The next morning, the dawn clouds shimmered with wondrous colors, streams of light spilling everywhere like scattered fragments of immortal gold.
A divine rainbow abruptly flashed past and descended before Xi Yue. Before she could react, an irresistible force dragged her away.
"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?" Xi Yue protested, struggling to escape, but her efforts were useless. She could not break free at all.
"Hmph, it's all because of that wretched girl Wang Xi."
Yao Yue's lustrous black hair was pinned up with a jade hairpin, and her white dress billowed freely in the wind. Yet her lively eyes glinted red, brimming with boundless fury.
"A few days ago, a Phoenix Nest was suspected to have appeared in the uninhabited zone. The family sent people to investigate, but who knew the Wang Family would come poking around too? And of all people, I ran into Wang Xi!"
The more she spoke, the more worked up she became. She stamped her feet twice, hard enough to send ripples through their surroundings. "Qi Lin saw it all! That wretched girl Wang Xi mocked me in front of several scions of noble families. She said she would subdue me with one hand and take me as her battle servant!"
Hearing this, Xi Yue stopped struggling and said, "Just because she said that, you actually took it seriously?"
Wang Xi was around Yao Yue's age and was reputed to be the Wang Family's most outstanding heir of this generation. Though she was indeed extraordinary, subduing Yao Yue with one hand was beyond her.
Then Xi Yue realized something else. "Wait, that's not right. Go find Wang Xi, then! Why are you dragging me along?"
"Hmph, naturally, I'm letting you see how your big sister subdues Wang Xi!" As she spoke, Yao Yue kneaded Xi Yue's cheeks with both hands, as though it had already become a habit.
The two soon descended onto a divine mountain. A warship lay anchored there, a full ten thousand zhang long and towering into the clouds. Multicolored light obscured the sun, and chaos surged around it.
A middle-aged man stood at the bow, his bearing upright and distinguished. His eyes were unfathomably deep, like a river of stars rolling backward, captivating the soul.
"Third Granduncle."
The two approached the man and immediately bowed. He was a mighty cultivator of the Escape One Realm as well as their elder, so they naturally had to show him due respect.
Once Xu Tianheng saw who had arrived, he laughed heartily. "Yao Yue and Xi Yue! It really has been a long time. You've both grown so much."
Xi Yue pursed her lips. It had only been a little over a year since they last met. Wasn't that sheer nonsense? But out of respect for her elder, she could hardly undermine him, so she could only smile and nod.
"Third Granduncle, I'm coming with you. I'm going to teach Wang Xi a lesson myself and see if she still dares to run her mouth!" Yao Yue said, her face flushed red and her cheeks puffed with anger.
Xu Tianheng did not refuse. Young people having spirit was a good thing. There was no need to suppress it and dull their edge.
Besides, the Xu and Wang Families were already at odds. So what if they tore away all pretense of civility?
The warship soon rose and pierced the boundless void. The uninhabited zone lay beyond their domain. There were many great stars here, but none harbored any life. Everything was hollow and deathly still.
Along the way, many weapons and wrecks floated around them. Some still leaked black mist, terrifying beyond measure.
One could imagine that this region had once been an ancient battlefield, enduring countless great wars. Endless mighty experts had met their eternal end here. It was truly staggering.
Their weapons and treasures lay scattered throughout this place. Some had yet to lose their spiritual essence and carried their owners' dying resentment, their killing intent surging to the heavens. A single careless move could mean death and the extinction of one's cultivation.
"Do not try to touch these artifacts or wrecks. The uninhabited zone is treacherous everywhere, a truly deadly land. All these things have been cursed," Xu Tianheng warned.
Yet no sooner had he finished speaking than a battered little cauldron flew past. Only one of its legs remained, and it collided with a great star.
With a boom, the great star exploded. The sound was like thunder, shaking this entire stretch of heaven and earth.
Where the great star had once been, an unfathomably deep black hole now lay, radiating a chilling dark glow.
Everyone turned to look. The things here were extraordinary indeed, and certainly not to be trifled with.
