The Last Immortal

Chapter Seventy-One

"Lan Feng!"

A heart-wrenching cry jolted everyone awake. They saw Hua Shu drop the phoenix crown in her hand, stumbling as she rushed to Lan Feng's side where he knelt half-collapsed. She supported his body with trembling hands.

His inner core was shattered, his blood vessels reversed. The body that had been warm just last night was now icy cold. Hua Shu shakily reached to sense Lan Feng's immortal spirit, only to discover his spiritual soul had completely dissipated.

Utter disbelief filled Hua Shu's eyes and heart. She pressed both hands against Lan Feng's chest, desperately channeling immortal power into him. But it was clearly too late now—the immortal power entering Lan Feng's body proved utterly useless.

The Peacock King who had followed couldn't bear to watch and hurried forward, calling softly to Hua Shu.

"Shu'er, Shu'er! High Lord Lan Feng, he..."

"The Divine Dew of the Jade Pool!" Hua Shu suddenly spoke, a flicker of hope flashing in her eyes as she searched through Lan Feng's sleeves. "He told me he had the Divine Dew gifted by the Celestial Emperor—it can gather souls and heal injuries! It can definitely save him! It must save him!"

But Lan Feng's sleeves were empty. That vial of Divine Dew he had treasured for a century was not in his sleeves.

"Where is the Divine Dew?" Hua Shu cried out in shock and fury, her voice hoarse. "Where is the Divine Dew he carried?"

She searched through Lan Feng's sleeves again and again, her eyes bloodshot, appearing almost deranged.

Seeing Hua Shu in this state, no one dared step forward to restrain her.

The immediate priority was to investigate who had killed Lan Feng, but the group of High Lords who had followed were momentarily at a loss about how to proceed.

Recognizing the situation was deteriorating, the Peacock King quickly pulled Hua Shu away. Infusing his voice with immortal power, he called out heavily: "Shu'er!"

This shout jolted Hua Shu out of her frantic actions. She stared blankly at the Peacock King before her, her eyes filled with confusion.

The Peacock King said solemnly, "Shu'er, High Lord Lan Feng is already dead."

"Who?" After a long pause, Hua Shu suddenly spoke, icy coldness rising in her eyes. "Who killed Lan Feng?"

As if suddenly awakening, she abruptly stood up and looked toward the Immortal Lords behind her. Her gaze fell upon the chief attendant of the Hall of Imperial Cosmos. "Why wasn't the High Lord in the Hall of Imperial Cosmos? What exactly happened?"

Zhao Feng, the chief attendant of the Hall of Imperial Cosmos, looked deathly pale. Seeing all the immortals looking at him, he fell to his knees with a thud, trembling as he spoke: "Your Highness, this humble servant doesn't know. Half an hour ago, the High Lord suddenly said he needed to go out. He ordered me not to make it known, saying he would return shortly and wouldn't miss the wedding ceremony. I don't know why the High Lord came to the Hall of Imperial Cosmos!"

The Hall of Imperial Cosmos was the former Heavenly Emperor Mu Guang's cultivation site. After he transformed into a stone dragon, to show respect for Mu Guang, Feng Ran had sealed this hall, strictly forbidding all immortals from entering. Only Lan Feng, who had received Feng Ran's order to oversee the Heavenly Palace, had the right to enter this hall and the method to undo the seal.

Feng Ran had long since ascended to High God status. The seal she placed could never be casually broken into.

The seal on this hall itself contained Upper Deity Power. Precisely because of this, Lan Feng's struggle with his opponent within the Hall of Imperial Cosmos's seal went undetected by the entire Heavenly Palace's Immortal Lords. Only when Lan Feng used his last breath to break through the Hall of Imperial Cosmos's seal did he awaken the immortals waiting for the wedding in the Wuji Hall.

But unfortunately, it was too late. Having expended his final breath, he only had time to see Hua Shu one last time.

Hearing Zhao Feng's words, the immortals fell into confusion. Why would Lan Feng suddenly come to the Hall of Imperial Cosmos right before his wedding? And who would dare challenge the entire Immortal Tribe, killing the Heavenly Palace's acting ruler right within the Heavenly Palace in front of all the Immortal Lords?The immortals, thinking of this, were filled with grief, indignation, and fury.

