With This Quarry, an Offering to the White Stag!

The instant they realized it, only one terrifying name rose in everyone's minds... "The White Stag Sovereign"!! No, it was absolutely impossible for it to be the White Stag Sovereign. The previous White Stag Sovereign had died long ago! Back during the war between Tianyuan and the White Stag, driven to desperation and attempting to split the Wilderness Market, the White Stag Sovereign had died at the hands of none other than The Hermit, one of the leaders of the Wilderness Market today! The second conflict between Tianyuan and the White Stag had come to an end because of that. The Wilderness Market was scattered, unable to reconvene for ages. Yet after more than two hundred years, the baleful sword was unsheathed, and Jueguang reappeared! That left only one possibility... The Hermit! After keeping a low profile for two centuries, this leader of the Wilderness Market had quietly stepped into the realm of the Dragon! No, with a sword strike honed to such perfection, that bastard had probably become a Dragon long ago! For a time, who knew how many felt their hearts turn icy cold. How could someone turtle to such a shameless degree? A dignified living Dragon had crouched in hiding from the very beginning until now, lying in wait until the Mountain Wolf poked its head out to seek its own death before finally bounding out with Jueguang for a leaping strike! You really are underhanded as fuck! The void was empty, devoid of form or image, leaving not the slightest trace. Yet anyone wishing to intervene could distinctly feel a chilling gaze fall upon them, as though Jueguang were tracing back and forth across their necks... They could barely move. That single slash stood before everyone like an invisible wall of iron. Ten seconds! Ten seconds that were enough to decide everything! A winding path of blood slowly stretched forward, halting yet persistent, leading toward the final outcome. The wolf of skeletal remains stepped forward, heading toward the sword that awaited it... *Crack!* The sound of rupture rang out once more. From deep within the soul. The wolf of bones roared, using this body of Wolf Sin to forcibly trespass into the sanctuary where the White Stag reigned! It let the aura of the White Stag brutally ravage it, raining down punishment; boiling wolf blood ripped through its soul, inflicting the ultimate sentence... Amidst agony potent enough to annihilate the soul, the skeletal wolf laughed wildly, as if singing a raspy anthem. Yet within unprecedented joy and bliss, tears of blood streamed from the White King's eyes as he wept with reckless abandon. One step, then another. Even when he stumbled, he dragged himself up, only to fall again. Once he could no longer stand, crawling on all fours made no difference. Even with broken limbs, he crawled on without stopping. *I must climb this mountain, cross this river, and walk this path to its end...* *Strip away the wolf's pelt, even if my own flesh is torn to shreds! Rip out the beast's fangs, even if hunger and thirst incinerate my soul!* *Sever the mutated claws, even if I can never run free again.* *Shatter the binding chains, even if I plunge into the abyss!* In that split second, Ji Jue finally saw his eyes. Muddy, yet blazing bright. Like specks of dust catching light through tears, performing a humble dance and singing a silent anthem. "O stalwart, graceful Stag—" The dying wolf fell to its knees, kowtowing in devout reverence, offering up everything it possessed: "Please hang my corpse upon your antlers!" And so, Supreme Goodness lowered Its gaze. Looking down to bear witness. "With your blood, grant mercy and succor to the world..." The black fiery shadow raised the blade in his hand without the slightest hesitation. "—With this quarry, an offering to the White Stag!" Amidst this dead silence, pure phantom radiance cleaved downward, effortlessly sweeping across his neck. A single pass, a decisive execution! Upon the pale blade, a wisp of crimson silently wound down and dripped to the earth. Along with the beast's severed head. There was no wailing, no shrieking, and no pain. Amidst the dust and pool of blood, the aged face that had shed its beastly guise was bathed in a faint shimmer, smiling in silence. A gentle breeze quietly rose, bearing his vital blood and demise into the heavens, answering the sudden roar of thunder deep within the firmament. A tearing sound rang out. Earth-shattering! The darkness vanished, the crimson vanished, the blood vanished, and the stars vanished. Only the boundless, vast azure sky unrolled overhead, radiating light everywhere. The barren wilderness seemed to transform into verdant grasslands, and pristine white snow once more fell over the parched mountains. That vision flashed past in mere moments... And the tempestuous wind of the White Stag swept across the wilderness! Ji Jue only felt himself entirely swallowed by a raging surge unlike anything he had ever known! The instant the White King died, an invisible ripple had erupted and spread from this spot, sweeping through the old capital, smashing through shackles, engulfing the White Nation, and even reaching the entirety of the Mid-Continent! *Crash!