The Last Immortal

Chapter Eighty-Eight

The sound of the Azure Dragon Bell, accompanied by the lingering mist and clouds of the Heavenly Palace, faintly echoed within Phoenix Roost Palace, one chime after another. Ayin stood by the window in Yanshuang Hall, gazing toward the Azure Dragon Platform, her lips pressed into a silent line.

A soft sound came from behind her, and she turned around. Yan Shuang was struggling to lift her head, her hand sweeping across the medicine bowl by the bed, producing a crisp clatter. A sudden surge of joy flashed in Ayin’s eyes as she rushed to Yan Shuang’s side to support her.

“A-Shuang! You’re awake!”

Yan Shuang’s eyes were half-open, her gaze unfocused, clearly not fully conscious. It was unclear whether the Azure Dragon Bell of the Heavenly Palace had roused her, but she gripped Ayin’s hand tightly.

“Ayin, don’t let A Jiu go to the Azure Dragon Platform,” Yan Shuang’s voice was fragmented, filled with anxiety and fear.

“A-Shuang, do you know something? What exactly happened that day at Great Marsh Mountain?” Ayin’s eyes revealed urgency as she quickly asked.

However, Yan Shuang’s consciousness was not clear. She merely clutched Ayin’s sleeve, repeating the same words in confusion, “A Jiu has Demonic Qi within him. He was controlled by the Demonic Qi. It wasn’t him. He didn’t kill Elder Xianshan and Taoist Xianzhu. Save A Jiu, Ayin, save him…”

But Yan Shuang’s body was too weak. Struggling to stay awake had nearly exhausted all her strength. Her voice and consciousness grew increasingly scattered until she could no longer hold on and collapsed into Ayin’s arms.

“A-Shuang! A-Shuang!”

The distant sound of the Azure Dragon Bell echoed from outside the hall. It was almost the hour of Chen.

Ayin gritted her teeth, no longer hesitating. She laid Yan Shuang down and flew toward Wind Spirit Palace.

No matter what had happened that day at Great Marsh Mountain, it could not have been simple. A Jiu could not die. If he died, all the truth would be buried forever.

Inside Wind Spirit Palace, as Yu Feng and Lian Xi had just retrieved the Immortal Locking Pagoda and stepped out of the hall, they saw Ayin standing at the entrance.

Both wore expressions of surprise as they approached her. “Lady Ayin, what brings you here?”

Ayin maintained her composure, greeting them with a respectful gesture before speaking. “Venerable Yu Feng, I wish to see Hong Yi.”

Yu Feng hesitated, but Lian Xi spoke up instead. “Lady Ayin, do you wish to know what truly happened that day at Great Marsh Mountain?”

Ayin nodded. “Venerable Yu Feng, I ask for your consideration. Hong Yi was the one I brought back to Great Marsh Mountain. I want to know what happened that day and why he was determined to bring destruction upon our mountain.”

Yu Feng glanced at the sky. There was still ample time before the thunder punishment. After all, she was Divine Lord Yuan Qi’s junior sister and a disciple of Divine Lord Donghua. Yu Feng could not easily refuse. He tossed the Immortal Locking Pagoda into the air, unlocking the seal at its entrance, and said, “Lady Ayin, the time is approaching. I can only allow you to see him for half a quarter of an hour at most. This demon fox must still face the Mystic Thunder Punishment at the Azure Dragon Platform.”

Ayin nodded. “Venerable, rest assured. I will leave as soon as I have seen Hong Yi.”

Under the watchful eyes of Yu Feng and Lian Xi, Ayin leaped into the Immortal Locking Pagoda suspended in midair.

Inside the pagoda, Immortal Power was dense, making it an ideal place for immortals to cultivate and train in seclusion. However, Immortal Power was naturally the bane of Demonic Power and Demonic Qi. Hong Yi, imprisoned within and bound by the immortal net, had remained unconscious from severe injuries. The scars from his battle with the eleven High Immortals that day still covered his body.

As soon as Ayin entered the Immortal Locking Pagoda, the composure she had forced upon herself vanished. She rushed to the side of the immortal net and called out, “A Jiu! A Jiu!”

A Jiu seemed to hear her call, his brow twitching in pain.Seeing A Jiu unconscious, Ayin channeled her immortal power into his brow. The Water Condensation Beast's immortal power possessed healing properties, and having taken the Divine Transformation Pill, her power was now far beyond what it once was. Under the influence of her immortal power, A Jiu opened his eyes.

Delighted to see him awake, Ayin rushed toward him, only to be repelled by the immortal net that bound A Jiu.

The force of the immortal net struck Ayin, draining the color from her face.

