Chapter 322: The Mystery of Life and Death

The Phoenix swooped down, plunging into Lian Yunsheng’s body and unleashing earth-shaking thunder.

A disciple of the Zhengyang Sect, Lian Yunsheng cultivated intensely masculine techniques. He appeared familiar with the Divine Flame of the Nine Heavens, channeling all his energy to guide and merge with it.

Yet the Divine Flame proved far more fearsome than any ordinary Strange Flame. Despite his cultivation level and favorable conditions, Lian Yunsheng only endured four clashes. During the fifth, his limbs exploded, nearly killing him.

Watching this, Caiyun’s eyes sharpened with wariness—this ancient flame’s brutality made obtaining it akin to suicide.

Lian Yunsheng fled Fire Island maimed, leaving only Qian Chuan and Caiyun behind.

Qian Chuan shot Caiyun a smug grin before striding across the ocean to the island.

“Heavenly Steed Soaring the Skies!” Caiyun blurted in shock.

Qian Chuan glanced back approvingly. “Sharp eyes.”

Caiyun sneered coldly, ignoring him.

Undeterred, Qian Chuan gazed at the mid-air Phoenix. The terrain beneath him shifted, mountains and rivers materializing as if reshaping space and time itself, seeking to swallow the entire landscape.

The overwhelming display drained color from Caiyun’s face. She grudgingly acknowledged the Child of the Earth’s extraordinary power.

Though Fire Island stood amidst a sea of flames, Qian Chuan’s summoned Mountains and Rivers now dominated the surroundings, erasing all traces of fire.

The Phoenix circled nine times before diving straight at Qian Chuan.

Qian Chuan’s eyes narrowed. His spiritual diagram flared, merging with the terrain to form a prison meant to trap the Phoenix.

With wingbeats that shattered reality, the Phoenix tore through the mountain-river cage and invaded his body.

“Virtue upholds creation; fire’s virtue brings rebirth!”

Qian Chuan’s declaration shook the Nine Heavens and the earth. As the Child of the Earth, he strained to contain the Divine Flame within himself.

Caiyun watched coldly, less interested in the flame than in gauging Qian Chuan’s true power.

Qian Chuan’s body glowed crimson, turning translucent as flames burst from his pores, coalescing into tiny phoenixes orbiting him.

After prolonged struggle, pain twisted his handsome features. A thunderous shout erupted from his lips as a fire-phoenix shot skyward, circling above him.

The confinement attempt had failed, yet the Divine Flame seemed unable to severely harm him.

As the Phoenix circled menacingly, tension thickened.

The second clash came. Though weakened, the Divine Flame still overpowered Qian Chuan’s efforts, darkening his expression.

Three more times the flame assaulted him. Each confrontation drained both combatants, but the Divine Flame maintained dominance.

After the seventh clash, Qian Chuan staggered, barely standing before retreating in bitter defeat.

Caiyun exhaled in relief. Once he departed, she flew to Fire Island, gazing conflictedly at the Divine Flame.

The Phoenix circled her slowly before approaching.

A blazing bird of flames materialized around Caiyun—not a phoenix, but equally magnificent, wreathed in Five-Color Celestial Cloud energy.

Sensing this, the Divine Flame surged into her body, sparking strange transformations.

Caiyun relaxed her entire body, not resisting but carefully sensing the aura, fluctuations, and rhythm of the Divine Flame of the Nine Heavens. The Five-Color Celestial Cloud within her became intensely active, interacting with the divine flame.

These subtle changes delighted Caiyun. She summoned all her skills—the Flame Phoenix, Heavenly Spirit Diagram, and Five-Color Celestial Cloud—focusing entirely on connecting with the Divine Flame of the Nine Heavens to earn its trust.

By the shore, Qian Chuan’s figure materialized—he had never truly left.

Caiyun sensed the Divine Flame of the Nine Heavens within her, probing her body and testing her limits while sharpening her awareness.

