Moonlight Mystique

Chapter Fifty-Three

As the Golden Core landed in Bai Shuo’s palm, the first light of dawn rose over the mountains. Birds took flight, and the lifeless Nameless Mountain regained its vitality.

The group stood silently before the three nameless graves, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a hand reached out toward the Golden Core in Bai Shuo’s grasp. A young man stepped in the way, glaring at Nan Wan. "What are you doing?"

Under Fan Yue’s piercing gaze, Nan Wan stiffened, then snorted with a frown. "Have you all forgotten why we came to this strange city? Now that the evil core’s consciousness has vanished, no one knows the whereabouts of the Phoenix Tree’s Heart. I merely wanted to see if there are any clues within this core."

After such an emotionally turbulent night, Nan Wan was the only one still focused on their mission. Truly a remarkable individual.

Bai Shuo rubbed the Golden Core between her fingers and raised a brow. "Immortal Jin Yao hid the Phoenix Tree’s Heart in these nameless graves, likely intending for those who came here to purify the resentment within this Golden Core left by Senior Rong Xian. Logically, now that the resentment has been dispelled, the Phoenix Tree’s Heart should appear… right?"

As soon as Bai Shuo finished speaking, a ray of sunlight fell upon the Golden Core in her palm. A golden beam reflected off the core, shooting straight toward the area behind the graves. About ten meters away, the mist dispersed, revealing a stone tomb where the light pointed.

The group had fought all night in these wild mountains, yet none had noticed this tomb. Clearly, it had been concealed by a barrier, only accessible once the Golden Core’s resentment was cleansed.

This must be where the true Phoenix Heart Flame was buried.

Before anyone could move, Nan Wan lunged forward, his immortal sword flashing as he struck the tomb’s entrance—yet the stone door remained unmoved.

Mu Jiu, who had followed closely behind, crossed his arms and laughed mockingly. "Well, well, Nan Wan, your Cloud Sky Sect truly has impeccable manners—first to stir trouble in a fight, and first to snatch treasures!"

Nan Wan’s expression darkened. He had wasted an entire night in this wretched place, only to find he couldn’t even enter the tomb hiding the Phoenix Heart Flame!

"If I can’t get in, do you think any of you can?"

Mu Jiu circled the stone door, stroking his chin. "The Golden Core’s resentment has been purified, so technically, we’ve passed Jin Yao’s first trial. Little Bai, come take a look—does this door have some trick to it?"

Mu Jiu was truly a fox—sharp as ever. Among them all, the blacksmith might be the toughest, but the cleverest was this crafty half-immortal girl.

Bai Shuo hurried to examine the tomb’s entrance and suddenly exclaimed, "Look, what’s carved on this door?"

The group gathered closer. Beneath floating clouds, a figure stood atop a mountain peak, a long sword strapped to his back as he gazed at the heavens and earth. Behind him was the emblem of nine tails.

"The fox clan’s totem?" Mu Jiu raised a brow.

"This mountain…" Bei Chen murmured.

"Lord Bei Chen, it’s Kunlun Mountain, isn’t it?"

Bei Chen nodded. "Indeed, it is Kunlun."

Bai Shuo clapped her hands. "That makes sense! I understand now. This relief depicts Kunlun and the fox clan’s totem. Perhaps someone from Kunlun and the fox clan together can open the tomb. Lord Bei Chen, why don’t you and His Highness Mu Jiu give it a try?"

"Who wants to work with Kunlun?" Mu Jiu lifted his chin, arms crossed, looking every bit the arrogant prince who wouldn’t lift a finger even if begged.Bei Chen spoke indifferently, "I entered the foreign city only because I had regrets regarding Sect Leader Rong Xian. Now that Senior Rong Xian has passed, the Phoenix Tree Heart has nothing to do with my sect."

"Ah, Lord Bei Chen..." As Bei Chen turned to leave, Bai Shuo was dumbfounded—she didn't want to have worked all night for nothing!

Just as Bai Shuo was about to persuade him further, Nan Wan stepped forward to block Bei Chen's path.