"Princess, do not be anxious," said Jing Lei, one of the four High Lords who assisted Lan Feng in governing the Heavenly Palace, his voice deep and steady. "We will surely find the murderer who killed the High Lord. That person dared to challenge our entire Immortal Tribe and recklessly killed High Lord Lan Feng. Whether it be a demon or a monster, once we locate their traces, the Heavenly Palace will make them pay the price, to honor the spirit of High Lord Lan Feng in heaven!"

The Thunder-Wielding High Lord walked before Lan Feng, his expression solemn, and bowed deeply to him with utmost respect. Then he turned and looked toward Lian Xi.

"High Lord Lian Xi, I have heard that the Kunlun Patriarch possesses a Mirror of Past Events, capable of viewing occurrences from the past. I wonder if this is true?"

The Kunlun Patriarch was as renowned as Divine Lord Dong Hua. He was devoted to cultivation and had not emerged from seclusion for forty thousand years. Only the four High Lords and other senior High Immortals were aware of the magical artifacts he carried with him.

Lian Xi nodded and said, "Indeed, High Lord Jing Lei. The Patriarch does possess a Mirror of Past Events, which can reveal causes and consequences."

"Could we request the Patriarch to emerge from seclusion? The Heavenly Palace wishes to borrow your mountain's Mirror of Past Events," Jing Lei earnestly pleaded.

"High Lord, there is no need for such formality. High Lord Lan Feng was benevolent, generous, and kind. Over the past century, he has shown great care and support to Kunlun. Now that he has suffered such a calamity, all of Kunlun is equally grief-stricken and outraged, sharing in your sorrow. It is Kunlun's duty to uncover the truth behind High Lord Lan Feng's tragic fate," Lian Xi said with profound sorrow. He recited an Immortal Incantation, and a bronze mirror the size of a fan appeared before the assembled immortals.

The mirror was forged from bronze, with a hazy mist floating in its center.

"A thousand years ago, when the Patriarch emerged from seclusion, he entrusted this mirror to my care," Lian Xi sighed. "It seems it was destined by heaven for me to help seek justice for High Lord Lan Feng today."

Lian Xi tossed the mirror into the air, drew three talismanic symbols in the void with a wave of his hand, and then pointed toward Lan Feng's direction. A drop of blood from Lan Feng's forehead followed his guidance and fell into the mirror.

As the blood merged with it, the mist on the mirror's surface slowly dissipated, revealing the earth-shattering battle that had taken place within the seals of the Hall of Imperial Cosmos half an hour earlier.

In the Mirror of Past Events, beneath layers of seals, two blurred figures were locked in fierce combat within the Hall of Imperial Cosmos. One, clad in red robes and wielding a sword, with a solemn expression, was Lan Feng. The other, holding a long halberd, was enveloped in a dense aura of Spiritual Power, making it impossible to discern their appearance or gender.

Everyone held their breath as they watched, with Hua Shu staring unblinkingly at the mirror, trembling uncontrollably at the sight of the red-clad figure within.

Lan Feng seemed so vivid, his voice and appearance still present, as if he had never left.

The immortals, unable to clearly see the face of the one who had slaughtered Lan Feng, all furrowed their brows. They had not expected the assailant to be so cunning, using Spiritual Power and dark mist to conceal their identity. Whether they were a demon or a monster, and what their origins were, remained completely indistinguishable.

The two fought a life-and-death battle. The halberd-wielder was ghostly and sinister, showing no mercy. From the mirror, it was evident that even with Lan Feng exerting his full strength, he was still at a disadvantage.

The level of this person's Spiritual Power was almost terrifyingly high.

Shortly after, the Azure Dragon Bell, the Peacock Chimes, and the Golden Dragon Tower were successively struck within the mirror. The time for the grand wedding was visibly passing.

Lan Feng's expression grew even more solemn. In the mirror, Lan Feng suddenly glanced toward the Hall of Infinity, transformed into his true form as a golden dragon, summoned his immortal sword, and unleashed a surge of powerful Immortal Power, forcing the shadowy figure to retreat. Seizing the opportunity, Lan Feng tore through the seal and flew out of the Hall of Imperial Cosmos.Just then, the retreating black shadow revealed a nine-tailed mark behind it, once again surrounding the seal. A demon artifact suddenly appeared in its palm, smashing toward the chest of the golden dragon's true form. At the same time, under the cover of the demon wheel, the long halberd in the shadow's hand plunged deep into the golden dragon's chest.

