Chapter 81: Unifying the Northern Wilderness (Part Two)

Boom! Boom! Suddenly, a flash of lightning appeared in the sky above the Xuanming Water Palace—a single spark, as if the origin of a thousand thunders, frantically releasing boundless bolts of lightning, as though these endless electric currents would tear the heavens themselves apart.

Under the onslaught of unending lightning, the azure sky resembled a mirror riddled with cracks, on the verge of shattering.

The winds surged, clouds billowed, thunder roared, and lightning raged.

After the lightning, a limitless sea of dark clouds gathered from every direction, conjuring from thin air a vast, all-encompassing curtain of darkness.

Ten miles, a hundred miles, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million miles... the dark canopy grew inexorably, as if without end, expanding outward from the Xuanming Water Palace, seemingly intent on enveloping the entire Xuanming Waters in its shadow.

Boom!

Within that dark curtain, bolts of lightning thick as tree trunks—some golden, some silver, others violet or black—danced wildly, heightening the terror beneath the oppressive shroud.

"An enemy invasion!"

This thought involuntarily rose in the minds of every living being in the Xuanming Waters.

"Dong... dong... dong..."

The ancient invasion bell, silent for millennia, tolled its heavy voice, echoing through every corner of the Xuanming Waters, heralding the advent of a formidable foe.

Once the invasion was confirmed by the Xuanming Black Serpents, panic began to spread from the Water Palace to every corner of the domain.

How many years? How many years had it been since any being dared invade the Xuanming Waters?

Was it hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years? None could remember. No one had dared challenge the divine might of the Black Heaven Lord and the Xuanming Black Serpents.

Yet whoever now dared invade could not possibly fear either the Black Heaven Lord or the Xuanming Black Serpents.

Now, the entire Xuanming Waters would become a battlefield between the invaders and the Black Serpents.

All living creatures of the Xuanming Waters gazed in terror at the sea of lightning above; they could already envision the world consumed by war, with carnage everywhere.

Henceforth, the beings of the waters—those cautious would flee, either flying skyward, diving beneath the waves, or escaping through teleportation arrays; the timid would hide in their dens or seek the protection of the Black Serpents; the bold might even consider pillaging amidst the chaos.

No matter what others did, the Xuanming Black Serpents would never shrink from death, nor retreat from battle.

The war drums thundered, the horns blared.

Boom! Clatter!

The Xuanming Black Serpent army gathered—banners massed like clouds, black spears bristled like a forest, their armor dark as mountains. Some mounted their beasts, racing into the sky; others soared upon black clouds, exuding an air of grim slaughter, surging forward like a tide of ink, charging unflinchingly toward the storm of silver lightning within the dark dome.

The Black Serpent army took flight, but the dark canopy overhead continued its relentless expansion, as if heedless of their movements.

A quarter of an hour later, the dark curtain finally ceased its growth, but by then, the Xuanming Waters—spanning hundreds of millions of miles—lay entirely beneath its shadow.

The millions-strong army, riding black clouds, halted before the looming darkness.

Hei Wu gazed at the curtain close at hand, feeling the overwhelming power within the myriad bolts of lightning, and could not help but frown. "What a terrifying force. Since when has such a mighty Lord of Thunder appeared in the Primordial Wilds? Could it be..."

“The Thunder Lord of the Divine Clan!” Hei Wu’s brows knitted tighter, his heart more agitated.

Had the Black Heaven Lord, the Black Earth Elder, and the Black Profound Second Elder not been absent, as the army’s commander, Hei Wu would have already flown into a rage. As the Third Elder of the Xuanming Black Serpents, he knew all too well the enmity between their clan and the Divine Clan.

Precisely because he knew, Hei Wu understood just how deep, how fierce that hatred ran, how slim the hope for reconciliation.

Now that Nan Luo was lord of the Divine Clan and a mighty force in the world, how could he ever tolerate the humiliation once inflicted by the Black Serpents? Only blood could cleanse such an insult.

