"How is this possible? I've known him for a million years and never sensed it?" Saint Qing Niu was filled with disbelief.
"Hmph, the Dragon Clan chief has returned. You destroyed his home back then, and now he's back for revenge. I advise you not to interfere, or I wouldn't mind fighting you," Ye Ming looked at Xiao Ju Xun in the distance, his heart filled with pain and affection.
"Please, Divine Venerable, reconsider. If you act, these Nine Heavens will surely collapse!" Saint Qing Niu was startled. He had personally witnessed this god of slaughter fly into a rage for his wife, otherwise, how would the Guixu Realm have come to be, if not for his divine power wreaking havoc.
"Hmph! My daughter faced the great tribulation that day and emerged from certain death. Thus, I don't mind you giving her a push. However, my patience has limits. If she wants to do anything she pleases upon her return, and wants to kill someone, then that person should prepare their neck." Ye Ming's tone was stern.
Saint Qing Niu choked. This god of slaughter was indeed not to be trifled with. He was fortunate he hadn't committed much bloodshed back then. As for those few others, they could only pray for themselves. Fine, he would go into seclusion upon his return. As for his three thousand disciples, this tribulation was their due.
He had long suspected that the Nine Heavens, or rather the Nine-Headed Demon Bird, had an inside informant in the immortal realm, but his investigations had led to dead ends back then. Saint Qing Niu gave a wry smile, realizing the traitor was right beside him. The demon race was bloodthirsty; even the bald donkeys in the west dared not provoke them, let alone convert them.
He could not tolerate Jiu Xiao's actions in leading demons to invade. He had been wrong. He had lost his original intent, thinking that the immortal race would only rise after the disappearance of the divine race, and thus he had stood by. He never expected that these outer demons were orchestrated by Jiu Xiao...
"Hahaha! The heavens' cycle of retribution, who has ever escaped? No wonder I could never become a god; I severed my own path! I, too, have committed bloodshed! Hahaha! This Daoist departs! There will no longer be my Qing Niu sect in this world." Saint Qing Niu laughed sorrowfully, his laughter laced with despair.
Ye Ming watched the old Daoist's staggering figure with neither joy nor sorrow. It was a pity, this man had shaken his Dao heart. His subsequent fortune depended on his own destiny.
Dragon God had known of Divine Venerable Ye's arrival long ago. Ju Xun and Hu Hu saw a disappearing figure, and then joyfully saw their own father appear. She didn't rush over; she was determined to get revenge.
The Underworld Emperor Jiu Xiao heard the laughter and looked back, only to see Saint Qing Niu disappear into the void. He panicked, his long-time friend had abandoned him.
The Divine Dragon seized the opportunity, its claw tearing through a head. Ju Xun followed closely, beheading a bird's head. Jiu Xiao let out a pained, sky-rending wail.
Losing two heads consecutively, the Nine-Headed Bird's cultivation plummeted. It could no longer maintain its true form and reverted to human shape. Ju Xun held her sword to Jiu Xiao's neck, while the Dragon God struck Jiu Xiao's divine essence with a divine seal, sealing his power.
Jiu Xiao had given up hope the moment he saw Long Hu Hu. Over the years, he had long harbored regret. That was why he had hidden in the Underworld. However, his outer bodies were even more ambitious than he was, stirring up turmoil in the immortal realm. The sword just now had slain a clone of Jiu Xiao Divine Lord. Each of his heads could become a clone. In the lower realm, the Grand Unity True Person, the Nine-Headed Soul Devourer Bird, the Ninth Prince, and Jiu Xiao – he had already lost four clones. He had dispatched his other clones to the outer realms to find Hu Jiu, refusing to believe she was dead.
The Dragon God sealed his divine power precisely to prevent his other clones from emerging.
"You needn't worry. The other clones have gone to the outer realms. I believe Hu Jiu is in some small world."
