"Ancient Clan! For a thousand years I have lived in seclusion here, never venturing into the Central Plains. I believe I have never offended the Ancient Clan. Why have you come to my Shennong Mountains today to commit this act of destruction!"
The severely injured old man's eyes were filled with rage and despair as he stared intently at the three people before him, letting out a hoarse roar.
"Elder Shennong, you have lived in seclusion year-round, detached from worldly affairs, devoted to alchemy. You have indeed never offended my clan. But alas, a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. You have lived so long, surely you understand this principle?"
The middle-aged man leading the group maintained a gentle demeanor, a faint smile playing on his lips, as he spoke to Elder Shennong, though his eyes held endless indifference.
"Possessing a treasure... is a crime? You want the Flame of Life?!"
Shennong the Elder's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. He never expected that the mighty ancient clan would covet his Flame of Life, and even the clan's patriarch had come out to personally lock down the surrounding space, leaving him no chance of escape.
However, he no longer cared about why the ancient clan wanted his Flame of Life; he was now resigned to death.
He knew that even if he handed over the Flame of Life now, the ancient clan would not let him go. He was doomed this time; the ancient clan would not allow a six-star Dou Sheng filled with resentment towards them to leave this place alive!
"Since that's the case... then you will all be buried with me! Hahaha!"
Shennong the Elder's eyes were bloodshot, filled with madness, and a ferocious smile appeared on his face. The terrifying Dou Qi within his body began to surge and converge wildly.
The entire mountain range trembled due to the terrifying energy, and the space around the old man also began to shake violently under the pressure of the terrifying energy, as if it would shatter at any moment.
Shennong the Elder was planning to self-destruct! He wanted to take the three people in front of him down with him!
"Heh,"
Gu Yuan saw Shennong the Elder's actions, a hint of mockery in his eyes, and he sneered before disappearing instantly.
"What..."
Before Shennong the Elder could react to Gu Yuan's disappearance, he suddenly felt a sharp pain throughout his body. Looking down, he found a hand had pierced through his body.
"How is this possible..."
Shennong the Elder stared in disbelief at the hand that had pierced through him, causing all the battle qi gathered within him to dissipate.
Gu Yuan ignored Shennong the Elder. His hand flipped inside Shennong the Elder's body, and a suction force surged from it, instantly and frantically drawing away the Life Flame within Shennong the Elder's body.
"Ah!"
Shennong the Elder felt the excruciating pain within him, the indescribable agony, and let out a heart-wrenching howl. The Life Flame had already been refined and merged with him; Gu Yuan's actions were tantamount to tearing out his heart and soul.
...
Soon, Gu Yuan withdrew his hand from Shennong Elder's body, and a wisp of deep green flame, radiating intense vitality, followed.
As soon as Gu Yuan withdrew his hand, Shennong Elder's aura weakened to its absolute limit; he no longer had the strength to fly and crashed to the ground like a tattered sack.
Gu Yuan coldly stared at the fallen Shennong Elder, then with a wave of his hand, his battle qi surged forth, coalescing into a giant hand that pressed down on the fallen Shennong Elder.
"Boom!"
A deafening roar, like thunder, echoed once more from the Shennong Mountains, followed by silence.
Only a massive crater tens of thousands of feet deep remained where the roar had originated.
Gu Yuan's palm strike had pulverized Shennong Elder's body and soul, leaving not a trace behind, completely erasing him from the world.
After sensing that the aura of the Shennong Elder had completely dissipated, Gu Yuan placed the Flame of Life into an exquisite and gorgeous spirit storage container, and then turned around and handed it to the beautiful woman who was a two-star Dou Sheng. "Juan'er, Xun'er is your great-aunt. Take this Flame of Life to the Black Corner Region for Xun'er and help her refine it. The Flame of Life has gentle energy and immense life force. You will assist her by dividing this energy and guiding it into Xun'er's body, strand by strand, for her to refine. There won't be any problems."
"Yes, Clan Chief!"
Gu Juan quickly accepted the Soul-Gathering Talisman, but her face showed some unease, clearly feeling awkward about this great-aunt who was nearly a thousand years younger than her, despite being her grandfather's cousin.
Soon, the three who had brought disaster and destruction to the Shennong Mountains left, leaving behind only a devastated landscape, a veritable hell on earth. No one knew how long it would take for this place to regain its former tranquil and peaceful paradise.
... On a plain in
the Black Corner Region
, the plain looked as if it had witnessed a great battle. The once black soil was now stained crimson with blood, and corpses and severed limbs littered every corner of the battlefield.
Countless charred corpses, their faces burned beyond recognition, filled the air with a stench that mingled with the stench of blood, making anyone who smelled it feel nauseous.
Several figures ran frantically across this hellish battlefield, as if some monstrous beast was chasing them, wishing they had more legs.
"Faster! Faster!"
"That Gu Fen Old Demon of the Ancient Burning Sect is inhuman!"
"Dead... all dead!"
"Shut up! You bunch of idiots, if you don't want to die, stop talking nonsense. While she's just killed the sect leader and hasn't found us yet, run!"
But the next moment,
"Huh, there are even a few little bugs! You almost got away!"
A beautiful, soothing voice, like a gentle stream, reached everyone's ears. The voice was melodious and captivating, enchanting and enchanting, drawing everyone in.
However, upon hearing this voice, the group of people all felt a sudden chill run down their spines, as if they had fallen into an ice cave. Beads of sweat dripped down their faces, their expressions filled with fear and despair.
A figure in vibrant red slowly appeared before them.
It was a woman, dressed in a magnificent and bright red robe, embroidered with exquisite black patterns. A silver ribbon cinched her waist, perfectly accentuating her slender figure. The black and red robe made her appear incredibly noble, exuding an aura of elegance and grace. Her long, flowing
black hair cascaded freely, and her face, as delicate as white jade, seemed to be the most perfect masterpiece of heaven. Her beauty was unparalleled; the moment she appeared, even the heavens and earth seemed to pale in comparison.
Yet, this seemingly perfect woman possessed a fierce and mad glint in her eyes, a bloodthirsty smile playing on her lips, and an intensely pungent aura of bloodlust emanating from her.
Her appearance seemed so incongruous with her noble aura, yet strangely, it also seemed perfectly harmonious.
"Ancient...Ancient Demon Lord Gu Fen?!"
"Spare...spare us! We're just outer disciples of the Black Mountain Sect!"
"Yes...yes, we'll leave the Black Corner Region immediately!"
Looking at the woman before them, whose beauty seemed to change the very heavens and earth, the crowd felt only boundless fear, as if she were the most beautiful yet most ferocious and tyrannical demon in the world!