On the North China Sea's ice field, the wind cut like a blade.
Beneath the ice, the seawater had long frozen into cyan-black crystal pillars. The innate cold energy seeping from the gaps between the pillars was so intense that even ordinary Golden Immortals would need to circulate their spiritual energy to resist it.
Yet today, this ancient, frigid land surged with scorching killing intent hot enough to split the ice—combined forces led by Dragon King Ao Bing of the North China Sea and Dragon King Ao Lie of the South China Sea advanced toward the Qilin Ancestral Vein Mountain like two sharp blades.
At the forefront of the allied formation, thousands of Black Ice Giant Crossbows stood in neat rows. Forged from Heavenly River Black Ice mixed with chaotic black stone, their arrowheads glinted with pale blue cold light, and their fletchings were wrapped in linen soaked in oil. This was an assault of ice and fire, designed to completely shatter the qilin clan's defenses.
Ao Bing, clad in pale blue ice armor, stood atop the dorsal fin of a hundred-zhang white whale. The Ice Soul Dragon King Seal hovered in his hand. As the seal rotated, the surrounding cold energy grew thicker—even the falling snowflakes condensed into tiny ice blades, shooting toward the Ancestral Vein Mountain.
"First Qilin! If you had obediently offered seventy percent of the Cold Water Spiritual Mine's spirit crystals, why would it have come to rivers of blood today?" Ao Bing's voice carried a coldness like cracking ice, cutting through the wind to echo across the battlefield. "Today, Elder Brother Ao Lie and I join forces, and with the formation disk bestowed by Lord Ancestral Dragon, even if you grew wings, you couldn't escape!"
Beside him, Ao Lie wore crimson scale armor, and the fire spirit pearls around him glowed with scorching spiritual light. He rode a three-zhang wingspan Scarlet Flame Bird, whose claws left a trail of burning fire marks as they touched the ice.
"Elder Brother Ao Bing is absolutely right!" Ao Lie burst into arrogant laughter. "First Qilin, you think you can defy my dragon clan just because you hold the Innate Qilin Seal? Today, I'll let you witness the power of my South China Sea Fire Spirit Army!"
With that, Ao Lie waved his hand. The fire spirit catapults behind him roared to life simultaneously.
Hundreds of burning fire spirit stones whistled toward the Ancestral Vein Mountain. Upon landing, they exploded, and scarlet flames spread instantly, crackling as they burned the forests on the mountain. Black smoke billowed into the sky, darkening half the heavens.
At the peak of the Ancestral Vein Mountain, the First Qilin wore purple battle armor. The Innate Qilin Seal in his hand glowed with heavy earth-element spiritual light, blocking all residual flames of the fire spirit stones outside the mountain.
He stared at the dense allied forces below, his brows furrowed, and the muscles beneath his armor tensed like a drawn bow.
Half a year ago, after the Ancestral Dragon led the North China Sea Dragon Clan to retreat, he knew the dragon clan would never let the matter rest.
He had immediately sent envoys to contact four major clans—the White Stone Clan, Mountain Eagle Clan, Snow Wolf Clan, and Snow Fox Clan—as well as several rogue cultivator powerhouses who wandered outside the major clans, forming a united army.
But the dragon clan had also brought more than one army this time...
"Elder Shi Jian, please lead the White Stone Clan to deploy the 'Giant Stone Formation' to block the Black Ice Giant Crossbows!"
The First Qilin spoke solemnly to a burly elder beside him, whose skin was as rough as granite.
This elder was Shi Jian, the Great Elder of the Western Wasteland's White Stone Clan. Born from innate rock, the White Stone Clan's bodies were as hard as vajra, and their defensive divine arts were unparalleled in the Primordial World. In the past, the qilin clan had helped them open a secluded rock cave. When Shi Jian heard the qilin clan was in trouble, he led the entire clan to assist.
Shi Jian nodded slightly, his deep voice like clashing rocks. "First Qilin, rest assured. My White Stone Clan's defensive formation can withstand even Heavenly River Black Ice!"
With that, he leaped down the mountain peak. The rock armor around his body swelled to a zhang in size. Hundreds of White Stone Clan soldiers followed closely behind, their bodies interlocking and stacking to form a giant stone barrier stretching for several li. The gray-white spiritual light on the barrier clashed with the ice blades in the air, emitting dull "clang" sounds as the ice blades shattered completely.
"Fellow Daoist Xue Yao, please lead the Snow Fox Clan to heal the wounded with lunar Yin spiritual energy and defend the rear formation!"
The First Qilin turned to a woman dressed in white fur, her eyes glowing with silver light.
