Though rumors filled the sky and versions of the story varied, one point remained consistent.
Yun Zheng—the Fifth Patriarch of the Wendao Sword Sect, its second-generation Sect Master, and a Sword Immortal—had fallen on the banks of the Wild River.
But before his passing...
He had simply shattered the entire East Desolation, adding three thousand miles of territory to the Northern Borders.
Boundary Mountain had shifted east to the banks of the Wild River, where a new city was currently under construction.
As for the Three Sects and Hundred Schools, the Thousand Sects and Ten Thousand Races, the intelligence they received was far more accurate and clear.
Yun Zheng's death was beyond reproach; the decline of the East Desolation was now a foregone conclusion.
The auspicious beast, the blood deer, had been led across the Longevity Bridge by Xu Xian.
The Wendao Sword Sect had gained yet another peerless genius.
Beyond the thirteen halls of the Wendao Sword Sect, a new hall was added, named the Demon-Slaying Army.
As for the East Desolation...
According to reports from scouts who had ventured deep into the territory, they had traveled tens of thousands of miles east of the Wild River without encountering a single beast sovereign or sensing the aura of even half a beast god.
The original locations of the Eight Great Tribes—their royal cities and ancestral mountains—had all been slashed to pieces, reduced to a landscape of ruins.
Even the Divine Moon Pool had been destroyed.
The lake's surface, spanning thousands of miles, remained turbid and foul for days on end.
After careful analysis, the high-level officials of the Central Province concluded that the vitality of the East Desolation's demon race had been severely damaged. Their state was even more miserable than it had been ten thousand years ago.
For the next five thousand years, they would struggle to pose any threat to the human race.
Not only that.
At the intersection of the North Sea shore and the far north, thousands of miles of land had also been ground into powder.
Another great battle had taken place there as well.
According to information revealed by sea beasts that had been captured by chance, an old man holding a massive blood-colored banner had fought over ten beast gods from the North Sea who intended to reinforce the East Desolation. They battled for seven days and seven nights.
In the end, the beasts suffered a crushing defeat.
No fewer than three beast gods had fallen, and at least ten others were wounded.
The entire North Sea was shaken; it was heard that even the true dragons in the depths of the North Sea had been disturbed.
Yun Zheng's single sword strike startled the world.
The name of Wendao shook the eight desolations.
The news of the youth possessing a Sword Tower and the divine sword contained within it also spread like wildfire.
In this battle, although Yun Zheng had died and the Wendao Sword Sect's foundation had been diminished, he had left an indelible mark on the entire world.
Knowing his end was near, he did not hide away in the mountains to evade the prying eyes of the Heavenly Dao. Instead, he had charged out with his sword.
In a desperate counterattack, he had single-handedly swept through the Great Desolation.
This overturned the common understanding of most people.
It was an unexpected turn of events.
Even now, though the Wendao Sword Sect had lost a patriarch, no one in the world dared to entertain thoughts of taking advantage of their perceived weakness.
Who knew if the remaining patriarchs might act just like Yun Zheng?
Ignoring all consequences, they might stage another scene of a desperate struggle where the fish die and the net breaks.
The people of the Wendao Sword Sect were capable of anything.
To destroy the Wendao Sword Sect, one would first have to eliminate those few saint patriarchs.
Otherwise, even if the Wendao Sword Sect were leveled, one's own home would likely not be spared.
...
Deep within the East Desolation.
The Divine Moon Pool.
More than half a month had passed before Bai Ze, who had been cowering at the bottom of the pool, finally dared to show his head.
Looking at the former holy land of the demon race, now a desolate wasteland, his eyes were filled with hatred and rage, yet he could not hide his sorrow and heartache.
Ten thousand years of endurance.
A sudden outbreak.
He had originally thought they could sweep back and aspire to the Central Plains to avenge their past humiliations. He never expected that after this battle, they would be defeated beyond recovery.
The entire race had plummeted into the abyss.
Behind him, one beast after another emerged from the Divine Moon Pool.
Like Bai Ze, they looked around in a wretched and dejected state, their eyes as dim as dead ashes, devoid of any vitality.
