Chapter 38p1
Anger simmered within her. Tushan Xiu Rong punched the air in frustration. Her Elder Sister was going to get her killed! Sensing her mood, the ink-black characters on the Chaos Mirror twisted, attempting to rearrange themselves. For a moment, Tushan Xiu Rong thought she might see an apology, but the final message that appeared was “hee hee.” Her vision darkened, and she was overwhelmed by the urge to sever all ties with her Elder Sister. But then she remembered her “mission.” The East Abode Master had shown some interest in that phoenix feather and wanted her to investigate its origins.
“Is the Phoenix Sovereign there?” she asked, a flicker of curiosity stirring within her. She vaguely remembered the Qingqiu Kingdom ruler inquiring about it a few times, but Tushan Liusu’s words were rarely trustworthy. Was she destined to remain in the dark as well? The thought filled her with despair.
“No. If… Ming Jian Su wants to know something, tell her to ask me herself,” Tushan Liusu replied, her voice laced with a lazy amusement.
Tushan Xiu Rong frowned but didn’t say anything further. She put away the Chaos Mirror, deciding to return to the Qingqiu Kingdom first. The sword intent embedded in her body was too dangerous. She didn’t want to die.
In Dong’e Mountain.
Feng Chiyue sat on Ming Jian Su’s lap, one arm wrapped around her neck, studying her expression intently. She frowned slightly, nibbling on her lower lip, her gaze unreadable.
Ming Jian Su tensed under her scrutiny, wondering if she had said something wrong. Just as she was about to speak, Feng Chiyue raised her finger and pressed it against her lips. Ming Jian Su lowered her eyelashes, her eyes darkening. She parted her lips slightly, her tongue darting out to touch Feng Chiyue’s finger.
Feng Chiyue’s eyelids twitched as if she had been electrocuted. She quickly withdrew her hand and glared at Ming Jian Su. “What are you doing?!” she exclaimed softly. Ming Jian Su blinked in confusion, unable to decipher Feng Chiyue’s sudden change in attitude.
Without dwelling on it further, Feng Chiyue voiced her concerns. “Do you suspect that I’m the Phoenix Sovereign?”
Ming Jian Su sighed softly. Had her junior sister finally figured it out? “Yes,” she said, nodding.
Feng Chiyue didn’t care about her memories from before her Nirvana. Her expression was partially hidden in the shadows. “Once you figure it out, are you planning to send me back to Phoenix Mountain?” She had always been aware of Ming Jian Su’s actions, but she had chosen not to overthink them. Now, this realization ignited a fire within her. If Ming Jian Su answered “yes,” she would—
Ming Jian Su, seemingly oblivious to Feng Chiyue’s darkening mood, reached out and intertwined her fingers with Feng Chiyue’s.
“That’s impossible,” she said firmly.
She had sent her junior sister back to Phoenix Mountain once before, but what had happened? Those in Phoenix Mountain hadn’t taken proper care of her! There was no one in the entire Immortal Realm she could trust! If her junior sister was truly the Phoenix Sovereign, sending her back to Phoenix Mountain was out of the question.
What had happened back then was a result of the Heavenly Emperor’s deceit, the betrayal of the Vermilion Birds and other immortals, but also the incompetence of those in Phoenix Mountain! The Suxin Sword Master had single-handedly stormed into the Demon Abyss and returned with the Demon Lord’s head. Couldn’t the entire Immortal Realm, with their combined strength, have achieved the same? Sending her junior sister back to become the Phoenix Sovereign again, was it just to set her up for another sacrifice?
Ming Jian Su, usually indifferent to the past, felt a surge of anger as she thought about everything that had happened to Feng Chiyue. With a flick of her sleeve, she summoned a jade slip, which landed on the table. She looked at Feng Chiyue seriously. “Junior Sister, take a look. Who else is missing from this list?”
Ming Jian Su’s words soothed Feng Chiyue’s anger, and a lazy, careless smile returned to her lips. Following Ming Jian Su’s instructions, she channeled her consciousness into the jade slip and saw… a very long list. Jing De Immortal Monarch, the Morning Sun Assembly with a cross marked beside it, the entire Danxue Mountain lineage, even Phoenix Mountain itself. Amidst the long list of names, the most striking were the two characters “Tian Yuan.” “What is this?” she asked with a playful smile, already knowing the answer.