"Brother Bei Chen, as immortals, we share the same breath and branches. Since we've entered this foreign city, we should work together. The Phoenix Tree Martial Banquet is not merely a competition—it determines the division of sacred lands between our immortal race and the Yao Race for the next century. Regardless of which side wins, our immortal race should give our all. Brother Bei Chen, you shouldn't abandon this now."

Well said! Only a proper disciple of an immortal sect could deliver such smooth words!

Bai Shuo raised her brows in approval.

Sure enough, Bei Chen frowned slightly and halted his steps.

Seeing an opportunity, Bai Shuo quickly whispered to Mu Jiu, "Your Highness, let's go in first. What that fellow Nan Wan said is right—we came here for the Phoenix Tree Heart after all. With your skills, you definitely won't lose to Bei Chen or Nan Wan. If you obtain all three Phoenix Heart Flames, you'll have the Annihilation Wheel in one hand and the Phoenix Sword in the other. Who in the Three Realms could rival your majesty then?"

Mu Jiu was tempted but gave Bai Shuo a strange look, sizing her up. "Brother, my eyes aren't blind—you're an immortal, aren't you?"

Bai Shuo nudged his shoulder. "What kind of talk is that? Immortals and demons are one family."

Mu Jiu glanced at her, his mind working.

Bai Shuo was clearly an immortal, yet full of cunning schemes. The youth and blacksmith beside her had indistinct auras, making it hard to tell if they were immortals or demons, and their origins were even more peculiar. Mu Jiu, ever the troublemaker at heart, found himself increasingly intrigued by Bai Shuo's enigmatic nature. Moreover, the temptation of wielding two top-grade Magical Artifacts was indeed hard to resist.

Mu Jiu tilted his chin toward Bei Chen. "Hey, Bei the Blockhead, this Martial Banquet only comes once a century. Since our immortal and demon races are already here, wouldn't it be embarrassing to return empty-handed? At least give it a try, no?"

Without a word, Bei Chen turned toward the totem on the stone tomb, drew his Sword, and acted decisively.

Mu Jiu also shed his playful demeanor, summoning the Annihilation Wheel into his palm.

The two leaped simultaneously, white and red spiritual energies erupting from the Kunlun Iron Sword and the small Annihilation Wheel. The combined forces of immortal and demon struck the stone wall. A brilliant flash later, the energies dissipated, and the tomb door swung open, revealing a stone staircase before them.

Bai Shuo's eyes lit up. "It's open!"

This time, before Nan Wan could take the lead, Mu Jiu stepped forward and leaped into the tomb first. The others followed without hesitation, descending the steps.

The tomb below was simple—merely carved from stone walls—with a quiet stream flowing through it. After a hundred steps down the staircase, they reached a stone chamber.

At its center hovered a burning Phoenix Heart Flame.

Mu Jiu stared wide-eyed, his face full of wonder.

The flame radiated an extraordinarily pure spiritual energy. Just by approaching, everyone felt their spiritual platforms clear, and the Qi suppressed by the Spirit-Sealing Array began to loosen.

To think it could suppress the divine power of the former Heavenly Emperor Mu Guang despite being just a Magical Artifact—truly worthy of being the Phoenix Clan's sacred treasure!

Forget forging it into a sword—just keeping it nearby during cultivation would guarantee rapid progress.

Everyone's eyes burned with desire—even Hua Hong's gaze flickered slightly. Only Fan Yue remained unmoved.

Bai Shuo's eyes sparkled the most. Though she was the only one in the tomb who couldn't sense the Phoenix Heart Flame's spiritual energy, just looking at it told her this was a priceless treasure!

Good things should never fall into outsiders' hands—this treasure absolutely had to belong to her A-Zhao!The crowd was lost in their own thoughts when, just as Bai Shuo and the others stepped within half a meter of the Heartfire, the floating Phoenix Heartfire suddenly split into two with a flicker of flame.

This sudden change startled Mu Jiu, who had already endured enough shocks for one night. Reflexively taking a step back, he stammered, "Wh-what's going on?"

