Mistaken Era 101

Chapter 101

As she thought this, a faint sound reached her ears, a whisper of wind coming from the mountain peak. Looking up, she saw a majestic temple that had seemingly materialized out of thin air.

The wind… it was coming from the temple.

And for some reason, the temple looked familiar, as if… she had been there before.

A wave of itching spread across her body. She looked down at her arms, at the golden scales, the itching intensifying, a sensation spreading across her back…

Madam Fu, observing the Yasha demons bowing before Xiao Xiao, her face hardened.

Water Yasha were the fiercest warriors of the demon race. Even their leader couldn’t make them cower like this. Only… only their Saint, with her powerful bloodline, could command such absolute obedience.

But that was impossible!

It had been a thousand years since their last Saint.

The Ebony Divine Tree, enshrined in their temple, the source of their Saint’s bloodline, had been stolen by Wei Feng. And then they had been slaughtered by the celestial army, their race dwindling.

If they had a Saint, they wouldn’t be trapped on this island, struggling to survive.

Although she couldn’t understand it, Cui Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie were far more powerful than she had anticipated. They had even managed to overpower that deity.

Devouring their souls to nourish those demonic embryos… it wouldn’t be easy. But now that they were on Zhangwei Mountain, escaping wouldn’t be easy either.

Zhangwei Mountain was a sacred mountain, a gift from Zhulong to the demon race.

In ancient times, this mountain had been their sanctuary, a place where they could finally settle, after centuries of wandering.

But during the celestial army’s attack, even those who sought refuge in the temple on Zhangwei Mountain hadn’t been spared. They had been hunted down, their blood staining the sacred ground.

Perhaps their blood had awakened the mountain’s ancient power, activating its ability to shift between realms, transporting the survivors, including Madam Fu, away from the carnage.

And then the mountain had appeared on this floating island, created from Xirang soil. She and the other survivors had begun their quest to rebuild their race.

But the Ebony Divine Tree, the source of their life force, had vanished. Their bloodline was broken.

They could no longer reproduce. They could only create lesser demons, like the Water Yasha. And to nourish those embryos, they had to lure humans to the island, absorbing their lifespans.

But mortals had to offer their lifespans willingly. That was why they had created this gambling den, using wealth and greed to tempt them, making them sacrifice their lives willingly.

Madam Fu looked at the empty temple on the mountain peak. The divine tree was gone, replaced by countless memorial tablets, waiting for her to offer the heads of their enemies as a sacrifice.

And now, the one responsible for their suffering… she was on this island. She wouldn’t let Wei Feng’s reincarnation escape!

Those Water Yasha… they were useless. But she still had a trump card…

She smiled, a seductive, chilling smile, and let out a long, piercing whistle.

The Water Yasha remained prostrated, but Xiao Xiao felt a gust of wind behind her.

She turned and saw Qin He, his eyes blazing red, charging towards them.

He had accepted the demonic bead he had won, desperate to survive. But accepting a gift from this island… it came with a price.

The bead, belonging to the previous ruler of the Demon City, had turned him into a puppet.

When the Dongyuan Emperor, possessing Qin Lingxiao’s body, had escaped through the tunnel, he had stayed behind, hiding among the rocks. And now, controlled by Madam Fu, he was attacking Cui Xiao Xiao.

The appearance of the five phoenixes had convinced her that this girl was their enemy. She would avenge her people, their blood staining this island.

Qin He, completely consumed by demonic energy, his body transforming, his limbs contorting, resembling those of a beast, lunged at them.

Wei Jie, shielding Xiao Xiao, deflected his attack with a blast of energy.

Qin He, thrown back, coughed up blood, splattering Tang Youshu’s arm.

“His blood… it’s poisonous!” Tang Youshu exclaimed, clutching his arm.

The wound, where the blood had landed, spread rapidly, the flesh turning black and putrid.

Qin He, infused with the demonic bead’s power, had become a venomous monster!

He landed on all fours, his eyes blazing, a croaking sound emanating from his throat, his body swelling, like a toad.

They retreated, their expressions wary. As he lunged again, his body still expanding, Wei Jie, his eyes narrowed, shouted, “Scatter!”

