Qi and Qing Ling ascended into the clouds, heading east. Qi was exceptionally excited, chattering incessantly about the changes in the surrounding territory of the Xi Shan clan over the past few centuries.
In recent years, the Scarlet Toad clan to the south and the Spotted Hyena clan to the west had frequently encroached upon the borders of Xi Shan.
Even the Green Lizard clan to the east had begun to stir, while only the Grand Ape clan to the north remained as steadfast as ever, indifferent to the minor skirmishes of the other clans.
The reason these clans were invading Xi Shan was not only their long-standing covetousness for Xi Shan's spiritual脈, which was only slightly inferior to a blessed land, but also because of the Ten Thousand Beast War, a grand competition among the myriad races of the Eastern Wilderness, occurring once per Yuan Hui.
The southeastern lands of the Primordial World had already been divided among the thousand races subservient to the Dragon Clan and the three great clans of Qilin, Phoenix, and Dragon.
In the Eastern Wilderness, myriad races thrived. Within the territories governed by the Dragon Clan, four of the seventy-two Grand Clans resided. In addition to these, hundreds of smaller clans coexisted. Among these smaller clans were about two hundred branches that, like the Xi Shan Serpent Clan, were solitary races, scattered across the southwestern regions of the Eastern Wilderness. There were also races such as the Salamander Clan, comprising seventy-seven subspecies, and the Spirit Toad Clan, with fifty-two subspecies, which occupied vast areas.
These clans, every Yuan Hui, would reach the population limit that their territory could sustain. Consequently, wars would erupt to cull a large number of ordinary clan members and to temper the warriors, thereby alleviating the pressure on the environment.
If a clan were to fail in such a war, they risked being annihilated and having their territory seized to bolster the victor's strength.
Xi Shan, for tens of thousands of years, had been showing signs of resurgence from its decline. The number of mortal snakes had far surpassed that of the past, and the number of Earth Rank clan members had significantly increased. In the perilous environment of the Primordial World, no one would allow an enemy to grow; any threat must be eradicated immediately!
Qing Ling, sorting through these thoughts, couldn't help but sigh at how vast and boundless the Primordial World was, and how much turmoil and conflict existed in just the southeastern corner.
Their purpose in this journey was to protect a detachment of the Serpent Clan stationed at the eastern border of Xi Shan. One Heaven Rank, ten Earth Rank warriors, and thousands of mortal snakes had suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of a large-scale invasion by the Green Lizard clan. It was rumored that five Earth Rank clan members had already fallen in battle.
The garrison in this region was so sparse because the Green Lizard clan had maintained friendly relations with Xi Shan for several Yuan Hui, and neither clan had trespassed on the other's territory, thus leading to a relaxation of vigilance.
When Qing Ling and Qi arrived, they witnessed a scene on a thousand-zhang wide precipitous cliff. Hundreds of great serpents, coiled atop the elevated slope, vigilantly faced tens of thousands of green giant lizards below.
The bodies of over six hundred great serpents were riddled with bloody wounds, their scales torn by sharp claw marks that pierced flesh and blood.
Despite being at a severe disadvantage, the serpents showed no fear. In a clan battle, there was only life or death in combat, and no concept of surrender.
Three Earth Rank clan members, not yet fully transformed, bore the likeness of human bodies with serpentine tails. The serpents surrounded them, all raising their heads, their emotionless, cold eyes fixed on the enemies below.
On the ground lay hundreds of serpent corpses and green lizard carcasses, mangled and blood-soaked, staining the emerald grass.
Under the setting sun, the serpents raised their heads, their shadows stretching long. They looked towards Xi Shan in the distance, bathed in the sunset, the ancestral home of their kin for generations. Xi Shan was the only exception to their cold-blooded nature.
Tens of thousands of green lizards lay flattened in the low-lying grasslands, waiting for nightfall. When the serpents' blood flow slowed, their movements became sluggish, and the cornered, weary serpents would have no strength left to resist.
As the vast sun in the west slowly sank below the horizon, the residual clouds of the sunset and the evening glow began to fade. A gentle, cool breeze stirred. The boundless sky and the verdant grasslands would become their burial ground!
The three Earth Rank clan members suddenly threw their heads back and let out a skyward roar. Their forked tongues shot out, emitting a loud, hissing sound.
"Hiss" was usually a soft sound, but imbued with magic power, the snake's cry was heavy and profound. It was the last sound born from their yearning for life and their sorrow in facing death, perhaps their final utterance before being buried by the heavens and earth.
