"Stop!" The Su family head, leaning on a wooden stick, hobbled in.
He stared at the man before him, his heart pounding with anxiety.
The city lord was absent... and the citizens were defenseless...
What was to be done?
The man turned, seeing a lame elder. He sneered and, leading the little girl, walked past arrogantly.
"Old man, do you know where the crystal ore vein is?" The sharp sword pressed against the little girl's throat.
"Yao'er!!!" The woman, seeing her child held hostage, was filled with terror and fear. "Don't hurt my child!!!"
The little girl's frail body trembled, but she still parted her lips and smiled at her mother.
"Mom, don't be afraid."
The Su family head gritted his teeth. "Which city are you from?"
The man raised an eyebrow, his face beaming with pride. "Liangye City."
"Old man, to tell you the truth, we have received orders from the three city lords to seize the crystal ore vein."
Liangye City, Zuiren City, and Tongyue City—these three cities had joined forces, and countless cultivators had flooded into Black Crow City.
Although dividing the crystals into three equal parts would be a small amount, it was better than nothing.
Moreover, Black Crow City's development speed was astonishing, far exceeding the expectations of the other city lords.
To eliminate future trouble, quickly dealing with Black Crow City would resolve a major concern for them.
The three city lords! The Su family head's expression darkened. No wonder Xiao Shi of Tongyue City, after being attacked by his benefactor, had been so unnervingly quiet.
He had been plotting something big!
"Hey! Old man! You still haven't answered whether you know where the crystal ore vein is!"
The man tightened his grip on the sword, digging it slightly into the little girl's neck.
The Su family head's eyes widened sharply, and he reached out to stop him. "Don't hurt the child!!!"
The man easily dodged, then kicked away the pleading woman. "If you don't know, I'll kill her!"
"No... no..."
The woman clutched her abdomen, where she had been kicked, her posture as humble as a blade of grass. She begged the man repeatedly to spare her child.
"Yao'er... my Yao'er is innocent...!"
The Su family head bit his lower lip, his face pale. His breath trembled. "Let go of the child... follow me..."
Upon hearing this, the man tightened his grip on the little girl even more. "How do I know you're not lying to me!"
"I'll release her once we find the crystal ore vein!"
The Su city lord took a deep breath and closed his eyes in grief.
Black Crow City was ravaged. Citizens who didn't know the location of the crystal ore vein were brutally murdered in their courtyards.
Newly grown spirit herbs were destroyed, and wine brewed with high hopes was smashed to the ground.
The sounds of wailing, pleading, and sobbing... lingered endlessly...
Meanwhile, Bai Ran was battling spirit beasts deep within a cultivation realm.
"What! Black Crow City is in trouble!!!"
A man with a severed left arm, covered in wounds and bleeding profusely, knelt on the ground, sobbing with heartache.
"Please... please save Black Crow City!!!"
Jing Feng frowned, cursing under his breath. "Damn it! Miss Bai is participating in the trials!"
Jing Feng looked at Jiang Ye and the others. "We'll go support them first! We can't let Black Crow City be destroyed!"
Jiang Ye and the others nodded solemnly, their faces grim.
The Vermillion Bird transformed into its original form, carrying them, and rushed towards Black Crow City at full speed.
In the courtyard, Qian Qiu emerged from behind a tree, his face cold as he slowly approached the man with the severed arm.
"Bai Ran is your city lord?" An extremely powerful pressure descended, as if the man's blood had frozen.
He clutched his severed arm, his body trembling. "Y-yes..."
Receiving his answer, Qian Qiu moved his hand, and the man was slammed heavily to the ground, lifeless.
He smiled and looked at the person standing at the courtyard entrance. "So, who are you?"
Flying black hair, a delicate face that would make even women envious.
Emerald green eyes, reflecting the light with a detached and cold indifference. "Demonized human?"
Qian Qiu narrowed his eyes, instantly becoming extremely vigilant. How did he know!
If Bai Ran were here, she would immediately recognize this person as Lin Ze, who had been missing for a long time.
He had tracked Bai Ran's scent to this place but hadn't seen her.
The next moment, Lin Ze suddenly flew into a rage, his beast fangs uncontrollably protruding.
Spiritual energy surged, and the surrounding trees rustled violently as if caught in a storm.
"I heard your thoughts..." A mad fury surged within him. "I heard your plan..."
Lin Ze understood that the best course of action would be to pretend ignorance and tell Bai Ran the truth when she returned.
But the moment he thought of their plan, he couldn't control his emotions, his rage mounting, wanting to tear the person before him to shreds!!!
Thoughts? He could read minds!!!
Qian Qiu's expression darkened. How could this be... the information gathered indicated no one capable of reading minds...
Regardless, the plan was exposed... this person must be eliminated!
"Bang—" The two clashed, and a wave of potent spiritual energy spread outwards.
...
"Thud—" Another spirit beast fell. Bai Ran wiped the blood from her hands.
"Kid, look at that tree!" Xiao Zi exclaimed with excitement, staring intently at a withered tree nearby.
The tree? Bai Ran followed his gaze and saw a withered tree, several people in circumference. Its leaves had long since fallen.
Unusually, a single golden leaf was clinging firmly to a branch.
On a bare, withered tree, only a golden leaf remained?
Xiao Zi had never seen anything like it, but the appearance suggested it was a treasure. "Kid, you're truly lucky."
It seemed all treasures, so unattainable in the eyes of the world, were easily obtained by this kid without effort, as if he were favored by the heavens!
Bai Ran raised an eyebrow. The leaf wasn't high up; she could reach it.
But the moment she touched the golden leaf, an image suddenly appeared in her mind.
Her heart seemed to stop—
Her pupils trembled, her expression utterly abnormal.
"Kid? What's wrong?" Xiao Zi asked worriedly, seeing her state.
Bai Ran's hand trembled uncontrollably. She slowly lowered her hand, not plucking the golden leaf.
"I... I saw a scene..."
So many people had died...
The sky was stained a bloody red, and rivers of blood flowed across the icy ground.
Scattered limbs were everywhere, and countless bodies piled up like mountains...
"Grandfather... Dean Xuanyuan... Fang Tianhui... Qin Mubai..."
"All their heads... were placed in a brocade box in my hands..."
"Drop by drop, blood flowed from the brocade box, staining my hands crimson..."
What is this? Xiao Zi clenched his fist tightly. Could this golden leaf be...
Indeed... the golden leaf slowly decomposed and scattered with the wind.
Xiao Zi's voice was intermittent, his eyes filled with unconcealed shock. "Leaf of Revelation..."
Legend had it that there was a leaf in the world that, upon touch, revealed a vision.
This leaf was revered as the Leaf of Revelation, deliberately manifested by the heavens and left in the mortal world as a clue.
No one knew where the legend of this leaf originated, as no one had ever truly seen it.
The golden leaf was a divine revelation; the scene depicted was bound to happen, unavoidable...
But the scene Bai Ran saw...
Xiao Zi looked at Bai Ran, his lips slightly parted, yet he couldn't speak.
A sense of suffocation filled his heart. Should he tell her... but...
If she knew, what would she think?
Damn it... how could this happen... Xiao Zi gritted his teeth. The Leaf of Revelation actually existed...
Bai Ran lowered her head, her expression hidden.
"Is it fake... Xiao Zi..."
Her choked voice trembled. At this moment, Bai Ran was as fragile as if she could shatter with a touch...
The vibrant, unrestrained woman in red revealed such a side...
Xiao Zi opened his mouth, but forcibly suppressed the truth that was about to escape.
His heart felt as if it were being clutched by a large hand, making it impossible to breathe.
"Yes... it's fake..."