Chapter 19
The Sky Collapsed
Author: Wei Yi Yong Heng
The owner of that voice was none other than Qin Lin, the chieftain of the Hammerstone Tribe.
Looking at Qin Mo, who had collapsed to the ground, Qin Lin couldn’t help but feel moved. In his hand, he held a crimson crystal that radiated an overwhelming pressure — faintly, it seemed as if a terrifying ancient beast was struggling within, attempting to break free. Yet, confined by that powerful hand, it could not move an inch.
“Chieftain, isn’t this a bit too much?”
Another figure appeared — it was Lin Tong, the captain in charge of hunting and defense.
For some time, Lin Tong had been paying close attention to Qin Mo’s actions. What Qin Mo didn’t know was that, besides him, there was someone who had entered the Blackstone Mountains earlier and left later — that person was Lin Tong himself, the captain responsible for hunting security.
He had seen all of Qin Mo’s recent efforts. Each day’s hunting results had surpassed those of any other team.
Lin Tong admired this, but even more, he worried. Worried that Qin Mo would push himself beyond his limits. After all, everyone had limits — even Lin Tong himself.
Qin Mo’s hunting and rest times were completely out of balance. Even though he had opened one spiritual aperture, it was impossible to sustain such enormous exertion.
And now, the very scene before him was exactly what Lin Tong had feared — Qin Mo had finally collapsed. This had already exceeded his expectations. He had thought Qin Mo could last no more than ten days — yet Qin Mo endured fifteen. This stirred not only admiration in Lin Tong’s heart, but also compassion.
“Too much? No.”
Qin Lin shook his head calmly.
“Remember the bet we made? You said he wouldn’t last ten days, but I said he could endure at least thirteen.”
Lin Tong sighed helplessly and glanced at Qin Mo lying on the ground.
“Yes, we made that bet. I lost, but so did you — didn’t we?”
“Indeed, we both lost,” Qin Lin said, but his face carried a hint of pride.
“He’s surpassed my expectations. As expected of my son!”
Lin Tong chuckled softly, saying nothing further — but he understood his chieftain’s intentions. After all, Qin Mo was the young chief, the heir to the tribe, and he bore an enormous responsibility.
“You plan to use this two-star Savage Bear crystal core to temper his body again?” Lin Tong asked.
“Why not?” Qin Lin replied. “It was prepared for him all along. I may be a chieftain, but I’m also a father. I believe that what I do today will one day be repaid.”
Lin Tong smiled. Once, he would have objected to using such a precious core on Qin Mo, calling it a waste of resources.
But now, he felt differently. Qin Mo had earned the right — not because of his father’s words, but because of his own transformation.
Qin Mo was no longer the same — no longer lazy or reckless. Everything that had happened in the tribe had been seen by their eyes. The fact that Qin Li had survived unharmed was the best proof of Qin Mo’s change.
Lin Tong didn’t think of it as an “investment” for future rewards — rather, he felt this act was justified. Qin Mo had proven his worth through his actions.
Qin Lin said nothing more. A powerful aura suddenly erupted from him. As it did, the Savage Bear crystal core in his hand began to tremble violently, as if sensing its impending death. The spirit of the two-star beast within struggled madly, releasing a crushing beastly pressure. It was as though Qin Lin held a raging giant bear within his palm.
Lin Tong, standing nearby, found it hard to breathe. Even though the bear’s body was long gone and only its core remained, the pressure of a two-star beast still lingered.
Yet, no matter how the spirit struggled, it could not escape Qin Lin’s grasp. With a squeeze —
Crack!
The crystal core, hard as diamond, shattered in his palm. Qin Lin raised his hand, and the core instantly turned to liquid. Without spilling a drop, he poured it into Qin Mo’s mouth.
Lin Tong simply stood there, watching without guarding. When the two-star Savage Bear’s core shattered, every beast in the surrounding forest prostrated itself in fear — none dared to move. The oppressive aura made any protection unnecessary. All Lin Tong had to do was wait.
Then—
Dong…
A deep, ancient bell toll reverberated through the heavens, shaking the very fabric of the Xuanhuang Great World.
Dong…
Another toll followed. Qin Lin’s face paled instantly. So did Lin Tong’s.
Both men stopped what they were doing, staring blankly at the sky above the human world — confusion and terror flashing across their faces.
Dong…
A third toll echoed. Waves of sorrow rippled across the heavens. Qin Lin and Lin Tong felt their hearts shatter within their chests.
“Three bell tolls… That’s the signal of our Sacred Emperor…” Qin Lin began, but before he could finish, he fell to his knees. The remaining drops of the crystal liquid slipped forgotten from his hands. The hardened warrior’s eyes filled with tears.
“The sky… has collapsed…” Lin Tong also knelt, tears streaming freely down his face. A grief vast as heaven and earth welled up within him.
The ancient bell’s three tolls were not heard by them alone. Across the Blackstone Mountains, countless beasts — from the outer wilds to the ancient monsters deep within — all fell to the ground, trembling under the same awe and sorrow.
Back in the Hammerstone Tribe, Grand Elder Qin Tianli and the other elders stepped out from the council hall. Staring at the sky, their faces were blank with despair, their eyes wet with tears. They knelt without fear — only grief.
Thousands of miles away, in the territories of the eight great tribes, every chieftain, elder, and clansman — numbering in the millions — fell to their knees, weeping, as the three tolls echoed across the land.
At the Skyhawk Tribe, Lin Yue knelt beside her chieftain. Around them stood countless warriors and clansmen. Some faces showed disbelief, others fear — but most, sorrow.
Beside Lin Yue stood a man — handsome, proud, exuding an aura far surpassing even that of the chieftain. Yet under the sound of the bells, he too knelt, tears tracing his cheeks.
“The sky has collapsed…”
These words were repeated again and again — ten thousand miles away, a hundred thousand miles away — across countless tribes and lands.
Everywhere across the Xuanhuang Continent, whether the smallest one-star tribe or the mighty twelve-star clans, all fell to their knees when they heard the bells.
In the Central Plains, within the Ancient Xuanhuang City where the Sacred Emperor resided, cries of grief filled the air for ten thousand miles.
It was from there — from within the Sacred Emperor’s Palace — that the three tolls had come.
“The Sacred Emperor has fallen — the sky of humanity has collapsed…”
A majestic voice thundered from the palace, echoing through all of Xuanhuang City, and spreading to every corner of the continent.
It was the combined proclamation of the Four Earthly Emperors, second only to the Sacred Emperor himself — a single message carried across the world:
