West of Shanghai City, lies the Dragon God Mountain.
The sky was shrouded in dark clouds, and scarlet lightning bolts continuously struck down from the heavens, fiercely impacting the mountains and igniting wildfires.
The villagers at the foot of the mountain believed it was the wrath of the Dragon God and prostrated themselves, begging for its mercy.
However, what the villagers did not know was that deep within the mountain, there was no dragon. Instead, a Qilin, enveloped in crimson lightning, was protecting a Qilin cub that was covered in wounds, baring its teeth and glaring upwards.
In the sky, a white-robed man with flowing white hair, deep eyes, and an unparalleled handsomeness, looked down indifferently at the Blood-Shedding Qilin below.
The Blood-Shedding Qilin had reached the Ninth Grade realm, yet its limbs trembled uncontrollably in the presence of the white-robed man!
The pressure emanating from the white-robed man was overwhelming!
"Father... are we going to die?"
The Qilin cub, trembling, hid behind the Blood-Shedding Qilin, its face filled with fear as it asked the Qilin shielding it.
"Silly son, I just rescued you. How could I let you leave me again? That fellow, your old man can crush him with a single palm!"
The Blood-Shedding Qilin forced itself to appear calm and composed in front of the cub.
Only it knew that the pressure the white-robed man in the sky exerted on it was the same as what Ye Ling had exerted when they encountered each other at the Sun Family Manor!
If they were to truly fight, it stood no chance of victory!
However, the Qilin cub was naive. After hearing the Blood-Shedding Qilin's words, it genuinely believed its father could defeat the opponent. Its spirits lifted, and it bared its teeth at the white-robed man.
Looking at the two Qilins, one large and one small, the white-robed man spoke calmly, "The demon cores of the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger, the five sacred beasts. I already possess four. Now, if you obediently hand over your demon core, I shall spare your life."
"You wish!"
The Blood-Shedding Qilin glared fiercely at the white-robed man, its body crackling with lightning.
The demon core was the source of its power. If it were truly taken by the white-robed man, it would be no different from losing its life.
The Qilin's entire body was a treasure. It was only through its own formidable strength that the Blood-Shedding Qilin could survive in this world.
If its demon core were taken, it wouldn't even require the white-robed man to act personally. Other demon races coveting Qilin blood would tear the father and son apart!
Therefore, no matter what, the Blood-Shedding Qilin could not hand over its demon core.
Fighting offered a sliver of hope; not fighting meant certain death!
Seeing the Blood-Shedding Qilin remain silent, the white-robed man lowered his eyelids slightly. A cyan longsword materialized in his hand. "Since you refuse, I shall take it myself."
"This is Tian Ming, an ancient divine weapon. It is your honor to die by this sword!"
"Roar!!!"
Upon hearing the white-robed man's words, the Blood-Shedding Qilin roared, spitting out a streak of bloody lightning towards the white-robed man!
First strike, best advantage!
"Awooo!"
The Qilin cub mimicked its father, opening its mouth and spitting out a small arc of electricity, which vanished mid-air.
The white-robed man looked indifferently at the bloody lightning spat out by the Blood-Shedding Qilin. He merely took a step forward with his sword, then effortlessly passed through the bloody lightning, instantly appearing before the Blood-Shedding Qilin.
"So fast!"
The Blood-Shedding Qilin's pupils contracted violently, its mind going blank!
The gap in strength between them was too vast.
The white-robed man spoke no words. He grabbed the Blood-Shedding Qilin's horn with one hand, twirled his right hand, and pressed Tian Ming against the Blood-Shedding Qilin's forehead.
"Father!!!"
Seeing its father's head being held, the Qilin cub's eyes welled up with tears. It lunged towards the white-robed man, but was repelled by the aura surrounding him.
It wasn't even qualified to get close.
"Son, flee quickly!!!"
The Blood-Shedding Qilin roared, urging its son to escape.
The enemy was too powerful. Even with its Ninth Grade cultivation, it was utterly crushed by the white-robed man!
The chasm-like difference filled the Blood-Shedding Qilin with profound despair.
"Rest in peace."
