High-level martial arts: Long spear with black flames to suppress demons.

Along the shore of the Northern Sea, Xu Mingjing stood behind a crevice in the rocks, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

He could see clearly when Mingzhao swung his hammer.

All the power was contained within the hammerhead, only shattering the space upon its fall. This control differed from the methods displayed by the three Ninth Realm Ancestors in the Demon City.

And this is merely an avatar.

Xu Mingjing lowered his eyes to look at his palm.

The art of Yin and Yang can draw in and transform power, but only if one can discern the changes in time and withstand the impact of the power transfer. If that short hammer were to strike him at close range, he would also find it difficult to escape unscathed.

When Xu Mingjing's gaze returned to Shen Chang'an, his brows furrowed even more deeply.

Even though the young man was already so badly injured, he could still use his black flames to leave wounds on Ming Zhao. The previous arrow had forced the opponent to constantly replenish his demonic energy in order to maintain the barrier in front of him.

Ordinary fire magic could never produce such an effect.

The records in "The Book of Creation and Creation" flashed through Xu Mingjing's mind one by one. He tried to find the content corresponding to the black flame, but he never found anything.

"What kind of monster did he create back then?"

A figure of a Tianpeng Clan cultivator swept across the sky above the mountain ridge.

Xu Mingjing withdrew his gaze and retracted the Yin and Yang energies that had inadvertently spilled into his body.

The families in the capital had already evacuated, but the demon race's patrols along the coast continued. His appearance now meant facing not only powerful enemies at sea but also becoming an immediate target for the demon race's pursuit.

He still needs to find Shen Chang'an and find out what happened back then.

We need to wait for a suitable opportunity first.

Outside the crevice, lightning illuminated the mountain peak. Xu Mingjing retreated, his figure disappearing back into the depths of the rock wall.

......

Another roar came from the Northern Sea.

Baiyin pressed her cloak down tightly, almost shrinking her entire body under the rock. The loose soil on the barren slope had been swept away by the gale, exposing the gray-white stone surface. Gravel rolled along the ground, occasionally crashing against the rock wall where they were hiding.

Her tail was held straight, and her ears were pressed tightly down.

A sense of danger emanating from the depths of her blood made her feel numb all over. Every time a powerful aura swept across the sea, she wanted to escape immediately and get as far away from here as possible.

"Aren't you going to run? This is no longer something we can just watch..."

Bai Yin tugged at An Nuan's sleeve, her voice trembling slightly in the wind.

"If we stay any longer, whatever flies over here could kill us both!"

An Nuan seemed not to hear, her gaze still fixed on the distance.

The sea before her eyes gradually blurred, and countless scenes yet to unfold overlapped. The same figure appeared in different places, and the same action led to completely different results. Numerous timelines unfolded before her eyes, and countless possibilities began to emerge.

Before coming here, she had already looked at most of the timelines.

This time, however, many previously clear destinations have deviated, and some scenes have even appeared that have never been seen before.

An Nuan systematically ruled out those timelines that were highly unlikely to occur or had already deviated from the current situation. As the chaotic scene gradually dissipated, the cold sweat on her forehead increased.

In the end, all that remained before her were the two most likely timelines.

One of them was still similar to the future she had previously seen. Although there were a few more unexpected events along the way, as long as she could complete what she needed to do at that time, the situation in Beiming would stabilize, and the subsequent disasters would subside.

The other one, however, made her suddenly stop breathing.

Deep within the turbulent scene, familiar mountains and rivers were collapsing. She tried to look further back, but all that remained before her was a vast expanse of chaotic light and shadow, and even the few figures she could still recognize earlier had vanished one after another.

She had seen this timeline once before, but the probability of it happening then was extremely small, even negligible.

And now, it has become one of the most likely outcomes.

An Nuan forcibly looked away, her fingers still trembling slightly as she braced herself against the rock.

Something intervened in this upheaval, altering the course of the future. She couldn't yet discern the source, but she could no longer simply wait; she had to prepare for an alternative outcome.

