Chapter One Hundred and Five
After Yuan Qi left, only Hua Shu remained beneath the peach tree. Her eyes were lowered, and no one could see the fear on her face. She knew Yuan Qi still harbored resentment over the death of the Water Condensation Beast, but because he felt guilty toward Lan Feng, he had shown her a sliver of consideration. As long as this sliver remained, she would not give up on Yuan Qi. Yuan Qi was the son of a True God and the most revered Divine Lord in the Lower Three Realms. Only by staying by his side could she one day reign over the Three Realms.
This humiliation and fear were nothing. Hua Shu pursed her lips tightly, and when she raised her head again, all traces of pallor and panic had vanished, her composure fully restored.
The onlookers on Eternal Peace Street, unaware of the underlying complexities, merely thought that, after all, she was the Peacock Princess from the Ninth Heaven, and she still held some semblance of face before Divine Lord Yuan Qi.
Hua Shu flicked her sleeve and walked toward Hong Que, who was waiting nearby. The colorful peacock on the ground chirped upon seeing her approach and obediently crouched at her feet.
Just as Hua Shu was about to step onto the peacock’s back, she paused and glanced toward Xiuyan Pavilion.
By the window of Xiuyan Pavilion, a pair of dark eyes gazed at her. Even with just a gentle look, they exuded an undeniable aura of authority and sharpness.
When had such a figure emerged in the Three Realms?
A sudden tremor ran through Hua Shu’s heart, and she frowned slightly. Before she could take a closer look, the veiled woman by the window turned away.
“Your Highness,” Hong Que, who had long served by Hua Shu’s side, noticed her unusual demeanor and called out nervously.
Hua Shu glanced at her, unwilling to say more. She stepped onto the peacock and raised her hand, channeling a surge of powerful Immortal Power toward the boundary curtain above the Ghost Realm. Like when she arrived, she tore open the Ghost Realm’s barrier.
The colorful peacock let out a long cry, carrying Hua Shu and Hong Que toward the tear Hua Shu had created in the Ghost Realm’s sky.
The Immortal Lords, Demon Monarchs, and Ladies of the Ghost Realm on Eternal Peace Street watched the colorful peacock’s departing figure with envy.
Suddenly, a loud crashing sound echoed through the air. Everyone looked up and saw the colorful peacock carrying Hua Shu and her servant collide with a black mist as it attempted to break through the Ghost Realm’s barrier. The peacock let out a pained cry, wailing as it plummeted toward the ground.
Hua Shu, on the peacock’s back, had no time to care for the peacock or her servant. Nearly all the ghostly power from the black mist fell upon her. She summoned the Sky-Shielding Umbrella, barely withstanding the Divine Power of the black mist, and landed clumsily and unsteadily beside the same peach tree. The colorful peacock spat blood from its mouth, collapsing to the ground with mournful cries, while Hong Que knelt at Hua Shu’s feet, her face pale with terror.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, what is that…”
After stopping Hua Shu and her servant, the black mist released a wisp of ghostly power that merged into the Ghost Realm’s barrier, perfectly repairing the tear Hua Shu had created with her Immortal Power.
Feng Yin, who had been about to leave the window of Xiuyan Pavilion, witnessed this scene and thoughtfully raised an eyebrow.
The sudden turn of events left the onlookers inwardly astonished. Who had stopped the arrogant Peacock Princess?
The black mist in mid-air slowly took human form—a figure in red robes and a golden crown, with fiery eyes that were exceptionally cold and authoritative. It was none other than Ao Ge, the ruler of the Ghost Realm.
“Your Majesty!” The Ghost Lords on Eternal Peace Street recognized the figure formed from the black mist and immediately knelt in reverence. The nearby Immortal Lords and Demon Monarchs, seeing the Ghost King appear, respectfully clasped their hands and bowed in a half-salute.Hua Shu suppressed her still trembling arms, retracted the Sky-Shielding Umbrella, and looked up at Ao Ge hovering in mid-air with a mix of fear and anger. Reluctantly, she performed a half-bow. "Hua Shu pays her respects to Your Majesty Ao Ge."
"Oh? So Princess Hua Shu is aware that this emperor still exists." Ao Ge's voice carried a slight lift, his disdainful gaze filled with undisguised fury and coldness.