Ming Jian Su gritted her teeth. “A soul-searching list.”
Feng Chiyue giggled. “He possesses the Mandate of Heaven. Will it work?” She trailed her fingers through her silky black hair, then gently caressed the warm skin of Ming Jian Su’s neck. A shiver ran through Ming Jian Su, her thoughts involuntarily following Feng Chiyue’s touch. Fortunately, she managed to maintain her composure. Instead of stopping Feng Chiyue’s wandering hand, she said seriously, “The Mandate of Heaven can shift.”
The one sitting on that throne possessed the Mandate of Heaven and should embody great virtue, wielding unparalleled authority over all immortals. But looking at the current state of the Immortal Realm, the Four Seas, Qingqiu, and the various wandering immortals were all independent, not necessarily obedient to the Heavenly Court. This indicated that the power of the Mandate of Heaven had been significantly weakened. Her junior sister, through unintentional actions, had triggered a series of changes in the Celestial Feather Ministry, which were essentially eroding the Heavenly Emperor’s power. Ming Jian Su didn’t explain everything to Feng Chiyue. The process wasn’t important. Her junior sister’s enemies were her enemies, and they all deserved to die.
“Elder Sister, you have such a strong urge to kill,” Feng Chiyue whispered, leaning against Ming Jian Su and nibbling on her earlobe. Her eyes were hazy, like a mist-shrouded river. Unimportant matters only lingered in her mind for a fleeting moment before her attention returned to Ming Jian Su. “What was your life like in the mortal realm?”
Ming Jian Su had mentioned her life in the mortal realm a few times, but it was always in passing, and she wasn’t even sure if Feng Chiyue had been listening. This was the first time she had asked directly. “Are you finally interested in my past, Junior Sister?” she asked softly. She tightened her grip on Feng Chiyue’s waist and cleared her throat. “It was boring. Nothing worth mentioning.”
“Then don’t tell me,” Feng Chiyue said without hesitation.
Ming Jian Su: “…” She had just wanted to tease her a little. Seeing Feng Chiyue’s indifference, she decided to take the initiative. “Junior Sister, in the mortal realm, I—” But Feng Chiyue was no longer interested in listening to boring stories. She stared intently at Ming Jian Su’s moving lips, not hearing a word. Her eyes glistened, and she eagerly pressed her lips against Ming Jian Su’s. As she lost herself in the kiss, she vaguely heard a faint sigh.
—
The Chaos Mirror was never short of excitement, from trivial matters like someone losing a hundred matches in a row in the Ethereal Spirit Realm to major events like the Celestial Feather Ministry’s forceful reforms and the Danxue Mountain lineage’s crushing defeats. But the death of a Star Monarch after signing a Death Duel invitation was a rare occurrence.
The immortals on the Chaos Mirror were abuzz with opinions, as if not commenting on it made one a hopelessly outdated bumpkin. The frenzy continued until the day of the Zhenyu Sword auction, when the topic finally shifted.
Who wouldn’t want a legendary sword associated with the Suxin Sword Master?
Even Ying Cunxin, in the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, was watching with interest. Recently, she had been following Feng Chiyue’s instructions, treating Chu Yi with a playful indifference, which had proven to be quite effective. She remembered that Chu Yi also used a sword. Perhaps she could buy the Zhenyu Sword and give it to her as a gift? After all, given their current relationship, gift-giving was a perfectly normal activity.
However, based on her observations, many immortals had expressed interest in the Zhenyu Sword on the Chaos Mirror, some of them disciples of Star Monarchs or even Star Monarchs themselves. They were surely quite wealthy. How much Cinnabar Jade would she need to secure the sword? Well, she could always discreetly raid the Dragon King’s treasury.
Ying Cunxin patiently waited for the Zhenyu Sword auction, ignoring Chu Yi’s invitations to battle in the Ethereal Spirit Realm.
After her defeats, Chu Yi had become extremely diligent, putting her, a lazy person who only practiced occasionally, to shame. She feared that if they fought too many times, she would eventually slip up. If Chu Yi walked away, wouldn’t all her efforts be wasted? But the Chaos Mirror kept buzzing with notifications.
