Two streaks of white light hurtled through the vast expanse of the sky, rushing forward like meteors chasing the moon.
From that moment on, Mei Xueyan felt an inexplicable sense of unease, a churning in her spirit that she could not quell.
In truth, ever since the advance force comprising the Bear King, Eagle King, and the Eight Great Sages had departed, Mei Xueyan’s heart had never settled. However, at the very start of their journey, Jun Moxie had sent her into the world of the Li Jun Tower, cutting off all external information. Mei Xueyan understood the gravity of the situation, so she focused on nurturing her qi within the Tower, her mind entirely fixed, ensuring she maintained her absolute peak condition to handle whatever might follow.
Later, by a twist of fate, they encountered the experts from the Heavenly Saint Palace surrounding and besieging Zhan Lunhui, and the two of them became entangled in that battle. Throughout the entire engagement, Mei Xueyan never formally revealed herself, but the assistance she rendered Jun Moxie was certainly no less than Gu Han’s, perhaps even surpassing it. Because she was so dedicated to the fight, her mind was concentrated, unattached to external things, her spirit as still as calm water.
Yet, as the great battle concluded, there was none of the usual elation from defeating such a peerless powerhouse. Instead, she felt waves of panic and disquiet wash over her, the bad feeling intensifying, leaving her heart pounding and her thoughts a chaotic, tangled mess. After parting ways with Gu Han and the others from the Heavenly Saint Palace, as they set out to find the remnants of the Three Great Sacred Lands, Mei Xueyan immediately urged Jun Moxie to hasten, driving him mercilessly towards Tianzhu Mountain.
Almost without any pause, she pushed Jun Moxie so hard he didn't even have time to drink water or catch his breath; they simply flew straight there!
The territory encompassed by Tianzhu Mountain was truly immense; that colossal ruin was now visible in the distance!
For some unknowable reason, the closer they got to Tianzhu Mountain, the more anxious and restless Mei Xueyan became. An indescribable sorrow and grief welled up within her, making her feel intensely urgent yet overwhelmingly timid, as if she dared not enter that specific area!
This was a subtle psychological state, one that even Mei Xueyan herself couldn't fully comprehend. Clearly, many of her own brothers and elders awaited her aid ahead, yet she vaguely sensed that boundless sadness also awaited her there, poised to deliver a heavy blow…
As the destination drew nearer, Mei Xueyan’s body grew strangely weak, showing signs of being unable to fly further.
“What is it?” Jun Moxie asked, gazing at his beloved in surprise.
Mei Xueyan’s usually jade-like, beautiful face was now frighteningly pale, completely drained of color, and her lips trembled slightly. Could it be that she had expended too much energy in the recent battle with Zhan Lunhui? However, that seemed unlikely.
“My body is fine, but my heart aches terribly. I don’t know what’s wrong,” Mei Xueyan steadied herself, shaking her head and furrowing her delicate brows. “I have this ominous feeling… Am I worrying needlessly?”
The usually resolute and steady Mei Xueyan asking this question so abruptly clearly showed she hoped Jun Moxie could give her a firm affirmation, a measure of support from her lover!
Jun Moxie took a deep breath and replied, “How can one rely on such vague, ethereal feelings?”
Actually, as Jun Moxie spoke those words, his own heart skipped a beat. He too had felt something similar to Mei Xueyan’s premonition of disaster the moment he entered the vicinity of Tianzhu Mountain. But fearing Mei Xueyan would worry too much, he hadn't mentioned it.
This was a form of spiritual resonance, the intuition honed through countless trials by a master assassin sensing danger!
Once such a feeling manifested, something definite was about to occur!
Jun Moxie was almost certain that something disastrous must have befallen the Eagle King and Bear King’s coalition forces! He himself was burning with impatience now. But in front of Mei Xueyan, he dared not reveal even a shred of it.
If he were to display his own anxiety…
Mei Xueyan might collapse before they even arrived!
The Eagle King, the Bear King, the Eight Great Sages! Who were they? They were the people dearest to Mei Xueyan! Especially the Eagle King and Bear King, brothers who had spent countless years side-by-side with her!
That bond was even deeper than that with biological siblings; it surpassed flesh and blood ties by far!
If anything truly happened to them, the blow to Mei Xueyan would be absolutely devastating!
As a man, the pillar of support for his woman, even though Jun Moxie’s own heart was like oil on a griddle, outwardly, he had to pretend to be unconcerned, employing every method possible to comfort Mei Xueyan.
This was a man’s responsibility!
But faced with Mei Xueyan’s sudden final question, Jun Moxie understood he couldn't offer his beloved too much illusory hope, lest it create a greater burden for her in the future. It was better she endure temporary, sharp pain now than chronic, hidden agony for a lifetime!
