A life of leisure is worse than a life of flowers and splendour

On this day, Du Shuangshuang was meditating in the formation, her eyes closed, immersed in the tranquility deep within her heart. However, as she gradually entered a meditative state, a series of horrifying images began to emerge before her eyes.

The first thing that caught my eye was a devastated landscape. The once fertile soil was now barren, riddled with cracks and potholes. The distant mountains were also shattered, leaving only ruins. The battlefield was filled with smoke and flames. Men fought fiercely, yet their figures seemed so small and fragile.

Thick smoke and dust filled the sky, plunging the entire world into darkness. Periodically, a black whirlwind swept through, bringing untold terror and destruction. Wherever the whirlwind passed, all life was devoured, leaving only piles of desiccated bones. The screams of the people echoed in the air, a cry of despair against the world. Even the most heavily armed generals were helpless in the face of such disasters, watching helplessly as their soldiers were swept away by the whirlwind and eventually reduced to bones.

At this moment, a group of immortals suddenly appeared in the sky. They were dressed in gorgeous immortal robes and holding various magic weapons. They came down like gods. When these immortals saw the black whirlwind, they immediately attacked it and started a fierce battle with it.

However, despite these immortals possessing powerful mana and magical powers, they seemed somewhat powerless in the face of the strange power of the black whirlwind. The black whirlwind seemed to have no weaknesses, and no matter how the immortals attacked, they could not cause any substantial damage to it.

As time went on, the immortals gradually fell into trouble. They found that their attacks were ineffective against the black whirlwind, which only grew stronger and stronger. In the end, even the immortals were swallowed by the black whirlwind and turned into a pile of bones.

From then on, this area became a battlefield between immortals and the Black Whirlwind. New immortals constantly arrived here, and they would fight a life-and-death battle with the Black Whirlwind, but they would usually end in failure.

What had once appeared to be an ordinary figure suddenly transformed into a black whirlwind. Initially mistaking them for their companions, they were then shocked to discover they were actually their enemies. Those capable of transforming into whirlwinds were known as Outlanders. Any attack, whether by magic, magical weapon, or sword energy, would swiftly transform into a black whirlwind, rendering any attack virtually harmless. However, a gust of wind would instantly reduce any vulnerable individuals to dry bones.

The situation on the battlefield grew increasingly tense, becoming one-sided. Numerous immortals fell in the fierce battle, their blood staining the ground red and mingling with the dust. Yet, even more rushed to the front without hesitation, their eyes filled with determination and resoluteness, as if they were prepared to face death head-on.

The bones piled thickly on the battlefield, representing countless lives lost. Each bone represents a once vibrant being, bearing witness to the cruelty and ruthlessness of war. As time passes, this layer of bones thickens, and new bones continue to accumulate, creating a horrific scene.

Every charge and battle was a life-or-death struggle, accompanied by the demise of new lives. The cries of battle, the clashing of swords, and the roar of celestial arts intertwined to form a tragic symphony. The aura of death permeated the battlefield, leaving a heavy and oppressive feeling.

On this battlefield, there is no mercy or compassion, only the desire to survive and win. Everyone fights for their own beliefs and goals, and both justice and evil are revealed in this brutal war. The ultimate winner will determine the fate of this world.

A team of physical cultivators had just managed to stave off a whirlwind, but after the wind passed, many were still seriously injured, and even those who were not seriously injured were covered in scars. In this battle, only the demonic cultivators could stand evenly against the enemy. Seeing that the other sects were unable to withstand the attack, the demonic cultivators finally decided to join the struggle. On the battlefield, the demonic cultivators became the main force, and the Taoists unconditionally protected them. This was an unprecedented unity between the Taoists and the demons, jointly resisting the foreign enemy.

However, the disparity in strength between the enemy and our forces necessitated a massive loss of life, turning the battlefield into a burial ground for countless heroes. Countless lives were sacrificed, barely holding back the enemy's advance. Only a mountain of bones remained in the captured areas. Continued waves of men and women rose to the occasion, and new forces continuously emerged. Eventually, someone discovered the enemy's weakness, and the situation began to turn around, no longer simply passively accepting the blow.

The situation on the battlefield finally shifted, but only to a point of near-equality. These immortals, stepping on the bones of their forebears, seemed oblivious to life and death, unconcerned with their own injuries, desperate to tear a single piece of flesh from their enemies. Even if only bones remained of their arms, they would use them to strike at their enemies' vital points. This frenzied fighting style was terrifying and awe-inspiring. Even with only their shattered remains, they struggled to poke at their opponents' vital points, refusing to give up as long as they could move.

