The Last Immortal

Chapter Sixty-Seven

"Did the Princess send someone to Great Marsh Mountain to find me because there is news about the phoenix tree?" Gu Jin asked this in the Tranquil Beauty Pavilion.

Hua Shu nodded, revealing a smile that appeared particularly sincere. "Some time ago, after hearing that you were searching for Feng Yin's soul within the phoenix tree, I dispatched my clansmen to look for phoenix trees throughout the Three Realms. The Boundless North Sea is our clan's territory, so my people went there first. A few days ago, they reported discovering a solitary ten-thousand-year-old phoenix tree growing in the northernmost part of the sea, with dense Immortal Power emanating from it." Hua Shu paused before continuing, "However, it's still unknown whether Feng Yin's soul is inside. Knowing that Great Marsh Mountain has recently been invaded by the Demon Tribe and that your mountain-protection duties are significant, I planned to simply inform you of this news. I didn't expect you to come here yourself. But this works out well—the journey to the northernmost island of the North Sea only takes half a day. You can accompany me there now. If Feng Yin's soul is truly inside..."

A trace of melancholy appeared on Hua Shu's face. "It would be some compensation I can offer Feng Yin. I was too reckless and willful back then, otherwise I wouldn't have caused you to be punished by the Celestial Emperor and Dong Hua Shang Shen all these years, nor would you have had to travel throughout the Three Realms to revive her."

The round trip would only take one day, and delaying his return to the mountain by one day wouldn't significantly affect the pill refinement. After a moment of hesitation, Gu Jin nodded in agreement. "Alright, then I'll trouble the Princess to accompany me to the northernmost island of the North Sea. I hope Feng Yin's soul will be there."

"You don't need to be so formal with me," Hua Shu sighed. "Although I'm the princess of the Peacock Clan and appear to be admired and praised by everyone in daily life, in truth, I don't have many real friends."

After experiencing so many events, Gu Jin didn't want to have further entanglements with Hua Shu. However, since Hua Shu had actively searched for Feng Yin's soul and he now had a request for her, he couldn't make their relationship too strained.

Seeing that Gu Jin remained silent, Hua Shu understood that the rift between them couldn't be mended in a single day. She asked, "I only heard two days ago that Great Marsh Mountain was invaded by the Demon Tribe and that your two uncles lit the Nine Star Lantern. At such a critical moment, why did you leave the mountain to come to Hundred Birds Island?"

After a brief silence, Gu Jin stood up and bowed respectfully to Hua Shu, finally stating his purpose. "Your Highness, the reason I've come to Hundred Birds Island is actually to ask a favor."

Seeing him so solemn, Hua Shu was taken aback. "What exactly has happened? Please speak freely."

Gu Jin briefly explained Ayin's damaged life essence situation. "Princess, my junior sister has suffered damage to her life essence and needs pill refinement for treatment. We're still missing one ten-thousand-year Inner Core from a flying beast. I've come this time to ask if I might borrow your clan's Feathered Phoenix Crown."

When Hua Shu had previously come to Great Marsh Mountain to borrow the Sky-Shielding Umbrella, she had been willing to exchange it for the Feathered Phoenix Crown. Although this magical artifact was only a high-grade immortal weapon and normally wouldn't catch Gu Jin's attention, it was formed from the heart's blood and Inner Core of the Peacock Clan's strongest king before his death—exactly what Gu Jin needed most right now.

The Feathered Phoenix Crown was Hundred Birds Island's treasure that safeguarded the island, as well as the crown of successive Peacock Kings. It held immense symbolic significance for the Peacock Clan. Back then, Hua Shu had been willing to exchange it for the Sky-Shielding Umbrella because Hundred Birds Island was in critical danger, but now...Sure enough, upon hearing Gu Jin's purpose, Hua Shu frowned and remained silent. Though they had only met twice, she remembered the youngest female disciple of Dong Hua particularly well. That day at the Peacock King's birthday banquet, if Ayin hadn't brought Yan Shuang, the reason for the conflict between the Peacock Clan and the Eagle Clan would never have been known. To be honest, she disliked Ayin immensely, and the thought of using the Peacock Clan's Supreme Treasure to extend Ayin's life essence was something she was utterly unwilling to do.

