If the True Demon Remains had truly died so easily, the Phoenix Lord’s flames wouldn’t have burned for ten thousand years without fully incinerating it.
Just as everyone relaxed their vigilance, the demon’s fragments transformed into another terrifying form, like a viper hidden in the shadows, poised to bite a fatal spot when least expected.
After Yun Heng’s power showed signs of weakening, it quietly altered the space here, intending to turn everyone into its meal. But before its scheme could succeed, the Phoenix Lord Tomb opened its gates to the outside world for the first time.
It had only just escaped that ghostly place and, feeling the scorching heat of the tomb’s flames once more, the shadows of tens of thousands of years made it turn tail and run.
But escape was impossible. The flames from the Phoenix Lord Tomb clung to its body, and no matter how it sliced off parts of its flesh or soul, it couldn’t shake them free.
It wailed and rolled on the ground, forgetting all about the food it had eyed. Yet its influence lingered—the ground continued to collapse.
Even as the ground gave way in an instant, a powerful suction pulled from below, dragging the people and demons above downward relentlessly.
Yun Heng immediately hugged her junior sister, controlling their bodies to avoid being sucked in. But as the flames rolled down from above, she suddenly felt the space around them shift. After a dizzying spin, she fell into a sea of fire while holding Wen Qiwu.
She conjured an ice barrier to envelop them both, shielding them from the flames. But when the ice ball landed on the ground, Yun Heng discovered that the flames here weren’t hot at all—they were even warm, just like A Que’s flames.
Right, this fire, white tinged with a hint of azure, was extremely similar to her junior sister’s flames.
“Where is this place?” Wen Qiwu looked around warily at the unfamiliar surroundings. The sky above was a brilliant starry river, while beneath their feet burned an endless sea of flames. “That thing hasn’t died completely yet?”
When the ground collapsed, Wen Qiwu had sensed demonic qi emanating from the cracks. Without a doubt, the culprit was that True Demon Remains they thought had been utterly destroyed.
Her inherited memories contained records of this True Demon—it was indeed hard to kill.
“This is… the Phoenix Lord Tomb.” Yun Heng recognized the place. It was a case of seeking it far and wide only to find it effortlessly close at hand. She and her junior sister had tried every method to open this place before and failed, yet just as they were about to leave, the Phoenix Lord Tomb pulled them in of its own accord.
“This is it?!” A flash of delight crossed Wen Qiwu’s eyes. After the True Demon appeared, she had thought this trip might end empty-handed.
But there was only an endless expanse of flames here. Where were they supposed to find the Phoenix Lord’s immortal artifact next?
Wen Qiwu didn’t notice her senior sister quietly exhale in relief. Holding the person in her arms, Yun Heng felt boundless satisfaction in her heart.
“Chirp!”
Yun Heng didn’t speak. She only hoped this peaceful moment could last a little longer. Unexpectedly, a crisp bird call suddenly rang out between her and her junior sister.
They both looked over to see a White Dumpling perched on Wen Qiwu’s shoulder.
“Qing Tuan?” Yun Heng frowned slightly. She recognized the little one’s identity. Strange—she was certain this little guy hadn’t been with A Que just now. Where had it popped out from?
“How are you here?” Wen Qiwu wasn’t too surprised. Qing Tuan appeared and disappeared mysteriously, often showing up in unexpected places.
“Chirp chirp!” Qing Tuan pecked fiercely at Yun Heng’s hand, then nestled against Wen Qiwu’s neck.
Reminded by this, Wen Qiwu suddenly recalled what her senior sister had done. She glanced at Yun Heng, her expression losing its gentleness as she let out a soft hum and turned to walk away.
Yun Heng’s heart filled with bitterness. That little dumpling on her junior sister’s shoulder turned to glance at her, a hint of mocking amusement in its usually arrogant eyes. After eyeing her, it twisted its plump body away, and Yun Heng inexplicably felt it was deliberate!
She remembered Qing Tuan as a straightforward, reckless little thing. That look just now… No!
[Head left.] Wen Qiwu heard a somewhat familiar voice.
This seemed to be… the voice she’d heard in her senior sister’s dream back then? Wasn’t that Qing Tuan?
Wen Qiwu lowered her head to look at Qing Tuan on her shoulder, a bold idea rising in her mind.
“A Que! We still don’t know if this place is safe. Don’t walk so fast.” Yun Heng hurriedly warned, eyeing Qing Tuan warily and guarding against this strange bird.
“No danger.” Wen Qiwu shook her head and stepped out of Yun Heng’s barrier into the flames with slight reluctance. The temperature of these flames gave her a feeling like returning to her mother’s embrace.
“Hurry and keep up with me.” Wen Qiwu glanced back at her senior sister, who had slowed her steps. The vulnerability and hesitation in her senior sister’s eyes made her lips twitch helplessly.
