Chapter 66: Shao Siming versus Black Rabbit

Tianshan, Primordial Pavilion.

Inside the main pavilion, Mu Changge sat in a place of honor, leisurely sipping tea brewed by the Black Rabbit.

The Black Rabbit was still dressed in her signature black maid outfit, standing respectfully on Mu Changge's lower left. Meanwhile, Shao Siming, Wuzhiqi, and Ping Xin stood in a neat row facing Mu Changge below.

Mu Changge observed the great demon, ancient god, demon god, and dragon maiden before him. After a brief few moments of contemplation, he gently set down his teacup.

"You are my confidants, and you are my envoys. Therefore, I will not easily abandon you, and you must trust in my arrangements."

"Understood!" chanted the four of them in unison.

Toying with the teacup in his hand, Mu Changge continued, "Next, the era of ancient mythology in the Huaxia realm will come to an end, and the age of immortals is about to dawn. I will allow you to choose the best paths to welcome this new era."

"Black Rabbit, I will guide you onto the path of the demon-immortal. Your innate talent is astonishing, so dual-cultivating the ways of both demons and immortals will be no difficult task."

"Understood!"

"Shao Siming, I will take you to seek the Azure Dragon of the Four Symbols of Heaven. The Azure Dragon governs wood, and I believe its combat techniques are perfectly suited for you."

"Understood!"

"Wuzhiqi, you may decide for yourself how to allocate the Demon Emperor's heart and demon core that I gave you. You have lingered under Turtle Mountain for far too long; first, take some time to reacquaint yourself with your own abilities."

"Understood!"

"Ping Xin, you are currently still a dragon. Your upcoming task is to break through into a horned dragon, and ultimately sublimate into a winged true dragon. Since you possess a complete path of elevation, I need not offer too much guidance."

"Understood!"

The dragon maiden Ping Xin had been brought over by Wuzhiqi to pledge allegiance to Mu Changge. Mu Changge had not refused, formally accepting Ping Xin as his subordinate.

"Furthermore, Wuzhiqi, Ping Xin, if you wish to know the futures of your three sons, I can tell you now."

Wuzhiqi and Ping Xin exchanged glances. Wuzhiqi replied, "Pavilion Master, our three sons left us nearly a millennium ago and have long since acquired the strength to survive independently in the Huaxia realm. Since they chose to forge their own paths out in the world, we will not go and disturb them."

"You certainly take things lightly."

"Replying to the Pavilion Master, if our three foolish sons are ever needed to serve, we can summon them immediately..."

Before Wuzhiqi could finish, Mu Changge waved his hand to interrupt him. "Let it be. They have their own freedom, and I am not one for coercion."

"Understood!"

Naturally, Mu Changge was well aware that Wuzhiqi's three sons were doing quite well. Presently, they were all formidable overlords dominating their respective territories, each establishing a dragon palace in their own waters and ruling as demon kings. In the future, Wuzhiqi's eldest son would become the Water Ape Sage, eventually being subdued by the National Teacher King Bodhisattva and securing a prestigious position. Wuzhiqi's other two sons would likewise later become a water dragon and a water lord respectively, ascending ashore to claim official ranks just like the Water Ape Sage.

"Very well, you may withdraw for now."

"Understood!" chanted the four of them in unison.

Afterward, Mu Changge first paid a visit to the Fire Cloud Cave to converse with the Human Emperor Xuanyuan. Ever since obtaining the dragon scale of the Tianyuan Yinglong from him, Mu Changge had made a habit of visiting the Fire Cloud Cave periodically to keep the Human Emperor company and alleviate his boredom.

Upon leaving the Fire Cloud Cave, Mu Changge headed straight for the Western Seven Mansions to pay his respects to his former teacher, the White Tiger. Learning the purpose of Mu Changge's visit, the White Tiger raised no conditions and personally journeyed to the Eastern Seven Mansions to enlist the Azure Dragon's assistance.

Under the White Tiger's arrangements, Shao Siming began studying under the Azure Dragon, inheriting its wood-elemental combat arts.

As for the Black Rabbit, Mu Changge helped her awaken the hidden powers within her bloodline while absorbing the essence of the sun, moon, and stars scattered across the heavens and earth, nurturing her demon core to a state of perfection. The Black Rabbit's demon core was now capable of unleashing immense demonic origin energy, elevating her strength to the level of a great demon.