But since Gu Jin had already made the request, Hua Shu hesitated and said, "Immortal Lord Gu Jin, as you know, the Feathered Phoenix Crown is not only a precious treasure of Hundred Birds Island but also the crown of the successive kings of our clan. To take it to refine elixirs for your junior sister... I'm afraid my father and the clan members..."

"Your Highness," Gu Jin bowed again, "as long as Your Highness is willing to lend me the Feathered Phoenix Crown to save Ayin's life, no matter what condition, I will certainly fulfill it for you."

Although Hua Shu had not interacted much with Gu Jin, in the few times they had met, Gu Jin, while mindful of her, also displayed the pride and self-respect of a young prodigy. Seeing him willing to go to such lengths for that Water Condensation Beast truly surprised her.

If Gu Jin hadn't brought the Star-Adorned Phoenix Crown to Hundred Birds Island to propose marriage just half a month ago, Hua Shu might have thought he was in love with his junior sister. It was said that Great Marsh Mountain was harmonious and united, so it seemed their bond as senior and junior disciples was exceptionally strong.

Which held more weight: the promise of one of the three revered figures of Great Marsh Mountain or the ancestral crown of Hundred Birds Island?

Hua Shu was a clever person. After a brief consideration, she instructed Hong Que, who had been waiting outside the pavilion, "Go and bring the Feathered Phoenix Crown."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your magnanimity." Gu Jin was overjoyed at how smoothly things had gone, a look of gratitude appearing on his face.

A short while later, Hong Que brought a brocade box containing the Feathered Phoenix Crown, and Hua Shu pushed it toward Gu Jin.

Looking at the box, Gu Jin said sincerely, "Whatever Your Highness wishes Gu Jin to do, I will certainly not refuse."

"Really? No matter what I ask, you'll do it?" Hua Shu was intrigued by his words and teased.

Gu Jin nodded, his expression earnest.

To him, Ayin's life was more important than anything else.

"Don't agree so quickly. What if I ask you to do something that goes against your conscience or is unjust? Would you still be willing?" Hua Shu tapped her fingers on the brocade box.

Gu Jin smiled and replied, "Your Highness jests. Supreme Lord Lan Feng is humble, benevolent, and virtuous. The person he chose must share his humble and virtuous nature."

This was a clever response, essentially conveying the idea, "Although I promised to do something for you, I certainly won't do anything that is not humble or virtuous."

Hua Shu naturally understood the meaning behind his words, thinking that although Gu Jin was proud, he was also exceptionally shrewd. She smiled and said, "I certainly won't make things difficult for you..."

She paused, gazing at Gu Jin's face, and suddenly spoke, "But I haven't thought of what I want you to do yet. How about this: in the future, when I need you, you can do one thing for me. As long as you accomplish it, the favor of lending you the Feathered Phoenix Crown to save your junior sister will be settled. If you fail..."

Hua Shu revealed a meaningful smile and pushed the brocade box toward Gu Jin. "If you fail, then you, an Elder of Great Marsh Mountain, will forever owe me, Hua Shu, a favor."Gu Jin glanced at the brocade box, placed the Feathered Phoenix Crown into his Cosmic Bag, and said with utmost sincerity, "Very well, I promise you, Princess. In the future, whatever you wish, Gu Jin will spare no effort to fulfill it for you."

After retrieving the Feathered Phoenix Crown, Gu Jin and Hua Shu made a trip to the North Sea's Polar Island. As expected, they found one of the Po souls within the island's phoenix tree. From then on, only one Po remained to be recovered before all of Feng Yin's Three Hun and Seven Po, scattered across the Three Realms, would be fully restored.

