He stared unblinkingly at this previous previous generation’s Qingyang Dijun before him.

When he fought with the previous previous generation’s Zhongshan Dijun, he himself wasn’t very old yet. At that time, how arrogant and presumptuous Zhongshan Dijun had been—worlds apart from now. That the Qingyang Clan forcibly carved out a flourishing reputation from under the Zhuyin Clan’s name that loomed like dark clouds overhead wasn’t only because of that earth-shaking dispute between Dijuns.

Actually, aside from facial features, he was still somewhat different from that self-satisfied Qingyang Dijun in the painting. Perhaps because of millions of years of pitch-black and soundless torment, there was no longer a trace of sharpness about him. All the intricately intertwined complexities were hidden in the deepest places, not revealed even a tiny bit.

Baize Dijun’s attempt to see some clues from his eyes fell through. After this Qingyang Dijun Shao Yi entered the hall, he very casually glanced around in a circle. His gaze fell on the dying Zhongshan Dijun, looked for a while, then actually smiled.

“The method to handle this matter—it was Teacher who thought it up, wasn’t it?” Shao Yi’s fingertips slowly rubbed the agate phoenix on his braid, completely oblivious to Qing Yan’s cold gaze. “Why do you think I would be happy to interfere?”

Baize Dijun thought for a moment: “Because you’ve already come.”

He could have completely not come—heart like iron and stone, thoroughly wash his hands of it. With his matchless Dijun divine soul, even if the Zhuyin Clan wanted revenge, it would be difficult. But since he had come, it was after all somewhat different.

Shao Yi couldn’t help but smile. That’s right—he had indeed come. Well said. He actually had nothing to say in response.

He walked to the bedside. His fingertip lightly traced across Zhongshan Dijun’s chest, breaking open the black war general garment that had already been frozen hard by blood. He lowered his head and casually looked at that deep bloody hole on top, then turned his head to look at Qing Yan, slowly saying: “Father is weak. The two heart feathers from before exhausted him. When sending Dijun and Xiaolong Jun back to Zhongshan, he already took back the heart feathers. Had I known it would come to this, it would have been better to leave them.”

Qing Yan didn’t make a sound. Playing others to death and back—wasn’t this precisely the Qingyang Clan’s style?

Golden-cyan brilliant radiance rose steaming around Shao Yi’s body. He reached toward his heart and extracted a mass of something even softer and brighter. Carefully, bit by bit, he pierced it into Zhongshan Dijun’s chest, while saying: “Up to now, I’ve only grown five heart feathers. It looks like I’ll use them all on the Zhuyin Clan.”

Baize Dijun rushed over, staring fixedly at that mass of radiance in his hand. Even he was seeing this most precious thing in heaven and earth for the first time. He had always only known it could instantly heal any near-death injury. Who would have thought that something meant to save lives could also be turned by Shao Yi into something for coercion?

Regeneration divine power gathered in his palm, which he poured into Zhongshan Dijun’s wound. Dijun’s body began to tremble violently. Shao Yi then pulled and twisted with his fingertip at the chest—the invisible heart feather binding was instantly severed.

He wiped the blood on his hands on the bedding, then looked toward Qing Yan with a smile: “The heart feather I promised Qingyuan Dadi last time—because he was killed by the little loach, I ultimately couldn’t give it to him. What coincidence. Xiaolong Jun, we’re even.”

Qing Yan narrowed his eyes, saying word by word: “Go save A’Yi.”

Shao Yi’s eyes flowed, and he shook his head: “Her condition—I can’t save her.”

Qing Yan’s voice grew lower: “If that’s the case, why was it her?”

Baize Dijun on the side also said: “If you had informed me of this matter in advance, things wouldn’t have come to this.”

Shao Yi looked at Baize Dijun thoughtfully: “Teacher, if all the divine beings of these four wilds and eight wastes used the name of heavenly and earthly catastrophe to force you to go die, would you go or not?”

