Chapter 72
Ming Jian Su knew Feng Chiyue well. Seeing her smile, she understood her true meaning.
Whether before or after Nirvana, her junior sister’s obsession with “beauty” wouldn’t change.
“I was wondering if all wandering immortals lived such carefree lives,” Feng Chiyue said.
Ming Jian Su recalled her past life. It had indeed been carefree. Practice swordsmanship, practice swordsmanship… she had let her sword practice on its own. She lay down on a rock, scooping up water and gazing at the moon. “You didn’t tell me who you were back then,” she said, glancing at Feng Chiyue, a hint of reproach in her voice.
“Because it wasn’t important,” Feng Chiyue replied, raising an eyebrow. “If I had told you I was the Phoenix Sovereign, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy true freedom.” The title “Phoenix Sovereign” was an honor, but it was also a responsibility, a shackle. The feathered lineages expected her to be a certain way, and she had to conform. It was an image constructed by the collective will of the entire lineage, but Feng Chiyue was simply herself.
“I wouldn’t have restricted you,” Ming Jian Su said earnestly.
“I know,” Feng Chiyue said lazily. Her later interactions with Suxin had proven that. Suxin hadn’t treated her differently because of her status, but their arguments about it had increased. She herself couldn’t break free from those shackles, couldn’t overcome that mental barrier. “Should I be grateful for their betrayal?” she asked suddenly.
Ming Jian Su heard a hint of amusement and delight in her voice, but the memory of that devastating betrayal still pained her. Freedom was Feng Chiyue’s birthright. Why should she have to endure such suffering before finally breaking free? Feng Chiyue might not care, but she did. She tightened her embrace, not making any promises, simply holding her close, savoring this rare moment of tenderness amidst the chaos.
In the Celestial Feather Ministry.
The elders from the Phoenix, Azure Dragon, Chongming, and other lineages were all present.
They watched as the phoenixes ascended from the Minor Realm, their memories stirred by the familiar names.
They were reincarnations of their fallen comrades.
Some had perished on the battlefield, others during the disaster at Danxue Mountain, clearing the path for the Phoenix Sovereign. She had taken their souls and, using some unknown method, had allowed them to be reborn.
The immortals from Phoenix Mountain had always felt abandoned by the Sovereign. Now, their feelings were confirmed.
Their Sovereign didn’t lack followers. They, the traitors, the cowards, didn’t deserve her attention.
The phoenixes from the Minor Realm weren’t cold towards them, but they weren’t welcoming either. They lacked the usual warmth between members of the same lineage.
After learning about the situation in the Immortal Realm, they left. However, as they were leaving, they glanced at Qing Xun, who was sitting quietly, her lips pursed, a hint of curiosity in their eyes. Their Sovereign had no interest in these matters. According to the Celestial Feather Ministry’s description, this young Azure Dragon was their new leader.
Only after they were gone did Qing Xun relax, sighing in relief. “It’s a bit strange,” she said, turning to Que Chenyi.
Que Chenyi didn’t care about their internal conflicts. “They won’t fight now,” she said. If anything were to happen, it would be after they had defeated their enemies. What would their Sovereign do then? Perhaps she would simply execute them all, turning them into obedient followers.
Despite their different feelings about the past, their hatred towards the Heavenly Emperor and the Immortal Realm was shared.
The war was far from over. The air was thick with the scent of blood and violence.
In the Heavenly Court, the Emperor, his face grim, dispatched several Star Monarchs, including those feathered immortals from the Realm Beyond Heaven. The previous Star Monarchs had been too afraid to accept the power offered by the Blood Sun Devouring Ring, but after witnessing their comrades’ defeat, they had no choice. They could only rely on the artifact’s protection, carefully guarding their lives.
After the initial sacrifice, the Blood Sun Devouring Ring had erupted with a blinding light. Now, that light was even more intense, engulfing Kunlun Mountain in flames, shaking the very fabric of reality. Those with weak cultivation levels felt their minds reeling, as if being pulled towards the artifact, just from glancing at it.
“He’s sent five Star Monarchs at once, and they’re all connected to the Blood Sun Devouring Ring,” Ming Jian Su said, frowning. They could naturally rely on the barrier and stay on the defensive, but three of those five were feathered immortals from the Realm Beyond Heaven. She would hunt them down to the ends of the earth!
As the five approached, they channeled their magic power, their combined energy pressing down on the barrier, stripping away its protective light. Suddenly, a beam of light flashed across the sky, slicing through their combined attack. The pressure on the barrier eased, and it quickly recovered.
“Junior Sister,” Ming Jian Su whispered to Feng Chiyue.
Feng Chiyue nodded and raised her Karma Fire Sword.
“There are five of them. We’ll take them on,” Feng Shuo, who had ascended from the Minor Realm, said.
