Chapter 1613: Mutated Celestial Wolf
“Zhuliu!!”
Taiyin Venerable’s shrill cry was swallowed within the lingering calamitous storm.
A Zhou Tian Guardian was not only the cornerstone of the Zhou Tian God Realm but also its soul and a glorious symbol.
Back then, the loss of two guardians was already a heavy blow to Zhou Tian, and a suitable successor had yet to be found to this day. But that time, the opposition was the Evil Infant, the greatest anomaly in the world—such a loss was not unbearable.
But today, in this world without the Demon Emperor or the Evil Infant, a Zhou Tian Guardian had perished before his very eyes.
Perished beneath that azure-blue giant sword he clearly recognized... yet which now felt utterly foreign.
The Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword, the life-bound divine sword of the Celestial Wolf Star God of the Star God Realm. Its might was beyond doubt, but in his understanding, and in the understanding of anyone in this era, it should never have been able to so easily annihilate a Zhou Tian Guardian!
Through the still-raging storm of destruction, Taiyin Venerable caught a glimpse of a delicate, girlish figure. The colorful dress she wore was woven by her birth mother before her death, the only gift left to her. So, once she could wear it, she was unwilling to grow any further. Even after inheriting the Celestial Wolf Divine Power, she preferred to forgo the Celestial Wolf War Armor with its powerful protective force.
Thus, from many years ago, that colorful garment had invisibly become a symbol of her identity.
The Celestial Wolf Star God... Cai Zhi.
Taiyin Venerable’s pupils dilated to their utmost limit... He recognized her identity at a glance. However, as a Zhou Tian Guardian, he was among those in the world who best understood the Star Gods. This newly risen Celestial Wolf Star God, though said to have an extremely high affinity with the Celestial Wolf Divine Power, had only inherited that power a little over ten years ago.
And the Celestial Wolf Divine Power was recognized as the strongest among the Twelve Star Gods, but also the Star God power that was most difficult to awaken and slowest to develop.
Back then, shortly after inheriting the divine power, Cai Zhi would often visit the Zhou Tian God Realm, and Zhou Xuzi was quite fond of her. At that time, Cai Zhi was undoubtedly the weakest of the Twelve Star Gods. No matter how high her affinity with the Celestial Wolf Divine Power, in just a few years... or even decades, there should not have been such a drastic change.
But now, facing her, his heart trembled in terror, and his body shook uncontrollably... even though beside the giant sword larger than her own figure lay the dying dust of another fallen Zhou Tian Guardian.
Admittedly, Zhuliu Venerable had been weakened and wounded first by the Primordial Dragon Emperor, but he was still a Zhou Tian Guardian, one of the hardest beings in the world to destroy—yet he was annihilated by a single sword strike. To completely destroy a Guardian’s body upon defeat, unless the power level reached... the level of a Tenth-rank Divine Lord!
Even within the entire Zhou Tian God Realm, only Zhou Tian God Emperor and Taiyu Venerable stood at such a level.
Even during the heyday of the Star God Realm, only Star God Emperor Xing Juekong alone had reached it.
She... who was supposed to be merely a “young wolf” Celestial Wolf Star God... could it be...
No... impossible... how could such an absurd thing exist in this world!
Taiyin Venerable, with supreme strength and vast experience, having weathered countless storms in his life, was so shocked at this moment that he forgot to flee immediately.
But the moment he came to his senses, the sword might that had annihilated Zhuliu Venerable pressed heavily upon him, making it impossible for him to breathe. Within his sight appeared the shadow of a pouncing azure wolf.
Instantly, aside from the wolf shadow, his five senses perceived nothing else. It was as if the very next moment, his entire world would be shredded and destroyed.
And what caused his soul to tremble again was that the wolf pupils of this Celestial Wolf Divine Shadow did not shine with pure azure light, but were mixed with a dark, eerie luminescence!
Demon... transformation!?
