Sigh

Sigh...

The expressions of the Pill Emperor and the ancient expert contorted into grotesque masks of dread.

Qin Wentian had actually disturbed that enigmatic entity dwelling beneath the mountains.

"VILE BEAST!"

An icy voice emanated from the abyss's depths, chilling the entire region by several degrees.

The Pill Emperor and the ancient elder peered downward, their eyes filled with deep reverence and worship. They both bowed and muttered, "We beg our ancestor's forgiveness."

"You dare allow a vile beast to intrude upon my sanctuary, disrupting my cultivation? HOW DO YOU TWO MANAGE THE AFFAIRS OF MY PILL EMPEROR HALL? Worthless creatures, expel it immediately and get out." The voice thundered with an unparalleled superiority, echoing through the entire area, and even reaching the ears of the onlookers. As they heard it, an unsettling understanding seemed to dawn upon them.

Was the malevolent presence lurking in the abyss of corpses the ancient ancestor of the Pill Emperor Hall?

Could it be that this ancestor, long deceased, was attempting some forbidden and perverse method of rebirth?

Rebirth was an act contrary to the heavens, an abominable taboo. The Pill Emperor Hall arranged for exceptional disciples like Mo Qingcheng and the others, using countless lives as compensation for its ancestor's revival. Such a method was undeniably cruel.

But what did it matter? For the sake of their ancestor's return from beyond the grave, the Pill Emperor Hall would stop at nothing. Once the old ancestor was fully resurrected, they would surely seek dominion over all of Grand Xia.

The members of the Chen Clan, Hua Clan, and Star-Seizing Manor felt their hearts clench at this revelation. The sacred domain of the Pill Emperor Hall had always been a coveted secret among the other transcendent powers, yet none had succeeded in uncovering it. Even the upper echelons of the Pill Emperor Hall were in the dark about this matter. Only those at the pinnacle of the hierarchy held this knowledge. Today, everything was unveiled due to Qin Wentian's actions.

"Qingcheng."

The great roc, which was once Qin Wentian, conveyed a deep sense of concern in its eyes. It raised the sword again and dove into the abyss.

The whistling sword intent annihilated everything in its path, reducing matter on both sides of its trajectory to nothingness. However, the skeleton suddenly stirred, eerie lights gleaming in its empty eye sockets as it cast a gaze upward. Countless chains of dark shadows extended, ensnaring the demon sword as it descended. Creaking sounds echoed, and the chains showed signs of weakening, yet they clung tenaciously.

Qin Wentian had expended a tremendous amount of strength; even the blood in his body had nearly run dry. His current power, even with the sword, couldn't pose a true threat to the sinister skeleton.

"Wentian." Mo Qingcheng inclined her head, tears streaming down her face as she gazed at the great roc that Qin Wentian had become. She longed to reach out to him but remained paralyzed. The loathsome skeleton continued to drain her essence, rendering her helpless.

In mid-air, the Pill Emperor and the ancient elder descended, launching another volley of nine-colored flames and a menacing death seal at the great roc.

The great roc quivered violently, coughing up fresh blood that was absorbed by the demon sword gripped in its talons.

Though the great roc possessed formidable defenses, even they couldn't withstand the assaults of Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants. However, it could endure the pain; what it couldn't endure was the sense of helplessness, the despair in Mo Qingcheng's eyes as her essence was devoured by the malevolent skeleton.

"Dumbo... survive, you mustn't die with me..."

Mo Qingcheng's weary visage suddenly blossomed into a radiant smile. Tears continued to streak down her face, yet they did nothing to diminish her beauty's glow.

"Meeting you was the best thing in my life. I have no regrets. No matter how short our time together may have been, it was all worth it."

With flames suddenly kindling around her, Mo Qingcheng spoke.

"In the Vermilion Bird Formation World, the secret art you acquired allows for demonic transformation. As for me, the secret art I learned lets me condense the fire of my life into the form of a medicinal pill." Mo Qingcheng's smile remained sweet. "I didn't want to use it, because I knew you'd never allow me to. But now, I have no other choice."

The flames blazed more intensely as her life force surged, and the evil skeleton's devouring pace quickened.