Unbeknownst to her, Bone Messenger lurked nearby alongside another hidden expert, all coveting the divine flame.

Fire Island’s volcanic crater—a Phoenix nesting site—loomed ahead.

Caiyun’s face twisted in pain as the Divine Flame of the Nine Heavens surged wildly inside her.

Using the Heavenly Spirit Diagram, she calculated three possible opportunities to merge with the flame, provided she remained undisturbed.

With three experts poised to strike at any critical moment, Caiyun risked grave danger. Glancing at the crater, she plunged into it despite the agony, shocking Qian Chuan and Bone Messenger who deemed it suicidal.

As Qian Chuan moved to investigate, a colossal tsunami erupted from the sea of flames. Fire Island exploded and sank instantly.

Bone Messenger cursed, not mourning Caiyun but lamenting the flame’s disappearance—a rarity appearing only once in centuries, accessible solely through the Fire Rain Marsh’s depths.

Qian Chuan and Bone Messenger lingered for three days, hoping the flame would resurface after consuming Caiyun. When it didn’t, Qian Chuan ventured into the Sixth Realm of the Fire Marsh.

Bone Messenger trailed him, shadowed by a two-headed, eerie figure.

Seven days after the trio entered the Sixth Realm, a radiant divine light pierced the skies, shaking the Brilliant Star Continent and stirring the Tianyang Empire.

The light stood towering, etched with divine patterns and emanating overwhelming might. None knew its origin, hidden deep within the Fire Rain Marsh’s forbidden Seventh or Eighth Realms.

Days earlier, Yang Yan had entered the Tianyang Empire’s Holy Emperor’s palace—a power symbol. Rumors declared him the Tianyang Holy Emperor’s heir, wielding the ancestral Holy Sword, though he remained silent.

Hua Yuehong and Bai Ruomei ascended in status by his side.

Meanwhile, Wu Xuanbo proclaimed himself heir to the Xuan Star Saint, backed by three female saint descendants aiming to revive their sacred legacy.

Both Yang Yan and Wu Xuanbo, already famed in the Blood Moon Wasteland, drew intense scrutiny with their revelations.

Yang Yan’s claim as the Holy Emperor’s heir secured him political leverage. Wu Xuanbo relied on Shui Yingyue, Yunxiu, and Ye Anlan—each bearing Holy Artifacts—with support from the Water Moon Sect and Cloud Valley. The Jiu Yang Sacred Palace remained neutral, influenced by Thousand Snow.

Yang Yan courted the Heavenly Fire Sect and Heavenly Palace. The latter, nursing hatred toward Thousand Snow and Cheng Lingyu after past defeats, secretly allied with him for mutual gain.

Both factions also vied for the Divine Martial Sect’s favor, though it remained uncommitted.

The Tianyang Empire’s peace shattered as Thousand Snow’s defense of Cheng Lingyu, combined with Yang Yan and Wu Xuanbo’s rise, bred chaos. Now, the Fire Rain Marsh’s divine light captivated millions, speculated to be an unparalleled divine weapon or artifact.

…

In Lou Ri City’s Fallen God Ridge, within the Supreme Spirit Palace, Cheng Lingyu immersed himself in cultivation. Wan Fang unsealed spiritual energy, bathing him in nourishing spiritual liquid.

Half a month had passed since meeting Lan Xiaozhu, Qu Wei, and Fang Ruohua. Naked and glowing with spiritual patterns—even his hair shimmering—Cheng Lingyu rebuilt his foundation through the meticulous Thousand Layers of Snow method.

Revisiting his Martial, True Martial, and Soul Martial Realms from his new Blood Martial Realm perspective, he uncovered hidden depths, strengthening his foundation and multiplying his power.

At the hall’s entrance, Wan Fang watched Master Han Cang’s silhouette and whispered, “Is it true junior apprentice comes from the Second Palace of Fallen Gods?”