70: Chapter 70: Just as I was having a great chat with Liu Shen, the Great Calamity of the Desolate Region arrived.

For the time that followed, the two ceased speaking.

Instead, they began a clash of divine senses.

Willow Deity used the "Original True Interpretation" as the framework, evolving the combat techniques of all living things.

Wang Teng used the precious techniques of two Ten Fiends as his sword, constantly breaking, colliding, and merging them.

Beneath this green lamp and ancient tree, the figures of the two seemed to overlap.

At times, Willow Deity transformed into a True Phoenix, reborn from the ashes; Wang Teng would then turn into a black hole, devouring the raging flames.

At other times, Wang Teng transformed into a Heavenly Peng soaring across the sky; Willow Deity would then turn into a willow branch, overcoming hardness with softness, binding him.

This was not just imparting the Dao, but a discussion of the Dao.

Wang Teng's unconstrained transmigrator mindset, along with the Empress Ruthless's wondrous and strange concept of "A Single Thought, A Flower Blooms," also greatly moved Willow Deity.

It allowed her Dao techniques of nirvana and rebirth to become even more perfect.

I do not know how much time passed. When the light of the willow branch in that stone jar swayed slightly.

The two opened their eyes at the same time.

At this moment, the aura on Wang Teng's body had changed.

The murderous aura that seemed to want to devour people, and that overbearing pressure that radiated at all times, had completely vanished.

He sat there, like a plain, unadorned black stone, or like a bottomless pool of still water.

But his hand, resting casually on his knee, with fingertips occasionally brushing through the void, could leave behind a trace of the Great Dao that lingered for a long time.

Returning to simplicity, the Dao follows nature.

This night of enlightenment was more precious than him devouring ten Venerables.

"Thank you for your guidance, Sister."

Wang Teng looked at Willow Deity opposite him, his eyes filled with gratitude and admiration.

Willow Deity's figure had begun to fade; dawn was approaching, and she could not maintain this high-intensity manifestation for long.

"It is because your comprehension is good."

Willow Deity said softly, her voice carrying a hint of fatigue, but more so, joy:

"Wang Teng, discussing the Dao with you tonight, I have also gained a great deal."

"Your concept regarding 'Using the Body as a Seed' (the prototype of the Shrouding the Heavens technique), while crazy, may not be impossible."

She slowly stood up, and the rain of runic light filling the sky began to dissipate.

Just at the moment she was about to transform back into a willow tree.

Willow Deity suddenly stopped, her beautiful eyes looking deeply at Wang Teng.

Her tone carried a hint of tenderness and solemnity never seen before:

"The journey to the Upper Realm this time is fraught with danger."

"The sky there is darker than it is here."

"If one day, you are tired, or... defeated."

"As long as you still have a breath left, return here."

Willow Deity's figure completely dissipated, leaving only a lingering sound echoing in the morning breeze:

"Shi Village and I will be your safety net."

Wang Teng sat where he was, looking at the old willow tree that had returned to tranquility in the morning light, its branches swaying gently in the wind.

He gripped the divine willow branch in his hand, feeling the residual warmth on it.

For a long time. Wang Teng's lips curled into an extremely brilliant smile, and he waved at the old willow tree:

"Rest assured, Sister."

"I am not accustomed to defeat."

"When I return, I will definitely bring you back that—the head of an Immortal King, as a betrothal... ahem, as a gift!"

He stood up, preparing to say a reassuring word to Willow Deity.

Suddenly!

"Dong!!!"

An extremely dull bell toll, seemingly coming from the depths of the primordial universe, exploded without warning at the end of this world!

This bell toll was too terrifying!

It did not destroy any grass, trees, or mountains, but it pierced directly through the physical body, slamming fiercely onto the soul of every living being!

"Wah!!"

Inside Shi Village, the villagers who had just woken up from their sleep, whether they were the strong men of the hunting team or the young children.

At this moment, all spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

Even Saintess Yue Chan, whose cultivation was sealed on the building ship, let out a muffled groan, her face turning as pale as paper.

"Damn it!"

Wang Teng's expression changed drastically; he took a step forward, and the terrifying divine power of the Zhanwo Realm erupted instantly.

It transformed into a dark golden light curtain that covered the sky, protecting the entire Shi Village beneath it.

"It has begun."

"The Great Calamity!"

Willow Deity's figure fluctuated violently at this moment; she raised her head, and on her stunningly beautiful face beneath that veil.

For the first time, a trace of sharp killing intent appeared.