Gu Jin bid farewell to Hua Shu and hurried back toward Great Marsh Mountain.

Within the royal hall of Hundred Birds Island, Hua Shu reported to Hua Mo that she had privately lent the Feathered Phoenix Crown to Gu Jin.

"Let it be. You refined and absorbed his Sky-Shielding Umbrella, and this time we gifted him the Feathered Phoenix Crown, saving his junior sister's life. Word of this will spread, and it will only benefit our Peacock Clan," Hua Mo showed no anger at all. Instead, he comforted Hua Shu with a few words before dismissing her.

After Hua Shu left, the Peacock King sat alone on his throne in prolonged silence before suddenly speaking into the empty air.

"She's gone. You may come out now."

Eerie Demonic Qi coalesced into human form, appearing soundlessly by the window of the hall. It was the avatar of the Demon Venerable from the Nine Nether Purgatory.

"You father and daughter are truly exhausting. She doesn't want you to know she joined the Demon Tribe to uphold the family's standing, and you don't want her to know you've been exploiting her filial devotion," the Demon Venerable laughed with a ghostly air. "You Immortals are always so sanctimonious, yet deep down, you're far worse than us Demons."

Hua Mo's eyes turned cold, but he suppressed the disgust in his heart, acting as if he hadn't heard the Demon Venerable's mockery. He asked gently, "You had Shu'er hand over Feng Yin's soul to Gu Jin, and now you told me not to reprimand her for lending out the Feathered Phoenix Crown. What is your true purpose?" Hua Mo raised an eyebrow. "What is so special about that disciple of Dong Hua's that you would treat him with such distinction?"

She sniffed the blooming peonies by the window, revealing a meaningful smile. "Who he is, you will learn in time. I heard he came to Hundred Birds Island half a month ago to propose to Hua Shu?" The Demon Venerable's voice took a slight turn. "But you refused?"

Hua Mo nodded. "Although he is Dong Hua's disciple, Great Marsh Mountain has always remained aloof within the Immortal Realm, never contending for the Heavenly Palace. Lan Feng is the future ruler of the Immortal Realm. This king aspires to the Three Realms, so naturally, I would not choose him."

"Heh heh..." The Demon Venerable chuckled lightly, offering no further explanation. "Ruler of the Immortal Realm? Who can say what the future holds?"

Hua Mo frowned, his gaze deepening as he looked at the Demon Venerable. "What exactly are you hiding from me? And why did you suddenly appear at Great Marsh Mountain? The entire Immortal Realm is now on high alert because of you, and Great Marsh Mountain has even activated the Nine Star Lantern. Do not act recklessly and ruin our years of planning."

"What are you afraid of?" the Demon Venerable said dismissively. "It takes eighty-one days to ignite the Nine Star Lantern. Xian Shan and Xian Zhu are merely at the peak of the High Lord realm. This venerable one does not regard them as a threat."

Hua Mo clearly did not believe her. "Great Marsh Mountain has profound foundations. If they truly had no means to rely on, why would you have destroyed one of your avatars?"

The Demon Venerable's expression stiffened. Recalling the Primordial Chaos Power and the Primordial Chaos Sword on Gu Jin, she frowned slightly.

"This venerable one's affairs are none of your concern. I will deal with Great Marsh Mountain myself. You just wait and watch."

With a cold snort, the Demon Venerable said no more and vanished from the royal hall.

Meanwhile, Gu Jin traveled day and night to return to Great Marsh Mountain. By now, a full ten days had passed since he left the mountain.As soon as he entered the mountain gate, he was pounced upon by Qing Yi, who had been waiting at the foot of the mountain.

"Little Martial Uncle, you're finally back!" The half-grown youth had dark circles under his eyes, his face full of delight upon seeing Gu Jin.

"What's wrong?" Seeing that Qing Yi seemed to have been waiting for him at the foot of the mountain, Gu Jin felt a wave of unease.