Uh, well… Baize Dijun pondered for a long time, but then heard him say again: “If I were to seize those treasures you’ve collected, would you fight or not?”

He actually wanted to seize his beloved treasures! Baize Dijun’s face was grave: “…I would fight.”

…This Baize old man who was more trouble than he was worth. Qing Yan simply couldn’t watch anymore. He was this readily led into revealing information?

Shao Yi said leisurely: “Teacher also understands this principle. Even if I had revealed it in advance, in the end things would still have become like this—perhaps even worse. In any case, someone from the Zhuyin Clan had to do this. In the end, perhaps all three Zhuyin Clan members would go in, all three would perish, or all three would fall into demon nature. Teacher wouldn’t be very happy to see that situation either, would he?”

That’s right, indeed wouldn’t be very happy to see it. Baize Dijun nodded while seriously raising his eyes to look at him: “So you let Xuan Yi go into the Sea of Departed Regrets alone?”

Shao Yi’s smile was faint, but he didn’t answer this question.

Qing Yan’s voice was cold: “Since you can’t save A’Yi, then quickly leave. I don’t need your heart feather. Qingyang Dijun Shao Yi, when I ascend as Zhongshan Dijun, I will certainly seek instruction from you.”

This wouldn’t do! Did they want to create a second Sea of Departed Regrets? Baize Dijun coughed once, about to think of a way to dissuade them, when Shao Yi suddenly said gently: “This last heart feather of mine—I’m not giving it to save you.”

Since entering Yanhe Palace, this was the first time he looked toward Xuan Yi. His gaze touched and left her sleeping, innocent face, then fell on Fucang at the bedside. He looked at this white-robed Shenjun with calm expression for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and looked at Qing Yan again.

“So don’t thank me.”

Shao Yi smiled slightly. His hand moved like lightning, flicking at the wound on Qing Yan’s left shoulder. The Zhuyin Clan’s Xiaolong Jun, who wasn’t good at enduring pain, immediately turned pale and clutched his wound, unable to move.

The golden-cyan brilliant radiance shone again. The fifth phoenix heart feather inserted from behind into Qing Yan’s back. The intense pain made him sweat like rain, yet he didn’t cry out even once. Shao Yi thought of that equally silent, pale princess. She had only nearly bitten through her lips—because of the heart feather binding, he had also been in severe pain.

What impact Zhongshan Dijun’s perishing would bring—he didn’t care, just as she didn’t care what the celestial order would become. Giving away the precious phoenix heart feather like this was only because at this moment he was willing to salvage her despair, willing to preserve for her those most important to her.

Now she could be at ease, couldn’t she? Next, whether it was perishing, falling into demon nature, sleeping without waking, or waking up to continue being a goddess—this cruel fellow of his would no longer intervene. He wouldn’t allow her to disturb him anymore, and absolutely wouldn’t disturb her mutual love. The collision of fierce flames and cold ice—it was time to separate.

This vague and illusory sentiment that he had never thought to seize and never believed in would one day dissipate in the long time of the divine clan’s lengthy lives. In his well-practiced indulgent and glorious career, it truly was nothing and would never be anything.

A drop of sweat slid down from his forehead. Planting two heart feathers in succession still made him feel strained. Shao Yi severed the heart feather binding, turned and left: “I take my leave.”

Baize Dijun walked all the way to the hall door and spoke: “This matter will be proclaimed truthfully to the world.”

Shao Yi touched his chin, his eyes playful: “In that case, I must thank the Tian Di and Teacher for their fulfillment.”

Baize Dijun said flatly: “I hope you won’t regret this conduct of harming and then abandoning your beloved in the future.”

His beloved? Shao Yi only smiled without speaking. In the four wilds and eight wastes, heaven above and earth below, his beloved and cherished love had always only been himself.

The nirvana-reborn Qingyang Dijun turned and stepped onto the green glazed bridge. The black-robed figure slowly went far away, disappearing into the pale yellow and deep green colors of the Celestial Palace’s deep autumn.