“Xueyan, your current state is not ideal. Why don’t you enter the Tower again, calm your mind, and recover while I carry you flying,” Jun Moxie suggested cautiously. If Mei Xueyan agreed to go inside, things would be simpler. The Li Jun Tower could shield her from all external auras. If something truly terrible had happened, her absence from the immediate scene would soften the impact. Telling her later could greatly diminish the shock—it was the best compromise under the circumstances…
“No!” Mei Xueyan flatly refused. “I must see my brothers! I must let my brothers of the Heavenly Punishment know the moment I arrive—I am their Eldest Sister. Whatever happens, I will stand in front of them to shield them!” With that, she gritted her teeth and actually increased her speed, a velocity subtly surpassing her usual maximum.
Jun Moxie sighed, following her, flying silently behind. Though he knew her action would only harm herself further, he couldn't stop her. In his heart, he thought: Yes, whatever happens, you, their Eldest Sister, can shield and share it for them. But, there are always things in this world that no one can shield, and you cannot either! Some necessary confrontations cannot, and must not, be avoided!
Now, all Jun Moxie could do was pray silently, hoping the blow wouldn't be too severe! Or perhaps the situation wasn't too grim; after all, with volcanic eruptions all around, the likelihood of foreign races having arrived at this time might not be very high.
Even the Monarch of Evil, Jun Moxie, could only comfort himself in this manner.
Both of them unconsciously accelerated their pace.
Though they were still a considerable distance from their destination, a dense, bloody scent was already washing over them. One must remember that the current winds were genuine, grade-nine hurricanes! Furthermore, they were flying upwind, almost carried by the gale! Yet, even from this distance, and against the wind, they could smell such a heavy, ferrous odor!
Mei Xueyan’s face turned even whiter; she bit her lip tightly, desperately flying forward.
Suddenly, her silhouette froze sharply in the sky, her eyes filled with panicked helplessness, and she let out a piercing shriek: “Little Eagle!” Her eyes stared blankly at a spot ahead in the sky.
Jun Moxie looked over, his pupils instantly contracting, his expression stiffening.
There, a cloud of mist, formed from blood, was slowly rising, coalescing into the shape of a colossal, world-overshadowing male eagle. With iron wings, a sharp beak, powerful talons, and golden eyes, mingled with an arrogance that looked down upon all living things, it soared toward the heavens without the slightest hesitation!
In the blink of an eye, it vanished completely into the high cloud layer!
Mei Xueyan looked up, watching the blood-red giant eagle slowly disappear. Suddenly, she let out a cry as if her heart were burning and her entrails were tearing. Shaking violently, she stumbled in the air, nearly falling. She immediately stabilized herself, then shot forward like an arrow, flying desperately! Her speed was now unimaginably, indescribably fast!
Jun Moxie’s face instantly turned ashen! A hint of crimson flashed deep within his pupils!
The Eagle King! Had he passed on?
His figure flickered, unleashing his Yin-Yang Escape to its fullest extent, chasing after her at top speed!
The vast battlefield, the fierce fighting had clearly ended!
Silence!
A ground littered with smoke and fire, an endless panorama of scattered limbs and corpses, countless severed heads rolling in the wind, still staring upward with wide, angry eyes!
The intense scent of blood in the air was almost suffocating!
This was no ordinary battlefield; it looked more like the aftermath of a battle between gods and demons that had triggered the world’s destruction!
The Bear Clan warriors, perhaps fewer than a thousand remaining, had formed a large circle, kneeling silently toward the center of that circle! They were guarding their King, who had fallen into a coma from excessive grief, while simultaneously paying their highest, most devout respects to the fallen Eagle King!
No one shouted; no one wailed. Mist from the blood hung low, but the scene was one of deathly stillness, like a bloody purgatory or a ghost realm. Yet, this unspeakable silence was almost unbearable; this atmosphere of extreme, compressed oppression felt like it could crush a heart until it burst!
A sharp, mournful cry sliced through the air!
All the Bear Clan warriors looked up in unison toward the direction of the cry, excitement flickering in their eyes!
That was the voice of the Eldest Sister!
The Eldest Sister had arrived!
A streak of white light flashed—Mei Xueyan plummeted from the high sky like a meteorite. The intense shockwave generated lifted large chunks of stone from the ground, and even upon landing, with Mei Xueyan’s power, she staggered a few steps.
But she showed no hesitation or delay; she hurried toward the center of the circle formed by the Bear Clan warriors!
She had run so urgently that even the silk scarf tied in her hair had been blown away by the hurricane at some point, leaving her beautiful long hair streaming wildly in the wind, yet she was completely unaware.
Reaching the edge of the circle formed by the crowd, she suddenly stopped dead!
The reason? She… was afraid!
Afraid of truly seeing something she refused to witness!
The Bear Clan warriors watched her silently. The usually slow-witted Bear Clan, at this moment, perfectly understood Mei Xueyan’s thoughts. Tears slowly welled up in the eyes of every warrior as they remained silent.
Mei Xueyan’s heart instantly plunged into an abyss, sinking, sinking relentlessly…
“Move aside!” Mei Xueyan’s voice trembled, and her body shook violently. “Tell me, tell me what happened? Where are the other brothers? The brothers of the Eagle Clan? And where are the Eight Elders?”