Chapter 286: Chapter 276: The Shocking Appearance of the Holy Artifact, Dragon Sparrow Zither, Planning in the Heart

"Yuner, Holy Artifacts possess spiritual awareness. Having one on our side is like having a Saint present in person. Xuan Qi and those other demons are also protected by Holy Artifacts. To prevent any unforeseen complications, you must act quickly and destroy Xuan Guangqiao. Once you succeed, Xuan Guangqiao will lose the aid of its Holy Artifact and will be forced to withdraw from the battle for supremacy across the Ten Thousand Domains. And in the end, the one who laughs last, the ultimate king, will undoubtedly be you!"

The words of his master, the Swallowing Wolf Demon Saint, still echoed in his ears, but Lang Fanyun’s mind was entirely fixed on the Dragon Sparrow Zither before him.

According to legend, the Dragon Sparrow is a type of phoenix. It isn’t as brilliantly colored as the phoenix, yet it is the most ferocious of them. In its youth, it resembles an ordinary waterfowl. Upon reaching adulthood, it spreads its vast, black wings, shrouding the sun, moon, and Stars, taking flight without ever landing again—an incredibly ferocious and solitary bird.

This Dragon Sparrow Zither possessed such an appearance.

"My treasure, what an incredible treasure..."

Lang Fanyun’s face was alight with a foolish obsession, and he couldn’t help but extend his large hand toward the Dragon Sparrow Zither, eager to examine and play with it.

CLANG!

The Dragon Sparrow Zither revived on its own. Its strings vibrated, producing a wave of black ripples that collapsed the void with unrivaled sharpness.

Lang Fanyun was shocked to his core and quickly ceased his actions, scrambling away in panic. However, the wave of black ripples pursued him relentlessly, knocking off his feathered headdress, leaving his hair disheveled and him in a sorry state.

The Dragon Sparrow Zither was warning him!

Lang Fanyun, his heart still pounding with residual fear, stared blankly at the Dragon Sparrow Zither. Suddenly, the corners of his mouth lifted into a somewhat savage grin. "With such a deadly weapon reinforcing our position, let’s see how you, Xuan Guangqiao, plan to show off this time. Old Zhu, watch as I display my prowess and avenge you!"

「Dragon Star Sea Region.」

Dragon Star Pavilion.

Hong Yuan was in the process of refining Ocean Water Orders from different sea regions to strengthen the foundation of his own destiny when he felt a stir in his heart. He turned his head to look at his Luck Giant Dragon. Above the Luck Giant Dragon, a mass of black clouds had suddenly gathered. Upon closer inspection, their shape resembled a Dragon Sparrow.

A sudden whim? No, this must be an early warning from my Luck Tao...

Hong Yuan pressed his large hand onto the Purple Gold Cauldron, his eyes flashing with contemplation. He knew that the higher a cultivator’s cultivation base, the more mystical their abilities became. However, the scene unfolding before him somewhat exceeded his expectations.

It seems my destiny has become far more powerful than I imagined.

"Go!"

With a soft command from Hong Yuan, the Luck Giant Dragon instantly roared and lunged at the Dragon Sparrow-shaped black cloud. In a single pass, the ferocious Luck Giant Dragon easily shattered the black cloud, converting it into its own foundational energy. The small horn on its head grew by an almost imperceptible fraction.

Seeing the Luck Giant Dragon dispose of the black cloud so effortlessly, Hong Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and leisurely resumed refining the Ocean Water Orders from various sea regions, further enhancing his destiny.

Hong Yuan had already experienced some of the benefits of his growing destiny. For instance, if he merely strolled around the Dragon Star Archipelago, he could find numerous precious, ownerless demonic artifacts. At times, the long-sealed grotto-heavens of past experts would even open spontaneously due to his presence.

Faced with these fortuitous encounters, Hong Yuan had no choice but to establish an organization named ’Fate’s Miners’ to gather these resources for him.

「Three days later.」

While still refining Water Orders, Hong Yuan felt a stirring in his heart. He stepped out of the pavilion and gazed into the distance, his eyes fixed on the defensive line overseen by Li Jianqiu. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

There, a fierce battle was underway.

Someone is trying to assassinate me, Hong Yuan!?

"Lang Fanyun, you’ve got some nerve!" Li Jianqiu bellowed in anger.

A lone demon infiltrating the Dragon Star Archipelago—what audaciousness! Does he take us generals for nothing? But amidst her anger, Li Jianqiu couldn’t help but exercise caution. I don’t believe Lang Fanyun is reckless.

BOOM!

The major Energy Arrays along the archipelago’s defense line fully activated, their patterns intertwining to project dazzling, multicolored beams of light that bombarded Lang Fanyun with considerable power.