"Why would Your Majesty say such a thing?" Hua Shu felt a chill run down her spine under Ao Ge's stare, her heart trembling with fear. "Hua Shu has always held Your Majesty in high regard..."
"Hmph! Silver-tongued and cunning. You tore open the boundary of my Ghost Realm, allowing your beast to enter as if it were an open field..." Ao Ge snorted coldly, his eyes sweeping over the mournfully crying colorful peacock on the ground and Hua Shu herself. "Even Mu Guang and Feng Ran would not dare insult this emperor so brazenly. Princess Hua Shu, you truly have remarkable courage."
The Ghost Realm had always been mysterious, situated at the bottom of the Three Realms. For the past sixty thousand years, it had rarely interacted with the immortal and demon clans. Only after the Ghost King opened the Ghost Realm gate guarded by Divine Lord Bi Xi a thousand years ago did the two clans gain entry to witness its wonders. As for tearing open the Ghost Realm boundary to enter, Hua Shu was indeed the first in sixty thousand years.
Hua Shu had come solely to see Yuan Qi, and relying on her distinguished status, tearing through the boundary was also an act of flaunting and showing off. How could she have expected that the Ghost King would completely disregard the Heavenly Palace's dignity, publicly injuring and trapping her within the Ghost Realm for all to see.
"Your Majesty." Hua Shu, humiliated and enraged, had sensed from the earlier strike that the Ghost King's power was unfathomable, likely already surpassing that of a High God. She had no choice but to plead for forgiveness. "Hua Shu has urgent matters to discuss with Divine Lord Yuan Qi, which is why I hastily tore open the Ghost Realm boundary in my anxiety. I beg Your Majesty not to hold it against me. I will personally visit the Palace of Bell and Spirit another day to apologize to Your Majesty!"
"Apologies are unnecessary." A cold snort echoed from mid-air. "Today, this emperor will show leniency for the sake of Feng Ran and the Heavenly Palace. For the next hundred years, your Peacock Clan is forbidden from setting foot in my Ghost Realm!"
The Ghost King waved his sleeve, and a powerful surge of Divine Power struck Hua Shu, forcing her back two steps and onto her knees. Then, the Ghost King's voice fell silent, the black mist vanished, and Eternal Peace Street returned to tranquility.
Hua Shu ultimately could not withstand that gust of palm wind, and the blood she had been holding back in her throat finally spilled out.
"Your Highness!" Hong Que, standing nearby, hurried over to help her up.
Seeing the mocking smiles on the faces of the Ghost Lords and Demon Monarchs on the street, and the evasive glances of the female Immortal Lords, Hua Shu wore an expression of deep embarrassment. She stored the injured colorful peacock in her Cosmic Bag and, accompanied by Hong Que, hurried toward the Ghost Realm gate, no longer as arrogant as when she had arrived.
Feng Yin watched the entire spectacle from the window of Xiuyan Pavilion, took a sip of tea, tossed a handful of gold leaves onto the table, and prepared to leave.
"Lady!" The young waiter, terrified by Feng Yin's Divine Power, was an honest soul. Clutching the handful of gold leaves, he timidly called out to her, "O-our tea isn't worth this many gold leaves, Y-You've given too much!"
This female Immortal Lord did not seem like someone to be trifled with—he dared not accept such a pile of gold leaves recklessly.
"It's worth it. That show was worth every leaf!" Feng Yin lazily waved her hand, a look of contentment spreading across her brow. "It has been a full thousand years since I've felt this pleased. I owe your master this favor!"
Feng Yin laughed heartily and headed toward the staircase. By the time the young waiter opened his eyes again, her figure had already vanished.
Inside the Palace of Bell and Spirit, Feng Yin revealed her identity and requested an audience with the Ghost King.The palace guards respectfully ushered her into the hall but apologetically informed her that the Ghost King was not in the Palace of Bell and Spirit. They requested she wait inside for a moment until the Ghost King returned.
Feng Yin raised an eyebrow, a thought stirring in her heart. She left the Palace of Bell and Spirit and headed straight for the Bridge of Helplessness.
If Ao Ge wasn't here, she would go find Xiuyan instead.
At the head of the Bridge of Helplessness, the Ghost Lord in an emerald green robe sat with one leg crossed over the other. Beside him stood a cold-faced Immortal Lord dressed in white.
