Covering the Sky: I Prove the Great Dao Through the Gate of Immortality

Chapter 254, "Slaughter in the Great Wilderness," is now available! Read it now!

The battle between the four Venerable-level ferocious beasts was terrifying.

The moment the treasures were officially born, they held nothing back.

The Sky-Swallowing Sparrow opened its mouth and swallowed the sky; the Qiongqi tore through the void; the Zhu Yan pounded its fist and shook the heavens and earth; the little red bird burned away the eight wastelands.

Four distinct forces collided deep within the primeval mountains, each clash causing the earth within a radius of tens of thousands of miles to tremble violently.

The runes that were concealing the battlefield finally gave way.

It wasn't that the method of setting up the runes was inadequate, but rather that the power unleashed by the four beasts had exceeded the limits that the runes could withstand. The chaotic mist was torn open, and boundless immortal light poured out from the cracks, illuminating the entire wilderness.

At that moment, countless beings saw that light and felt that oppressive force that made their souls tremble.

Shanbao tumbled in the void.

It was like an uncontrolled meteor, bouncing back and forth among the four beasts. Just as the Devouring Sparrow used its demonic energy to pull it to its side, the Qiongqi's sharp claws tore through the demonic energy and grabbed the mountain treasure.

But before it could even clench its fist, Zhu Yan's iron fist slammed down, blasting Qiongqi and Shanbao away together. The little red bird seized the opportunity to flap its wings and chase after them, wrapping Shanbao in flames as it tried to escape, but the Devouring Sky Sparrow's giant mouth was already waiting in its path.

It's difficult to compete for mountain treasures, but it's even more difficult to protect them.

Every success is only temporary; every capture means facing a joint attack from the other three.

They all wanted to take Shanbao away, but none of them could escape unscathed from the frenzied attacks of the other three. Shanbao changed hands back and forth among them; none could take it away, and none dared to let go.

This is a dead end.

This competition will never end unless one side is completely eliminated.

And none of them intend to be the one to be eliminated.

"boom!"

With a deafening roar, the sky seemed to collapse.

A beast's foot emerged from the deepest part of the primeval mountain range. The foot was larger than imagined, with each claw resembling a hook in the sky, covered with dark red scales, and chaotic mist swirling between the scales.

When the beast's paw landed, it stepped on a series of mountain peaks. There was no rumbling sound of collapse, because the mountain peaks were crushed to dust before they could even make a sound.

The rubble and dust rose thousands of feet high, forming a wall of smoke and dust that blotted out the sky.

The owner of the beast's feet slowly emerged from the mist.

It was so enormous that the entire sky could not contain its form. Its entire body was covered in dark red scales, each one seemingly soaked in blood, exuding a nauseatingly bloody stench.

It has a pair of jet-black fleshy wings on its back, which, when spread out, cover half the sky and completely block out the sunlight.

The most terrifying thing is its head, which resembles a tiger but has a pair of huge curved horns, with fangs protruding from the corners of its mouth. When its saliva drips onto the ground, it instantly corrodes deep pits.

Its entire body was shrouded in a thick, malevolent mist, which was formed from the killing intent emanating from its body. Ordinary creatures that approached it would have their souls invaded by the malevolent energy and instantly go mad.

Its true form was faintly visible in the ominous mist, but the oppressive feeling pressed firmly on the hearts of every living being.

A pair of eerie, emerald-green eyes shone from the malevolent mist, like two will-o'-the-wisps floating in the darkness.

That gaze swept across the heavens and earth, and wherever it passed, all living beings felt as if they were being stared at by an ancient, ferocious beast, their bodies stiffening and their blood freezing. There was no anger, no killing intent, not even any emotion in that gaze, only absolute indifference.

That was the gaze of someone at the very top of the food chain when looking at their prey.

Qiongqi spoke.

Its sound wasn't loud, but it was like muffled thunder rolling across the sky, shaking the mountains and causing countless cracks to appear in the earth.

The voice conveyed not authority, but extreme indifference, like a judgment from the deepest hell.

"This sacred relic is of great importance."

Its voice echoed between heaven and earth, each word like an icicle piercing the heart of a living being.

"The fewer people who know about this before our struggle is over and we've fully digested it, the better."

It paused, its emerald eyes narrowing slightly as it scanned the faintly visible signs of life in the distance.

Those auras were so weak that it would normally not even give them a second glance. But at this moment, it found them an eyesore.

"Therefore, all living beings who witness this struggle shall die."

When it said this, its tone was as calm as if it were simply commenting on the weather. There was no gritted teeth, no roaring, not even a ripple of emotion. It was an absolute confidence, the power of a being at the pinnacle of strength to decide the life and death of an ant.

It will slaughter the Great Wilderness.

It's not because it hates anyone, nor because anyone offended it.

Simply because it felt those creatures had seen something they shouldn't have. Simply because it didn't want news of Shanbao to leak out. In its eyes, the hundreds of millions of creatures in the Great Wilderness were nothing more than a swarm of troublesome ants, which it could crush with a flick of its wrist.

Qiongqi's fleshy wings slowly unfurled, obscuring the entire sky. A terrifying killing intent began to gather around its body, so intense that it materialized, transforming into streaks of dark red light that swirled around it.

