Chapter 495: Blazing Great Sun

“Heh heh heh heh! Heh heh heh heh!”

As if savoring the moment, Sikong Ao threw his head back and laughed for a long time before finally stopping.

His eyes swept meaningfully over the mountaintop, then down to its base. The corners of his mouth curled up into a grin. “Heh heh heh heh, excellent. Truly excellent. Since you’ve all given me such a precious gift, how could I not return the favor?”

As he spoke, Sikong Ao slowly raised his hand and struck out toward the Human-faced Pigeon’s nest on the summit, unleashing a massive Palm Seal.

Shen Daoxing watched the sudden appearance of Sikong Ao, who had sent Fu Ren and Fu Yi flying with a single palm strike before snatching the Half-Immortal Soldier. His eyes darkened, and his hand clenched around his Sumeru Ring.

He was about to make a move.

However, at that moment, Sikong Ao’s Palm Seal flew over and exploded with a boom. It wasn’t aimed at Shen Daoxing, but at the Human-faced Pigeon nest below him. Under the force of the Palm Seal, one of the chicks shattered into pieces.

Instantly.

“SKREEE! SKREEE! SKREEE!”

A series of sharp cries abruptly erupted.

The other terrified Human-faced Pigeon chicks immediately opened their beaks and shrieked.

“Oh no!”

Fu Ren and Fu Yi were shocked, their faces turning deathly pale. “The Human-faced Pigeon chicks have been startled!”

The corner of Sikong Ao’s mouth curled up in a smug smile. “Heh heh heh heh! Excellent, excellent. To all of you from the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, please enjoy this sincere gift from me. I’ll be taking my leave now! Hahahaha!”

With that, his figure flickered and vanished from atop the towering ancient tree, flying off toward the distant mountain forest.

Shen Daoxing’s expression darkened. He summoned the Great Ming Demon Sparrow and leaped up to give chase.

However, at that moment—

“SKRAWWW!”

An enraged, bizarre bird cry rang out from the sky without any warning.

Shen Daoxing felt his body grow heavy as a strange, cold aura washed over him. It felt as if his entire soul was about to be plunged into the Ice Abyss of the Nine Netherworld.

The next moment, the sky above him suddenly darkened.

The Human-faced Pigeon that had left its nest to hunt had returned. It spread its massive wings as it descended, raising its two enormous talons and aiming straight for Shen Daoxing’s face.

Shen Daoxing paused, then immediately raised the Great Ming Demon Sparrow and swung it out horizontally.

“CLANG!”

The sound of metal striking metal suddenly rang out.

The Great Ming Demon Sparrow and the Human-faced Pigeon’s talons collided fiercely.

Shen Daoxing felt an overwhelming force transmit through the Great Ming Demon Sparrow. His blood roiled within him as if a wild horse was rampaging through his internal organs.

He suddenly realized the Human-faced Pigeon’s strength surpassed even that of the Thousand-Eyed Demon Chapter he had faced on Pengze Immortal Island.

‘It’s likely at the Sixth Layer of the Refining Dust Realm.’

RUMBLE!

He was suddenly sent flying backward, plummeting straight down. He crashed through one of the ribs of a colossal dragon skeleton and continued falling toward the base of the mountain.

‘Hmm. Not bad. It has some strength! But is that all?’

Shen Daoxing’s eyes suddenly lit up, ignited with a sudden desire to test his strength against the Human-faced Pigeon! A dazzling black and gold light erupted from his body, and his eyes began to burn with intensity.

At that moment, however, down at the base of the mountain, Qing Luan—who had kept her eyes closed while performing the Soul Attraction Skill—suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. She looked up toward the summit and cried out in alarm, “Watch out, Junior Brother! The other Human-faced Pigeon is on its way!”

“Hn!”

Shen Daoxing froze.

Without any warning, he felt the surrounding temperature drop drastically once more.

“SKRAWWW!”

Another enraged, bizarre bird cry suddenly rang out.

Shen Daoxing turned his head and saw an enormous Human-faced Pigeon with blood-red eyes diving down. It raised its gleaming talons and charged menacingly toward him.

Shen Daoxing was still falling from the sky with no leverage, leaving him unable to dodge. It seemed he was about to be pierced by the Human-faced Pigeon’s talons.

Up on the mountainside, Fu Ren and Fu Yi paled in terror. “Junior Brother, watch out!”

At this critical moment.

“Great Sun!”

A deep, majestic voice rang out.

Shen Daoxing saw a dazzling red light erupt before his eyes, and the surrounding temperature shot up.

The next moment, a fiery red sun, roiling and bubbling with flames, appeared before Shen Daoxing.

Then—

BANG!

The fiery sun smashed violently upward, striking the charging Human-faced Pigeon. A dazzling red light exploded outward.

The Human-faced Pigeon shrieked and retreated.

Then, Xuan Ye’s stoic figure slowly descended, landing protectively in front of Shen Daoxing.

“Bright Moon in the Sky!”

At the same time, a sharp, clear cry suddenly rang out.

Qing Luan could be seen soaring gracefully through the sky like a bird, her longsword flung out decisively.

A moment later, a pure white light shone brilliantly. A bright moon slowly rose, unleashing an immense radiance before suddenly smashing into the other Human-faced Pigeon in the sky.

“SKRAWWW!”

That Human-faced Pigeon shrieked and hurriedly flew higher into the sky.

Immediately after, Qing Luan drifted down gracefully, also landing in front of Shen Daoxing. “Junior Brother, you go down. Leave this to us now!”

Shen Daoxing stared, stunned. He hadn’t even moved yet.

Fu Ren and Fu Yi had already scrambled over and grabbed Shen Daoxing.

“Come on, Junior Brother, what are you still standing there for? Let’s go! Let’s go! We can’t handle these two Human-faced Pigeons. We’ll only get in their way if we stay here.”

‘???’

Shen Daoxing was still stunned. Before he could even react, Fu Ren and Fu Yi had hoisted him up, one on each side, and practically fled down the mountain, taking cover behind a massive boulder.

Up in the sky, the two Human-faced Pigeons saw the missing fledgling in their nest.

“SHREEEEE!”

“SHREEEEE!”

Two high-pitched, eerie bird cries suddenly echoed from the sky.

At this moment, although the two Human-faced Pigeons were nothing more than fragmented Divine Souls with little sentience, the last vestiges of their consciousness from life still held an immense affection for their young.

“WHOOSH!”

“WHOOSH!”

Suddenly, the two Human-faced Pigeons beat their massive wings, circling higher and higher into the sky.

In an instant, the world seemed to shift and a storm erupted. A roiling hurricane swept around their bodies like a tempest, descending upon the mountaintop like a tornado from the heavens.

Immediately, towering ancient trees began to sway violently, loose stones were flung into the air, and the entire sky grew dark.

“Fu Ren, Fu Yi, protect our junior brother and sister.”

Xuan Ye spoke calmly from the mountainside. He and Qing Luan exchanged a look, and both nodded simultaneously before resolutely stepping forward.

Then.

“Divine Sun Celestial Dao, Three Days in the Sky!”

A stoic voice suddenly issued from Xuan Ye’s lips.

The temperature on the mountaintop skyrocketed.

Instantly, three massive suns slowly emerged from Xuan Ye’s body. Wreathed in roiling flames, they floated into the sky and aligned with the real sun, as if four suns had appeared at once. The Great Suns blazed, and waves of scorching heat rolled across the entire summit.