197: Vermilion Bird Order

Right at this critical moment—

"Buzz—!"

A spear light, blazing like the scorching sun, tore through the sky. It struck later but arrived first, accurately hitting the black flames of the pursuer!

"Boom—!"

The black flames scattered, and the True Immortal grunted, stumbling backward.

Yan Que held a flaming long spear, blocking Shi Tian and the others. He shouted at Scarlet Plume, "Elder Scarlet Plume, leave this place to me! By the Empress's Secret Order, I must escort the Heavenly Maiden to retreat!"

Seeing this, Scarlet Plume gritted her teeth and nodded, putting all her effort into holding back the two True Immortals.

Yan Que turned, speaking rapidly, "Everyone, the situation is critical. Please bring the Heavenly Maiden and follow me!"

Firelight surged around him, transforming him into a magnificent Fire-Feathered Vermilion Bird, its wings spanning hundreds of meters.

"Get on!"

Shi Tian didn't hesitate, leaping onto the bird's back with Su Muhuang on his own. Xiao Bufan and Zhao Shanhe followed closely.

"Caw—!"

The Vermilion Bird that Yan Que transformed into let out a clear, long cry. With a flap of its wings, it turned into a streak of flowing fire, instantly breaking the sound barrier and speeding toward the direction of the Chen Family, leaving the sounds of fighting and energy explosions far behind.

On the Vermilion Bird's back, the fierce wind howled.

Shi Tian tightly protected the unconscious Su Muhuang. Seeing her increasingly pale face, he was burning with anxiety.

Xiao Bufan and Zhao Shanhe focused their efforts on guarding the rear against pursuers.

"Junior Sister... hold on!"

Shi Tian whispered, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination, "We will definitely reach the Chen Family! We will save you!"

A few days later.

The Holy Flame Hall in the Vermilion Bird Immortal Kingdom, once sacred and solemn, was now permeated with the smell of blood and gunpowder.

The main hall was a mess, with broken weapons and scorched marks visible everywhere.

Grand Elder Scarlet Nightmare stood before the Crimson-Gold Divine Throne that once belonged to the Vermilion Bird Empress. He was stepping on cracked Phoenix-patterned floor tiles, a victorious sneer on his face.

"Hmph! That woman and the old geezer escaped—they were lucky!"

Scarlet Nightmare spat. Malice filled his wrinkled face. "However, starting today, this Vermilion Bird Immortal Clan belongs to This Elder! Hahaha... This is the consequence of opposing the Domain Lord!"

The subordinates who followed Scarlet Nightmare in the rebellion congratulated him in unison.

A trusted subordinate quickly stepped forward and consulted in a low voice, "Grand Elder, how should we deal with those... those stubborn elements who refuse to submit?"

"Does that even need asking?"

A fierce glint flashed in Scarlet Nightmare's eyes, and he waved his hand impatiently. "Kill everyone who refuses to surrender! Leave no one alive! Should we keep them around to celebrate the New Year?"

"Yes! This subordinate understands!"

The confidant trembled and quickly bowed before retreating.

Scarlet Nightmare looked around the great hall smugly, then suddenly remembered something and frowned, asking, "Right, where is the body of that little girl from the Lower Realm, the Heavenly Maiden? Why haven't I seen it?"

"Also... have those guys from the Wending Sect been captured?"

Another Elder responsible for the pursuit stepped forward fearfully and stammered, "Reporting... reporting to the Grand Elder... those few from the Wending Sect were... were rescued by that traitor Yan Que."

"This subordinate... saw from afar that the Heavenly Maiden seems... seems not dead yet. Vermilion Bird Power is still circulating within her."

"Yan Que took them... and escaped the Immortal Kingdom..."

"What?! A bunch of trash!" Scarlet Nightmare exploded in fury. Terrifying pressure instantly erupted, sending the Elder flying backward, spitting blood. "You couldn't even stop a dying, poisoned little girl and a few juniors!"

"What good are you to This Seat!"

His chest heaved violently, and killing intent spilled from his eyes.

If the Heavenly Maiden is not dead, the trouble will be endless!

He spun around abruptly and shouted sternly at all the Elders and Generals who had submitted to him in the hall: "Listen to This Seat carefully! From now on, I, Scarlet Nightmare, am the new Immortal Lord of the Vermilion Bird Immortal Clan!"

