C1

The Middle Essence Continent has endured since the ancient Desolate Era, standing vigil over the Endless Ocean to the east for ten thousand years, nurturing countless lives in the process.

The Great Qin Country is one of the human dynasties located at the heart of the Middle Essence Continent. Two years have passed since the tumultuous Blood War at Celestial Yin Mountain, yet the Great Qin is once again engulfed in unrest.

To the north of Qin Mountain, a multitude of clouds drifted from afar, shrouding the once clear blue sky and casting a gloomy pallor over the land. These immense clouds, like arks sailing the high skies, rumbled deeply as they collided and scraped against each other, their sounds echoing from the heavens to the earth below.

The sky was rent with countless bolts of lightning, slashing through the firmament like jagged fissures. Several enormous clouds converged, creating a layer of solidified cloud rolls against the ink-black sky. Within these clouds, flames surged, hurricanes sliced like blades, water dragons howled, and thunder rolled incessantly...

Suddenly, a streak of azure light cut through the overcast sky, and a delicate azure lotus hung beneath the somber expanse, radiating a soft yet powerful light capable of illuminating the entire world.

Simultaneously, the once immobile gray clouds began to quiver, and a drop of eerily red blood oozed forth, piercing the dense clouds and vanishing into the horizon with a velocity that could cleave through space itself.

The towering cloud sea fell into a momentary silence, as several icy and imperious gazes converged toward the direction where the blood had disappeared.

After a short pause, a deep voice emerged from the cloudy sky, as several indistinct figures materialized within the heavy cloud layers.

"He... has escaped... Should we invoke the Sky Heaven Alliance... and thoroughly exterminate him?" an elderly voice inquired coldly.

"A mere demonic rebel, worthy of invoking the sacred oath of the Heavenly Dao established by our ancestors? You are being overly cautious. Let him bear the name of a traitor for eternity, forsaken by the path of righteousness..."

From the shadows, a woman with an elegant silhouette stepped forward. Her bare feet lightly touched the azure lotus suspended beneath the sky. Her voice, ethereal and haunting, carried a chill that could pierce to the bone.

The aged voice wavered before deepening, "Could the vanishing of the Primal Crystal of Chaos be connected to his missing offspring of ill repute?"

Those among the clouds clearly took great interest in this query, their gazes shifting expectantly toward the woman, awaiting her response.

The woman turned her back to the crowd, falling silent for a moment before replying with icy resolve, "Rest assured, I will get to the bottom of this. The Sect Masters need not worry."

Bathed in azure light, the woman paid the crowd no further heed and vanished, her hand forming a mystical seal.

The onlookers exchanged concerned glances, and the elder's voice grumbled with displeasure, "Insolent!"

The already foreboding sky, heavy with black clouds, grew even more oppressive. It seemed as though a catastrophic force capable of annihilation might descend at any moment, sending shivers of dread through every living creature within ten thousand miles.

Far from Qin Mountain, in a secluded cave on its southern slopes, a group of beleaguered souls clung to each other in terror, their eyes wide with fear as they watched the wrathful spectacle unfold above.

Time appeared to stand still. After what felt like an eternity, a robust cry echoed through the cave, breaking the stifling tension.

A spry elder gently rocked the wailing infant in her arms, then cast a weary glance at the darkening sky outside the cave. With a heavy sigh and a shake of her head, she murmured, "We must go, leave this place behind! This day... I fear it will not see light again."

With the infant in tow, the old woman emerged from the cave, her steps unsteady. Her injured son and his pregnant wife leaned on each other, following with great difficulty. The small procession moved like ants along the serpentine mountain path, heading southwestward.

The celestial tumult above the northern reaches of Qin Mountain sent ripples of shock through the Great Qin Country. The lingering aura of terror in the skies bore witness to the magnitude of the entity that had once been present.

While some cowered in fear, others regarded the phenomenon with scorn.

Across the boundless desert on the northwest fringes of the Middle Essence Continent, the crisp sound of a bell mingled with the wind-borne sand. A languid, emaciated camel bore a disheveled Taoist priest, ambling leisurely across the dunes. Their trail of hoofprints was swiftly swallowed by the shifting sands.

The desert's deathly silence was unbearably dull. The camel, shaking its head nonchalantly, found a modicum of entertainment in the jingle of the bell around its neck.

The Taoist priest, on the brink of sleep, opened his eyes and let out a yawn, pushing the greasy strands of hair from his face. He gave the hump of his steadfast companion a pat, and the camel responded with a dissatisfied chew, seemingly grumbling about the nuisance atop it, yet it obediently came to a halt.

With a sly grin, the priest dismounted and stood on tiptoes to survey the horizon, where the vast desert met the sky. A fleeting azure light sparked in the distance.

His dark, profound eyes narrowed, and with a mocking curve of his lips, he loosened his belt and relieved himself at the edge of the world.

Accustomed to the Mad Taoist's untamed antics, the camel still cast a scornful glance his way, its mouth working with a gurgling sound.

Contented, the priest fastened his belt and pondered for a moment before stepping back and crouching down. He traced a few lines in the sand with his finger.

Rising to his feet, he examined his handiwork, then cast a peculiar glance toward the eastern sky, letting out a series of cold chuckles. He then mounted the camel, and together, they resumed their languid journey.

This time, the disheveled Mad Taoist didn't succumb to sleep. Instead, he took a hearty swig from his wine gourd and bellowed with delight, "The heavens are restless, the battle ceases! The heavens are unclean, only war purifies! Hahaha..."

The sound of the bell and the Mad Taoist's wild ramblings were soon swallowed by the wind. The fine yellow sand reclaimed the desert, but curiously, the words he left behind were not obscured. Though indistinct, they persisted, as if etched into the sands since time immemorial...