Xiang Su slept very restlessly, plagued by chaotic dreams—one moment she was walking out of the barrier and being captured by Bi Lian, the next moment Chilin and Dong Tianyun were performing their wedding ceremony. She woke in panic and decided she simply wouldn’t sleep anymore.
Dong Tianyun sat cross-legged at the head of the bed, circulating his true energy throughout his body. Xiang Su propped her chin on her hands and lay beside him, watching him by the light of the ever-burning lamp made from Nine Nether flower stamens.
If not for the awkward identity of being half-immortal and half-demon with diminished magical power… this appearance suited him better and matched his temperament more. He was much more real than the past when his immortal aura was ethereal and distant.
In the quiet night, even subtle sounds could be heard very clearly—tap tap, light sounds, intermittent. Xiang Su searched everywhere for the source of the sound. Was it the Kunpeng egg she had placed beside her pillow? She had held it in her arms for so long, hoping every day for Kunpeng to be reborn soon. Could it be today? She crawled over to look closely, but a slender, alluring hand beat her to it, picking up the constantly tapping egg. Dong Tianyun studied it for a while, then suddenly took the egg and flew rapidly to the terrace.
Xiang Su also hurriedly crawled down from the bed, not wanting to miss the moment of Kunpeng’s hatching. When she wobbled her way to the terrace doorway, she saw in the clear moonlight a small black bird with glossy, shiny feathers standing on Dong Tianyun’s wrist. Dong Tianyun was saying to it with utmost authority: “I hatched you. From now on, I am your master.” Outlined by moonlight, Dong Tianyun’s back was handsome and enchanting, and the young Kunpeng also possessed an innate tyrannical aura.
Xiang Su was dumbstruck, though not entirely because the scene before her was soul-stirring. Junshang… he really had the nerve—even deceiving a newly hatched bird!
The little Kunpeng believed him completely, flapping its still very small wings proudly yet obediently, flying down to land on Dong Tianyun’s shoulder. Dong Tianyun turned around, smiling at Xiang Su without a trace of shame. The Kunpeng bird, relying on its master’s power, raised its head high to look down at her, its arrogant and domineering expression exactly the same as before.
Xiang Su had wanted to put on a stern face and throw a tantrum, but Dong Tianyun’s smile and Kunpeng’s familiar aura suddenly touched something soft inside her heart. Junshang had found Kunpeng again, and she… had also found Junshang again. Everything would return to its former perfection.
Dong Tianyun walked back into the room and picked up the flower juice that was supposed to be Xiang Su’s breakfast. “Give it to Kunpeng first.” As he spoke, he raised his chin toward the Kunpeng on his shoulder. Though Kunpeng was small, it had incredible understanding with him. It flew to his raised wrist and landed there, slowly drinking the flower juice.
Xiang Su watched coldly, feeling somewhat sour. Junshang treated Kunpeng no worse than he treated her. Don’t think she was still as foolish as before. For bird clans like Kunpeng, whoever they see first upon hatching becomes their master for life, unchanging. Junshang had deliberately run to the terrace just now—wasn’t it precisely because he was afraid Kunpeng might see her by chance?
After Kunpeng finished drinking, it lay contentedly on the back of his hand, looking sleepy. Dong Tianyun very naturally sent it back into Xiang Su’s arms. “Hold it. It’ll keep you company.”
Xiang Su held the already sleeping Kunpeng, speechless with amazement. He had made Kunpeng acknowledge its master properly, then stuffed it back to her. She squinted at him. Viewing him from a different angle after fifty years… he really was shamelessly at the peak of perfection. During the years waiting for him, thinking of those “kisses of gratitude” and “pledge ceremonies” he had spoken of to her only made her heart ache through and through. Now thinking about it, what shameful deception!
“Sleep a bit more.” He touched her pink, chubby little face. Xiang Su was immersed in her resentment toward him. Looking up, she gave him a fierce glare, but crashed into his smiling eyes. Still so deep and fathomless, so beautiful. When he looked at her, his long lashes lowered, but there was clearly joyful light inside, like a bright full moon on the sea surface. Xiang Su stared blankly for a while, then inexplicably smiled. When he was happy… she was happy too.
