The latter still had physical bodies in reality and might be completely normal, but upon entering this illusory world, they released their true selves, transforming into these terrifying and fearsome forms—this is called “appearance reflects the heart.”

These monsters could only hide in the shadows, but their silhouettes existed in every dream realm. However, the Prince of Yan didn’t know that such creatures could obey commands—he couldn’t help but sneer, “You still dare claim you’re not a Celestial Demon?”

While dozens of nightmares firmly entangled him, with the Star Sky Awl back in her hand, Feng Miaojun stabbed toward his eyeball. “Just a small trick.” Over the years, her control over souls had become increasingly proficient, though it was an unexpected delight that the nightmares of this illusory world would also obey her commands.

Fundamentally, nightmares originate from the human heart. For Feng Miaojun, who excelled in soul techniques, manipulating people’s hearts had always been her specialty.

The summoned nightmares all clung to the Prince of Yan. These monsters normally preyed on the kind and feared the wicked, having ignored the Prince of Yan as he made his way here, but now under Feng Miaojun’s control, they behaved as if he had massacred their families or stolen their wives. Once they latched on, they refused to let go even in death, their sharp claws and fangs constantly attacking him.

The Prince of Yan had never considered these things worthy of his attention, but with dozens pouncing on him, he felt as if his entire body wore heavy shackles, finding it difficult even to raise his hand.

Feng Miaojun’s Star Sky Awl had again stabbed before his eyes.

His expression slightly contorted as he immediately bit his tongue and pursed his lips to spit it out.

The blood he spat forth, upon contact with the air, instantly transformed into raging flames—fierce fire shooting straight at her face, Feng Miaojun dared not charge forward and ducked to avoid it. This was precisely what the nightmares entangling the Prince of Yan feared most. His true fire was exceptionally pure; as soon as the light flared up, all the monsters let out a long howl, releasing him and retreating.

The flames took the shape of a phoenix and with a flap of its wings flew straight toward the dome.

Cannot let this thing touch the dome. Feng Miaojun’s reaction was equally swift—she hurled the Star Sky Awl in her hand, and though released later, it arrived first, directly severing the fire phoenix’s head from its body.

Now free, the Prince of Yan let out a long howl and raised his blade to attack. “You’ve placed all your attention on Yun Ya. At such a critical moment, why don’t I see him coming to your aid?”

Feng Miaojun didn’t utter a word, her offensive even more fierce than before.

However, at that moment, the already darkened fire phoenix in mid-air suddenly burst forth with light again. Feng Miaojun quickly glanced up mid-battle and discovered that the headless fire phoenix had grown a new head, though its form was much smaller than before, its speed was even faster. With lightning speed, it shot straight into the dark mist blocking the glazed window—composed of true fire, it very effectively dispersed the shadows, allowing the moonlight to shine through once more.

Bright and completely unobstructed.

Terrible! This was Feng Miaojun’s only thought, but she had no power to block it again. She heard the Prince of Yan’s hearty laughter: “You didn’t know that phoenixes possess the ability of rebirth?” The fire phoenix he had created from his heart’s blood similarly possessed three lives.

However, the “heart’s blood” expelled from his soul body was comprised of the fundamental power of his divine soul, each drop extremely precious. Employing this technique caused the Prince of Yan tremendous personal cost, his face immediately turning pale, even his soul body becoming two degrees more transparent, less solid than before.

It had been many years since he had last been injured, but he paid it no mind—the objective had been achieved. As the moonlight shone down, he grasped the Dragon Phoenix Staff firmly and pressed downward heavily—with a “crack” sound, triggering some unknown mechanism, the glazed window suddenly turned blood-red. Simultaneously, the moonlight passing through the glazing became a narrow beam, shining vertically onto the Dragon Phoenix Staff, without wasting a fraction on anything else.

The pure and cold moonlight transformed into a dark red color; Feng Miaojun even detected a faint scent of blood.

Immediately after, the dragon head and phoenix head on the staff came alive, suddenly turning simultaneously to face the stone platform, opening their mouths to shoot out a beam of light as thick as a thumb.

The beam was thin but concentrated, hardly dispersing at all. Thus, two dark red dots appeared on the carving of the stone platform.

One dot was positioned precisely in the opening of the water jar balanced on the human woman’s head; the other dot was on the peacock’s tail feathers at the far right of the carved panel.

In short, the positions of the two red dots were completely unrelated, and no one would associate them with each other, yet now they were simultaneously struck by the red light.

In the blink of an eye, the red light moved across the stone platform, leaving its mark.

To Feng Miaojun’s eyes, every line carved on the stone platform radiated with brilliant red light. She suddenly recalled the stone platform she had seen the first time she visited Yingshui City, where each statue’s eyes were marked with red blood spots. It seemed that at that time, Zhao Yun had received instructions to test the mechanism, but unfortunately, he had tested the wrong spots.

“Damn it!” It appeared the stone platform had been activated, but she didn’t know what to do. Was there a way to close it again? While the Prince of Yan moved closer to examine the stone platform, Feng Miaojun grabbed the Dragon Phoenix Staff, trying to pull it askew.

The staff would only project the red light when perfectly aligned. If she could tilt it, would the problem be solved—but unfortunately, her immense strength against this strange ritual staff was like a mud ox entering the sea, unable to move it even a fraction.

The Prince of Yan observed the anomaly on the stone platform, not forgetting to monitor her actions, and now coldly laughed, “Don’t waste your energy. At this moment, no one but the divine can move it.”

Before he finished speaking, the meandering light on the stone platform, as if summoned, suddenly all turned and converged upward.

In the entire carved panel, the highest point was not the sun, but the crown of a large tree. All the red light gathered at the center of the tree crown, then exploded into a dazzling burst of light—just one point, yet that red radiance was a hundred times stronger than the midday sun. Feng Miaojun and the Prince of Yan, both in soul form, instinctively closed their eyes and lowered their heads, unwilling to look directly at it.

There seemed to be a whistling wind sound in their ears.

But how could there be wind when the Main Hall of the Divine Temple had no air circulation—Feng Miaojun knew something was wrong. She suddenly opened her eyes and was stunned.

The Prince of Yan stood three zhang away from her but didn’t attack. Instead, he looked around, his expression strange—”This, this place is…”

As far as they could see, in all directions—up, down, left, right, front, and back—were perfectly square stone walls, polished to a slippery smoothness. Where was the dilapidated Main Hall of the Divine Temple now—”We’re inside the stone platform,” Feng Miaojun said, her voice slightly hoarse.

During her previous exploration of Yingshui City, she and Yu Haizhen had opened the stone platform beneath the deity’s feet and entered the stone chamber inside, becoming thoroughly familiar with its structure.

The stone chamber was also empty like this.

Indeed, empty, without a single living thing.

“This is where the Celestial Demon is sealed, the place you’ve been racking your brains trying to enter.” Feng Miaojun knocked on the stone wall a few times. “Congratulations, your wish has been granted.” She had always thought the stone chamber door could be opened, never expecting that they would instead be sucked inside.