These two words flashed through his consciousness, and his body moved before his mind, Zhou Tian Divine Power erupting with unprecedented ferocity, like a beast awakened from a dream.
Under the Zhou Tian Divine Power, Taiyin Venerable instantly conjured dozens of defensive profound formations before him... Indeed, he devoted all his power to defense. The image of Zhuliu Venerable being slain by a single sword strike was still vivid before his eyes, and even if she were still the same Celestial Wolf Star God, there was also the Primordial Dragon Emperor beside her, whom he could never hope to match. He could not fight—only flee!
The storm of destruction exploded again, and Taiyin Venerable’s defensive formations crumbled in an instant, most of them gone. His face turned ashen, and he nearly spat a mouthful of blood on the spot.
Under this sword strike, his last shred of hope was shattered.
Because the Celestial Wolf sword might he was personally enduring had truly reached the level he had just imagined but could not believe!
It was clearly comparable to... no, it had likely already surpassed the previous Celestial Wolf Star God, the world-renowned Tianlang Xisu!
How… could… such… a… thing… be!!
Taiyin Venerable was shocked but not panicked. His hand gestures changed in an instant, his body retreating with the momentum, and he quickly grabbed the Void Cauldron.
But the moment spatial divine power began to circulate, the surrounding space was fiercely sealed with overwhelming force. Boundless dragon might descended upon the Celestial Wolf Divine Power.
As his pupils contracted, Taiyin Venerable had no choice but to forcibly halt his power and, with a roar, was forced to clash head-on with the Dragon Emperor’s might.
Boom!
Heaven and earth overturned. Taiyin Venerable was blasted back several li in an instant. Though he still stood tall, blood and foam sprayed from his seven orifices. But he could not afford even a moment to heal or catch his breath, because two forces far exceeding his own had already locked onto him, while the surrounding dragons rose in unison, sealing off all possible escape routes.
“Alien human, with your greed, be buried here forever!”
The Dragon Emperor’s judgmental murmur echoed across the heavens. This was the territory of the Primordial Dragon Clan. The Dragon Emperor had appeared, joined by a demonized Celestial Wolf whose power surpassed all understanding. Even for a powerful Zhou Tian Guardian, this was a death ground.
Bang!
In the Zhou Tian God Realm, Zhou Xuzi’s entire body shook. He reached out to support his forehead, his face turning deathly pale.
Taiyu Venerable, standing before him, quickly stepped forward and said in a low voice, “Milord, what has happened?”
Zhou Xuzi’s breath was chaotic. After a long while, he straightened up and uttered a weak voice: “Zhuliu... is dead.”
The Taichu Divine Realm existed independently, and soul connections were completely cut off from the outside. However, such a realm as the Zhou Tian God Realm could not be measured by common sense.
“What!?” Taiyu Venerable was greatly shocked. “Who? Who was it? Could it be... a failure?”
The Zhou Tian God Emperor shook his head. Across the separation between the divine realm and the Taichu Divine Realm, sensing death was already the limit; no other soul information could be transmitted back.
His face remained bloodless. The death of a Guardian was the greatest disaster that could befall the Zhou Tian God Realm. He murmured, “With their spatial divine power and the Void Cauldron, even if they failed, they should have been able to retreat unscathed...”
“Perhaps the Primordial Dragon Emperor was guarding the divine fruit?” Taiyu Venerable suggested.
The Zhou Tian God Emperor closed his eyes, then suddenly said, “The Void Cauldron was primarily controlled by Taiyin. Even if he truly encountered the Primordial Dragon Emperor, he should not have met with harm. But their other task was to secretly protect Qingchen, and that unsettles me.”
“Taiyu, go personally to the Taichu Divine Realm immediately, cancel the trial, and bring Qingchen back!”
“Yes!” Taiyu accepted the order and quickly turned to leave.
Taiyin Venerable truly understood for the first time what nightmare and despair meant.