They set out for Dragon Prison Valley very early in the morning. Xiang Su hugged Dong Tianyun’s neck, held steadily in his arms with one hand, looking at the people traveling with them behind him. She also felt it was a grand and imposing procession.
Kunpeng stood on Dong Tianyun’s shoulder. Xiang Su glanced at it—its feathers were still fine and delicate, but its imposing bearing was no less than in years past. Although she looked down on that arrogant expression, the bird clan’s faithful loyalty to their master still made her feel respect. Whether it was the black-clothed youth from before or the tender young bird now, once they acknowledged their master, they would go through fire and water without hesitation.
Xiang Su tightened her arms around Dong Tianyun. She had to do even better than Kunpeng. Having witnessed Kunpeng following Junshang calmly to death, she knew best—the feeling of being left behind was very unpleasant!
When Dong Tianyun stopped his cloud, the surroundings had already become misty, full of the miasma exhaled by the thorned spirits outside Dragon Prison Valley. The Breath Pearls had been distributed long ago. Dong Tianyun checked once more the two pearls embedded in the primordial spirits of Kunpeng and Xiang Su, then said quietly: “Let’s go in.”
Chilin gave a very soft cold snort. She strongly opposed Dong Tianyun bringing Xiang Su and Kunpeng, maintaining a cold face throughout, but at least she didn’t voice it aloud.
“Shall I take care of Kunpeng?” Yuanhou’s smile held a hint of unease. After Qingsui talked with Yanji yesterday, she had been distracted the whole time. He had been carefully watching her. Yanji also had a sullen face, taciturn and quiet.
“No need.” Dong Tianyun shook his head. Kunpeng was an ancient divine beast—experience would make it progress faster.
Chilin chanted incantations, and Haotian Tower in her hand emitted increasingly bright red light. Xiang Su watched in fear, clutching Dong Tianyun’s neck tightly. Dong Tianyun found Xiang Su’s reaction somewhat strange and hugged her tighter, patting her comfortingly. Were wood spirits this afraid of Haotian Fire? He glanced at Jin Zhan beside him—his face was also deathly pale. It seemed this was indeed the case.
Chilin used fire to lead the way ahead. Though she burned the thorned spirits so they fell down and made way, she couldn’t dispel the dense fog that blocked out the sky and sun. All Xiang Su could hear were the squeaking screams of the thorned spirits, as if she were in purgatory.
The closer they got to the valley’s heart, the thicker the fog became. Even though Chilin had Haotian Tower in hand, their forward progress slowed considerably. They had already entered the territory of thousand-year-old thorned spirits. Deeply cultivated demon ghosts often lunged at them with their last breath. Chilin also found it very difficult.
Dong Tianyun stroked Xiang Su’s hair and said with a light laugh: “Don’t be afraid.” He placed her on his back. Previously in his embrace, Xiang Su had felt very safe, but now lying on his back, she always felt a chill down her spine, as if demon ghosts would jump out and bite her. Xiang Su bit her lip. She couldn’t cause trouble for Junshang. Chilin already found her a hindrance—no matter how scared she was, she couldn’t let Chilin look down on her. She looked back at Jin Zhan, who was like facing a great enemy. With him behind her, she should be safe, right?
Dong Tianyun freed his hand and slightly drew Gujun. The sword hadn’t even left its sheath when they heard the demon ghosts in all directions wailing continuously. Yuanhou, Yu Mu, and the others also felt their magical artifacts tremble in their hands, their fingers aching.
Gujun was reforged from the ancient Xuanyuan Sword—its divine power was extraordinary. Xiang Su felt very uncomfortable, her chest stuffy, somewhat like when she had low magical power and went to the banks of the Abyss River, where the Abyss River’s spiritual power pressed on her so much she wanted to vomit blood.