Did her senior sister really think she would leave her behind here alone? She would settle the score, but she would also take the person with her. If she truly left her, she’d be the one most worried in the end.
Wen Qiwu sighed inwardly again. She just couldn’t truly harden her heart against her senior sister.
Only then did Yun Heng curve her brows slightly in relief. She dismissed the barrier and stepped into the flames alongside Wen Qiwu.
Not only did the flames here not harm them, Yun Heng even felt a continuous stream of vitality passing into her body through the fire. Her old injuries from years ago hadn’t fully healed and often ached faintly, but after walking in the flames for a short while, the pain was enveloped in warmth.
“Chirp chirp!” Qing Tuan suddenly called out twice. She gently pecked at a stray lock of Wen Qiwu’s hair by her temple, stopping her from going further.
Wen Qiwu halted and asked Qing Tuan what was wrong.
Qing Tuan flapped her wings and chirped several times. Immediately after, the ground burning with flames began to shake.
The land they stood on seemed to rise gradually. Yun Heng hurriedly kept Wen Qiwu within arm’s reach, taking the chance during the worst of the tremors to hug her a bit longer.
Moments later, the shaking stopped. The ground lifted, the flames sank lower, and the true face of this place finally revealed itself.
A yin-cold aura spread through the space. Wen Qiwu shivered suddenly from the chill, and Yun Heng hugged her tighter.
What they stood on… no, more accurately, wasn’t land at all—it was the Myriad Bones Mound, piled high with corpses.
This was the battlefield of the Immortal-Demon War ten thousand years ago, mostly filled with demon beasts slain by the Phoenix Lord. Their bodies were stacked layer upon layer here, and due to their vast numbers birthing endless resentment, they were suppressed in this place. Unfortunately, even the Phoenix’s flames over tens of thousands of years hadn’t fully destroyed them.
Yun Heng suddenly looked behind them. Several figures were chasing over—they were several kings of the Feather Race, and behind them was that True Demon Remains that hadn’t fully died!
After the Phoenix Lord Tomb opened, it had dragged that thing back in as well. Leaving such a demonic thing in the world was a disaster, so the master of this place had hauled it back.
Those Feather Race kings spotted the Little Phoenix in the distance and paled in horror. They hadn’t expected it to be here too. If they’d known earlier, they never would have led the True Demon this way!
The several kings, looking somewhat disheveled, nearly crashed into each other before trying to turn around—but it was too late.
Yun Heng drew her sword. Though the thing was hard to kill, she could chop it to pieces again. The True Demon Remains needed time to recover, so they could trap the monster in the Phoenix Lord Tomb to be roasted daily by the Phoenix flames. If it truly couldn’t be killed, this was still a solution—at least it wouldn’t rampage through the world…
Wen Qiwu had just ignited flames in her hand, preparing to use the secret technique again. In that instant, Qing Tuan let out a resounding cry and suddenly flew up, crashing straight toward a stone stele behind Wen Qiwu.
“Qing Tuan!” Wen Qiwu tried to grab her, but her power passed right through Qing Tuan’s body.
Qing Tuan merged into the stele like plunging into a lake. Before Wen Qiwu could be surprised, even more scorching flames erupted from the tombstone.
The flames coalesced into a massive Phoenix that blotted out the sky. She spread her wings, illuminating the dark space like the sun.
Upon seeing her, the True Demon Remains fled like a dog with its tail between its legs, scrambling in the opposite direction. But in the next instant, it was burned to ashes and fused into the layered corpses below.
Its complete corpse was buried at the bottom of the corpse mountain amid the sea of fire, not truly perished, but after losing part of its remains this time, it should stay quiet for a while.
“Y-Your Majesty!” The Feather Race members who had served the previous Phoenix Lord instantly reddened their eyes. They recognized the identity of this Phoenix residual soul at a glance. They never thought that after tens of thousands of years, they would have the chance to see her again!
They hurriedly flew over. Several demon kings renowned in their own right nearly forgot how to fly, their wings tangling in the air before they barely steadied.
The Phoenix circled the sky once before landing in front of Wen Qiwu and Yun Heng. Her form was illusory, her features somewhat blurred, but Wen Qiwu could sense the gentleness in her expression.
A very, very long time ago… even before her master had picked her up, it seemed she had seen this Phoenix. She couldn’t distinguish whether it was Wen Qiwu’s memory or the Little Phoenix body’s.
Before she had even opened her eyes, she must have accompanied her for a long time.
Seeing her again, the memories from Wen Qiwu’s childhood sealed in her mind loosened slightly. She vaguely confirmed this Phoenix’s identity to her.
Tears faintly welled in Wen Qiwu’s eyes. As the great Phoenix gathered her into her wings, she softly called, “Mother.”
