His body trembled slightly, his hands clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, yet he felt no pain.
The inner anguish far surpassed the physical pain.
Qian Daoliu closed his eyes, tears welling in them.
He didn't know which way to go, nor how to face the continent he had personally pushed into the abyss.
Qian Daoliu didn't want to think about this anymore; he shook his head violently, as if trying to shake those agonizing thoughts from his mind.
He dared not face it; he was afraid he truly believed he was the culprit.
Every time his thoughts touched that terrifying possibility, his heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
He ran away, choosing to close his heart, to avoid touching that deep wound.
So he could only numb himself, repeating to himself,
"Once Qian Renxue becomes a god, everything will be alright."
It was as if this was his only lifeline, the only glimmer of hope he could see in this endless darkness.
His eyes became vacant, his whole being like a soulless shell, mechanically repeating this phrase, trying to dispel the fear and guilt within him.
Meanwhile, in the Star Dou Great Forest!
The beast tide returned, countless soul beasts fleeing for their lives back into the Star Dou Great Forest.
Their once majestic figures now appeared disheveled, bearing injuries of varying degrees, their eyes filled with fear and panic.
A heavy atmosphere permeated the forest; the trees seemed to droop in sympathy for their plight.
Even the powerful beast kings had lost their former majesty, their expressions weary and solemn.
This time, they were truly afraid; the power of a god was terrifying!
That irresistible pressure, that world-destroying attack, haunted the hearts of every soul beast like a nightmare.
Xiong Jun lowered its massive head, blood still seeping from its wounds. It breathed heavily, its heart filled with confusion and worry about the future.
Brigitte's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at her wounded companions, her heart overflowing with pain and helplessness.
The Demon King's expression was somber as he pondered the future of the Soul Beast race, yet found no glimmer of hope.
The entire Star Dou Great Forest was immersed in sorrow and fear; they didn't know when the next calamity would strike, nor how to face the almost invincible power of the gods.
Xiong Jun and his companions, filled with grief and indignation, stepped into the core of the Star Dou Great Forest, each step feeling incredibly heavy.
Di Tian sensed them immediately and appeared before them instantly.
His imposing figure exuded a powerful aura, but upon seeing the sorrowful expressions of Xiong Jun and the others, his face instantly turned ashen.
He anxiously asked,
"What happened?
Why has the beast tide returned, and... where is Qian Renshang?"
Xiong Jun gritted his teeth, tears welling in his eyes, his voice trembling slightly,
"Di Tian, we... we lost, we lost miserably."
The Demon King clenched his fists, saying bitterly,
"The Angel God descended, Qian Renshang... he's already dead."
Upon hearing this, Di Tian was struck dumb, his body swaying, and he roared in disbelief,
"How could this be?
How could this be!"
In an instant, grief and indignation permeated the core circle, suffocating everyone.
Di Tian never imagined their revenge would fail. His eyes widened, filled with shock and resentment.
"A god can actually interfere in human affairs? How is this possible?"
He roared angrily, his voice echoing in the core circle of the Star Dou Great Forest, startling a flock of birds.
His body trembled slightly; even someone as powerful as him found it difficult to accept this outcome.
"Qian Renshang is dead, the beast tide is routed, are we, the soul beast race, destined to be bullied, destined to be powerless to resist?"
Di Tian's voice was filled with despair and doubt.
Xiong Jun roared, "Is there any justice in this world?
Can gods decide our life and death at will?"
The Demon King's face was gloomy, "After this defeat, I wonder how the humans will treat us..."
"Alas, this time we have truly suffered a terrible defeat!!"
Di Tian took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down,
"First, we must settle the wounded soul beasts, and then we will plan for the future. This matter will not end here!"
Just then, Di Tian slowly took out a black feather.
The black feather was extremely eerie, emanating a dense aura of darkness that seemed to devour the surrounding light.
Xiong Jun and the others were puzzled. Xiong Jun's eyes widened, and he asked urgently, "What is this?"
The Demon King was also filled with doubt, staring intently at the feather.
Bi Ji sobbed, her voice trembling with tears:
"Such dense dark power..."
Di Tian's eyes were filled with sorrow, his voice low and hoarse:
"This is something Qian Renshang gave him before he left.
Now that Qian Renshang's body is gone, this may be the only thing he left behind!"
Di Tian's expression grew even more sorrowful.
Was Qian Renshang really dead?
At this moment, the dark aura on the black feather grew even denser, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop considerably.
Strange patterns faintly appeared on the feather, shimmering with a weak light, as if telling some mysterious story.
Just then, the black feather suddenly underwent a transformation.
It slowly rose from Di Tian's hand and hovered in mid-air.
A dense dark power began to emanate from it, surging like a tangible force, turning the surrounding space pitch black.
As if something was about to emerge, the beast kings' expressions changed drastically.
Xiong Jun's eyes widened in terror, his massive body involuntarily taking several steps back.
"What...what is going on?"
Wan Yao Wang frowned, his expression tense as he stared at the feather continuously releasing dark power.
"The aura of life, could it be..."
Di Tian's face was also grave, his eyes fixed on the feather, his soul power surging, ready to respond to any sudden situation.
The dark power surged even more violently, forming a massive vortex, the powerful suction causing the beast kings to lose their footing.
Just as the dark power released by the black feather became increasingly violent, the entire space seemed to be dragged into endless chaos.
The dark vortex spun wildly at a heart-stopping speed, emitting mournful howls as if from the deepest abyss. The sound was shrill and piercing, seemingly capable of tearing one's soul apart.
Within the vortex, dazzling purple lightning bolts intertwined and flashed, each glint like the light of apocalyptic judgment.
Simultaneously, dark power surged and churned like thick ink, forming bizarre shapes—some resembling grotesque faces, others twisted beasts, sending chills down one's spine.
Suddenly, an intensely brilliant golden light burst forth at the center of the vortex.
(End of Chapter)
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