Chapter 222

Immortal Locking Tower, there is no sun or moon, no stars, only the biting wind howling day and night.

Yao Ji's white robes were stained with dust, and her collarbone was pierced by two thick Black Iron Chains. Her Immortal Power was locked tightly and was being absorbed by the tower like the receding tide.

Her face was pale, and with her last bit of strength, she sent a message to her friend, asking her to help her find a way to save Yang Tianyou.

Several days later, a voice rang out.

"Yao Ji!"

Immediately afterwards, a faint call came from the shadows of the tower wall.

Yao Ji turned her head with difficulty, and a familiar pink figure was cautiously approaching.

The Fúróng Fairy was completely devoid of her usual charm. The protective shield she had formed with her Immortal Power was flickering in the gale, clearly indicating that infiltrating this place had taken a great toll on her.

"Phoebe... what are you doing here? It's dangerous here, let's go!"

Yao Ji's voice carried a hint of urgency; she only wanted Phoebe to help find a solution for Yang Tianyou, not for her to come and visit her.

Haotian has suppressed her here, and anyone who dares to approach her may be regarded as an accomplice and suffer eternal damnation.

The Fúróng Fairy rushed to her side, tears streaming down her face. Looking at her shoulder blade pierced by chains, she sobbed uncontrollably.

"How could I not come! Yao Ji, how... how could you have gotten into this state? How could Her Majesty be so cruel!"

"It's my own fault; I violated the Heavenly Rules, so I can't blame my sister."

Yao Ji said weakly.

She raised her chained hand and struggled to grasp Phoebe's sleeve, a glimmer of light appearing in her eyes. "Phoebe, I have a favor to ask of you. Only you can help me."

The Fúróng Fairy quickly grasped her cold hand and nodded emphatically. "Tell me! As long as I can do it, I will search the heavens and the underworld for you!"

Yao Ji took a deep breath and said, word by word, "Where is Yang Tianyou now?"

"The Heavenly Prison."

The Fúróng Fairy's voice lowered, "His Majesty spared his life because he was merely a mortal, but... but imprisoned him in the Nine Heavens Prison for a thousand years..."

Yao Ji was startled. For a mortal, a hundred or a thousand years in the Heavenly Prison was no different from death.

No, she absolutely couldn't let him do that.

"Phoebe, listen to me."

Yao Ji's gaze hardened. "You must find a way to see him in the Heavenly Prison and deliver a message for me. This matter is extremely dangerous; the Heavenly Prison is heavily guarded. If you..."

"No if,"

The Fúróng Fairy interrupted her, "Your affairs are my affairs. Tell me, what message do you want to convey?"

Looking at her friend's resolute eyes, Yao Ji felt a surge of warmth in her heart and slowly transmitted her voice. "Tell him not to accept his fate, and even more so, not to give up. My being trapped in the Immortal Locking Tower is not a dead end, and our story is far from over."

I once saw him single-handedly fight against bandits and tyrants to protect the villagers.

Tell him to calm down and feel the power originating from within his heart; perhaps then he can embark on the path of cultivation.

In Yao Ji's view, as long as Yang Tianyou embarks on the path of cultivation, his lifespan will naturally increase.

Once he can cultivate, a thousand years will be nothing.

As for herself, she believed that Haotian would not have the heart to kill her.

The Fúróng Fairy held her breath and focused intently, memorizing every single word.

Yao Ji took a breath and continued to transmit her voice, "Also, tell him not to worry about me, and not to feel guilty because of my situation."

Meeting and falling in love with him was the most regretless choice I, Yao Ji, ever made in my life. Heavenly Rules bind immortals, not the heart.

I will stay here and wait for him, but the Yang Tianyou I'm waiting for is not a mortal who dies in despair in the prison, but a Yang Tianyou who can walk out of the prison with his own strength and stand before me with Yang Tianyou."

Yao Ji's voice trembled slightly; she couldn't give him cultivation techniques, nor could she give him elixirs.

That would only harm him and bring about even harsher punishment. The only thing we can do is to ignite the fire in his heart and let him embark on the path of cultivation on his own.

"I've got it. Yao Ji, don't worry, leave this to me."

The Fúróng Fairy dared not linger any longer; the fierce winds here were growing stronger, and her Immortal Power were nearly exhausted.

