Chapter Ninety-Three
Before the fifteenth day arrived, news of the Demon Realm’s heavy army gathering at Rakshasa Land had already reached the Heavenly Palace. The memories of the battle at Rakshasa Land years ago remained vivid. Concerned for Jing Yang, who was guarding Rakshasa Land, Yu Feng and other High Immortals, in great alarm, led the immortals of the Heavenly Palace and fifty thousand immortal soldiers to hastily rush to Rakshasa Land.
The entire Heavenly Palace was left without any High Immortals, except for Hua Shu, who had been deliberately left behind.
On the day Hong Yi raised his army and invaded Rakshasa Land, Chang Que finally broke through Qing Li’s formation array. The two of them saw the light of day again. Before they could rush to the Mystic Crystal Palace, a thick scent of blood from the far north stained half the realm.
Chang Que gasped in shock. “Divine Lord, that is…”
“Rakshasa Land.” Yuan Qi’s brows furrowed as he uttered the three words, his tone heavy. “Hong Yi has launched an attack on the Immortal Realm.”
“How dare he?” Chang Que said angrily. “Back then, when he destroyed Great Marsh Mountain, you spared his life. Now he actually dares to invade the Immortal Realm, breaking the Three Realms covenant established by True God Bai Jue.”
“After all, he is of the Demon Tribe. Though a Ten-Tailed Heavenly Fox, his murderous nature is hard to change. Let’s go to Rakshasa Land.” A stern coldness filled Yuan Qi’s eyes. “If Rakshasa Land falls, the northern part of the Immortal Realm will have no troops left to defend it, and the Heavenly Palace will be in grave danger.”
“Divine Lord, the fifteenth day is only a few days away. What about Lady Ayin?” Chang Que, worried about Ayin in the Heavenly Palace, asked.
“With Hong Yi launching his attack, Yu Feng must have already led the immortals of the Heavenly Palace to Rakshasa Land. They won’t have time to carry out Ayin’s punishment. Besides, the time for the punishment hasn’t arrived yet. Let’s first go to Rakshasa Land to stop Hong Yi, then return to the Heavenly Palace.”
“Yes.” The two hurried from the Demon Realm toward Rakshasa Land.
At Rakshasa Land, by the time Yu Feng led the immortals of the Heavenly Palace and the fifty thousand troops to arrive, the sky above the entire Rakshasa Land was shrouded in a thick, unyielding mist of blood. Immortal and demon soldiers lay dead across the battlefield. Jing Yang and the last few hundred immortal soldiers retreated to the final, precarious Barrier of the Immortal Realm, struggling to hold on.
Seeing Yu Feng and the others arrive, the severely wounded Jing Yang breathed a sigh of relief. He only had time to hand the immortal command token to Yu Feng before falling unconscious.
Yu Feng gazed at the blood-soaked Rakshasa Land, overwhelmed with grief and indignation, his eyes blazing with anger as he looked toward the emperor at the center of the demon army.
“Hong Yi, back then, Elder Xianshan went to great lengths to protect you. Yet you repaid kindness with enmity, not only destroying Great Marsh Mountain but also daring to invade our Immortal Realm, committing such an act that enrages both gods and men!”
“Hmph, such high-sounding words! Do not slander my emperor!” Before Hong Yi could speak, Sen Yu, seeing Yu Feng, radiated a murderous aura. “Are the lives of your Immortal Tribe lives, while the lives of our Demon Tribe are not? Since your immortals dared to assassinate my emperor, our Demon Tribe naturally seeks justice from you!”
After Sen Yu spoke, the demon monarchs grew agitated, and the banners among the demon army swayed, showing an unyielding determination to break through the Immortal Realm.
“Assassinate the Demon Emperor?” Yu Feng looked astonished. “Nonsense! When did our Immortal Tribe ever assassinate the Demon Emperor?”
“Still trying to deny it.” Sen Yu threw an immortal sword, tossing it before Yu Feng. “Your personal sword was found embedded in my elder brother’s body.” His gaze swept over Yu Feng and the eleven High Immortals from the Heavenly Palace. “If it wasn’t you who killed him, then who else could it be?”
