teleportation spell had worked, but now… no matter what he tried, he couldn’t get it to work. It was as if something were blocking its power, making it completely useless.
The sight of this turned into a roaring sound that filled the minds of the Five Poisons Tribe High Priest.
“Migrate. The Tribe must migrate!” he murmured to himself. “The Western Desert North is the lowest place in the whole Western Desert. This is the first place where the sea will rise up! The Tribe must migrate, migrate to south. We… must go to the Black Lands near the Southern Domain!!” The rain continued to grow heavier. Already, the Cultivators were beginning to sense that the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth was becoming thinner. This immediately caused the faces of the Five Poisons Tribe members to fall.
“The Black Lands… the Black Lands!! Now I understand!” A tremor ran through the High Priest; his eyes went wide and filled with even more urgency. “It makes sense. All those years ago, the three great Tribes with Spirit Severing Patriarchs made an alliance and invaded the Black Lands. They even joined forces with some of the powers in the Black Lands.
“They were careful not to offend the Southern Domain in their war! After the war, many of the other Tribes connected to them also migrated to the Black Lands!
“They knew! They carved out an area for themselves in the Black Lands, making it even easier to have dealings with the Southern Domain. Or, maybe they had some other purposes.
“In any case, it all makes sense now!”
The High Priest’s panting grew even more intense as he murmured to himself.
“Those three enormous great Tribes knew all along that the Apocalypse was coming. They occupied the Black Lands. Now, anyone who wants to go to the Black Lands will only be able to do so with their approval!!
“Without spilling a drop of blood, they wrested control over all the powers in the Western Desert! They will be able to control the fate of thousands of Tribes during the Apocalypse!”
The High Priest’s eyes filled with anxiety.
“The Black Lands is small. There’s no way it can hold all of the Tribes of the Western Desert. But any who don’t go there… will be exterminated without a doubt. The Five Poisons Tribe is in the north. So far away….”
He suddenly raised his voice loudly. “All Five Poisons Tribe members, hear my orders. We must leave this place immediately. Whatever the cost, employ the greatest speed possible to return to the Tribe!” This was a critical moment in which every bit of time was important. The war with the broken remnants of the Crow Divinity Tribes was now inconsequential. In fact, now he felt regret over having gone to war in the first place!
The members of the Five Poisons Tribe heard his words and gaped in astonishment. However, based on the ashen expressions of the various Elders, they had guessed that something was going on. Without hesitation, they followed orders and flew up into the air.
Soon, not a single member of the Five Poisons Tribe was fighting. Nearly twenty thousand Cultivators and tens of thousands of neo-demons all roared through the air to disappear off in the distance. Zhao Youlan was amongst them. However, as she flew off, she looked back at the Crow Divinity Tribes and the protective Thorn Rampart, and her eyes filled with a sharp glow.
“You will pay tenfold for severing my arm!” she thought. Then she turned and followed the rest of the Five Poisons Tribe members off into the distance.
After the Five Poisons Tribe left, the Thorn Rampart slowly began to retract and disappear. Meng Hao rose up from his cross-legged position and looked off at the horizon. Behind him, the more than two thousand surviving Tribe members let out cries of relief at their sudden new lease on life.
However, their happiness could not dispel the shadow that lingered over Meng Hao’s heart. Next to him, the Crow Soldier Tribe Greatfather had a bitter look on his face.
“Is it true?” said Meng Hao slowly.
“For the Five Poisons Tribe to make such a hasty exit indicates that the legendary Apocalypse is mostly likely coming. Spell formations will become inoperable and the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth will be extinguished. All life will be destroyed…. The only hope….
“The only hope is to migrate to the south,” said the Crow Soldier Tribe Greatfather, his voice low. “Head south and keep going all the way to the Black Lands.”
“The Black Lands….” Meng Hao’s body suddenly shook. Like the Five Poisons Tribe High Priest, Meng Hao also thought of the war that the Western Desert had participated in back in the Black Lands. He thought about the Western Desert Tribes he’d seen entering the Black Lands during his departure.
“So, this is the reason for all of it!” he thought. Finally, he understood something that for so long had been a point of confusion.