I, the spirit of the primitive land, have the ability to understand the universe and prove the origin of the universe
Chapter 22 - The Vermilion Bird Sings Blood, Zhong Yue Takes Action

Chapter 22: The Vermilion Bird Sings Blood, Zhong Yue Takes Action

Zhong Yue had not traveled too far—only a few tens of millions of miles—but he was quickly nearing the Fire Spirit Pearl.

Before he could get closer, a loud cry suddenly rang out.

“Li~”

Then, a burst of fire shot into the sky, and within the flames, a great bird soared, its body surrounded by the terrifying South Ming Li Fire, its flames swirling.

In an instant, the South Ming Li Fire within a radius of several hundred thousand miles began to boil, and the entire land seemed to transform into a realm of fire.

“Is that… the Vermilion Bird?” Zhong Yue’s eyes locked onto the distant figure, and in an instant, the Heavenly Mechanism revealed itself to him, bringing with it information about the creature.

The Vermilion Bird, according to legend, was the sixth daughter of the primordial Phoenix, born from bathing in the South Ming Li Fire, with an innate ability to perfectly control the South Ming Li Fire.

“Wait, no, it’s not just the Vermilion Bird. There’s something else opposite it?” Zhong Yue frowned. In front of the great bird, a dark shadow emerged.

The shadow resembled a beast with four limbs, roaring skyward. Its ominous aura swept across the heavens, with sinister energy rising, on par with the Vermilion Bird.

The distance was far, and due to the constant collisions, the void was in chaos, making it difficult for Zhong Yue to clearly identify who or what the shadow was.

Boom! Boom! Boom~

The two forces collided in the sky, firelight bursting, and ominous energy filling the air.

The aftermath of the clash swept away land after land, destroying mountains and veins, while Da Luo-level auras swept through the four seas and eight wildernesses, causing the very heavens and earth to shatter.

Finally, during a brief moment of respite, Zhong Yue saw the true form of the dark shadow.

It was a fierce beast, dog-like in shape, entirely black, its fur emitting a peculiar glow. Its tail branched out like a fox with multiple tails.

“Huodou?” Zhong Yue froze for a moment, then his expression shifted to one of realization.

Huodou was a well-known beast among the ferocious creatures. It fed on flames and drew power from ominous energy, making its presence near the Immortal Volcano understandable.

After all, the Immortal Volcano never ceased burning, with both ominous energy and flames in abundance. For beasts like Huodou, it was a natural hunting ground.

As for why the two were fighting—it was simple.

The reason the Three Primordial Races rose to prominence was due to their role in eliminating ferocious beasts during the Great Calamity, gaining massive heavenly merits in the process.

The two were natural enemies, and now that they had encountered each other, it was no surprise they were locked in a battle to the death.

Just as Zhong Yue observed, Huodou suddenly roared to the sky, opened its mouth, and began sucking in energy like a celestial dog devouring the moon, presenting a scene as though it were swallowing the world.

In an instant, the rampant South Ming Li Fire, which had been consuming everything, turned into a massive vortex and was sucked into Huodou’s mouth.

Within moments, the fiery sea that had filled the sky was completely cleared, revealing the bright expanse of the heavens.

This sudden turn of events caught the Vermilion Bird off guard. Before she could react, the Huodou charged at her.

Boom!

Its claws slammed into the Vermilion Bird’s chest, causing blood to burst forth as the bird was sent flying, blood raining down from the sky.

“Roar~”

Huodou, taking full advantage of the situation, soared into the air again. Its ominous aura mixed with the flames, transforming into a monstrous demonic god bent on turning the land into a wasteland.

Just as Zhong Yue thought the Vermilion Bird would perish, a flash of spiritual light appeared, and a round bead was expelled from the bird’s mouth.

The bead was infused with dense fire laws, shimmering with radiant colors, and emitting a kaleidoscope of light that summoned an endless sea of fire to block the void.

“The Fire Spirit Pearl?” Zhong Yue’s heart leapt with joy. He had previously suspected that the Fire Spirit Pearl might be in the Vermilion Bird’s possession, and now it seemed his guess was correct.

However, Zhong Yue didn’t act hastily.

Given the current situation, it wasn’t the right time for him to intervene.

The Vermilion Bird was not yet at her limit, and the other party had not called for help. If he intervened now, it might lead to misunderstandings.