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, but Bai Shuo stared at the twin Heartfires as if realizing something. "Don’t you think obtaining the first Phoenix Heartfire was too difficult and took far too long?" she mused.

Mu Jiu rubbed his chin and nodded in agreement. "True. The first guardian was already at the peak of the Upper Realm. Even if it was just a Golden Core, it was enough to knock all of us down. If all three trials are this hard, and we only have three days, there’s no way we’d retrieve all three Heartfires hidden in the Strange City."

"So, this mountain actually holds two trials," Bai Shuo continued. "The first was to resolve Senior Rong Xian’s lingering resentment, and the second is for the immortals and demons to work together to open that stone gate up there." She gestured upward with her chin.

"Open the gate?" Nan Wan frowned. "Is it really that simple?"

"Not at all," Bai Shuo countered, spreading her hands. "For immortals and demons to join forces—such a thing hasn’t happened in tens of thousands of years. The only ones who ever managed it were Her Majesty Feng Ran and Demon Lord Chang Qin back then."

She had a point. Though generations of Divine Lords had worked to suspend hostilities between the two races, the peace was only superficial, with undercurrents of rivalry persisting. Jin Yao, personally mentored by Mu Guang in the past and inspired by Feng Ran, had long made it his mission to bridge the divide. It was no surprise he’d designed such a trial for the Phoenix Martial Banquet.

In the Qifeng Pavilion of Phoenix Island, Feng Xian stroked his beard approvingly as he watched Bai Shuo’s confident explanation in the water mirror.

"Who would have thought such a clever disciple existed among the younger generation of immortals? Earlier, she was the one who saw through Rong Xian’s trial and guided Bei Chen and that fox youth. A pity..." Feng Xian sighed. "This girl’s spiritual bones are too weak. She has no affinity for the Dao and likely won’t live past a hundred years."

Jin Yao shared his regret. "Though she lacks immortal destiny, her intelligence and strategic mind are exceptional. Once this matter concludes, she could serve in the Heavenly Palace in a civil post. With the Spiritual Qi of the Nine Heavens nourishing her, she might yet find an Opportunity."

"Your compassion does you credit, Sect Master." Feng Xian nodded in approval before shifting the topic. "Which disciple do you think will prevail in this Phoenix Martial Banquet?"

Jin Yao’s gaze swept over Bei Chen, Nan Wan, and Mu Jiu in the mirror before lingering on Chong Zhao. "Kunlun cultivates the Path of Serenity, while Yunxiao is overly fixated on victory. The fox clan is cunning and sharp but lacks dignity. Only this youth, seemingly unremarkable yet steady and composed—his immortal power during the Golden Core battle with Rong Xian was no less than Bei Chen’s."

Feng Xian agreed. "Your Wisdom Eye discerns true talent. Which sect does he hail from? I’ve never heard of him among the immortals before."

"Piaomiao."

"Piaomiao?" Feng Xian was astonished. The sect had declined long ago, failing to produce even an Upper Realm cultivator in centuries. Yet they had nurtured such an outstanding disciple.

"Piaomiao was once one of the Six Great Immortal Sects. But after Patriarch Lingbo ascended, it fell into obscurity. This youth will surely make a name for himself in the Phoenix Martial Banquet. With him, Piaomiao will reclaim its place among the Six within a hundred years at most." Jin Yao chuckled, stroking his beard.Feng Xian also agreed with Jin Yao's words and was about to speak when she noticed Jin Yao's gaze lingering on the youth beside Bai Shuo. Curious, she asked, "Does the Sect Leader have doubts about this young man?"

Jin Yao turned to Feng Xian instead. "Does the Elder not?"

Feng Xian smiled. "This youth is beyond my discernment. Since I cannot see clearly, I shall not interfere."

"Please enlighten me, Elder. After all, the disciples of the immortal clans are all in the Strange City. Though we can observe them through the water mirror at any time, I must still account for them to the leaders of the various sects."

