Chapter 218: The movements of the Great Demons everywhere

218. Chapter 216 The movements of the Great Demons everywhere

Wu Du is mountainous; besides Longyuan Mountain here, there are also many many mountain ranges nearby.

The Northeast Tiger runs wind-like and lightning-fast through mountains and wilds; because its speed is too fast, it almost leaves only a faint afterimage in the air; its cultivation level and realm far surpass all animals, and the heavenly tribulation also comes to it the fastest.

Dark clouds quickly gathered above, thunder rumbled, as if ten thousand troops were approaching; the verdant mountain peaks came into view, with ranges of peaks undulating and lush, verdant forests.

This is exactly Qingcheng Mountain; although it does not have the abundant spiritual energy of Longyuan Mountain, it is also a good place blessed with spiritual beauty; on the mountain are old trees and ancient vines, with tangled roots and knotted joints; the rock bones are exposed, and the peaks' edges are sharp as if cut.

Boom—

Accompanied by a clap of thunder exploding, purple lightning struck the mountain peak, transmitting a heaven-shaking, earth-shaking tiger roar.

At this moment, the creatures of the mountains and forests seemed to have suffered a great fright, all fleeing down the mountain; all the spirits on Qingcheng Mountain are wild beasts, they have not awakened spiritual wisdom, but beasts know to seek benefit and avoid harm—this is their instinct.

After sensing the pressure coming from the peak, they naturally would not stay here; some, unable to escape in time, hid in caves and shivered.

Originally lively mountains and forests instantly became an empty expanse.

The raging wind swept over, blowing the trees east and west, upside down; while on the summit, the lightning sea surged, silver snakes danced, and countless brownish-yellow animal hairs floated in the air.

Although the Northeast Tiger's heavenly tribulation cannot compare to Ye Qin's, it is not to be underestimated; the Great Dao is impartial, all things are equal, and the heavenly tribulation that descends is according to one's own strength.

Only by undergoing the baptism of the heavenly tribulation does it mean they truly shed mortality to become demons; though it sounds easy, this process is how arduous and difficult.

Just for Ye Qin to reach this step took a lot of time; this is even with his heaven-defying comprehension and possessing a demon's body with a human soul, making him a unique exception in the world.

Precisely for this reason, Ye Qin wants to establish the demon race, so that the Great Dao is not lonely—not only for himself, but also for all these myriad beings.

If it were not for Ye Qin, these spirits probably would not have reached today no matter how they cultivated, although of course they also have their own efforts.

The Northeast Tiger had previously bathed in Ye Qin's heavenly tribulation, which almost cost it half its life, but by a twist of fate it opened the path of cultivation, and it has been cultivating day and night on Longyuan Mountain.

Later, when Ye Qin was undergoing the tribulation as a true dragon, he also intentionally guided these animals to pass the heavenly tribulation, all for today.

At the summit of Qingcheng Mountain, the lightning sea surged, white mist hazy; several thick bolts of lightning struck down, carrying the force to destroy the rotten; the ground was covered in scorched marks, and even trees taller than a person were snapped at the waist.

A torrential downpour poured down, muffled thunder rumbled overhead, accompanied by continuous booming rain sounds, as if ten thousand troops were coming; upon close listening, however, it was mixed with deafening roars.

Lightning and tiger roars intertwined, and a tremendous pressure surged between heaven and earth, as if two different forces were fiercely battling.

In the lightning sea, a striped fierce tiger was struck, bloodied; its originally neat and clean fur became like charcoal; blood flowed on the ground, almost gathering into a small stream, but was quickly washed away by the rain.

Even so, it did not lower its beast head, but instead roared toward the sky, with an unyielding ferocity; heaven provoked it, and the descending lightning grew denser.

Purple lightning snakes tore a huge opening in the sky and fiercely struck the Northeast Tiger's body; bean-sized raindrops like steel needles pierced its body, it gritted its teeth in pain, yet still did not yield.

For beasts to become demons is truly extremely difficult; Ye Qin himself also experienced it from nine deaths to one life.

At this moment, the Northeast Tiger was already on its last breath; it lay on the ground, allowing lightning and raindrops to ravage it; some wounds even exposed white bone.

Almost no part of its body was unharmed; its tendons and bones were shattered by the lightning; the formerly gentle and harmless rain now acted like sulfuric acid, corroding its body.

The Northeast Tiger slowly closed its eyes, seeming to have no vitality left; but in the next second, it suddenly opened its eyes, its pupils seeming to flash with golden light, and it stumbled to its feet.

Roar!

The tiger's roar, although somewhat weak, still carried an unyielding stubbornness and obstinacy.