"Hiss~ Hiss~"
"Hiss~ Hiss~"
"Hiss~ Hiss~"
Six hundred giant serpents hissed with all their might, their collective serpentine power reaching an unprecedented peak. Perched on the highest point, they bowed their heads, touching the ground in reverence towards the west. Xi Shan, their ancestral land, stood tall and unyielding in the Eastern Wilderness for eternity!
When Qing Ling and Qi arrived, they saw this scene of a hundred serpents kneeling in prayer. Despair had reached its abyss, and silence had fallen. The majestic mountain of Xi Shan was their only solace.
Qing Ling was deeply moved. He had never witnessed cold-blooded serpents bowing with such reverence, their serpentine bodies, usually coiling in movement, held so rigidly straight. They were merely ants in this era, their deaths unlikely to stir even a ripple. Yet, they were among the countless participants of this era, their lives demonstrating the cruel and wild nature of their time.
Among the green lizard horde, several Earth Rank giant lizards stomped their four feet heavily on the ground. The tens of thousands of green lizards surged forward, their four legs carrying them towards the serpents.
Just as the serpents were about to make one last desperate struggle, a streak of crimson light descended from the heavens, crashing before the serpents.
As the dust and smoke were blown away by a gust of wind, the fallen object was revealed.
It was a male child, his head disproportionately large, clad in a black fur coat. His face was contorted in anger, and flames blazed in his eyes. The little boy raised his hand, drawing a massive black saber he always carried on his back. The saber was nearly four feet long, only a foot shorter than the boy himself. The sight of the child wielding the saber was comically absurd.
But the moment the saber was in his hand and unsheathed, Qi's aura surged, like a rising smoke signal that permeated all directions, his saber light illuminating the heavens. He became like a peerless swordsman, with a saber in hand, radiating an overwhelming presence that suggested the world was at his command.
Alone, he stood before the multitude of lizards, and not a single one dared to advance further. All was silent.
The serpents on the cliff's edge rejoiced. Sensing the familiar scent of their kin, they knew Xi Shan had not forgotten them.
The atmosphere was abruptly shattered. Impatient with the prolonged stalemate, several hundred-zhang-long giant lizards in the green lizard horde stomped their four feet, instantly leaping forward with lightning speed towards Qi. Simultaneously, they opened their mouths, spitting streams of venom.
"Zheng~"
A flash of crimson light filled the world. The colossal saber moved in an instant, cleaving five times. Five bloody saber energies, possessing the power to split mountains and break seas, shot forth with even greater speed, piercing the five lizards before the venom's sharpness could even diminish.
"Pfft~"
"Pfft~"
Five simultaneous sounds echoed as the saber energy entered their bodies, shattering armor and scales. The bodies of the five green lizards were instantly split from head to tail, their blood splattering a hundred feet onto the green grass.
"Bang~"
"Bang~"
The impact of the five falling corpses echoed on the ground, causing the myriad lizards to recoil in fear.
Qi lifted his saber, which remained unstained. Merely five bursts of saber energy had instantly annihilated five Earth Rank warriors!
In the distance to the east, wind and thunder erupted, and five figures descended from the sky. The leader was a green-faced elder, accompanied by two men and two women on either side.
The elder flashed forward, crossing a thousand zhang in a single step, and appeared a hundred zhang above Qi. The two men and two women positioned themselves around Qi, instantly encircling him from all directions.
The green-faced elder snorted coldly and reprimanded, "Serpent folk of Xi Shan, the Dragon Lord has set the order. In the Ten Thousand Beast War, Heaven Rank may not slaughter Earth Rank, and Golden Immortals may not destroy Heaven Rank. You have violated the Dragon Lord's decree!"
Upon hearing this, Qi, who had been about to sheathe his saber, raised it again. However, he did not attack immediately. Instead, he shouted, "Brother, they are bullying me."
At these words, the five Heaven Rank lizard folk froze. They hastily scanned their surroundings with their divine sense, but found no unusual activity. A burly lizard man bellowed, "Long Serpent, to toy with us like this, are you seeking death?"
However, before his voice had even died down, a figure suddenly materialized a thousand zhang above their heads. It was a being with a human body and a serpentine tail, naked save for its green tail, wielding the "Spring Breeze" and "Fine Rain," its eyes radiating divine might, like a god looking down upon all beings, indifferent to the masses.