* From the void came what sounded like the relentless shattering of chains, as if even invisible locks could not bind this raging, surging torrent. Mutual Transmutation of Virtue and Vice! What sounded like an illusory, venomous wolf howl echoed in everyone's ears. Wherever the ripple passed, throughout the entire White Nation—in every village and wilderness, shantytown and city—countless living corpses and corrupted ones collapsed silently like cut straw, devoid of breath. Immediately after, the howling wind carried the scent of the wilderness to every inhabitant of the White Nation. Young and old, men and women alike. Once the wolf's predatory watch vanished amidst the howls, the reigning White Stag cast a distant, lofty glance down upon them. Even if it was merely a manifestation, merely a single glance... —This was a High-Rank Beckoning on an unprecedented, terrifying scale! A third of the people of the White Nation died alongside the wolf; a third awoke from their stupor; and a third, under the beckoning of the White Stag, shared in this Heaven's Choice! Even if less than one in a hundred could truly achieve success from it... Taking this quarry that completely eradicated the Wolf of the Forest as a wellspring, the White Stag had bestowed Its grace! This time, no storm of wrath was needed. Relying solely on this gust stirred by the death of the Priest-King was enough to shake everything to its foundations! Amidst this mighty gale across the Mid-Continent, countless Laws of Tianyuan established by the Empires and Federations cracked, teetering precariously as they struggled to hold on. This sudden, fierce wind of the wilderness was merely the prelude to the oncoming storm... One could already foresee what kind of frenzy would sweep through the Mid-Continent amidst the chaos of the wilderness once the Celestial Chosen who had received the beckoning today truly matured! From this moment forth, a corner of the era of the White Stag had been unveiled! The White King was dead, but the White Nation was reborn. Even if this rebirth was destined to bring endless turmoil, slaughter, struggle, death, and even vile sin and lingering venom... The wolf's blood had soaked into the earth, nourishing the wilderness, and in the future, thousands and tens of thousands of times more blood would be shed. Peace and order had still not arrived. Yet Ji Jue was no longer thinking about those distant matters... He raised his head to gaze at the clearing night sky, indifferent to the lingering skirmishes and the icy glares cast by the numerous Celestial-Humans and sin fiends. The Mountain Wolf, severed in half, was still in its death throes, fleeing with all its might; even if it made it back to the Vortex alive, it would probably wish it were dead. The Wolf of the Heart had long since vanished without a trace; after being ambushed by The Hermit, it likely wouldn't dare show its face for years to come. As for the rest... they were insignificant. The dust had settled. So much so that 'Lu Changsheng,' the 'culprit' behind it all, could actually afford to stand there for a brief moment, watching the shifting winds with a smile. When he turned his head back, he saw the White Stag looking down at him. Ji Jue looked back at the White Stag, his heart brimming with anticipation. Then he noticed... within that magnificent, lofty gaze of Supreme Goodness, amidst the anticipation and joy, a faint, hallucinatory trace of annoyance and disappointment began to emerge. *I made it this fucking obvious, so how does this little brat have zero tact?!* With that, It turned to leave, as though It had made up Its mind. *Motherfucker, you con me every single time. I'm never coming back!* Ji Jue's heart sank, and he instinctively reached out, wanting to hold It back... *Wait, big bro! We can talk this through! I can love the White Stag too!* Unfortunately, it was too late. With an impatient flick of Its antlers, the sword of phantom light that had severed the head of the Wolf of the Forest was lifted by an invisible force, flying straight at Ji Jue. With a smack, it pierced into his chest, wedging into the Hole of the sin fiend's shadow. And vanished. Just like that, It hurled back what Ji Jue had offered—*taking this piece of junk to brush me off, as if I'd care for it! Keep it yourself!* Ji Jue's vision went dark. Yet he felt his knockoff Wolf Blood Oath, which had been severed at the root, actually regrowing, and... Wait, was this the Wolf of the Forest's Plunder? "Huh?" Ji Jue was stunned, dumbfounded. *Big bro, you actually gave it to me?! Big bro! Big bro! Wait for me, big bro! Bi—* Too late. Heartbroken, the White Stag was gone, ignoring all his desperate calls without looking back. Ji Jue sighed, feeling a sense of loss. But once he confirmed the White Stag had truly departed, he couldn't help breaking into a grin. Boys, another handout secured! The only minor flaw in this otherwise perfect moment was that an unlucky bastard had shown up... "Congratulations, Ji Jue. You have finally attained comprehension." The phantom of King Ciji reappeared, brimming with delight that surpassed even Ji Jue's joy. "From now on, will you still be lost?" "Hard to say." Ji