Feng Chiyue glanced at her. “There’s no way they won’t send Star Monarchs to attack the main army,” she said calmly. “You and the Feather Guards stay here.” With a flick of her sleeve, she transformed into a beam of red light, shooting towards the battlefield. A phoenix manifestation appeared behind her, and she immediately activated her “Virtuous Sound” technique.
The three feathered Star Monarchs from the Realm Beyond Heaven, anticipating her attack, had already channeled power from the Blood Sun Devouring Ring, amplifying their strength. The “Virtuous Sound” suppression couldn’t be completely negated, but it was minimized.
She scoffed and turned her gaze to the two Star Monarchs from the Heavenly Court. Their expressions were grim, their eyes wary.
As for Ming Jian Su, her gaze remained fixed on the three feathered Star Monarchs. She possessed many swords but usually only used Undefeated. However, this time, to eliminate any chance of their survival, she summoned several swords from the Endless Sword Case. They circled her, shimmering like starlight.
The feathered Star Monarchs had intended to fight Feng Chiyue, but now, seeing Ming Jian Su blocking their path, their expressions changed slightly.
They felt a wave of sword intent, as if… it was the same chilling energy they had sensed when their connection to “Feathers United” had been severed. They didn’t hesitate any longer, unleashing their most powerful techniques. The battlefield erupted with thunder and lightning.
Ming Jian Su attacked relentlessly. A whirlwind of sword energy swept across the sky, countless tiny blades shooting towards the three feathered Star Monarchs like lightning strikes.
One of them, skilled in mist manipulation, scoffed and channeled his magic power, enveloping the area in a dense fog, infused with fire, concealing their auras. Another Star Monarch summoned a barrage of arrows, raining down like a swarm of crimson locusts.
Ming Jian Su’s eyes narrowed. Before the arrows could reach her, the sword beams circling her shot forward, weaving a net of light, intercepting them with a series of clangs. The fog thickened, and the arrows flew like waves, but the three feathered Star Monarchs remained hidden, their auras concealed. She made a decision, her eyes flashing with killing intent. She channeled her power, and a muffled boom echoed through the air. The countless sword beams converged into a single, blinding light. A deafening roar, like the heavens and earth shattering, filled the air, and she raised her sword, a brilliant aura appearing behind her. Sword energy surged like a tide, and she unleashed it, washing away the fog like a raging torrent. The sword beam swept through the mist, and in an instant, clarity returned to the world.
The Star Monarch who had summoned the fog stumbled back, clutching his chest, coughing up blood. He stared at the sword beam in horror, desperately channeling his magic power, the Blood Sun Devouring Ring’s light bathing him. But then, to his horror, he saw cracks appearing on his body, sword wounds that wouldn’t heal no matter how much power he channeled. The sword intent invaded his soul, and moments later, he shattered like glass, leaving behind only dust scattered by the wind.
The remaining two, terrified, exchanged glances and drew power from the Blood Sun Devouring Ring. They looked at Ming Jian Su, their expressions grim.
She scoffed and raised her sword. “Please, depart,” she said. She had cultivated two lifetimes. After escaping the Demon Abyss, she had known that her power wasn’t enough for revenge. She had reincarnated in the lower realm, severing her past ties to the Immortal Realm, experiencing mortality and tribulation, perfecting her Dao. The Blood Sun Devouring Ring’s power had increased, and these two had indeed drawn strength from it, but countless Heavenly Soldiers were also drawing from it. Perhaps the power gained by a single soldier was insignificant, but what about their combined strength? These Star Monarchs likely had less power than they thought. The Heavenly Emperor probably knew this, but the more he sacrificed, the more power he would gain in the end. He wouldn’t stop them. After all, he was a selfish and ruthless emperor.
By the time they realized this, it was too late. They shifted positions, unleashing bursts of fire, but it was futile. The sky turned blood red. A mournful cry echoed through the air, and a Bifang, transformed into his true form, fell from the sky, torn to shreds by a fierce wind before he could even reach the ground.
The last feathered Star Monarch turned to flee. He glanced back and saw that the two human Star Monarchs weren’t doing well either, screaming in agony amidst the raging flames, desperately trying to draw power from the Blood Sun Devouring Ring to resist, but their fate was sealed. They would either be burned alive or consumed by the artifact.
He used a scapegoat technique, leaving behind a single feather, imbued with half his life force, while he instantly teleported miles away. As he fled the battlefield, he sighed in relief, but then a sense of dread washed over him. He looked up and saw a river of starlight blocking his path. The brilliant light lasted only a moment, then Ming Jian Su emerged, her body surrounded by a faint glow, starlight trailing behind her. She held a sword, its blade shimmering with a pale blue light, her robes billowing in the wind.
She glanced at him coldly, then, with a single swing of her sword, obliterated his soul. Only then did she turn and leave.
