The Creation of the Heavens and All Realms

Chapter 38: The Messenger of Destruction—Ming Kui

Having slain the demon beast and made a name for himself, Zhou Tianci had become the center of everyone’s attention—something he had fully anticipated. “Revealing one’s strength has its pros and cons. For me, since I intend to stay in the City of Tears and Blood, I need to catch Liu Yuntao’s attention.” Zhou Tianci knew exactly what he had to do and acted with increasing decisiveness. Zhou Tianci’s slaying of the demon beast seemed to serve as a signal; the once-peaceful Snake’s Lair suddenly erupted into chaos, with more and more demon beasts emerging from the snake caves. “Hum…” A rumbling vibration came from beneath the massive crater. Zhou Tianci and his companions looked down and saw that Liu Yuntao had also been attacked by demon beasts. Unlike Zhou Tianci, Liu Yuntao did not choose to fight head-on. He dodged the attacking serpent-like demon beast and simultaneously landed a punch on its jaw. When Liu Yuntao’s powerful punch struck the demon beast, it sent shockwaves through the air in the pit, creating a strong gust of wind. From that single punch, Zhou Tianci witnessed Liu Yuntao’s formidable strength. “He truly lives up to his reputation as a Xiantian Gangqi Realm master—the power unleashed by that punch is on par with my own. Coupled with the indestructible nature of Gangqi, even a demon beast’s physique would likely have been injured. If I didn’t have the Qianjun Sword in hand, I certainly wouldn’t stand a chance against Liu Yuntao.” ” Zhou Tianci analyzed. He realized he had previously underestimated the strength of the Gangqi Realm; the leap in a martial artist’s power from the Zhenyuan Realm to the Gangqi Realm was far greater than he had imagined. Having fended off the demon beast’s sneak attack, Liu Yuntao’s descent accelerated slightly. Within four or five minutes, he was the first to reach the bottom of the pit. After landing, Liu Yuntao walked calmly toward Spirit Lake. “You bastard, Liu Yuntao!” Seeing this, Huang Shuyi grew anxious. Abandoning concern for the rest of the Huang family, he plunged straight toward the bottom of the pit. He wasn’t the only one to suddenly accelerate; Zhang Yuliang, head of the Zhang family; Wang Qingzhi, head of the Wang family; and Zhao Pan, head of the Zhao family, followed in perfect unison. Behind the four of them were Wan Wusheng of the Wanhai Pavilion, as well as Zhou Tianci, who was determined not to be left behind. Inside the massive pit, serpentine demon beasts would occasionally emerge from their lairs to launch surprise attacks. In just a few short minutes, roughly a dozen Innate-level experts perished one after another—some plummeted to the pit’s bottom, while others were dragged into the serpent lairs by the demon beasts. On level ground, even an early-stage Innate-level expert wouldn’t fall victim so easily, but within the depths of this massive pit, the demon beasts held an overwhelming advantage. Following Liu Yuntao’s landing, the heads of the Four Great Clans touched down one after another, with Wan Wusheng and Zhou Tianci landing almost simultaneously. As soon as the six of them touched down, they swiftly made their way toward the Spirit Lake. By the time they arrived, Liu Yuntao was standing at the edge of the Spirit Lake. Zhou Tianci silently walked up behind Liu Yuntao. “You’re quite impressive,” Liu Yuntao said to him. “General Liu, the Yuan Jing are about to emerge from the water. Shouldn’t we divide them up first?” Huang Shuyi suggested on behalf of the Four Great Clans. Zhou Tianci surveyed the Spirit Lake. It wasn’t particularly large—spanning about several li in diameter—and though the water was crystal clear, it was strangely opaque. Zhou Tianci also noticed that the water was incredibly cold, with a thin layer of icy spiritual energy shrouding the lake’s surface. The Spirit Lake’s eerie qualities didn’t end there. As Zhou Tianci scanned the area, he saw over a hundred stone pillars surrounding the lake. The pillars appeared to be naturally formed, each one as crimson as