Chapter 26 p2
In Danxue Mountain, the immortals who were waiting for Feng Chiyue’s downfall were furious.
Feng Chiyue still had time to insult people on the Chaos Mirror every day. She didn’t seem busy at all.
They questioned Bi Feng, and as expected, regardless of the chaos within the Celestial Feather Ministry, Feng Chiyue remained carefree, as if she were on vacation.
“If we wait any longer, no one will remember us.”
“The Heavenly Mechanism Department won’t seek justice for us. If that’s the case, we’ll take matters into our own hands!”
“What are your plans, fellow Daoists?”
“If we join forces, can’t we defeat Feng Chiyue?”
“I have an artifact called ‘Heaven in a Pot.’ It can temporarily pull the battlefield into a separate dimension. That way, the Heavenly Court won’t notice. Once Feng Chiyue is dead, it’ll be too late for the Heavenly Emperor to punish us.”
“The elders suspect that Ming Jian Su isn’t dead. What if–”
“It’s been a while, and there’s still no sign of her. It means she’s already dead. There’s no need to worry. Feng Chiyue might have some skills, but if thirty Heavenly Immortals join forces, can’t we defeat her?”
“It’s settled then. In two days, when Feng Chiyue returns to Dong’e Mountain, we’ll strike!”
On the battlefield between the Immortal and Demon Realms.
Not only were the Vermilion Birds, Swan Geese, and other feathered immortals from Danxue Mountain searching for traces of Ming Jian Su, but the disciples of Ming Yuheng, the North Star Lord, were also involved.
They scoured the battlefield, their presence impossible to miss. The demons, usually arrogant, chose to avoid them, retreating to the Demon Abyss and reporting the news to Tushan Liusu, the current Demon Sovereign.
The Immortal and Demon Realms were separated by a river, with the battlefield between them. Beyond the battlefield and the Demon Abyss lay the territory of the demons. The creatures of the Demon Realm were bizarre and grotesque, with bulging foreheads, wings, horns… They had evolved their own forms, using humans as a reference point, but there was always a lingering sense of crudeness about them, distinct from the fallen Human Immortals and Demon Immortals.
In a vast hall, a woman dressed in a red and white robe sat on a throne made of thorny bones, her nine snow-white fox tails swaying gracefully. However, none of the demons prostrating themselves before her dared to look up. This fox might seem delicate and harmless on the surface, but she was actually ruthless and cruel.
The demons had always revered strength. After the previous Demon Sovereign, Ming Ji, was slain by Suxin Jianzhu, his subordinates had fought amongst themselves for the throne. Many demons had believed that the Left General would become the new Demon Sovereign, but in the end, it was this nine-tailed fox who had fallen from the Immortal Realm and ascended to the position of supreme authority.
The blood of the renowned Left General had been used to create a carpet leading to the throne. His spirit had been obliterated, and his skull and bones had been refined into the throne itself, becoming a macabre ornament to Tushan Liusu’s power.
“The Heavenly Court is looking for Ming Jian Su, is that right?” Tushan Liusu asked casually. The rumors outside claimed that Ming Jian Su had fought against a group of demons on the battlefield and perished. However, the demons knew the truth. None of them had encountered Ming Jian Su. They believed that it was an internal conflict within the Immortal Realm, and the blame had been shifted onto them.
“Yes,” a demon replied, his voice deep and guttural. “Sovereign, should we send demon generals to kill them all?”
“There’s no need to kill them. It’s not the right time to start a war. But we can obstruct them,” Tushan Liusu said, playing with her fingernails, a casual smile on her lips.
With her command, the demons who had been lingering near the Demon Abyss crossed the boundary and entered the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the immortals who had been diligently searching for Ming Jian Su finally found a clue: a slip of paper protected by several formations, hidden within a crevice in a rock.
“What does it say?”
The immortal official who first obtained the paper turned red, struggling to speak. Finally, she squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth. “I quit.”
“What?!” A fellow Daoist beside her glared at her and snatched the paper. But after a single glance, his expression also changed. The paper bore a name seal. It was undoubtedly the East Abode Master’s. But what did it mean? Was she still alive? Should they inform the Heavenly Court? As he hesitated, a deafening boom shook the air, and a wave of turbid energy, like a black river, surged towards them.
“Demons!” someone shouted. For now, they couldn’t worry about the paper.
The news of the clash between immortals and demons on the battlefield quickly reached the Heavenly Court, and Ming Jian Su’s whereabouts were forgotten. The Heavenly Court didn’t take the conflict seriously. Such incidents happened every now and then. As long as it wasn’t a major war like the one a thousand years ago, they could remain comfortably seated on Kunlun Mountain, their hearts and minds unperturbed.
However, even if they didn’t intervene, the matter still had to be discussed on the Chaos Mirror. Both officials and wandering immortals enjoyed expressing their opinions on warfare. Feng Chiyue also saw the news about the battlefield.
