Chapter 14
The Chaos Mirror perfectly displayed the scene unfolding on the Morning Sun Continent.
The two immortal attendants’ faces were ashen, their bodies trembling. A bone-chilling wind, unlike anything they had ever experienced, swept through the heavenly gate, freezing their blood and souls.
Feng Chiyue glanced at them and asked, “What are you waiting for? Record it. This cultivator had mediocre aptitude and couldn’t withstand the tribulation lightning. Ascension failed.”
The attendants: “…” If she had been a little lenient, the cultivator wouldn’t have been obliterated. If Feng Chiyue continued like this, would there be any cultivators left to ascend from the Morning Sun Continent? And if there weren’t any, how could they meet the Heavenly Mechanism Department’s requirements? Their wry smiles deepened. They cursed their lack of wealth and connections, blaming their misfortune on being assigned to the Morning Sun Gate.
“Weren’t you worried about being assaulted by those unreasonable cultivators from the Morning Sun Continent? Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Feng Chiyue said, watching the two attendants shake like leaves with amusement. “Are all immortal attendants this rude? Have you forgotten how to say thank you?”
The two attendants squeezed out a “Thank you” through gritted teeth. They stared blankly at the Chaos Mirror, thinking to themselves that they indeed didn’t have to worry about being caught in the crossfire anymore. Those cultivators from the Morning Sun Continent were now reduced to ashes before they could even ascend.
Over the next few days, Feng Chiyue proved her ruthlessness. The merit calculated by the Chaos Mirror was converted into tribulation lightning, neither more nor less, and rained down upon those attempting to ascend. Unfortunately, after their merits were tallied, the ascending cultivators from the Morning Sun Continent all had more evil deeds than good ones. They were obliterated, and even then, they still owed a few bolts of lightning. The myth of “unfailing ascension” on the Morning Sun Continent was shattered. The cultivators who had reached the threshold of ascension, seeing the lingering tribulation lightning that seemed ready to strike them down at any moment, were consumed by fear. They hastily suppressed their cultivation, no longer daring to dream of ascending.
The two attendants, initially terrified, had become numb. They looked down at the records, seeing nothing but the large, glaring character for “Failure.”
“Is the feng shui of the Morning Sun Continent so bad? Why can’t a single cultivator ascend?” the culprit asked lazily, her legs crossed.
The attendants remained silent. It wasn’t the Morning Sun Continent that was the problem. It was their new Morning Sun Emissary, who seemed to have no understanding of social graces. The other gate emissaries, in order to meet their quotas and curry favor, would show some leniency when activating the tribulation lightning. None of them would be as merciless as her.
It wasn’t yet time for performance reviews at the Heavenly Mechanism Department, so they wouldn’t intervene in Feng Chiyue’s actions. However, the other gate emissaries, upon hearing about her “achievements,” were all waiting to see what would happen. They even started a betting pool on the Chaos Mirror, wagering on her fate. The lack of intervention from the Heavenly Mechanism Department didn’t mean things were calm. The Morning Sun Assembly soon came knocking. They were already suspicious because they hadn’t seen any ascending cultivators from the Morning Sun Continent. Upon inquiring, they discovered that their descendants had all been obliterated during their tribulation! How could they tolerate such a thing? They stormed towards Feng Chiyue, ready to settle the score.
The Golden Crow sank in the west, painting the sky with crimson hues.
Feng Chiyue stood on the veranda, watching nonchalantly as the last rays of sunlight were swallowed by the approaching night.
She casually channeled some magical power into Understanding, and Ming Jian Su’s familiar voice filled her ears. She closed her eyes, her face softening with contentment.
Zhu Wan, carrying a lantern, passed by and was startled by Feng Chiyue’s ghostly voice. She clutched her chest, her heart still racing. “What are you doing outside?” she asked. Usually, this one would be sound asleep before nightfall. Why was she awake and alert tonight? Could doing some actual work have such a profound effect on someone who had been decadent and lazy for centuries?
“Someone’s cursing me,” Feng Chiyue said.
Zhu Wan was even more puzzled. It would be strange if no one cursed Feng Chiyue. She bowed slightly, not bothering to engage further. But just as she was about to leave, a deafening boom shook the night, the ground trembling beneath their feet. Could the Emperor’s daughter be attacking Dong’e Mountain again? Zhu Wan’s face paled.