Feng Xian looked at Hua Da Tie in the water mirror. "Has the Sect Leader heard that the King of Strange City has a daughter who, at the age of eighteen, could draw the Strange King's Sword, born with divine power—a rarity in this world?"

Jin Yao nodded. "Naturally, I have heard of this. With such divine power, I once thought the King of Strange City would name her as his successor. But later, for reasons unknown, it was said the child was exiled from Strange City years ago. Could this enigmatic blacksmith be...?"

"Born with divine power and unaffected by the Spirit-Sealing Array within Strange City—she must be one of the Strange People." Feng Xian gazed at the water mirror. "It seems she is that little Your Highness."

"If she is the princess of Strange City, why conceal her identity among these disciples? Could it be for the Phoenix Heart Flame? No, her skills are sufficient to challenge even a Peak Upper Realm expert; the Phoenix Heart Flame holds little significance for her. Then why has she returned to Strange City now...?" Jin Yao pondered.

Feng Xian spoke, placing a piece on the chessboard. "Years ago, a disciple of the Phoenix Clan once saw the princess of Strange City slay a snow leopard with a single strike of her staff in the icy northern reaches of the Yao Realm. Since then, there has been no news of her in the Three Realms."

"The northern reaches? Using a staff as a magical artifact..." Jin Yao's expression shifted as he looked at Feng Xian. "The Hall of Bright Moon! Elder, are you suggesting the princess of Strange City comes from the Hall of Bright Moon?!" Jin Yao was startled.

"Has the Sect Leader heard of the two great generals before the main hall of the Hall of Bright Moon?"

"Guardian Mountain and Heavenly Fire?!" Jin Yao exclaimed. "She is the Heavenly Fire Yao Lord?"

The Hall of Bright Moon rose to prominence in the Yao Realm within a mere decade, standing toe-to-toe with Cold Spring and Silent Abyss in a tripartite balance. Aside from its master, Fan Yue, who was nearly a demigod, it was also because he had gathered two formidable generals. Guardian Mountain and Heavenly Fire were merely their Yao Lord titles; none knew their origins, only that their demonic power was profound, and their magical artifacts were both staffs. Guardian Mountain was famed for splitting the Gate of Life and Death in the Yao Realm's third heaven with a single strike, while the title of Heavenly Fire Yao Lord was earned in the Hall of Bright Moon's repeated battles with Cold Spring over sacred lands.

More than half of Cold Spring Palace's Twelve Envoys fell by her hand. Ruthless in battle and cold in method, she was practically half the master of the Hall of Bright Moon.

These two were utterly loyal to Fan Yue, forming half the sky of the Hall of Bright Moon.

If she appeared in Strange City, then could that youth be...?

"Could that youth be...?"

Jin Yao's expression darkened as his gaze settled on the youth beside Bai Shuo. He was about to rise when Elder Feng Xian pressed him down.

"Do not rush, Sect Leader." Feng Xian shook her head. "The master of the Hall of Bright Moon is nearly a demigod. If he wished harm upon these children, he would not go about it in such a roundabout way."

Jin Yao paused, calming himself. Realizing that as the leader of the immortal clans, he had been unsettled by the youth's identity, he couldn't help but smile wryly. "The Elder speaks wisely. For now, the immortals and the Yao Race maintain a semblance of harmony. The master of the Hall of Bright Moon, as a demigod, likely does not even regard all of Strange City as worthy of his attention. Harming these children would be tantamount to opposing the entire immortal race—he is not so foolish. Then why... has he appeared in Strange City?""I too cannot fathom the intentions of the Hall Master of Haoyue. Given his status, there is truly nothing within the strange city that would be of interest to him. The Phoenix Martial Banquet will conclude in one more day, and the Hall of Haoyue has also been invited to Phoenix Island. On the day the Phoenix Artifact is bestowed, he will appear. At that time, the Sect Master can personally inquire of the Hall Master of Haoyue."

Jin Yao nodded, "That seems to be the only way."

"They have smoothly passed the first two trials. May I ask where the Sect Master has placed the third Phoenix Heartflame?"

Jin Yao smiled, "Actually, I did not hide the third Phoenix Heartflame."

