504: Chapter 504 A String of Pearls Piercing the Sun - The Fall of the Nine Crows

This Sun-Shooting Divine Bow was forged from the spine of the Great God Pangu, and the characters "Sun-Shooting" were vividly engraved upon its body. Even the Ancestral Witches, holding it in their hands, could not fathom its profound mysteries; nor did anyone know what earth-shattering power was truly hidden behind those two characters—back when the Wu Clan had no archery, this bow had lain silently deep within Pangu Hall, until Hou Yi appeared in the world and it was solemnly bestowed upon him. In the dark, it seemed as if heaven's will had already been written.

Hou Yi charged forward, the sights along the way making his blood run cold: wherever the ten Golden Crows rampaged, mountains and rivers were scorched, and the earth was barren for a thousand miles. The corpses of Wu-humans, the Wu Clan, and the human race lay everywhere; even the roots of grass and trees were burned to ash, the earth cracked like tortoise shells, and living beings were nearly extinct.

The so-called Wu-humans were the offspring born from the union of the Wu Clan and the human race. The Wu Clan itself struggled to reproduce, but once they intermarried with the human race, their offspring were surprisingly abundant. This matter greatly excited the Ancestral Witches, especially the former Houtu Tribe—the Wu-human bloodline was not only protected but also seen as the key to sustaining the Wu Clan's legacy. Although they lacked the copper skin and iron bones of the Ancestral Witches, they quietly condensed a thread of primordial spirit, which was precisely the key to breaking the deadlock that the Ancestral Witches had dreamed of.

All beings in the Primordial World knew that the Wu Clan was born without primordial spirits, but after combining with the human race, they could actually give birth to children with souls. How could this turning point not make the Ancestral Witches ecstatic? Consequently, the trend of intermarriage intensified, and the number of Wu-human tribes surged. Now, however, more than half had been incinerated by the ten blazing suns—the intensity of this hatred was not something felt by Hou Yi alone.

When Hou Yi climbed the cliff and looked up, he saw the ten Golden Crows showing off their power above the firmament, their golden flames scorching and arrogant to the extreme. He went from extreme rage to stillness, reached back to draw the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow, nocked a Cold Star Arrow refined from North Sea Black Ice Iron, and channeled the power of his Great Witch true form, pulling the bow like a full moon—the arrow flew out like lightning, instantly tearing through the void, and pierced the chest of a Golden Crow without any obstruction!

The remaining nine Golden Crows froze in unison, their wings trembling slightly. Hou Yi, however, did not stop, firing arrows in rapid succession, each one piercing the sun! In just a few breaths, five Golden Crows had crashed to the ground like meteorites. The others scattered in panic, flapping their wings to flee, but Hou Yi's arrows were faster—before the sound of tearing through the air had ceased, another Golden Crow fell from the clouds with a mournful cry.

There was no more compassion in his eyes, only a sheet of crimson flame: for Kuafu, for the thousands of Wu-humans who died miserably, and even more for the future of the Wu Clan that had yet to be ignited. Every arrow was a blood oath; every time he drew the bow, he was crushing his own retreat.

Jiang Chen stood far away on the mountain peak, his gaze sweeping over that figure leaping like fire, the corners of his lips lifting slightly—apart from Hou Yi, who else would dare to draw a bow and point it directly at the suns of the Heavenly Court? Who else would dare to face the power of world-destruction and go to death alone? Kuafu was incredibly powerful, second only to the Ancestral Witches among the Wu Clan, yet he was slaughtered by the ten suns together. The enemy's momentum was enough to make ordinary Great Witches shrink back. But Hou Yi would not retreat, would not avoid, and insisted on slamming into destiny with his flesh and blood—this was true greatness!

Now the Golden Crows were suffering the consequences of their own actions. They indulged their golden flames, burning the foundations of all life, nearly causing the extinction of all things in the Primordial World. How could the Heavenly Dao not be angry? It was just that for the arrogance of such insignificant beings, there were those destined to endure the tribulation who would come stepping on light—like Hou Yi, who was bowing and nocking an arrow at this moment.

At this moment, the eldest Golden Crow spread his wings, wrapping his youngest brother tightly beneath him, and sped toward the direction of the Heavenly Court. Seeing his other nine brothers pierced through the heart by Hou Yi's arrows one after another and falling into the burning sky, a cold, piercing arrow had already broken through the air, aiming straight for his own brow—he knew there was no avoiding it, but he suddenly twisted his body to collide with the arrow tip, using his flesh and blood to hard-block the divine weapon, just to buy a chance of survival for the tenth little brother! In the moment of crisis, he hissed out his last words: "Run! Once you enter the Heavenly Court, you will live!"

