Thousands of years have passed since the great war between the dragon and Phoenix Clans, yet the Primordial World has not known peace in all this time.
The primary reason lies in the battlefield where the dragon and Phoenix Clans clashed.
Even after a millennium, the searing heat over the South China Sea airspace has not fully dissipated. Black-red magma flows slowly in the seabed trenches, solidifying into cracked scorched rock.
Embedded in the gaps of the scorched rock are incomplete, partially carbonized limbs—half a dragon claw covered in golden-crimson scales, a charred seven-colored phoenix feather, and the earth-yellow hoof of a qilin. These fragments of bodies, once belonging to the Primordial World's top clans, have now become breeding grounds for ferocity.
The air is filled with a bizarre mixture of dragon blood, phoenix fire, and magma sulfur. Every surge of air stirs up fine ashes of scales and feathers, like black snow, gently falling on the scorched rock. The remaining dragon energy and Nanming Li Fire have long lost their origin blessing, leaving only cold brutality intertwined with the residual souls of the three clans' fallen warriors. Together, they form a thick gray-black mist over the South China Sea—an unprecedented "feral aura" in the Primordial World, more sinister than chaotic turbid qi, more bloodthirsty than Luo Hu's demon flames. It is condensed from the resentment, unwillingness, and killing intent of countless living beings at the moment of death.
At first, this feral aura spread slowly over the South China Sea airspace, like inert ink. On the third day, a faint beast roar echoed from the depths of the scorched rock—it came from a surviving earth-attribute spirit pig that had been foraging on the battlefield's edge, only to have the feral aura seep into its body. Now its eyes glowed crimson, its once docile fangs sharp as blades, and veins bulged beneath its skin. It pounced fiercely at its own kind, biting through another spirit pig's neck in one brutal bite. Blood sprayed onto the scorched rock, instantly devoured by the feral aura, transforming into a wisp of black light that merged back into the gray mist.
This scene was like a spark igniting a powder keg.
Over the next ten days, creatures around the South China Sea began to mutate wildly. Spirit fish once inhabiting the Luo River now had jet-black scales and barbed mouths, actively attacking passing aquatic beings. Stone monkeys on the Western Wasteland border, contaminated by the feral aura, lost their fur, their skin cracked, and they crushed their stone staffs with brute force, instead tearing at their companions with sharp claws. Even the ice silkworms beneath the North China Sea ice field turned bright red, spinning corrosive silk that gnawed deep holes into the ice.
These mutated creatures lost their spiritual intelligence, leaving only instinctive bloodlust. They gathered toward the densest concentration of feral aura, like flies drawn to carrion, gradually forming a disorganized yet brutal "beast horde" over the South China Sea's scorched rock. The gray-black feral mist continued to devour the blood energy from the killings, growing larger and larger. From its center, faint roars began to emanate, as if something was about to break free.
On this day, the Primordial World suddenly darkened.
It was not caused by dark clouds covering the sun, but by the feral mist over the South China Sea contracting abruptly into a towering black-red beam of light, piercing the sky. Within the beam, countless residual souls roared and collided—those of dragon clan soldiers, Phoenix Clan juniors, qilin cubs, and even scattered cultivators and small tribe members caught in the crossfire. Forcibly fused by the feral aura, they spun and compressed like a meat grinder.
"Roar——!"
A beast roar that shook the entire Primordial World erupted from the beam, more violent than the Ancestral Dragon's dragon cry, more bloodthirsty than Yuanfeng's phoenix scream. The moment the beam exploded, a colossal figure hovered over the South China Sea—this was "Beast Emperor Shen Ni," a monster formed from the residual souls of the three clans' fallen, the Primordial feral aura, and shattered scales, feathers, and bones.
Standing ten thousand zhang tall, his form was unstable—at times taking the shape of a black-scaled dragon, at times revealing phoenix wings wreathed in black fire, and at others showing qilin hooves clad in earth armor. Only a pair of blood-red vertical pupils remained constant, reflecting scenes of carnage across the Primordial World.
Gray-black feral aura coiled around him. With every breath, countless tiny beast phantoms emerged from the aura, scattering in all directions. When he raised his hand, fragments of limbs beneath the South China Sea's scorched rock lifted off automatically, merging into his body, making his aura increasingly powerful, exuding an overwhelming pressure.
"Primordial World... mine to rule... kill..."
Beast Emperor Shen Ni's voice was hoarse and fragmented, as if countless residual souls were roaring simultaneously, yet it carried unquestionable authority. He looked down at the gathered beast horde, a flicker of satisfaction in his blood-red vertical pupils, then waved his hand toward the Western Wasteland. The beast phantoms born from the feral aura instantly materialized, surging toward the Western Wasteland like a black tide.
At the same time, feral aura nodes erupted across the Primordial World.
