C21 Battle of the Bear and Eagle

Nangong Fan, impeccably dressed, strolled past the astonished and hostile onlookers of the Black Mansion, not sparing them a glance. He carried himself with the air of a former playboy who once lived without limits.

Striding confidently away from the Black Mansion, he descended the mountain on foot, making his way leisurely through the bustling streets of Dragonstone.

"The secret realm is about to open, bringing a surge of newcomers to Dragonstone," Nangong Fan mused, a spark of interest in his eyes. Since learning of the Law Enforcement Hall's plans for him, he had become increasingly intrigued by the Dragonstone Secret Realm.

It was in this realm, known as the Fallen Dragon Domain, that Black Batian had received the Wildhearth Clan's legacy. This millennia-old secret realm was steeped in legends that stirred the soul.

Despite his recent dedication to refining his martial arts, Nangong Fan's mood had swiftly returned to a state of serene detachment. Yet, with time on his hands and having tasted the benefits of rigorous training, his quest for power was far from over.

The Mortal Way Fist Technique, part of the Mortal Dao Scriptures, was distinct from its common counterparts. Following the blood shadow's movements, Nangong Fan felt a potent heat coursing through him, seemingly enhancing his strength with every passing moment.

When pushed to the brink of exhaustion, this heat surged even more intensely, leaving Nangong Fan's body tingling with energy. This drove him to practice with fervor, determined not to be reduced to insignificance once more.

He would only rest when absolutely necessary, either meditating or poring over the ancient scrolls left by Hei Batian. This deepened his understanding of the Fallen Dragon Region.

Hei Batian, having ventured into the Fallen Dragon Region a millennium ago, had documented his pivotal experiences in great detail. Nangong Fan speculated that if he were to auction off these insights, he could become an instant magnate in Dragonstone.

"Yet, most will never set foot in the secret realm; their efforts are in vain," Nangong Fan reflected with a shake of his head. With the opening of the realm, Dragonstone's elite had become an unavoidable hurdle for many. The wealthy had claimed the realm as their own, effectively barring common folk from even approaching its entrance.

The gateway to the Fallen Dragon Region lay at the heart of the lake within the Dragonstone Mountain Range!

"Young master, you are mistaken. The secret realm is about to open, and powerhouses from all ten cities, even from across the Milky Way, are converging here. Many come to peddle rare items they no longer need in exchange for spirit stones. Surely that's more beneficial than hoarding useless trinkets?" A young man, clad in a milky-white robe, waved a fan painted with landscapes as he strolled alongside Nangong Fan.

Nangong Fan glanced at him, his own attire a plain white robe, unadorned. He fanned himself, the motion releasing an earthy scent mixed with water, comforting as a gentle breeze.

Yet, locking eyes with the man gave Nangong Fan an eerie sensation, as if a massive serpent lay coiled in the shadows behind him, poised to strike. This unsettling feeling vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"So, what brings you here? To compose poetry under the moonlight?" Nangong Fan asked with a light chuckle, eyeing the scholarly figure in white.

"To admire the moon, one must indeed pen verses. And what joy it is to visit an old friend along the way," the white-robed youth replied with a soft smile, folding his fan with a snap against his palm. "Perhaps I'll encounter a fascinating young man to bestow some good fortune upon. Who knows? It might yield a thousandfold return someday, right?"

Suddenly, Nangong Fan felt as though the market's din had receded into the distance. Only the white-robed youth stood before him, tapping the ancient fan against Nangong Fan's immobilized brow. A strand of golden light, wrapped in a milky-white glow, pierced through, entering his being.

With a flourish, the youth unfurled his fan and swept it away, the painted mountains and rivers trembling with an enigmatic essence, bestowing upon him an almost divine presence.

A robust laugh echoed in Nangong Fan's ears, leaving behind a serene silence.

"The raucous noise fades from the ear, leaving only the essence of the Dao to accompany the heart."

A streak of golden light, guided by the tip of a fan, drifted into Nangong Fan's sea of consciousness. There, it bobbed and weaved, exuding an aura of vastness, as if the light itself was an infinite universe.

Xue Yaozi's eyes took on a grave expression as he observed the golden light slowly fade, revealing a golden token that radiated a mysterious presence. A massive character within it seemed to dance like a dragon or serpent. Xue Yaozi whispered in awe, "Emperor?"

Accompanying the golden light into his sea of consciousness was a white stream of Qi, imbued with an otherworldly essence. It bypassed the blood cocoon and threads, infusing the seated blue apparition with its mystical energy. The figure was enveloped in a creamy glow, which flowed around it, giving rise to an aura of profoundness.

"The aura of the Wordless Heavenly Stele? But didn't the Imperial Advisor say it had vanished long ago?" Xue Yaozi's ethereal eyes gleamed with a hint of blood-red light, "What fortunate karma."

...

Amidst the mountains, the forest stood majestic, with treetops piercing the clouds like swords thrusting into the heavens.

The trunks were robust, and one could easily spot a massive Demon Elephant ambling by, its size rivaling that of the ancient trees.

The entire woodland exuded an aura of antiquity and wilderness, as if one had stepped back into an age when the Demon Clan reigned supreme and chaos ruled.

The forest teemed with Demonic Beasts, and even some trees had noses and eyes, inhaling and exhaling the spiritual essence of the world.

Rabbits attacked tigers, and mice gnawed on Demon Elephants—a mountain forest alive with Demonic Beasts.

The brutal law of nature was vividly on display.

From a distance, a roar thundered like rolling thunder, echoing with authority and savagery above the dense forest.

