20: Feng Qiqi

All Heavens Star Palace, by the spiritual spring behind the mountain.

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on a bluestone, his fingers tapping his knee idly. His cultivation at the early stage of Chaos Refinement Void made him exude an oppressive aura of “don’t mess with me.” Lie Tian Divine Tiger lay beside him, its large head resting on its paws, its amber eyes occasionally glancing at its master, then at the small courtyard in the distance, tightly covered by a silencing barrier—Kong Ming’s residence.

“Roar… want to go out and clear your head?” Lie Tian Divine Tiger transmitted through divine sense, its tone full of sympathy. Ever since that chatty little bald monk came to the sect, its master’s expression hadn’t been good.

Lin Xuan ignored it, his gaze fixed on the system panel. The progress bar for the Myriad Realms Unification mission was still far from complete, especially the Divine Phoenix Realm—Huang Yan’s homeland—which had not yet been officially incorporated. The thought of Huang Yan staring at him with “tender and affectionate” eyes all day gave Lin Xuan a headache.

“System, are there any SSS-level talents in the Divine Phoenix Realm?” Lin Xuan asked in his mind.

Scanning… Detecting SSS+ level talent fluctuation in the Divine Phoenix Realm—Divine Phoenix bloodline Nirvana True Flame!

Location: Core of the Divine Phoenix Realm, forbidden prison deep beneath the Divine Phoenix Palace!

Status: Sealed, on the verge of disappearing!

Warning! The target is being eroded by the Heavenly Court’s ‘Source Devouring Array’! If not rescued in time, it will be completely annihilated within three days!

“SSS+? A tier higher than Linglong and the others?” Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. This talent, it’s something! But… forbidden prison deep beneath the Divine Phoenix Palace? Isn’t Huang Yan the princess of the Divine Phoenix Realm? Her family’s dungeon is holding an SSS+ monster? Interesting.

“Lie Tian Divine Tiger.”

“Roar!”

“Let’s go, to the Divine Phoenix Realm to rescue someone.”

“Roar!”

A flash of crimson-gold divine flame, Lie Tian Divine Tiger carried Lin Xuan, tearing open space with a claw, and plunged in without looking back. Before leaving, Lin Xuan specifically looked back at Kong Ming’s small courtyard, confirming that the silencing barrier was functioning normally, only then did he leave with peace of mind… Divine Phoenix Realm, outside the Divine Phoenix Palace.

The sky was a magnificent crimson-gold, clouds like burning flames, and in the distance, continuous palace complexes were resplendent, with phoenix-shaped wind chimes hanging from their eaves, tinkling in the wind. What should have been a serene and grand sight was now enveloped by an ominous dark-red light shield, upon which twisted black runes flowed, exuding an evil aura that devoured life force.

“Source Devouring Array…” Lin Xuan stood on a cliff, his Law-Breaking Sword Eyes sweeping over the dark-red light shield covering the Divine Phoenix Palace, his gaze cold. He had seen this array in fragments of Huang Yan’s memories; it was a malicious method specially used by the Heavenly Court to extract the origin of special bloodlines. It seemed the Divine Phoenix Realm had been completely controlled by the Heavenly Court.

“Roar…” Lie Tian Divine Tiger was eager to try, its claws digging several deep furrows in the ground.

“No rush.” Lin Xuan’s gaze penetrated layers of palaces, locking onto a secret chamber deep underground, sealed by numerous restrictions. There, a small figure was curled up in a corner, countless dark-red chains wrapped around her body, the other end of the chains connected to a giant, heart-like pulsating black crystal, slowly but steadily extracting the Divine Phoenix origin from her body.

It was a little girl who looked only twelve or thirteen years old. Her messy crimson-gold long hair, her small face pale to the point of transparency, her lips chapped, and her thin white prison uniform stained with blood and dirt. Most shocking were the two grotesque wounds on her back—extending from her shoulder blades to her waist, as if something had been forcibly dug out. But even in such a disheveled state, her eyes, burning like golden flames, remained stubbornly open, staring intently in a certain direction at the top of the secret chamber, as if she could see the polluted crimson-gold sky through the thick rock layers.

“It’s her.” Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes. Under his Law-Breaking Sword Eyes, the cluster of golden flames within the little girl, tightly bound by chains and almost extinguished, exuded a purity and power far surpassing Huang Yan’s! SSS+ level talent, Nirvana True Flame! The true Divine Phoenix origin!

“Roar…” Lie Tian Divine Tiger suddenly lowered its voice, its tiger eyes fixed on the direction of the Divine Phoenix Palace’s main hall.

