The Last Immortal

Chapter Ninety-Two

"Even if that Water Condensation Beast released Hong Yi, her crime would only warrant the removal of immortal bones and expulsion from the Immortal Tribe. The entire Three Realms knows Yuan Qi wants to protect his junior sister. How could Hong Yi not know?" Hua Mo did not believe Qing Li's words.

"Your Majesty is unaware. Hong Yi is deeply in love with that Water Condensation Beast, and she was sentenced to bone removal for his sake. Now that he is the Demon Emperor, would he stand by and watch her suffer such a punishment? Moreover, if he learns that the executioner is Princess Hua Shu, he will definitely not remain idle." Qing Li looked at the Peacock King with a meaningful smile.

"Shu'er? Why involve her? She doesn’t know about our secret cooperation. Don’t let her learn too much." Hua Mo frowned.

Hua Shu was still young and lacked patience. If the collaboration between the Peacock Clan and the Demon Tribe were exposed to the Three Realms, the Peacock Clan would lose its standing in the Immortal Realm forever.

Seeing Hua Mo’s reaction, Qing Li’s eyes flickered with disdain. To convince Sen Yu and Hong Yi that Sen Hong was killed by the Immortal Tribe, Hua Mo had not only produced Yu Feng’s immortal sword but also used Immortal Power to ambush Sen Hong, leaving traces of Immortal Qi on his body. Now, he was trying to distance himself from the matter.

But she needed Hua Mo, so she patiently continued, "In Hong Yi’s mind, if Yuan Qi truly had the ability, he wouldn’t have allowed his junior sister to suffer the removal of immortal bones and expulsion from the Immortal Tribe. Besides, Princess Hua Shu has always believed that Hong Yi killed Lan Feng. If she were to execute Ayin, the one who released her husband’s murderer, what do you think Hong Yi would do?"

Hua Mo fell silent for a moment before asking, "You want me to spread the news of Shu’er’s role in the execution to the Demon Realm?"

Qing Li nodded approvingly. "As expected of Your Majesty Hua Mo. Only when Hong Yi learns from an immortal that Ayin’s life is in danger will he decisively launch an attack on the Immortal Realm." Seeing Hua Mo’s hesitation, Qing Li lowered her voice, adding a hint of temptation. "Your Majesty Hua Mo, if the Immortal Realm remains peaceful, when will the Peacock Clan ever rise to prominence? Since the battle a century ago, the Phoenix Clan has withdrawn from the conflicts between immortals and demons. If the Peacock Clan takes the lead and achieves military merits when the Demon Realm attacks, you will no longer need to remain subordinate to the Phoenix Clan."

"When will your demon army finally break through the Nine Nether Purgatory and reappear in the world?" Hua Mo asked hesitantly.

The reason he had agreed to ally with Qing Li was not only because her demonic arts could help him reshape his Demon Core but also because she promised to summon the Demonic Beasts from the Nine Nether Purgatory so they could rule the Three Realms together. Seventy thousand years ago, during the chaos caused by the Demonic Beasts, even the gods of the Ancient Realm struggled to suppress it. What Hua Mo truly coveted was Qing Li’s method of controlling the ancient Demonic Beasts and ferocious beasts from the Nine Nether Purgatory. He was convinced there must be a special reason for being able to command these Demon Creatures; otherwise, even with Qing Li’s peak High God strength, she would never have been able to subdue the creatures of the Purgatory that even the entire Divine Realm feared. But now, a century had passed, and the Demon Creatures of the Nine Nether Purgatory had yet to appear. Hua Mo could no longer hold back and asked at this critical moment of the conflict between immortals and demons.

Qing Li blinked. "Why the hurry, Your Majesty? The gate of the Nine Nether Purgatory is sealed by Tian Qi’s divine mark. With my current strength, I cannot break the seal. Once the war between immortals and demons begins, I will have my own way."

Hua Mo was merely a pawn in her plans. The mysterious and unfathomable Profound One was Qing Li’s greatest reliance. How could she let Hua Mo know of Profound One’s existence?Seeing Qing Li evade the question, Hua Mo's gaze darkened, but now was clearly not a good time to press further. Suppressing the displeasure in his heart, he said, "Rest assured, I have my own way to let Hong Yi know that it was Shu'er who carried out the execution."

