Chapter 1283: Arrival
The power of the lantern in Yan’er’s hand began to erupt, a string of light splitting apart to both sides.
The lantern left her hand, floating in midair. Yaner shook her body and transformed into a Vermilion Bird, her sharp claws reaching out to grip the string of light as she flapped her wings backward, while the lantern remained in place.
*Bang!*
The string of light shot forward, and a crisp zither note rang out simultaneously, shaking the valley.
At the very instant the zither string sounded, the twang of a bowstring also came through on its own, an arrow of light flying out from the stone wall, like a rainbow, like lightning, piercing through the lantern.
The sun within the lantern exploded instantly. Blazing flames reduced the lantern to ashes in the blink of an eye, and the spatial divine ability contained within the Moon Celestial’s treasure was completely annihilated.
As the fireball collided outward, the string of light sliced through the flames, arriving beneath the neck of that withered, emaciated figure.
The withered figure’s eyes blazed with light, two beams like twin arrows. One beam struck the very center of the string of light, splitting it in two. The halves flew past both sides of his neck, leaving two bloody gashes that nearly severed it.
The other beam of divine light from his eyes pursued the Vermilion Bird that Yan’er had transformed into, arriving behind her. The Vermilion Bird flapped its wings to rise, but it was far too late to dodge.
Just then, the twenty-eight heavens of the Glazed Azure Canopy expanded, enveloping the Vermilion Bird into the first layer of heavens.
Dragon Qilin activated the heavens with all his might, desperately rearranging the order of each heaven, making the Vermilion Bird constantly shift positions to evade that terrifying arrow of light.
*Thud, thud, thud!*
That arrow of light pierced through layer after layer of heavens, howling through the void. It actually broke through all twenty-eight heavens in succession, shot out beyond the sky, traced a bright trajectory across the dark night, and vanished.
Dragon Qilin breathed a sigh of relief, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
At this moment, the First Ancestor Human Sovereign, Jiang Yunjian, and the others had already been shifted by him through the twenty-eight heavens, their figures landing one by one atop various supreme treasures. Each person unleashed their remaining divine power, activating those treasures.
Within the Glazed Azure Canopy, many supreme treasures gradually brightened, shining like a cluster of stars.
As the number one supreme treasure under heaven, although the Glazed Azure Canopy no longer had the all-fulfilling Taishu Egg, after being reforged and redesigned by the Blind Man and the Mute, its formation was even more exquisite than before.
However, redesigning and forging this supreme treasure required an extremely long time. The Blind Man and the Mute had yet to complete it.
Moreover, there were not many divine beings within the Great Dark Wood, and everyone’s cultivation was insufficient to unleash the treasure’s full power—this was its greatest flaw.
Qin Mu was also swept up by the Glazed Azure Canopy, landing on one of the supreme treasures. He drew his divine bow, but the bow uncontrollably leaped in his hand, as if trying to fly out and return to its master.
Qin Mu’s heart jolted. He used all his strength to suppress the divine bow.
“Finally escaped from that ruined universe!”
The armless, withered figure looked up to the sky. His vast, immense thoughts shook time and space, allowing everyone present to clearly and unimpededly understand his intent.
“Fresh air, a fresh world, fresh life—none of that decaying, dying aura!”
He was terrifyingly thin, like a completely dehydrated person. Beneath his parched skin, no blood flowed; only wind-dried muscles clung to his bones.
When he moved, his body made cracking sounds, like tendons snapping.
“My era is too ancient, ancient beyond all vitality.”
“The particles that make up matter are decomposing and collapsing; the great dao that constitutes order is decaying, losing its activity. The cataclysm that destroys everything has ruined all. And here... will become the place where I start anew!”
...
Dragon Qilin paid no heed to his musings. He activated the twenty-eight heavens of the Glazed Azure Canopy, casting them over the figure, intending to trap him within the heavens, gather the power of the treasures in each heaven, and refine and kill him.
Yet, as the heavens passed over this man’s body, the withered figure remained utterly still. The twenty-eight heavens could not contain him at all.