As the saying goes, 'no destruction, no establishment'; its whole body's tendons, bones, and blood were washed by the lightning, instead awakening the most primitive ancient bloodline; it faintly sensed that something within its body seemed to be slowly awakening.

A hitherto unknown vitality surged from within; the lightning continued to destroy the Northeast Tiger's body, yet another powerful energy constantly repaired it!

Thunder and rain intermingled, furious winds howled; this strange sight quickly attracted the attention of nearby people.

Nearby residents heard the earth-shaking thunder; some even thought it was an earthquake, they went outside and saw that the summit of Qingcheng Mountain resembled heaven collapsing and earth splitting, with purple lightning occasionally tearing the sky and striking the highest peak.

Yet elsewhere everything was normal; only that patch of land had skies overcast as if about to fall, forming two clearly distinct worlds, one black, one white, like the Chu River and Han boundary, the contrast striking, truly awe-inspiring.

"This thunder sounds terrifyingly strange, as if the heavens are about to collapse."

"Yeah, I'm a bit short of breath, as if something big is about to happen."

"Look at that lightning—why does it only strike that spot on Qingcheng Mountain's summit, as if it had eyes?"

"You say that and it's true—why does it strike just that place?"

"I feel this scene is somewhat similar, as if I've seen it before; earlier they said in the Capital City there was a scene of a dragon ascending, which is exactly like what we see now!"

Everyone looked at the not‑far‑away sky, chattering away, not knowing what had happened on the summit.

But with such huge lightning, plus the violent wind and rain raging, they dared not casually go forward to check the situation; in the mountain forests there are many trees, and if struck by lightning, it would likely be nine deaths to one life.

Just as the nearby residents were guessing wildly, a heaven‑shaking, earth‑shaking roar came from the summit, startling everyone.

This sound was mighty and powerful, like a primordial giant beast; even the eardrums felt a stabbing pain, the pressure struck straight to the heart, and many showed panicked expressions, "What is this sound? Too terrifying!"

"Quickly look up!"

Just then, someone cried out in surprise.

Nearby residents followed the sound and saw that at the horizon, clouds and mist intertwined, hazy and vague, displaying a savage aura; and within it, there actually came a white fierce tiger galloping forth, the king character on its forehead majestic, its roar like thunder, wind arising from it, the white tiger's black stripes, its tail longer than its body.

But this apparition came and went quickly; as the wind blew, the clouds and mist dispersed, and the white tiger's phantom apparition vanished as well.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded, and couldn't help rubbing their eyes.

"What, what is this strange sight?"

"It's truly too real, feeling like a living white tiger."

The phantom flashed and was gone, not lasting long, but everyone saw it clearly; for a while they chattered on, and the locals dared not approach Qingcheng Mountain any closer, all saying that a divine beast white tiger haunted there.

……

After the other animals descended from Longyuan Mountain, they each ran off to different places.

Great Xia is vast and rich in resources, its famous mountains and rivers too many to count; they travel only on small paths or mountain trails, like drops of water flowing into the sea, thus attracting no attention.

Each animal's purpose differs; it seems as if some unseen force guides their direction, helping them find the most suitable place to undergo their heavenly tribulation.

A Flamboyant Fire‑tailed Finch flapped its wings, its fiery red feathers refracting an unusual brilliance in the sunlight.

If someone observed carefully, they would notice that behind the Flamboyant Fire‑tailed Finch there is always a mass of dark clouds following it like a shadow, and as time passes, that cloud mass draws ever closer to the bird.

As the sun set and the moon rose, the Flamboyant Fire‑tailed Finch flew through several day‑night cycles, finally landing.

Moreover, with the magical treasure bestowed by Ye Qin aiding them, their travel speed was great; in just a day or two they arrived at various places throughout Great Xia.

……

East Province, South Qi City, Mount Hua.

On the mountain, clouds and mist intertwined, smoke and rain hazy, resembling a fairyland; locals call it "Mount Hua wearing a hat".

Numerous strange rocks stood there, some like galloping horses, some like canine teeth, some like bent ribbons, some like disheveled hemp, varying in height and posture, truly dazzling to behold.

The Scarlet Fire-tailed Bird perched on a strange rock taller than a person, raised its head to look at the thundercloud above, and emitted a clear chirp.

Dark clouds gathered from all directions, instantly shrouding the fairyland in shadow; the mountain wind howled like a fierce blade, blowing the nearby trees this way and that.

The azure sky resembled spilled ink, turning murky; within that black ink, a force surged continuously, and purple lightning snakes shot out, viciously lunging to tear at the Scarlet Fire-tailed Bird.

Accompanied by exploding thunder, several feathers drifted down in the air.

The feathers the Scarlet Fire-tailed Bird once prided itself on were scorched black by the lightning, its chirp turned hoarse, and its body was covered in wounds, looking extremely horrifying.