On the battlefield, they went from being in a desperate situation to a narrow escape, and finally to a determination to win at all costs. Du Shuangshuang didn't see fear in their eyes, but only saw their bloodiness and their willingness to die rather than surrender.

Watching the captured monks, their cultivation stripped, hung high up like rag dolls, and skinned alive bit by bit, Du Shuangshuang heard no screams, only his cries: "Kill these demons, defend our homeland, and drive out the enemy!" In the end, only a pile of bones and a speck of blood on the ropes that held him was left. His fellow monks, undeterred, fought even harder, their battles intensifying. The sky and earth changed color, and mountains and rivers collapsed. The flames of battle burned Du Shuangshuang's chest, aching. The hatred and rage he felt felt as if he were part of the very same people.

But there were fewer and fewer living people left on the battlefield. At this time, a new group arrived. Judging from their faces, many of them were still children, thousands of children and teenagers.

Ahead, a group of adults were charging forward, but despite this, the situation on the battlefield was still very grim, with the enemy outnumbered. The enemy seemed endless, with a constant stream of enemies falling from the sky.

In the back, an adult led a group of children to form a formation.

"If anyone regrets it, it's not too late now!" the leader in front shouted with tears in his eyes.

"For the sake of the people of the world, we have no regrets! No regrets..." No one backed down. There was only determination and tears in their eyes, but no one backed down.

"Okay, good children of my Feng family! Set up the formation!" After he finished speaking, some adults ran back from the battlefield and joined the formation.

Suddenly, a dazzling red light shot up from the ground, streaking towards the sky like a flaming meteor. This red light was so bright that it could be clearly seen from far and wide in all directions: east, south, north, and center. Simultaneously, spiritual pillars of different colors rose from each of these locations, echoing the red light and converging at this point.

As the red light rose, a powerful force surged from it. This force, blazing like a raging flame, swiftly rushed towards the enemy camp, carrying boundless might. The enemy, tottering under the impact of the flames, seemed unable to withstand the scorching heat, and ultimately reduced to ash. Within the formation, Du Shuangshuang witnessed those who emerged, one by one, transformed into wisps of flame, ultimately dissipating between heaven and earth. Their bodies melted in an instant, as if they had never existed.

Du Shuangshuang hadn't shed a tear watching those life-or-death battles, only felt a pang of misery. But at the end, seeing those children transformed into flames, tears welled up in her eyes, her heart aching so hard she couldn't breathe. Why were they still children? Some of them seemed only four or five years old to Du Shuangshuang, so young. Why were they sent to die together? Was there no one else who could replace them? Was the world of immortal cultivation empty? Sending a bunch of children to their deaths?

After everything settled, the sky seemed protected by something, and no more black whirlwinds descended. A seed fell from the sky, took root, and grew into a plant. Du Shuangshuang recognized it; it was the spiritual plant she had unearthed from the cave in the extremely hot land.

"My child, this Holy Phoenix Blood is a hope we leave for the Feng family bloodline. All the 1,308 people in the Feng family who awakened their bloodline are now in the Great Array to Protect the Sky by Killing Evils. Although the Great Array to Protect the Sky by Killing Evils has protected the heaven and earth, it has also extracted a lot of spiritual energy from the Tianyuan Continent. Even the spiritual veins in some places will dry up. Our Feng family also has a share of this karma. The war and the loss of the great array have seriously damaged the vitality of Tianyuan. Our Feng family will also wither and suffer this karma, but I believe that one day Tianyuan will eventually recover! Our Feng family will get better too. After taking the Holy Phoenix Blood, it can purify the bloodline and stimulate the full potential of the bloodline. My child, everything in the world has cause and effect, remember!" The calm voice entered Du Shuangshuang's ears like the earnest teachings of an elder.

Karma? They were already dead, yet they still had to bear the consequences? Why? Du Shuangshuang didn't understand. Was this a sacrifice to the formation? Protecting all living things, protecting this world, yet still having to bear the consequences of karma? How unfair!

Du Shuangshuang woke from her dream, tears streaming down her face. She didn't understand why she had such a dream. Was she of Feng family blood? But her bloodline was probably very thin. After all, her father wasn't a member of the Feng family, and even her paternal ancestors were ordinary mortals. That could only be the mother she had no memory of. Du Shuangshuang was filled with doubt and uneasiness. Could it be that the Feng family bloodline flowing in her was purer?