blood. Their tops were embedded in the pit’s walls, while their bases connected to the Spirit Lake, giving the lake a somewhat terrifying appearance. What alarmed Zhou Tianci most was the aura of destruction he had sensed upon entering the pit. Standing by the lakeshore, he could confirm that the aura originated from the lake’s depths! “This is definitely no place for the faint of heart!” Zhou Tianci heightened his vigilance. “I’ll take five; you can divide the rest among yourselves,” Liu Yuntao said, gazing at the lake’s surface. “General Liu, your appetite is a bit too big!” Zhang Yuliang couldn’t stand Liu Yuntao’s arrogant demeanor—he himself had a proud nature. “Based on past experience, there are at most 15 Yuan Jing. And since the interval between this beast tide and the last one is shorter than usual, the number of Yuan Jing is likely to be fewer than before. You’re just demanding five off the bat—what are we supposed to do?” Wan Haisheng seemed uninterested in the division of spoils between the two sides, a smile never leaving his face. Liu Yuntao shot Zhang Yuliang a glance: “I don’t care what you guys do. My orders are to secure five Yuan Jing. Whether there are many or few in the lake, not a single one of my five can be missing!” “General Liu, you’re being a bit too domineering. Among the Four Great Clans here at Shepan Mountain, ours is the strongest; it’s only right that we take the largest share,” Wang Qingzhi stepped forward and said. “Exactly! With the treasure at stake, everyone must rely on their own strength. If General Liu thinks he can use the military and the royal family to suppress us, he’s mistaken!” Zhao Pan also made his position clear. The resolute tone of the Four Great Clans did not sway Liu Yuntao’s stance, but it did lead to a subsequent standoff between the two sides. As time passed, more and more Innate-level experts landed at the bottom of the pit. The numbers of the Northwest Legion and the Four Great Clans continued to grow, and with their leaders’ opposing stances, the two groups, now hostile toward one another, faced off on the banks of Spirit Lake. Once everyone had landed, Zhou Tianci scanned the scene. During the descent into the pit, the Northwest Legion had lost two commanders, while the Four Great Clans had lost twelve Innate-level experts—a far greater loss than their own. What piqued Zhou Tianci’s interest was that the Wanhai Pavilion had suffered not a single casualty. In addition, more than twenty independent cultivators had followed them down; they’d been quite fortunate, losing only one person. “General Liu, Heads of the Four Great Families, it’s still a bit early to discuss the distribution. Why not wait until we’ve confirmed the number of Yuan Jing before deliberating?” Wan Wusheng stepped forward with a smile to smooth things over, easing the tense atmosphere. By the shore of the Spirit Lake, 25 members of the Northwest Legion, 54 from the Four Great Clans, 16 from the Wanhai Pavilion, and 26 independent cultivators—a total of 121 people—waited quietly for the Yuan Jing to appear. About a quarter of an hour later, ripples began to form in the center of the previously calm Spirit Lake; it seemed something was rising to the surface, drawing everyone’s attention. “The Yuan Jing are about to surface!” Cao Ming whispered to Zhou Tianci beside him. “This Spirit Lake is unfathomably deep, and its waters are extremely cold—even Innate-level cultivators cannot enter it. We can only wait for the Yuan Jing to rise to the surface on their own.” “There are actually 23 Yuan Jing!” Zhang Yuliang exclaimed with delight. The others all wore expressions of joy; this number clearly far exceeded everyone’s expectations. Only Liu Yuntao’s expression kept shifting, as if lost in thought. The Yuan Jing rose rapidly. In the blink of an eye, all 23 diamond-shaped crystals appeared on the lake’s surface. Each crystal contained a vast amount of spiritual energy and radiated an alluring glow. “They really are Yuan Jing!” Many people’s faces lit up with a look of rapture. No sooner had the Yuan Jing surfaced than more than