Chaos erupted throughout the woods. Tigers, the kings of beasts, packs of mountain wolves, red-eyed rabbits, and mice, along with birds and fish swirling with boundless Demonic Qi, all burst from their lairs. Heads bowed uniformly to the ground, they seemed to reverently welcome a divine presence.

Various mystical creatures, their eyes brimming with a mix of fear and reverence, had set aside their racial animosities and past conflicts. Moving as one, they acted in unison, akin to a tribe on a pilgrimage.

Even the smallest of ants were the size of fists, their gaze harboring an endless ferocity. The typically gentle rabbits of the outside world grew to the size of calves, their muscles robust and powerful.

When beasts possess souls, they become mystical creatures capable of absorbing Spiritual Qi to ascend to divinity. Their cores, akin to the human Dantian, housed an array of innate abilities and granted them lifespans far surpassing those of humans.

The beast race was one that epitomized the law of the survival of the fittest.

On any given day, a confrontation between a colossal elephant and a swarm of ants would be relentless. The ants would never cower, regardless of the elephant's immense size.

Now, the various mystical creatures of the forest were paying homage to a sacred entity. But who could this deity be?

At the forest's heart lay a vast clearing, dominated by a towering black mound that writhed and rose up, unleashing a roar towards the heavens—a sound as formidable as thunder, laden with both warning and aggression.

Its massive palms beat against its sturdy chest, producing a thunderous echo. Its hind legs, as thick as tree trunks, were firmly planted in the earth, as if they were extensions of the land itself.

With each thud, the ground trembled in resonance.

A dark silhouette approached from the sky, growing clearer with proximity—a divine eagle soared into view.

The eagle's black feathers stood erect, gleaming with an ominous light, as it was enveloped by swirling winds, surveying the mortal realm with the majesty of a wind deity.

With a piercing cry, it fanned its Black Feather Fan, unleashing endless streams of black light that hurtled towards the black bear like razor-sharp swords. Accompanied by slicing wind blades, the black light carved through the air, emitting a shrill friction as it cleaved through space itself.

The black bear responded, opening its vast maw and stomping its right foot. The ground quaked, and a multitude of earthen spikes burst forth, their brown glow rushing towards the black light.

As the wind blades danced with the black light, they sliced through the earth spikes with the ferocity of a thousand swords.

Dirt billowed into the sky, and the severed spikes crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, causing the earth to shudder with each impact.

Nearby creatures, caught in the tumult, were rent asunder, their heads splitting open as their luminous cores spilled out onto the trembling ground.

Various beasts retreated into the distance, their cries echoing with desolation. A black light pierced through the earth spikes and struck the black bear's massive form, raising only a few strands of dark fur and leaving behind a pale mark before vanishing. The green wind blades dissipated before they could even graze the bear's immense body, turning back into a gentle breeze that brushed the black fur.

The earth spikes surged towards the divine eagle, which responded with a piercing cry that resonated through the skies. With a mere flutter of its wings, a green current materialized at their edges, slicing through the thick barrage of spikes that subsequently burst into fragments behind it.

Like a sharpened sword, the divine eagle dove towards the black bear, extending its green talons that gleamed with a frosty glint under the sun's rays. A resounding cry filled the air.

The black bear let out an enraged roar, spreading its arms wide as if they were the very ground itself, striking upwards with a formidable force.

The divine eagle, swift and sharp, pounced with talons poised and beak curved like a wrathful hook against the heavens. With a quick beat of its wings, it evaded the bear's swipe, hooking a large chunk of flesh from the limb and soaring skyward.

The black bear bellowed, its body enveloped in a brown glow that extended its domain, imbuing the surrounding area with an immense gravity that caused the earth itself to sink. The divine eagle felt a sudden heaviness as a massive, furry paw swatted towards it.

With a defiant cry, the divine eagle's body surged with green light, and the sound of the wind rose as it spread its wings. Countless green sparks formed, sharp as blades, cutting through the oppressive brown light descending like a mountain from above.

It was evident that the divine eagle's speed had diminished under the weight of the brown light, especially compared to the other colossal bear paw that came sweeping in.

As the green talons ripped away half of the severed limb, the intact bear paw caught the edge of the divine eagle's wing, the brown light flickering as it drew green blood.

A tragic yet beautiful mix of brown and green blood soaked into the earth below.

Seizing the bear's arm amidst the black bear's screams of agony, the divine eagle ascended into the sky. Green light pulsed around the maimed wing, and a smaller, newly formed wing materialized. With its prize in talon, the divine eagle issued a long, distant cry as it vanished into the expanse.

The black bear brandished a torn half of an eagle's wing, as a surge of brown light emanated from beneath its feet. Its severed limb regenerated, and it pounded its chest, emitting a thunderous roar. It seemed that as long as it stood upon the earth, it could swiftly heal from any wound.

Amidst the clash of the two King Beasts, numerous uninvited guests converged in the dense forest. With the swiftness of the wind, they crushed the skulls of several beasts in the blink of an eye, seizing the ejected cores and engaging in combat with the various beasts that had risen to their feet.

The conflict was a spectacle of brown and green light, clashing in a tumultuous fray. It was a struggle as elemental as the earth against the wind, mirroring the eternal stand-off between the sky and the ground.

Lions grappled with tigers, elephants locked horns with oxen... As the divine eagle issued a piercing cry, a flash of green light signaled the swift departure of the beasts, leaving behind a trail of countless spoils and bodies.

The roars of various beasts ebbed and flowed throughout the forest, a testament to the wild and untamed heart of nature.