Primordial Era: Starting with slaughtering all the gods and Buddhas in the sky

Stepping out of the cave, the valley was quiet. Most of the tribespeople, who had just experienced a life-or-death ordeal, were still hiding in their simple wooden houses and caves, their shock unsettled.

"grown ups!"

Ah Shi's face showed relief at surviving a disaster.

"What...what was that just now? It was like the sky was falling down," an old man asked, still shaken, his cloudy eyes filled with fear.

Huang Chen shook his head, indicating that they could rest assured.

"It's alright now, we're safe for the time being."

His voice carried a calming power, and upon hearing him say this, Ashi and the other elders visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Huang Chen looked up at the sky.

After being transformed by the grand formation, the sky above the valley was no longer a transparent defensive shield, but a dark red miasma that blended into the surrounding environment, churning and surging, with no trace of the formation visible.

That airship must have already gone far away. The moment this thought flashed through my mind, a sense of alarm suddenly arose in my heart.

An indescribable chill ran up my spine to the top of my head.

No! That deadly sense of threat not only didn't disappear, but became even sharper, like the fangs of a venomous snake pressed against the back of the heart.

Huang Chen suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing through the layers of miasma, looking towards the sky.

There, above the clouds, a colossal vessel hovered silently.

The Sky-Hunting Flying Ship never left!

It was like an ancient ferocious beast lurking in the sea of ​​clouds, hovering above a cliff a hundred miles away from the shelter, its cold hull gleaming with a metallic gleam.

On the bow deck, Zhao Wuji stood with his hands behind his back, his face ashen, his eyes showing no sign of frustration at his fruitless search, only indifference.

"Scanning with my divine sense, there was no sign of life, not even poisonous insects."

A deacon behind him bowed and said, his tone tinged with a hint of confusion.

"Elder of Punishments, the poisonous miasma in that area seems several times denser than elsewhere. Could there be something strange about it?"

Zhao Wuji did not answer, but slowly raised his right hand, palm facing upward.

An ancient bronze mirror, three feet in diameter, appeared out of thin air and hovered above the palm of the hand. The mirror's surface was as smooth as water, and its edges were engraved with intricate and mysterious patterns of the sun, moon, and stars.

The Heavenly Mirror!

One of the most important artifacts of the Xuantian Sect, it possesses the supreme power to see through illusions and understand the origins of things.

"You think you can fool me with mere miasma?"

Zhao Wuji pointed his fingers like a knife and slashed across the tip of his left finger. A drop of crimson blood tinged with a faint gold slowly seeped from the wound.

This drop of essence blood contained the original power of his cultivation at the Refining Void and Merging Dao stage. As soon as it appeared, the surrounding space rippled.

"go!"

Zhao Wuji flicked his finger, and the drop of essence blood transformed into a bloodline, precisely dripping into the center of the Sky-Gazing Mirror.

boom!

The precious mirror seemed to be infused with boundless energy, instantly bursting forth with a dazzling golden light. A massive golden beam, as thick as a pillar supporting the sky, shot into the heavens, tearing apart the clouds within a hundred miles.

A terrifying pressure, like the sky collapsing, enveloped the entire land.

The golden beam of light paused slightly in the air, then, like an indestructible divine sword, it slashed fiercely down towards the dark red miasma area below!

Inside the valley, Huang Chen's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

"not good!"

Before he finished speaking, the entire valley suddenly trembled.

Stab it--!

A tooth-grinding, scraping sound, as if metal was being forcibly torn apart, came from the edge of the array's light barrier.

The dark red miasma, which had blended seamlessly with the environment, churned and melted violently under the golden light, like snow that had been doused with hot oil.

Beneath the miasma, the true form of the array's light barrier, interwoven with crimson and earthen yellow hues, was fully revealed.

The golden light, like a giant branding iron, pressed down firmly on the light screen, burning out a blinding spot of light.

Countless mysterious array runes flickered wildly around the light spot, their brightness constantly shifting.

"what!"

"What's going on!"

The tribespeople inside the shelter gasped in alarm, the ground beneath their feet trembling violently as if it were about to crumble at any moment.

Ashi's face turned pale, and he instinctively grabbed Huang Chen's sleeve.

"My lord... this... this is..."

Huang Chen didn't look at him; he just stared intently at the sky.

He could clearly feel that the spiritual power of the Firewood Array was being consumed rapidly. The energy within the Earth Vein Stone was pouring out like a flood, struggling to maintain the stability of the light barrier.

This is only from the continuous illumination of the Heavenly Mirror!

Once the enemy locks onto the main body of the formation, the main cannon formation on the Sky-Hunting Flying Ship, capable of leveling mountains, will unleash a thunderous attack.

At that time, let alone this newly transformed formation, even if it were ten times stronger, it would be instantly reduced to ashes.