Yu Feng waved his hand, summoning the immortal sword. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed his personal sword. His expression changed slightly. “A few days ago, my sword was stolen…”
“No need for excuses!” Sen Yu interrupted Yu Feng. “How could I believe your evasive words? Since my elder brother was defeated by you immortals, it was his lack of skill. Today, I, Sen Yu, will spare none of the immortals at Rakshasa Land!”After Sen Yu finished speaking, he bowed to Hong Yi and requested, "Your Majesty, please allow me to battle Yu Feng to avenge my brother's death."
Hong Yi's gaze fell upon the grief-stricken Sen Yu. A sigh flickered in his demonic, deep pupils as he nodded and said, "Granted."
As soon as Hong Yi's words fell, a long halberd shot out with earth-shaking force, heading straight for Yu Feng. Yu Feng had no choice but to meet Sen Yu's fierce and relentless attack.
Before the two armies clashed, the elite fighters from both sides tangled together, locked in a struggle with no clear advantage in sight.
Hong Yi looked toward the direction of the Heavenly Palace beyond the Rakshasa Land, his brow stern and solemn.
Ayin, wait for me. I will definitely bring you safely out of the Heavenly Palace. From now on, I will stay by your side and protect you, ensuring your peace for a lifetime.
On the second day after the immortals departed, before the fifteenth day arrived, the doors of Phoenix Roost Palace were pushed open.
Ayin stood beneath the peach tree in the courtyard, the sword wound left by Yu Feng clearly not yet healed. She had been confined in Phoenix Roost Palace for nearly half a month. Apart from keeping watch over the unconscious Yan Shuang and Qing Yi, she knew nothing of what had transpired outside. Calculating the time, the execution date had not yet arrived.
Ayin turned around to see a row of Immortal Attendants and celestial soldiers standing outside the courtyard. Though they still dared not act recklessly, there was no trace of respect in their eyes.
"Lady Ayin, the Immortal Venerables have decided to move your punishment forward. Please proceed to the Azure Dragon Platform to receive your sentence."
Whether it came early or late, this day was inevitable. Could these Heavenly Palace immortals not even wait two more days? Ayin mocked herself inwardly but said nothing more, following the Immortal Attendants toward the Azure Dragon Platform. Yet it was strange—despite being a major prisoner of the Heavenly Palace, the journey was unusually quiet. Apart from a few Immortal Attendants guarding the entrances of various palaces, not a single High Immortal was in sight. The Azure Dragon Punishment Platform was even more desolate, a stark contrast to when Hong Yi had been punished.
Before she could gather her thoughts, a chorus of bird cries echoed from afar. A multicolored peacock trod upon the clouds as Hua Shu and her attendant Hong Que transformed into human forms, landing outside the Azure Dragon Platform.
Ayin raised an eyebrow, her gaze as calm as still water as she silently regarded Hua Shu.
"You are quite composed, not even flustered upon seeing me arrive," Hua Shu remarked, flicking her sleeve as she sat upon the high seat outside the platform, her tone indifferent.
"Why should I be flustered? This is the Heavenly Palace, not your Hundred Birds Island. Even if I am guilty, it is not for you to judge."
Ayin's cold gaze stirred a surge of anger in Hua Shu's chest. How could a lowly Water Condensation Beast disregard her so completely?
"Is that so?" Hua Shu lifted her eyes to the highest palace in the Heavenly Palace, a meaningful gleam in her expression. "How do you know this place won't be my Heavenly Palace in the future?"
Seeing Hua Shu's smug confidence, Ayin curled the corner of her lips. "Ayin was unaware that so soon after the passing of High Lord Lan Feng, the princess already harbors such grand ambitions."
"You!" Mentioning Lan Feng, Hua Shu's expression turned cold. "Clever words and a glib tongue. Divine Lord Yuan Qi has decreed Divine Punishment, and the Heavenly Palace has appointed me as the executioner. Today is the day your immortal bones will be stripped and your immortal status revoked!"
"You are the executioner?" Ayin's expression turned icy. "Who decided that?"
Hua Shu's face stiffened, her eyes flickering briefly before she flicked her sleeve and declared, "Of course, it was Divine Lord Yuan Qi."
"Impossible!" Ayin blurted out, unable to conceal the shock in her eyes.
