of an eye, it was completely healed.

Roar!

The colossal creature bellowed towards the sky, its roar resonating through the vast world. Beneath it, hundreds, maybe even thousands of smaller black-scaled beasts, who found refuge under the shelter of its wings, trembled and prostrated themselves on the ground, as though they were kneeling before their king.

Roar~ Roar~ Roar~

One after another, more gargantuan black-scaled creatures emerged from the depths of the abyssal cavern, more than ten in total. Though none matched the size of the first colossal creature, even the smallest among them exceeded 30 meters in height and 80 meters in length, resembling miniature hills. The most crucial detail was that all of these newly emerged creatures had two pairs of wings.

...

Inside the stone hall, Black Jiao King and the two elderly men were dumbfounded as they witnessed the scene unfolding on the light screen.

"It endured a full-powered strike from the array?" the white-robed elderly man stared in disbelief. Though he was only a seventh-stage Qi Sea cultivator, he doubted that even a body refiner at the ninth-stage Communion phase could endure such a barrage of lightning without sustaining critical injuries with him controlling the array.

"In just moments, its injuries recovered completely," the Black Jiao King said in a slightly hoarse voice, his gaze fixed on the screen. "Spiritual Body! It has reached the Spiritual Body phase!"

The two elderly men felt as though they were doused in a bucket of ice water. Spiritual Body phase? A creature equivalent to a Golden Core Superior had been born in the devil's lair without their knowledge?

"Not good!" the color drained from the white-robed elderly man's face. "They are heading towards us."

The expressions of Black Jiao King and the purple-robed elder darkened. The light screen projection showed the four-winged black creature unleashing a mighty roar, streaking through the sky like an ominous bolt of black lightning.

With terrifying speed, it charged directly towards the stone hall. The projection recorded that it was traveling at 90 li per breath, equating to fifteen li per second! The stone hall, where the core of the array resided, was less than 100 li from the abyssal cave!

And it wasn’t just the four-winged creature. Numerous two-winged creatures trailed closely behind, eager to hunt down their enemies.

"Escape!" Black Jiao King, a being that had lived over eight centuries and often interacted with humans, possessed uncanny survival instincts. Without hesitation, it barrelled out of the stone hall, crashing straight through a stone pillar in its path.

In an instant, it vanished into the boundless purple fog. Fight? The jiaolong had no intention of confronting a Spiritual Body creature. Survival was the only thing on his mind.

"Escape!" The elderly man in purple opted to flee immediately as well.

At that moment, he heard the voice of the white-robed elderly man in his mind. "Sang Gu, my days are numbered, and I’ve already abandoned all hope of achieving a breakthrough. Deity Huang has perished, and the hall master's fate remains uncertain. Honestly, I am weary."

Seated on the stone platform in a lotus position, the white-robed man’s tired voice echoed in the other man’s mind. "These devils are swifter than the wind. If we both flee, it will be our end. I’ll manipulate the array to stall their advance, so quickly get to the Wu Sect and rally everyone together to eradicate the devil’s lair! For our selfish desires, our temple raised these dangerous creatures and failed to stop them from running rampant. We mustn’t let the Middle Land perish alongside us!"

"Senior Brother Han." The elderly man in purple robes protested.

"Hurry!" The voice of the white-robed elderly man turned frigid, his entire body emanating a radiant earthy-yellow glow.

"Forbidden art?" The purple-robed elderly man’s face paled.

Given the advanced age of the white-robed elderly man, his qi sea was beginning to deteriorate. Employing a forbidden art at this time was akin to courting death.

No longer hesitating, the purple-robed elderly man shot away into the purple fog.

Only the white-robed elderly man remained in the stone temple, seated in silence atop the stone platform as he perceived the intricacies of the array. His eyes swept through the familiar stones within the temple's walls one by one.

"I, Han Cheng, born in the Zhong Continent, rescued by my master, and raised in the Huang Continent, am fortunate to have embarked on the path of immortal cultivation." Scenes spanning countless centuries surfaced in his mind. "If the temple falls, I shall go down with it."

Resolve ignited within the white-robed elderly man's eyes. "The Spiritual Body phase? Even if you reach the fabled Shambhala phase, I will defend the temple to my last breath!”

Boom!

The stone temple erupted, unleashing a torrential onslaught of lightning that consumed the surroundings, hurtling towards the approaching four-winged creature.

...

Cloudhill Province, Archeldritch Mountain.

At the midway point of the mountain, numerous buildings were erected. A variety of trees and flora had also been planted over the years, resulting in the current flourishing landscape.

"Brother, check out my swordsmanship." On a plaza in front of a building, a young woman practiced her sword technique on the training ground, garbed in a form-fitting attire that accentuated her figure. Each movement was executed with precision and grace, each stroke of sword light steadfast, accurate, and ruthless. Her mastery of the sword was certainly extraordinary.

Beside the training ground, Wu Yuan sat next to his mother, Wanqin. The two of them indulged in juicy fruits, attended by a retinue of maidservants and servants.

Seeking respite from the scorching summer sun and hoping to spend time with his family, Wu Yuan had invited his mother and sister for a retreat on the mountain.

Observing Wu Yijun's graceful swordplay, Wu Yuan let out a hearty chuckle. "Little Yi's skill with the blade is commendable indeed. It seems Instructor Zhao has mentored her seriously."

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

A subtle smile graced Wanqin's lips. Though her physique had undergone a remarkable transformation after consuming the Redwood Spirit Fruit, she had little aspiration for the martial path.

“Yuan’er, when do you plan to get married?" Wanqin asked, unable to contain herself. "You’re already more than twenty years old. By that age, your father had already started a family."

Wu Yuan laughed merrily, dismissing his mother's concerns. "There is no need to rush, Mother."

"You may not be in a rush, but I’m in a rush to see my grandchildren," Wanqin lamented, shaking her head. "I don’t understand. With your current status and accomplishments, is there any woman beyond your reach? I’m simply clueless as to the criteria you seek in a partner."

Wu Yuan responded with a smile. What kind of woman did he truly desire? Even he couldn’t answer that question.

However, he understood where his mother was coming from. Years ago, when Fang Xia shook the world with his power, Wu Yuan had assumed the guise of Wan Liu, appearing in the Middle Land Immortal Hall and instilling fear in the Heavenly Rankers of the world. Naturally, the average martial artist and common folk remained oblivious to these details.

However, the Cloudstride Sect carefully fed morsels of information to the world, sharing that Wu Yuan had reached the Land Rankings in his early twenties. The Starcom Consortium's intelligence records also stated that Wu Yuan was the most extraordinary martial prodigy the Middle Land had witnessed in the last thousand years.

While Wu Yuan might not have openly displayed his strength in the capacity of his original identity, it was only natural that the higher echelons of the sect knew a thing or two about his abilities. Furthermore, the transformations of Wu Yijun, Wanqin, and Wu Qiming were impossible to conceal.

This was especially evident in the case of his younger sister, Wu Yijun. Due to her tender age, the effects of the Redwood Spirit Fruit had not yet fully manifested in her body, but her physical development was still abnormally swift. For several years, she dedicated herself to practicing her swordsmanship, and her skill level improved by leaps and bounds. Currently, she was regarded as the foremost martial prodigy in the younger generation of the Cloudstride Sect.

Under Wu Qiming’s leadership, the Cloudhill Wu Clan experienced a meteoric rise, becoming one of the top ten clans within the sect. In Wanqin’s view, now that her son was an accomplished martial artist and the sect was prospering, the next step was naturally the continuation of their lineage through offspring.