A moment later, Qin He’s body exploded, a shower of blood raining down upon them.

They had witnessed the potency of his blood. And now… his entire body had erupted, a deadly mist!

Wei Jie conjured a barrier, but the blood, infused with demonic energy, seeped through it, reaching them.

He pulled Xiao Xiao close, shielding her with his own body, Tang Youshu, despite his pain, doing the same for the little white fox.

The other foxes, however, had nowhere to hide.

They braced themselves, their eyes closed, waiting for the inevitable.

But the blood never touched them.

Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie, turning, saw the blood droplets suspended in mid-air, everyone else frozen, as if time had stopped.

Xiao Xiao stared at Wei Jie’s hand, the Zhulong statue, snatched back from the Dongyuan Emperor, clutched tightly within his grasp.

The statue, emanating a faint golden glow, the god of time… it had frozen time, stopping everything in its tracks.

They looked at each other, then at Madam Fu, her face contorted in a silent scream, then at Tang Youshu, his arms wrapped around the little white fox, his body frozen mid-crouch.

“What… what happened?” Xiao Xiao asked, her voice trembling. “How did we get the statue back?”

Wei Jie frowned, thinking. “This island… it might be obsessed with gambling, but it seems to value fairness. I won the statue. He stole it. Perhaps… it wouldn’t allow him to keep it.”

Xiao Xiao nodded, impressed. Zhulong, the god of time… if it could manipulate time, reversing two hundred years, then freezing it was child’s play.

But what had triggered it? What had caused it to stop time, saving them from that poisonous blood?

Regardless, they had to act quickly. Wei Jie, moving swiftly, carried Tang Youshu and the other foxes to safety.

And then, with a mischievous grin, he placed Madam Fu directly beneath the suspended blood droplets. When time resumed, she would experience her own creation.

But it wasn’t enough. He had to eliminate her, to ensure their safety. He drew the Heaven-Punishing Sword, ready to strike her down.

But then he saw Xiao Xiao, her gaze fixed on something, her body moving towards the empty temple on the mountain peak.

Fearing for her safety, he followed her.

He caught her arm as she entered the temple. “Xiao Xiao, what’s wrong?”

She looked around, her voice filled with confusion. “I don’t know… I hear a voice… calling me… I have to be here…”

He stared at her, a strange feeling washing over him, as if she might vanish at any moment, leaving him behind.

Her gaze was fixed on a statue inside the temple.

It was a female figure, her face veiled, her features hidden, but a pair of golden wings sprouted from her back, a sword clutched in each hand.

The statue, damaged by time and war, its wings broken, its surface chipped… it seemed familiar.

The phoenixes, circling above them, let out a series of cries.

The temple darkened, images flickering, like shadows dancing in the candlelight.

Xiao Xiao realized they were by the River of Forgetfulness in the underworld.

A beam of light, accompanied by the five phoenixes, plunged into the river, their cries echoing through the darkness, as if calling out to someone below, but there was no answer.

The light, resembling a female figure, faded, sinking deeper into the river.

After what felt like an eternity, a tall, imposing figure, clad in a black cloak, appeared by the riverbank, his back towards them. He looked at the fading light, his voice cold and detached. “If you refuse to emerge, you will miss your chance at reincarnation, your soul trapped in the River of Forgetfulness.”

A woman’s voice, a soft sigh, drifted from the river. “The ancient Flame Emperor, a master of detachment… I didn’t expect you to care about the fate of others…”

Xiao Xiao was stunned. She was witnessing a vision of the ancient Flame Emperor, still in the underworld.

And the woman he was speaking to… could it be the owner of the five phoenixes, the Wei Feng Divine Lady?

It seemed this temple was triggering memories, visions of the past, witnessed by the phoenixes.

Wei Jie, his eyebrows raised, also stared at his past self, the experience surreal.

“If it weren’t for your past achievements,” the ancient Flame Emperor said, his voice still cold, “I wouldn’t bother. To throw away your life for a spoiled brat… You’re not a goddess. You’re a lovesick fool!”

Xiao Xiao winced. It seemed Wei Jie’s sharp tongue had been passed down through generations.

She wondered if the Wei Feng Divine Lady was offended.