Struck by this blow, Lan Feng roared in fury, his true form writhing and rolling in the air. With brute force, he tore through the seal, finally revealing this earth-shattering battle before the eyes of the Heavenly Palace.

Unfortunately, that demon wheel shattered his immortal bones, and the halberd piercing his chest crushed his immortal elixir. Even after breaking free from the seal, Lan Feng had exhausted his vital energy and perished outside the Hall of Imperial Cosmos.

The black shadow in the mirror retracted the demon wheel, silently glancing at the immortals swiftly approaching from the direction of the Wuji Hall. It seemed to reveal a mocking smile before swiftly disappearing toward the northwest of the Heavenly Palace.

Having witnessed all this in the Mirror of Worldly Sights, the immortals outside the Hall of Imperial Cosmos felt as though they had been present themselves, vividly sensing the sorrow and resentment of Lan Feng's final moments. An unusual silence fell upon them.

Hua Shu, seeing the scene in the mirror, turned back to Lan Feng's side and lifted a corner of his robe at the chest. Sure enough, she saw a crescent-shaped wound on his chest.

"The Nirvana Wheel! That demon artifact is the Fox race's Supreme Treasure, the Nirvana Wheel!" Jing Lei spat out the words coldly, his eyes wide with rage. "A Nine-Tailed Fox Demon! It's the Fox race! How dare the Fox race invade our Heavenly Palace? Our Immortal Tribe will not tolerate this!"

The immortals were filled with righteous indignation, all voicing their agreement. Ever since True God Bai Jue sacrificed himself to save the Three Realms over a hundred years ago, conflicts between immortals and demons had temporarily ceased. For so many years, peace had been maintained without any outbreak of war. Yet this Nine-Tailed Fox Demon had dared to intrude into the Heavenly Palace and brutally kill its acting ruler—this was nothing short of a provocation against the entire Immortal Tribe and the Heavenly Palace.

"Jing Lei!" One of the Four Venerables, High Lord Yu Feng, stepped forward and said gravely, "True God Bai Jue sacrificed himself to bring peace between the Two Realms. Harmony between the Immortal and Demon Tribes is hard-won, and this matter is of great importance. We must request the Celestial Emperor's return to the palace to investigate the truth. Until the truth is determined, we cannot blame the entire Demon Tribe for this."

The Four Venerables of Wind, Fire, Thunder, and Lightning assisted Lan Feng in governing the Heavenly Palace. Among them, the Venerables of Fire, Thunder, and Lightning were all hot-tempered, while only High Lord Yu Feng remained rational and calm. He had always been Lan Feng's right-hand man.

Seeing that the immortals outside the hall agreed with Yu Feng's words, Hua Shu felt deep resentment in her heart. The demon fox had dared to kill Lan Feng, and now she only wished for the entire Fox race to be buried with him!

"High Lord Yu Feng, it was a Nine-Tailed Fox Demon who killed Lan Feng! Throughout the Three Realms, it is known that only the tribal chief of the Fox Demon Clan, Chang Qin, is a Nine-Tailed Fox Demon. She has always been loyal to the Demon Emperor. If not under the Demon Emperor's orders, why would she come to the Heavenly Palace without reason to kill Lan Feng? This is clearly a provocation by the Demon Tribe against our Immortal Tribe." Hua Shu's gaze swept over the Immortal Lords outside the hall as she spoke with grief and indignation, "If even the acting ruler of our Immortal Tribe can be brutally killed by the Demon Tribe in full view of everyone, then from now on, won't every member of our Immortal Tribe live in fear throughout the Three Realms? What face will we have left to exist in the Three Realms? In the future, we will surely become a laughingstock among demons and monsters!"

As Hua Shu's blood-stained gaze swept over them, the Immortal Lords outside the hall averted their eyes, unable to bear looking further.

"Your Highness Hua Shu." High Lord Wu Xiu, who had been guarding Rakshasa Land with Jing Yang and had come specifically for the grand wedding, suddenly stepped forward and addressed Hua Shu, "The demon fox in the mirror should not be the Fox race's tribal chief, Chang Qin."

"What?" The immortals turned to look at him, their faces filled with surprise.Wu Xiu said, "Three thousand years ago, I fought with Chang Qin in Rakshasa Land. Although I couldn’t clearly see the figure of the person who just battled with High Lord Lanfeng, their method of spiritual power attack is completely different from Chang Qin’s. It shouldn’t be Chang Qin."

