Qin Cult Master's Reemployment, He in the Heavenly Phoenix Domain

The young figure vanished, and then more people, like sharks drawn to blood, rushed forward in a frenzy to seize the divine artifact. Elder Zeng's expression froze instantly, his sword-gripping hand trembling uncontrollably.

"Li Mo!!"

The same disbelief was mirrored on the faces of the Three Heroes of Hengyun.

That young hero—the youngest among his peers yet the fastest to rise, the one who had returned unscathed from the battlefield of the Southern Border—was he truly gone?

For anyone else, this might have been a common tragedy.

After all, life is unpredictable, full of twists and turns...

But he was the one destined to potentially top the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the famed "Prosperous Wife Battle Soul," the "Divine Hammer Little Tyrant"...

"It's over..."

"What's over?"

"The Summoning Demon Sect is finished." Bai Jinghong shuddered.

Wu Chushu and Cao Mu exchanged glances, their minds suddenly conjuring the icy, aloof demeanor of a certain frosty immortal. They couldn't help but shiver as well.

Would Lady Ying... turn dark?

Well.

Before her, it seemed someone else was already on the verge of losing it.

"Master/Uncle... you..."

"With Young Hero Li gone, I no longer care to distinguish right from wrong."

Elder Zeng tore off his black hood and slammed it to the ground, turning back with a heavy heart.

"We must at least recover his body and return it to the Qingyuan Sect, to give his elders an answer."

"Let's go help too!"

Moments later.

With most people distracted by the scramble for that unremarkable-looking pearl, and Elder Zeng being among the strongest in the Fifth Realm, they finally managed to retrieve the "remains" of Young Hero Li.

"Damn it, all that's left of Brother Li is a single strand of hair!"

Staring at the lone hair in Elder Zeng's palm, Bai Jinghong clenched his fists in grief and fury, slamming them against a nearby boulder.

"Let's head to the Qingyuan Sect. Sigh..."

Elder Zeng carefully tucked away the strand of hair and sighed deeply, preparing himself to console the bereaved family.

......

Autumn Water Pavilion.

The bubbling aroma of hotpot wafted through the air above the Autumn Water Pavilion. After the perilous adventure in the ancient tomb, they were finally enjoying a meal of hotpot and song.

If one ignored the fact that the tomb's owner was sitting at the same table, the scene was downright heartwarming.

"It's over. Everything's over."

Qin Yuzhi mechanically swished slices of mutton in the broth, muttering to herself in a daze, her eyes vacant.

Li Mo wasn't sure what to say.

Her career was ruined, and everyone she knew had abandoned her.

It was the kind of midlife despair where words failed before tears could even fall.

"Well, look at it this way—it might not be all bad. At least you're still here, eating and drinking."

"You can always start over. Any plans?"

"None."

Qin Yuzhi shook her head, chewing on the spicy, savory mutton, finding some small comfort in the taste.

"Interested in a career change?"

Li Mo glanced at the ice-cold beauty beside him, whose cheeks moved slightly as she ate, a faint hint of pleasure in her eyes. He posed the question seriously.

Admittedly, Young Li had ulterior motives.

Every word the Cloud Dream Immortal had spoken lingered in his mind. It wasn't just a curse—there was more to it.

The ice queen might very well face the same fate as Qin Yuzhi in the future.

He had witnessed the horror of the Cloud Dream Immortal firsthand.

The former Summoning Demon Sect leader, once half a step from divinity, had resorted to sealing himself in slumber to delay its awakening—and even that had failed. Had they not been quick-witted, the entity might have already returned.

And the one it spoke of—the Nine-Colored Primordial Phoenix, ruler of the Nine Heavens...

Would be an even greater nightmare!

One day, its consciousness might awaken within the ice queen...

Even with his cheat-like advantages, Li Mo had no idea how to handle such a scenario.

Qin Yuzhi, unreliable as she seemed, was the only known survivor of such an ordeal—and at the very least, she was a Dream Dao master of the Profound Realm.

"What kind of career change?" Qin Yuzhi asked.

"Ahem, say... joining my Vast Illusions Limit—er, Immortal Sect!"

"Immortal Sect?"

Qin Yuzhi blinked. It sounded grand.

Immortal Sect!

Even the Summoning Demon Sect, founded by a true immortal, hadn't dared take such a name—the karma was too heavy to bear.

"But... I've never heard of it."

"Of course not. The Vast Illusions Immortal Sect was established while you were still asleep."

Li Mo took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

"Our current operations are mainly in the Southern Border, and we’ve already formed a strategic partnership with the Summoning Demon Sect."

"Eh?"

Qin Yuzhi was baffled.

She recognized every word, but strung together, they made no sense.

Tian Miao also looked intrigued.

Ying Bing watched the earnest young man with a resigned curl of her lips.

Here he goes again.

"Is this Vast Illusions Immortal Sect... here?" Qin Yuzhi asked, glancing around at the unremarkable surroundings.

"Of course not. This is the Qingyuan Sect."

"Qingyuan... Oh, the imperial mausoleum."

Hearing the familiar name, Qin Yuzhi nodded in recognition.

"Right. Before joining the Vast Illusions Immortal Sect, you’ll need to stay at Autumn Water Pavilion and report to the elders of the Qingyuan Sect."

"Huh?"

Qin Yuzhi scratched her head.

Since when did joining a faction—no, getting a job—require such convoluted bureaucracy?

The former sect leader was utterly lost.

"I'm done eating. I’ll rest for a while."

Ying Bing set down her chopsticks and stood.

"Call me if you need help falling asleep."

"......"

In the boudoir on the second floor of Autumn Water Pavilion, the window framed a view of snow-capped mountains.

The frost-laden peaks were breathtaking, yet they paled before the beauty of the young maiden.

Ying Bing sat quietly by the bed, listening to the young man’s animated chatter outside. Her eyes closed, her lips pressed together.

Would she become someone else?

Someone unrecognizable, someone who... no longer remembered him, reverting to her former self in the Cassia Palace?

Her slender fingers unconsciously clenched the black fabric of her dress.

"No."

"In this life, I have a 'system' beyond reason. There’s always a way."

As her thoughts churned, a sudden pang of dread gripped her heart—as if an invisible hand had seized it, making even breathing difficult.

Somewhere in the void, someone was calling to her, waiting for her...

The Celestial Phoenix Domain!

It was the Celestial Phoenix Domain!

A divine light flickered across Ying Bing’s jade-like face, her eyes reflecting half of the Celestial Phoenix Domain’s radiance—and the figure within it.

Who...?

And she could feel it.

Its gaze was fixed upon her.