"Little Martial Uncle, ever since you left, Little Martial Aunt Ayin has been in a deep sleep. It's been so many days, and she still hasn't woken up!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Jin's expression darkened abruptly. Without another word, he flew straight toward Qi Moon Hall.

Qing Yi followed beside him, chattering incessantly: "Yan Shuang and A Jiu fed Little Martial Aunt the Soul-Restoring Pill you left behind, and Sect Leader Master also transferred a lot of Immortal Power into her, but it was all useless. She just won't wake up. We're all worried sick. If it weren't for Princess Yan Shuang stopping him, A Jiu would have taken Little Martial Aunt back to the Demon Realm long ago. I've been waiting for you at the mountain gate for three days now!"

Qing Yi's voice trailed behind him like the wind. Before he even approached Qi Moon Hall, the commotion of Immortal and Demonic powers clashing inside could already be heard.

Outside Qi Moon Hall, Yan Shuang stood guard at the entrance, her expression anxious and worried, while A Jiu was summoning the Nirvana Wheel, ready to break through the hall doors.

Seeing Gu Jin appear outside the hall, Yan Shuang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly called out, "A Jin, you're finally back!" She walked toward Gu Jin. "Senior Xian Zhu said you went to find an Immortal medicine to save Ayin. How did it go? Did you find it?"

Hearing Yan Shuang's words, A Jiu's expression softened slightly. He withdrew the Nirvana Wheel and also turned to look at Gu Jin.

Gu Jin nodded. Everyone in the courtyard breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing his nod, with Qing Yi patting his chest and repeatedly saying, "Thank goodness, thank goodness."

Worried about Ayin, Gu Jin had no desire to say more and headed toward the hall, only to be stopped by A Jiu.

"What exactly happened to Ayin?" A Jiu stared intently at Gu Jin, his voice hoarse and low, clearly worn down by worry over the past few days. "Her wounds have already healed, and the Immortal Power she lost has been replenished by the Soul-Restoring Pill. But why is her body growing weaker and weaker, to the point where she can't even wake up? Why did you go down the mountain alone to find medicine for her? Are you hiding something from us?"

Despite A Jiu's barrage of questions, Gu Jin remained unwilling to say more.

The fact that Ayin had less than a year of life essence left was something he had never intended for anyone other than his two martial brothers to know. Now that he had found the Immortal materials to refine the Divine Transformation Pill, there was even less reason to reveal it and cause everyone unnecessary worry.

"Ayin's Immortal Power is weak, and her body naturally couldn't withstand the Demonic Power. I went to the Heavenly Palace to fetch the Divine Dew of the Jade Pool for her, which can help expel the Demonic Qi from her body." Gu Jin offered a half-truth explanation, then ignored A Jiu and continued toward the hall. After taking two steps, he turned to look at A Jiu and spoke calmly: "Hong Yi, this is Great Marsh Mountain. Let me say it again: Ayin is my martial sister. I won't let her go anywhere except by my side. And if you ever summon the Nirvana Wheel on Great Marsh Mountain again, don't blame me for driving you off the mountain."

After speaking bluntly, Gu Jin turned and entered Qi Moon Hall, leaving A Jiu outside fuming but not daring to disturb him as he used the Divine Dew of the Jade Pool to save Ayin.

Yan Shuang gave A Jiu an exasperated pat. "I told you not to worry. With Immortal Lord Gu Jin here, Ayin will definitely be fine."

A Jiu snorted, walked over to the courtyard railing, and leaned against it halfway. He gazed in the direction of the hall, clearly intent on waiting for Ayin to wake up.

Knowing how stubborn he was, Yan Shuang said nothing more and stood by his side, waiting with him in silent worry.Inside the hall, Gu Jin rushed to the bedside in three quick strides. The moment he saw Ayin, disbelief washed over his face. He half-knelt before the bed, tightly grasping Ayin's hand.

No wonder Qing Yi had been anxiously waiting for him at the foot of the mountain!

