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Amidst the vast expanse of falling snow, Dragon Barbarian Saint Child Longling took the lead, with Tiger Demon Saint Child and Bear Demon Saint Child at his sides, flanked by two Saint Clan Leopard Demons, all glaring fiercely at Fang Yun.
Longling suddenly turned to Yingyan and said, "Yingyan, as fellow top three Saint Children, we've had our disputes, but I've never let Frost Dog kill you. Do you know why? Because I hold the Demon and Barbarian clans in my heart and wouldn't sacrifice our talents over petty self-interest! But this Fang Yun…"
Pointing at Fang Yun, Longling continued, "I fear it was he who, at the Sixth Corridor, uttered the words that resonated with The Path of the Saints. His talent is known to all; even those among our clans who appreciate human poetry know his name, and it's widely spoken of in the Dragon Palace. Here in the Comet Corridor, where the ethereal becomes tangible, should he craft some powerful verse, none of us would be spared. Do my words not make sense?"
Yingyan nodded slightly.
Longling declared, "I preserved you for the grand scheme of our clans. Will you join me in eradicating humanity?"
The Tyrant squinted his eyes, filled with caution. He had thought Longling, with his dragon-headed human body, was just a brutish brawler, but now he realized that wasn't the case. Longling was inviting Yingyan to join forces, mobilizing all possible strength to strike at the enemy, leaving no avenue of escape, even though they held a significant advantage.
Regret flashed through the Tyrant's mind but vanished as he quickly said, "If you don't act, and Fang Yun kills Longling and then you, our clans will lose two future Semi-Saints!"
Yingyan nodded, flames rising around him, his eagle wings fluttering, scattering sparks.
"For the Demon Clan, just kill him. Why all the nonsense!" Yingyan turned to face Fang Yun, "Especially when facing such a talent that could revitalize humanity!"
"Good!" Longling roared, his blood qi surging, coalescing into scales that layered and overlapped like blooming flowers, shielding his entire body, while the remaining blood qi formed a blood-red giant hammer.
The hammer, with just its head as large as half a person, bore a striking resemblance to a dragon's skull.
Longling held the hammer naturally, letting it touch the ground lightly, and with a thunderous impact, a shockwave erupted, sending the toxic blade-like snow scattering.
Behind Longling floated a thirty-foot-long white bone dragon head, his ancestral spirit, which had always been lifeless and still, but now two points of light flared in its eye sockets.
A desolate and majestic aura emanated from the white bone dragon head, forcing all Demon Barbarians to keep their distance.
Fang Yun's expression was grave. Others might not recognize this white bone dragon head, but he did; it bore a striking resemblance to the "Vast Wilderness Azure Dragon" from the memories of The Carrying of the Mountain, except that the Azure Dragon was said to play with the sun in its mouth, and its head far exceeded thirty feet.
Even if Longling had only inherited the power of its descendants, he was far beyond any ordinary lineage.
The Tiger Demon Saint Child and Bear Demon Saint Child roared at Fang Yun, with blood-red tiger and bear heads manifesting behind them, their ancestral spirits' power making them even stronger.
The two Saint Clan Leopard Demons split to the sides, preparing to encircle Fang Yun.
Yingyan's wings beat, lifting him higher, his sharp talons slowly spreading, under which steel and tofu were indistinguishable.
Behind Yingyan, a fiery sun emerged, shining like the sovereign of the heavens, outshining everything except Longling's white bone dragon head.
These four Saint Children and two Saint Clan representatives embodied the strongest force of the Demon Barbarian generals. Within a century, they would stand at the pinnacle of their clans, becoming the main force suppressing humanity.
The Wolf Barbarian Saint Child hidden in Fang Yun's hand let out a mournful howl, "Fang Yun, I thought you were only after the Tyrant or Longling. But now you're facing four great Saint Children and two Saint Clans; even the former Demon Emperor would have to flee from them! Run already!"
"You've forgotten one Tyrant; though he's possessed by a demon, he can still use The War Poetry. After entering The Holy Land, the Tyrant's divided spirit couldn't possibly remain at the Presented Scholar level. If I'm not mistaken, by now his divided spirit likely has the strength of an Imperial Scholar, reaching the realm of cautious speech," Fang Yun stood firm, pen in hand, slowly writing a swift-moving poem.
Hearing the Wolf Barbarian Saint Child's voice, the Demon Barbarians halted, puzzled.
"So Wolf Li isn't dead, then die with Fang Yun. I underestimated you, Fang Yun. Indeed, when I entered, I was merely at the Presented Scholar level, but not long ago, I've bolstered my strength with a divine object I had prepared, attaining the strength of an Imperial Scholar. I just can't wield the War of Words yet, but it's more than enough to deal with you," the Tyrant sneered.
"Oh? You're so confident. Then let's have a poetry duel, life or death, do you dare?" Before Fang Yun spoke, the power of the swift-moving poem enveloped him, ready to move at extreme speed.
"Even Longling knows to ask Yingyan for help; why would I fall for that?"
Just then, the earth trembled slightly, causing everyone to stagger.
All were shocked; these were the elites of their clans, who could remain unshaken even in an eight-magnitude earthquake, yet now they swayed with the seemingly minor tremor, an odd sensation like being on a ship in a storm, helpless.
