The Last Immortal

Chapter Fifty-Two

Gu Jin and Ayin were silently escorted by the guards of Hundred Birds Island toward the exit, with the Eagle Clan princess trailing behind them.

Seeing Gu Jin’s unusual silence, Ayin thought to herself that he had come here with the sole purpose of proposing to Hua Shu. Now that Hua Shu was to marry Lan Feng, he must be feeling down. Ayin tried several times to lighten the mood with a joke but couldn’t find the words, so she kept her mouth shut and followed him cautiously.

Once they left Hundred Birds Island, the three of them had just taken to the clouds when the Cosmic Bag tied to Ayin’s waist stirred slightly.

Gu Jin seemed to sense it and casually tapped the bag, warning, “The guests who came to offer birthday wishes are all esteemed elders of the Immortal Tribe, with profound Immortal Power. We haven’t even left the airspace above North Sea yet—don’t cause any trouble recklessly.”

It seemed Gu Jin was well aware that, given Ayin’s Immortal Power and abilities, she couldn’t have crossed North Sea alone to reach Hundred Birds Island. That unlucky fox must have followed her out.

Had Gu Jin hurriedly bid farewell and left Hundred Birds Island, even at the risk of offending the Peacock King, because he guessed A Jiu had followed him down the mountain and was afraid A Jiu might cause trouble for her?

Ayin spent the entire journey lost in wild guesses, stealing countless glances at Gu Jin’s expression. Finally, just as they were about to cross out of North Sea’s territory, she spoke up.

“A Jin, you…”

Ayin had barely started when she noticed a Lady standing gracefully beneath the colorful morning glow at the edge of the sky, gazing in their direction. Ayin instinctively fell silent, narrowing her eyes slightly as a flicker of fire ignited in their depths.

“Well, well, Immortal Lord Gu Jin, someone’s waiting for you. You’d better hurry over,” Yan Shuang, who was behind them, grinned upon spotting the Lady, nudging Ayin with her chin in a gleefully mischievous manner.

Not far away, Hua Shu stood in a plain dress, without a trace of makeup, exuding an ethereal, unadorned beauty. She looked toward Gu Jin and approached on the clouds.

Truth be told, this Peacock Princess was quite beautiful. Ayin immediately felt a sense of crisis and hurriedly turned to look at Gu Jin. She remembered how fond Gu Jin had been of Hua Shu back on Great Marsh Mountain. If this fool softened his heart again…

He hadn’t succeeded in his proposal and had even offended the Peacock King. What was there left to reminisce about? Wouldn’t it be better to just leave? Ayin silently chanted in her heart, “Don’t go over, don’t go over,” even as she watched helplessly as Gu Jin walked toward Hua Shu.

Pouting, she plopped down cross-legged on the cloud in frustration, too annoyed to care about that blockhead.

Although Gu Jin walked toward Hua Shu, he had clearly noticed Ayin’s little antics. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and a hidden delight flickered in his eyes.

In that brief moment, Hua Shu had already approached.

“Princess,” Gu Jin raised his hand slightly toward Hua Shu, polite yet distant.

Hua Shu’s eyes dimmed. “It seems you don’t wish to see me. You’ve done me a kindness, so I should at least come to see you off.” She paused, then explained, “A Jin, back on Great Marsh Mountain, I didn’t mean to deceive you. My father was injured by the Eagle King back then and has since been unable to use his Immortal Power. My two elder brothers have dull Immortal Foundations. I truly had no other way to support Hundred Birds Island, which is why I turned to you…”

“Your Highness,” Gu Jin interrupted Hua Shu with a soft sigh. “Though I once admired you, I am not foolish. Some things can be said once, but repeating them is unnecessary.”

Ayin, who was not far away, pricked up her ears upon hearing this and couldn’t help but inch closer to Gu Jin and Hua Shu’s direction.