Seeing him agree, Qing Li's expression softened slightly. "I trust Your Majesty, but to make the act convincing and guard against any mishaps, I must go to the Celestial Tomb. Only if the princess truly consents to this matter will Hong Yi be utterly convinced."

As her words fell, she transformed into a wisp of black smoke and vanished from the side hall.

At the Celestial Tomb on Heavenly Mountain, Hua Shu stood before Lan Feng's grave, sorrow still lingering in her eyes.

The look in Lan Feng's eyes before his death remained etched in her mind, refusing to fade. She caressed Lan Feng's tombstone, her voice cold and filled with hatred.

"Rest assured, that Water Condensation Beast dared to release the demon fox that caused your death. I will definitely make her pay the price and suffer punishment."

A cold wind swept through the Celestial Tomb, as if in response, as if in helplessness. Unfortunately, Hua Shu, consumed by hatred and resentment, could hear none of it.

Outside the Celestial Tomb, Qing Li stood quietly, watching Hua Shu standing alone, as if seeing her own past self—abandoned by Sen Yu and reviled by the world. The same resentment, the same hatred.

It was because of her unwillingness that she had used Tian Qi's Divine Power to steal the God-Slaying Flower from the Nine Nether Purgatory. It was because of hatred that she had mustered her last breath to stand before Profound One, begging for a body of Demonic Power.

Back then, Profound One had granted her Demonic Power and also bestowed upon her the ability to break the seal of the Nine Nether Purgatory. However, this ability was limited to her alone; other Demonic Beasts and ferocious beasts still had to remain in the sunless Nine Nether Purgatory. She had promised Profound One that as long as she could single-handedly incite a war between the Immortal and Demon Tribes, he would open the seal of the Nine Nether Purgatory, allowing the Demon Tribe to reappear in the world.

She had meticulously planned for a hundred years, originally intending to exploit the Peacock King's hatred for the Eagle Clan and jealousy of the Phoenix Clan to stir up internal strife within the Immortal Tribe. Then, she would use the Demonic Qi within Hong Yi to control him and slaughter Immortals, thereby igniting war between the two tribes. Unexpectedly, Yuan Qi suddenly emerged, breaking into the Purgatory to take Hong Yi away and befriending Lan Feng. His identity was special, and as a disciple of Great Marsh Mountain, ever since Qing Li learned of Yuan Qi's identity, she had changed her original plan. She not only wanted Yuan Qi to suffer the pain of losing his entire sect but also to have him personally destroy the peace of the Three Realms that his father had exchanged with his life. She wanted Shang Gu to see that the so-called Son of God was nothing but an emotional and weak coward, and the very instigator of the great chaos in the Three Realms.

Everything proceeded according to her design. With the tragic deaths of Lan Feng and the Demon Emperor, and the destruction of Great Marsh Mountain, the Immortal and Demon Tribes were now at daggers drawn. As long as she gave one final push, forcing Hong Yi to send troops against the Immortal Realm, the promise she had made to Profound One would be fulfilled. By then, she could obtain even greater Demonic Power, lead the Demonic Beasts from the Nine Nether Purgatory back to the Three Realms, stand against the gods of the Ancient Realm as an equal, and become the most powerful Demon since time immemorial, free from the rule of the gods. When that day came, she would surely stand before Sen Yu and let him know that the one he had once abandoned and discarded had become the most honored ruler of the Three Realms, while the Chang Qin he so deeply loved and valued had long since turned into...

As Qing Li lost herself in thought, Hua Shu emerged from the Celestial Tomb. Seeing Qing Li, her expression changed, and she glanced around, relieved to find no one else in sight.To strengthen the Peacock Clan, she had received many Divine Pills and divine medicines from Qing Li in the past. She secretly leaked information about the Immortal Realm to her, but she did not want anyone to know of her connection to the Demon Tribe.

"Demon Venerable, why are you here?"

Hua Shu snapped back to her senses as soon as she approached Qing Li. Seeing Hua Shu's grave expression, she raised an eyebrow. "No need to worry. With my Demonic Power, even Yu Feng wouldn’t be able to detect me."

This was true, but Hua Shu said, "Demon Venerable, you should leave quickly. Divine Lord Yuan Qi has now undergone Divine Transformation. If he returns, he will surely discover you here."