Jue rolled his eyes. "As long as a person is alive, how could they be completely free of worries?" Solve one trouble, and another takes its place. Finish one task, and another piles on... As long as breath remained, there would be endless ordeals, endless labor, and endless work. After a fleeting resolution came even more troublesome and complex dilemmas; after a momentary revelation came even vaster and deeper repercussions... The nature of a craftsman was hopeless, forever seeking out his own vexations. "The path of comprehension lies right beneath your feet, Ji Jue." King Ciji gave a faint smile, his form growing increasingly insubstantial. With the complete annihilation of Shangri-La, this final residual trace would also dissipate entirely. Never to be seen again. Only... Ji Jue couldn't help asking guardedly, "How did you die back then? Could a dignified King of Universal Mercy truly leave behind nothing more than a stunt like this?" "Universal Mercy?" The phantom chuckled, shaking his head with self-mockery. "Merely a title thrust upon me by others without my consent. In fact, no matter how much one comprehends, in the end, it cannot dispel the confusion. "Until the very end, I never found the answer..." "The answer to what?" "The answer to everything." The phantom sighed softly, gazing once more upon the world before him. "I only wished to know the true face of all things and all phenomena—a world without distortion, ignorance, or chaos, where everything exists with clarity and unfolds in its natural course." Without ambiguity or haziness, with no need for self-deception or running from oneself. Destruction or salvation, none of it mattered. No matter how terrible the outcome, it would be better than such ugly entanglements... He said, "What I wished to see was the original and ultimate form of all living things, transcending endless cycles and torment." The path of mercy was equally futile; granting universal succor brought no salvation. The King of Chaos named Ciji had spent his entire life pursuing comprehension, only to discover in the end that what he sought did not exist at the end of comprehension. Searching inward, seeking outward, exhausting both Ascension and the Abyssal Depths. Searching heaven above and the netherworld below, yet neither revealed a trace. Thus, he relinquished everything, severed all ties. To trade for a single possibility... "Did you succeed?" "Who knows?" King Ciji gave a soft sigh. "A remnant husk like me is merely a reflection in water, an afterglow of the past... Yet since the world remains so hideous, I suppose it was mostly a failure, wasn't it?" "That's great. Die early, reincarnate early." Ji Jue offered his heartfelt praise. "Congratulations." "Ha..." King Ciji sighed helplessly. "Do you really despise me that much, Ji Jue?" "Yes, absolutely." Ji Jue nodded firmly, without a second thought. "I can understand a fun-seeking troll like Lord Huaxu, but someone like you? We don't mesh at all." Even though he had gained comprehension and grown from it, Ji Jue still felt from the bottom of his heart that certain realizations were better left undiscovered. "Then let this be farewell forever." The phantom from a distant age smiled faintly. "I wish you continued comprehension in the life ahead of you." He cast one final look at the present world without lingering attachment, only offering a mischievous grin at the very end: "Also, if I were you, I'd run a little faster..." Before his voice could fade, he had already vanished. Never to be seen again. Amidst the scarred ruins, Ji Jue looked up toward the sky, sensing the countless cold gazes locked onto him, and couldn't help grinning. So delightful. Good times flew by so fast; it was time to say bye-bye again. Still, after wearing this disguise for so long, why was he so reluctant to take it off? You people have really ruined me... "Turning from evil to righteousness this time—it's rare to see everyone's earnest devotion in helping me achieve this grand feat! Truly the greatest of virtues!" The black fiery shadow laughed mockingly, waving goodbye. "If by some stroke of luck this earns you a place in the history books down the line, don't forget to say thank you to me! Haha, hahahaha..." Amidst the surging torrent of endless black flames, the final wisp of phantom light from Shangri-La completely dissolved. A rumbling roar of collapse spread out. Like a nightmare, that silhouette vanished once again into the darkness. Leaving behind only the surging tempest echoing across the four quarters amidst the dead silence. No one spoke anymore. Far away, the dark night sky was once again illuminated by the glow of fire, crimson dancing in breathtaking brilliance. That direction... Fan Yun stiffened, the last trace of warmth in his heart vanishing, leaving only bone-chilling cold. Tacheng! In the sweep of the White Stag's wind, Tacheng was burning. Everything once magnificent and glorious, all the lavish splendor like pearls and jewels, was now thoroughly engulfed by the flames born of bitterness, hatred, and torment, falling apart and reducing to ashes... Only the brilliant firelight illuminated ten thousand li. As if singing and crying out to the world!