The battle in the void continued, and since both sides had resistance to flames, the South Ming Li Fire had already disappeared, and the battle turned into a physical clash.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound of collisions rang out. Both combatants were at the early stage of Da Luo, but ferocious beasts were naturally strong in physical combat.

Despite the Vermilion Bird holding an innate spirit treasure, she began to show signs of fatigue after only a short while, with her right wing torn open, revealing a large hole.

“Friend hiding nearby, this fiendish beast is a remnant of the Beast Emperor Dynasty. I have been chasing it for hundreds of thousands of years. If it escapes today, it will surely cause chaos in the Honghuang in the future,” the Vermilion Bird’s cold voice echoed in the void, but to Zhong Yue’s ears, it sounded like the ringing of morning bells, stirring his heart.

“If you can lend your assistance, I, the Vermilion Bird, will be forever grateful.”

Her voice rang out in the void, and Zhong Yue’s heart skipped a beat.

Now that she had spoken, things became easier.

Zhong Yue’s lips curled slightly, and the void mirror above his head materialized.

After all, this was a Da Luo-level battlefield. Though he had confidence in himself, he still took necessary precautions.

“Friend, no need for thanks. Fiendish beasts disrupt the Honghuang, and they are despised by the Heavenly Dao. It is only natural for all to exterminate them,” Zhong Yue said as he looked at the Vermilion Bird. Her initial joy was replaced by a frown when she noticed his cultivation level.

Mid-stage Tai Yi?

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During the battle, her attention was scattered, and with Zhong Yue wielding the supreme innate spiritual treasure—the Void Mirror—to conceal his aura, she had only sensed someone nearby but could not detect the intruder’s true cultivation level.

To her astonishment, the one who stepped forward turned out to be a Taiyi Golden Immortal—and only at the mid-stage at that—causing her heart to sink to rock bottom.

Taiyi against Da Luo—the disparity was simply too vast. There was no need to even think; there was absolutely no chance of victory.

With that realisation, Zhuque immediately intended to tell Zhong Yue to leave on his own, to avoid throwing his life away in vain. She had already mentally prepared herself for a desperate fight to the death.

However, before she could even speak, Zhong Yue made his move from afar.

He formed a seal with his fingers, and the boundless power of the earth veins surged. A weighty and majestic aura materialised in the void, sealing the entire space completely.

In an instant, the space within several hundred thousand li* around them seemed to freeze, directly halting the charging Huo Dou.

“This is… the power of the earth veins?” Zhuque cried out in astonishment.

In order to prevent the Undying Volcano from erupting, the Phoenix Clan had long maintained the earth veins, so as a member of the Phoenix Clan, she was naturally very familiar with this power.

Yet even with the sealing power of the earth veins, she still did not hold much hope for Zhong Yue.

After all, Zhong Yue was only a Taiyi Golden Immortal, while Huo Dou was a Da Luo Golden Immortal—the difference was an entire major realm.

Moreover, as a ferocious beast, Huo Dou’s physical body was tremendously powerful. The power of the earth veins might at most delay him for a moment—it was far from enough to determine the outcome.

While she was still caught up in these thoughts, Huo Dou had already stabilised himself in the distance and turned his gaze to this uninvited intruder who had suddenly appeared.

He stood high in the heavens, sizing up Zhong Yue.

Once he confirmed that Zhong Yue’s cultivation was inferior to his own, he let out a roar and charged straight at him.

Furthermore, this Huo Dou was cunning and adaptable—he employed different tactics depending on his opponent.

Against Zhuque, he had known that the Southern Bright Departure Fire** would benefit her, so he had swallowed it to suppress its effects.

Now, facing Zhong Yue—knowing that Zhong Yue could not control flame—he released the Southern Bright Departure Fire, using its properties to enhance his own power.

“They say the Southern Bright Departure Fire is endlessly scorching, and that the Undying Volcano never ceases to burn. Today, I shall witness it for myself.”

Zhong Yue bared his teeth in a sinister grin, raised his hand, and with a single motion, a massive fan appeared in his grasp.

It was none other than the innate supreme treasure—the Hunyuan Fan.

Notes:

• • • • *Li (里): A traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 metres. “Several hundred thousand li” refers to an immense area, potentially spanning tens of thousands of kilometres.

• • • • **Southern Bright Departure Fire (南明离火, Nánmíng Líhuǒ): A mythological flame in Daoist cosmology, often associated with purification and destruction. Its intense heat is said to be capable of burning through anything, and it is commonly linked to phoenixes and divine fire.