Hearing this, Qing Li laughed. "What? Is the princess afraid that Yuan Qi will discover your collusion with the Demon Tribe?" She paused, a meaningful glint in her eyes. "I never thought the princess cared so much about Yuan Qi’s feelings."

Seeing Hua Shu stiffen, Qing Li said no more and continued, "Princess, rest assured. I came to the Heavenly Palace for your sake. Once I’ve said what I need to say, I’ll leave immediately."

A flicker of suspicion crossed Hua Shu’s face. "For me?"

"I heard that in a few days, it will be the day of punishment for Yuan Qi’s junior sister?"

Hua Shu’s expression turned cold. "She’s nothing but a lowly immortal beast, only able to stay in Great Marsh Mountain because of Dong Hua Shang Shen’s pity. What kind of junior sister of a Divine Lord is she?"

The resentment and jealousy in her words were unmistakable, and Qing Li understood perfectly. "I also heard that Yuan Qi is not currently in the Heavenly Palace."

"What exactly does the Demon Venerable want to say?" With Hua Shu’s intelligence, she naturally understood that Qing Li’s words carried hidden meaning.

"Hong Yi killed the princess’s husband, and that Water Condensation Beast had the audacity to let him escape. For anyone else, the lightest punishment would be reincarnation, yet Yuan Qi insisted on protecting her. Surely the princess must feel aggrieved as well."

"Divine Lord Yuan Qi has undergone Divine Transformation. His status is noble, and even the four venerables of the Heavenly Palace respect him greatly. Since he is determined to protect that Water Condensation Beast, what can I do even if I feel aggrieved?" Hua Shu said indignantly, clearly dissatisfied with merely stripping Ayin of her bones and expelling her from the Immortal Realm.

"If the princess feels such resentment, why not personally carry out the punishment on that Water Condensation Beast?" Qing Li smiled and suggested. Seeing Hua Shu hesitate, she lowered her voice. "Yuan Qi is not in the Heavenly Palace. The punishment of bone removal can be light or severe. The princess is not well-versed in this, so even if something goes wrong during the punishment, it would simply be because the Water Condensation Beast is weak and couldn’t endure it. What does that have to do with the princess?"

Hua Shu’s expression changed. "You want me to... No, she is someone Yuan Qi values. If I harm her, what will happen when the Divine Lord returns..."

"Shh." Qing Li pressed a finger to her lips. "It is precisely because she is someone Yuan Qi values that she cannot live." She smiled meaningfully. "Has the princess forgotten why she chose Lanfeng Supreme Lord in the first place? The princess must understand that Lanfeng Supreme Lord is already dead. Now, the one with the brightest future in the Heavenly Palace is Yuan Qi..."

"Demon Venerable, Lan Feng’s body is not yet cold. I have never thought..." Lan Feng was still buried in the Celestial Tomb behind them. No matter how much Hua Shu craved power, she had never considered entangling herself with Yuan Qi now.

"What you think now does not represent the future. The lifespan of an immortal spans thousands or even tens of thousands of years. Who can say for certain what will happen in the future?" Qing Li interrupted Hua Shu. "If the princess ever aspires to reign supreme one day, Yuan Qi must not have a childhood friend and deeply cherished junior sister by his side. The princess should think carefully. This venerable one will say no more."After Qing Li finished speaking, seeing Hua Shu remain silent, she knew her words had been taken to heart. Leaving behind a ghostly laugh that turned into black smoke, she vanished, leaving Hua Shu standing dazed in place.

After a long while, Hua Shu turned her head to glance at the Celestial Tomb, where Lan Feng’s tombstone stood cold and lonely.

“You’re no longer here,” her sighing voice softly echoed. “From now on, no one will be willing to protect me anymore.”

Among the Demon Tribe, the Tiger and Fox races had always held the greatest influence. Although Sen Hong had passed away suddenly, Hong Yi, having ascended to godhood as a Ten-Tailed Heavenly Fox and with Sen Yu’s support, had firmly secured the position of Demon Emperor in just a few short days.

Now, Hong Yi stood in the main hall of the Mystic Crystal Palace, dressed in deep purple imperial robes, his features handsome and his gaze profound, no longer resembling the youth who once bickered fiercely with Gu Jin or played and joked with Ayin.

He looked toward the direction of the Heavenly Palace, his expression cold and stern.