The white-robed man uttered softly, and Tian Ming sword glowed with a cyan light.
He pushed the sword forward, intending to pierce the Blood-Shedding Qilin's head.
But suddenly, a hand grasped Tian Ming. No matter how hard the white-robed man pushed, he couldn't advance Tian Ming even half an inch!
"Hmm?"
The white-robed man was startled. Following the hand, he saw a smiling Ye Ling standing beside him!
"It's you!"
Upon seeing Ye Ling appear, the white-robed man's pupils contracted slightly!
Without any hesitation, he immediately released his divine weapon and retreated, creating distance between himself and Ye Ling.
Ye Ling took Tian Ming and applied slight pressure with his fingers, directly crushing the ancient divine weapon into pieces!
Ye Ling looked at the white-robed man and smiled, "We finally meet..."
"Ye Feng."
The Blood-Shedding Qilin had not yet recovered from the recent events. Seeing Ye Ling appear, its face was filled with excitement. It quickly expressed its gratitude, "Thank you, my lord, for saving my life! I am eternally grateful!"
"You retreat to the back."
Ye Ling said calmly to the Blood-Shedding Qilin, his gaze fixed on Ye Feng. The smile on his lips gradually turned cold.
Now that he had found Ye Feng, Ye Ling would not let him escape his grasp again.
Ye Feng had also regained his composure. He didn't care how Ye Ling found him. He looked at Ye Ling and asked indifferently, "You are Su Xue'er's brother, aren't you? I have wanted to meet you for a long time."
"Disappeared for six years, and upon your return, your strength rivals that of gods and immortals. I am very curious, how did you cultivate during these six years?"
"Or perhaps, like Su Xue'er, you are also a transmigrator?"
Ye Ling chuckled, "It seems you know quite a lot, otherwise, you wouldn't be hiding from me like a rat everywhere."
"I have my reasons for avoiding you. You don't need to mock me."
Ye Feng beckoned again, and Tian Ming, which had been shattered by Ye Ling, flew back into his hand. Numerous fragments reassembled, self-repairing.
"Very well. Before heading to the ancient ruins, you remain an unstable factor. Today, I shall test your mettle."
As soon as Ye Feng finished speaking, Ye Ling instantly appeared before him, coldly stating, "You are not worthy to test my mettle."
Red light flashed in Ye Ling's eyes, and dark demonic energy coiled around his body. He reached out with one hand towards Ye Feng's head!
Ye Feng's expression shifted slightly. He hadn't even seen Ye Ling's movement clearly!
So fast!
With no time to dodge, Ye Feng was grabbed by Ye Ling, completely losing his balance!
Ye Ling grabbed Ye Feng's head and violently slammed it towards the ground.
Bang!!!
The earth shook, and the mountain collapsed!
"Cough!!!"
Ye Feng coughed out a mouthful of blood, his skull fractured!
The intense pain stimulated his nerves!
Crack!
Ye Ling's eyes turned scarlet, staring intently at Ye Feng. He tightened his grip, feeling the urge to crush Ye Feng's head!
However, Ye Ling quickly remembered the life-bound contract mentioned by Qing Mu. He suppressed his killing intent and released his grip.
Ye Feng seized the opportunity, turning into dust and reforming some distance away, kneeling on one knee, using his sword to support his body.
"You..."
Ye Feng endured the intense pain in his head, took out a pill and swallowed it. He then looked at Ye Ling, who seemed possessed by a demon, with utter shock, his heart churning like a stormy sea!
He knew there was a certain gap in strength between himself and Ye Ling.
But he had never imagined that the disparity would be so immense!
He had miscalculated...
The Blood-Shedding Qilin behind them stared dumbfounded at the shattered mountain before them and the heavily injured Ye Feng.
It fixated on Ye Ling's retreating back, its mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.
What kind of monster was this?
It could no longer find any adjectives to describe its current feelings.
It possessed Ninth Grade cultivation and should have been at the pinnacle of this world. Yet, in the face of Ye Feng, it had no power to resist.
And the god-like Ye Feng, when confronting Ye Ling, the gap in their strength... was even greater than the gap between itself and Ye Feng!
What was happening to this world?