Kunpeng also lay listlessly on Dong Tianyun’s shoulder, looking very distressed. Worried that it had been born so recently, Xiang Su reached out to gather it into her embrace. Kunpeng struggled for a moment, but perhaps because Xiang Su had been hatching it day and night and their auras were very familiar, or perhaps sensing Xiang Su’s goodwill, it no longer resisted and obediently hid in the crook of Xiang Su’s arm without moving.
Dong Tianyun had always been skilled at wielding wind and thunder. The wild wind summoned by Gujun was even more fierce and domineering compared to the past. Chilin cooperatively urged the fire. Borrowing Gujun’s wind, she created a sea of flames. The heat and strong wind dispersed the dense fog ahead, like splitting open a path of light in the dark night. Everyone quickly urged their clouds to follow.
By the firelight, Xiang Su finally saw clearly what the thorned spirits looked like and was so frightened she nearly rolled off Dong Tianyun’s back. The demon ghosts had hideous faces, skin the color of tree bark brown. Their lower halves had no outline, buried deep in the earth. Their arms were abnormally thick and long, fingers bearing sharp claws, mouths growing fangs. Neither wood nor beast, they grew densely for several li, as if trapped in a hell of fierce ghosts, making one’s hair stand on end. The nearby demon ghosts burned by Haotian Fire let out shrill screams, struggling violently in the firelight. Xiang Su didn’t dare look closely, remembering herself crying and shouting in the fire back then, and felt pity arise in her heart.
Dong Tianyun summoned several more gusts of wind to cooperate with Chilin, and everyone finally passed through the thorned spirit forest, all somewhat out of breath.
Deep in the thorned spirit forest, the dense fog was even thicker than outside. After thousands of years of accumulation, even the wind summoned by Gujun couldn’t blow it away. Yuanhou tried to use Heaven-Opening Axe to search for earth veins, but Dragon Prison Valley’s earth veins had absorbed the demon ghosts’ malevolent energy for many years and were completely beyond the control of the earth spirit artifact. Instead, they ruptured the ground, swallowing and resisting the suppression of Heaven-Opening Axe.
The earth trembled incessantly. Xiang Su felt her five organs and six bowels were about to be shaken out. The surroundings were pitch black, making it impossible to see. She could only cling desperately to Junshang, praying to quickly find Shen Nong Ding and leave this ghostly place as soon as possible.
Seeing this, Yu Mu quickly took out his magical artifact, the Tourmaline Ruyi. The Celestial Clan’s Tourmaline Ruyi was the magical artifact best at soothing all things in the Three Realms. Its attack power was low, but it could transform violent rain into gentle moisture and resolve wild thunder into spring tremors. Under the soothing of Tourmaline Ruyi, the Dragon Prison earth veins gradually returned to calm, and everyone’s frantic moods from being jostled about also gradually eased.
“This way.” Yu Mu looked at the direction of Tourmaline Ruyi and said with some uncertainty.
Everyone followed Tourmaline Ruyi, groping their way forward. They felt the ground rising—they must be walking up a slope.
The Tourmaline Ruyi that had been leading the way suddenly dimmed its spiritual light and flew back into Yu Mu’s hand. “It should be nearby, or perhaps this is where the earth vein center is located. Karmic power has blocked the Ruyi’s spiritual force.” Yu Mu speculated.
Xiang Su was trembling a bit. They must have climbed to the mountaintop or some such place. The air was cold and very humid—even their clothes were covered with a thin layer of moisture.
Qingsui took a deep breath. “My turn.” As the Wood Administrator, she used secret techniques to summon Shen Nong Ding, hoping to make the divine cauldron respond.
Sure enough, after Qingsui repeated the summoning incantation several times, beautiful green light appeared in the heights not far away. Qingsui’s spirits were greatly lifted. “It’s Shen Nong Ding! Finally sensed it!” She used more magical power to drive the incantation, and the green light grew brighter and brighter, finally penetrating the dense fog and letting everyone vaguely see their surroundings clearly.
