Chapter Seventy-Seven
While Yan Shuang led Qing Yun, Qing Yi, and others to help A Jiu withstand the heavenly tribulation of ascending to High Lord, Hua Shu and Yu Feng returned to the Heavenly Palace to handle Lan Feng's funeral arrangements. Hua Mo, having received a message from the Peacock Clan midway, claimed urgent clan matters and hurriedly left the group of immortals, heading toward Hundred Birds Island. After traveling a thousand meters and seeing that Yu Feng and the others were far ahead, he turned and made his way toward Great Marsh Mountain.
Outside Great Marsh Mountain, heavenly thunder gathered densely. The mountain's protective formations were fully activated, with multicolored immortal light emanating from outside the Hall of Eternal Life, blocking one bolt of heavenly thunder after another beyond the mountain.
The Nine Star Lantern swayed precariously under the impact of the heavenly thunder.
Hua Mo proceeded cautiously, quietly landing in an inconspicuous spot at the mountain's rear. After waiting a moment, a sinister wind swept by. He suddenly turned to find the Demon Venerable perched gracefully on a branch behind him, smiling with a ghostly and chilling air.
"Didn't we agree not to meet recently? Why did you insist on coming back to see me? This time, I killed Lan Feng in my True Form. If those High Immortals discover it and use that immortal net against me, it would be quite troublesome to handle. This is the most critical moment—I cannot afford to waste even a trace of my Demonic Power."
The immortal net laid by eleven High Immortals was already at the Half-God Peak, yet judging by the Demon Venerable's words, it clearly held no regard for it, evidently possessing Upper Deity Power. However, for some reason, its name did not appear on the pillar of the Immortal-Demon boundary.
It was precisely because of this that it remained hidden within Hong Yi's body, undetected by the immortal net.
"Didn't you say everything was arranged properly? Hong Yi would be found by them and become the suspect in Lan Feng's murder. But you never told me Hong Yi was merely a Lower Lord—how could he possibly kill Lan Feng? Do you think the people of the Immortal Realm are fools?" Hua Mo seethed with anger. "Now, Xian Shan and Gu Jin have already cleared his suspicion. Once the Celestial Emperor returns, given her friendship with Chang Qin, she will personally investigate the truth in the Fox race. How long will your identity remain concealed then?"
The Demon Venerable showed no anger, merely curling the corner of its mouth and casually brushing its hair. "That depends on whether she can find Chang Qin."
Hua Mo's expression changed. "You mean Chang Qin...?"
Seeing the Demon Venerable smile without answering, a chill ran through Hua Mo's heart, deepening his wariness of this Demon Creature.
"Hong Yi's suspicion has been cleared. What do you plan to do next?"
"Who said his suspicion is cleared? What is a mere Lan Feng worth? Even if ten Lan Fengs died, the Immortal and Demon races would not lightly wage war. Without Hong Yi, how could I discreetly summon demonic thunder at Great Marsh Mountain to destroy the Nine Star Lantern?"
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
"What? Are you scared? I should thank you. If you hadn't lured Lan Feng to the Hall of Imperial Cosmos, how could I have avoided Yu Feng and Jing Lei and killed him within the Barrier of the Hall of Imperial Cosmos? But Lan Feng was truly devoted to your daughter, thinking of returning to Wuji Hall to marry her even in death." The Demon Venerable covered its mouth with a light laugh. "Tsk, tsk, to encounter a father-in-law like you—how pitiful."
Hua Mo frowned at the mockery. If not for this Demon Creature's claim that Hua Shu had a better marriage awaiting her, why would he have helped it kill Lan Feng before the wedding, cutting off his own support?
"At this point, you still refuse to tell me who that person is—the one who can revitalize Hundred Birds Island even more than Lan Feng?""What's the hurry? You'll know soon enough." The Demon Venerable gazed toward the direction of Great Marsh Mountain, his eyes dark and inscrutable. "Your future son-in-law is quite an extraordinary man. I'm preparing a gift he'll never forget for the rest of his life."
