Chapter 4
The Jingde Immortal Lord couldn’t stand the sight of Feng Chiyue.
Logically, with Ming Jiansu gone, she should be lying low. Yet, here she was, strutting around and even causing trouble in the Supreme Palace.
Did she think she could simply refuse and be on her way? He wouldn’t allow it.
The Jingde Immortal Lord didn’t expect much from the Daoist boy. He made a hand seal and summoned two powerful guardians, commanding, “Seize her.”
Feng Chiyue watched the two golden-armored guardians with an amused smile. She kicked a shard of the alchemy furnace on the ground, and with a sharp clang, it shattered into countless fragments, transforming into streaks of light that shot towards the foreheads of the two guardians.
The guardians let out low growls as they raised their axes, but the light beams struck them before they could react, shattering them into dust.
The Jingde Immortal Lord’s expression darkened slightly. He looked at Feng Chiyue in surprise, realizing that she wasn’t completely powerless. Then again, she was a Phoenix. A thousand years ago, the Phoenixes were the most formidable force in the Celestial Realm. Under their leader, few dared to challenge them.
He let out a cold laugh, flicked his dust whisk, and unleashed a beam of profound light. He might not be a general of the martial department, but he had attained a certain level of power. It was more than enough to deal with a mere Feng Chiyue.
By the time Zhu Wan and Feng Yao arrived, the Supreme Palace was in ruins. A terrifying pressure emanated from within. Sensing trouble, they rushed inside. Feng Yao, fearing for Feng Chiyue’s safety, transformed into her true Phoenix form and soared over the protective formations, her magnificent tail feathers shimmering with five-colored light, trailing flames behind her. “Immortal Lord, please wait! Show mercy—” But the words died in her throat as she witnessed the scene unfolding before her.
The usually arrogant and haughty Jingde Immortal Lord was kneeling on the ground, his limbs splayed out, his phoenix crown lying discarded beside him. He cut a sorry figure.
As for Feng Chiyue, she was sitting gracefully on a throne of gold and jade, a jade tray in her hand. On the tray, several translucent spirit pills rolled around, emitting a pure and refreshing aura.
The sight shocked Feng Yao to her core. She almost thought she was still trapped in a bizarre dream, having never left Phoenix Mountain.
Zhu Wan, a step behind Feng Yao, was equally stunned. It took her a while to find her voice. “Master… Why are you humiliating the Immortal Lord?”
“Am I humiliating you?” Feng Chiyue asked with a faint smile, picking up a spirit pill and tossing it towards the Jingde Immortal Lord. The Jingde Immortal Lord, like a dog, raised his head and opened his mouth, swallowing the pill.
“No,” he mumbled.
Zhu Wan: “…” She looked at Feng Chiyue, who seemed completely unharmed. Instead of feeling relieved, a chill ran down her spine. Something felt terribly wrong, as if things were spiraling out of control.
The Jingde Immortal Lord still had his master and numerous fellow disciples. He was also known for his petty nature. Would he let this go unpunished? Master was gone.
Who would protect Feng Chiyue now? Phoenix Mountain? Zhu Wan glanced at Feng Yao, only to see the same coldness and apprehension reflected in her eyes. What kind of chaos had Master’s death unleashed?
“Why so serious? Don’t you like to smile?” Feng Chiyue asked lazily, raising an eyebrow.
Neither Zhu Wan nor Feng Yao responded. The Jingde Immortal Lord, still kneeling on the ground, trembled before bursting into a chilling laughter.
Feng Chiyue rolled her eyes. “How boring.” She tossed the jade tray aside, the round spirit pills scattering across the carpet. “We might not need them, but you… You can’t refuse to provide them. Understand?” she said to the Jingde Immortal Lord.
The Jingde Immortal Lord nodded vigorously, concealing the hatred burning in his eyes.
As Feng Chiyue rose to leave, Zhu Wan and Feng Yao followed silently.
“What if he reports this? The Celestial Pivot Department will come for us,” Zhu Wan said worriedly.
“It’ll be fine,” Feng Chiyue replied nonchalantly, fiddling with the bells on her waist. She rarely bothered to explain herself, but this time, she said, “He was the one who broke the rules, refusing to provide us with elixirs. The Heavenly Emperor is currently trying to recruit Human Immortals. He wouldn’t want rumors of mistreating the Dong’e Mountain Lord’s junior sister spreading around.”
But Zhu Wan found no comfort in her words. Even if the Heavenly Emperor and the Celestial Pivot Department didn’t care, the Jingde Immortal Lord’s allies could easily crush Dong’e Mountain. “Should we… Should we ask the North Star Lord for help?” Zhu Wan asked desperately, clutching at straws.
“Go ahead if you want. I’m not stopping you,” Feng Chiyue said indifferently.
Zhu Wan wanted to scream. Was she even considering her own well-being? She was doing this for Feng Chiyue! It was always the elders who protected the younger generation, yet here was Feng Chiyue, making her junior sister worry herself sick. She was truly ungrateful! Perhaps, apart from Master, no one else deserved to hear a single pleasant word from her.
