In the southern region of the Xuanyuan Realm lies a vast bamboo forest stretching for thousands of miles, as expansive as the sea. Its eastern edge borders the Storm Sea, while its southern end reaches the Huanglian Mountains, almost isolating the southeastern part of the Xuanyuan Realm from the rest of the continent.
People call this bamboo forest the "Sea of Green Bamboo."
In the southeastern part of the Sea of Green Bamboo, there is a small country named "Yue." Legend has it that a long time ago, when the bamboo forest was not as vast, some people crossed the bamboo sea from the Xuanyuan Realm to cultivate the land and establish villages, hence the name "Yue" (meaning "to cross").
The bamboo sea is vast and rich in spiritual energy, housing many fierce beasts and spirit creatures, so no one dares to venture into it. Similarly, the Storm Sea and Huanglian Mountains are also famous forbidden areas in the Xuanyuan Realm. Consequently, Yue has been isolated from the northwest part of the continent.
At the northernmost part of Yue, only about two or three miles from the bamboo forest, there is a pass called "Guanlin," with a population of about ten thousand. Although adjacent to the Sea of Green Bamboo, it has been heavily guarded by troops for many years, and there is a winding, towering "Wall of Demon Suppression," over twenty zhang high. Hence, the residents of Guanlin can still live and work in peace, without suffering from the attacks of beasts and demons.
At this moment, inside Guanlin Pass:
The general guarding the pass, Wu Tonglin, tightly gripped his long spear, his brows furrowed, as he watched the bamboo-made mechanism in front of him spinning wildly. Every time the bamboo made a "click" sound from friction, his heart jumped.
Wu Tonglin's face remained unchanged, but his hand holding the spear was already sweaty.
The old man controlling the "Demon Detection Wheel" continued to channel his true energy into the mechanism, occasionally glancing at the general. In his heart, he greatly admired Wu Tonglin for maintaining his composure in such a situation. If he were the general, the ten thousand soldiers in Guanlin would have already fallen into chaos.
This situation lasted for half an hour before stopping.
The black-clad old man released the "Demon Detection Wheel," feeling weak all over, his legs giving way as he collapsed to the ground with a thud. He panted heavily, his back feeling cold with chills.
Wu Tonglin swallowed and asked, "What’s the situation, demon detector?"
"Eighty thousand minor demons, led by three demon leaders, all from the Blue Sparrow Clan. If their target is Guanlin, I fear the whole city couldn't hold out for more than three quarters of an hour."
"The 'Demon Detection Wheel' isn't broken, is it?"
"No. I wish I had seen it wrong too."
The demon detector sighed, understanding why Wu Tonglin doubted his words earlier. Honestly, if he hadn't clearly sensed the three mountain-like powerful auras rapidly emerging from the bamboo forest, he wouldn't have believed that the Blue Sparrow Clan would one day leave the Sea of Green Bamboo.
The Blue Sparrow Clan, the emperors among birds, is one of the five great sacred clans of the demon race in the Xuanyuan Realm. Born with a cultivation equivalent to the Fifth Realm, they inevitably reach the Secret Realm of Life and achieve immortality upon maturity.
Legend has it that in ancient times, the blue sparrow was just a mutant branch of the peacock clan, with its divine five-colored light only capable of displaying one color. However, "quality over quantity" proved true, as the blue sparrow exterminated the peacock and replaced it as a dominant force among the demon race.
Today, forty percent of the beasts in the Sea of Green Bamboo are either affiliated with or enslaved by the Blue Sparrow Clan.
However, for many years, the Blue Sparrow Clan had always remained aloof towards Yue, never leaving the Sea of Green Bamboo. Otherwise, Guanlin Pass would have long fallen.
Wu Tonglin nodded and couldn't help but let out a helpless sigh. At this moment, it seemed he had accepted his fate.
Not to mention the three blue sparrows, even with eighty thousand minor demons attacking simultaneously, he might not be able to defend the pass.
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Wu Tonglin climbed to the highest watchtower on the Wall of Demon Suppression, channeling his true energy through his hands as he prepared to ring the bell signaling a fight to the death for the entire city. Unintentionally, his gaze fell into the distance...
Three miles outside the Wall of Demon Suppression, at the edge of the Sea of Green Bamboo, there is a small hill.
On top of it stands a wooden house and a few vegetable patches.
Wu Tonglin thought that if the three blue sparrows flew over there, perhaps Guanlin City might be spared. However, he quickly let out a bitter laugh, shook his head, and abandoned this foolish notion.
Even if the three blue sparrows had tenfold courage, they wouldn't dare to approach that forbidden area. Yet he harbored such hopes, truly wishful thinking.