Hua Shu’s expression changed. “A Jin!”Gu Jin looked at her, his gaze open and forthright. "The Eagle Clan only entered the Boundless Cave to investigate the mystery of their missing clansmen. They never intended to seize the Paradise Grotto of Hundred Birds Island. Even if you had lost to the Eagle King, what would it have mattered? It would have posed no harm to your Hundred Birds Island."

"If I had lost, all the sects of the Immortal Realm would have thought Hundred Birds Island weak and easy to bully. In the future, wouldn't anyone be able to step all over us?" Hua Shu's voice rose slightly, a hint of arrogance flashing in her eyes.

"So, to win, for Hundred Birds Island to stand proudly over the North Sea, and to have enough status and reputation to marry the acting ruler of the Heavenly Palace with dignity, you trampled on my goodwill and deliberately refined and absorbed the Sky-Shielding Umbrella?"

A flicker of panic and shame flashed in Hua Shu's eyes. "I didn't deliberately refine it! If I hadn't been in mortal danger during the battle with the Eagle King, how could I have refined your Sky-Shielding Umbrella?"

Gu Jin closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was no trace of warmth left. "The Sky-Shielding Umbrella is my master's Semi-Divine Artifact. I had already performed Blood-Binding Recognition with it. Even a Demigod would need at least half a month to refine and absorb it. Hua Shu, in the brief moment of your battle with the Eagle King, it would have been impossible for you to refine the Sky-Shielding Umbrella. I stayed on the island for three days. You had countless opportunities to see me. If you had spoken up then, out of gratitude for your kindness to me on Phoenix Tree Island, I would have given you the Sky-Shielding Umbrella. But instead, you deliberately sent someone to lead me to the Tranquil Beauty Pavilion..." He looked at Hua Shu, his gaze clear and perceptive. "The Fire Phoenix Jade never leaves my side. That day in the garden, a maid accidentally bumped into me. She must have taken the Fire Phoenix Jade then and dropped it on the path to the Tranquil Beauty Pavilion. And the words you spoke to Supreme Lord Lan Feng in the Tranquil Beauty Pavilion were meant for me to hear, weren't they?"

Hua Shu was left speechless. She had thought Gu Jin left in anger because of her deception at Great Marsh Mountain. She had planned to see him off and speak some gentle words to mend the relationship between Hundred Birds Island and Great Marsh Mountain, never expecting that Gu Jin had already seen through all her arrangements.

Overwhelmed with shame and anger, Hua Shu asked, "Since you knew everything, why were you willing to gift me the Sky-Shielding Umbrella in front of all the immortals? Why didn't you expose my lies?"

"Because even though everything you said was a lie, one sentence was true." Gu Jin spoke slowly. "The Peacock King's Immortal Power is damaged, your two elder brothers have dull Immortal Foundations, and you, a mere Lady, are struggling to support such a vast Hundred Birds Island. It truly is not easy."

He spoke calmly, his words plain yet profound, leaving Hua Shu stunned. Her lips trembled slightly.

"I didn't forcibly take back the Sky-Shielding Umbrella, not because of the kindness you showed me on Phoenix Tree Island, but because this one sentence was not a lie to me. Your Highness, having known each other for so long, I will always remember the help and protection you once offered me. But as for your path, I can only accompany you this far."

He bowed slightly to Hua Shu, utterly composed. "I wish Your Highness and Supreme Lord Lan Feng a harmonious union. The path of immortality is long, and the Three Realms are vast. I only hope that our paths never cross again. Take care, Your Highness."

After speaking, Gu Jin flew back to the cloud where Ayin and Yan Shuang stood, patted Ayin's head, and with his immortal robes billowing, rode the cloud away.

Hua Shu stood rooted to the spot, her expression complex. After a long while, she sighed and returned alone to Hundred Birds Island.

Beyond the North Sea, high above the clouds.Ayin sat cross-legged, staring at Gu Jin's back, clearly still dazed by his exceptionally fitting and eloquent words just moments before.