She began frantically searching for relevant timelines, attempting to remedy the situation after it occurred in that timeline.

Bai Yin tugged at her sleeve and noticed that her face was even paler than before, and immediately became worried.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

An Nuan breathed a sigh of relief. The timeline in front of her disappeared, and she probably had a solution to make amends.

"The situation has changed, and I have to stay and do something. If it succeeds, things will be fine afterwards. But if it fails... I'll need your help with some things."

Bai Yin felt a tightness in her chest as she listened, and her hand gripping Bai Yin's sleeve remained firmly in her grasp.

"We need to find another place first; it's too dangerous here. Let's move further away, and then you can tell me slowly."

An Nuan gently shook her head: "You go first, leave Beiming, go to the Ancient Demon King's Court. I need to stay here and wait for an opportunity..."

A damp, cold sea breeze swept across the rocks, making their clothes cling to their bodies. Baiyin lowered her head slightly, and only raised her head when the wind subsided a little.

"Why are you sending me to the royal court alone?"

"I want you to go and get closer to that ancestral wutong tree. If something goes wrong on my end... you'd better find a way to save a section of root or a branch."

Bai Yin was stunned. When they passed by the royal court earlier, they had both seen that golden-red canopy that almost reached the clouds.

After the phoenix returned to its place, the demons along the way were all talking about the revival of the ancestral phoenix tree, and she certainly knew how important that tree was.

An Nuan's sudden request for her to protect a part of Zu Wu still left her somewhat bewildered.

"No, I can't even get into the royal court, how could I possibly touch that tree?"

Bai Yin subconsciously lowered her voice: "Besides, it's perfectly fine now. What if I go and try to cut it down, and get caught?"

An Nuan grasped her wrist and said earnestly, "You need to go there first. If everything goes smoothly, you won't need to do these things. But if something goes wrong, at least you'll be there, so it won't be too late."

Bai Yin looked at her, the confusion on her face gradually turning into unease.

"What exactly is this 'trouble' you're talking about?"

An Nuan's gaze went over her shoulder and up to the sky covered by dark clouds.

That timeline, which had never appeared before, remained clearly in her memory.

After a moment of silence, she said softly, "If I fail, there will be another great war in the demon realm soon."

Baiyin glanced at the flashing lightning in the distance.

"Is it even worse than it is now?"

An Nuan nodded slowly, her palm holding her wrist icy cold: "At that time, the sky will tilt to the northwest, and the earth will sink to the southeast..."

As soon as the last word was uttered, the last bit of color drained from her face, and An Nuan bent over abruptly, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the gravel in front of her.

Bai Yin quickly helped her up.

She braced herself against the stone wall, cold sweat beading on her forehead, her breathing becoming rapid. Blood trickled down her lips, soaking her collar. She tried to lift her head, but the metallic taste of blood rose in her throat again, forcing her to swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Baiyin quickly rummaged through the clean cloth and handed it to her.

"Don't say anything now, I'll take you to a doctor. The Wang family must have someone who can treat injuries, let's go together."

An Nuan took the cloth and pressed it to the corner of her lips. It took her a long time to calm her breathing.

"I have to stay."

"There are some things I can only say up to this point. Remember, that sycamore tree is very important. Even if only a small section of its roots can be left in the end, do everything you can to preserve its vitality."

Baiyin finally started to get a little anxious.

"But I'm only at the third realm! I can figure out how to travel and find a place to hide. But if we really encounter the great battle you mentioned, I'll have a hard time even getting close. How can I protect the royal court's phoenix tree?"

An Nuan listened quietly, holding her hand tightly without letting go.

As Bai Yin spoke, her voice gradually lowered, and she looked at the other person.

There was still blood on An Nuan's lips, and her arm protecting the wooden box was trembling slightly. She didn't even have spiritual power; her body was completely that of an ordinary person. All she could do along the way was travel by carriage and horse. Now, she had to sit with An Nuan behind the rocks to avoid the sea breeze.

Yet this very person insisted on staying in Beiming.