Simultaneously, a faint howl reached everyone's ears, like a wolf's cry from ancient times.
The Wolf Barbarian Saint Child burst into laughter, "Haha! It's my father! He's come! Hahaha…"
Longling and the Tyrant's faces changed dramatically, not expecting the one coming to kill Fang Yun to be the Barbarian Saint of the Wolf Barbarian tribe, who rose to prominence in the Holy Origin Mainland's Wolf Barbarian tribe, notorious for ambushing humans in his youth.
Humanity sent assassins after him, but he evaded them all. Moreover, the Barbarian Saint learned human military tactics, becoming a leader among the Barbarians, and eventually, with his mighty strength and rare wisdom, he became a Saint, known as the "Military Barbarian Saint," for he was the first to master human military tactics and achieve greatness.
Unfortunately, the Demon Barbarians valued strength over wisdom, and the Military Barbarian Saint's status was never high in their eyes, despite his many achievements and sparing the clans from heavy losses, he couldn't compare to other Saints who excelled in direct combat.
Though most Demon Barbarians didn't hold the Military Barbarian Saint in high regard, the Demon Saints respected him.
Fang Yun inwardly sighed, truly a Military Barbarian Saint. The Demon Saints were never united; sending a Semi-Saint to break through the barriers to the Demon Ancestor's Gate was a major event, requiring lengthy deliberation. But the Military Barbarian Saint's early intervention was clear; he must have overruled others to act personally, swiftly eliminating the human threat.
"If I'm not mistaken, the plan to kill the Kong Family's dragon was also proposed by the Military Barbarian Saint, executed by the Demon Emperor, right?" Fang Yun asked.
"Of course, my father… uh…" The Wolf Barbarian Saint Child caught himself, carried away with pride. Even if the Military Barbarian Saint was about to break through the barriers to the Demon Ancestor's Gate, his life was still in Fang Yun's hands.
Yingyan said, "Since the Military Barbarian Saint is coming personally, we shouldn't fight to the death. We just need to stop Fang Yun from becoming the King of Stars."
"Right, let the Military Barbarian Saint kill him; we shouldn't fight to the death," the Bear Demon Saint Child added.
The Tyrant and Longling exchanged glances, and Longling then shouted at Fang Yun, "Wolf Li, we were wrong. I'm willing to compensate tenfold for your death. How about it?"
"Hmph. I'd like to kill you, but my father won't. However, he will drain your wealth, just you wait!"
Longling breathed a sigh of relief.
"Boom…"
The earth shook again, stronger than before.
Fang Yun expected the Tyrant to panic, being human after all, but instead, he saw a trace of relief in the Tyrant's wolf eyes.
After a moment, Fang Yun connected the previously overlooked dots and understood why the Tyrant was relieved rather than shocked.
Wolf Li quickly said, "Fang Yun, give me the bone shard I'm residing in to Yingyan, and I'll ensure your survival!"
Fang Yun simply smiled, "Do you think I'm a three-year-old child? With the Military Barbarian Saint arriving, how could there be a way out for me?"
"You… you can use me as a hostage to exchange for your life!" Wolf Li hastily said.
"Once I see the Military Barbarian Saint, he could immobilize me with a single thought; how could I use you as a hostage? Besides, you're not worth the exchange for my life!"
Wolf Li was stunned.
"It's too boring to walk the path to the underworld alone. Wait for me after you arrive, don't rush. Wolf Li, I'll send you on your way first."
Before Wolf Li could speak, the power of The Courage to Write invaded the bone shard housing the wolf spirit.
Crack…
The bone shard shattered, and the wolf spirit dissipated completely.
At the same time, the wolf howl sounded again, now filled with unprecedented anger, urgency, and hatred.
"You…" The Demon Barbarians were shocked.
"I'll write a poem to send you all off."
As Fang Yun prepared to write, a wolf howl pierced through the Comet Corridor, reaching everyone present.
All the Demon Barbarians, as if struck by lightning, spat out blood, and Fang Yun was sent flying.
What use was the power of The Courage to Write, what use the grandeur of the literary palace, against this strange and mighty force?
"Who killed my son!"
The four words descended like thunder over the Comet Corridor, dense murderous intent coalescing in the stars.
Everyone felt that without the Military Barbarian Saint needing to do anything, his mere fury could annihilate them all.
Suddenly, a weak voice came through.
"I killed him."
In the Two Realms Mountain.
The curtain on the Armillary Sphere had been pulled down, and the ten-story-tall instrument shook violently, its equatorial, ecliptic, and meridian rings spinning rapidly, roaring loudly, with gusts of wind erupting, blowing away tables, stands, and other objects.
All the disciples of the Zhang Heng family stood a hundred yards away, except for a bearded old man standing beneath the Armillary Sphere, his clothes and hair unmoved by the tempest.
His hand was pressed against the base of the Armillary Sphere.
Suddenly, a ring-shaped blast erupted from the base, dust billowing, blowing away everyone a hundred yards away.
The rings of the Armillary Sphere, already spinning rapidly, reached their peak, blurring into a shadow, and a bright yellow beam shot up from the Armillary Sphere, piercing the sky, reaching the azure heavens, with countless stars swirling within the beam, as if forming a galaxy of its own.