The Immortal Lord, his sleeves fluttering, turned and bent down, bringing himself to the same eye level as the still-stunned little girl.

"Satisfied?"

Ayin nodded repeatedly, her eyes narrowing into crescent slits as she grinned.

"Running off alone so far, weren't you scared?"

"Not at all, not at all! Look who taught me—I'm plenty capable!"

"Oh?" Gu Jin raised a dangerous eyebrow. "Will you run off recklessly again in the future?"

"No, no! From now on, I'll only follow you, Senior Brother, and never run off again!"

Ayin tugged at Gu Jin's sleeve, putting all her effort into acting cute and pitiful.

Seeing her expression—both delighted and guilty—Gu Jin finally broke into a laugh and patted her head. "Alright, get up. Since we're out, I'll take you somewhere."

Standing nearby, Yan Shuang watched this shameless display of affection between the senior brother and junior sister, her jaw dropping. She silently rolled her eyes and couldn't help but scoff.

For once, the one inside the Cosmic Bag stood on the same side as her, echoing an identical sound of disdain.

On Hundred Birds Island, the banquet had long since ended, and immortals from various sects had already departed.

Hua Mo was waiting for Hua Shu in the study. Seeing her return dejectedly, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did Gu Jin refuse to let the matter rest? Is he still determined to antagonize our Hundred Birds Island?"

Hua Shu shook her head. "Father, although Gu Jin is stubborn, he wouldn't let Great Marsh Mountain become our enemy over a momentary impulse." She recalled the calm and composed demeanor of the white-robed Immortal Lord as he departed. "He won't pursue the matter of the Sky-Shielding Umbrella any further."

"That's good. It seems he still cares for you," the Peacock King said, his expression softening. He advised, "Shu'er, Great Marsh Mountain is powerful—we cannot afford to offend them. If there's an opportunity in the future, you should still maintain contact with Gu Jin. At the very least, we must not let Great Marsh Mountain side with the Eagle Clan."

Thinking of her impending marriage, Hua Shu frowned slightly. But seeing the worry on the Peacock King's face, she could only nod and say, "I understand, Father. You should rest early. Tomorrow, when Lan Feng and Yan Shuang enter the Boundless Cave, I can take them."

"No need," the Peacock King replied, his eyes darkening as he waved a hand. "Yan Qiu claims their Second Elder disappeared near the Boundless Cave, but that's just their side of the story. The Eagle Clan insists on entering the cave to investigate—who knows what they're really after. Tomorrow, I'll accompany them into the cave myself."

Seeing the Peacock King's solemn expression, Hua Shu was slightly taken aback.

Noticing her reaction, Hua Mo smiled. "In three months, it'll be your wedding day. Focus on preparing to be a carefree bride—leave everything else to me." He patted Hua Shu's hand, sighing with emotion. "I haven't been much use all these years. You've had it hard."

A warm feeling surged in Hua Shu's heart. She nodded obediently and withdrew.

Listening to the sound of Hua Shu's footsteps fading down the corridor outside, a shadow fell over the Peacock King's gloomy eyes.

Meanwhile, Sen Yu returned to the Fox Demon Clan with Chang Qin's Demon Core.

To his surprise, the Fox Demon Clan was in similar chaos. The Fox race's Elder Chang Mei had disappeared within the clan two days ago—no trace of her, alive or dead. Her room was filled only with a dense dark aura, with no signs of a struggle. Sen Yu's arrival cast an even deeper shadow over the fox clan.

Once the Demon Core leaves the body, even a Demon Tribe member who has cultivated to godhood cannot survive.As the tribal chief of the Fox race, the death of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon Chang Qin was far more serious than the disappearance of the Fox Clan's Elder. The cunning and intelligent Fox race, in particular, sensed a whiff of conspiracy from these two events, and even Sen Yu, who had brought back Chang Qin's Demon Core, was met with great suspicion.