But the little tenth brother, flying ahead, only heard a heart-rending cry and knew that his eldest brother had also perished. He gritted his teeth, not daring to look back, flapping his wings wildly, and charged forward blindly. Ten thousand years of brotherhood, relying on each other day and night; if they had not left the nest in the beginning, stayed safely in the Fusang tree, and waited quietly to take human form... how could it have come to this? Now regret was like a knife, gouging his heart and eroding his bones. The ten brothers were parted forever, grief uncontrollable, sighs unspeakable, weeping without sound.

This deep brotherly affection could indeed shake mountains and move heaven, but it crossed the line that the Heavenly Dao would not allow to be crossed—could past sins be wiped away just because of deep affection? Even Jiang Chen could see it clearly; at this moment, Ancestor Hongjun was likely watching coldly, standing by with his hands in his sleeves.

Just as the little Golden Crow was suffering, above the Heavenly Court, Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi felt a violent shock in their hearts simultaneously—that was the scorching pain transmitted from the depths of their bloodline, the life-contract resonance unique to the Golden Crows. Although there were great divine powers obscuring the heavenly secrets, they could not block this cry of life and death. Suddenly, a Great Demon stumbled into the Lingxiao Palace, his voice trembling: "Reporting to Your Majesty! The ten Princes... are no longer on the Fusang tree!"

This person was the tree-guarding Great Demon who had been knocked unconscious by the Daoist Zhunti, and he had only woken up after nearly ten days of unconsciousness. Waking up, he rushed to the Fusang tree, only to see the branches empty and the ten Golden Crows nowhere to be found, and immediately terrified, he rushed to report before the Heavenly Emperor.

Before his words fell, that faint bloodline resonance suddenly tore through the barrier. Dijun scanned with his divine sense and saw that half of his ten sons had already been lost. In an instant, his vital energy surged, his throat felt sweet, and he spat out a mouthful of crimson-gold essence blood; Donghuang Taiyi did not hesitate, turned around and rushed out of the South Heaven Gate, golden light like lightning, heading straight for the coast of the East Sea!

Dijun suppressed his surging blood energy and also rose, chasing after Donghuang Taiyi's figure and breaking through the void. The reporting Great Demon was stunned for a moment, then shuddered—something big had happened! He immediately turned and ran, heading straight for the residence of the Ten Great Demon Saints. Demon Master Kunpeng was not in the Heavenly Court, so this matter could only be decided by the various Saints.

The tenth little one carried his eldest brother's instructions, using his last bit of strength to fly desperately toward the Heavenly Court. On the ground, Hou Yi's eyes focused, seeing a glimmer of golden shadow remaining in the sky, he immediately pulled the bow like a full moon, nocked the Black Ice Cold Star Arrow, held his breath and focused his mind, and the moment he released the string, the arrow whistled, tearing through the clouds and piercing straight through the firmament!

The tenth little one's back suddenly turned cold, and a chill of death pierced straight into his soul from the back of his neck—it was over, all ten brothers were going to be buried in this sky! The thought had just risen when that chilling murderous intent forced itself to his back. His whole body went stiff and cold, even the tips of his feathers trembling.

At the critical moment, Donghuang Taiyi arrived with wind and thunder! The east emperor bell rang with a buzz, a chaotic golden light swept out, and with a "clang," it shattered the arrow tip! The arrow was broken into pieces, and cold stars splashed everywhere. Donghuang Taiyi teleported to the side of the tenth little one. The tenth little one looked up and saw that familiar and majestic face. His fear just settled, and he immediately threw himself into his uncle's arms, his whole body shaking like an autumn leaf, sobbing and crying intermittently: "Nine brothers... were all killed... by that Wu Clan member on the ground... please... avenge us..."

Donghuang Taiyi heard this, his rage reaching the top of his head, his eyes crimson, but he did not lose his composure—which showed his will was like iron. He turned abruptly, his gaze like a knife slashing at Hou Yi: "You, a member of the Wu Clan, by what right do you slaughter my Demon Clan's Princes? Do you really want to overturn the Three Realms and ignite a bloody war between the two clans?"

Hou Yi saw Donghuang Taiyi arrive in person, knowing that the last arrow could no longer hit its mark, but he held his head high, not retreating: "Open your eyes and look, are the things your Princes did human behavior?"