"Could a Phoenix Nest really appear in a place like this?" someone aboard the warship asked.
Xu Tianheng shook his head. "I don't know. Someone once saw it from afar and even heard the divine cry of a phoenix. Perhaps it exists, perhaps it doesn't. Either way, we have to come and investigate."
Xi Yue nodded inwardly. Wealth could move people's hearts, let alone a True Phoenix.
That was a being on the level of the Ten Fiends. If they could obtain the True Phoenix's primordial precious bone and study its precious technique, the benefits would be endless.
However, that possibility was practically nonexistent. Most likely, it was merely a Phoenix Nest where a True Phoenix had undergone nirvana. They would be lucky to find even a pool of blood essence.
And it certainly would not be the True Phoenix among the Ten Fiends.
She did know where she could obtain the True Phoenix's precious technique, but that place was far too dangerous. She would have to wait until her cultivation broke past its limits before going.
Soon, they approached their destination. It was a barren planet, like a vast wilderness, devoid of all vegetation and shrouded in darkness. Only faint pinpricks of starlight illuminated it.
At this moment, however, the planet was crowded with people, all from major powers. Among them were quite a few ancient old monsters.
Golden chariots and warships arrived one after another, carrying important figures as well as young prodigies and noble maidens.
Rumble!
Heaven and earth shook violently as ripples spread outward, their force earthshaking. A divine light burst open, and countless ancient symbols gathered there to form a portal.
An ancient-looking warship emerged from the portal. Before anyone could react, a loud shout rang out from aboard it. "Wang Xi, I'm here! Today, I'll subdue you!"
On the ground, a young woman raised her head. Her golden immortal dress trailed along the earth. Her brows and eyes were as lovely as a painting, her beauty peerless, and her skin fairer than snow. Stars and moons seemed to fall within her pupils.
"So this is Wang Xi?" Xi Yue raised an eyebrow.
She did not quite know how to judge Wang Xi.
In truth, Wang Xi was not bad by nature. She was proud and aloof, with principles of her own, yet she was also constrained by the shackles of her family. Caught in the middle, she was deeply conflicted.
Still, the Xu and Wang Families were already at odds. Xi Yue would not interfere. It was best to let things take their course.
"Yao Yue." Wang Xi gave a soft laugh, but her smile was chilling enough to inspire fear. "I thought you weren't coming."
"Heh, since you're here, how could I not come?" Yao Yue sneered in return, meeting her head-on without the slightest trace of timidity.
With a rumble, the warship settled, then shrank to the size of a palm and flew into Xu Tianheng's hand.
Yao Yue stepped forward and walked toward Wang Xi, her black hair flowing like a waterfall. Her sharpness stood fully revealed, her gaze flashing like lightning. She was like a brilliant moon hanging across the sky, impossible to look at directly.
Everyone was accustomed to this. The two jewels of the Wang and Xu Families were sworn rivals, a fact known throughout the Nine Heavens.
But judging by the situation now, they were probably going to fight for real.
In truth, they were rather eager to see it. Both jewels were the finest of their respective families' younger generations. If they
fought, who would emerge victorious?
The crowd erupted into animated discussion. For a time, the planet seethed with voices. Some supported Yao Yue, others supported Wang Xi, each holding firmly to their own opinion.
Both had now entered the Cave Heaven Realm and were gradually blossoming, their beauty beginning to show. Naturally, neither lacked ardent admirers.
"Fairy Yao Yue possesses peerless immortal beauty and unrivaled grace. She truly looks like an immortal maiden exiled to the mortal world!" someone shouted, clearly captivated by Yao Yue's appearance.
"Fairy Wang Xi is also one of the greatest beauties of the Nine Heavens. Her immortal countenance reigns supreme above and below, a rarity in this world!"
"What a pity. Two such incomparable beauties, yet now they turn their blades against each other. One of them is bound to spill blood."
Xi Yue stood off to one side. Everyone's gaze was fixed on Yao Yue and Wang Xi, and no one noticed her.
She was happy to have it that way. After all, she was merely a witness.