twenty figures darted toward the lake—all of them from the independent cultivators’ faction. “Are you looking to die?!” The young disciples of the Four Great Clans cursed in unison. They were deeply displeased that the independent cultivators had struck first; some, without waiting for instructions from their elders, rushed after them, fearing the Yuan Jing would be snatched away. “General, should we intervene?” Sun Chong asked. Without Liu Yuntao’s orders, not a single member of the Northwest Legion made a move. Strangely, the people from Wanhai Pavilion remained motionless as well. “Let’s wait a moment,” Liu Yuntao said, a gleam flashing in his eyes, though it was unclear what he was waiting for. The Yuan Jing were about two li from the lakeshore—a distance that was not far for Innate-level cultivators. Among the independent cultivators, one figure moved with extraordinary speed, closing in on a Yuan Jing in a matter of seconds. “This person is a renowned figure among the independent cultivators of Jiangzhou. Her name is Yun Caixiang. She’s incredibly fast—though her cultivation level is only at the True Qi Realm, she can outpace even those at the Gang Qi Realm,” Cao Ming explained to Zhou Tianci. “If she gets her hands on the Yuan Jing, we’ll be in trouble. Once she leaves this area, no one will be able to catch her!” Zhou Tianci watched as Yun Caixiang was about to seize the Yuan Jing, and his face betrayed utter horror! “What’s wrong?” Cao Ming asked, puzzled. Before Zhou Tianci could reply, a black arm shot out of the lake, seizing Yun Caixiang’s right hand—which was reaching for the Yuan Jing—at just the right moment. Yun Caixiang was pulled into the lake without any chance to resist, and the Yuan Jing vanished along with her! “There’s something at the bottom of the lake!” Everyone was startled. The Innate Realm experts who had flown over the Spirit Lake in an attempt to seize the Yuan Jing all changed course, no longer caring about the Yuan Jing. “Second Brother!” A member of the Zhang family roared at the lake’s surface, just as another person was pulled into the water by that black arm. “What’s going on?” Zhang Yuliang looked at Huang Shuyi, his expression a mix of shock and confusion. “This has never happened before, has it?” Huang Shuyi looked just as bewildered: “How could there possibly be a living creature in the Spirit Lake?” “Fall back!” Liu Yuntao was equally shocked, but his reaction was quicker than that of the Four Great Clans; he immediately ordered a retreat. The others followed suit, pulling back several hundred meters before coming to a halt. “Pavilion Master Wan, do you know what kind of monster that is?” Liu Yuntao suddenly asked Wan Wusheng. Wan Wusheng held a dark yellow iron ruler in his hand as he quickly searched his memory. “I have a vague recollection of this creature!” Wan Wusheng paused for a moment before speaking. “It appears to be a Ming Kui!” “The Ming Kui?” the others asked, puzzled. Wan Wusheng explained slowly, “The Ming Kui is a legendary monster—neither human nor demon beast, and extremely rare. Only one instance of the Ming Kui has ever been recorded throughout history, so it’s perfectly normal that you’re unfamiliar with it. I only made this guess after happening to come across an ancient text that mentioned the Ming Kui; whether I’m right or wrong remains to be seen.” “Brother Wan, what kind of monster is Ming Kui exactly?” Huang Shuyi asked. “The Ming Kui is born from the death energy of the universe. It embodies malevolent thoughts, resentment, and the desire to kill—it is a harbinger of destruction. It dwells in places of extreme yin and extreme cold, nourished by the essence and blood of living beings, and takes countless years to take shape.” Wan Wusheng recalled the contents of the ancient texts. “According to the records, once the Ming Kui appears in the world, it brings about massive slaughter, and the Ming Kui itself grows rapidly amidst the carnage. Legend has it that the Ming Kui possesses limitless potential; when it reaches its peak, it can destroy heaven and earth—it is truly terrifying!”