In the Water Mirror of the River of Oblivion, the scene of Hua Shu and her servant disappearing at the end of Eternal Peace Street floated past. Xiuyan waved his hand, and the Water Mirror vanished. He raised an eyebrow and looked at the young man beside him. "What? Does Divine Lord Yuan Qi wish to seek justice for your Peacock Princess?"
Yuan Qi's expression showed no fluctuation whatsoever. "She tore through the boundary and trespassed into the Ghost Realm. Your Majesty's action was already lenient."
Having once entered the Ghost Realm with Ayin to search for the phoenix tree, Yuan Qi naturally knew that Xiuyan and Ao Ge shared one body. The phantom image of the Ghost King on Eternal Peace Street earlier had been Xiuyan's transformation.
"Then why are you standing here with such a fierce and menacing look? This is the Bridge of Helplessness, a place for the dead. A Divine Lord should not be here."
"Your Majesty Xiuyan," Yuan Qi said solemnly. "My junior sister Ayin disappeared in the Rakshasa Land back then. I hope Your Majesty can tell me where she was reborn?"
Xiuyan raised an eyebrow, his words particularly sharp today. "Disappeared? You jest, Divine Lord. Those who die by the Primordial Spirit Sword—let alone a mere Water Condensation Beast—even a High God would have their Soul Scattered and Spirit Dispersed. How could there be any possibility of rebirth and reincarnation? With your esteemed status, you should return to the Divine Realm sooner rather than later. Do not come to my Ghost Realm year after year searching for the scattered soul of a pitiful immortal beast."
Having said this, Xiuyan closed his eyes and leaned against the Bridge of Helplessness, appearing utterly disinterested and unwilling to engage with Yuan Qi.
"Five hundred years ago, in the Ghost Realm..." Yuan Qi's voice rang out. Xiuyan's eyes flickered, and he opened them. "I once sensed Ayin's soul power," Yuan Qi stated with certainty. "Though it was only for an instant, I could not be mistaken. Ayin must have appeared in the Ghost Realm."
Five hundred years ago, when Feng Yin was reincarnated, she had seen Yuan Qi on Eternal Peace Street through the Water Mirror of the River of Oblivion. It was likely that Feng Yin had left traces during that incident, allowing Yuan Qi to sense it. Otherwise, he would not have persisted for a thousand years, coming to the Ghost Realm annually to wait in vain.
Xiuyan sighed inwardly, though his expression remained unmoved. "Divine Lord Yuan Qi, all worldly bonds gather and scatter. Ayin perished a thousand years ago under the Nine Heavens Profound Thunder summoned by your Primordial Spirit Sword. Why must you cling so stubbornly?" Seeing that Yuan Qi's expression remained unchanged, he continued, "Moreover, even if your junior sister's soul still exists..."
Xiuyan's voice paused. Yuan Qi abruptly looked up, a flicker of hope gleaming in his eyes.
"What then?" Xiuyan spoke, cruel and merciless. "A millennium has passed. She has been reincarnated countless times. Do you intend to leap before her and say: I am your senior brother from a thousand years ago..."
Yuan Qi opened his mouth. "No, I only wish to..."
"Or will you tell her that you are the one who once killed her, causing her Soul to be Scattered and Spirit Dispersed?"
Xiuyan's eyes were filled with coldness. "Divine Lord Yuan Qi, if she had been utterly annihilated without a trace a thousand years ago, then your bond was severed a millennium ago. If she still exists intact anywhere within the Three Realms, she should have her own life and encounters. You must understand that whether she is alive now or not, the Ayin of that time is already dead."I just want to know if she is still alive. As long as she lives, even if she no longer remembers me, no longer remembers Great Marsh Mountain, no longer remembers everything between us, it doesn’t matter. As long as she is alive, as long as she still exists in this world, that is enough.
Yuan Qi’s lips parted, but under Xiuyan’s cold gaze, he ultimately could not utter these words.
“Moreover, I truly do not know where your junior sister Ayin is. Even with my divine power and the power of reincarnation, I cannot conceal a soul destined for rebirth from the Chaos Primordial God. Isn’t that something you already know?”
The hope rising in Yuan Qi’s eyes was slowly crushed by Xiuyan’s words.