Meanwhile, Wuzhiqi and Ping Xin absorbed the demon core and heart of the Demon Emperor Wu Shisan together. Wuzhiqi acquired several of the Demon Emperor's abilities, while Ping Xin successfully evolved into a horned dragon.

In addition, Wuzhiqi melted down divine chains forged from otherworldly divine iron and a bell crafted from dragon-patterned black gold, refining them into his exclusive divine weapon—the Huai-Vortex Chains. The Huai-Vortex Chains could extend and retract freely, tipped with a sharp blade at one end and a spiked mace at the other. When wielded in tandem with Wuzhiqi's water-control techniques, they became terrifyingly formidable in battle.

---

One day, having completed her studies under the Azure Dragon, Shao Siming returned and came before Mu Changge to report.

Glancing at the Black Rabbit standing beside him, Mu Changge said, "Black Rabbit, spar with Shao Siming so that I may witness her progress."

"Understood!"

With that, the Black Rabbit and Shao Siming flew out of the Primordial Pavilion together to spar in the open space outside.

Drawing her twin jet-black swords, the Black Rabbit decided to take the initiative, darting forward at lightning speed to slash at Shao Siming.

Shao Siming gracefully sidestepped the attack with ease, conjuring a tempest of razor-sharp leaves out of thin air that surged toward the Black Rabbit.

Instantly releasing her demonic aura to erode the swirling leaves, the Black Rabbit lunged forward with her blades once more.

With a sweep of her divine will, Shao Siming caused a towering, colossal sacred tree to burst forth from deep beneath the earth, soaring into the clouds and placing itself squarely before her as a shield.

Shao Siming manipulated the branches of the towering sacred tree to counter the Black Rabbit's attacks.

Constructed entirely from Shao Siming's divine power, the thick branches of the sacred tree held their ground effortlessly against the Black Rabbit's demonic weapons, even suppressing her through sheer numerical advantage.

Simultaneously, Shao Siming directed several slender, whip-like branches to lunge directly at the Black Rabbit, attempting to bind her and strip her of her ability to fight.

While channeling vast amounts of demonic energy and might to protect her body, the Black Rabbit swung her twin black swords, severing every incoming branch of the sacred tree.

However, the branches severed by the Black Rabbit regenerated almost instantly, resuming their relentless assault against her.

Realizing that she needed a devastating offensive strike to break this stalemate, the Black Rabbit concentrated.

While continuing to fend off the tree branches with her twin swords, she gathered all her demonic power, channeling it directly into her eyes.

After a few moments, the Black Rabbit's eyes unleashed twin beams of pitch-black light. Teeming with piercing and corrosive properties, the beams blasted two massive craters through the towering sacred tree, instantly charring the wood.

Punching straight through the sacred tree, the dark beams shot relentlessly toward Shao Siming.

Shao Siming instantly summoned her divine power, calling forth countless green leaves and flower petals to form thirteen concentric circular defensive walls in a desperate bid to block the Black Rabbit's beams.

"Crack!!!"

The Black Rabbit's beams shattered barrier after barrier, yet ultimately failed to pierce through them entirely, leaving the final two protective walls shielding Shao Siming.

Refusing to stop there, the Black Rabbit poured the entirety of her remaining demonic power into her twin black swords. The blades erupted with a blinding, shimmering black radiance, while both the heavens and the earth let out a thunderous roar—the sky turning pitch black, and the ground staining a deep crimson.

Recognizing that the Black Rabbit was unleashing her ultimate technique, Shao Siming drew upon all her divine power, borrowing the origin of wood from the surrounding heaven and earth, and fused it with her own divine might to materialize a vast, majestic dragon phantom.

The Black Rabbit swung her swords downward at Shao Siming. The twin strikes carried an overwhelming momentum capable of sweeping away everything in their path, stirring turbulent air currents and tearing the earth apart as two colossal half-moon dark shadows surged forward to utterly pulverize Shao Siming!

At that moment, the ten-thousand-foot green giant dragon behind Shao Siming lunged forward to meet the attack. Unleashing a heaven-shaking roar, the green dragon opened its massive jaws and collided head-on with the twin dark crescents.

"Boom!!!"

A cataclysmic roar echoed across the heavens and earth, and a blinding flash of intense light erupted from the center of the battlefield, sweeping rapidly outward into the surroundings.

Viewed from outer space, a circular burst of brilliant radiance could be seen blooming at a specific point upon the Huaxia realm.