It was the Fox Clan's Second Elder, Chang Yun, who dismissed the dissent and allowed Sen Yu to take Chang Qin's Inner Core to Tranquil Lake. Although Chang Qin had died, her Inner Core was protected by Wu Xi and would not perish. If Sen Yu had been the one who killed Chang Qin, he would have long since Refined and Absorbed her Inner Core. Why would he travel all the way back to the Fox Clan to endure everyone's suspicions?

After settling the affairs of the Fox Clan, Chang Yun escorted Sen Yu to the mountain gate.

"Before Chang Qin left Tranquil Mountain, did she not tell you where she was going?" Sen Yu's voice was heavy.

Chang Yun shook her head. "The chief was busy those days with the hatching of the clan's young foxes. She only spoke with Chang Mei a few times. I suspect Chang Mei met with misfortune because she knew the chief's whereabouts. Your Highness, our clan is now in a state of panic. I will work with the other Elders to purge the clan, then activate the Mountain Protection Array outside Tranquil Mountain to seal it off until we find our young master. We will not disclose the news of the chief's death. Please inform His Majesty Sen Hong of our clan's true situation. The Fox Clan will not be able to serve His Majesty until the new king is born."

Over the past century, the Fox Clan had risen to become the largest clan in the Demon Realm, undoubtedly making many enemies. Although they had lost their chief, Chang Qin, their strength remained. Precisely because of this, before the successor Hong Yi returned, the Fox Clan needed to preserve their strength so that, after the new king ascended, the Fox Clan could still stand at the pinnacle of the Demon Realm's clans.

This was the ancient survival principle of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon Clan—adaptable and wise to the extreme.

Sen Yu understood and nodded. "Do you have any idea where Hong Yi went?"

Chang Yun shook her head, looking sorrowful. "After the old chief and his wife died in battle, the young master never forgave the chief. No matter how hard the chief tried over the years, he never spoke a word to her. Apart from the annual memorial for the old chief, the aunt and nephew never even met. Three years ago, the young master disappeared and never returned."

Sen Yu's face paled, his lips pressed into a thin line. "It's my fault."

If he hadn't insisted on keeping Chang Qin in the Third Heaven back then, perhaps the old Fox King, with Chang Qin's help, would not have died so tragically on the battlefield, and Hong Yi would not have resented Chang Qin to this day.

Now, even as aunt and nephew were separated by life and death, their unresolved grievances remained.

"However..." Chang Yun suddenly remembered something, but her expression was hesitant.

"Chang Yun, have you recalled something?"

Chang Yun hesitated slightly but spoke up. "Your Highness, there is indeed something strange. Three days before the chief left, an Immortal secretly visited Tranquil Mountain."

"An Immortal?" Sen Yu was startled, recalling the lingering Demonic Qi at the scene of Chang Qin's accident, and frowned. "Could you tell who it was from the Immortal Realm?"

Chang Yun shook her head. "That person arrived cloaked and veiled and was directly invited by the chief into the inner hall. That day, only Chang Mei was in attendance. No one else knew the Immortal's identity or appearance."

Seeing Sen Yu's frown deepen, Chang Yun added, "But I could tell that person's strength was at least at the peak of the High Lord level. Their Immortal Power was likely only slightly inferior to the chief's."Though there are many immortals, those who have reached the peak of the High Lord realm are few. Sen Yu finally grasped a faint clue, yet felt the mystery grow even more elusive.

The Immortal Tribe, the Demon Tribe, the Demon Tribe... What kind of conspiracy could entangle all three races?

"Rest assured, I will find the one who killed Chang Qin and bring both Hong Yi and Chang Mei back to the Fox race." Sen Yu gazed toward the direction of the Tranquil Lake, speaking each word deliberately: "All the things she left unfinished, I will accomplish for her."

His hand gently brushed over the Sun-Moon Halberd at his side, tempering it into a silent vow. Then he turned and soared into the sky, leaving behind a solitary yet resolute figure.