Donghuang Taiyi was startled, his divine sense sweeping across the earth—scorched earth for thousands of miles, living beings lying dead, riverbeds cracked like spider webs, dry bones exposed under the scorching sun. The tragic sight entered his mind, and his expression stagnated for a moment, but in an instant, only rage remained in his eyes: "Even if there is sin, it is not your Wu Clan's turn to execute! My Demon Clan's affairs have my Demon Clan's judgment!"

Hou Yi sneered, his voice like metal striking stone: "My close friend Kuafu was roasted alive by your Princes on the way—if I don't settle this account, who will?"

Before the words fell, Dijun had arrived! Without a word, he raised his hand and unleashed a sky-burning flame, wrapping the Dijun Seal and smashing it fiercely at Hou Yi. Donghuang Taiyi also struck fiercely, the east emperor bell suspended above his head, suppressing the energy of all directions. How could a Great Witch block a joint attack from two Quasi-Saints?

But do not forget—Hou Yi carried the merits of the Primordial World: nine suns falling from the sky, relieving all spirits from thirst, saving the common people from the burning ashes. Because of this, he hard-blocked this world-destroying blow! Although he was shaken so that his internal organs were displaced, his meridians were torn, and even lifting a finger was difficult, he still stood in place, not retreating half a step. Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi both changed color—this Wu Clan man could actually hard-block the joint strike of two Quasi-Saints? But before their astonishment faded, the offensive came pressing down again!

However, the Wu Clan's Ancestral Witch Di Jiang had already sensed the aura of Kuafu's fall and was the first to tear through the void to investigate; the other Ancestral Witches followed closely behind. Who would have thought that just halfway there, they would see another Great Witch hanging by a thread—Hou Yi was being scorched by the Golden Crow flames, his flesh and blood charred, and it looked like he was about to follow in Kuafu's footsteps. Di Jiang immediately channeled the source of space, instantly teleporting in front of Hou Yi, hard-cutting off that sky-burning arrow light. Donghuang Taiyi and Dijun's eyes swept over, instantly catching sight of Di Jiang's figure, and then seeing the outlines of the other Ancestral Witches rushing from afar, their hearts sank: it was impossible to kill Hou Yi now.

Fortunately, there was still three parts of sanity left, understanding that starting a war at this time was tantamount to playing with fire. Dijun just glared fiercely at the Wu Clan, then stared at the culprit, the tenth little one, gritting his teeth, and then wrapped up his remaining young son, turned and soared into the air, returning straight to the Heavenly Court. Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi both knew in their hearts—after this tribulation, there would be no turning back for the Wu and Demon clans, only blood and fire devouring each other, never dying until the end.

Di Jiang watched them leave, knowing he could not stop them. When all the brothers arrived, he lifted the heavily injured and dying Hou Yi, broke through the chaos, and returned directly to Pangu Hall for treatment. After Hou Yi's breath stabilized, Di Jiang recounted the whole story from beginning to end. The Ancestral Witches were furious upon hearing this, all of them pounding their chests and stamping their feet, clamoring to level the Heavenly Court and wash the Demon Clan in blood.

Di Jiang raised his hand to suppress the clamor, his voice low but thunderous: "The kalpa is approaching; the Wu and Demon clans must eventually decide life and death. For now, stay put, prepare yourselves, and wait quietly for the heavenly secret."

Jiang Chen had been hiding deep in the clouds, and only after the figures of the two clans disappeared did he step out slowly. He shook his head, sighing repeatedly, seemingly pitying and mocking. Then he rolled his sleeves, taking all nine Golden Crow corpses into his sleeves, along with those nine Black Ice Cold Star Arrows—such extremely cold and sharp objects were truly treasures for refining weapons. It was just that his mind was in turmoil, and for a moment he couldn't think of what to forge, so never mind, leave it for later when inspiration strikes. Alas, what a pitiful and sigh-worthy fool.

Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi returned to the Heavenly Court with the tenth little one. The Ten Great Demon Saints had long been waiting outside the Lingxiao Palace, reporting the matter of Hou Yi. The Heavenly Queen Xi He had been running over in a daze since the first report of the Demon Clan arrived. As soon as she looked up and saw only one lone Golden Crow hanging at the corner of the hall, her knees went soft on the spot, a fishy sweetness rushed to her throat, and she nearly fainted. Dijun could only order in a deep voice, commanding the Ten Great Demon Saints to immediately reorganize and prepare for war, strictly guarding the Heavenly Court for ten thousand years.