Lin Xuan had already noticed it. In the main hall, three powerful figures clad in golden armor were seated around a blood-red altar, a pulsating black heart suspended in the center of the altar—the core of the Source Devouring Array! All three were at the early stage of Refinement Void, a significant step up from the weaklings encountered in the Demonic Realm and Buddhist Realm! Especially the golden-armored man in the middle with flame patterns on his face, his aura was already close to the middle stage of Refinement Void!

“Heavenly Court’s ‘Flame God General’…” Lin Xuan recognized this person from Huang Yan’s memories. An executioner specifically responsible for suppressing and extracting special bloodlines!

“Roar… three Refinement Void cultivators, a bit tricky…” Lie Tian Divine Tiger was somewhat eager to try, but also worried that its master, having just broken through to Refinement Void, might be at a disadvantage fighting three at once.

“No matter.” Lin Xuan sneered, his finger gently stroking an inconspicuous gray cloth bag hanging from his waist—this was the “Chaos Stealth Bag” he had exchanged from the system, capable of perfectly concealing one’s aura, undetectable even by Refinement Void peak cultivators! “First rescue, then kill.”

A flash of crimson-gold divine flame, Lie Tian Divine Tiger carried Lin Xuan, silently disappearing from its spot… Divine Phoenix Palace, forbidden prison deep underground.

In the dark, damp secret chamber, the little girl moved her fingers with difficulty. She no longer remembered how long she had been imprisoned here. Every day, those dark-red chains would draw a part of her origin from her body, injecting it into that damned black crystal. Her Divine Phoenix wings had been forcibly dug out, her Nirvana True Flame suppressed, and even her self-healing had become extremely slow.

“Father King… Mother Queen…” Feng Qiqi’s chapped lips moved slightly, her voice almost inaudible. She remembered that day, the Heavenly Court’s army suddenly descended, and the golden-armored man with flame patterns on his face shattered her Father King’s chest with a single palm, digging out his Divine Phoenix heart! Her Mother Queen detonated her Nirvana True Flame to cover her escape, but it only earned a disdainful sneer from the opponent.

And she, the youngest princess of the Divine Phoenix Realm, was also captured and imprisoned in this dark dungeon. She knew that she would soon be drained of her origin, becoming a dried corpse. But she had no regrets, at least… at least her elder sister Huang Yan had escaped. She hoped her sister could live on… Just as Feng Qiqi’s consciousness became increasingly blurry, the stone wall of the secret chamber suddenly and silently… melted!

That’s right, melted! The hard, obsidian wall, covered with forbidden runes, silently opened up a large hole! Outside the hole stood a youth in black robes, with a magnificent crimson-gold giant tiger crouching beside him.

Feng Qiqi’s eyes widened. Was this… an illusion? Or a new torture method from the Heavenly Court?

“Tsk, truly miserable.” The youth in black robes walked into the secret chamber, his Law-Breaking Sword Eyes sweeping over the chains on Feng Qiqi and the black crystal, his brows furrowed so tightly they could kill a fly. He raised his hand, a wisp of Chaos Sword Intent condensing on his fingertip.

“Don’t… don’t touch the chains…” Feng Qiqi used all her strength, her voice hoarse, “It will… it will alarm those above…”

“Don’t worry.” Lin Xuan’s mouth curved into a cold arc, “They will soon… have bigger problems than you.”

Before his words finished, the Sword Intent on his fingertip flashed!

Whoosh—!

Those dark-red chains that had tormented Feng Qiqi for countless days and nights, devouring her origin, instantly melted and broke like ice and snow encountering scorching sunlight! The black crystal let out an unbearable wail, its surface covered with spiderweb-like cracks, then “bang” it exploded into dust!

“Ugh…” Without the suppression of the chains, Feng Qiqi’s remaining Nirvana True Flame instantly became active, slowly beginning to repair her damaged body. But her injuries were too severe; she only managed to glance at Lin Xuan before her vision went black and she fainted.

Lin Xuan caught her small body, his brows furrowing even tighter. This girl was as light as a feather, with hardly any flesh on her, mostly bones. The two grotesque wounds on her back were even more shocking.

“Roar… Master, those three above have discovered us!” Lie Tian Divine Tiger suddenly looked up, its tiger eyes fixed on the ceiling.

Rumble—!

The entire dungeon vibrated violently! An enraged Refinement Void pressure, like a volcanic eruption, slammed down from the direction of the main hall! Accompanied by an earth-shattering roar:

“What kind of rat dares to touch the Heavenly Court’s forbidden property! You seek death!”

“Heh, quick reaction.” Lin Xuan sneered, holding the unconscious Feng Qiqi with one hand, he stepped onto the tiger’s back, “Lie Tian Divine Tiger, let’s go meet them.”

"Roar!" The Lie Tian Divine Tiger, having been suppressed for too long, erupted with crimson-gold divine flames, directly smashing through layers of rock walls and soaring into the sky!

