Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight
As dawn broke across the sky, the Nine Palaces Tower stood silently in mid-air above the Azure Dragon Bell, emanating an ancient and profound aura.
Feng Yin stood before the Nine Palaces Tower when a sudden unease gripped her heart. She gazed toward the northern direction of the Demon Realm, her eyes darkening.
Today was the day of the Celestial Emperor’s selection, and the events of a thousand years ago were bound to be brought up. On such an important day, where had Yuan Qi gone? Why had he not appeared?
“Phoenix Sovereign.” Yu Feng, along with five High Venerables, stood beside her. Seeing her solemn expression, he called out to her.
Feng Yin snapped out of her thoughts, suppressing the unease in her heart. She nodded slightly and looked toward the immortals gathered on the stone steps below the Azure Dragon Platform. The Sect Leaders of the Three Prefectures and Six Caves all wore grave expressions, their faces filled with eagerness. For the first time in tens of thousands of years, the Immortal Realm was selecting a Celestial Emperor based on Spiritual Power, naturally stirring the ambitions of these old deities.
The Peacock King stood on the viewing platform to the side. Given the Spiritual Power he currently displayed publicly, he naturally would not participate in the Celestial Emperor selection.
Feng Yin’s gaze swept around, silently settling from the Peacock King onto Hua Shu.
Hua Shu stood at the end of the five High Venerables, but her expression was not as aloof as usual. Instead, she lowered her head, her brow slightly furrowed as if she were gently caressing something in her palm.
Feng Yin quietly withdrew her gaze. Just then, Feng Ran flew in from the direction of the Hall of Imperial Cosmos, landing atop the Nine Palaces Tower.
The Celestial Emperor, clad in fiery red imperial robes, appeared solemn and dignified, with hands clasped behind his back, exuding undeniable imperial majesty.
Feng Yin and the assembled immortals hurriedly bowed in respect. The Peacock King, hidden among the immortals, offered only a half-bow, unnoticed by anyone except Feng Ran.
“I have held the position of Celestial Emperor for over twelve hundred years. With my Ascension to the Divine Realm imminent, I must exert my remaining strength to select a benevolent ruler for our Immortal Realm.” Feng Ran’s voice rang out clearly as he waved his hand, and the doors of the Nine Palaces Tower swung open in response.
“Now, within the Nine Palaces Tower, the first to reach the top and seize the Celestial Emperor’s seal shall become the new emperor of our Immortal Tribe! Immortals, go forth!”
As Feng Ran’s voice faded, Feng Yin, the five High Venerables of the Heavenly Palace, and the High Immortals of the Three Prefectures and Six Caves bowed to her in unison before gathering their Spiritual Power and flying toward the doors of the Nine Palaces Tower.
As the doors of the Nine Palaces Tower slowly closed under the watchful eyes of the immortals on the Azure Dragon Platform, Feng Yin, standing inside the tower, glanced back and seemed to catch a glimpse of Chang Que from Clear Pond Palace flying toward the Azure Dragon Platform. Before she could wonder what had happened, the Nine Palaces Tower was completely sealed shut.
With the resounding thud of the tower doors closing, the selection of the third Celestial Emperor of the Immortal Tribe officially began.
The Nine Palaces Tower was divided into nine levels, each guarded by an Immortal Lord. With each level ascended, the Immortal Power of those attempting the trial would diminish by a fraction, until only one-tenth remained upon reaching the ninth level.
For this final level, the immortals had long speculated that the guardian was the Celestial Emperor himself. However, without reaching the top, no one knew what lay within the ninth level of the Nine Palaces Tower.
A total of fifteen High Immortals entered the Nine Palaces Tower. As Feng Yin and the others stepped inside, fifteen small doors appeared in response, each sealed by a Water Mirror, obscuring the view of what lay beyond. It seemed the first trial was hidden behind these fifteen small doors.
Feng Yin and the immortals exchanged slight nods. She was the first to step behind the first Water Mirror, with the others following closely. In an instant, all had entered, except for Hua Shu, who frowned at the Water Mirror, hesitating for a moment before stepping inside. Although the Nine Palaces Tower was formidable, the power of its lower levels might not be overwhelming. With the Immortal Power within her, she might be able to conceal a thing or two.As soon as Feng Yin stepped into the Water Mirror, she froze in surprise. Beneath her feet lay thick, lush green grass, a babbling stream, birds singing amid fragrant flowers, while a phoenix tree and a bamboo hut stood quietly by the stream, serene and peaceful. This was the Forbidden Valley behind Great Marsh Mountain, the place where she had been born and raised.
Feng Yin’s eyes grew warm, and she hesitated to step on the grass, as if wanting to test whether this was a dream. Before she could move, a youthful boy’s voice echoed from the valley’s peak.
“Little Martial Aunt!” The boy’s voice reverberated through the valley, “The Sect Leader and the other elders are about to take on new disciples! They sent me to fetch you to the main hall!”
Feng Yin’s heart stirred, and she flew toward the valley’s peak. Qing Yi was clinging to the valley’s edge, and when he saw her reach his side in the blink of an eye, his jaw dropped, his voice trembling with disbelief. “Little Martial Aunt, how did your cloud-riding technique improve so suddenly? Just two months ago, you were still tripping and stumbling all the time!”
