Spirit Forest 2

As the Black Dragon Cavalry moved in an orderly formation out of the city towards the Spirit Forest, the sound of horses' hooves reverberated through the air. Suddenly, Hei Long, the general of the army, spotted a young girl walking toward him. She wore a damaged soldier's helmet, her face smeared with dust and dirt, and in her hand, she held a single flower.

Seeing the girl, Hei Long ordered the Black Dragon Cavalry to continue their march, then dismounted his horse and knelt before the girl. She looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes, before offering him the flower with trembling hands. "Please, avenge my mother and father," she said softly, her voice filled with pain.

Hei Long glanced at the soldier's helmet she was wearing. The name inscribed on it was likely her father's, who had perished in battle against the spirit beasts. The helmet was probably the only thing left of him. Hei Long smiled faintly, taking the flower from her hands and gently patting her head. He wiped away her tears and spoke in a warm voice, "I promise, I will kill every last spirit beast and bring them back as food for you, little one."

The girl used her small helmet to hide her tear-streaked face. Her sorrow echoed in the eyes of the townspeople watching the scene. Hei Long stood up and spoke to her with firm resolve, "Stay strong. If ever you lose faith in this cruel world, remember that Emperor Li Huang will always be by your side."

Hei Long then pinned the flower to his spear, mounted his horse, and rode swiftly out of the city. The crowd that had witnessed the exchange erupted into loud cheers. Their voices were filled with hope and faith in the Black Dragon Cavalry and Emperor Li Huang.

In the Spirit Forest, explosions echoed as the Black Dragon Cavalry battled ferocious spirit beasts. Each strike was precise and efficient, with countless spirit beasts being slain. The shadows of the Black Dragon Cavalry moved swiftly like the wind, sweeping through the forest. Shouts and commands from Qing Ying resounded across the battlefield, "Leave none of them alive! Wipe them all out!"

The sound of battle roared through the forest. The Shadow Guards mercilessly slaughtered any spirit beasts that dared stand in their way. Thunderous blasts accompanied their relentless attacks, as the Shadow Guards cut down spirit beasts without pause. The corpses of the beasts littered the ground, piling up into mounds of death.

Several spirit beasts of the Transcendent level were swiftly killed by Qing Ying, who dispatched them with a single strike.

Bai Xue watched the fierce battle, unsure of what to say. What she witnessed wasn't just a massacre—it was a complete extermination. The brutality of the Black Dragon Cavalry and the men in black brought the spirit beasts to a state of utter despair from which there was no escape.

Amid the roars and fighting, Hei Long swung his Black Dragon halberd toward an entire mountain, reducing it to rubble. Though the battle raged on, the vastness of the Spirit Forest meant that the sweep would take longer than anticipated.

Hei Long and Qing Ying both felt the process was slow, but for anyone else, claiming half of the Spirit Forest in three hours would be considered a great victory.

Suddenly, a voice shouted from the sky, "What are you doing?! Committing such cruel genocide against the spirit beasts—do you still have any humanity left?!"

Bai Xue turned to see a young man sitting atop a blue flame phoenix, flying high in the sky. His gaze was filled with hatred as he looked down on them.

But neither Hei Long nor Qing Ying paid him any mind. They continued slaughtering the spirit beasts without even glancing in his direction.

A thunderous boom reverberated as the Black Dragon Cavalry and Shadow Guards paused. The blue flame phoenix flying above them unleashed immense power, revealing its cultivation at the ninth level of Transcendence.

The young man atop the phoenix sneered, "Tremble in fear! Today I shall—"

Before he could finish, the blue flame phoenix suddenly became alert. It twisted in midair to avoid something, but it was too late. A crack of lightning tore through the sky, and in an instant, both of the phoenix's wings were sliced cleanly off with deadly precision. The phoenix plummeted from the sky, crashing violently into the ground with a deafening thud.

The phoenix screeched in agony, its massive wings severed and scattered across the ground. The young man, who had once stood proudly atop his companion, now looked on in horror as his blue flame phoenix lay gravely injured. Suddenly, the entire Black Dragon Cavalry and Shadow Guards knelt down in unison, their voices ringing out.

"We have met the Emperor!"

The young man looked up to see a chariot silently approaching from the sky, and as the doors of the chariot opened, Li Huang stepped out with a stern expression.

Li Huang issued a command immediately. "Bring that man to me."

At once, several members of the Black Dragon Cavalry and Shadow Guards leaped from the shadows. Hei Long charged forward to seize the young man, who didn't have time to react. Other Shadow Guards restrained the badly injured blue flame phoenix, ensuring it couldn't escape.

The young man was dragged and thrown to the ground before Li Huang. He tried to stand, but a Black Dragon soldier pressed him down forcefully, keeping him in place.

Li Huang smiled faintly before speaking. "The Imperial Book." An immense aura radiated from his body, gathering in his hand until it coalesced into a book. Li Huang's face twisted into a chilling smile.