And since the Divine Clan had only recently established its dominance, how could they accept the affront to their chieftain Nan Luo? For Nan Luo, annihilating the Black Serpents would both erase past shame and proclaim his unrivaled power.

For the Divine Clan, destroying the Black Serpents would not only avenge Nan Luo but also demonstrate their might to all the myriad tribes of the primordial world, forcing them into submission.

Thus, between the Divine Clan and the Xuanming Black Serpents, there could be only war—never peace.

“Your Excellency Thunder Lord, I apologize for not welcoming you from afar. May I ask what brings you to our realm?” Hei Wu, feigning ignorance of the Thunder Lord’s intent, respectfully addressed the storm of silver lightning above.

“Hahaha... Hei Wu, why pretend you do not know my purpose? Summon Black Heaven at once, or I will have no choice but to slaughter you all.”

From the thunder sea came a voice, rough and commanding, brimming with tyranny.

Seeing how readily the Thunder Lord threatened violence, Hei Wu seethed inwardly, cursing: “What an insolent Thunder Lord! If I could find Black Heaven, Black Earth, or Black Profound, would I suffer such humiliation?”

Yet no matter his thoughts, in the face of a superior foe, the weaker could only maintain a facade of respect.

Hei Wu forced a smile and said, “Please be patient, Thunder Lord. My lord will arrive shortly.”

“Black Heaven, I know you are here. If you do not show yourself, I will slaughter every last Black Serpent!” The Thunder Lord’s authoritarian voice echoed from the storm.

Yet it seemed the Black Heaven Lord paid no heed, making no appearance.

Beneath the dark shroud, the raging silver lightning illuminated the silent Black Serpent army.

Boom! Boom!

Countless divine thunders in the storm erupted, their deafening roar shaking the heavens, as if the very sky were enraged.

A colossal shockwave of violet light burst forth from the thunder sea, sweeping outwards in all directions.

“Defend!” Hei Wu shouted in fury.

“Kill!” The millions of Black Serpent warriors, faces grim, raised their spears in unison, emanating a murderous intent that soared to the heavens.

Millions of beams of black light surged from the spear tips, merging into a black barrier to shield the army.

Boom!

The violet shockwave, like a stampede of thunder, crashed into the black barrier, shattering its layers.

“Pfft—”

Countless warriors, suffering the backlash of the broken barrier, spat blood and looked on in terror at the thunder sea.

Only those who had personally faced a primordial god knew their true terror.

Ordinary gods could be overcome by sheer numbers, but not the primordial ones.

The millions-strong Black Serpent army could easily slay three or five deities, but could not withstand even a single strike from the Thunder Lord.

Such was the might of a primordial god!

Having landed a blow, the Thunder Lord did not relent, but pressed the attack.

Boom! Boom!

Within the thunder sea, countless bolts of violet lightning, thick as barrels, gathered and surged toward the Black Serpent army—tens of thousands, forming an unstoppable tidal wave of destruction.

The entire army, even the mighty Hei Wu, stared in horror as the lightning tide swept toward them.

To Hei Wu’s senses, this wave was far mightier than the shockwave before.

Once more, a black barrier slowly formed above the army, but this time, with so many wounded, it took longer and was weaker than before.

The previous barrier had been shattered by the shockwave; now, the lightning tide was even greater while the barrier was weaker.

Hei Wu closed his eyes in despair—he could already imagine how many warriors would perish.

Yet the expected blow did not fall. Hei Wu sensed the aura of the Black Heaven Lord.

Hiss... hiss...

A colossal Black Serpent, nine thousand feet long, materialized before the army, its gaze icy cold as it faced the onrushing tide. It opened its massive jaws and swallowed the entire lightning flood.

Having devoured the tide, the serpent transformed into its true form—the Black Heaven Lord.

“Black Heaven, are you ready to die?” came the Thunder Lord’s mocking voice from the sea of lightning.