Chaotic beasts of the Western Wasteland, already brutal, became even more violent after being infected by the feral aura from the South China Sea. A massive "Earth-Splitting Lizard," once dormant in the mountains, burst out of its lair, tearing through a passing stone clan tribe with its claws. The stone clan elder's rock armor was as fragile as paper before it, and even his innate earth-element divine arts could not defend against it. On the North China Sea ice field, "Bone Armor Beasts" mutated from qilin bones emerged from the ground, their bodies covered in earth-yellow bone armor, breathing feral aura-infused ice mist. Wherever they passed, the ice field turned gray-black, and even the cold-tolerant Snow Wolf Clan fell in droves, their blood freezing into black-red ice crystals on the surface.
At the foot of the Volcano of Immortality on the Southern Region border, the surviving Phoenix Clan remnants, who had just migrated there, also came under attack. A group of "Fire Venom Beasts" mutated from phoenix feathers, their wings burning with black-red flames, withered all spiritual plants in their path. The Phoenix Clan juniors' Nanming Li Fire was actually suppressed by this black fire. A young Phoenix Clan cultivator accidentally had his feathers touched by the black fire, instantly screaming in agony as it burned—this was no ordinary flame, but a mixture of feral aura and residual phoenix fire, specifically targeting the origin of living beings.
"Clan Leader! There are too many beasts! Our defensive formation is about to collapse!"
At the foot of the Volcano of Immortality, a wingless Phoenix Clan junior knelt before Feng Qi, covered in blood, his voice filled with despair. The defensive formation behind him was covered in cracks, and gray-black feral aura seeped through like venomous snakes. Many young Phoenix Clan cubs had been corrupted by the feral aura, their eyes turning red as they began attacking their own clansmen.
Feng Qi leaned on his parasol staff, his face as pale as paper. The Nirvana Fire within him was already weak, and sustaining the defensive formation had drained him severely, blood dripping continuously from the corner of his mouth. He looked at the tide of beasts surging below, at the clansmen falling around him, and a sense of powerlessness washed over him. Yuanfeng had just fallen, and the Phoenix Clan had not yet recovered—now they faced another catastrophe. Was the Primordial World truly determined to end the Phoenix Clan's inheritance?
"Hold on!" Feng Qi roared, pouring his last wisp of Nirvana Fire into the defensive formation. "Defend the volcano entrance! Once we enter the Volcano of Immortality, the origin of Nirvana Fire can suppress the feral aura!"
But the beasts' assault exceeded all expectations. Though Beast Emperor Shen Ni did not personally arrive, he controlled the beasts through the feral aura—they knew no fatigue, feared no death, charging the formation relentlessly. Some even detonated themselves, using the explosion to tear apart the formation patterns.
"Boom——!"
A massive explosion rang out, and the southeast corner of the defensive formation collapsed completely. Dozens of Fire Venom Beasts rushed in, their black-red flames instantly igniting the Phoenix Clan juniors' wings. Screams, roars, and the crackle of burning flames mingled together. At the foot of the Volcano of Immortality, a tragedy as horrific as the South China Sea war unfolded once again.
Meanwhile, Luoxian Slope, a gathering place for scattered cultivators in central Primordial World, also came under attack by the beast tide. Hundreds of scattered cultivators had taken refuge here—spiritual plant cultivators skilled in wood-element arts, Shiji Clan members proficient in escape techniques, and mountain spirits practicing golden metal divine arts. But against the overwhelming horde of beasts, their resistance seemed pitifully weak.
"Quick! Use the Wood Spirit Formation to bind them!" A green-robed spiritual plant cultivator roared, channeling his spiritual energy to stir the surrounding spiritual grass into vines that wrapped around the beasts' limbs. But the beasts possessed immense strength, tearing the vines apart effortlessly and slamming into the cultivator, their sharp claws tearing open his chest in an instant.
"Dig underground! Escape underground!" A Shiji Clan cultivator tried to flee into the earth, only to be targeted by an "Earth-Splitting Beast" mutated from a dragon claw.
The Earth-Splitting Beast's claws could easily tear through rock. It dug violently, pulling the Shiji Clan cultivator out of the ground and crushing his skull with one bite.
In just half an hour, Luoxian Slope became a purgatory. The bodies of scattered cultivators lay everywhere—some torn to pieces, some burned by black fire, others corrupted by feral aura, transformed into new beasts joining the carnage.
Only a handful of powerful scattered cultivators managed to escape by means of escape techniques or flying divine arts, racing toward the eastern Primordial World—the territory of the East China Sea Dragon Palace, the only place not yet affected by the beast tide.
East China Sea Dragon Palace, atop Dragon Abyss.
Ao Xuan suddenly opened his eyes, the Azure Dragon mark between his brows flickering violently, and the water fortune spiritual energy around him instantly turned chaotic. The Four Seas Dragon Seal in his hand glowed with faint golden-crimson light, and gray-black feral aura faintly emerged from the Four Seas dragon patterns carved on it—clearly sensing the crisis across the Primordial World.
"What intense feral aura..." Ao Xuan muttered, a hint of solemnity flashing in his dragon pupils. He waved his hand, and a water mirror appeared before him, reflecting the tragedy across the Primordial World—the stone clan tribe in the Western Wasteland massacred, the Snow Wolf Clan lying dead in heaps on the North China Sea ice field, the Phoenix Clan remnants trapped in fierce battle in the Southern Region, and Luoxian Slope reduced to a purgatory in central Primordial World.