Ayin's face was deathly pale, her lips parched, her entire body showing an unnatural, sickly grayish hue. Her once-black hair had turned snow-white in just ten short days.

This was the aura of impending death, something only seen among Immortal Tribe members whose life essence was nearing its end.

How could this be? There should still be over half a year left—why had Ayin become like this?

Gu Jin lifted Ayin in his arms, pushed open the hall doors, and dashed toward Youze Hall. Outside, A Jiu and Yan Shuang, who had been waiting, saw only a blurry shadow before Gu Jin and Ayin vanished from the hall.

Mid-flight, Gu Jin caught sight of the faint, flickering illusion of the Nine Star Lantern burning above Great Marsh Mountain. He changed course and flew toward the Hall of Eternal Life.

As soon as Gu Jin landed outside the Hall of Eternal Life, Xian Zhu emerged.

His face bore signs of exhaustion, likely from the days spent with Xian Shan lighting the Nine Star Lantern, which had drained much of his Immortal Power.

"Junior Brother, you've finally returned?" Xian Zhu stepped forward, glanced at Ayin, and his expression turned grave. "Ayin looks even worse than yesterday."

Gu Jin's face was filled with urgency. "Senior Brother, how did Ayin become like this? Wasn't there still over half a year left?"

Xian Zhu sighed. "Sect Leader said that the Demonic Qi Ayin was exposed to that day activated the demonic poison she carried since birth, damaging her Inner Core. That's why her life essence is withering. Our attempts to heal her with Immortal Power have been useless."

"Demonic poison?" Gu Jin's expression darkened. "If we can neutralize the demonic poison, will it slow the withering of her life essence?"

Xian Zhu nodded. "But Demonic Qi is the most elusive and difficult form of Spiritual Power in the Three Realms. Senior Brother and I have tried every pill in the mountain sect, but none have any effect on Demonic Qi."

Gu Jin, however, breathed a sigh of relief. "Senior Brother, I can neutralize the demonic poison. Also, I've already found a way to save Ayin at Bi Bo's place."

Xian Zhu's face lit up with joy. "Truly?" He let out a long, relieved breath. "That's good."

Gu Jin explained the method for refining the Divine Transformation Pill in detail. Xian Zhu listened with admiration. "To think the vanished Water Condensation Beast tribe was willing to give up such a shortcut to godhood—it's truly remarkable. A Jin, with Demons appearing in the mountain sect now, it won't be safe until the Nine Star Lantern is fully lit. The Forbidden Valley in the back mountain has Master's restrictions—no one can break through. Take Ayin to the back mountain and refine the Divine Transformation Pill there."

Gu Jin frowned. "Senior Brother, the Nine Star Lantern requires your Immortal Power. You can't leave the Hall of Eternal Life. If I also go to the Forbidden Valley in the back mountain, who will guard the mountain sect..."

Just then, Yan Shuang and A Jiu, who had followed closely behind, landed outside the hall and walked toward them.

Xian Zhu glanced at the two and reassured, "Don't worry. These past few days while you were away from the mountain, A Jiu and Yan Shuang have been helping the disciples guard the mountain sect. It has been quiet and peaceful. Go to the back mountain with peace of mind and refine the pill for Ayin."

The two newcomers happened to hear Xian Zhu's instructions to Gu Jin. Yan Shuang quickly waved her hand. "A Jin, go refine it quickly, don't delay saving Ayin. A Jiu and I will definitely guard the mountain sect for you." As she spoke, she nudged A Jiu. "Right, A Jiu?"

A Jiu glanced at Ayin in Gu Jin's arms and nodded.Although Gu Jin enjoyed bickering with A Jiu, their concern for Ayin was equally strong. Even though A Jiu belonged to the Demon Tribe, having fought side by side through life-and-death situations, Gu Jin trusted him no less than he did Ayin. He nodded and said to A Jiu and Yan Shuang, "I leave the mountain gate in your hands."

With that, he flew toward the Forbidden Valley in the back mountains, holding Ayin in his arms.