Hua Mo followed its gaze, landing on the sky above Great Marsh Mountain, and was suddenly startled. This demon creature was so audacious, could it possibly be planning to...
"Go now. Once everything is settled, just wait for Hundred Birds Island to become the foremost sect in the Immortal Realm!"
The Demon Venerable's voice echoed, and by the time Hua Mo turned back, it had already vanished from the tree, transforming into a wisp of black smoke heading toward Great Marsh Mountain.
Gu Jin carried Ayin all the way into the Demon Realm, landing outside Purple Moon Mountain. Before Bi Bo and San Huo could appear, his Primordial Spirit Sword struck the formation array Tian Qi had set up outside the mountain, causing a deafening roar that shook Purple Moon Hall, startling Bi Bo and San Huo inside.
San Huo opened the Mountain Protection Array, and Gu Jin flew in on his sword, heading straight for Purple Moon Hall.
Sensing Gu Jin's aura, Bi Bo, for the first time, didn't joyfully rush out to greet his Little Divine Lord. Instead, his brows furrowed like a little old man's, and he tried to slip away unnoticed.
San Huo saw through his little scheme, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him up to face him.
"Bi Bo, your Little Divine Lord is here. Why are you running?"
Bi Bo struggled with all his might, his face flushed red. "Let me down quickly! I can't see A Jin!"
San Huo raised an eyebrow. "What exactly have you done to be so afraid?"
"I said let me down!" Bi Bo's legs dangled in the air. Usually, he strutted around ordering the demon dragons to do his bidding, but now he bitterly complained, wondering what this dragon had eaten to grow so strong—its hands were like iron clamps he couldn't shake off.
While Bi Bo was still struggling against San Huo, Gu Jin flew into the hall. Seeing the creditor himself had arrived, San Huo leisurely set Bi Bo down and stood aside to watch the show.
As soon as Bi Bo's feet touched the ground, he turned and saw Gu Jin's cold, grim face and Ayin, who seemed lifeless on his back. He averted his eyes, unable to look at the person before him.
Seeing his cowardly demeanor, Gu Jin knew he must have lied, and his anger grew. Without hesitation, he threw the shattered Primordial Spirit Pill at Bi Bo. "Is this what you called the Primordial Spirit Pill?"
Bi Bo fumbled to catch it, stammering, "A Qi, I... I..."
"How much did I trust you to entrust Ayin's life to your hands?" Gu Jin spoke coldly. "For three whole months, I refined the Primordial Spirit Pill every day, even sacrificing half my Immortal Power, only to realize at the last moment that you were lying to me." He looked at Bi Bo. "Bi Bo, what exactly is still missing to refine the Primordial Spirit Pill? Tell me."
With each word Gu Jin spoke, Bi Bo hung his head lower, but he still clutched the fragments of the Primordial Spirit Pill, standing there stubbornly, preferring to endure Gu Jin's wrath, unwilling to utter a single word.
Seeing him like this, Gu Jin was about to step forward and force Bi Bo to speak.
San Huo stepped past him, shaking his head, and walked up to Bi Bo, forcibly lifting his head.
The Water Condensation Divine Beast's eyes were red, his lips trembling and tightly clenched, filled with a sense of grievance in his gaze.San Huo sighed, ruffling Gu Jin's hair and discreetly wiping away the tears that were about to spill from his eyes. He spoke gently, "I know you must have your reasons for not saying anything. But this concerns Ayin's life. No matter what the truth is, what must be sacrificed, or what will happen, A Qi should make his own decisions. Bi Bo, he has grown up and can take responsibility for his own life."
Hearing San Huo's words, Gu Jin turned to look at Bi Bo, his expression no longer cold but filled with pleading.