"Oh?"

"This Phoenix Martial Banquet was held precisely so that the strange city could see the light of day again, and its inhabitants could walk freely among the Three Realms. This is also the wish of the King of the Strange City and myself. Therefore, I scattered the final Heartflame above the strange city. The King and I agreed that as long as the Fairy and Demon Disciples can pacify Rong Xian's resentment and deliver the Golden Core to the King, he will summon all the inhabitants of the city to jointly call forth the last Phoenix Heartflame. And the one chosen by the people of the strange city will be the victor of this Phoenix Martial Banquet."

Feng Xian was taken aback, recalling how Chong Zhao had saved a child of the strange city. "Chong Zhao has done a great favor for the people of the strange city. They will surely give him the third Phoenix Heartflame. No wonder the Sect Master said that once this banquet concludes, this young man will surely become renowned across the Three Realms. It seems the outcome was already decided in your heart."

Jin Yao nodded, "Only one who is just at heart and treats all beings of the Three Realms with kindness is worthy of obtaining these three Phoenix Heartflames."

The two exchanged a smile, and Jin Yao waved his hand, dispersing the water mirror.

In a pavilion at the westernmost part of Phoenix Island, Zhen Yu also watched the figures in the stone chamber, a playful smile playing on his lips.

Fu Ling stood beside him, her gaze fixed on Chong Zhao.

Zhen Yu glanced at her, "Do you know this young man from the immortal race?"

Fu Ling started, then looked up and asked, "What does the Palace Lord think of him?"

"Exceptional immortal bones, a steadfast Dao Heart—quite the talent. What? You wish to use him?"

"Indeed."

Zhen Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, "He is not like Zhe Sang and his ilk. His Dao Heart is firm, and he is about to inherit the mantle of Piaomiao. It’s unlikely he would abandon the immortal path to join the Yao Race."

"Someone like Zhe Sang can only stir up trouble. This man is truly capable of expanding the foundation of our Cold Spring Palace. The Hall of Haoyue is a tough nut to crack, and the Fox Clan is unfathomable. If the Palace Lord wishes to lead the Yao Race, you will undoubtedly need such a talent."

"Oh?" Zhen Yu was surprised. "It seems you share some history with him, to hold him in such high regard. But this matter may prove difficult..."

Fu Ling was puzzled, "What does the Palace Lord mean?"

A mysterious glint appeared in Zhen Yu's eyes.

"Do you think a mere Phoenix Martial Banquet is worth my personal visit to Phoenix Island? Guess why the banquet is being held in the strange city—and why Fan Yue has appeared there?"

Fu Ling’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned to the water mirror, only to find it had vanished with a casual wave of Zhen Yu’s hand.

Fu Ling ventured a guess, "Has the King of the Strange City already allied with the Palace Lord?"

"Correct. My years of planning have all been for this day. This city is the death trap I’ve prepared for the Hall Master of Haoyue." Zhen Yu’s lips curled into a faint smile as he spoke softly.

A shiver ran down Fu Ling’s spine. She had long sensed something amiss in the strange city, but she hadn’t realized the depth of Zhen Yu’s schemes—plans even she was unaware of.

"Palace Lord, even with the King of the Strange City’s allegiance, Fan Yue is already a demi-god. I fear he may not be Fan Yue’s match. Perhaps I should enter the city to assist..."Zhen Yu raised his eyes to look at Fu Ling, a hint of mockery flickering at the corners. Fu Ling immediately shut her mouth and knelt down.

"This subordinate spoke out of turn. The Palace Master's plans are surely flawless."

"After tomorrow, no one will walk out of that city alive."

Zhen Yu stood up and walked over to Fu Ling.

She felt a hand land on her shoulder, and her heart trembled.

"However, this lord promises you—if unforeseen circumstances arise in the Otherworld City and that boy manages to survive and escape, I will spare no effort to bring him into our Cold Spring Sect."

In the room, Zhen Yu's cold yet faintly amused voice echoed. Fu Ling kept her head lowered, not daring to speak.