The method of spiritual power attack is determined when the inner core of an immortal or demon first forms and is difficult to change. Wu Xiu had fought with Chang Qin before, so if he spoke up, he was at least ninety percent certain.

"Indeed, the direction the demon fox fled wasn’t toward the Demon Realm either." At that moment, someone suddenly remembered that the shadowy figure had escaped toward the northwest.

"High Lord Jing Lei, Your Highness Hua Shu." Lian Xi, who had remained silent until now, withdrew the Mirror of Observation into his palm and said, "I have a way to determine whether the perpetrator is the tribal chief of the Fox race, Chang Qin."

Seeing the immortals look toward him, Lian Xi held up the Mirror of Observation in his palm. "That person fought with High Lord Lanfeng and must have been stained with his spiritual energy. There is a drop of heart's blood from High Lord Lanfeng in the Mirror of Observation. As long as the mirror is activated, it can track that person’s trail."

He paused, noticing the interest on the immortals’ faces, and continued, "However, this drop of heart's blood can only remain in the mirror for two days. After two days, once the heart's blood disappears, the Mirror of Observation will no longer be able to trace that person."

In other words, as long as the person kept fleeing without stopping in one place for two days, the Mirror of Observation would lose its effectiveness.

"Two days is enough," Yu Feng said. "That person brutally murdered High Lord Lanfeng and escaped in full view of everyone. They must have no fear of their actions. Within two days, they will surely return to where they came from."

Yu Feng looked at Ling Dian and Supreme Venerable Yan Huo. "Ling Dian, go to Phoenix Island overseas and inform Elder Feng Yun of what happened in the Heavenly Palace. Request that the Celestial Emperor leave seclusion and return to the Heavenly Palace to take charge. The Heavenly Palace has suddenly encountered this chaos, and people are panicked. Yan Huo, you and the four Dragon Kings stay behind in the Heavenly Palace to guard against another attack by that demon fox."

Ling Dian and Supreme Venerable Yan Huo nodded in agreement.

Yu Feng then turned to High Lord Jing Lei and the other immortals. "The Mirror of Observation only has two days. Jing Lei, you and the other Sect Leaders follow me with the Mirror of Observation to capture that vile creature."

Jing Lei had always followed Yu Feng’s lead. Seeing him make arrangements methodically, he nodded in agreement.

Yu Feng hesitated for a moment and looked toward Hua Shu. "Your Highness, High Lord Lanfeng’s body is not yet cold. The affairs of the Heavenly Palace and the mourning rites for the High Lord should be left to you and His Majesty Hua Mo..."

Although Lanfeng and Hua Shu had not yet completed their wedding ceremony, entrusting Lanfeng’s funeral rites to them was the most appropriate.

"High Lord Yu Feng." Hua Shu slowly shook her head. She walked to Lanfeng’s side, knelt halfway, and reached out to hold his cold hand, which still gripped the long sword.

After a long while, she suddenly stood up and looked at the immortals gathered before the hall. A murderous aura enveloped her, and the peak-level immortal qi of a High Lord overflowed from her body. Behind her, the power of the Sky-Shielding Umbrella gradually manifested.

"I must personally capture that demon fox and offer him as a sacrifice on the Azure Dragon Platform, subjecting him to the punishment of Heavenly Thunder, to console Lanfeng’s spirit in heaven!"

With Hua Shu’s resolute declaration, the decision was made. Except for Ling Dian, Yan Huo, and the four Dragon Kings, who remained in the Heavenly Palace, the Immortal Tribe’s Three Mountains and Six Prefectures, High Venerables Yu Feng and Jing Lei, the Peacock Clan, and the Kunlun lineage gathered thirty thousand troops and pursued the demon fox, following the faint trace in the Mirror of Observation.

Two days later, at the very last moment before Lanfeng’s heart's blood in the Mirror of Observation was about to disappear, Yu Feng, Hua Shu, and the others stopped unexpectedly before a mountain gate.Even though this group had mobilized nearly the entire strength of the Immortal Tribe, even though the acting ruler of the Heavenly Palace had been brutally slain by the demon, and even though the Mirror of Omniscience was never wrong, this army of the Immortal Tribe, driven by grief and battle intent after pursuing for two days and two nights, still came to a halt.

Because this was Great Marsh Mountain.

The oldest Immortal Sect Abode in existence since the creation of the Three Realms, the most revered place in the entire Immortal Tribe.