Since the start of the war, the Heavenly Court’s Star Monarchs had been losing. Those officials still loyal to the Emperor were terrified.
Amidst this chaos, the Emperor unexpectedly laughed. He ignored the commotion in the hall and sent a message to the Realm Beyond Heaven.
Qing Hong Star Monarch, who had been meditating in his abode, finally made a move. He gathered all the Heavenly Court Star Monarchs in the Realm Beyond Heaven and decided to descend to the Immortal Realm.
Bi Xiao Star Monarch naturally wouldn’t join them. She also didn’t try to stop them. Her cultivation was already sufficient to ascend to the Upper Realm and sever her ties with the world, but she still had unfinished business with the Celestial Mother.
“Aren’t you going to revisit your old home, Sister Bi Xiao?” a fellow Star Monarch asked with a smile.
A strange glint flashed in her eyes. “No,” she said, chuckling.
She would stay here and prevent those Star Monarchs from returning!
Thirty-six beams of light descended from the sky, converging on Kunlun Mountain. Their combined aura rivaled the ever-expanding Blood Sun Devouring Ring.
There were no Star Monarchs on the battlefield yet, but the Heavenly Soldiers continued fighting fiercely.
Upon meeting the Heavenly Emperor, Qing Hong Star Monarch said only one thing: “Turn them all into sacrifices.” His withered appearance and cold words sent chills down everyone’s spines. Even Si Li Star Monarch, who had always been loyal to the Emperor, felt a shiver of fear.
But the Emperor didn’t hesitate. He agreed without a second thought.
Within the barrier.
The Feather Guards, seeing the Heavenly Soldiers exploding into bloody mist, assumed something had gone wrong and cautiously retreated. However, even after they withdrew, the soldiers continued marching towards their deaths. Some of the less experienced Feather Guards couldn’t understand, but Ming Jian Su and Feng Chiyue saw clearly. A Daoist priest sat within the Blood Sun Devouring Ring, his aura merging with the artifact, his power surging. The artifact’s power was being channeled into him, leaving very little for the soldiers. If they couldn’t control it, they would become sacrifices, their energy absorbed by the ring.
As for the Daoist priest, constantly exposed to the Blood Sun Devouring Ring’s aura, he had no chance of survival!
This was clearly a suicidal sacrifice, but would they really sacrifice a powerful Star Monarch for nothing? No! Ming Jian Su’s eye twitched. “Chang Huai,” she said sharply, turning to the artisan. “Activate the barrier’s formations at full power!”
Chang Huai also realized something and replied solemnly, “Yes!” As she and the other artisans worked to reinforce the barrier, a blinding light erupted, consuming their vision, as if everything else in the world had vanished. The Daoist priest, his power reaching its peak within the Blood Sun Devouring Ring, was charging towards them.
Ming Jian Su’s eye twitched, and she unleashed a wave of sword energy. The Daoist priest’s power, at its zenith, was unfathomable, her sword energy melting like ice under a scorching sun. She continued attacking, tearing through the blazing flames. Feng Chiyue also unleashed several bursts of Taiyi Karma Fire! It seemed like an eternity, yet also a mere instant. The Daoist priest crashed into the barrier, shaking the heavens and earth. Cracks appeared on its surface, and he reached out, trying to insert the artifact into one of the cracks and destroy the formation, but then a barrage of sword beams descended, tearing him to shreds.
Que Chenyi and the others, stabilizing themselves, stared at the scene, their hearts pounding.
If every Star Monarch in the Heavenly Court attacked like this, the barrier wouldn’t hold.
A Star Monarch in the Heavenly Court, witnessing this, sighed. “What a pity, Fellow Daoist Qing Hong,” he said.
The Emperor smiled faintly. “Which of you would like to try next?” he asked.
Silence filled the hall. His expression darkened. After sacrificing the Heavenly Soldiers, his authority over the Heavenly Dao had been weakened. He couldn’t control those in the Realm Beyond Heaven, and now he couldn’t even command the Star Monarchs in his own palace with the Heavenly Constitution Seal. They were only united by a common enemy.
After a moment, he said casually, “With your help, Fellow Daoists, the Heavenly Court will surely crush these rebels.”
However, their relief was short-lived. A series of messages arrived.
“The White Tiger Department failed to intercept the Nine-Tailed Fox Nation. Several wandering immortals from Qingqiu have arrived at Morning Phoenix Mountain.”
“The army sent to quell the rebellion in the East Sea has been completely defeated. The Celestial Mother has raised her banner, declaring herself the true bearer of the Mandate of Heaven.”
They might have been able to maintain their composure after the first message, but the second one shattered their facade. They all stared at the Emperor.
This level of chaos was unprecedented.
The Great Yin was supposed to assist the Emperor. Even if there were disagreements, they were always resolved privately. How could it escalate to a struggle for the Mandate of Heaven?
