Early spring, when the weather is sometimes warm and sometimes cold.
In Bei Province, the ground still has unmelted white snow, leaving large patches of snow water.
The world is still covered in white, with only a few scattered green leaves.
The occasional sound of birds breaks the silence.
Chirp.
With a bird’s call, a white-headed vulture flew over the vast white land, soaring over the ancient city walls and landing on the tip of the city’s guard tower, looking down.
Inside the city, the houses are neat, with buildings arranged beautifully. This should be a big city in Bei Province, bustling with people, but at this moment, it is silent and empty, with not a single sound.
After a short rest, the white-headed vulture flaps its wings again, gliding over the silent long street and diving into the hollow of a collapsed house.
Under the rooftop, there are several bodies nestled together. A bald eagle landed in front of the bodies and pecked a few times, but found nothing but empty clothing, with no flesh remaining, only dry bones.
Knock, knock, knock.The sound of hooves coming from afar broke the silence of this dead city and startled the bald eagle, which spread its wings and flew up again.
This is a team of Flying Fish Guards riding strong horses, carrying long swords at their sides, with sharp eyes.
"Your Majesty, this city, like the others, has almost no living creatures left."
This group consists of the founding emperor of Great Yan and several spiritual refining Flying Fish Guards by his side.
"Tai Zu" is a temple title, which is usually given to emperors after their death. However, the Founding Emperor Yan had already faked his death once before becoming "Yan Shenji" and passed the throne to his descendants.
The current emperor is Emperor Wuping, while the Founding Emperor Yan retained his temple title, becoming a living "Founding Emperor Yan."
At this moment, the Founding Emperor Yan galloped along a silent long street, one hand resting on the Human Emperor Sword at his waist, his face as serious as water.
One Sage, One Ancestor, and Five Unmatched Ones are the seven greatest warriors of today’s Jiu Province.
When they surrounded the last Immortal Gate Soul Predicting Path, the other six appeared on that final battlefield, but Founding Emperor Yan was absent.
He was absent because he believed he had more important things to do.
The Flying Fish Guard’s vast network connects Jiu Province, allowing every small and big matter to be sent to the Zhong Province Imperial Capital palace.
Qiao Mu had just returned, and moments later, news reached Founding Emperor Yan’s ears in the Imperial Capital.
The high-ranking Founding Emperor Yan actually hears news much faster than before.
The Kunlun Mountain peaks that emerged in the Northwest Prefecture and the Wilderness Realm that appeared in Zhong Province and Nan Province… are all like this.
That is why he did not appear on the battlefield of the Soul Predicting Path Immortal Gate.
"Is the whole city dead, leaving no survivors? What could this be…"
The Founding Emperor Yan placed his hand on the Human Emperor Sword at his waist, instinctively tightening his grip on the divine weapon, but a strange sense of unease began to spread in his heart.
The news coming from the battlefield of the Southeast Province Soul Predicting Path made him very uneasy.
But despite his unease, he continued to move forward.
In the fifty years without Qiao, the martial artists of the world have learned to raise their weapons through blood and fire.
Although the Qiao family members of the past were incredible like a myth, they were still not true immortals; they were not all-powerful, otherwise, how could they have disappeared from the world for fifty years?
Even if a True Immortal appeared on the battlefield, and Qiao Huo returned from beyond the heavens, there was nothing he could do… This certainly shook Founding Emperor Yan, but he would not stop his steps.
If even the Qiao family members were not opponents, then the martial path of Jiu Province was meant for him to support.
After weathering fifty years, he had once faced the sect leader of Tongtian from the Northwest Prefecture alone with the Human Emperor Sword in hand.
After fifty years, he had changed immensely and would not wish to give up just before the martial artists of the world triumph.
"Let’s go to the next city," said Founding Emperor Yan as he urged his horse forward.
Bei Province still has other big cities. According to the pattern of these abandoned cities, if he travels fast enough, he might catch up and uncover a part of this dark mystery.
The horse he rode had no stray hairs at all; it was a magical horse with enchantment in its blood, capable of running a thousand miles in a day.
………………………………
As he passed through silent villages and cities, a huge city finally appeared on the plains ahead.