She was Xue Yao, the Clan Leader of the Snow Fox Clan from Cold Moon Valley.
The Snow Fox Clan was born proficient in lunar Yin secret techniques, with unique abilities in healing and exorcising evil. As fellow beast clans, the Snow Fox and qilin clans had a deep friendship. When Xue Yao heard the qilin clan was being oppressed by the dragon clan, she brought the clan's best healers to help.
With a wave of her horsetail whisk, silver-white lunar Yin spiritual energy fell like moonlight, wrapping around the injured White Stone Clan soldiers. Their wounds healed at a visible rate, and even the charred stone armor gradually regained its luster.
"First Qilin, rest assured. My Snow Fox Clan will protect the wounded and not let our soldiers' hearts grow cold!" Xue Yao's voice was cold but firm, her silver eyes filled with hatred for the dragon clan.
The other two clans in the formation also hid their sharpness: the Northern Snow Wolf Clan, led by Wolf King Xue Xiao, had agile warriors clad in frost-covered fur. Skilled in close combat and group ambushes, they could spit out bitter snow wind to freeze enemies in their tracks. The Mountain Eagle Clan, led by Elder Ying Lie, had soldiers with wingspans of over a zhang, their iron beaks and claws sharp enough to tear through armor. Skilled in aerial reconnaissance and dive attacks, they could also condense wind blades and move as fast as lightning.
In addition, there were two rogue cultivator powerhouses in the formation: one dressed in black, skilled in escape techniques, and the other a mountain spirit holding a giant axe, proficient in golden metal divine arts. Born from an innate mountain in the North, the mountain spirit had volunteered to join the united army, dissatisfied with the dragon clan's seizure of spiritual veins.
"Fellow Daoists!" The First Qilin's voice echoed across the united army's formation, and the Innate Qilin Seal in his hand glowed brighter. "Today, the dragon clan uses their power to oppress us, seeking to annihilate the qilin clan! If we yield, your clans will be next tomorrow! Only by uniting as one can we repel the dragon clan and defend justice in the Primordial World!"
"Repel the dragon clan! Defend justice!"
The united army's soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the sky.
The White Stone Clan's Giant Stone Formation grew more solid. The Snow Fox Clan's lunar Yin spiritual energy fell like clear radiance. Snow Wolf Clan soldiers lurked on the ice field in front of the formation, rushing out from time to time to freeze advancing Black Ice Soldiers with snow wind. Mountain Eagle Clan soldiers hovered high in the sky, their wind blades precisely cutting through the dragon clan's Fire Spirit Army formation. Rogue cultivators used escape techniques to launch sneak attacks from behind. For a moment, the battle fell into a stalemate.
Seeing that his attacks were making no progress, Ao Bing's expression grew darker. He raised the Ice Soul Dragon King Seal high, roaring loudly. "Black Ice Soldiers, hear my command! Activate the 'Ice Soul Cold Tide' and shatter their defensive formation!"
At Ao Bing's order, thousands of Black Ice Soldiers exhaled cold energy simultaneously. The cold energy converged into a cold tide dozens of zhang high, rushing toward the Giant Stone Barrier.
Wherever the cold tide passed, the ice layer thickened by several zhang in an instant. The gray-white spiritual light on the Giant Stone Barrier began to flicker uncontrollably. Elder Shi Jian grunted, and fine cracks appeared on his rock armor. He slammed his chest hard, spitting out a mouthful of stone marrow essence blood, which he sprinkled entirely on the barrier, barely stabilizing the formation.
"Elder Brother Ao Lie, it's your turn!" Ao Bing shouted to Ao Lie beside him.
Ao Lie grinned, throwing the fire spirit pearl in his hand into the air. The fire spirit pearl swelled to a zhang in size, spitting out roaring flames. The flames collided with the cold tide, Yin and Yang clashing violently. Explosions erupted everywhere, scattering the White Stone Clan's formation and shattering the defensive barrier!
"Fire Spirit Army! Follow me!"
Ao Lie leaped down from the Scarlet Flame Bird, condensing a fire spirit spear in his hand and charging toward the center of the qilin united army's formation.
The Fire Spirit Army soldiers followed closely behind. Clad in fire scale armor, they wielded fire spirit swords glowing with scarlet light, darting like phantoms across the chaotic battlefield. Many White Stone Clan and qilin clan soldiers were caught off guard, struck by the fire spirit swords, their bodies instantly charred.
At that moment, a cold light flashed in Wolf King Xue Xiao's eyes. He roared loudly. "Snow Wolf Clan, follow me into battle!"
Dozens of Snow Wolf Clan soldiers rushed out as white afterimages. The snow wind they spat collided with the Fire Spirit Army's flames, instantly creating a thick fog that stalled the Fire Spirit Army's advance.
