Chapter 1:
Annihilation
FAR AWAY IN THE SOUTH of the Taixuan continent stood a mountain called Mount Yanhuo. It stretched a little over ninety miles around at the base, and the peak blazed with fire nearly year-round; as such, although it was covered with lush vegetation lower down, the summit was barren. It was surrounded on all sides by more towering mountains, rising majestically into the clouds.
From the north, a streak of light shot toward a deep valley. Countless specks of light, both bright and dim, followed in hot pursuit, like a swarm of hornets relentlessly chasing after the culprit who had disturbed their nest, determined to tear him to pieces.
The damaged flying ship, having reached its limit, disintegrated in midair, and Mo Tianliao was thrown to the ground. He curled into a ball and rolled to break his fall, getting grass and mud all over his already tattered black robe.
He’d landed in a valley between two mountains, on flat ground covered in verdant grass. A thick, stubby tree stood conspicuously in the center of the valley.
“Ugh…” Mo Tianliao gasped for breath and struggled to make his way over to the tree. His legs were failing him, so, supporting himself with both arms, he leaned against the tree. With some effort, he managed to sit up straight.
He had been on the run for thirty-nine days, and all his spiritual treasures were damaged or destroyed. He was a spent force, like an arrow at the end of its flight. As he tried to circulate his remaining vital energies through his meridians, a searing pain shot through his dantian, making him cough up blood.
As an illustrious artifact master of the unorthodox path, Mo Tianliao hadn’t cut such a sorry figure for a long time. It had all begun when he’d decided to use some unusual materials to craft an artifact—but when he’d opened the furnace, an astronomical phenomenon had occurred that let the whole cultivation world know that the Venerable Demon Lord Duantian was about to forge a divine artifact capable of destroying the world.
“Mew!” A kittenish cry came from his bosom, and a tiny white paw reached out of his tattered black silk robe. It batted at the air until the owner realized this wasn’t the collar he usually poked his head out of, but a new opening. Annoyed, he clawed at it, and a loud rip rang out as the small tear became a gaping hole. And just like that, the last part of Lord Duantian’s spiritual treasure met its destruction at the paws of a cat.
“Your Lordship, this is the only piece of clothing I have left to cover myself with.” Mo Tianliao wiped the corner of his mouth and looked down in resignation at the little white ball of fluff. “Can’t you at least let your master die with some dignity?”
Emerging from the new opening, his traveling companion shook off the grass stuck to his paw in disgust. He was a gorgeous white kitten with unblemished fur as pure as snow and large, round eyes like orbs of glass.
The kitten crouched on Mo Tianliao’s chest and observed him quietly. Mo Tianliao’s handsome face was marred by streaks of blood. To a cat that judged others by the glossiness of their fur coat, his once passable face had become much uglier. Thus, he straightened up, raised his paw, and swatted him in the face.
Mo Tianliao grabbed that little paw and kissed it. “Pawpaw, I…”
“Mo Tianliao, stop right there!” Before man and cat could exchange their last words, the swarm of hornets caught up to them. Flying swords and ships of all sorts bearing cultivators from various sects converged on the valley.
Mo Tianliao shoved the kitten into the hollow of the tree behind him and leaned lazily against it. He surveyed the crowd with a gaze as cutting as ice. Among them were his enemies, old friends, subordinates, Daoist cultivators, demonic cultivators, and even the merciful Buddhist cultivators.
“Duantian,” Elder Yunhe of the Qingyun Sect intoned righteously, stroking his snowy-white beard, “stop this futile resistance and hand over the divine artifact, and we will leave you be.”
“Drop the pretentious act, you old geezer.” Patriarch Kugu of the Wangui Sect cackled and raised a black flag at Mo Tianliao. “If you’re smart, you’ll hand over the divine artifact and I’ll kill you quickly. Otherwise, I’ll give you a taste of my Souleater Banner!”
Everyone near him hastily stepped back.
Weapons were broadly classified into six grades. Common blades of the mortal world were simply called physical weapons, while the ones cultivators used were called magical artifacts. Of those, the weapons that could be controlled through the divine soul were called treasure artifacts, while those that were nurtured by spiritual energy and could slay opponents beyond their grade were called spiritual artifacts. Then there were celestial artifacts, weapons that could devastate hundreds with a single blow. Finally, at the very top tier were the ones capable of destroying the world altogether—the legendary divine artifacts. No one had ever seen one before, except perhaps for the one that Mo Tianliao was on the verge of completing.