That fiery crimson ancient tree radiated an intense heat. No one knew exactly what it was—only the Crow Spirit Clan recognized it. To them, it was a sacred tree known as the Heavenfire Tree, said to be the origin of their race and the birthplace of the fire crows. According to legend, the Crow Spirits were born from this very tree.
The Heavenfire Tree was said to be a ten-thousand-year-old ancient tree. One day, heavenly flames descended, threatening to incinerate it to ashes. However, the tree did not perish. Instead, it was reborn amidst the flames, gaining the power of the heavenly fire. Now, it burned eternally with blazing divine flames and could even absorb the sun's fire, making its own flames increasingly fierce.
The fire crows were born from the Heavenfire Tree.
The true name of this Fate Diagram was:
Ten Thousand Crows Burn the Heavens Diagram!
Also known as: Ten Thousand Crow Heavenfire Diagram.
Upon the Heavenfire Tree, amid the flames, stood countless crimson fire crows. They slumbered within the fire, frolicked in it, and absorbed the might of the Heavenfire, growing stronger with each passing moment. In time, they could wield the terrifying power to incinerate the sky itself, burning all in their path—invincible and unstoppable.
With a commanding shout from the Crow Spirit prodigy—
The flames upon the Heavenfire Tree erupted in intensity. Pillars of fire shot into the sky, followed by a shrill, chaotic cacophony. The surrounding temperature surged in an instant.
"Ten Thousand Crows Burn the Heavens!!"
The prodigy roared once more.
The noise grew louder—piercing, maddening, overwhelming. It rang through ears like a devil's screech, shaking the very soul and disrupting concentration. Flames surged into the sky, red clouds blanketing the surroundings, dyeing even the void in hues of fire.
The spectacle was terrifying.
Moments later, the slumbering fire crows unfurled their wings and took to the sky. The first one was only palm-sized, but the screech it unleashed resounded across heaven and earth, causing minds to spiral into chaos.
"Horrible noise! It's torture—like something from hell!"
"The Crow Spirit Clan is truly bizarre… detestable even. No one wants to deal with them. When they start screeching, it's unbearable!"
The watching prodigies nearby were stunned and visibly disturbed. They instinctively backed away, trying to keep as much distance as possible.
In the blink of an eye, hundreds and thousands of flame-winged fire crows erupted from the Heavenfire Tree. Their cries were deafening. Even the powerful cultivators nearby had to clamp their ears shut, unable to endure the sudden wave of shrill noise.
Make it stop! I'm gonna go crazy!
That was the unspoken sentiment on everyone's faces.
They regretted letting the Crow Spirit prodigy act at all.
But the prodigy paid them no heed.
The swarm of fire crows dove toward the Demonic Grass below. The flames on their wings transformed into countless fiery feathers, raining down like a storm upon the vegetation. These feathers, imbued with Heavenfire essence, were not true heavenly fire—but their destructive nature was almost as terrifying. They scorched everything in their path.
The Demonic Grass caught fire instantly, its stalks sliced apart and burned to ash.
However, horrifyingly, even when scorched black, the Demonic Grass immediately began to regrow at a furious pace.
Wild grass cannot be eradicated. A spring breeze brings it back to life.
No matter how much was burned, it returned just as quickly. The regrowth was nearly instantaneous.
Still, the fire crows went into a frenzy, spreading flames across the entire battlefield. In moments, the area had become a sea of fire.
"Kill!!"
Emperor Shi roared and charged forward once again.
…
Meanwhile, at the banks of the Tongtian River.
Yi Tianxing stepped forward. With a thought, divine light flowed beneath his feet as he walked onto the water's surface. Instantly, he felt a terrifying suction force from the river below, threatening to pull him into the depths.
But it didn't.
From his body emanated a mysterious power—an intense Dao Rhyme of Water. Like a god of water incarnate, the river beneath him naturally gathered and stilled, suppressed by the divine aura. Even the swirling vortexes beneath his feet dissipated.
A true Water God… how could he be swept away by mere currents?
"I can control the waters of the Tongtian River. Here, I am the Water God!!"