For a moment, she thought of Zhu Wan’s words. Could Ming Jian Su really be injured? Could she be in the hands of the demons? She frowned, her expression hardening. But then, she relaxed again.
If Ming Jian Su could send Undefeated away, she couldn’t be in any real danger. She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. Her golden chariot sped through the swirling clouds. Suddenly, Undefeated buzzed, and the energy around them shifted subtly.
Feng Chiyue, sitting in the chariot, narrowed her eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. She lifted the curtain and stepped out. The celestial horses, conjured from magical power, pawed the ground restlessly, snorting and panting. The scenery looked the same as before, but the real had shifted into the illusory. This was… Heaven in a Pot! She quickly figured it out. She smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeve and said calmly, “Are you going to come out?”
As her words faded, a chorus of bird cries rang out. The feathered immortals who had been hiding in the shadows revealed themselves.
Feng Chiyue glanced at them. Apart from Bi Feng, whose name she remembered, the others were only vaguely familiar.
“Feng Chiyue, you violated the rules of the Celestial Feather Ministry and dismissed officials without cause. We can’t tolerate you any longer,” a Swan Goose immortal shouted, his expression cold, his eyes burning with fury. “Blame–”
A spurt of blood splattered like an arrow.
A head flew into the air, then crashed to the ground. The body collapsed, blood oozing from the wound. Before the severed head and body could be reattached, the surging sword intent extinguished all life.
Feng Chiyue’s right hand was hidden within her sleeve. She smiled at the crowd before her. “What were you saying? I didn’t hear you clearly. Why aren’t you speaking? Don’t you want to say it anymore?”
The feathered immortals hadn’t expected her to kill without hesitation. They exchanged stunned glances, their hearts chilled. They had come here with the intention of killing Feng Chiyue. Now, they couldn’t let her escape.
“Attack!” Bi Feng shouted, his scalp tingling, a wave of fear washing over him. The previous scenes flashed through his mind. He looked at Feng Chiyue, his eyes filled with apprehension. He alone might fear that sword, but if they all retreated, they would be a laughingstock.
Feng Chiyue wasn’t afraid of them. She tilted her head and chuckled. “It’s not good to kill in public. But here in Heaven in a Pot… you’ve even chosen your own graves. How thoughtful of you.” Her tone was sincere, as if she were genuinely praising them. The bells on her chariot jingled incessantly with the fluctuations of energy. A high-pitched phoenix cry pierced the sky, and a magnificent phoenix image materialized behind Feng Chiyue. Many of the immortals present were of the Phoenix lineage. They could also produce a phoenix cry, but hearing this one, they could barely resist the urge to submit.
“Virtuous Sound…” Bi Feng murmured, a sense of foreboding gripping his heart. The suspicion he had previously dismissed resurfaced, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably. He raised his voice and shouted, “Fellow Daoists, guard your minds! This is the Phoenixes’ Virtuous Sound!”
—
In the crevice on the battlefield between the Immortal and Demon Realms.
Ming Jian Su was immersed in the profound sword intent, vaguely aware of the sounds of fighting outside. She gradually absorbed the strands of sword intent that bound her, and finally, her legs were free. As she absorbed the last trace of sword intent, she jumped to her feet and flicked her sleeve, storing the now-subdued Eternal Calamity.
Whenever she was conscious and free, Ming Jian Su would channel her consciousness into the Chaos Mirror, searching for news about Feng Chiyue.
Seeing the changes in the Celestial Feather Ministry, she felt no surprise, believing that anything was possible.
But then, she noticed a message with very few replies.
Wasn’t that name seal… her registered disciple, Zhu Wan’s?
— Has anyone seen my Immortal Monarch?
After she left Dong’e Mountain, the only person Zhu Wan would address as “Immortal Monarch” was Feng Chiyue, right? Or had Zhu Wan found a new master?
Below was an unfamiliar name seal. “The Master has left the Celestial Feather Ministry,” it said.
Alright, Ming Jian Su was certain that Zhu Wan was talking about Feng Chiyue.
But where could she have gone besides Dong’e Mountain? Feng Chiyue didn’t bother socializing. She had no close friends to discuss the Dao with. Of course, she also disdained associating with those immortals.
Ming Jian Su frowned and focused, sensing Undefeated’s aura. Undefeated was her life-bound sword… one of them. It was connected to her mind and soul, and she could sense its state. As she sensed it, her expression darkened, her face clouding with anger like an approaching storm!
The energy fluctuations from the sword were intense, tinged with killing intent.
She knew Feng Chiyue wouldn’t bother sparring or fighting anyone. That left only one possibility: someone was bullying her! They might even be trying to kill her!
Conflicts were common in the Immortal Realm, but very few escalated to life-or-death battles.
Who was so audacious?! Damn them!
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