Yet, from a distance, though the evil skeleton was vastly more powerful, it couldn't stop her.

Mo Qingcheng's remaining life force condensed into a rainbow-colored pill, which she spat out toward the great roc.

"Dumbo, this is my heart..."

She continued to smile, her body slumping to the ground as she fell unconscious. Qin Wentian gazed at the hovering pill, overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions. As the skeletal hands of the evil entity reached for it, Qin Wentian opened his beak and inhaled, drawing the medicinal pill into his mouth but refraining from swallowing it.

Mo Qingcheng's form lay gently on one of the eighty-one stone platforms. Even in her unconscious state, her radiant smile never faded. It was as though, even in death, she wished to leave behind her most beautiful smile, etching herself into Qin Wentian's memories. Her long hair cascaded wildly, spreading over the stone platform, while the unshed tears in her eyes finally streamed down her cheeks.

Even in this life, she had no regrets...

But how could she not be reluctant to bid farewell in this manner?

"Dumbo." In her unconsciousness, a faint light flickered as strands of her thoughts floated upward.

"Dumbo, I really don't want to leave."

"I truly don't want to."

"But even if I'm gone, you must continue to live. Live well for me."

This voice resounded in Qin Wentian's heart, as if transmitted through the pill that Mo Qingcheng had refined.

She didn't want to leave. She still wished to be with him.

However, for his sake, she willingly chose to end her life like this. She had no other option.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

The great roc's howl reverberated throughout the space, causing heaven and earth to tremble. Without hesitation, he ruthlessly swung the sword at his own body, uncaring of his own life, feeding the demon sword with more of his blood.

The mournful wailing of the demon sword resonated with Qin Wentian's deep sorrow. Even as the nine-colored flames relentlessly devoured his body, he felt a surge of strength coursing through him as he raised the sword, pointing it directly at the ancient elder hovering in the air as he advanced.

The expression of the ancient elder suddenly contorted in alarm. In the heavens, starlight from the constellations descended. He hastily retreated while simultaneously conjuring several Seals of Life and Death.

But at this moment, Qin Wentian cared for nothing else. He hungered for blood, yearned for the elder's demise.

Bang, Bang, Bang...

The seals shattered one by one, as the sword's might, entwined with his murderous intent, proved overwhelmingly potent. His strike even managed to wound the elder, causing his blood to spray into the air.

"ABOMINABLE CREATURE!"

The elder roared in fury. A gigantic, condensed constellation appeared on his palm as he unleashed it.

"BOOOOM!" The demon sword clashed with the constellation, and the ensuing impact laid waste to the surroundings. Both combatants were pushed back, the elder coughing up even more blood. Even a powerhouse of his caliber was injured in a head-on confrontation. The Pill Emperor descended as the nine-colored flames surrounding the great roc blazed fiercely, entrapping its wings.

The great roc continued to howl, not in pain but in sheer madness. With another swift slash of his sword, the Pill Emperor hastily dodged to the side, unwilling to face the attack head-on. Both he and the other Ascendant glared at Qin Wentian, their eyes burning with venomous intensity.

"I want the two of you dead."

The great roc raised the demon sword and plunged it into its own body, allowing the blade to drink freely without restraint.

"Puchi."

Qin Wentian withdrew it and spiraled madly through the air, generating momentum, before hurling the demon sword like a javelin. The sword gleamed with his blood, transforming into a streak of crimson that reached his targets in an instant.

The expressions of the two Ascendants contorted with dread. Even with their swiftness, they had no means to evade this assault.

Stomping vigorously on the ground, waves of astral energy concentrated on their palms as they unleashed a combined attack. Their energies merged into a constellation screen, colliding with the demon sword in an attempt to nullify the strike.

"Kacha!"

Cracks appeared on the constellation screen as the demon sword pierced through it. The inexhaustible might of the sword surged forward, shattering the screen without the slightest resistance.

"GET LOST!" The two Ascendants of the Pill Emperor Hall had no chance to evade, so they thrust their palms forward in a desperate defense.

"Puchi..."

The impact shook their insides, sending both of them flying before crashing onto the ground, vomiting fresh blood. Nevertheless, they managed to survive the demon sword's onslaught.

"BOOOM!"