...Above the main hall of the Divine Phoenix Palace.

Three golden-armored figures, exuding terrifying auras, stood in the air. The leader was the Flame Divine General, whose face bore flame patterns! He stared intently at the crimson-gold stream of light bursting from underground, his eyes burning with killing intent: "No matter who you are, if you dare to touch my Heavenly Court's 'Nirvana Seed,' today you shall be annihilated in both body and spirit!"

"Noisy." Lin Xuan stood on the tiger's back, one arm holding Feng Qiqi, the other pointing two fingers like a sword. He made a slicing motion in the air towards the Flame Divine General and the other two!

Om—!

A terrifying Sword Qi, containing Chaos Stars within and manifesting the annihilation of the Return to Emptiness without, instantly tore through space!

The Flame Divine General's expression changed drastically! The power of this Sword Qi far exceeded that of an ordinary early Void Refinement cultivator! He dared not be careless, forming a hand seal, and a giant shield burning with dark-gold flames instantly materialized! At the same time, he roared: "Form the Three Talents Burning Heaven Array!"

The other two golden-armored Divine Generals also reacted quickly. The three of them positioned themselves in a triangular formation, their dark-gold flames intertwining to form a massive flame cage, attempting to trap the Sword Qi!

However!

Chii—!

The Chaos Sword Qi, like a hot knife through butter, effortlessly penetrated the flame shield and the blockade of the Three Talents Burning Heaven Array, its momentum undiminished, fiercely striking the golden-armored Divine General on the left!

"No—!" The Divine General only managed to let out a short, tragic cry before his entire body, along with his protective golden armor, was instantly split in two! Then, like a sand sculpture thrown into the Return to Emptiness, he silently and completely annihilated into nothingness!

One sword! Instant kill of an early Void Refinement cultivator!

"What?!" The Flame Divine General and the remaining Divine General were scared out of their wits! What kind of monster was this?

"It's your turn now." Lin Xuan's voice was devoid of emotion. He formed a hand seal, and the Chaos Nascent Soul in his Dantian suddenly opened its eyes! The projection of the All Heavens Star Palace beneath him spun wildly!

Om—!

The entire sky instantly darkened! Innumerable star projections appeared, showering down billions of silver starlight rays! These rays were not soft light, but rather transformed into countless Star Sword Qi, condensed to the extreme and sharp enough to cut through laws! The Sword Qi rained down, dense and overwhelming, instantly enveloping the Flame Divine General and the other.

"Star Sword Prison!" Lin Xuan coldly commanded.

Chi chi chi chi—!

The dense clanging of metal, like a torrential downpour, instantly erupted! The Flame Divine General and the other frantically urged their protective divine light, attempting to resist, but under the endlessstrangulation of the Star Sword Qi, their protective divine light was as fragile as paper! In the blink of an eye, the other Divine General was pierced by ten thousand arrows, screaming as he turned to ashes!

Only the Flame Divine General, relying on his cultivation close to the middle Void Refinement stage, barely managed to sustain a dark-gold flame domain, struggling to hold on. But he was also covered in wounds, his golden armor shattered, looking utterly disheveled!

"You... who exactly are you?" The Flame Divine General was both shocked and enraged. "Opposing the Heavenly Court, you will not come to a good end!"

"Too much nonsense." Lin Xuan was too lazy to argue with him. His Law-Breaking Sword Eyes locked onto the Flame Divine General's glabella, and the Eternal SwordMang in the right eye of his Chaos Nascent Soul... gently blinked.

Om—!

A terrifying Sword Intent, formless and intangible, yet seemingly capable of severing cause and effect, instantly traversed space!

The shock and rage on the Flame Divine General's face instantly froze! He felt an irresistible, incomprehensible supreme will, like a giant axe splitting the heavens, fiercely cleaving into his sea of consciousness! His proud Void Refinement Divine Soul was as fragile as a bubble before that will!

"Im...pos...si...ble..." The Flame Divine General struggled to utter a few words, and then... bang—!

His entire head exploded instantly, like a watermelon struck by a heavy hammer! The headless corpse swayed and fell from the sky!

Three moves! Three Void Refinement Divine Generals, all annihilated!

"Roar—!" The Lie Tian Divine Tiger roared to the sky, its crimson-gold divine flames sweeping in all directions, burning the shattered golden armor and corpses until not even dregs remained!

Lin Xuan didn't even look at the ashes, lowering his head to check Feng Qiqi in his arms. The little girl was still unconscious, but the Nirvana True Flame within her body had begun to spontaneously repair her injuries, and her aura was much more stable than before.

"Let's go, home." Lin Xuan patted Lie Tian Divine Tiger's large head.

"Roar!" Lie Tian Divine Tiger was about to tear through space when its tiger ears suddenly twitched. "Roar... Master, a large group of people is approaching!"