But the soul in the river chuckled. “So my sacrifice… it’s a joke among the deities… I accepted my punishment not because of heartbreak, but because of guilt… I failed those three thousand demons. I deserved to be punished, to be trapped in the underworld…”

Her voice, filled with pain, hinted at the horrors she had witnessed, the massacre of her people.

The ancient Flame Emperor, as the ruler of the underworld, had seen countless deaths. He wasn’t moved by the tragedy of the demon city. “So you choose to remain here, your soul lost in the River of Forgetfulness?” he said coldly. “It seems I wasted my time…”

He turned to leave, but her voice, clear and strong, stopped him. “Wait, Emperor… I know you’re cold and detached, but you’re also honorable, unlike the Dongyuan Emperor. I have a favor to ask. Will you grant it?”

He didn’t answer, but he didn’t leave either, seemingly willing to listen.

“I am a phoenix,” she said, her voice low. “A demon who cultivated immortality. I should be devoid of emotions, but my journeys through the mortal realm… they awakened desires within me, desires I haven’t been able to suppress. Compared to you and the Dongyuan Emperor, my cultivation is flawed. But I believe all living beings have a right to exist. Only balance between the three realms can ensure peace… Even gods need constraints. Otherwise, what separates them from demons? The demon city is gone, my people slaughtered. There’s nothing to check the heavens’ power now. It worries me… That’s why, before the city fell, I took the Ebony Divine Tree, nourishing it with my own soul. It survived the tribulation, but it’s damaged. It needs the yin energy of the River of Forgetfulness to heal. I haven’t reincarnated because of this tree. With it, my people can recover, rebuild their strength.”

The ancient Flame Emperor was silent for a moment. “So you’re not just a lovesick fool,” he said, his voice less cold now. “I underestimated you. But to nurture demons… it’s a dangerous path. Aren’t you afraid of being consumed by them, your soul destroyed?”

She chuckled bitterly. “Even the Heavenly Emperor doesn’t know everything. I owe my people three thousand lives. Sacrificing one to repay that debt… it’s a small price to pay. But demons… they’re aggressive, their nature violent. If this tree, nourished by my soul, can soften their hearts, fill them with compassion… then even if they consume me, it will be worth it.”

As she spoke, a sprout emerged from the riverbed, growing rapidly, a bud forming at its tip.

The ancient Flame Emperor frowned, staring at the bud, its presence an anomaly in the River of Forgetfulness. “It’s your life,” he said. “Your decision. I won’t stop you. But its survival… it depends on its own fate.”

He turned to leave again, but her voice, weaker now, stopped him. “Emperor… my consciousness is fading, being absorbed by this flower. It was born in the cold depths of the underworld. It has never seen sunlight or rain. If it’s influenced by the negative energy here… it will become twisted. I have one last request… could you… could you recite Buddhist scriptures for it? Let it experience compassion?”

He scoffed, finding her request absurd. “You said it yourself. I’m a master of detachment. Do you think I would waste my time reciting scriptures for a demonic flower?”

Her voice, a whisper now, filled with sadness, said, “I know… but I had to ask… It seems… I was foolish to hope… May you find peace… Farewell, Emperor…”

A soft gurgling sound echoed through the water, then silence.

The ancient Flame Emperor paused, turning to look at the bud, its petals, black as night, beginning to unfurl.

As he turned to leave, the black lotus, blooming in the River of Forgetfulness, surrounded by the mournful cries of lost souls, remained.

Although it was just a vision, Xiao Xiao felt as if a lifetime had passed. As she was about to break the silence, the tall figure in the black cloak reappeared by the riverbank.

He stared at the black lotus, its delicate beauty a stark contrast to the desolate landscape, then sat down, opening a book, his voice low and steady, reciting scriptures.

His voice, amplified by his divine power, echoed through the underworld, sending ripples across the water’s surface.

And the fragile flower, as if finding solace, its black petals edged with a faint golden glow, bloomed, two delicate petals unfurling.

And so, the detached Emperor spent his days by the river, his voice a constant presence.

The flower grew, its black petals shimmering with a golden sheen.

It seemed to possess a sentience, swaying gently whenever he appeared, its petals stretching towards him, as if seeking his attention.