Passive defense is tantamount to waiting to die!

The thought flashed through Huang Chen's mind.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

The Sky-Hunting Flying Boat was a hundred miles away, a distance beyond the range of most of his attack methods.

Should we charge out and fight head-on?

That would be suicidal. Zhao Wuji, a mere cultivator at the Void Refinement and Dao Integration stage, could be annihilated with a single breath.

We must find a way to distract them and prevent them from continuing to scan with the Heavenly Mirror in peace.

Huang Chen's gaze swept around and finally landed on the area outside the valley, where the miasma had been forcibly dispelled by the golden light.

Wherever the golden light passed, neither the centuries-old monsters hiding in tree hollows nor the spirits lurking in mountain streams could escape its sight.

Immediately afterwards, thinner golden beams shot out from the hull of the Sky Hunter Flying Boat, accurately hitting the exposed targets.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of explosions rang out in the distance, and one after another, demonic beasts comparable to those in the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages were blasted into charred remains before they could even let out a scream.

Zhao Wuji's purpose was very clear.

He wanted to use this unreasonable method to plow through this area inch by inch, forcing out and crushing everything hidden there.

Seeing this, Huang Chen knew he couldn't just sit and wait to die.

Since the other party wants to clear the area, let's stir things up even more!

Huang Chen turned around and said in a deep voice to A Shi, whose face was ashen.

"Ashi, relay my order: everyone must retreat to the most secure cave and take refuge. No matter what happens, do not come out!"

"My lord, you need..."

Ashi's heart skipped a beat.

"Execute the command!"

Huang Chen's voice was devoid of any emotion.

"yes!"

Ashi dared not ask any more questions, nodded heavily, turned and ran towards the crowd, loudly conveying Huang Chen's orders.

Huang Chen quickly walked back to the underground entrance he had just come out of and went back in without hesitation.

Passive defense is a dead end, but a grand formation is not only for defense!

Huang Chen closed his eyes and probed the core of the formation with his divine sense. A chaotic mix of emotions, fear and despair, instantly flooded his mind.

"I'll die... that golden light is terrifying..."

"There's no escape, we'll all die here..."

"The demon race didn't wipe us out, but the immortal master wants to exterminate us all..."

Countless soft murmurs echoed in Huang Chen's ears.

Those were the heartfelt words of the tribespeople hiding in various caves.

The Great Array of Fire and Inheritance is based on the human spirit and destiny.

Its strength has never depended solely on how many spirit stones were invested, but rather on the hearts of the people in this land.

When people are united, the formation is as solid as a rock; when people are scattered, the formation will collapse without a fight.

Right now, the sound of bombing outside is deafening.

Although the golden light of the Heavenly Mirror was blocked, the overwhelming sense of destruction had completely shattered the psychological defenses of these refugees who had just experienced the massacre by the demon race.

They are afraid.

They were in despair.

The collapse of faith is undermining the foundation of the Great Array of Reinforcements from within.

Huang Chen suddenly opened his eyes, a ruthless glint flashing in them.

This can't go on any longer.

We must give them hope to live, while simultaneously diverting that old dog Zhao Wuji's attention.

With a slight thought, Huang Chen condensed his voice into a single line, which, through the resonance of the array, directly penetrated the thick rock layer.

"Ah Shi, bring a respected elder to see me immediately."

In less than half an incense stick's time.

Suddenly, a series of hurried and disordered footsteps came from the top of the dark and deep stone steps.

Ashi ran at the front, covered in sweat, followed by three elderly human men with white hair and beards. They were leaders of refugees they had rescued from the demon race's spirit mines and miasma swamps, and they were quite respected among the people.

"My lord!" Ah Shi gasped for breath and knelt on one knee.

The three elderly men also knelt down immediately, their bodies still trembling slightly from the explosions outside.

"Stand up and speak."

Huang Chen raised his hand.

"Sir, the commotion outside is too great. Several caves have developed cracks," an old man dressed in tattered hemp clothing said tremulously, his cloudy eyes filled with fear.

"I know."

"So, I need you to do something."

The three of them looked up at him blankly.

"Go back and tell everyone that the commotion outside is not because immortals are coming to destroy our sanctuary," Huang Chen said, staring into the old man's eyes, enunciating each word clearly.

"What is that...?" Ashi was stunned.

"It's a sign that a rare treasure has been born." Huang Chen told a colossal lie without batting an eye.

"Beneath the Ten Thousand Mountains lies a supreme treasure left behind by an ancient powerful being. Now, it is about to emerge, and the people of the Xuantian Sect have come to seize it."

The old men looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Tell them that a treasure has appeared. The people of the Xuantian Sect will go after the treasure; it has nothing to do with us."

"But... is there really a treasure?" another old man swallowed hard and asked cautiously.