The river was wild, violent, chaotic—but Yi Tianxing felt that the Water God power within him could partially command the waters. Still, it wasn't easy. The river was too turbulent, full of vortexes, twists, and overwhelming force. Even water-element cultivators could be easily swallowed whole.
Within his Water God Life Orifice, a divine avatar had formed, granting him natural dominion over all waters. Once fully cultivated, he could command the waters of the world like moving an arm. But at the moment, he still struggled. Crossing alone wasn't difficult—the real challenge was getting others across.
Yi Tianxing stepped back.
"I possess water-controlling divine powers. I can cross the Tongtian River alone. But due to its chaotic currents, I cannot guarantee the safety of others."
He spoke calmly.
The Tongtian River was alive, not dead. Yi Tianxing lacked the power to suppress the whole river. A solo crossing was possible—but that wasn't enough for their plans.
"I have an idea," said Zhuge Liang. "We'll fix one end of an iron chain here, then have King Yi carry the other across. Once it's secured on the opposite shore, we can build a chain bridge over the Tongtian River. As long as we aren't dragged into the river, we can safely cross."
"I have a chain," Xiang Yu offered. "It's called the Ruyi Chain. It can extend at will—flexible and limitless. Long enough to span the river."
As he finished speaking, a flash of light revealed a dark iron chain, its surface shimmering with treasure-light and runes. Clearly, this was no ordinary item—it was a wondrous treasure, and its ability to stretch at will made it perfect for the task.
"Excellent. No time to waste. I'll begin now," said Yi Tianxing without hesitation.
Speed was critical. The sooner they crossed, the sooner they could seize the advantage.
"Be careful, my love," said Lian Xing, her face full of worry. Still, she didn't try to stop him. Some things, no matter how much one worries, cannot be avoided.
Clatter—!
Yi Tianxing grasped one end of the Ruyi Chain and stepped onto the river.
One step. Two. Three.
Just as Xiang Yu said, the chain extended seamlessly with each step, growing longer and longer. From only a few meters, it quickly reached dozens of meters, still lengthening silently. Like pulling noodles, the thickness never changed.
Suction forces from the river tugged at the chain, making it sway and rattle—but in Yi Tianxing's hands, it didn't dip an inch into the water.
"Such incredible strength," Xiang Yu murmured.
He was holding the other end and could feel the immense pull from the river. For someone to resist it while extending the chain… it required monstrous physical power. The longer the chain, the stronger the suction, and the heavier the burden.
Yet Yi Tianxing moved forward as if the water itself lifted him, guiding him across without resistance. His speed didn't falter.
Before long, he reached midway across the Tongtian River.
Suddenly, figures appeared on the opposite shore.
One of them wore a jester's mask.
Even though the river was wide, it posed no obstacle to the vision of these elite cultivators. They could easily see across.
"Oh? That's the Eternal Heaven's prodigy, crossing the Tongtian River? Impressive. He can walk on water without sinking and even use the current to speed himself forward. What an extraordinary divine ability."
The new arrivals were Eternal Night cultivators. Their expressions shifted with surprise upon seeing Yi Tianxing.
They had assumed the Eternal side would never figure out a way through the wilderness, let alone find a method to cross the river. The Tongtian River was far too dangerous. Even water cultivators found it daunting.
But now, seeing Yi Tianxing traversing the river, they were clearly shaken.
"So it's you—the human prodigy. How amusing. You tried sneaking across the wilderness to launch a surprise attack on our stronghold? If we hadn't discovered this, you might've succeeded. But too bad—we're here now. And today, you'll drown in this river!"
The jester (clown) laughed coldly, eyes gleaming.
He remembered Yi Tianxing vividly. Though they hadn't directly fought, this man had completely disrupted his plans—refusing to play by his rules, wrecking his carefully prepared "games," and destroying his amusement.
He loathed this man—deeply.
"This is bad! The Eternal Night elites are here too! They've reached the Tongtian River. Are they also planning to bypass the three deadly paths and launch a direct assault on our crystal?"
On the Eternal side of the bank, human cultivators paled in shock.
Fear rippled through them.