"We’ve arrived at Beilu City, the largest city in Bei Province, with a population of hundreds of thousands," Founding Emperor Yan’s face showed a hint of joy.
As the pinnacle of martial arts in Jiu Province, his spiritual refining instincts were exceptionally sharp. He had sensed the vibrant life force coming from Beilu City in the distance.
This was a city of living people, where a vast population of hundreds of thousands continued to live as usual.
But just as Founding Emperor Yan’s joy began to show…
The sky suddenly darkened.
Black and red lightning tore through the sky, continuing without end, as if a scar had appeared in the heavens, while dark rain poured down like ink.
Then, the sky completely collapsed and cracked.
In the view, a gigantic hand, large enough to block out the sun, seemed to rip a corner of the vast world apart, with boundless emptiness behind it.
A terrifying force began to emerge, and the distant Beilu City collapsed under the giant hand, with shattered buildings and rubble being pulled into the sky.
A crimson light enveloped the entire city, and in the places seen and unseen by Founding Emperor Yan, hundreds of thousands of mortals vanished in the blood light, like lights in the night blown away by the wind.
Behind him, the Flying Fish Guard watched this scene, momentarily unable to show any expression, just standing there in shock and muttering:
"Great Ancestor… the sky has fallen!"
At this moment, those who could follow Founding Emperor Yan were undoubtedly elites above the 3rd rank of the Spiritual Refining Period, but even they were momentarily at a loss for words in the face of this calamity.
He could only watch helplessly as the giant hand blocking the sky came down, erasing a city with hundreds of thousands of people from the plain.
In an instant, the mountains and rivers shattered, the giant city turned to ashes, and hundreds of thousands of people disappeared into dust. The sky tore open a corner, resembling a catastrophic end-of-the-world scene.
"Lord Wei from Southeast Province previously sent a message saying that a True Immortal with the power to catch stars and grab the moon has appeared. Is this true?" someone murmured.
"Be quiet!" the Founding Emperor Yan shouted sternly.
His hair stood on end as his instincts sensed an overwhelming danger, but in front of the Flying Fish Guard, he showed no fear.
He placed his hand on the Human Emperor Sword at his waist, and with a sharp sound, the sword was drawn.
This Human Emperor Sword was the sword he carried in his youth. With it, he fought in battles across the land, later becoming the nation’s weapon for the Great Yan Imperial Court, suppressing the fate of the dynasty.
For fifty years, he used it to slay the leader of Tongtian Sword Sect, ensuring that the Great Yan Imperial Court remained standing to this day.
So, today he would also ———-
"The struggle between immortals and mortals in Jiu Province has lasted nearly a hundred years. When the dawn of victory finally appears, it should not be lost at this moment, even if it involves the so-called True Immortal…"
Founding Emperor Yan’s eyes widened in anger, and the Human Emperor Sword in his hand shimmered with a deep yellow glow as he swung it toward the giant hand that covered the sky.
Just as he swung the sword, a soft "Eh?" echoed in the emptiness.
The heavy light of the sword seemed to split the sky, parting the dark clouds, but when it struck the giant hand, it was like a monkey reaching for the reflection of a flower in the water.
The colossal hand that blocked out the sun momentarily blurred, then returned to its original form.
The thick deep yellow sword light passed through the giant hand, leaving a clear cut in the sky behind it, amidst the clouds.
Founding Emperor Yan stood with his sword drawn, feeling lost in his heart.
"Failed to strike?" This was a result that left him bewildered.
To the naked eye, the light of his Human Emperor Sword had clearly touched the giant hand, but in his intuition, it seemed there was an insurmountable chasm between them.
"This should not be… this does not make sense."
Founding Emperor Yan swung his sword again and again.
The cold sword light tore through the sky, ripping the ground beneath into long deep fissures; each strike was strong enough to split mountains and shatter stones.
But no matter how hard he tried, it was like a restless monkey reaching for the moon in the water, ultimately helpless.
Even the Human Emperor Sword, which once stood against the Immortal Gate, did not work at this moment.
"Is there really such a huge gap between True Immortals and mortals? I don’t believe it!"
Founding Emperor Yan continued to wield the Human Emperor Sword; the battle between humans and immortals had lasted a hundred years, and he could not accept such an ending.