This was no ordinary storm; this was the beginning of the end of the world.

The sky had completely split open.

Just at the moment the bell toll sounded, at the very top of the Eight Regions' firmament, a massive void crack, a million miles long, appeared.

The crack was like a wound slashed into the heavens by someone with a sharp blade, with chaotic energy rolling inside and scarlet blood rain flowing out.

"Rumble—"

As the crack expanded, countless chains of order as thick as mountain ridges, carrying a cold, ruthless, and despair-inducing aura of the Immortal Dao.

Descended from the nine heavens like a torrential rain!

Those were the God-Catching Chains! They were the magical artifacts used by the giants of the Upper Realm to harvest Venerables and cultivators of the Divine Fire Realm!

"The Great Calamity! The Great Calamity has arrived!!"

"No! Why has it arrived early?! We are not prepared yet!!"

Across the Eight Regions, countless ancient kingdoms, great sects, and Ancient Remains on sacred mountains were thrown into chaos at this moment.

Those Venerables who usually stood high above and acted tyrannically were now like pigs and sheep driven into a slaughterhouse, emitting desperate wails.

They tried to flee, tried to resist.

Some Ancient Remains sacrificed their ancestral artifacts, transforming into giant beasts ten thousand zhang tall and rushing into the sky, wanting to shatter those chains.

However, it was useless.

"Pfft!"

A silver chain ignored space and easily pierced through the chest of a pure-blooded Pixiu.

That Venerable giant beast, capable of shattering mountains and rivers with a single roar, did not even have time to scream before its vital blood was instantly drained dry.

It turned into a shriveled corpse and was then ruthlessly dragged by the chain toward the crack in the high sky.

"I am not reconciled!! I am not reconciled!!"

In an ancient sacred mountain somewhere, an old vine, a powerhouse in the Divine Fire Realm who had lived for thousands of years, burned its life, transforming into sky-filling green flames to resist the firmament.

But the next second, a chaotic giant hand reaching out from the crack wiped gently.

That sacred mountain, stretching for ten thousand miles, along with that Divine Fire Realm powerhouse, instantly vanished into ashes.

Only a brilliant essence of life remained, which was taken into the possession of that giant hand.

This was not a battle?

This was completely a one-sided hunt!

"You lowly descendants of sin in the Lower Realm, being able to become resources on our path to immortality is your greatest honor."

A voice, cold to the extreme, as if a god-king from the nine heavens were looking down upon ants, spread throughout the entire Eight Regions along that crack.

That was the voice of the Deputy Sect Leader of the Butian Sect!

This Great Calamity was actually led by the Butian Sect.

They had united with Bulao Mountain, Jietian Sect, the Western Sect, and other top orthodoxy of the Upper Realm, launching it early!

Because they were afraid, they were anxious!

A variable with unknown origins had appeared in the Lower Realm; that Nine-Nether Ao named Wang Teng had already disrupted their plans.

Therefore, they wanted to use thunderous force to directly sweep across the entire Eight Regions, obliterating that variable along with this world!

...

Above Shi Village.

Although the dark golden light curtain blocked that deadly bell toll, the villagers of Shi Village were still plunged into extreme panic.

They were just ordinary mortals; how had they ever seen such world-destroying scenes? The children were crying, the elderly were praying.

And Shi Hao, who had just rushed back to the village, looked at the blood rain filling the sky and the tragically dead living beings, his eyes turning red.

He wanted to rush up to fight, but was held back tightly by Yun Xi and Princess Huo Linger behind him.

Faced with a disaster of this level, even Shi Hao, at the peak of the Ten Heavenly Passages, was no different from an ant trying to shake a tree.

"Upper Realm... you bully people too much!!"

Shi Hao gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked.

At this moment, the old willow tree at the entrance of the village shone brightly.

"Wang Teng, I must act now."

Willow Deity's stunningly beautiful humanoid dharma image began to dissipate, merging back into the tree trunk.

She could no longer maintain this highly consuming form.

As her words fell, the old willow tree, which originally only had a few dozen willow branches, instantly surged!

"Boom!"

Green willow branches shot into the sky, like peerless immortal swords, going against the blood rain filling the sky and the chains of order, piercing upwards crazily!

"Ssh, ssh, ssh!"

Wherever the willow branches passed, those arrogant God-Catching Chains were actually severed one after another like noodles!

Even one willow branch directly shattered a chaotic giant hand reaching out from the crack, shaking the void until it collapsed!