Seeing the cracks in Ayin's usually composed demeanor, Hua Shu felt a surge of satisfaction and spoke without restraint. "Why is it impossible? Now that the Heavenly Palace reveres the Divine Lord as supreme, how could the High Venerables allow me to carry out the punishment without his permission? Though your crime is grave, you are merely an insignificant Water Condensation Beast. My presence as executioner is more than sufficient."Hua Shu spoke the truth. After all, she held the title of Yuan Qi's junior sister. Without Yuan Qi's permission, how could Hua Shu have come to the Azure Dragon Platform? Thinking this, Ayin's heart grew cold with despair.
Standing alone on the Azure Dragon Platform, Ayin looked at Hua Shu. "I will bear my punishment. This Immortal bone was given by him in the first place. Since he wants it back, go ahead."
"If you knew this day would come, why did you do it? You colluded with the Demon Tribe—you should have expected to be abandoned by both Immortals and gods!" Hua Shu raised her hand, conjuring a Celestial Lock that flew toward Ayin.
The heavy Celestial Lock bound Ayin's hands and pressed down on her, nearly forcing her to her knees.
"Kneel!" Hua Shu's expression turned cold as she increased her Immortal Power, but Ayin stood firmly on the Azure Dragon Platform, refusing to kneel.
"Disciples of Great Marsh Mountain kneel only to heaven, earth, and gods. Who do you think you are? Why should I kneel to you? If you want this Immortal bone, take it. I don't care for it anyway!"
"You!" Hua Shu was finally provoked. "Still defiant even at death's door. Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're Yuan Qi's junior sister. Heavenly Thunder, descend!"
Hua Shu summoned her Immortal Power. The Immortal Attendants on the Azure Dragon Platform scattered as she called down Heavenly Thunder, which struck Ayin.
The Heavenly Thunder pierced her bones, tearing through her veins and shattering her Immortal bone. Ayin let out a muffled groan, her face turning deathly pale, yet she neither knelt nor moved, enduring it all.
"Seven strikes of Heavenly Thunder can strip an Immortal bone. Once I've endured your punishment, I'll owe the Immortal Tribe nothing. Hua Shu, use whatever means you have—I won't hold back."
A cold glint flashed in Hua Shu's eyes as she recalled Qing Li's words in the Celestial Tomb. She summoned her full Immortal Power, drawing down all the Heavenly Thunder upon the Azure Dragon Platform.
Six strikes of Heavenly Thunder crashed onto Ayin. Her back was covered in bloody gashes, and with each strike, the sound of her Immortal bone shattering echoed clearly in the ears of the nearby Immortal Attendants. Enduring the punishment of Heavenly Thunder and the agony of broken bones, with the Celestial Lock pressing heavily upon her, Ayin did not kneel but was struck down by the thunder, collapsing onto the Azure Dragon Platform as if lifeless.
The Immortal Attendants watching Hua Shu carry out the punishment showed pity. The Heavenly Thunder summoned by Princess Hua Shu far exceeded the ordinary, clearly driven by personal resentment. Though Ayin was guilty of grave crimes, her identity was still special. If anything truly happened to her, what would happen when Divine Lord Yuan Qi returned...
"Princess!" As the sixth strike of Heavenly Thunder ceased, an Immortal Attendant nearby couldn't help but speak up. "Lady Ayin is, after all, Divine Lord Yuan Qi's junior sister. Shouldn't this Heavenly Thunder..."
Before the attendant could finish, Hua Shu's cold gaze swept over them, silencing any further words.
Hua Shu indifferently glanced at Ayin, who lay collapsed on the ground, then suddenly rose and walked toward the Azure Dragon Platform, stopping in front of Ayin.
After waiting a long time for the seventh strike of Heavenly Thunder, Ayin slowly raised her head, meeting Hua Shu's mocking eyes.
She had almost no strength left, yet her gaze remained sharp. "Why have you stopped? Afraid the final strike of Heavenly Thunder might be too heavy and take my life, leaving you unable to explain to Yuan Qi?"
A smirk curled Hua Shu's lips as she crouched down, her voice low. "Divine Lord Yuan Qi? He likely has no time to spare for you. Ayin, aren't you curious why there isn't a single High Immortal in the entire Heavenly Palace?" Hua Shu leaned closer to Ayin's face, finally unable to conceal the resentment in her eyes. "You still don't know, do you? Hong Yi has become the Demon Emperor. He leads demon soldiers in an assault on the Immortal Realm. Now, Rakshasa Land is bathed in blood and suffering, and all the High Immortals have gone to the battlefield..."