Lang Fanyun, clad in a gold-threaded robe, had a cold and indifferent expression. His aura was as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

"Senior, please turn around!"

Facing such terrifying might, Lang Fanyun turned sideways, displaying the Dragon Sparrow Zither before the assembled demons.

The strings of the Dragon Sparrow Zither strummed themselves, releasing wisps of black mist. The dense aura of destruction emanating from the mist was heart-stopping and terrifyingly oppressive. In a mere instant, the black mist devoured the beams of light and began to slowly spread toward the main pavilion where Hong Yuan resided.

"HISS!"

"What is going on!?"

"Wait, this power... it’s a Holy Artifact!!"

The demons were aghast, staring dumbfounded at the suddenly discolored sky, their eyes fixed on the Dragon Sparrow Zither, which could cause space itself to crumble with the slightest movement. The Energy Arrays they had deployed were no ordinary formations; nearly all of them were peak fifth-order Energy Arrays. The slightest contact with them could incinerate an assassin, delivering instant death. Yet, before this archaic Dragon Sparrow Zither, all these peak fifth-order Energy Arrays utterly disintegrated!

A Holy Artifact!? Isn’t he afraid Xuan Guangqiao will take it? Li Jianqiu’s pupils suddenly contracted. She was no ignorant Demon General. In the battle of the Ten Thousand Domains, enemies could openly snatch any Holy Artifact that appeared. We enter the Heavenly Scenic Tower Demon Realm primarily to search for Holy Artifacts. How can you just brandish it like this? Aren’t you afraid someone will snatch it away? Li Jianqiu felt utterly baffled.

Meanwhile, Hong Yuan, standing outside the main pavilion, was exhilarated, his lips curling up, barely able to suppress a smile.

His Sword Tao Incarnation was a genuine Saint, so Hong Yuan was exceptionally clear on the true power of a Saint. Currently, his Demonic Body possessed over ten thousand Tao Marks and multiple Divine Powers. Among them, his trump card, the Cold Moon Seal Divine Power, had even reached the Earth Grade. Even so, Hong Yuan lacked absolute confidence in his Demonic Body’s ability to challenge a Saint across cultivation realms. But if it was merely a Holy Artifact on its own, Hong Yuan wouldn’t stand on ceremony. After all, there are no absolutely powerful Holy Artifacts, only absolutely powerful Saints!

"Heh heh..." Hong Yuan’s face showed distress, but inwardly, his heart was brimming with boundless joy.

In the battle of the Ten Thousand Domains, any Holy Artifacts that appear can be plundered!

Hong Yuan splayed his hand, and with a flash of dark red light, the Flood Gathering War Banner was firmly in his grasp. Stomping his foot, he instantly executed the Dragon Tiger Stride, lunging forward with the tragic heroism of the verse: "The wind soughs, the Yi River is cold; once the hero departs, he shall never return!"

"Damn it, Lang Fanyun, don’t you dare be so rampant!" Hong Yuan roared.

By now, the Dragon Sparrow Zither had fully awakened, its music spreading wantonly, attacking in all directions. Hong Yuan’s main base was blasted until mountains crumbled and the earth split, utterly ravaged.

"Such audacity! You are probably unaware of the might of a Holy Artifact..." Lang Fanyun’s lips curled into a sneer. "Come to think of it, you are but a lowly snake of despicable origins. You’ve probably never even laid eyes on a Holy Artifact."

CLANG!—CLANG! CLANG!

A flurry of urgent and fierce zither notes burst forth from the Dragon Sparrow Zither. The sound waves, seemingly tangible, transformed into indistinct black ripples. Like glaives and sword-edges, they were incomparably sharp. Wherever they passed, the void fractured piece by piece—a terrifying sight.

Don’t rush, don’t rush. Hong Yuan suppressed the irrepressible joy in his heart and took a quick step forward. He was "hunted" by these ripples, forced to flee in all directions, his robes torn, cutting a sorry figure.

High in the Green Heaven.

Several Demon Saints, drawn by the Holy Artifact’s fluctuations, cast their gazes towards the scene, their hearts greatly shaken. The Holy Artifact’s owner, the Blue Fox Great Saint, watched with intense nervousness, prepared to conceal the Dragon Sparrow Zither within the void at the slightest hint of trouble.

Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes.

He was not permitted to personally descend into the War of Ten Thousand Domains. However, he was still capable of exploiting certain loopholes. A Holy Artifact is unique, its power immeasurable, and it can almost serve as a second life for a Demon Saint, making it exceedingly precious. Even for someone like the Blue Fox Great Saint, who hailed from a supreme clan like the Qingqiu Fox Clan, every single Holy Artifact was still of paramount importance!