Qing Yi appeared as a young boy—neither the child from a thousand years ago nor the weary, mature man from a thousand years later. Feng Yin stared at him intently for a long moment, until the boy’s hairs stood on end. Only then did she speak: “Let’s go, to the main hall at the mountain gate.”
Without waiting for Qing Yi to lead the way, she rode her cloud straight toward the front mountain.
From atop the cloud, she looked down. The Great Marsh Mountain range overflowed with Immortal Qi, each peak bustling with activity, and the direction of the main hall echoed with the ringing of bells, lively and bustling.
Feng Yin lowered her gaze. The Nine Palaces Tower was a Divine Artifact from ancient times—perhaps it truly possessed the power to traverse space. If Great Marsh Mountain had not suffered calamity back then, would it have flourished like this, just as Qing Yi had?
If none of it had ever happened, what would her martial brothers and nephews look like now? Feng Yin flew toward the main hall almost urgently, completely ignoring Qing Yi, who was desperately trying to keep up behind her.
In just a moment, Feng Yin landed in front of the main hall. Outside, the bells rang out—the auspicious hour for Great Marsh Mountain’s disciple initiation had arrived. Feng Yin stepped into the main hall just as the bells chimed.
Xian Shan, Xian Zhu, and Gu Jin sat high upon the dais. As soon as they saw her, Xian Shan smiled kindly and beckoned her over, pointing to the empty seat beside Yuan Qi.
“Ayin, Great Marsh Mountain’s disciple initiation is a grand event that happens only once every hundred years. Don’t get too caught up in playing around and miss it,” Xian Zhu said with a laugh, fanning himself.
Feng Yin quickly nodded and, taking two or three steps at a time, almost ran up to the high seat.
Gu Jin blinked at her as she settled in, a cheerful smile on his face.
Feng Yin’s heart warmed, but she suppressed her emotions and sat down, looking toward the lower hall. There, three young boys knelt, bowing to Xian Shan and Xian Zhu.
“My junior brother and I originally had no intention of taking on more disciples. We had planned for Zihou and the others to be apprenticed under you two. However, I see that both of you are still too carefree and immature, and I fear it would hinder their cultivation. They will instead be apprenticed under my junior brother and me. In another hundred years, the two of you will be responsible for taking on disciples and continuing the legacy of our Great Marsh Mountain.”
Xian Shan looked toward Yuan Qi and Feng Yin, offering earnest advice.
Gu Jin and Feng Yin nodded hurriedly, appearing as though they dared not disobey. Both were still youthful at heart, hardly ready to take on the serious responsibilities of elders, and only wished to enjoy a few more carefree years.
“Ayin, come forward and bestow the tassels upon these three disciples,” Xian Shan said, taking three emerald-green sword tassels from his sleeve.
According to Great Marsh Mountain’s tradition, a disciple was only formally accepted into the sect after their master bestowed the sword tassel. Receiving the tassel was also a symbol of status within Great Marsh Mountain.
Feng Yin froze, unmoving.Xian Shan still smiled with benevolent kindness. "You have always been fond of mischief, but it is time to set an example for the disciples of our sect. From now on, you must act with more dignity."
Xian Zhu nodded repeatedly, and even Gu Jin nudged her sleeve, urging her to quickly accept the sword tassel from the sect leader.
Feng Yin glanced at the three of them and finally rose, walking toward Xian Shan.
As she approached him, Xian Shan half-rose from his seat and extended the sword tassel toward her. Feng Yin reached out to take it.
At that very moment, the situation shifted abruptly. The three sword tassels in Xian Shan’s hand transformed into sharp, icy immortal swords, thrusting toward Feng Yin’s palm. The distance between them was so close, and Xian Shan’s Immortal Power was so profound, that Feng Yin had no way to evade.
Yet, just as the immortal swords were about to pierce her palm, a solid barrier of phoenix feathers materialized before her, repelling the swords three steps back. Xian Shan himself let out a muffled groan and was pushed back into his seat, though his expression remained kindly as he gazed at Feng Yin.
Throughout the hall, it was as though no one had witnessed what had just happened. The sounds of bells and cauldrons continued to resound, and everyone wore cheerful expressions.
Feng Yin withdrew the divine barrier and fixed her gaze on Xian Shan, her eyes gradually revealing an imposing authority.
The smile in Xian Shan’s eyes finally faded. He retracted the immortal swords in his hand and gave a slight nod to Feng Yin. "As expected of Your Majesty’s disciple. This humble immortal has offended."
As he spoke, he shed the appearance of Xian Shan, transforming into another immortal—ethereal and dignified, with a long white beard. "High Lord Qing Qiong pays his respects to the Phoenix Sovereign."
Feng Yin had never heard of this immortal’s name in the Immortal Realm, indicating that Qing Qiong had been guarding the Nine Palaces Tower since long ago.
"The High Immortal is merely fulfilling his duty. How could I blame him?" Feng Yin shook her head and turned to leave the hall, but Qing Qiong called out to stop her.