Ayin's gaze sharpened, disbelief flashing in her eyes.
"What did you say? Hong Yi leads demon soldiers to attack the Immortal Realm? Impossible, he would never do that!"Hua Shu remained unsatisfied, "Why not? Stop pretending. If you hadn't released the demon fox, the Three Realms wouldn't be in such chaos today. The centuries-long balance between immortals and demons has been shattered. The peace Bai Jue True God sacrificed himself to bring to the Three Realms was destroyed overnight. You, this Water Condensation Beast, have brought calamity upon all living beings. Even if I strike you down with Heavenly Thunder today, so what? No one in the entire Immortal Tribe will speak a word in your defense..." Her every word dripped with mockery: "Not even Yuan Qi, whom you adore."
As Hua Shu spoke, she gathered Immortal Power in her hand, directing it toward the Heavenly Thunder gathering above the Azure Dragon Platform. "A mere Water Condensation Beast, disturbing the peace of the Three Realms—ending up dead on the Azure Dragon Platform is too lenient a fate for you."
With her final words, she retreated from the Azure Dragon Platform. Guided by her power, the seventh Heavenly Thunder, accompanied by a magnificent flash of lightning, descended heavily upon Ayin, who lay collapsed on the ground.
A deafening roar echoed, but the expected sound of shattered immortal bones never came. At the moment the Heavenly Thunder struck, a dazzling five-colored light suddenly erupted from Ayin's body. A Five-Colored Lotus, radiating dense Divine Light, appeared above Ayin's head, blocking this final Heavenly Thunder.
"This is..." Hua Shu's face showed astonishment. "Donghua Divine Lord's Protective Lotus! How could it be with you?"
Donghua Divine Lord's True Form was a lotus, cultivated over ten thousand years—a fact known throughout the Three Realms.
When Donghua ascended, he left behind the Nine Star Lantern, the Star-Adorned Phoenix Crown, and the Sky-Shielding Umbrella for his three disciples. For his youngest disciple, however, he left the life-saving Protective Lotus. The Protective Lotus could only be activated with the power of a High Lord. Only after taking the Divine Transformation Pill did Ayin gain the ability to use this Protective Lotus, as if destined by fate.
At that very moment, a whip infused with golden Immortal Power lashed toward Hua Shu outside the Azure Dragon Platform. Hua Shu dodged awkwardly, her expression changing drastically as she looked up into the sky.
With the cry of an eagle, Yan Shuang, clad in armor and spreading her wings, appeared in the sky above the Azure Dragon Platform like a war goddess. Though her face was pale, her eyes burned with fierce anger.
"Ayin, go to Rakshasa Land! Stop Hong Yi before he makes an irreversible mistake!"
Yan Shuang swung her whip, preventing Hua Shu from attempting to summon the Heavenly Thunder again.
"Hua Shu, as long as I'm here, you won't act recklessly!"
"Yan Shuang, meddler! This Water Condensation Beast released the demon fox, sparking war between the two tribes. By helping her today, are you colluding with the Demon Tribe?" Hua Shu fumed angrily.
"I, Yan Shuang, act with integrity and will answer to the immortals of the Heavenly Palace in due time. Ayin, go!"
With these words, Yan Shuang swept the barely conscious Ayin onto the leaf of the Five-Colored True Lotus. The leaf, highly spiritual, wrapped around Ayin and shot out of the Azure Dragon Platform, heading toward the far north of the Heavenly Palace.
Yan Shuang's whip tightly entangled Hua Shu, and only after half a quarter of an hour did she find an opening to break free and chase after Ayin toward Rakshasa Land.
"Princess!" Hong Que exclaimed in shock. "Yan Shuang and that Water Condensation Beast have escaped?"
Hua Shu gazed in the direction the Five-Colored Lotus had flown, her expression cold and stern. "They've gone to Rakshasa Land. With the war between the two tribes, Divine Lord Yuan Qi must be there too. Come, Hong Que, we cannot let that Water Condensation Beast live to see Divine Lord Yuan Qi."
Having spoken, Hua Shu transformed into her True Form as a peacock and, with Hong Que in tow, pursued the direction Ayin had fled.
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