A Jiu shouted to her, "Ayin, be careful!" Struggling to sit up, he realized he was trapped within the immortal net, surrounded by a misty haze of immortal qi.

"Where is this?" A Jiu rubbed his temples, his expression pained.

"The Immortal Locking Pagoda!" Ayin massaged her wrist. "A Jiu, what exactly happened at Great Marsh Mountain on the day of your ascension?"

At her words, A Jiu froze. Supporting his forehead, fragmented memories surged into his mind at Ayin's prompting—a flood of blood filling his vision. He stared blankly at Ayin, his face contorted with agony. "Ayin, the Sect Leader, Taoist Xianzhu, they..."

Looking at his own hands, A Jiu was overwhelmed with grief and remorse. "It was me. I killed them." He suddenly turned to Ayin. "What about Yan Shuang and Qing Yi? Are they all right? Did I..."

"No!" Ayin cut him off, finally convinced by Sen Yu's words. If A Jiu had been conscious, he would have known that Yan Shuang and Qing Yi had been rescued by the High Immortals of the Heavenly Palace. "They were saved by High Immortal Yu Feng. A Jiu, there's no time. You're about to face the Mystic Thunder Punishment on the Azure Dragon Platform. I came to get you out. You must return to the Demon Realm—the Immortal Realm can no longer shelter you." She glanced at the immortal net. "What should we do? With my immortal power, I can't possibly break through this net."

"Ayin, don't bother." A Jiu shook his head. "Even if I was controlled by demonic qi, the Sect Leader and the disciples of Great Marsh Mountain still died by my hand. The Mystic Thunder Punishment is what I deserve." He looked at Ayin, his eyes softening. "It's enough that you believe in me and are willing to save me."

Seeing the utter hopelessness in A Jiu's eyes, Ayin grew furious. "Nonsense! You were controlled by the Demon Tribe. Our senior brothers didn't die by your hand. If you die, the truth about the massacre at Great Marsh Mountain will never come to light. Who will help us find the real culprit?"

She paused, but seeing A Jiu unmoved and resigned to death, she finally spoke up: "Tribal Chief Chang Qin is dead!"

A Jiu, who had been hanging his head, stiffened. Disbelief washed over his face as he lunged toward Ayin, his hands gripping the immortal net and burning until they bled, yet he paid no heed. "What did you say? What happened to my aunt?"

"Tribal Chief Chang Qin died at the hands of the Demon Tribe. Not even her body was recovered. Sen Yu only brought her demon core back to the Fox race." Chang Qin was A Jiu's only remaining family, and Ayin found it painful to speak of this, but now, aside from Chang Qin, no one else could give A Jiu—who bore the blood of Great Marsh Mountain's entire sect—the will to live.

"Tribal Chief Chang Qin's vengeance still awaits you. The truth behind the destruction of Great Marsh Mountain remains uncovered. A Jiu, you cannot die so unjustly on the Azure Dragon Platform."

Ayin placed her hand over his bloodied ones. "You must live. You absolutely must live."

Emerald immortal power flowed from Ayin's palm, pouring ceaselessly into A Jiu's body. The wounds inflicted by the immortal net healed at a visible, rapid pace, and his suppressed demi-god power slowly began to awaken.To rescue Hong Yi from the Immortal Locking Pagoda, Ayin ultimately broke her promise to Gu Jin, drawing upon the life essence of the Water Condensation Beast.

"Ayin, stop this at once!"

A Jiu knew well how precious the life essence of a Water Condensation Beast was and refused to accept her healing. Yet Ayin gazed steadily at him. "A Jiu, the Demon Tribe lurks in the shadows. You must return—your people are waiting for you."

A Jiu froze, and in the end, he did not push Ayin's hand away.

Outside the Immortal Locking Pagoda, Yu Feng and Lian Xi grew uneasy as they waited in vain for Ayin to emerge.

Yu Feng glanced at the sky; the sound of the Azure Dragon Bell drew nearer. "High Lord Lianxi, the time for the thunder punishment approaches. I will enter the pagoda to bring Lady Ayin out. Guard the exterior well."

Lian Xi nodded. Just as Yu Feng prepared to fly toward the pagoda's entrance, a faint surge of demonic power emanated from within.

"Disaster! That demon fox has broken through the immortal net!"

Yu Feng's expression shifted sharply. He summoned his immortal sword, intending to seal the pagoda's entrance, but a dazzling crimson demonic power had already erupted from within, blinding to behold.

In a flash of red light, A Jiu emerged outside the Immortal Locking Pagoda, supporting a deathly pale Ayin. Though his demi-god power was no longer restrained by the immortal net, his injuries were severe, leaving him far from the strength he had possessed that day at Great Marsh Mountain. Now, he could not even summon the Nirvana Wheel.

