The moment he finished speaking, he unhesitatingly pulled out two jade cicadas and stuffed them into his ears.
"It's the Green Emperor! The legendary cursed dog at the King's side. They say that when it opens its mouth to sing, mountains crumble and rivers reverse. When it sings, it's like the end of days—like being cast into hell itself!"
"Hurry, where's my jade cicada? Didn't Xuanhuang City send a batch to us in Gold-Silver City? Find them now! They say people would rather kill themselves than hear the Green Emperor sing. I don't want to go deaf!"
The people of Gold-Silver City immediately recognized the danger.
Anything related to Yi Tianxing was well known throughout the Great Yi territory. Every battle he fought was turned into a story, repeated countless times in taverns and teahouses. And the Green Emperor? No one could forget it. Just the mention of its name sent chills down spines. That dog was the worst of all beasts.
There were some jade cicadas in the city, but with the recent population boom, very few actually had them—maybe one in ten. Those who had them instantly stuffed them into their ears to block out all external sound.
Outside, the Vermilion Bird Legion was better prepared. Nearly every soldier had their own jade cicada with them at all times. You never knew when disaster would strike.
All the soldiers instinctively plugged their ears. Don't listen, don't listen. The song was not meant for human ears.
Yet, even these veterans—who could face death without blinking—began to tremble. Though jade cicadas were powerful, they couldn't fully block the Green Emperor's singing. They could only reduce the sound's intensity to a tolerable level. But it could still be heard.
That was the real fear—if the Green Emperor broke through their defenses, the damage would be indiscriminate.
"This is a cursed star upon us! How did this walking disaster end up in Gold-Silver City?!"
Jin Buyin's expression was blank, but his hands moved fast, shoving the jade cicadas into his ears.
He was scared too. Everyone was.
"Hmph!!"
The Green Emperor rolled on the ground, then glanced at the soldiers plugging their ears with disdain. "Refusing to listen to my singing? That's your loss! I, the Green Emperor, am the greatest singer and artist in all of heaven and earth! My voice is for true kindred spirits, for nature itself! Only the vastness of the world can truly appreciate my soul!"
"Oh toxic mist, your beauty inspires my soul!"
The Green Emperor gave an excited shake, its green fur fluffing up. It inhaled deeply, eyes half-lidded in bliss.
"Heyyahai~~"
"Heyyahai~~"
A few emotional, lingering notes echoed across the wilderness.
He was fully immersed.
"Ahh! My ears! They're ruined!"
"What is this?! Is this even a song? It's pure noise! My soul is trembling!"
Within the city, those without jade cicadas felt their very souls shudder. Goosebumps erupted all over their bodies.
And this was just the intro—the intro.
Even Yi Tianxing's face twitched at the sound. That damned dog was as unbearable as ever.
Was this really supposed to be music?
The Green Emperor didn't care what others thought.
To him, the world itself was his soulmate.
No soulmate, no singing. But if he had one—he would sing his lungs out.
"You said I cheated, so you couldn't break free!You said I was selfish, loving only me!"
"Then came a storm, wild winds howling loud—I staggered, nearly kissing the ground!"
The Green Emperor belted his lyrics toward the sky.
Even the jade cicadas couldn't fully shield everyone now.
Some people were coughing up blood on the spot.
"I don't want you near—just disappear!"
"I feel a storm's coming… it's the end… it's hell…"
Many stumbled, nearly collapsing. Faces turned pale with nausea.
"Look! The toxic mist!"
Someone noticed something odd.
The poisonous fog began trembling—yes, trembling—like a massive beast shaking violently. It was eerie.
As the singing continued, the mist trembled faster and faster. It began to shrink.
It was alive.
"Luckily I still have strength inside,You can't hit where my true weak spots hide."
"If you challenge me, you'll be the one to cry,You smug little thing, your heart's just a lie!"
The Green Emperor was fully in the zone, completely enthralled by his own voice.
"Fall back! Retreat! The Green Emperor's voice is too much! Even the jade cicadas can't hold it off!"
Yang Ye paled, signaling a tactical withdrawal of the Vermilion Bird Legion.
Jiang Ni did the same. This was the worst thing he had ever heard. It felt like ten thousand green demon dogs were howling in his mind.
He swung his mountain-whip to push the entire city backward.
His soul felt violated.
"You're so toxic, so toxic, boo-hoo-hoo!The more you talk, the more confused I grew!"
The Green Emperor raised his paw and sang directly at the toxic mist.
Pointing at it—yes, it—and singing "You're so toxic."
The toxic mist writhed violently, shrinking even faster. It looked like it was being wrung dry by the lyrics alone.
"That dog's singing at the toxic beast?!"
Yi Tianxing's face twisted. The reaction of the mist was all the confirmation he needed—this wasn't just fog. It was a toxic beast. A sentient one.
And because it had intelligence… it understood the lyrics. And it couldn't handle them.
The lyrics made it question its own morality.
"You're so toxic, so toxic, TOXIC TOXIC TOXIC!! You never admit you're wrong, just pretend you're stoic!"
With that final verse, the mist exploded outward and vanished.
Revealed within it was a strange creature.
It looked like a yellow pear with three pairs of leafy wings, an innocent appearance and a surprisingly cute aura.
It had a big head and a tiny body.
But the moment it returned to form, it stared at the Green Emperor in raw terror. Its eyes sparkled—with stars—and its entire body staggered like a drunkard. It looked like it could collapse at any moment.
"A Five-Toxin Beast!"
Yi Tianxing's mind flared. The Book of Heaven's Will instantly displayed the beast's identity.
A rare and fearsome toxic creature. Its poison was among the most terrifying in the world.
More importantly, it could nurture a treasure known as the Five-Toxin Pearl, said to cure all poisons. While that was an exaggeration—it couldn't truly cure every poison—at high quality, it was indeed a priceless treasure.
With one on your person, you'd be immune to nearly all toxins.
Yet here it was, being driven mad by a dog's singing.
The Five-Toxin Beast couldn't take it. The Green Emperor's voice shook it to its soul. It began to question itself:
"Am I really this toxic? Am I… evil?"
"You're so toxic, so toxic, TOXIC TOXIC TOXIC!! You better explain yourself, or I'll chew your bones sick!"
The Green Emperor pointed and sang, fully immersed in the performance.
The Five-Toxin Beast trembled violently. It slammed its head into the ground as if trying to bash its own skull open. The sight was chilling.
Seconds later, it foamed at the mouth and collapsed—convulsing.
Not just the beast.
The entire city suffered.
People were vomiting. Others were bashing their heads against walls, only to pass out with looks of bliss on their faces. Some lay on the ground foaming at the mouth. Others howled and cried, hugging their heads.
Chaos. Utter chaos.
"This thing's a walking disaster. It's one thing for the Five-Toxin Beast to collapse… but this voice? It's lethal. Most singers charge for a show. The Green Emperor? It charges you your life."
Yi Tianxing sighed. Even from this distance, the effects weren't fatal, but chaos had broken out.
The Green Emperor's "power" was… once again confirmed.
A double-edged sword. No discrimination. Friendly fire guaranteed.
"Enough, Green Emperor. No more 'toxic, toxic, toxic.' The Five-Toxin Beast has passed out. If you keep singing, you'll lose your title as National Guardian Beast."
Yi Tianxing quickly transmitted his voice to stop it.
The Green Emperor's face turned black immediately.