But his gaze remained fixed on the book, his voice cold and emotionless, reciting the scriptures over and over again.

But their peaceful routine was shattered. Someone attempted to breach the underworld, the River of Forgetfulness churning violently.

A voice boomed, “Ancient Flame Emperor, release Wei Feng! She refuses to reincarnate! Are you preventing her rebirth?!”

The ancient Flame Emperor confronted the intruder, their battle erupting.

Xiao Xiao, observing the newcomer, his face contorted in a mask of rage, knew – it was the Dongyuan Emperor.

She was witnessing the confrontation, the Dongyuan Emperor’s attempt to retrieve Wei Feng, thwarted by the ancient Flame Emperor.

They were evenly matched, but the ancient Flame Emperor had a slight advantage.

The Dongyuan Emperor, frustrated, resorted to taunts. “You’re cunning, ancient Flame Emperor,” he sneered. “Even in the underworld, your cultivation progresses. But don’t forget… Wise Ancestor, when he read your fate, predicted your downfall. Your detachment might be powerful, but it has a flaw. You have one true enemy. If a black phoenix appears, your cultivation will be destroyed, and you will be reborn as a mortal, forced to endure countless trials…”

The ancient Flame Emperor scoffed, dismissing the prophecy, even though it came from the revered Wise Ancestor.

“A black phoenix? Such a creature hasn’t been seen in millennia. It requires demonic energy to manifest. You slaughtered all the demons. Where will you find one to use against me?”

The Dongyuan Emperor knew finding a black phoenix was difficult, but he had something…

He took out a talisman, stolen from his mother, a symbol of darkness, a black phoenix etched onto its surface. He chanted, and the sky darkened, storm clouds gathering.

Xiao Xiao, watching, saw the black lotus on the River of Forgetfulness finally bloom fully, a tiny creature, resembling a hummingbird, emerging from its center. The lotus withered, and the hummingbird, growing rapidly, flew towards the gates of the underworld.

A phoenix cry echoed from the gate, and a black phoenix, its wings spread wide, emerged, its call a powerful, resonating sound.

The Dongyuan Emperor, his heart pounding with anticipation, had succeeded.

But the black phoenix, instead of attacking the ancient Flame Emperor, turned towards him, its cry a challenge.

Xiao Xiao stared, bewildered… This wasn’t how the legend went! The black phoenix was siding with the wrong person!

She looked back at the river, but the black lotus was gone.

The two deities and the phoenix clashed, their battle fierce. Both the Dongyuan Emperor and the ancient Flame Emperor were injured, and the black phoenix, struck by the Dongyuan Emperor, cried out in pain.

“You wretched beast!” the Dongyuan Emperor roared, his anger unrestrained. He raised his hand, ready to strike it down, but the ancient Flame Emperor intercepted him.

The Dongyuan Emperor, his divine power core severely damaged, retreated, his rage a tangible force. He had to find a way to recover before he was forced to descend to the mortal realm!

The ancient Flame Emperor, looking at the black phoenix, sensed the black lotus’s aura clinging to it.

The Dongyuan Emperor, summoning a demonic entity, had inadvertently triggered the premature birth of a black phoenix from that unripe lotus.

It made sense. The lotus, nourished by Wei Feng’s soul, possessed both phoenix and demonic essence. Its transformation into a black phoenix was inevitable.

This young phoenix, not yet fully formed, would have been destroyed by the heavens if it had remained in the underworld. It would have been a waste of Wei Feng’s sacrifice… He waved his hand, sealing the phoenix within a pocket dimension, a realm created by his divine power.

The five phoenix guardians, sensing their former master’s essence within the black phoenix, their cries filled with hostility, followed it into the closing dimension.

Their master had become nourishment for this demonic entity. They would avenge her, their beaks and talons ready to tear it apart.

But within the dimension, they transformed into eggs, their souls dormant, awaiting rebirth. The ancient Flame Emperor couldn’t worry about their future conflicts.

He had injured the Dongyuan Emperor. He would be punished by the heavens. It seemed Wise Ancestor’s prophecy was true. The reappearance of the black phoenix… it was the beginning of his downfall…

Those scriptures he had recited… a waste of time.