The mightiest dragon of the Taichu Divine Realm, the demonized Celestial Wolf Star God—facing either one would have been extremely arduous. Under the combined force of both, this powerful Zhou Tian Guardian barely held on for a dozen breaths before being utterly defeated. The violent Celestial Wolf Divine Power and the overbearing Dragon Emperor’s might madly crashed down upon him.
Bang!
He was struck on the back by the Dragon Emperor’s claw, his body smashing deep into the ground.
Boom!
He was lifted from the earth by a tremendous force, a merciless wolf shadow piercing straight through him, opening dozens of cracks on his body, blood and flesh flying everywhere.
Boom!!!
The blood arrow in his throat had barely sprayed out when he was blasted down again by the dragon claw, his internal organs cracking apart.
He was like a withered leaf caught in a storm, wantonly ravaged and destroyed, without even a trace of resistance left.
Bang... The Void Cauldron he had been holding firmly in his hand flew out, crashing far away.
Cai Zhi’s gaze was as cold and desolate as the dark abyss that had buried billions of lives. Faced with Taiyin Venerable, whose body was now battered beyond recognition, there was not a hint of pity in her eyes. Her small hand pushed forward, and the Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword flew out with world-annihilating demonic might, straight toward the falling Taiyin Venerable.
In his current state, he would likely be cut in half by a single sword strike.
Taiyin Venerable’s obviously fading pupils flashed with dim light. His riddled body twisted barely in time under the pressure.
Swoosh!
The Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword grazed past his body, not piercing through, but taking his right arm, already dripping with blood.
The entire right arm was torn from his body and shattered into a spray of blood mist scattering in the air.
Bang!
Taiyin Venerable crashed to the ground. He was drenched in blood, his breath faint, but he did not lose consciousness. His two eyes were wide open, but only darkness and despair remained. His body twitched and convulsed continuously... Anyone seeing him in this state would never believe he was a Zhou Tian Guardian, a Ninth-rank Divine Lord standing at the pinnacle of the Xuan Path.
For a long time, he could not rise again. His last breath was rapidly dissipating.
The storm gradually subsided. The Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword flew back into Cai Zhi’s hand. She lifted her head slightly and glanced at the Primordial Dragon Emperor... With that single glance, the Primordial Dragon Emperor withdrew its terrifying dragon might, leaving it to her to execute this invader, the one she resented.
Cai Zhi stepped forward slowly and stood before Taiyin Venerable. She looked down coldly at this Guardian who, though his eyes were still open, might have already lost consciousness. The Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword slowly rose.
Just then, the Void Cauldron that had fallen from Taiyin’s hand in the distance flickered with a faint divine light.
In an instant, Taiyin Venerable disappeared from his spot, appearing at the same moment beneath the Taichu Divine Fruit.
Taiyin Venerable, who seemed barely alive and nearly unconscious, suddenly soared up. His blood-drenched left arm grabbed the Taichu Divine Fruit, catching the surrounding dragons off guard. The special Zhou Tian Divine Power took the fruit with incredible ease and intactness.
Cai Zhi whirled around. Her furious Celestial Wolf Divine Power erupted again, bearing down on him... But at that moment, the Void Cauldron reappeared in Taiyin Venerable’s hand.
In the sudden turn of events, in the blink of an eye, the Primordial Dragon Emperor was already too late to seal the space. The dragon might just descended—but the Void Cauldron and Taiyin Venerable had already vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a dissipating profound formation overflowing with high-level spatial laws.
Taiyin... a Guardian, after all, was still a Guardian.
An angry dragon’s roar echoed across the land, now devoid of the divine fruit’s aura. Dragon spiritual senses stretched out to the utmost, but could find no trace or presence.
The Celestial Wolf Sacred Sword disappeared from Cai Zhi’s hand. Without panic, without anger, she turned around and looked far to the south.
“My master,” a voice of supreme authority resounded in her sea of souls, “you hate him so much, yet why did you deliberately let him take the divine fruit?”
There was no response. She had already soared into the air, heading straight south.