Everyone departed. The journey had been passably satisfactory; although they had gained something, the rewards were hardly substantial.
"Third Granduncle, what was it like inside the Phoenix Nest? Were there any True Phoenix eggs?" On the warship, Yao Yue tugged at Xu Tianheng's sleeve and asked.
"What True Phoenix eggs? It was only a nest a True Phoenix casually left behind. There weren't many divine treasures, though there were some corpses from the Foreign Realm that had awakened spiritual awareness," Xu Tianheng said calmly.
"Corpses with spiritual awareness?" The two girls spoke in unison, somewhat startled.
Xu Tianheng shook his head. "Their intelligence had only just awakened, and they barely reached sect master level. They weren't much to look at."
His tone was confident, carrying an incomparable heroic spirit.
"As for that phoenix blood... ah, never mind."
Yet just as his words fell, Xi Yue took something out beside him, making his eyes widen so far they nearly fell out.
A five-colored ball of light rested in Xi Yue's palm, as large as a washbasin. Treasure light shone brilliantly, and auspicious radiance drifted from it. Rather than the metallic smell of blood, it gave off a rich fragrance.
Then the ball of light split in two, its halves floating toward Xu Tianheng and Yao Yue respectively.
"This is... phoenix blood? Little Xi Yue, how did it end up in your hands?" He accepted it and asked in a voice that sounded almost like sleep-talking.
It was unbelievable, far too dreamlike. Phoenix blood that a group of sect masters had fought over for so long without success had actually appeared in the hands of someone in the blood moving realm?
"Heh, an old senior once told me I was born with the bones of the Dao, destined to become a king and an emperor. Now, that venerable being has used this phoenix blood to forge a favorable bond with me and establish a karmic connection." She chuckled, deliberately putting on an unfathomable air.
The Bronze Tower's origins were a mystery, and it was best not to reveal it. But there was plenty of phoenix blood, and besides, she was no coldhearted person. Xu Tianheng treated her exceedingly well; she ought to repay him.
Thus, she casually invented an old monster, trusting that he would not probe further.
Xu Tianheng fell silent. Although it was difficult to believe, that seemed to be the only explanation. Still, the outcome was good, so further investigation would be pointless.
Xu Tianheng did not stand on ceremony. He accepted it immediately and laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Then I won't be polite! If you run into trouble in the future, just come to me!"
The warship was very fast, an extraordinary treasure with spatial runes and formations carved into its hull. Otherwise, it could never have crossed the uninhabited region.
Before long, the warship descended onto the sacred mountain. The group parted ways, each returning to their own cultivation.
As soon as Xi Yue reached the great hall, a dark silhouette pounced into her arms. An immense force struck her, making her stagger; she nearly lost her footing and fell.
"You're back, young miss!" Qing Shuang hugged her and said plaintively, "You went out without taking me along. Ah, our bond has grown thin after all. It's no longer what it once was."
Xi Yue's eyes widened as she looked at Qing Shuang, who stood half a head taller than her yet acted like an injured kitten. But why did those words sound so sweetly manipulative?
She was helpless too! Heaven knew she had only been relaxing between cultivation sessions when Yao Yue dragged her away to serve as some supposed witness. Unable to resist, how could she have spared a thought for Qing Shuang?
"All right, how long are you going to keep pretending?" Xi Yue curled a finger, flicked her forehead lightly, and pushed her away.
"I'm preparing a medicinal bath. Go make the preparations and gather some more spirit herbs according to the ancient formula."
She made up her mind. This time, she would break through to the blood moving extreme realm in one stroke, then attempt to shatter that extreme and ascend to a higher level.
Xu Tianheng had been very considerate. Knowing that she intended to baptize her flesh with phoenix blood, he had already sent over some spirit herbs.
Phoenix blood was far too overbearing. Even after endless ages had dispersed much of its divine energy, it remained extraordinary. Various spirit herbs from the ancient formula were needed to temper it, or her little body would likely be unable to endure.
Soon, a large cauldron was brought over. Vital essence swirled within it, radiant light spilled in every direction, and a fragrance wafted into her nose, filling her with longing, as though she were about to ascend.