Qin Wentian drove the demon sword into the ground, enveloping them in its razor-sharp sword intent, tearing into their bodies.

These two formidable Ascendants, once regarded as the pinnacle of Grand Xia, now lay in such a pitiable state. Their auras fluctuated weakly, and they were so severely injured that they couldn't even stand.

As the spectators' gazes returned to Qin Wentian, they saw him transformed into a blood-soaked figure, his own wounds and those inflicted by his adversaries covering him. The nine-colored flames still burned, but the agony of his burns was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.

A deafening sound reverberated as the great roc plummeted to the ground. Its massive eyes stared heavenward as it spat out the medicinal pill Qingcheng had given him. He couldn't bear to swallow it, as if doing so would mean consuming Mo Qingcheng's life.

Tears streamed from his eyes as he lamented his lack of strength to save Qingcheng, cursing his inability to kill the Pill Emperor and dismantle the Pill Emperor Hall, even with the demon sword.

"Go finish him off," the Pill Emperor ordered hoarsely, swallowing a medicinal pill.

In the distance, the other Pill Emperor Hall experts finally snapped out of their stupor. These top-tier figures in Grand Xia had been stunned by the battle unfolding before them.

Responding to the Pill Emperor's command, they advanced toward the great roc, now lying prone on the ground.

Qin Wentian had fully transformed into a primordial great roc. If they didn't kill him today, the Pill Emperor Hall, and all the other transcendent powers in Grand Xia with grievances against him, would never find peace.

Yet at this critical juncture, a powerful spatial energy fluctuation shook the air, rippling toward them.

"BZZZ!" A figure of unparalleled beauty descended beside the great roc. She was like a celestial being, and as she materialized, she sprinkled a snowy substance over the great roc's body, soothing the burns and pain he suffered.

She moved closer to the great roc, and as it gazed at her, an indescribable emotion welled up in its heart.

"Qing'er!"

Qin Wentian whispered, never imagining that he would see Qing'er one last time before his death.

But Qing'er didn't respond. Instead, she performed intricate hand signs, and a formidable spatial fluctuation emanated from her. Her long hair danced in the wind, and traces of blood could be seen at the corner of her lips.

"Release."

Her voice remained as calm as ever, but her body convulsed violently, as if a fearsome monster within her was struggling to break free. She coughed up blood nine times in succession before finally regaining control. As the Pill Emperor Hall experts closed in, they discovered that an invisible wall, formed from the power of space, was obstructing their path.

Qing'er approached even closer, placing her palm on the great roc's body.

"Spatial Separation!"

Terrifying waves of spatial energy surged forth, containing the lingering embers, and isolating them from Qin Wentian. Then, an astonishing scene unfolded. Qing'er stepped in front of Qin Wentian and squatted down, hoisting the massive roc onto her back, intending to carry him away.

This spectacle left the crowd deeply moved. How could a delicate maiden like her lift the body of such a gigantic roc?

"Planning to leave?" From the abyss below, a voice filled with malice and the chill of evil echoed. A skeletal arm reached out, aiming to seize Qing'er. The spatial turbulence wall easily crumbled as the skeletal arm drew near. Yet, Qing'er refused to release her grip on the gigantic roc on her back, even as she spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Ai..."

In mid-air, the sound of a sigh suddenly rang out. Instantly, the skeletal arm disintegrated, and a figure descended from the sky, hovering above the great roc, arms folded behind his back.

Countless skeletal hands shot forth from the abyss, but as they approached, the newly arrived figure lightly stomped on the air. In a matter of moments, the skeletal arms crumbled to dust under the force of his stomps, and an unparalleled, overwhelming power enveloped the entire space.

The figure turned his gaze towards Qin Wentian in his great roc form, cradled on Qing'er's back. His eyes held a softness, as if he were looking at someone extremely dear to him.

"Guiding the demon sword on a journey of a hundred thousand miles. Boldly storming the Pill Emperor Hall. Transforming into a primordial great roc. The spirit he exhibits is no less than what we had when we were younger," the figure murmured to himself, his gaze drifting to the heavens as he sighed with memories of the past.

He then looked once more at the great roc, a gentle smile gracing his lips. The warmth in his eyes seemed capable of melting everything.