Within the Shang Mausoleum, sunlight and moonlight were absent, yet faint starlight shimmered faintly on the ceiling, its weak glow unable to pierce the layers of gloom.
Ahead stood a stone bridge, beneath which lay a portion of the Clear Abyss.
Through the mist, an eerie intent seemed to probe, as if spectral souls were scrutinizing those who crossed the bridge. Their gaze was far colder than when Li Mo and Ying Bing had once ventured to retrieve the Phoenix Aura.
This suggested the souls had been far more formidable in life.
Were it not for the Southern Bright Luminous Flame burning around Shang Wu, illuminating their surroundings, the sea of mist would have already churned violently.
Thud—
A footstep echoed in the emptiness.
"So, not all these spirits perished in the Clear Abyss because of the Primordial Phoenix’s legacy."
Ying Bing had always found it strange—how could an elusive treasure lure so many to leap into the abyss?
Now, it seemed likely that the ancestors of the Qingyuan Sect, upon reaching the end of their lifespans, chose to meditate within the Clear Abyss, their lingering wills continuing to guard the mausoleum.
The Shang Mausoleum housed the nation’s fortune and the legacy of the Nine-Colored Primordial Phoenix, while the Qingyuan Sect remained fully intact.
Could it also be that they were waiting for the day the Great Yu would collapse, allowing the Great Shang to rise again?
And now, the legacy had fallen to her, while the nation’s fortune was soon to be his...
After another half-hour of walking, they encountered no disturbances—thanks to Shang Wu’s presence.
Ying Bing finally saw the main burial chamber.
Lanterns flickered outside the chamber, their dimming and brightening forming a strange array that made the chamber seem to shift between distance and proximity, as if straddling the boundary between life and death.
The door to the chamber stood open.
Years ago, a princess of a fallen kingdom had awakened, carried out of her coffin by the Grand Elder.
Yet another coffin remained inside.
"The Cycle of Life and Death Array—it obscures the heavens’ designs. Only this could allow one to endure the passage of ages without exhausting their lifespan. The Darkwood alone wouldn’t suffice."
"This array also holds the power to reverse life and death."
Ying Bing studied it intently, his eyes gleaming with realization.
Xue Jing nodded slowly.
As the eldest present, he felt compelled to comment on the array—lest his years seem wasted.
"Shang Wu, did the Grand Elder return your coffin here afterward?"
Through the open door, a coffin of Darkwood could be seen, its surface jade-like and of the finest quality.
"No," Shang Wu answered without hesitation.
"Eh?" Xue Jing was taken aback.
"The Cycle of Life and Death requires both a Yin and Yang focal point. I was the Yang, so naturally, there must be a Yin. Didn’t you know?"
"......"
Xue Jing truly hadn’t. After a pause, he ventured, "So, inside is your..."
"My brother."
Shang Wu gazed at the coffin, a shadow flickering across her expression.
"Ah, yes. That’s what I thought too."
Xue Jing was speechless.
Shang Wu was clearly female, yet she had been the Yang focal point—wasn’t that a complete inversion of Yin and Yang?
"Enough. The timing is right—let’s begin."
Following Shang Wu’s instructions, Tang Xiaobao placed Li Mo upon the Yang focal point.
"Little Bing, I’ll connect the nation’s fortune. You maintain the array."
"I’ll assist with the nation’s fortune as well."
A cold, silvery moonlight ignited an ancient lantern within the chamber that had remained unlit.
Simultaneously, the mist rising from the Clear Abyss shimmered with threads of auspicious radiance, piercing through the endless gloom.
Rua!
A cry reverberated through the abyss, soaring straight into the heavens.
......
"What in the world just happened?"
The assembly in the grand hall had been on high alert, braced for any disturbance. Then—
Rua!~~
Elder Xu jolted upright, tea spilling onto his lap once more, though he paid it no mind.
"The cry of the Primordial Phoenix?"
Shang Qinqing rushed to the entrance, staring toward the Clear Abyss.
Every demon present felt their blood surge with a strange fervor, rising to their feet in unison.
The Primordial Phoenix?
The name, ancient yet radiant, echoed in their minds. Though relieved it wasn’t an enemy attack, they couldn’t help but watch intently.
Shangguan Wencang let out a long sigh.
"It has begun."
The old sect master’s heart was conflicted. The Qingyuan Sect’s purpose for generations had been to guard the tomb—what meaning would it hold hereafter?
At that moment, the world darkened.
Not because the sunlight had dimmed, but because a resplendent phoenix silhouette had manifested in the sky.
This was no physical form of the Nine-Colored Primordial Phoenix.
Rather, the nation’s fortune, forged from the collective will of the people, had naturally assumed the most sublime existence—the one and only in countless hearts.
The true phoenix from millennia ago now cast its radiance upon the present world.
Its eyes seemed to survey the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, reflecting the summer cicadas breaking free from the soil below and the blazing sun high above.
Then, it plunged downward, diving straight into the abyss.
Back to where it had come!
The celestial phoenix submerged into the depths.
"This..." Whether martial artists or demons, all were entranced, unable to tear their gaze away for a long while.
Yet none noticed the first chirp of a summer cicada from the forest—
Singing of rebirth!
Hum—
Alongside the cicada’s song came a star from beyond the heavens.
The star burned brilliantly, tearing through the firmament, turning dusk into dawn.
"Inner Scenery!"
"Someone in the Clear Abyss is breaking through!"
A voice cried out, plunging the crowd into silence.
Elder Xu muttered in disbelief,
"We were just making excuses, but he’s actually doing it?"
A meteor from beyond, dispelling the long night—the First Phenomenon!
Yet the vast power surging from the Clear Abyss showed no signs of waning, churning the primordial chaos and saturating the world with spiritual energy.
"Hm? What’s wrong with you?"
Shang Qinqing turned in surprise, steadying Qin Yuzhi as she slumped against her.
"Someone is watching us," Qin Yuzhi whispered, her face pale.
"Is it someone from the Imperial Capital?" Shang Qinqing frowned.
As a former leader of the Divine Calling Sect, Qin Yuzhi had once touched the Eighth Realm and now wielded mastery over a Great Dao.
Moreover, she had once faced a true Celestial Immortal—albeit only a wisp of their will.
How could she be overwhelmed by mere observation?
"I don’t know, but I sense no malice."
Qin Yuzhi clutched her head, shaking it weakly.
"You’re like this, and you say there’s no malice?"
"Their gaze wasn’t even directed at me! Otherwise..."
"They...?"
Shang Qinqing’s scalp prickled as she looked skyward.
That celestial fire was no martial technique.
What did this phenomenon truly signify?
It certainly wasn’t a falling star!
Boom—
Before Shang Qinqing could ponder further, purifying flames erupted.
A lotus of fire bloomed in the void, cycling through creation and destruction.
The Purifying World Lotus—the Second Phenomenon!
"I’ve seen Young Hero Li’s Karmic Flames before. He likely cultivates the Heart-Fire Lotus technique, but how could a mere high-tier martial art manifest such wonders?"
"No, when Shang Wu condensed her Inner Scenery, it was nothing like this."
Not only were the gathered martial artists baffled, but even the Qingyuan Sect members were at a loss.
Yet the convergence of phenomena within the Inner World left no time for contemplation.
A corner of twilight descended.
Countless stars ignited across the sky, their seemingly chaotic movements following profound and inscrutable trajectories.
These stars...
Did not belong to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