Dragon Qilin’s heart chilled. This was the first time he had encountered such a terrifying existence, and he was completely at a loss.
The First Ancestor and the others activated the various supreme treasures within the Glazed Azure Canopy. The power of the treasures erupted, all blasting toward that withered figure!
The withered figure had no hands, his body was withered and decayed, and he had no life force whatsoever. Yet, facing this earth-shattering strike, he remained perfectly composed.
“My blood must begin to flow again. My body must begin to revive.”
“To resist that great cataclysm of destruction, I expended far too much of my power. I need to replenish my strength!”
The withered figure opened his mouth—a mouth wider than his head, larger than his skull. Facing the terrifying combined strike of the twenty-eight heavens and their treasures, he inhaled fiercely. Those attacks howled as they fell into his mouth!
*Boom, boom, boom!*
A series of muffled sounds came from his stomach. His belly suddenly bulged, then contracted, bulged again, and contracted again. After more than a dozen cycles, it finally calmed down.
And his complexion regained a trace of blood and vitality.
The hearts of everyone within the Glazed Azure Canopy turned to ice. This powerhouse from the previous universe had been manageable while still within the stone wall, but once he stepped out, they could no longer contend with him!
His power had reached an inconceivable level. Even the attacks from the supreme treasures within the Glazed Azure Canopy could be devoured by him and converted into energy to replenish himself!
“I need even more life force!”
The withered figure’s vast thoughts surged outward. He suddenly opened his mouth wide and inhaled deeply toward the sky. In the valley, everyone’s primordial spirits wavered, nearly being ripped out of their bodies by that inhale!
Everyone steadied their primordial spirits, resisting this terrifying suction force. Yet their own life force uncontrollably flew out of their bodies!
Qin Mu shouted, “Use the Creation Demon Art! Seal all your apertures!”
Many of the younger generation immediately activated the Creation Demon Art, their fingers rapidly tapping to seal their life force. However, even with their life force sealed, their cultivation couldn’t withstand the pull. They were lifted up, involuntarily flying out of the heavens.
Dragon Qilin hurriedly activated the Glazed Azure Canopy, shifting the various heavens to keep these people inside, flustered and frantic.
Other older-generation experts, such as the Blind Man, the Pharmacist, and the First Ancestor, had not cultivated the Creation Demon Art of the Heavenly Saint Cult. Their life force spiraled out of control, draining away rapidly. Above each of their heads, life force gushed out like rainbows, sucked up by the withered figure!
Qin Mu’s expression was grave. He gripped the divine bow tightly, swiftly moving through the various heavens, using the Creation Demon Art to seal the First Ancestor and the others, preventing further loss of their life force.
But before he could finish sealing the older experts’ life force, the younger generation couldn’t hold out. Their seals exploded one after another, and their life force surged outward.
A trace of despair crept into Qin Mu’s heart: “Brother Taiyi said he would come. Why hasn’t he arrived yet?”
Just then, he suddenly saw the Taishi Egg being lifted by the suction force, rolling and flying out of the Glazed Azure Canopy.
This ancient god egg seemed unable to resist the withered figure’s long inhale, helplessly falling toward that huge mouth!
Qin Mu chased after it at full speed. He had just caught up outside the Glazed Azure Canopy when he was still a step too late. With a *gulp*, the Taishi Egg fell into the withered figure’s mouth. However, the ancient god egg was too large, getting stuck in the man’s throat, unable to be swallowed.
The withered figure paid it no mind. Streams of Taishi Qi flowed out from the Taishi Egg, devoured by the withered figure.
The energy within the Taishi Egg was far greater than imagined, surging wildly into his body.
It was only then that the withered figure sensed something was wrong. The Taishi Qi coming from this large egg—he could not refine or absorb it!
“Celestial Venerable Mu, the Dao of Taishi is the union of yin and yang, blending into one. From oneness comes form, form without substance.”
An obscure Dao voice came from within the Taishi Egg: “Take yin and yang and transform them into Taiji! Why not strike now?”