The usually self-absorbed Emperor’s daughter hadn’t considered that her actions might be considered a nuisance to others. Ying Cunxin frowned slightly, a hint of annoyance flashing in her eyes.
She picked up a handful of pearls from her shell bed, crushed them into a fine powder with her magic power, and patted it onto her face, instantly making herself appear pale and sickly. Still not satisfied, she thought for a moment, then forced herself to appear weak and frail before accepting Chu Yi’s invitation and projecting her consciousness into the Chaos Mirror.
In Qingjun Palace.
Seeing Ying Cunxin’s name seal flashing brightly, Chu Yi’s heart leaped with joy. Without even looking, she accepted the invitation and connected with Ying Cunxin’s consciousness. However, the sight that greeted her—a pale, sickly face framed by messy hair—startled her. She leaned back involuntarily, her back hitting the wall before she finally recovered, frowning. “What’s wrong?” You look like you’re at death’s door. She swallowed the last part of her sentence.
Ying Cunxin’s face was etched with worry. “My father wants me to marry someone from the West Sea,” she said. It wasn’t a complete lie. After all, it had happened recently.
“The West Sea? Ao Chaofeng?” Chu Yi still remembered that pathetic dragon who had been beaten black and blue by Feng Chiyue. She looked at Ying Cunxin sympathetically. “I heard that marriage alliances within the Four Seas Alliance are inevitable. If you can’t avoid it, why not choose someone handsome from the South Sea or the North Sea?”
The pearl powder in her hand crumbled into dust. Ying Cunxin’s expression remained troubled. “My heart is heavy, and my energy flow is blocked,” she said softly. “I won’t be able to fight you in the Ethereal Spirit Realm anymore. I fear it might damage my foundation.”
She hadn’t even won yet! How could she give up on the Ethereal Spirit Realm? Chu Yi’s eyes widened. “This is not the time to worry about marriage!” she exclaimed. “I think the Four Seas lack basic decency. You should take lessons from Feng Chiyue!”
Ying Cunxin lowered her head, hiding the smile that tugged at her lips. She sighed softly, leaving Chu Yi with an impression of melancholy and despair, before withdrawing her consciousness from the Chaos Mirror.
Once she was back in her own palace, her gloomy demeanor vanished. Ignoring Chu Yi’s messages, she focused her attention on the events unfolding in Danxue Mountain. When the image of the Zhenyu Sword appeared on the Chaos Mirror, she held her breath. This sword, with its legendary ability to “slay demons,” was surely priceless. There was no need to participate in the initial bidding.
Many shared Ying Cunxin’s thoughts, but even if they didn’t bid, there were others who did.
For instance, in Dong’e Mountain, Ming Jian Su, using Dong’e Mountain’s name, boldly bid one Cinnabar Jade.
Feng Chiyue was still sulking over this single Cinnabar Jade. After all, in her mind, the Zhenyu Sword already belonged to them. It took Ming Jian Su a while to appease her, promising to “borrow” a Cinnabar Jade from Danxue Mountain later, before she finally cheered up.
The immortals watching on the Chaos Mirror were stunned.
“One Cinnabar Jade?”
They blinked in disbelief, wondering if they had misread the unit.
Could there be a missing “thousand” at the end? But even after exiting and re-entering the Chaos Mirror several times, it was still “one.”
Was there anything in the Immortal Realm worth only one Cinnabar Jade? Even an ordinary bowl cost three hundred. Had Dong’e Mountain fallen on such hard times? Unlikely. Just a while ago, they had seen immortals delivering treasures to Dong’e Mountain. A single silverfish from there was worth a fortune.
The East Abode Master was clearly trying to sabotage the auction, deliberately humiliating the Danxue Mountain lineage.
If they participated, wouldn’t they be dragged into the conflict between Dong’e Mountain and Danxue Mountain? Weighing their options, many immortals immediately abandoned the idea of bidding on the Zhenyu Sword. After all, they already had their own weapons. This sword was unnecessary.
Some were still reluctant to give up, but upon seeing the comment “The White Phase Star Monarch’s seven-day memorial hasn’t even passed yet,” they were struck by a wave of fear. The East Abode Master was capable of silencing anyone! They couldn’t afford to offend her.
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