The lantern swayed, the candle flame flickering as if it might be extinguished at any moment.
Zhu Wan instinctively looked for Feng Chiyue, but the veranda was empty. There was no sign of her. Only the chilling wind greeted her.
Outside the grand formation of Dong’e Mountain, a Daoist priest wearing a black and white Daoist robe and a Hun Yuan Jin¹ stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His expression was grim, his eyes filled with malice and aggression. He channeled his magical power, forming a giant hand that slammed into the formation, another earth-shattering boom echoing through the night. The assault continued until Feng Chiyue finally appeared. The Daoist priest looked at the smiling Feng Chiyue, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before being replaced by a cold fury. He declared, “This humble Daoist is Jiang Zi Hua of the Morning Sun Assembly.”
Feng Chiyue raised an eyebrow. “Does it matter to me whether you’re called Jiang Zi Hua or Hai Zi Hua?” she asked, puzzled.
Jiang Zi Hua’s face darkened. He wasn’t in the mood for idle chatter. “All the disciples from our Morning Sun Continent have perished during their ascension. Do you have an explanation?” he demanded coldly.
Feng Chiyue blinked. “The heavens have eyes,” she said. She looked at the furious Jiang Zi Hua and then laughed inexplicably. “I don’t like the name ‘Morning Sun.’ Perhaps if you changed it to ‘Morning Shade,’ the outcome would be different.”
Jiang Zi Hua frowned, irritated by Feng Chiyue’s nonsensical words. “Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘A wise man submits to circumstances’? The East Abode Master is dead. Sooner or later, you’ll be driven out of Dong’e Mountain. Without the formation, where will you hide?” He had initially tried to break through the formation, but its intricate workings and flawless flow of energy made it impenetrable. Attacking directly at the Morning Sun Gate, which was technically Heavenly Court territory, wouldn’t be wise. If he could persuade her, so be it. If not, he would just have to intercept her on her way back. Thinking of this, a hint of killing intent emanated from him.
“I understand,” Feng Chiyue said, nodding. She looked at Jiang Zi Hua and smiled. “Are you inviting me to step outside the formation? Very well.”
“Immortal Monarch?!” Zhu Wan, who had rushed over, turned pale upon hearing those words. She leaped forward, her fingers brushing against the edge of Feng Chiyue’s robe, but she could only watch helplessly as the red figure vanished from within the formation.
Jiang Zi Hua was stunned, then overjoyed. Feng Chiyue was unpredictable, but that worked in his favor. As long as he captured her and forced her to work for them, they could loosen the restrictions at the heavenly gate. He immediately conjured a giant hand to seize her.
Feng Chiyue didn’t dodge. A playful smile curved her lips.
Jiang Zi Hua’s eyes gleamed with excitement and triumph. But the moment he touched Feng Chiyue, he let out an ear-piercing scream. The hand was formed from his magical power, connected to his mind and soul. At the point of contact, he realized with horror that he hadn’t grasped a person, but a raging inferno. He had heard about Feng Chiyue causing trouble at the Supreme Palace and the West Sea, but he believed his cultivation was superior to theirs and hadn’t been concerned. He had volunteered to come here himself. But now, he was having second thoughts.
Forgetting about capturing Feng Chiyue, he dissipated the hand. However, the searing pain lingered, clinging to his soul, refusing to be dispelled.
Feng Chiyue reappeared silently a few feet away from Jiang Zi Hua, her body radiating a murderous aura. But then, as if remembering something, the killing intent gradually subsided, and she transformed back into the languid, elegant beauty of the Immortal Realm.
“Zhu Wan,” she called out.
Zhu Wan, still shaken, almost burst into tears. But fearing Feng Chiyue’s mockery, she forced them back.
“Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. I follow the Heavenly Dao and repay evil with kindness,” Feng Chiyue said after a moment of contemplation. “Extract his immortal bone, break his limbs, and throw him into an iron urn filled with snakes, scorpions, and poison.”
“Oh, and take his Qiankun bag. Don’t let it get ruined in the urn. I worked hard guarding the Morning Sun Gate. This is my reward.”
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¹ Hun Yuan Jin (混元巾): A type of Daoist headwear, often black and white, symbolizing the balance of yin and yang.
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