Even so, the Scarlet Fire-tailed Bird did not give up; a red light surged all over its body, forming a cocoon that enveloped it, nurturing new energy.

As the lightning struck again, the cocoon absorbed it all, and its surface displayed a flame-shaped pattern; the pattern grew denser, actually forming a stance opposed to the lightning.

Inside the cocoon, vitality surged; the Scarlet Fire-tailed Bird grew many new feathers, all red, dazzling and striking, and even its eyes resembled rubies.

This appearance was like that of a Vermilion Bird.

Lightning continued to fall, likewise drawing the attention of nearby city residents.

"Wasn't it supposed to be sunny today? Why is it thundering suddenly?"

"This lightning is really strange, striking only that spot."

Amidst the crowd's discussion, under a huge thunderstorm, a bundle of fiery red light descended from the sky, illuminating the dark heavens.

"Chirp!"

Accompanied by a clear birdcall, the fiery red shadow rose into the sky, like a blazing flame, setting the entire firmament ablaze, even the lightning could not escape.

Watching the sky‑splitting firelight, those unaware thought a massive fire had broken out somewhere, and even the air was filled with a scorching heat.

"I feel like there's a bird inside."

"You're joking—how could there be a bird? You must be seeing things."

This fiery red light, whose origin was unknown, bore patterns resembling bird feathers; at first glance it truly looked like a large red bird, but after a moment it dissipated.

Many passersby pulled out their phones to capture this miraculous scene.

Strangely, after the red light faded, the lightning gradually diminished and then vanished into the clouds.

……

West River Province, Prosperity Virtue City, Three Pure Mountain.

Named because its three peaks—Jade Capital, Jade Void, and Jade Splendor—resemble the Daoist Three Pure Ones—Jade Clarity, Supreme Clarity, and Grand Clarity—seated atop the mountain.

At this moment, between the three peaks, a sea of lightning surged, silver serpents coiled, the beautiful peaks reduced to vague outlines, most of them swallowed by the lightning.

Within this lightning, an elk bathed in the lightning sea, awaiting its heavenly tribulation.

The sudden bad weather forced the scenic area to close temporarily; under staff guidance, other visitors could only leave quickly.

Upon reaching the mountainside, however, heavy rain triggered a landslide, blocking many people inside; fortunately, after a short while no one encountered any danger.

"Alas, I originally wanted to hike and enjoy the scenery, but now it's pitch black and I can't see anything—what a buzzkill, plus I hit a landslide, truly disastrous."

"Who says otherwise? Forget it, we can only try again next time; as long as everyone's safe, that's fine."

Staff said rescue would arrive shortly, so nobody was especially panicked; they just heard the muffled thunder overhead and felt as if something major were happening.

After the lightning dissipated, the sky quickly cleared; the rain‑washed sky became exceptionally clear and bright, and the rescue team arrived promptly, with everything progressing toward a better outcome.

Just as everyone was preparing to leave, someone suddenly looked toward the distant sky and exclaimed.

"Hey, look over there!"

Between the three peaks, a large mass of clouds actually appeared, and under sunlight it refracted into five‑colored light, quickly gathering into the shape of a creature.

Its head resembled a dragon, its body like a horse, its form akin to a deer, its tail like a cow's tail, its back bore five‑colored fur patterns, and its belly had yellow fur.

Someone couldn't help but say, "This looks like the legendary auspicious beast, the qilin."

For a moment the tourists were astonished; recalling the recent foul weather and now the brilliant sunshine, it was indeed strange, the contrast too great.

Now this lifelike qilin cloud loomed over Three Pure Mountain, adding endless mystery to the ancient peaks.

Forest Auspicious Province, southeastern region, Everwhite Mountain Range.

Mysterious white clouds swirled around the Heavenly Lake; its water was clear and jade‑green, smooth as a mirror, with strange, steep peaks rising around it, reflected in the lake—rippling light and shadow, a magnificent sight.

The lake was embraced by silver‑clad, white‑wrapped peaks; white snow spread everywhere, with no trace of dark earth, as if merging with heaven and earth.

Yet in this snow‑covered world, one day the sky was filled with lightning, and finally a different color appeared in the white world.

According to nearby residents, they had never seen such lightning before; its rumbling sounded like some ancient creature awakening.

After the lightning disappeared, locals actually saw countless fish leaping from the Heavenly Lake's springs, jumping into mid‑air as if trying to vault over something.

These tireless fish kept jumping in mid‑air, then fell back down, sending spray flying like countless pearls scattering onto the ground.

Countless fish surged forward one after another, forming a spectacular scene, truly awe‑inspiring, like the myth of fish leaping over the Dragon Gate! (End of chapter)