They all knew very well.
It was over.
The demon race of the East Desolation was completely finished.
"How could it be like this..."
"What do we do?"
"This debt must be repaid."
Some were lost in despair, some were utterly dejected, and some were filled with indignant resentment.
Few of their old friends remained, and their former holy land had been trampled into ruins.
Seeing Bai Ze and the others appear after half a month, a scout who had been waiting there for a long time hurried forward to pay his respects.
"This subordinate greets the Emperor!"
Bai Ze asked abruptly, "How is the East Desolation?"
The scout reported truthfully.
"As the Emperor can see, the Divine Moon Pool is destroyed, and the ancestral lands of the Eight Tribes have also been ruined. The casualties are heavy!"
Bai Ze remained silent for a long time before asking again, "Are there any survivors?"
The scout choked out, "Aside from the lords who hid in the Divine Moon Pool with the Emperor, not a single one above the beast sovereign stage in the East Desolation has survived!"
Hearing this, Bai Ze's already frail body trembled involuntarily.
A streak of fresh red leaked from the corner of his mouth. As he lowered his gaze, his eyes fell upon the lake beneath him.
He thought that if it weren't for this lake, perhaps they wouldn't even be standing here now.
That day, Yun Zheng had made the arrogant claim that he would single-handedly sever five thousand years of the demon race's fortune.
He had dismissed it as a joke.
Now it seemed it was far more than five thousand years.
He didn't blame Yun Zheng; he only blamed the youth for lending the sword.
Yun Zheng was already a peerless Sword Immortal. Once he held a world-shaking divine sword, who in the world could possibly match him?
Behind him, the ten or so surviving beast sovereigns and the three beast gods heard this grim news. Their faces were as dark as ink. One of them cursed in a low voice:
"Damn it, it's all Red Moon's fault. Even in death, she should be considered a sinner of our race."
The others joined in one after another.
"Red Moon has failed our East Desolation!"
"I said long ago that this tigress would eventually bring ruin to our race."
"Emperor, back then this old servant advised you not to place so much trust in that woman. What should we do now?"
"Things have already come to this, what else can be done? She's already dead..."
Whether humans or beasts, after surviving a great calamity, those who are helpless will always seek to shift the blame.
They were unwilling to admit their own incompetence.
They also didn't dare to take revenge on the Wendao Sword Sect.
So, they could only push this resentment and hatred onto someone who was already dead.
It was Red Moon who had made the first move.
It was she who had incited the conflict.
Therefore, she should be the one to bear the infamy.
The Emperor only gave a self-mocking smile upon hearing this.
"Heh."
Red Moon?
Was Red Moon really wrong?
Deep down, they all knew the truth.
"Laughable!"
"Emperor, what do you mean by this?"
Bai Ze said absentmindedly, "He was always going to come. He would have come eventually."
The beasts were completely bewildered.
Bai Ze walked away in a dejected state.
The beasts remained in a daze.
They looked at one another.
"What did the Emperor mean?"
"Ghost knows!"
"What should we do?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"
From the direction where Bai Ze had departed toward the distant mountains, a long, melancholic sigh drifted back.
"All of you, go back. Return to your tribes, find your people, and tell them to retract their claws, hide their fangs, lower their tails, and bow their heads. Do not go to the west anymore..."
The eyes of the beasts flickered with uncertainty...
After a long time, they dispersed.
Perhaps the Emperor just needed some peace and quiet.
But the East Desolation truly needed to rest and recover.
To the west of the distant mountains, a tall city was slowly rising, spanning the western bank of the Wild River. The surging river water flowed from south to north amidst the swirling snow...
It was destined to stand here for a very long time.
In the future.
Whenever the beast race sees this Great Wall, they will surely remember that youth in green holding a flaming sword.
Like a god of death descending.
Turning the East Desolation into a purgatory.
Meanwhile, far away within the mountain gates of the Wendao Sword Sect in the heart of the Northern Borders, everything was flourishing.
In the Baicao Residence of Falling Cloud Peak, a brilliant new star was slowly rising through the accumulation of time...
This was the end of an old era, and the beginning of a new one.
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