Flying over the Burning Hinterland Forest, Zimo, Deng Kun, and Lang Bai wore solemn expressions.
Above them, the bizarre dark clouds churned ominously, as if trying to swallow them whole.
Unknowingly, the three had unsheathed their weapons, their instincts preparing for battle—even though they had yet to be attacked.
Below them, the once-lush forest had withered into a lifeless wasteland.
Everything was eerily silent, no sounds of beasts or rustling leaves, only the dark mist rising from the desecrated land.
The sinister black mist tried to creep into their bodies, but their spiritual energy shields repelled it effortlessly.
Howl!
A powerful, bone-chilling howl echoed from the distance.
Hundreds of ters ahead, a massive avian beast streaked toward them at breathtaking speed.
It was the Iron-Feather Hawk.
Its wingspan stretched over five ters, its jet-black feathers glinting with an eerie tallic sheen.
The Iron-Feather Hawk's bloodshot eyes locked onto the three humans, madness and savagery burning within.
Without hesitation…
Whoosh!
Lang Bai vanished, his figure blurring as he cut through the dark clouds like a sword drawn from its scabbard.
In a blink, he reappeared re ters from the charging Iron-Feather Hawk, his sword flashing.
Slash!
A devastating arc of sword light cleaved through the air.
The Iron-Feather Hawk shrieked in panic, realizing its impending doom.
Desperate, it flapped its wings and unleashed dozens of razor-sharp iron feathers, each capable of piercing through steel.
But it was futile.
Lang Bai's strike cut through everything, the iron feathers were shredded apart, and before the beast could react.
Bang!
The Iron-Feather Hawk was cleaved in half, its lifeless body plumting to the dead forest below.
Lang Bai remained expressionless, his gaze already shifting toward the horizon.
There, dozens of Iron-Feather Hawks approached in tight formation, their speed unmatched.
Any warrior from the Magma Plain would have been petrified at the sight.
But Lang Bai was no ordinary warrior.
Whoosh!
His figure blurred again, this ti, he reappeared right in front of the incoming flock.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With precise, rciless efficiency, Lang Bai felled each beast, his sword a blur of carnage.
So of the hawks tried to retreat, but their minds were already consud by the dark mist, rendering them incapable of escape.
Within less than a minute, every Iron-Feather Hawk had been slain.
Lang Bai scanned the skies, waiting for another ambush—but none ca.
Zimo and Deng Kun arrived beside him.
"Let's continue. Whatever is controlling the beasts was rely testing our strength."
Zimo's voice was calm, but his eyes glowed sharply.
Lang Bai nodded. That was why he hadn't gone all out against the hawks. A single, serious strike from him would have wiped them out instantly.
Without hesitation, the three continued delving deeper into the Burning Hinterland.
As they ventured further in, the sky darkened, and the ground below slowly disappeared into the thick, black mist.
But the three remained unfazed.
With their cultivation levels, such petty tricks were aningless.
Slowly, they noticed fewer trees and more beasts—gathered like an army, standing in perfect formation, waiting for a command.
Beyond the army, a massive fissure stretched for thousands of kiloters, its depth unknowable.
"W-What…?"
The three warriors were stunned.
How could such an enormous fissure exist in the Burning Hinterland?
Zimo narrowed his eyes.
"I can sense sothing… powerful inside."
Suddenly, a crushing force descended upon them.
An invisible pressure bore down, trying to force them to the ground.
Instantly, their expressions darkened.
They released their full cultivation, summoning every ounce of power to resist the force.
Their teeth clenched, veins bulging on their foreheads as they endured the suffocating oppression.
Since arriving at the Magma Plain, this was the first ti they had faced such imnse pressure.
Deng Kun's voice was strained.
"Should we use our bloodline power?"
Zimo's eyes flashed sharply.
"No… we can't reveal our ace without seeing the enemy first."
"Let's go down."
Shriek!
As they descended, the beast horde below raised their heads, their glowing eyes filled with madness.
A wave of growls and snarls filled the tainted air.
The mont Zimo and his n touched the ground, the undead beasts lunged at them, their bodies warped by dark energy.
The three exchanged glances then welcod the battle head-on.
Boom!
The roar of battle erupted across the silent forest, mixed with the agonized wails of dying monsters.
Despite facing tens of thousands of enemies, there wasn't a trace of fear in their expressions.
Bang!
Deng Kun's palm strike tore through the beasts' ranks, sending dozens flying into the abyss.
Those who were fortunate enough not to fall were torn to pieces.
Their mangled bodies splattered across the battlefield, staining the ground black with corrupted blood.
On the right flank, Lang Bai's sword danced through the horde, cleaving through flesh and bone with rciless precision.
And in the center, Zimo stood, an incarnation of destruction.
He didn't draw his sword.
Instead, he fought with his bare fists, pumling the undead into dust.
Each punch shattered the ground, leaving deep craters in its wake.
What should have been an unstoppable army was being reduced to nothing.
Deep within the fissure, where light dared not reach.
A pair of crimson eyes flickered open.
They watched the battle unfold, silent… yet filled with unfathomable intelligence.
The eyes glowed brighter.
A faint trace of shock appeared in them.
'Interesting…'
Suddenly, a pulse of blood-red light erupted from the fissure, illuminating the battlefield.
Zimo and his n sensed the shift instantly.
They raised their spiritual shields to the maximum, preparing for an attack.
But the red glow wasn't an attack.
It was sothing far worse.
Before them, the corpses of the fallen beasts and undead began to twitch.
Then—
They stood back up.
"How is this possible?!" Lang Bai's voice was filled with disbelief.
How could the dead undead… co back to life?
Not only that, the beasts that had been slain had now beco undead themselves.
The battle… had only just begun.
Zimo looked at the newly army of the undead and the corner of his lips curled into a knowing smile.
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