Lin Xuan looked up, only to see a dense mass of figures rapidly approaching from the distant horizon! Leading them was a middle-aged man in a crimson-gold phoenix robe with a dignified face, whose aura had clearly reached the early Void Refinement stage! Behind him followed dozens of Soul Transformation and Nascent Soul cultivators, each with a formidable aura.

"The surviving powerhouses of the Divine Phoenix Realm?" Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes. Under his Law-Breaking Sword Eyes, these people all had more or less fluctuations of the Divine Phoenix bloodline within them; they should be survivors of the Divine Phoenix royal family.

The group quickly flew closer. The phoenix-robed man at the head, Feng Tianxiang, the current interim leader of the Divine Phoenix Realm, vigilantly looked at Lin Xuan, especially at Feng Qiqi in his arms, and asked in a deep voice: "Who are you, Your Excellency? Why..."

"Noisy." Lin Xuan interrupted him directly, his voice cold. "This Venerable Lin Xuan, is the Temple Master of the All Heavens Star Palace. This little girl, this Venerable has taken a liking to her. I'll take her as a disciple. And the Divine Phoenix Realm will be under the jurisdiction of the Star Palace from today onwards. Do you have any objections?"

Feng Tianxiang was stunned by these utterly domineering words, then let out a bitter laugh: "Temple Master Lin is joking. You slayed the Heavenly Court Divine General and saved the little princess, you are a great benefactor to our Divine Phoenix Realm! How dare we have any objections? It's just..."

"Just what?"

"It's just that the Heavenly Court won't let this go. The 'Essence Devouring Grand Array' they set up in our realm is still operating. If it's not removed quickly, the Divine Phoenix Realm will eventually become a dead land!" Feng Tianxiang looked worriedly at the dark-red lightcover covering the Divine Phoenix Palace.

Lin Xuan glanced at the grand array, a cold smile playing on his lips: "A mere Essence Devouring Array, is it even worthy of being called an array?"

He formed a hand seal, and the projection of the All Heavens Star Palace beneath the Chaos Nascent Soul burst into brilliant light! Countless profound array patterns appeared out of thin air, instantly covering the entire dark-red lightcover!

"Break."

Crack—!

A crisp shattering sound echoed through heaven and earth! The Essence Devouring Grand Array, which had plagued the Divine Phoenix Realm for many days, instantly became covered in spiderweb-like cracks, like fragile glass, and then "boom" it exploded into countless specks of light!

"This..." Feng Tianxiang and the others were dumbfounded. The grand array that they had fought desperately against, yet couldn't do anything about, was just... gone?

"From today onwards, the Divine Phoenix Realm will be incorporated under the Star Palace." Lin Xuan's voice resounded throughout the entire Divine Phoenix Realm. "All those with Divine Phoenix bloodline may go to the Star Palace to cultivate. Those who do not wish to, will not be forced."

After speaking, he no longer paid attention to the still-shocked Divine Phoenix clansmen, patting Lie Tian Divine Tiger: "Let's go."

The crimson-gold divine flames flashed, a spatial passage opened, and one person and one tiger instantly disappeared... All Heavens Star Palace.

As Lin Xuan landed, holding the unconscious Feng Qiqi, Huang Yan, who had already received the news, rushed over with red eyes: "Qi Qi! Is it Qi Qi? Senior! She... she's still alive?"

"Mm." Lin Xuan handed Feng Qiqi to her. "She's badly injured, but she won't die. Take her to the spiritual spring to soak; the Nirvana True Flame will heal her on its own."

"Thank you, Senior Master!" Huang Yan carefully took her sister, tears streaming down her face, no longer showing any trace of her princess-like arrogance.

Lin Xuan waved his hand and turned to walk towards the Star Palace. After taking two steps, he heard a familiar "woo woo woo" sound from behind him. A vein throbbed on his forehead, and he slowly turned his head.

He saw Kong Ming, that little bald monk, who had somehow broken through the silencing barrier—perhaps that girl Linglong was behind it—was currently bound like a zongzi by chaotic currents, wriggling on the ground towards him, his large eyes filled with fawning light, as if saying, "Master, look at me! Am I being good?"

Lin Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to throw this guy back to the Buddhist Realm, and turned to Lie Tian Divine Tiger: "This Venerable is going into seclusion. Anyone who dares to disturb..." He coldly glanced at Kong Ming, "...will be thrown to the Demon Realm to feed Little Nine."

"Roar!" Lie Tian Divine Tiger gloated, glancing at the instantly stiff Kong Ming, and then trotted after Lin Xuan into the main hall.

The moment the hall doors closed, Lin Xuan finally let out a long sigh. Being this sect master... was even more tiring than fighting!