"Bi Bo, Ayin is very important to me, just as important as Father God, Mother God, Purple-Haired Uncle, Aunt Feng Ran, and you," he spoke slowly, tightening his grip on the gradually cooling body on his back, unable to hide his fear and pain. "Please help me save her."
Unable to bear seeing him like this, Bi Bo finally spoke, "A Qi, I thought you would give up if you couldn't find the Ten-Thousand-Year Demonic Beast Inner Core. I never expected you would actually attempt to refine the Divine Pill. I wasn't lying to you. Our clan truly has the Divine Transformation Pill, but no one has ever succeeded in refining it because no one could obtain the final ingredient."
"What is the final ingredient?" Gu Jin held his breath and asked.
What could be harder to find than the Divine Dew of the Jade Pool, the Kunlun Snow Lotus, and the Ten-Thousand-Year Demonic Beast Inner Core?
"The seed of the God-Slaying Flower. Only the seed of the God-Slaying Flower from the Nine Nether Purgatory can refine a true Primordial Spirit Pill. But the God-Slaying Flower can devour any being below the level of a High God. Even as the son of a True God, if you enter the Nine Nether Purgatory to retrieve the seed, you will die there!"
Bi Bo looked at Gu Jin, his eyes reddening. Ayin was the last of their clan's lineage, and he naturally cherished her life. But to him, Yuan Qi, whom he had watched grow up since childhood, was even more important.
The hall fell silent. Now knowing the truth, Gu Jin finally understood why Bi Bo had lied. Bi Bo wanted to protect him and had chosen to sacrifice Ayin instead.
Bi Bo was not wrong. The fault lay with him. If he hadn't made that grave mistake on Phoenix Tree Island back then, Ayin wouldn't have lost half her life essence because of him, and no one would have been forced into this situation today.
Gu Jin sighed and turned to San Huo. "Dragon Lord, I won't give up until the very last moment. Please open the Nine Nether Purgatory. I must retrieve the seed of the God-Slaying Flower."
San Huo frowned, and Bi Bo rushed forward to grab Gu Jin. "A Qi, don't go. It's too late. Even if you retrieve the seed now, there won't be enough time to refine the Divine Transformation Pill. Moreover, with your current Immortal Power, you won't even be able to get close to the God-Slaying Flower, let alone kill it and retrieve its seed."
"No matter how difficult it is, I must go," A Jin patted Bi Bo's head. "Ayin ended up like this because of me."
He paused, finally revealing his grief in front of Bi Bo, who had accompanied him since childhood.
"Now I finally understand why Father God would rather let Mother God resent him than reveal the truth back then—because it was too difficult," Gu Jin's voice choked with emotion. "Watching the person you love most die before your eyes is simply too difficult. Bi Bo, if Ayin is gone, I don't know how I'll go on."
Bi Bo stared blankly at the choked-up Gu Jin, finally understanding Yuan Qi's feelings for Ayin. Overwhelmed with regret and self-blame, he reached out, unsure how to comfort his Little Divine Lord.
Deep down, they both knew Gu Jin had no chance of retrieving the seed of the God-Slaying Flower. Even if he did, there would be no time to refine another Divine Transformation Pill.Ayin could not be brought back to life, yet Gu Jin was willing to die alongside her.
Bi Bo released Gu Jin's hand, stepped aside, and ceased trying to persuade him.
After settling Ayin in the side hall, Gu Jin went to the small courtyard in the rear hall. That was the entrance to the barrier of the Nine Nether Purgatory. San Huo had opened the entrance to the Nine Nether Purgatory and was waiting there with Bi Bo.
Within the purple light pillar, the roars of Demonic Beasts were faintly discernible, and a dangerous, malevolent aura seeped from the entrance. Bi Bo’s face fell completely as he watched Gu Jin stride calmly toward the light pillar.
The moment Gu Jin stepped into the light pillar, a powerful immobilization spell, unleashed without warning, struck him. This spell was cast by someone at the Half-God Peak, and Gu Jin had no ability to resist it.