“Qingsui, don’t take risks!” Yuanhou shouted in a low voice. He worried that Qingsui would use all her magical power to summon Shen Nong Ding, and with the situation unclear, instead harm her own primordial spirit.
Qingsui’s eyes were tightly closed, her face gradually pale, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. How many years had it been, how many places had she gone, chanting the summoning incantation over and over in vain? The guilt of being the Wood Administrator yet losing the divine artifact, the disappointment that accumulated day by day, was finally eliminated completely today. She could no longer control her joy and only wanted to summon back the wood spirit artifact as quickly as possible.
Borrowing Shen Nong Ding’s precious light, everyone saw clearly that the place where they stood was indeed a mountain peak, with gentle terrain, facing the solitary peak that imprisoned Shen Nong Ding from afar in a posture of submission.
“As expected, the valley heart earth veins have trapped the divine cauldron!” Yuanhou frowned. Qingsui had already used ninety percent of her magical power to drive the incantation but still couldn’t make Shen Nong Ding break through the restraints of the valley heart earth veins. Having already witnessed the power of Dragon Prison Valley when the earth veins shook earlier, the current situation was extremely critical. “Stop, Qingsui.” He urgently stopped Qingsui. If she continued to summon so strenuously, before the divine artifact was recovered, she would die first from exhaustion. “First approach that peak and assess the situation.”
Qingsui also felt sweetness in her throat. If she forced herself further, she might really get hurt.
Yuanhou sacrificed Heaven-Opening Axe, slowly rotating it half a circle in the air. It had already become enormously large. Everyone climbed onto the axe surface, borrowing the earth spirit artifact’s suppression of the earth veins to slowly approach that solitary peak.
Because Qingsui stopped chanting, Shen Nong Ding’s precious light had become very dim. Even approaching closely, they couldn’t see clearly what the actual situation was. Qingsui wanted to continue driving the incantation, but Yuanhou raised his hand to grasp her arm. “Qingsui, now is not the time to be reckless and forceful. The situation is critical, and Yu Mu is also here, so I’ll say this. Since Jin Zhan is the Wood Spirit襄君, it’s reasonable for him to take over as Wood Administrator in the future. Today Qingsui should transmit Shen Nong Ding’s secret incantation to Jin Zhan. Combining both their powers to summon the divine artifact will give us better odds of success.”
Yu Mu nodded without hesitation and said good. Qingsui also agreed with Yuanhou’s proposal, using primordial spirit secret language to transmit the secret incantation to Jin Zhan.
Both of them chanted the incantation simultaneously, and Shen Nong Ding once again emitted light, its brilliant radiance even more splendid than before.
Everyone looked carefully into the distance. The top of the solitary peak had absorbed demonic energy and earth energy, transforming into the shape of a dragon’s head. Combined with the steep mountain terrain, it looked like a vicious dragon entrenched at the valley’s heart.
Yuanhou urged Heaven-Opening Axe to approach the mountaintop. Only then did they see clearly that Shen Nong Ding was in a shallow cave shaped like the dragon’s mouth formed by the rocks. The shallow cave was surrounded by stone pillars on all sides. From a distance, they looked like dragon fangs, and also allowed the divine cauldron’s radiance to shine through.
Qingsui felt somewhat anxious. She walked to the edge of the axe and reached out to grasp it. The solitary peak immediately rumbled and clanged. The stone pillars sank down, the shallow cave became smaller, as if the dragon was closing its mouth tight. Qingsui was startled and stepped back. The stone pillars’ descent also stopped.
Jin Zhan frowned. “Let me do it.” If the dragon’s mouth closed, exchanging his life here would be acceptable.
Qingsui still wanted to stop him, but Jin Zhan had already rapidly flown close to the stone pillars. The Dragon Prison Valley earth veins were strange and demonic. Jin Zhan, leaving Heaven-Opening Axe, unexpectedly couldn’t ride the clouds. His body suddenly plummeted downward. In his panic, he grasped a stone pillar. Strangely, not only did the stone pillar not descend, it slowly rose instead, recovering its previous shape.