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!
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