“Let’s return to Phoenix Mountain,” Feng Yao said with a frown. Bringing Feng Chiyue back might cause some chaos, but it was better than leaving her exposed. They could avoid the wrath of the Heavenly Prosperity Department and find an opportunity to return later.
Feng Chiyue countered, “Can Phoenix Mountain be transformed into Dong’e Mountain? Can you move everything Elder Sister gave me there?”
Feng Yao: “…” That was absolutely impossible. Besides Ming Jiansu, who would go through such lengths for Feng Chiyue? Building pavilions, digging ponds, transplanting trees… demolishing and rebuilding at the slightest whim… Only someone like Ming Jiansu could tolerate Feng Chiyue’s constant whims.
Feng Yao tried again. “Then stay on the mountain for the next few days and activate the protective formations. I’ll contact some friends and find a way to smooth things over.”
Feng Chiyue nodded, her eyes revealing her lack of interest. Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Feng Yao felt a surge of anger. She gritted her teeth, but before she could speak, Feng Chiyue continued, “You’re not thinking of asking Chang Li for help, are you? You might as well ask Ming Yuheng directly.”
Chang Li was the title of the South Departure Lord. Her true form was a Vermilion Bird, and she was once a member of the Phoenix lineage. However, after the Celestial and Demon War, the Vermilion Birds, along with the golden pheasants and other races, had broken away from Phoenix Mountain.
In the eyes of the Phoenixes, they were all traitors. While the other Celestials rarely mentioned the events of over a thousand years ago, the Phoenixes had never forgotten. What was the “Fallen Phoenix Pact”? It was the Phoenix, their revered leader, who had fallen!
The pure were Celestials, the turbid were Demons. The two sides were separated by the River of Ages, each occupying half of the heavens.
In the Celestial Realm, the River of Ages was known as the “Heavenly River,” while in the Demon Realm, it was called the “Demon Abyss.” The current Heavenly Emperor, Tian Yuan, upon inheriting the throne, had sought to achieve unprecedented glory by conquering the Demon Abyss.
He had ignored all objections and launched an attack on the Demon Realm. The war had dragged on for fifty years with no end in sight. To Celestials, fifty years were but a blink of an eye, but Tian Yuan was a coward who cared deeply about his reputation. When the Demon Realm proposed a truce, he readily agreed.
A truce wouldn’t have been a big deal, but the Demon Lord, Ming Ji, had demanded their revered leader as a “prisoner” in exchange! Tian Yuan and many other Celestials who feared the Phoenix Lord had agreed to this outrageous demand! They could have refused, but traitors had emerged within Phoenix Mountain, and in the end, their forces were shattered, forcing the Phoenix Lord to descend into the Demon Abyss!
The peace enjoyed by the Celestial and Demon Realms was built upon the suffering of the Phoenix. It wasn’t until four hundred years into Tian Yuan’s reign that a lone wandering Immortal entered the Demon Abyss and returned with the head of the Demon Lord, Ming Ji! That Immortal had become famous throughout the Celestial Realm, known only as “Suxin.”
However, her glory was short-lived. Soon, rumors of her demise spread. The Phoenixes didn’t even have the chance to inquire about their leader’s whereabouts! For centuries, they had been searching for their Lord. But the Demon Realm remained silent, and the Celestial Court was even less helpful. Fearing that the Phoenix lineage would seek revenge, they had joined forces to suppress Phoenix Mountain for a thousand years! And among them, the Vermilion Birds and the golden pheasants had played a significant role. They were determined to be Tian Yuan’s loyal dogs.
Feng Yao’s face turned as cold as ice, her pride wounded. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave. She chanted “Revered Lord above” several times in her heart before suppressing her anger. Exhaling slowly, she asked, her voice laced with barely suppressed fury, “What exactly are you planning to do?”
Feng Chiyue smiled at Feng Yao, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She tossed a candied bean into her mouth and said after a moment, “I want them all dead. Is that alright with you?”
She would take what she wanted and destroy anything that displeased her. If they could be vicious, she could be even more so.
She had voiced this thought to Ming Jiansu several times, but Ming Jiansu had always disagreed. Perhaps out of consideration for her feelings, Ming Jiansu’s rejections had always been gentle. However, Feng Chiyue knew that deep down, Ming Jiansu must have cursed her. Despite her perpetually stoic and aloof demeanor, Ming Jiansu was actually quite dramatic.
—
Far away in the Asura City, Ming Jiansu sneezed.
She held a jar of wine in her hand. Compared to the fine wines of the Celestial Realm, the wine here had a wilder, more untamed flavor.
She had seen enough singing and dancing. It was time to return to her cave dwelling and cultivate.
But even after returning, she couldn’t resist pouring herself a cup of wine and taking out the Chaos Mirror to check the latest news from the Celestial Realm.
When she saw the headline “Feng Chiyue Kicks Over Alchemy Furnace,” she rubbed her eyes, wondering if she had had too much to drink or if her cultivation had gone awry.
Wasn’t her junior sister skilled in alchemy? Why would she need to go to the Supreme Palace for elixirs?
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