"Yes, there will be."

"But we need your help. Go back and tell everyone not to think about the explosion outside, not to be afraid, and to repeatedly recall all your thoughts of wanting to live."

Ashi punched his chest hard.

"We'll do whatever the adults say! We'll go and tell everyone to do as they say!"

"Go. Tell them I assure them that no one will die today."

As the elderly men watched Huang Chen's tall and straight back, the fear in their eyes subsided slightly, and they turned and followed A Shi away quickly.

The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Huang Chen turned around and took a deep breath.

The lie has been told; now it must be made a reality.

Only by creating a huge commotion could they lure away the group of aloof cultivators aboard the Sky-Hunting Flying Ship.

But this requires a medium; with a thought, the system panel was brought up.

But this requires a medium; with a thought, the system panel was brought up.

A pale blue light curtain unfolded in the dim cave.

I skillfully opened the [System Shop] and entered my requirements in the search box.

The product list scrolled rapidly, eventually settling on an item that emitted a rainbow of light.

【Illusory Beacon】

Category: Disposable consumables

Effects: It can absorb and transform specific energies (such as the power of formations, the power of faith, and the power of blood and qi) to simulate the birth aura of a treasure of a specified grade.

The simulation has a realism rate of up to 99% and can last for half an hour.

Price: 1000 merit points.

Huang Chen's eyes lit up as he looked at the item description.

This thing can definitely create a spectacular illusion. No matter how high Zhao Wuji's cultivation level is, he cannot remain unmoved in the face of such a celestial phenomenon.

I glanced at the balance in the upper right corner of the panel out of habit.

Current Merit Points: 800

Huang Chen's movements suddenly froze.

800? He frowned, trying to recall carefully.

The system did indeed award 800 merit points for rescuing those refugees in the miasma swamp.

It's 200 points short.

There wasn't enough time for him to go out and accumulate merit. Moreover, the outside world was under Zhao Wuji's surveillance, and as soon as he showed his face, he would be locked onto by the Sky-Gazing Mirror.

What to do? Huang Chen's mind raced. The only ways to gain merit were to protect the human race and do good deeds.

Huang Chen sniffed. Although the valley was spacious, hundreds or even thousands of people were crammed together to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. In just a few days, an indescribable sour and foul odor of excrement had begun to ferment in the humid air.

The word "plague" instantly jumped into Huang Chen's mind.

In a confined, poorly ventilated environment, if the problems of excrement and sewage are not resolved, the Xuan Tian Sect wouldn't even need to invade; the outbreak of disease could wipe out all these thousands of people in just three to five days.

Solving the survival crisis and preventing the extinction of the tribe is definitely considered protecting the human race!

Huang Chen immediately strode towards the densely populated area.

"Hey bro!" he called out in a low voice.

Old Tie was distributing dry rations with several young men in a corner when he heard the noise. He immediately dropped his cloth bag and ran over.

"Sir, what are your orders?" Old Tie wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Take all the able-bodied men who can move, and bring pickaxes and shovels." Huang Chen spoke very quickly, pointing to the cave, "Downwind, near where the underground river flows out, dig three deep trenches immediately."

The edges were built up with stones, and then wooden planks were laid on top.

The old man was stunned for a moment, his face full of confusion.

"Sir, this...this is going to be a fortification?"

"Dig a latrine! All human excrement must be collected there and flushed away along the abandoned tributaries of the underground river. The main drinking water source must not be polluted!"

Thousands of people are crammed here to relieve themselves; do you want them all to die of the plague?

Lao Tie suddenly realized what was happening, nodded heavily, and turned around to shout at the group of men.

"Stop eating! Grab your weapons! Come with me!"

Huang Chen stopped weaving through the crowd and directed the women to collect hay and charcoal, sprinkling wood ash in damp corners to absorb moisture and deodorize. He also had large stones used to strictly separate the drinking water source from the living area.

The entire underground space instantly sprang into action. The sound of pickaxes striking rock drowned out the faint rumble overhead.

Half an hour later.

With a muffled splash, the first simple drainage ditch was finally dug.

The tributary of the underground river flowed back in, carrying the accumulated sludge directly to deeper underground depths.

The pungent smell was carried away by the water flow, and the air in the cave immediately became much fresher.

The moment the water flowed through, a crisp notification sound rang in Huang Chen's mind.

[Ding! Detected that the host has improved basic sanitation infrastructure in human settlements, eliminating a major potential epidemic threat.]

[Significantly increases the survival rate of the human race's fire seed, gaining 1000 merit points!]

Huang Chen let out a long breath, immediately brought up the system panel, and clicked "redeem" without hesitation.

[1000 merit points consumed, exchange successful.]

[Item obtained: Illusion Beacon.]