She glanced one last time at the emaciated Yao Ji, then resolutely turned and transformed into a streak of pink light, disappearing into the darkness.

Meanwhile, the Nine Heavens Prison was cold and damp.

Yang Tianyou huddled in the corner. He was just an ordinary man, a hunter, who had been brought to this world of gods. Everything seemed like an absurd dream.

He lost Yao Ji and was imprisoned in this dark and sunless place, with nothing but despair.

Just when he was feeling utterly hopeless, a faint voice transmission sounded in his ear; it was the voice of Fúróng Fairy.

After overcoming numerous hardships and bribing the guards, she finally delivered Yao Ji's words without missing a single one.

When I heard that meeting and falling in love with him was the most regretless choice I made in my life, Yao Ji...

A single, scalding tear rolled down Yang Tianyou's lifeless eyes.

strength?

What power could a mere mortal like me possess?

He blankly spread his hands, wondering how he could possibly stand against the Heavenly Court.

He closed his eyes and began to recall the past that Yao Ji had mentioned.

He remembered Zhang the butcher, the local bully at the village entrance, who tyrannized the village because he had a few distant relatives working in the county government.

He recalled the first time he stood up and beat Zhang the butcher so badly with a wooden stick that the villagers looked at him with gratitude after surviving the ordeal.

He wasn't doing it for fame or fortune.

Every time someone steps forward, it's because of a single, simple thought: to protect.

Protect the weak, protect your family, protect everything you believe is worth protecting.

This thought, this determination... is this the power Yao Ji spoke of?

Yang Tianyou sat cross-legged, imitating the legendary cultivators, with his five hearts facing the sky.

He tried to feel, to touch that ethereal power.

Gradually, he forgot the coldness of the prison, his mind completely immersed in profound insights...

Meanwhile, in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

The Haotian Jade Emperor sat high on his dragon throne, his face ashen.

The Haotian Mirror reflected the haggard figure of Yao Ji Immortal Locking Tower.

Watching her younger sister grow weaker day by day, she felt a mix of emotions.

This younger sister is good in every way, except that she is too stubborn. For the sake of a mortal, she dared to challenge the majesty of the entire Heavenly Court.

"His Majesty,"

Taibai Jinxing stepped forward, bowed, and said, "The matter of Princess Yao Ji is now settled."

However, recently, the celestial beings in Heavenly Court have been discussing this extensively, especially some of the younger Immortal Official, who believe that although love between celestial beings and mortals violates the Heavenly Rules, it is an unforgivable sin when one's feelings run deep.

They felt that Yang Tianyou's punishment might be mitigated.

Haotian snorted coldly, "Lighten the sentence? The Heavenly Rules are the cornerstone of the Three Realms, how can they be treated like child's play!"

If we make an exception for her today, there will be a second, and a third Yao Ji tomorrow!

When that time comes, immortals and mortals will be confused, and order will collapse. Who will bear the responsibility then?

A young general clad in silver armor stepped forward and declared loudly, "Your Majesty, this humble general believes that the Heavenly Rules must also conform to the will of Heaven."

Human nature yearns for change, and so does the way of Heaven. It is better to guide than to suppress. If we could find a way to achieve both the best of both worlds, upholding Heavenly Rules majesty of Heavenly Laws while demonstrating the benevolence of Heavenly Court, wouldn't that be better?

"Presumptuous!"

Haotian a surge of imperial might, the air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly. "You mean, I'm wrong?"

The young general replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "This humble general dares not presume. This humble general merely feels that Yang Tianyou, a mere mortal, must possess extraordinary abilities to win the heart of the Princess."

"Forcibly separating them might breed resentment, which would harm the Princess's Daoist heart and would also be detrimental to the Heavenly Court's reputation."

The hall was immediately divided into two factions. Most of the older immortals supported Taibai Jinxing, believing that the Heavenly Rules were sacred and inviolable.

The younger generation of Immortal Official and generals, on the other hand, tend to be more flexible and benevolent.

For a time, a heated debate ensued in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

Haotian rubbed his temples, feeling increasingly irritated.

At that very moment, deep within the chaos, Chu Feng ceased his cultivation, dispersed his divine sense, and surveyed the situation in the Primordial World...