"That failed woman is no longer fit to be called Empress!"

His voice, cold as ice, spread throughout the hall: "That Heavenly Maiden is the root of disaster the Domain Lord personally ordered to be eliminated! She absolutely cannot be spared! Issue This Immortal Lord's Decree—"

"Immediately issue the highest 'Vermilion Bird Pursuit Order' and announce it across the Eight Great Immortal Continents of the Shenhuang Celestial Domain!"

"Use the full power of the entire Celestial Domain to hunt down the Empress, the High Priest, Yan Que, the Heavenly Maiden, and all the remaining Wending Sect evildoers!"

"We must see them alive, or see their corpses!"

"Whoever can bring back their heads will be heavily rewarded by This Immortal Lord!"

"We respectfully obey the Immortal Lord's Decree!" The crowd below answered in unison, their voices filled with fear and fanaticism... Soon after, a massive, blood-red, flame-burning token phantom shot up into the sky, appearing above the firmament of the Shenhuang Celestial Domain.

A majestic voice, full of killing intent, subsequently spread across millions of miles of mountains and rivers—

"I am an Elder of the Vermilion Bird Immortal Clan!"

"The former Vermilion Bird Empress, the High Priest, the Great Consecrator Yan Que, and others colluded with the Wending Sect from an Outer Domain, attempting to subvert our Shenhuang Celestial Domain. Their crimes are heinous!"

"Fortunately, our clan's Grand Elder, Immortal Lord Scarlet Nightmare, turned the tide and eliminated the rebels!"

"However... however, a portion of the traitors are on the run. To prevent them from causing chaos in the Celestial Domain, the Immortal Lord specially issued the 'vermilion bird token,' mobilizing the power of the entire domain to hunt down the following rebels..."

Immediately following this, the images, aura characteristics, and high rewards for Su Muhuang, Shi Tian, Xiao Bufan, Zhao Shanhe, Yan Que, and even the escaped Vermilion Bird Empress and the High Priest, turned into countless streams of information that spread with the vermilion bird token to every corner of the Shenhuang Celestial Domain!

"The vermilion bird token! It's the highest pursuit order!"

"Heavens! How many years has it been since the Vermilion Bird Immortal Clan used this token!"

"The Vermilion Bird Immortal Clan is in civil strife? The Empress and the High Priest have become rebels?"

"Wending Sect? What kind of Sect is that? How dare they interfere with the affairs of our Shenhuang Celestial Domain?"

Countless factions and Loose Cultivators across the Eight Great Immortal Continents were shocked by this sudden upheaval.

The sky was stained crimson, and the tempting reward information made countless people's hearts pound with greed... In the Border Starry Sky of the Shenhuang Celestial Domain.

A silver-white torrent of Immortal Beasts tore through space, descending upon the Shenhuang Celestial Domain.

Xiaobai suddenly felt a premonition. Its massive wolf head lifted, and its heterochromatic eyes looked toward a certain direction.

The next instant, the information from the blood-red vermilion bird token, which covered the Celestial Domain, surged into its Divine Sense like a tide.

"Hunting down my Wending Sect Disciples?"

Xiaobai was stunned for a moment, and then a monstrous wave of malevolent Qi erupted from its body, causing the surrounding space to groan under the overwhelming pressure!

The thousand Immortal Beasts behind it simultaneously felt their Lord's wrath, letting out synchronized growls, their Evil Qi soaring into the heavens!

"Good, good, good! What a Vermilion Bird Immortal Clan! What incredible audacity!"

"There is no longer any need for your so-called Vermilion Bird Immortal Clan to exist!"

Xiaobai laughed in extreme anger, its voice cold enough to freeze the stars.

It made no unnecessary movements, merely opening its mouth toward the blood-red token phantom and letting out a sound—

"Awooo—!"

A terrifying fluctuation, containing the will of the Ninth Layer of Half-step Golden Immortal, crossed endless space and violently smashed into the massive vermilion bird token phantom!

"Crack... Bang—!"

The blood-red token phantom covering the entire Shenhuang Celestial Domain, like glazed glass struck by a heavy hammer, instantly filled with cracks, and then violently shattered amidst a fierce flicker!

It transformed into countless blood-red light spots, vanishing into nothingness!

The pursuit declaration that had spread across the Celestial Domain also came to an abrupt halt!