Seizing the opportunity, the Snow Wolf Clan soldiers closed in, their sharp claws tearing through the fire-resistant scale armor. Frost energy invaded the Fire Spirit Army soldiers' bodies, freezing their limbs stiff on the spot, and they were quickly beheaded by the Snow Wolf Clan.
High in the sky, seeing the Fire Spirit Army's formation scattered, Elder Ying Lie immediately gave the order. "Mountain Eagle Clan, assault!"
Hundreds of Mountain Eagle Clan soldiers wrapped their wings in wind blades, diving down like sharp swords, precisely pecking at the Fire Spirit Army soldiers' heads and eyes. Screams echoed endlessly as the Fire Spirit Army's formation collapsed completely.
Witnessing this, a hint of relief flashed in the First Qilin's eyes. He held the Innate Qilin Seal, flying toward Ao Lie. The earth-element spiritual light on the seal transformed into a giant palm, slamming toward Ao Lie.
Ao Lie's expression changed. He quickly raised his spear to block. With a deafening "clang," the fire spirit spear was bent by the giant palm's force. Ao Lie was sent reeling backward, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"First Qilin, you do have some skill!" Ao Lie wiped the blood from his mouth, a fierce glint in his eyes. "But even with you alone, you can't save the entire qilin clan!"
With that, he pointed at the fire spirit pearl in the sky. The fire spirit pearl split into hundreds of small fire pearls instantly, shooting toward the qilin united army like a meteor shower.
"Hmph!"
The First Qilin snorted coldly, holding the Innate Qilin Seal in front of him. Earth-element spiritual light formed a protective shield, blocking most of the fire pearls. But a few still landed in the Snow Fox Clan's formation.
Xue Yao's expression changed. She waved her horsetail whisk hastily, and lunar Yin spiritual energy transformed into an ice wall to block the flames. Although she prevented the fire from spreading, several Snow Fox Clan soldiers were burned, screaming in pain.
Xue Yao bit her lower lip, increasing the output of her lunar Yin spiritual energy to heal the wounded quickly.
The dragon clan's North and South Sea armies alternated their assaults. Despite the qilin united army's stubborn resistance, they were forced to retreat slowly, leaving more and more bodies on the battlefield.
"This can't go on..."
The First Qilin thought to himself. "The dragon clan has too many soldiers. The White Stone Clan's defensive formation is almost collapsing. The Snow Fox Clan can heal but has weak combat power. The Snow Wolf and Mountain Eagle Clans are brave but suffering increasing casualties. The rogue cultivators are also running out of strength. Without reinforcements, we'll be completely annihilated today!"
He couldn't help but think of the envoy he had sent a few days earlier—dispatched to the parasol forest in the Southern Region to contact the Phoenix Clan. But there had been no news since.
The Phoenix Clan, alongside the qilin and dragon clans, were known as the three great clans of the Primordial World. Yuanfeng controlled the innate Nanming Li Fire, his strength comparable to the Ancestral Dragon and the First Qilin. If the Phoenix Clan had come, they would never have been oppressed by the dragon clan like this!
At that moment, a brilliant seven-colored glow suddenly lit up on the distant horizon.
Spreading like wildfire, the seven-colored radiance covered half the sky in an instant, and a vast surge of Five Elements spiritual energy rushed forward!
"That's... seven colors? Five Elements spiritual energy!" The First Qilin suddenly raised his head, his eyes bursting with ecstatic light. "It's the Phoenix Clan! The Phoenix Clan's reinforcements have arrived!"
The united army's soldiers also looked up. From the seven-colored glow, countless seven-colored spirit phoenixes spread their wings and flew closer. Clutching burning fire spears in their claws and spitting Nanming Li Fire from their beaks, they were followed by thousands of Phoenix Clan soldiers clad in seven-colored phoenix armor. The Phoenix Clan's great flag fluttered in the wind, embroidered with a phoenix rising from the ashes—a symbol of the Phoenix Clan.
"The Phoenix Clan's reinforcements are here! We're saved!"
The qilin united army's soldiers cheered. The spiritual light on the defensive formation surged instantly. Xue Yao finally let out a sigh of relief, her beautiful silver eyes filled with hope. Even the rogue cultivators perked up, their weapons glowing with brighter spiritual light.
The First Qilin trembled with excitement. He bowed toward the Phoenix Clan's army, his voice choked with emotion. "Fellow Daoist Yuanfeng! Thank you for the Phoenix Clan's righteous assistance! If we can repel the dragon clan today, the qilin clan will be forever grateful!"