A rhomboid crystal emitting a seven-colored glow appeared out of thin air in my hand. Inside the crystal, it seemed as if a river of stars flowed, emitting a mysterious and strange fluctuation.

Huang Chen gripped the crystal tightly, strode to the center of the array, and gently placed the illusionary beacon on the scorching surface of the stone core.

Like water droplets seeping into a sponge, the crystal silently seeped into the stone's core. The stone core, which had originally been flashing with a dazzling red light, immediately developed a faint halo of seven colors on its surface.

Huang Chen took a deep breath, his blood and qi erupted, and his voice clearly resounded throughout the entire valley.

"Outside are immortals who want to skin us alive."

"They look down on us, treating us like ants or two-legged sheep. They destroyed our homes and killed our loved ones."

"But we don't want to die!" Huang Chen's voice suddenly rose. "We want to live! We want to watch our children grow up, and we want to carve out a piece of land for our human race in these mountains!"

"Release your anger, your hatred, and your will to survive!"

"The torch of humanity!" he roared.

"Passed down from generation to generation!" Ah Shi shouted hoarsely as he followed.

"Passed down through generations!!" hundreds of people roared in unison.

The will to survive and anger converged into an invisible, overwhelming torrent at this moment.

The illusionary beacon was like a bottomless pit, frantically devouring this immense power of belief.

The seven-colored halo grew brighter and brighter, eventually transforming into a dazzling pillar of light.

The beam of light followed the direction of the earth's veins, instantly piercing through the thick rock layers and rushing wildly into the distance.

Three hundred miles away from Blazing Fire Ridge, there is a treacherous canyon shrouded in poisonous miasma year-round. Poisonous insects roam the land, and the miasma fills the sky, so much so that even the most ferocious monsters dare not approach it.

Suddenly, without warning, a huge crack appeared in the ground deep within Deadly Valley.

A seven-colored ray of light shot into the sky, tearing through the dense poisonous miasma like a sharp sword. Within the light, the faint silhouette of a crystal-clear nine-leaf spirit herb swayed in the wind.

A refreshing and pleasant fragrance instantly dispelled the stench, permeating the surrounding area for miles. Even the ancient trees that had been dead for centuries were visibly sprouting tender green buds.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged wildly like boiling water, forming a huge funnel-shaped vortex in mid-air.

This is a sign that the most supreme spiritual treasure has been born.

Above the Fiery Ridge, the Sky-Hunting Flying Boat flies.

Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged on the grand chair in the center of the deck, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

Suddenly, the Sky-Gazing Mirror, which was suspended in mid-air, emitted an extremely piercing buzzing sound.

The mirror was instantly covered by a blinding, seven-colored white light, and trembled violently, as if it could not withstand some kind of terrifying energy impact. Even the bronze edges showed fine cracks.

"What's going on?" Zhao Wuji suddenly stood up.

"Elder...Elder! There is an extremely terrifying fluctuation of spiritual energy three hundred miles to the northwest!"

One of the deacons' voices trembled, his hand seals unsteady, "The treasure mirror has detected innate Daoist energy! It's...it's the extraordinary phenomenon of a supreme spiritual treasure being born!"

"What?!"

Zhao Wuji pushed the steward aside and personally forced his divine sense into the trembling Sky-Gazing Mirror.

Through the distorted image in the magic mirror, one could clearly see the seven-colored rays of light shooting into the sky.

He saw the illusory image of a swaying nine-leaf spirit herb, and felt the pure, innate Daoist charm that made his soul tremble.

Zhao Wuji's breathing instantly became heavy, his eyes fixed on the beam of light.

Innate spiritual root!

This is a legendary treasure that even the immortals in the heavens above would covet.

As long as one can consume a single leaf, the deadly bottleneck that has kept one stuck in the mid-stage of the Refining Void and Integrating Dao for hundreds of years can be broken through instantly. There is even hope of directly glimpsing the ethereal gate to the Immortal Path.

In comparison, what is that body cultivator? Killing him would at most earn you some sect contribution points.

"Elder, this phenomenon is too great! A pillar of light shot into the sky!" The deacon swallowed hard, nervously looking around. "Those old demon kings deep in the Hundred Thousand Mountains must have noticed it too. If we don't hurry..."

"Shut up!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes were bloodshot, and the flames of greed had completely consumed his reason.

"Issue my decree! Descend the airship and seal off this area."

Zhao Wuji suddenly flung out his wide sleeves.

"You, come with me!" he said, pointing at the deacon.

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Wuji had already transformed into a streak of crimson light, directly breaking through the defensive shield of the Sky-Hunting Flying Boat. The steward dared not be negligent in the slightest, immediately summoning his flying sword and desperately following after him.

Two streaks of light streaked across the sky like meteors, rushing headlong towards the Valley of Death.