Every scene in the water mirror weighed heavily on Ao Xuan's heart.
He could clearly sense that the source of this feral aura was the South China Sea—the residual souls and killing intent from the three clans' war, catalyzed by chaotic turbid qi, had actually condensed into such a terrifying existence.
"Your Majesty!"
Qinghe, Jiao Xuan, Xie Ao, Moyuan, and others hurried over, their faces filled with anxiety. The Ritual Platform report in Qinghe's hand still glowed faintly, recording anomalies at the East China Sea border: "Unknown beast traces detected in the cuttlefish clan settlement west of the East China Sea. Several patrol soldiers have been lost!"
"Your Majesty, urgent news from the Western Wasteland! A horde of Earth-Splitting Lizards has breached the Western Wasteland border and is heading toward the East China Sea!" Xie Ao's voice was heavy, and the cold from his recent patrol still lingered on his Black Armored Guard armor. "These beasts are more brutal than ordinary chaotic beasts, feel no pain, and ordinary water spirit arts can barely harm them!"
Jiao Xuan leaned on his dragon staff, his elderly eyes filled with worry. "This old jiao has lived for tens of thousands of years and has never seen such feral aura. It specifically targets the origin of living beings. If allowed to spread, the entire Primordial World will likely become a hunting ground for beasts! What's more terrifying is that these beasts seem to act under unified command, moving in an orderly manner—clearly controlled by a powerful being behind the scenes."
Ao Xuan nodded, his fingertips glowing with pale blue water fortune spiritual energy, gently brushing the Four Seas Dragon Seal. The feral aura on the seal was instantly purified by the water fortune power, restoring its golden-crimson hue. He took a deep breath, his voice carrying unquestionable authority. "Everyone, the beast tide has swept across the Primordial World. The East China Sea is the only pure land—we must not let it fall!"
"Qinghe, proceed to the Water Spirit Department immediately. Order Li Hong to mobilize all spiritual vein power of the East China Sea to reinforce the Azure Dragon Sea-Suppressing Formation. Purify the formation patterns with innate water spirit energy to prevent the feral aura from seeping in. At the same time, instruct the Ritual Platform to open the 'Spirit Returning Abyss' attached to the Dragon Palace to accept fleeing scattered cultivators and small tribes. For those slightly corrupted by the feral aura, purify them with wood-element spiritual energy supplemented by Merit Golden Light."
"Xie Ao, lead three battalions of Black Armored Guards to garrison the west, north, and south borders of the East China Sea respectively. Use the 'Black Water Trapping Formation' to block the beasts. If encountering powerful beasts, do not engage head-on—focus on delaying them until reinforcements arrive. Xia Ji's Elite Battalion will stand by as a mobile force, reinforcing wherever the situation is critical."
"Moyuan, take the disciples of the Formation Research Hall to the seventy-two key sea routes of the East China Sea. Deploy the 'Nine-Turn Water Formation,' which can channel seawater into whirlpools to devour the beasts. It can also link with the Azure Dragon Sea-Suppressing Formation to form a three-dimensional defense."
"Mr. Jiao Xuan, stay with me atop Dragon Abyss to analyze the nature of the feral aura and find a way to counter it. Additionally, send Jing Ba, one of the Twelve Sea Generals, to the Volcano of Immortality to reinforce the Phoenix Clan remnants—though the Phoenix Clan and dragon clan have old grievances, the beast tide threatens all. All living beings in the Primordial World must unite; we cannot stand by and watch them perish."
"We obey your Majesty's order!"
Everyone replied in unison, turning to attend to their tasks. Only Ao Xuan and Jiao Xuan remained atop Dragon Abyss. The water mirror still reflected the tragedy across the Primordial World. Though Beast Emperor Shen Ni's figure had not appeared, his tangible killing intent could be felt through the flow of feral aura.
Ao Xuan raised his hand, and the Azure Dragon Reverse Scale Sword flew out from his spine. Its blue-gold sword light, infused with Pangu's Merit Golden Light, circled before him. He looked at the increasingly dense feral aura over the South China Sea in the water mirror, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Beast Emperor Shen Ni... The consequences of the three clans' war must ultimately be borne by the entire Primordial World. But as long as I, Ao Xuan, exist, I will never allow the beasts to ravage the East China Sea, nor let the Primordial World become a purgatory!"
As the words fell, the blue-gold spiritual light around Ao Xuan surged, resonating with the East China Sea's water fortune spiritual veins. The Azure Dragon Sea-Suppressing Formation in the distance suddenly lit up, its blue-green spiritual light covering the entire East China Sea like a sky curtain, blocking all approaching beast phantoms outside the formation.
Over the South China Sea, Beast Emperor Shen Ni seemed to sense the East China Sea's resistance, a flicker of brutality in his blood-red vertical pupils. He slowly raised his hand, and the feral aura around him surged again. Countless new beast phantoms emerged from the aura, launching a more violent assault toward the East China Sea.