It's about to make its move, not to seize the mountain treasure, but to wipe out all the witnesses in this land.

The Great Wilderness fell into a deathly silence at this moment.

Countless creatures lay prostrate on the ground, trembling, lacking even the courage to flee. They knew that before such a being, escape was merely a futile struggle.

Qiongqi lowered its head, its emerald green eyes sweeping over the trembling creatures, and a cruel smile slowly spread across its lips.

"Kill them all."

The moment that ferocious bird burst forth from the deepest part of the mountains, the entire sky darkened. Its body was so enormous that its outstretched wings covered the endless mountains, casting a shadow that spanned tens of thousands of miles of land.

Compared to when the little red bird regained its true form, it was a size larger, and every feather was as black as ink with a cold metallic sheen at the edges.

Its eyes were blood-red, like two moons soaked in blood, exuding pure ferocity and murderous intent.

Its gaze swept across the land, turning grass and trees yellow, rivers black, and even the soil reeking of a foul stench. A thick, dark mist enveloped it; this mist was no ordinary mist, but the aura of death emanating from the depths of the netherworld. Any ordinary creature that inhaled even a trace of it would have its soul shattered and its body rot.

This is a Sky-Swallowing Sparrow.

An extremely ferocious demonic bird, notorious for devouring everything since ancient times.

Legend has it that it carries blood that does not belong to this world, but comes from a forgotten dark age.

It doesn't need to cultivate; it can grow stronger endlessly simply by devouring everything. It has swallowed mountains, rivers, entire forests, and millions of living beings.

At this moment, it stood beside Qiongqi, its blood-red eyes looking down at the trembling creatures on the ground, a trickle of saliva dripping from the corner of its mouth. Where the saliva dripped, the earth was corroded, leaving behind deep pits that emitted bluish smoke.

"Exterminate all the races in the entire Great Wilderness that have loose lips and may leak secrets."

Its sound is sharp and piercing, like metal scraping against bone, giving people goosebumps.

But there was not a trace of hesitation in that voice, as if it were talking about a trivial matter.

Exterminating an entire race is nothing to the Sky-Devouring Sparrow; it has done it many times before.

It turned its head, its blood-red eyes fixed on a certain direction. There, smoke rose from chimneys, villages gathered, and humans were active. In its eyes, the presence of those humans was as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, something that could be extinguished with a flick of the wrist.

"Let's start with the human race."

It said this in a relaxed tone, as if it were deciding what to eat tonight.

Qiongqi turned its head, its emerald green eyes meeting the blood-red eyes of the Devouring Sky Sparrow.

The two ferocious beasts simultaneously bared their teeth, revealing their gleaming white fangs. One was indifferent, the other ferocious, yet they were of one mind when it came to slaughter.

The creatures in the wilderness sensed that pure malice; some collapsed to the ground, some wept bitterly, and some desperately fled into the distance.

But no one thought they could escape; facing such a being, running away was just a futile struggle.

The Sky-Swallowing Sparrow opened its enormous maw, a gaping hole like a bottomless abyss. Deep within its throat swirled a black vortex, emanating a terrifying suction force that forced air from a radius of tens of thousands of miles into its mouth. Trees were uprooted, rocks tumbled and flew towards its jaws, and even the clouds in the sky were torn to shreds and swallowed whole.

It hasn't started devouring living beings yet; it's just warming up.

"To commit such slaughter is truly against the will of Heaven."

The little red bird followed closely behind, rushing out of the depths of the mountains. Its true form was still as enormous as a mountain, the flames on its wings burning half the sky red. But the flames were no longer as intense as they had been at first; more than two years of fierce fighting had exhausted too much of its strength. There were torn wounds on its wings, and dark red blood beads kept seeping out, burning a deep pit when they dripped onto the ground. But its back remained straight, its wings still spread, showing no sign of retreat.

It blocked the way for Qiongqi and the Devouring Sky Sparrow.

Both beasts were larger and more powerful than it. Qiongqi's indifference was like an abyss, and the Devouring Sparrow's ferocity was like purgatory. Yet the little red bird did not retreat a single step. Its eyes burned with golden flames, the purest manifestation of the Vermilion Bird bloodline, a pride and indomitable spirit etched into its very bones.

"Tianhe?" The Sky-Devouring Sparrow tilted its head, its blood-red eyes filled with mockery. "You, a mere feathered beast, dare to talk about Tianhe?"

Qiongqi remained silent, only coldly staring at the little red bird with its ghastly green eyes. There was no anger, no disdain in its gaze, only pure indifference. It found the little red bird's words meaningless, like hearing an ant say it wanted to protect another colony of ants.

The little red bird ignored the Sky-Swallowing Sparrow's mockery. Its voice was calm yet firm, like iron forged through countless trials.

"I cannot accept such a thing, nor could I possibly do such a thing."

It paused, and the flames on its wings suddenly surged.

"If you want to slaughter the Great Wilderness, you'll have to get past me first."