"You are not worthy to mention her!" The Dragon God struck Jiu Xiao's face from afar with a palm. Jiu Xiao was sent spinning, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The Dragon God was filled with grief. It must have been a terrible ordeal back then. When he fell out of the void, the Divine Wood Realm was ablaze, mountains collapsing and the earth cracking.
"Uncle Long, this is for you!" Ju Xun handed the recording stone to the Dragon God.
"How do you have this?" The Dragon God was greatly surprised, grabbing Ju Xun with joy.
"Xiao Ju Xun, did you see her? Where is she?" The Dragon God's eyes held a glimmer of hope.
"No, Uncle Long. This is from my Seven Star Guard, Bai Hong, who obtained it by chance. You can look."
The Dragon God's gaze dimmed. Ye Ming also flew over and patted his old friend's shoulder. Hei Hun, meanwhile, glared at Jiu Xiao, practically drooling with anticipation.
The recording stone lay in his palm, slowly rising into the air. As if recognizing the Dragon God as its master, the projected water screen displayed the scenes Ju Xun and Hu Hu had watched, followed by new footage.
"Long San, where are you? Are you dead?" Hu Jiu was being pursued by an outer realm demon. She was hiding in a tree hollow. The great Divine Tree had already been ravaged, its immense defenses breached, and its trunk was swaying precariously.
"Jiu'er!" The Dragon God, seeing this scene, was overcome with grief. Long Hu Hu hugged the Dragon God tightly.
"Long San, I can't hold on. Are you dead? Are you really dead? But I'm about to die. They've broken a hole in the sky. If it's not sealed, these outer realm demons will flood in endlessly. They have no reason. Heh heh, Long San, aren't those people in the Heavenly Realm a bit foolish, colluding with these demons, aren't they afraid of backlash? Look, our Divine Wood Realm is about to be destroyed.
Husband, my father is dead, my brother is dead, and the Dragon Clan elders are dead. Many of the divine race couldn't escape. They all died protecting me. I'm so sad! Husband, I don't want to go and plug that sky hole, but Husband, our Hu Hu is in the immortal realm. I sent her away. What if she encounters these outer realm demons when she grows up?" Hu Jiu's beautiful face was filled with anger, sorrow, and longing for her husband and child. She rambled on, knowing her time was short. Blood continuously overflowed from the corner of her mouth. She couldn't hold on much longer.
"Jiu'er~~~~~~" The Dragon God stared intently at the screen, realizing what she was about to do, and looked on in terror. Damn it, why did he leave Jiu'er at that time?
Jiu Xiao, watching this scene, also widened his eyes in terror. He had never known it would be like this. He had wronged her.
After a while, Hu Jiu recovered and continued speaking.
"Husband, if you are dead, I will come to find you. If~~ if~~ if you are not dead, remember to avenge me and raise our daughter. Husband, that hole is getting bigger and bigger, it's really going to collapse. I am the Saintess of the Nine-Tailed Divine Fox of the Divine Race, this is my responsibility. Husband, I'm leaving." The screen suddenly went black as Hu Jiu shut off the recording stone.
The Dragon God urgently activated his divine power. The recording stone would restore what had happened.
Indeed, the massive Divine Tree fell. Hu Jiu retrieved a shining object from it and swallowed it—the primal power of the Divine Wood Realm. She transformed into a giant, beautiful white fox and flew towards the sky hole. Numerous outer realm demons attempted to stop her. One of those wearing masks seemed to realize something and began to hunt down the demons hindering the Nine-Tailed White Fox, assisting her ascension.
The white fox grew larger and larger, until it blotted out the sun. Upon reaching the sky hole, the white fox used its massive body to block the rift in the void. It spat out fox fire, burning itself. She was refining herself to seal the opening.
"Jiu'er~~~~~~ No~~~~" The Dragon God cried out in grief, spitting blood and collapsing as he looked at this scene.
"Father, Mother!" Long Hu Hu, witnessing her mother sealing the void with her own body and her father spitting blood and falling, felt a sweetness in her throat. She wanted to speak but spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.
"Uncle Long, Hu Hu!" Ju Xun cried out.
...