“Divine Lord Yuan Qi, the Ghost Realm is dark and turbid, not a place for a Divine Lord. Please return.” With these words, Xiuyan no longer looked at Yuan Qi and began to urge him to leave.
“No matter what, I will never give up searching for her. Your Majesty, I will return next year.”
After speaking, Yuan Qi said no more and, as he had done hundreds or thousands of times before, turned and left the Bridge of Helplessness, his figure as lonely as ever.
Xiuyan watched his retreating figure, sighed, and let his gaze fall back upon the shimmering waves, his thoughts drifting.
It was not that his heart was as hard as iron, but he had witnessed with his own eyes that brilliant soul scattered and dispersed, watched her struggle alone at the lowest depths of the Ghost Realm, and saw her forget everything, enduring the trials of mortal life cycle after cycle. If she were willing to meet again, how could Yuan Qi not know that the Phoenix Sovereign on Wutong Phoenix Island was his junior sister Ayin from a thousand years ago?
“Ah!” The memories of a thousand years flashed before his eyes. Even though Xiuyan had witnessed countless worldly affairs over the ages, he could not help but sigh for this ill-fated bond.
“You live a carefree life without disaster or illness, what are you sighing about?” A clear, crisp, and spirited female voice rang out.
Xiuyan suddenly opened his eyes and saw Feng Yin, dressed in white, standing at the bridgehead. The corners of his lips lifted slightly as he leaped down from the bridge without uttering a word.
For a thousand years, he had kept vigil at the Bridge of Helplessness, and the female ghost Ayin had finally become the Phoenix Sovereign Feng Yin, high above the Nine Heavens. In his eyes, there was both relief and emotion, which ultimately condensed into a single sentence.
“You’ve returned.”
For a thousand years, he had said these words to the female ghost Ayin at the Bridge of Helplessness with each cycle of reincarnation.
Yuan Qi flew despondently toward the boundary gate of the Ghost Realm. As the gate drew near, his figure suddenly halted.
“Those who die by the Primordial Spirit Sword—not just a Water Condensation Beast, but even a High God—would have their soul scattered and spirit dispersed. How could they possibly be reborn and reincarnated?”
“Divine Lord Yuan Qi, worldly bonds gather and scatter. Ayin perished a thousand years ago under the Nine Heavens Profound Thunder summoned by your Primordial Spirit Sword. Why must you cling to this?”
The words Xiuyan had just spoken suddenly echoed in Yuan Qi’s mind.
During the great battle at Rakshasa Land that year, countless immortals and demons perished. The Immortal Lords and Demon Monarchs present at the time never spoke of how Ayin died, all because of him. Thus, for a thousand years, the Three Realms only had legends about Ayin’s death. Yet Xiuyan was able to say that Ayin died under the Nine Heavens Profound Thunder summoned by the Primordial Spirit Sword…
Xiuyan was not at Rakshasa Land that year. There was only one way he could know what happened that day.
Yuan Qi turned back and gazed in the direction of the Bridge of Helplessness, his lips trembling slightly.
Every soul that enters the Ghost Realm for reincarnation—as the Ghost King, Xiuyan can see everything the souls crossing the Bridge of Helplessness experienced in their lifetimes.
Xiuyan knew how Ayin died. He had seen her.Yuan Qi's eyes blazed with fury, his entire body trembling from this conjecture. The Primordial Spirit Sword appeared beside him, humming with unease and concern.
He gripped the Primordial Spirit Sword tightly and strode without hesitation toward the Bridge of Helplessness.
At the head of the Bridge of Helplessness, above the River of Oblivion.
Feng Yin gazed at Xiuyan a few meters away, her eyes slightly reddened. She shed her usual languid demeanor, walked up to Xiuyan, and with solemn reverence, clasped her hands and bowed deeply in an ancient gesture of respect.
"Feng Yin of Wutong Phoenix Island, thanks Your Majesty for the life-saving grace of years past." She bowed fully to the ground. "And for the millennia of companionship upon this Bridge of Helplessness."
The moment these words of gratitude, steeped in the weight of long-passed years, rang clearly above the River of Oblivion, Yuan Qi, who had paused behind the stone tablet at the bridgehead, froze in his steps, looking toward the Bridge of Helplessness in disbelief.
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