Inside the cauldron were several spirit herbs, fierce beast blood essence, and all manner of divine materials and rare treasures. They all gushed golden light, brilliant as a blazing sun.
Without hesitation, she leaped down into the cauldron. A ball of light appeared in her hand, radiating five-colored divine splendor.
As the phoenix blood merged into the mixture, the medicinal effects grew increasingly overbearing, bringing boundless agony. It was like a heavenly blade slicing through every inch of her flesh.
Her bones trembled with rumbling sounds, seemingly shattering and reforming without cease. She clenched her pearly teeth, her expression somewhat contorted, and cold sweat had long since soaked her hair.
The phoenix blood was savage. Violent energy roamed through every inch of her flesh, every part of her bones and organs. Wherever it passed, entire sections shattered, leaving a sight too ghastly to behold.
Her body cracked. Fine fissures quietly appeared all over her, thin as threads and utterly horrifying.
She did not stop, silently enduring everything.
Knowing full well the bloodshed and chaos the future held, she did not wish to vanish among the masses or fall into darkness. Her only choice was to cultivate desperately, forge an unsurpassed foundation, and stand at the very pinnacle of every realm-even blaze a trail no one had walked before.
Beside her, Qing Shuang watched in terror. This was far too dangerous. Her sinews, bones, and flesh could be torn apart at any moment; one misstep would mean death and eternal ruin.
Yet destruction was also a form of rebirth. Wherever the phoenix blood passed, limitless vitality also arose, driving her transformation.
Her body grew increasingly resilient. Her newly formed flesh and bones were stronger than before, radiating a lustrous treasure light, as though sheets of starlight had fallen upon them, dazzlingly brilliant.
This was a transformation, and also a nirvana: shedding old bones and blood to kindle new life, rising from devastation and reviving from utter stillness.
If she could undergo nirvana without cease, surpassing her former self again and again, she would surely soar into the heavens and suppress all who lived in her age.
Who knew how much time passed? The divine materials in the cauldron had long since been exhausted, transformed into pure divine power to nourish her body. Now, it was simply a contest between her and the phoenix blood.
The transformation continued. Xi Yue's entire body was now white as jade. Her black hair hung down, each strand translucent, and her flesh shone crystalline and radiant, flawless as ivory.
Thump, thump, thump.
The blood inside her roared like surging rivers, its sound unceasing. Treasure light radiated from her entire body and lingered around her, lending her a sacred, holy air.
She had grown considerably taller, and the first hints of her grace were emerging. Her black hair fell loosely, her brows and eyes were like a painting, and her gaze was intoxicating. In its depths, stars seemed to be born and perish, vast oceans turning to dust.
"It shouldn't stop here. I haven't reached my limit yet," she murmured, then immersed herself in her long cultivation once more.
She had already reached the publicly recognized blood moving extreme realm, but she had not yet reached her limit. She needed to temper herself continuously and transform again.
Rumble!
That day, a roar exploded through the place, and a streak of blood-red light shot up from the ground. It was pure blood vitality, already at the utmost limit of the blood moving realm. Her blood energy surged like an ocean, spilling outward uncontrollably.
Then the young girl opened her eyes, her graceful
steps shifting slightly, her figure swaying. Her face was incomparably lovely, her phoenix eyes long and narrow, carrying an indescribable charm accompanied by an imperial majesty.
"Your cultivation has advanced tremendously, young miss, and you've become even more beautiful and enchanting. You'll surely be the greatest beauty in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths someday. Even a woman like me feels her heart flutter!"
Qing Shuang arrived and gazed at the person before her, pressing a hand to her chest. A strange light flickered in her beautiful eyes, making her look lively and endearing.
"You certainly know what to say." Xi Yue smiled, and a teasing impulse arose within her.
She stepped half a pace closer and lifted Qing Shuang's chin with her slender hand. Her manner languid and her tone playful, she said, "I think your grace surpasses your entire generation, and your looks are exceptional too. Hmm... you barely qualify to be my concubine. Would you care to consider it?"