He was not without doubts about Sen Hong’s death, but the wounds on Sen Hong’s body indeed bore traces of attacks infused with Immortal Qi, and Lan Feng’s immortal sword was embedded in his body. There was no doubt he had died at the hands of the Immortal Tribe.

Sen Hong was already a High God. To slay him, how could it be something Yu Feng alone could accomplish? Hong Yi and Sen Yu had witnessed the immortal net jointly summoned by the twelve High Immortals of the Immortal Realm. The power of that net was no less than that of a High God, making it not impossible to kill Sen Hong.

Sen Yu firmly believed it was the work of the High Immortals of the Immortal Realm, and with the evidence seemingly clear, Hong Yi could not refute it. Yet, he always felt something was amiss. However, having received Sen Yu’s life-saving favor and now serving as the Demon Emperor, if he failed to seek justice for Sen Hong despite the apparent evidence, the entire Demon Tribe would surely grow disillusioned.

Given Hong Yi and Sen Yu’s temperaments, they were not inclined to adopt the Immortal Tribe’s ways of restraint. After stabilizing the Demon Realm’s leadership, the two decided to dispatch troops to the Heavenly Palace, capture Yu Feng, and demand justice for Sen Hong. The Immortal-Demon boundary was guarded by the Immortal Tribe’s army, so from the start, they had no intention of entering through the boundary. Deploying demon soldiers to the border was merely a temporary measure to mislead the Immortal Tribe. Instead, the Rakshasa Land at the end of the celestial steps was the weakest point in the Immortal Tribe’s defenses. Aside from the former Immortal Tribe’s Crown Prince Jing Yang, there were few High Immortals stationed there. As long as they could break the seal of the Rakshasa Land, they could advance unimpeded and strike directly at the Heavenly Palace.

By now, the Demon Realm’s army had quietly stationed itself about ten miles outside the Rakshasa Land near the Demon Realm, awaiting only the arrival of Hong Yi and Sen Yu to launch the attack.

Moreover, Hong Yi sighed. The scene of Ayin being struck down by Yu Feng’s sword, spitting blood on the ground, kept replaying before his eyes. He was not at ease leaving Ayin in the Heavenly Palace. In the past, Gu Jin would have risked his life to protect Ayin, but now, Yuan Qi, having undergone Divine Transformation…

Stripped of immortal bones, expelled from the immortal registry. How little must Yuan Qi trust Ayin to impose such punishment?

Back then, Hong Yi, deeply afflicted by the invasion of Demonic Qi and restrained by Sen Yu, had no choice but to leave Ayin alone in the Immortal Realm. Now, having ascended to godhood and serving as the Demon Emperor, he possessed the ability to protect her. No matter what, he was determined to invade the Immortal Realm and bring Ayin back.

Footsteps echoed from outside the hall, hurried and urgent. Hong Yi frowned, turning to see Sen Yu walking in with a grave expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“The border guards just captured two members of the Immortal Tribe outside the Third Heaven.” Sen Yu’s father and two brothers had all died at the hands of the Immortal Tribe, and now he harbored nothing but hatred for them. Even if Feng Ran appeared before him, he would likely draw his halberd and engage in battle immediately."Immortals? From which grotto abode in the Immortal Realm?" Ever since Sen Hong died at the hands of the Immortal Tribe, the Mystic Crystal Palace and the area beyond the Third Heaven had been heavily guarded. Who would have thought there were still immortals foolish enough to dare break in.

"From Hundred Birds Island," Sen Yu said. "According to the guards, they're from the younger generation of the Peacock Clan. Those two arrogant, featherless birds claim you killed their princess's husband and have come to the Demon Realm to challenge you to a duel." Clearly quite disdainful of Hundred Birds Island's reckless behavior, Sen Yu wore an expression of utter exasperation when mentioning these two.

Hong Yi was close friends with Yan Shuang and naturally knew what kind of creatures the Peacock Clan of Hundred Birds Island were. He couldn't even be bothered to listen, saying, "They're nothing but clowns. Just lock them up, no need to pay them any mind..."

Sen Yu shook his head. "I didn't come here because of those two peacocks. It's just that the guards overheard from those featherless birds that the Heavenly Palace of the Immortal Realm has decided on the executioner for Ayin..." He paused, looking quite concerned. "It's Hua Shu."

By the window, Hong Yi abruptly turned around, his eyes already clouded with darkness.