The wooden house on the hill three or four miles outside Guanlin, known as the "Ancient Courtyard of the Old Tree," is also referred to as the number one forbidden area of the Xuanyuan Realm since ancient times. Compared to it, the Huanglian Mountains, Storm Sea, and Sea of Green Bamboo are like fireflies competing with the bright moon.
Wu Tonglin understood that the reason the demon overlords of the three great forbidden areas hadn't invaded Yue was most likely due to their fear of the Ancient Courtyard of the Old Tree.
Since the founding of Yue, the royal family had proclaimed to the world that no one was allowed to approach within a mile of the Ancient Courtyard of the Old Tree. Any violators would face the extermination of their entire clan.
Wu Tonglin clenched his teeth and sounded the urgent drums, warning the entire city of the impending disaster from the demonic beasts.
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In the Sea of Green Bamboo...
The forest, stretching for hundreds of miles, rustled in unison, swaying in the wind. Three enormous shadows, each as large as a house, flapped their wings, spanning six to seven zhang, flying southward. Each emerald-blue feather that fell into the forest below sparked a bloody scramble among the minor demons.
Beams of blue light, as thick as buckets, illuminated every corner. Wherever the cyan light touched, everything was instantly enveloped, turning into wisps of smoke and disappearing without a trace.
This was the innate divine power of the Blue Sparrow Clan—the Azure Divine Light. Originally, among the peacock's five divine lights, the azure light was the weakest in terms of attack power, primarily used for purification. Legend has it that the ancestors of the Blue Sparrow Clan, with unparalleled talent, perfected the azure light, transforming its purification power into a dispersal force.
From then on, the subordinate branches overthrew the main lineage, replacing the peacock's position.
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the three blue sparrows were not together but chasing one another. The one in the front had several injuries, its feathers and flesh dissolved by the divine light.
The two blue sparrows behind were slightly larger and extremely fierce in their attacks, but they did not deliver fatal blows. They chased the injured one, shouting in deep, hoarse male voices, sounding like old men in their seventies or eighties:
"Miss, come back with us."
"How can the whole clan bear the consequences of one person's mistake?"
The other one chimed in, its voice sharp and shrill, like an old woman.
The blue sparrow called "Miss" didn't answer, only gritting her teeth and flying desperately. After this ordeal, Xie Tianhua finally understood the fickleness of human nature.
Just yesterday, Xie Tianhua was the most outstanding genius of the clan, loved by everyone.
But now, it seemed the Blue Sparrow Clan was determined to sacrifice her.
Xie Tianhua smiled bitterly, thinking to herself:
"When you annulled the engagement with the Qiao family back then, didn't you support it too? How quickly you've decided to make my family the scapegoat..."
The feud between the Qiao family and the Xie family dated back thirty years. At that time, the head of the Qiao family, Qiao Wansheng, saved Xie Tianhua's parents during a secret realm expedition. Since then, the two families became close friends. The Xie couple, seeing that although the Qiao family was of a different race, it was still a prominent family in the Dahuang Kingdom, arranged a marriage to express their gratitude.
Who would have thought that times would change, and the Qiao family would be annihilated in a struggle for the throne?
From birth, Xie Tianhua showed signs of ancestral bloodline, becoming the jewel of the Blue Sparrow Clan, residing in the Sea of Green Bamboo, indifferent to worldly affairs. Unexpectedly, a young man suddenly arrived with a marriage proposal, claiming to be Qiao Minglong, forcing her into marriage.
She was unaware of the grievances between the Qiao family and the Dahuang Kingdom, but seeing this young man's low cultivation and no emotional foundation, she firmly refused. At that time, the Blue Sparrow Clan thought the same, thus unilaterally annulling the engagement. Qiao Minglong's pride was severely hurt, and he vowed revenge. Three years later, he returned, now a holy son of the great holy land, Fentian Valley. Qiao Minglong then single-handedly suppressed the Blue Sparrow Clan's geniuses of the same generation and easily defeated Xie Tianhua.
One would think this would end the matter, with Qiao Minglong boasting and humiliating the Xie family.
This morning, Xie Tianhua's parents fought to the death to hold back the clan's experts, allowing her to escape the Sea of Green Bamboo. By noon, the clan's experts, leading eighty thousand demon soldiers, sent two elders to capture Xie Tianhua, stating they wanted to fulfill the old engagement with Qiao Minglong.
"Miss Xie, stop running."
"Up ahead is a forbidden area; you can't escape. Come back with us."
Xie Tianhua stopped, bewildered, looking around.
She had been fleeing and now had left the Sea of Green Bamboo, hovering near a small hill with three wooden houses atop it. Moss covered the walls, and the yard was paved with red bricks, with a large tree growing there, its roots encircling a sealed well.
Xie Tianhua was startled, recognizing this as one of the few places even the clan leader dared not approach.
The Ancient Courtyard of the Old Tree!