“A Qi!” Bi Bo exclaimed in surprise, only to see San Huo, who had been standing like a stone statue nearby, drag Gu Jin out of the light pillar.
“Dragon Lord?” Though immobilized, Gu Jin could still speak.
“Little Divine Lord, your Primordial Chaos Power is sealed. You can’t even defeat a High Lord. Going in to retrieve the phoenix tree’s heart is one thing, but provoking the God-Slaying Flower—you might not even leave a trace behind. Bi Bo may be foolish and meddlesome, but he’s not wrong about this.” San Huo chuckled. “Better let this old dragon go instead.”
“San Huo!” For the first time, Bi Bo didn’t mind San Huo’s jabs at him. His face lit up with delight, but it was quickly replaced by worry. “But you’re only at the Half-God Peak too. You can’t defeat the God-Slaying Flower either!”
A hint of helplessness crossed San Huo’s handsome face as he shot Bi Bo a sidelong glance. “It’s all because of the trouble you stirred up. If I don’t go, who will?”
He casually took the pile of Primordial Spirit Pill fragments from Bi Bo’s hand.
Bi Bo fell silent, mumbling incoherently, but Gu Jin was unwilling to let San Huo take the risk in his place.
“Dragon Lord…”
“Little Divine Lord, my mind is made up. Even if I can’t defeat the God-Slaying Flower, I can still retreat unscathed. But if something were to happen to you inside, how could I ever face the Ancient True God and Tian Qi True God in the future?” San Huo paused, then spoke again, a trace of nostalgia flickering in his eyes. “Back then, I received a great kindness from Bai Jue True God, but before I could repay him, he sacrificed himself for the world. That has been my lifelong regret. Besides, in the Vault of Heaven, this old dragon once held you in his arms.”
Over a hundred years ago in the Vault of Heaven, Yuan Qi, then still a child, had spent some time with San Huo. Time had passed, and who could have imagined that a century later, they would find themselves in such a situation.
After speaking, San Huo turned and entered the Nine Nether Purgatory. The purple light pillar slowly closed behind him.
Belatedly, Bi Bo suddenly cried out, “Wait, San Huo! Take my treasures with you!”
But it was too late. The moment San Huo stepped into the Nine Nether Purgatory, the immobilization spell on Gu Jin was lifted.
Bi Bo rushed to the spot where San Huo had vanished, clutching various pills he had pulled from his Cosmic Bag. His lips quivered, his face filled with regret.
“A Qi.” Bi Bo crouched on the ground, the pills he usually treasured so dearly now scattered all around him. He wailed loudly, overwhelmed with regret and guilt. “It’s all my fault. He was about to ascend to godhood, and I pretended not to know, letting him go in your place to retrieve the God-Slaying Flower. Waaaaaah…”
Gu Jin was stunned, surprise and concern flashing in his eyes. “What did you say? Dragon Lord is about to ascend to godhood?”
Bi Bo nodded, wiping his runny nose. “He’s already capable of Divine Transformation. But if he gets injured by the God-Slaying Flower this time and loses Divine Power, he might have to wait another few thousand years.”Gu Jin looked in the direction where San Huo had disappeared and let out a heavy sigh.
At the same time, above Great Marsh Mountain, only the final three Heavenly Thunder strikes remained out of the forty-nine that marked A Jiu's ascension to High Lord.
The disciples of Great Marsh Mountain had long exhausted their Immortal Power, sitting cross-legged outside the Hall of Eternal Life to recover. Only Yan Shuang stood unwavering before the disciples and the hall, refusing to retreat even half a step.
She had long been forced to manifest a pair of gilded feathered wings, using her flesh-and-blood Immortal body to endure each descending Heavenly Thunder strike.
No one could have known that this Eagle Clan princess, who had followed Ayin and Gu Jin to Great Marsh Mountain on a whim, would risk her life to fulfill her promise to Gu Jin.
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