"This humble immortal has devoted ten thousand years to perfecting illusions. The figures within the mirror can be indistinguishable from reality. May I ask how the Phoenix Sovereign knew this was an illusion and prepared in advance?" Qing Qiong inquired curiously, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at Feng Yin. "Even if you knew it was my creation, Your Majesty should also know that exposing this illusion would cause it to vanish. This is the place you cherish most—how could you bear to part with everything here?"
Feng Yin halted her steps and turned back. She glanced at the people in the hall, her gaze sweeping over Xian Zhu, Gu Jin, Qing Yi, and the other disciples before meeting Qing Qiong’s eyes.
"Your Spiritual Power is profound, High Immortal. This illusion can indeed mimic reality perfectly. However, no matter how lifelike it appears, it can only imitate people—it cannot replicate their hearts. You may not know this, but my senior brother Xian Shan, though strict and kind, is also the most respectful of propriety. He treats every disciple of Great Marsh Mountain equally and would personally bestow a disciple’s sword tassel, never delegating the task to another."
Feng Yin lowered her eyes, no longer looking at the scene before her, and sighed softly. "Moreover, there is only one Great Marsh Mountain in this world. In its glory, it was my sect; in its demise, nothing can replace it. To indulge in a mere illusion would be a desecration of Great Marsh Mountain."
With that, Feng Yin turned and left, never looking back.
Behind her, Qing Qiong also let out a sigh.
In another illusion, Hua Shu stood on the Azure Dragon Platform, clad in a grand wedding dress of crimson sparrow feathers. The joy and contentment on her face turned to agony the moment the celebratory silk beside her transformed into an immortal sword and pierced her palm.
Beside her, Lan Feng—handsome and radiant in his wedding attire—also transformed into Qing Qiong’s form. As he prepared to withdraw the immortal sword, he sighed. "The High Venerable cannot escape the suffering of the seven emotions and six desires, lost in the past. What a pity."
Unexpectedly, Qing Qiong’s hand, as he withdrew the immortal sword, was seized by a pair of icy cold hands.Hua Shu slowly raised her head, her blood-soaked hand tightly gripping Qing Qiong's wrist, her eyes filled with icy coldness. "Since you've taken his form, why not complete this wedding? Why!"
She pulled Qing Qiong's hand closer to herself inch by inch, completely disregarding the blood on her palm. As she clasped his fingers, a faint trace of black Demonic Power appeared at her fingertips.
Qing Qiong met the coldness in Hua Shu's eyes, his heart trembling. When he noticed the abnormality at her fingertips, his expression abruptly changed. "Demonic Qi! You actually have Demonic Qi on you..."
Before he could finish speaking, and before he could retreat with all his strength, Hua Shu struck his forehead with her palm, shattering his heavenly spirit.
In an instant, the illusory realm within the mirror vanished into nothingness. Hua Shu snorted coldly, not even sparing a glance at Qing Qiong, who had died with closed eyes, before turning and stepping out of the illusion.
Hua Shu was the last to emerge from the illusion trial. The moment she stepped out, Feng Yin and the other eight High Immortals turned their gazes toward her. She swept a glance around—out of the fifteen High Immortals who had entered the Nine Palaces Tower, five had already been eliminated.
She stood silently behind the other immortals, saying nothing.
Yu Feng, seeing her emerge unscathed, remarked with emotion, "The princess is truly a person of strong will. This illusion trial is indeed formidable—even Jing Lei failed to come out of it."
The illusion trial was simple: if the trial-taker was injured by someone within the illusion, they would be expelled from the Nine Palaces Tower by the guardian.
Feng Yin glanced at the illusion gate from which Hua Shu had emerged and nodded. "Since Venerable Hua Shu has come out, let us proceed to the second level of the tower."
As she spoke, she leaped toward the second level of the tower. The other immortals dared not delay and followed closely behind her.
Inside the first-level illusion of the Nine Palaces Tower, Qing Qiong, his face pale, patted his chest with a look of relief after narrowly escaping disaster. Yet, without his white beard and aged appearance, he was clearly a handsome and elegant young man.
"Damn it, are all the women of the Immortal Tribe crazy nowadays? The new Phoenix Sovereign looks like she’d strike me dead if I provoked her again, and that madwoman from the Peacock Clan even killed one of my clones. Damn it, I was just quietly cultivating in the Nine Palaces Tower—who did I offend? Good thing I’m skilled, or else just guarding the first level of this tower would’ve scared me to death several times over!"
Qing Qiong stomped and ranted angrily when suddenly, a fiery red figure appeared before him. Looking up, he met another pair of arrogant and majestic phoenix eyes. Startled, he scrambled to kneel and pay his respects. "This humble immortal greets Your Majesty!"
The figure turned around, the imperial robe on their body fluttering without wind, and lazily asked, "What did you just say about the women of the Immortal Tribe?"
Qing Qiong trembled as he raised his head, unable to utter a word for a long time. Finally, he suddenly collapsed to the ground, twitching and convulsing as he forced out a sentence. "Your Majesty, this humble immortal is dead."
"Oh? How did you die?"
"Scared to death."
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