In contrast to the Heavenly Court’s gloom, the Celestial Feather Ministry was jubilant.
Que Chenyi had been worried about the Realm Beyond Heaven. After all, they were still outmatched in terms of raw power.
But then the Nine-Tailed Fox immortals from Qingqiu arrived, followed by the dragons from the Four Seas, and even the Celestial Mother’s Twelve Earthly Branches Formation appeared on their side.
What was there to fear from the Realm Beyond Heaven?
With the arrival of their allies, Ming Jian Su and Feng Chiyue had to make an appearance, regardless of their past relationships.
After the initial excitement, the immortals returned to their duties. Only Tu Shan Xiu Rong from Qingqiu hesitated.
Feng Chiyue, her chin resting on her hand, glared at her, her impatience growing. Why was this fox so persistent? Couldn’t she just leave and let her and her Elder Sister enjoy their time together?
Tu Shan Xiu Rong shifted uncomfortably. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Sword intent.”
Ming Jian Su had almost forgotten. Why had this Nine-Tailed Fox immortal intervened on someone else’s behalf? She lowered her gaze and, with a casual wave of her hand, erased the sword intent she had implanted in Tu Shan Xiu Rong.
But she still didn’t leave.
Feng Chiyue frowned. “Is there anything else?”
Tu Shan Xiu Rong sighed heavily. “Does the Celestial Feather Ministry have any ointments for hair growth or hair beautification?” she asked.
Ming Jian Su looked at her in surprise, a hint of sympathy in her eyes. Feng Chiyue’s expression also softened slightly. It was a pity that she was losing her fur at such a young age.
“Go ask Que Chenyi,” Feng Chiyue said.
Tu Shan Xiu Rong understood their gazes, but she swallowed her explanation.
She had been angry and, unable to find Tu Shan Liusu, had used the depilatory cream on Tu Shan Bi instead. To avoid trouble, she had hidden herself for a long time, returning only when she thought her fur had grown back. However, the cream had been so effective that Tu Shan Bi was still bald, looking listless and dejected. She felt a twinge of guilt, but when she visited Tu Shan Bi, she was beaten up and forced to swear an oath to find a cure, or else she would also lose her fur.
After Tu Shan Xiu Rong left, Feng Chiyue immediately leaned against Ming Jian Su.
“We have allies now,” Ming Jian Su said softly, looking down at her. “We can push towards Kunlun Mountain. I want to find a way to destroy the Blood Sun Devouring Ring.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“I don’t believe that artifact is truly limitless.”
Feng Chiyue blinked.
“I have six swords now,” Ming Jian Su continued, “but I feel like something is missing. Perhaps I need to merge them into one. Isn’t the Endless Sword Case also a sword?”
“Do as you see fit,” Feng Chiyue said, nodding.
She trusted Ming Jian Su.
“It will take some time,” Ming Jian Su said softly. “You’ll have to work hard, Junior Sister.”
She had wanted to handle everything herself, but now, her junior sister was also involved.
Feng Chiyue stared at her and nodded solemnly. “It is hard work,” she agreed.
Ming Jian Su chuckled and leaned down, kissing the corner of her lips.
Feng Chiyue reached up and wrapped her arms around Ming Jian Su’s neck. Their breaths mingled, their soft gasps filled with tenderness.
Ming Jian Su didn’t hide the fact that she needed time to refine her swords.
She had always been the one making decisions in the Celestial Feather Ministry.
Que Chenyi, upon hearing the news, wasn’t worried about the war but rather those trivial matters. Should she continue sending them to Feng Chiyue?
Knowing her, she wouldn’t even bother looking at them.
Perhaps she should discuss it with Zhu Wan and the others first?
But then, Feng Chiyue, who had rarely appeared in Ming Jian Su’s absence, entered the Celestial Feather Hall.
She was dressed in white.
The wind blew, as if stirring a cloud of snow, and within the cloud, a golden phoenix, its wings spread wide, soared gracefully, its aura noble and elegant.
Her usual laziness had vanished, replaced by a cold, frosty aura.
Que Chenyi didn’t dare to look at her directly.
The phoenixes, Azure Dragons, and other feathered immortals in the hall also remained silent, but the tears shimmering in their eyes betrayed their emotions.
They had never imagined that Feng Chiyue was the Phoenix Sovereign. After all, they hadn’t seen any trace of their former leader in her.
Nirvana could be a continuation of the past or a new beginning, depending on one’s choice, but it shouldn’t erase everything.
They had finally understood. That disaster had crippled Phoenix Mountain, and it was only natural for the Sovereign’s personality to change.
Feng Chiyue walked straight to the main seat, her gaze sweeping across the room. “One last time,” she said.
She would resolve her Elder Sister’s inner turmoil and sever her ties with the past.
She wasn’t the feathered lineages’ Sovereign. She was simply Feng Chiyue.
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