The Sky-Swallowing Sparrow laughed. The laughter was sharp and piercing, like countless needles stabbing into one's eardrums. It laughed at the little red bird's overestimation of its abilities, at its arrogance in fighting three against one, and at its courage to stand up even though it was already covered in wounds.

"Who do you think you are?" The Devouring Sparrow's blood-red eyes narrowed. "You think you're still the Vermilion Bird from back then? You're nothing but its descendant, with a trace of its bloodline flowing through your veins, and you really think you're a divine bird?"

Qiongqi finally spoke, its voice still as cold and indifferent as ice.

"Get out of the way. If you leave now, you'll live a few more days."

The little red bird did not move aside.

Its wings flapped slowly, and with each flap, countless fiery rains fell. These fiery rains landed on the ground, on the mountains, and in the rivers, burning the entire wilderness with a red glow.

That wasn't an attack, but a statement. It was telling those two ferocious beasts in its own way that it wouldn't back down, wouldn't yield, and wouldn't watch them slaughter those innocent lives.

"I may not be able to beat you," the little red bird said, its voice still calm, "but I must fight."

Even if we can't beat you, we'll still take a piece of your flesh.

Its gaze swept from Qiongqi to the Devouring Sparrow, and then from the Devouring Sparrow to Zhu Yan, who was still watching from afar.

"Who wants to go first?"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire world fell silent.

Qiongqi's eyes narrowed. The Devouring Sparrow's smile froze on its face. Even Zhu Yan, in the distance, stopped pounding its chest and looked over with its crimson eyes.

Neither of them expected that this already wounded little red bird would dare to challenge them.

"If you commit such sins, aren't you afraid of retribution in the future?"

The last ferocious beast emerged from the depths of the mountains. Its steps were slow, each step causing the earth to tremble slightly, but the tremor was not one of fear, but a warning. It was not as overwhelming as the Qiongqi, nor as colossal as the Devouring Sparrow; it was the smallest of the four beasts, yet its oppressive aura was in no way inferior to the other two.

It is a humanoid ferocious beast.

Its entire body was covered in long, snow-white fur, except for its face, which was crimson red like blood, as if it were a rock scorched by flames. Its body was massive and powerful, its muscles coiled like a dragon, brimming with explosive strength. Most strangely, it had three heads, six heads in total. Each of the three heads faced a different direction, and each of the six eyes was fixed on the Qiongqi, the Devouring Sky Sparrow, and the Little Red Bird, without missing a single one.

It held an iron rod in its hand. The rod was jet black, without any patterns on its surface, and looked plain and unadorned. Yet the aura emanating from that rod caused the void to distort slightly; it was a killing intent forged by countless battles over endless years, a ferocious weapon that even the gods would avoid.

Zhu Yan.

This legendary ancient beast is renowned for its overwhelming combat power. And what it is currently unleashing is the most terrifying innate divine ability of the Zhu Yan lineage—three heads and six arms. This is no ordinary transformation, but a sacred fighting technique, said to have been created by an indescribable being in the primordial era, specifically for combat. Its three heads can perceive all directions, and its six arms can unleash six different offensive methods, striking simultaneously with amplified power. Mastering this sacred technique would provide a terrifying boost to combat strength, enough to allow an ordinary cultivator to fight against opponents of higher levels.

At this moment, Zhu Yan's three pairs of eyes were fixed on Qiongqi, Tuntianque, and Xiao Hongniao respectively. Its gaze lacked the indifference of Qiongqi and the ferocity of Tuntianque, instead carrying a heavy scrutiny.

"Retribution?" The Devouring Sky Sparrow narrowed its blood-red eyes, its tone full of sarcasm. "You, a ferocious beast with blood on your hands, dare to talk about retribution?"

Zhu Yan ignored its taunts. It slowly raised its six arms, twirling the iron rod in its hand, creating a piercing whistling sound.

"I have killed many living beings." Zhu Yan's voice was deep and resonant. His three heads spoke simultaneously, their voices overlapping, causing the void to tremble. "But I never kill the innocent indiscriminately."

It paused, and the six eyes on its three heads simultaneously lit up with a crimson light.

"If you want to slaughter the entire wilderness, you'll have to get past the stick in my hand first."

Qiongqi finally turned its head, its pair of eerie green eyes meeting Zhu Yan's gaze for the first time. It knew this Zhu Yan was not to be trifled with; its three heads and six arms made it virtually invincible in close combat. In a one-on-one fight, it wasn't confident of victory.

"You want to be our enemy for those ants?" Qiongqi's voice remained indifferent, but a hint of solemnity had crept into it.

Zhu Yan did not answer. It simply held its iron rod horizontally in front of it, blocking the path of Qiongqi and the Devouring Sky Sparrow towards the Great Wilderness.

This action says it all.

The little red bird watched Zhu Yan's retreating figure, a complex emotion flashing in its eyes. They had been fighting for over two years, rivals to each other. But now, on this matter, they stood on the same side.

"Alright!" the little red bird cried out, and the flames on its wings reignited. "Let's join forces and see who they can kill!"

Zhu Yan did not turn around, but simply nodded slightly.

Three heads and six arms, the holy method of battle.

Iron rods swept across the sky, their fighting spirit soaring to the heavens.