"Lady Ayin!" Yu Feng's face darkened, his eyes betraying unconcealed shock and disappointment. "This fox demon is utterly wicked—he destroyed Great Marsh Mountain's entire lineage and killed High Lord Lanfeng. As a disciple of Divine Lord Donghua, how could you rescue him from the Demon Locking Pagoda?"

"High Immortal Yu Feng, A Jiu is innocent. He was controlled by demonic qi, which drove him to those acts."

Before Ayin could explain further, Yu Feng rebuked her sharply. "Nonsense! I witnessed with my own eyes him pursuing Yan Shuang and Qing Yi. How could that be false? You confuse right and wrong, aiding the Demon Tribe—this is sheer folly!"

His expression turned cold as he pointed his immortal sword at A Jiu. "Fiend! Your atrocities against the Immortal Tribe have incurred the wrath of both mortals and gods. This venerable one will never allow you to leave the Heavenly Palace. High Lord Lianxi, restrain him. This demon's aura blazes to the heavens—Divine Lord Yuan Qi at the Azure Dragon Platform must have already sensed it. Once the Divine Lord arrives, it will be your end!"

"Yuan Qi? A Divine Lord?" A flicker of confusion passed through A Jiu's eyes. Burdened by guilt over the deaths of the immortals at Great Marsh Mountain, and despite his disdain for the Immortal Tribe, he had no desire to attack Yu Feng now. He only said coldly, "There is more to the events at Great Marsh Mountain. I will uncover the truth and give Great Marsh Mountain an answer. But I owe your Immortal Tribe nothing. Step aside—I wish to harm no more innocents."

"With this venerable one here, you shall not leave!" Yu Feng's immortal sword surged with power as he lunged toward A Jiu.

A long halberd suddenly appeared, deflecting Yu Feng's full-force strike. Sen Yu materialized before A Jiu, engaging Yu Feng in combat. "Hong Yi, take Ayin and go!"

Seeing it was Sen Yu, A Jiu's expression shifted repeatedly, but he knew this was not the time to settle old grudges. As he moved to support Ayin and leave, she pushed him away.

"Ayin? You..."

"A Jiu, I cannot leave." Ayin shook her head. "I am a disciple of Great Marsh Mountain. I cannot go."

"No! You saved me—they will not spare you. Ayin, come with me to the Demon Tribe! I can protect you."

"A Jin is here. He will believe me—I will be safe. You must go. Return to the Demon Tribe, uncover the truth, and find the one who killed Tribal Chief Chang Qin."Sen Yu and Yu Feng unleashed waves of immortal and demonic power. Nearby, Lian Xi furrowed his brow and finally stopped concerning himself with Ayin, turning toward the two. Ayin materialized an immortal sword, pushed A Jiu aside, and met Lian Xi’s attack head-on.

“Lady Ayin, you must stop being so stubborn! This demon fox has harmed Great Marsh Mountain and has been deceiving you all along! How can you face the people of Great Marsh Mountain and Divine Lord Yuan Qi like this?”

Ayin pressed her lips together and offered no further defense. Born as a Water Condensation Beast, she had rarely learned combat techniques and fought almost purely on instinct. Yet Lian Xi was astonished to find that Ayin’s innate instincts were nothing like those of a Water Condensation Beast that had never seen battle.

Hearing the commotion, the immortals from the Azure Dragon Platform surged toward Wind Spirit Palace in a grand procession. At their forefront stood a figure in white, summoning vast Divine Power.

Sen Yu cursed inwardly. Taking a direct hit from Yu Feng’s sword, he forced his way close and shattered Yu Feng’s immortal sword, driving him back half a zhang to evade the Sun-Moon Halberd. Seizing the opening, Sen Yu retreated to A Jiu’s side, grabbed him, and flew toward the exit of the Heavenly Palace.

“Let’s go!”

“No, I have to take Ayin with me!” A Jiu refused to leave first. Enraged, Sen Yu grabbed his collar and roared, “If you don’t leave, your aunt’s death will have been in vain!”

Taking advantage of A Jiu’s momentary distraction, Sen Yu transformed into his demonic beast tiger form, flung the severely injured A Jiu onto his back, and fled the Heavenly Palace without pause.

On the tiger’s back, A Jiu looked back toward the Heavenly Palace.

At that moment, Ayin, still locked in combat with Lian Xi, turned her head and saw A Jiu escaping into the distance. She finally let out a sigh of relief.

A sword energy swept past, striking Ayin. She cried out in pain, unable to hold on any longer, and crashed heavily to the ground.

At the same time, the immortals from the Azure Dragon Platform finally arrived. A figure in white landed before Ayin, who lay collapsed on the ground.