Chapter 814: Qiongqi

"What's happening? Could it be that Dead Qi has come back to kill?"

Everyone's faces turned white with fright; the recent ordeal had already scarred their minds, and they could not endure any more.

"Impossible! Everyone, don't panic! Chaotic Azure Lotus is an Ancient Divine Object; with it, Dead Qi cannot rise again!"

Yu Wuji's broad, steady voice reached everyone's ears, offering some reassurance.

But if it's not Dead Qi, then what could it be?

While the others fidgeted with anxiety, Ye Qingran, after a brief surprise, fixed her gaze on the red light!

Earlier, for various reasons, she hadn't uncovered the secret of the red light; now the time had come!

With that thought, Ye Qingran leapt, soaring toward the red light; as she drew near, the red light grew ever more blinding, like a sun, impossible to stare at.

Ye Qingran held one hand before her eyes, reached out with the other, and the icy touch made her raise an eyebrow involuntarily.

So cold!

"This is…"

It feels like jade in texture, yet it is not jade.

After Ye Qingran grasped the mysterious object, its glow gradually faded, finally revealing its true form.

It's a piece of broken stone!

Just an ordinary stone, the kind no one would pick up if it fell to the ground!

"Broken?"

Ye Qingran rubbed the crack with her fingertip, murmuring softly, then she drew the Ruinous King's Sword, compared the stone to it, and slipped it into the groove on the sword's hilt.

Then, to her astonishment, she found that a portion of it fit the groove's contours perfectly!

A sharp glint flashed in Ye Qingran's eyes.

Could this broken stone have fallen from the Ruinous Sword's hilt?

Her eyes grew dim and vague as she slowly clenched the stone in her palm.

"I don't know if you remember, but sculptures like this exist both in Zhai Xing Pavilion and Suspended King Hall, and they look identical."

In her ears, Lu Shen's voice echoed.

Ye Qingran snapped her head up, suddenly enlightened.

After a violent tremor, a massive formation appeared before the mountain gate of Jade Autumn Sect.

A raging wind swirled as a colossal silhouette slowly rose from the ground!

Everyone stared in stunned awe at the slowly emerging behemoth, breathing with extreme caution.

When it fully revealed itself, everyone's eyes reflected that massive figure, their gazes frozen!

What kind of monster was it?

As large as a mountain!

Its hair resembled spears, razor‑sharp!

Its body was like a tiger's, yet it bore a pair of fleshy wings on its back; its head resembled a kirin, and its two massive tusks were like peerless swords!

"Qiong… Qiongqi!"

For those of the Floating Life Realm, surely no one is unaware of Qiongqi.

It's not that they see it often; rather, it is the foremost of the Ten Great Beasts of legend in the Floating Life Realm!

Legend says its temperament is ferocious, it loves to feast on humans, and a single meal of blood can fill a pond!

Thus, the fear of Qiongqi among Floating Life Realm folk is deeply ingrained in their bloodline memory, so when they learned it was Qiongqi, each person's complexion grew paler and their legs grew weaker.

Ye Qingran was fine; she had naturally heard of Qiongqi, one of the Ten Great Beasts, but felt little; she merely marveled at its size and the aura of evil surrounding it.

"No wonder I felt something was off earlier; it turns out this place also sealed the beast Qiongqi!"

Ye Qingran muttered to herself.

"Run! It's really Qiongqi!"

"It's over…"

Acting on instinct, many fled before fighting.

"Everyone, don't panic; this Qiongqi's strength has been weakened. If we work together, we can surely subdue it!"

Yu Wuji raised his voice to remind them.

Most managed to overcome their fear, at least not scattering, but a small fraction acted recklessly, like birds and beasts.

Ye Qingran also fled with them.

"Look! Ye Qingran… ran away?"

Someone suddenly shouted, and at first the crowd didn't believe it; looking up, they saw Ye Qingran actually riding a sword… running.

"Now you see, don't you? That so‑called suppression of a generation's Peerless Heaven's Pride was nothing but a cowardly retreat, a mouse‑hearted scoundrel!"

Ye Wen mocked to the utmost.

Many, upon hearing this, could not hide their disappointment.

Originally, because Ye Qingran had saved everyone, all were grateful to her, but her desertion when Qiongqi appeared truly disappointed them.

"Night Pavilion Master, cease the slander! Our captain simply has his own plans!"

Qing Lan shouted loudly.

Members of Lingyun Team naturally could not believe Ye Qingran would flee in battle.

The reason Ye Qingran left must be that she thought of some method!

"What plan requires abandoning everyone at this moment?"

Liu Chenyu sneered disdainfully.

"Ye Qingran must have known we are no match for Qiongqi, so she fled!"

Liu Jin said coldly.

"You just said our boss couldn't possibly drive away the Dead Qi, but what's the result?"

Bai Pang shouted a question.

Ye Wen and the others were left speechless by the question.

"So what? In this world, nobody could possibly deal with Qiongqi! Ye Qingran must have realized that, which is why she slipped away!"

"Is that so? Then we'll see!" The Lingyun Team members did not want to argue with Ye Wen and the others.

They firmly believed that facts outweigh eloquence; the moment the boss returns, that's when the rumors will collapse on their own.

Qiongqi seems to have been sealed underground for too long, so from when it came out until now, the whole beast has been dazed.

Its eyes dazed, it looked around, after a long silence it finally realized it was Qiongqi, the chief of the Ancient Beasts, an incredibly violent beast; it shouldn't be so gentle, but should open a massacre!

"Roar!"

Qiongqi waved its huge wings, whipping up a hurricane; its massive form blotted out the sky as it circled in the void a few times, then let out a long skyward roar, the huge sound waves turning substantive, almost shattering everyone's eardrums1

"So strong!"

Everyone secretly sighed in awe.

Even after being sealed for so long, it still possesses awe-inspiring strength; indeed, it is the Ancient Beast Qiongqi!

Everyone gripped their weapons, yet none dared to step forward to oppose Qiongqi.

A dark red light filled Qiongqi's eyes, and Qiongqi finally regained its violent temperament.

It lunged at the crowd; in an instant, the earth shook and mountains trembled, and everyone could only flee in all directions.

Qiongqi is too strong; even if its power isn't at its peak, no one present can match it.

In its eyes, humans are nothing but ants!

Seeing that Jade Autumn Sect had not been devoured by Dead Qi but was about to be trampled to pieces by Qiongqi, a clear voice rang out!