Chapter 4, Succession Ceremony (Middle)

Her youth, sitting far away in the audience, gazed at her with calm and undisturbed eyes, as if looking at an inanimate object.

* * * *

She should be confident, as there is no room for error

Let go

Feng Tong is the only member of the Phoenix clan to be bestowed with the clan surname "Feng" at birth after several generations. In his youth, he was exceptionally talented, and by the age of 500, he was conferred the title of Divine Lord, becoming the future head of the Phoenix clan, which had few descendants and placed great hopes on him. Consequently, with Feng Tong being demoted to the mortal realm, the Phoenix clan also began to decline.

* * * *

He must solve it

Feng Tong gazed silently at the woman in red on the stage, a smile in her eyes, raising the wine cup to her lips but not drinking, instead appearing somewhat lost in thought. Ling Long glanced at the profile of her divine lord, sensing that his expression seemed somewhat melancholic

A sudden, intense pain surged from the top of her head, as if countless small snakes were biting at her scalp, piercing down to the bone. Huaron abruptly broke free, the sword light flaring brightly, spinning in the air several times, with the blade pointed downward, thrusting towards her.

Linglong appeared somewhat preoccupied, and she asked softly, "Divine Lord, on this joyous occasion, what exactly are we bringing the Haotian Tower for?" Upon hearing this, Feng Tong's smile slightly faded, and in a lowered voice, he replied, "Changxie, Dongchun, I always find this statement strange, and we should be prepared for any eventuality"

Nearly three hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye. When Liang Yu first arrived, she was only as tall as his waist, a little girl with pitch-black eyes. One had to bend down to speak with her. Her cheeks were like freshly fallen snow, and she would tilt her head in thought like a little adult, a truly endearing expression. At that time, she had not yet fully mastered her magical abilities and relied solely on her legs to run around. When she finally grew tired, she would ask to be carried on someone's back, her soft little face pressed against his icy neck—she would fall asleep in an instant.

One hundred and two deities held their breath in silence. On the stage stood a young girl in a red dress, adorned in red makeup. The first layer was starlight, shimmering with brilliance; the second layer was crimson clouds, as red as fresh blood—an astonishingly beautiful sight. Her black hair was styled up, and atop her head was a silver crown, three inches wide and five inches high, decorated with floral patterns, pierced through by a hairpin, with long tassels hanging down on either side, embellished with shattered star stones, and a radiant moonstone hung on her forehead. Her dark eyebrows were elegantly arched, her eyes were pitch black, and her vermilion lips were blood-red, so strikingly beautiful that they exuded an air of authority, unlike the frail girl in plain white clothing just moments ago. The one on the starry platform was the flower goddess who ruled over a realm, beyond reason, wielding great power; a slight frown from her could cause all beings to prostrate themselves.

The flat and unrestrained cutting, the deft extraction of ears, as the sword flower draws lines of starlight, will result in a rain of flowers pouring down, akin to snowflakes landing on the ground

She gazed at the downward blade of Huarong until the voice beside her rang out again: "Dodge!"

I advise you not to act rashly

Yuwen and Shenwu praised each other for quite a while, while Shufeng beside them bit down on his chopsticks, stunned.

Hua Rong's rosy glow suddenly faded, her strength was uneven, only tearing her red skirt, revealing the girl's pure white legs.

What is going on

Her Huarong wants her dead

She stood on the star platform with a radius of two miles, before her was her Huarong sword, and below her were her subjects

When she first met him, she could not even distinguish the chess pieces, nor could she fully recognize the characters in ancient texts. Now, she stands gracefully on the stage, her red attire captivating all eyes, like a flower slowly unfolding. Many enchanting, charming, and beautiful aspects, which were previously absent, are now emerging one after another, making her seem completely transformed.

The imperial edict, Shenwu stood up: "What is going on!" The various celestial lords below were stunned by such an unexpected turn of events, and for a moment, there was complete silence.

This time, right under his nose, she actually fell for someone else's trick

"You are insane!" His face was pale, and he said, "If you do not wish to die, then retract your primordial spirit." Feng Tong swallowed a mouthful of blood, his temples drenched in cold sweat, and he smiled as he transmitted his voice, saying, "This lord has never feared death."

The flames raced along her fingers, swiftly spreading to her wrist, devouring her entire body like a ferocious beast. The girl's delicate white fingers were consumed by the fire, producing a terrifying crackling sound, gradually turning blackened.

* * * *

The distressed Feng Tong sent away the beautiful woman in purple, and at this moment was joking with her maid, Linglong: "Liangyu became foolish upon seeing Ji Beichen. She just drank such a large bowl of ginseng soup; I wonder if she will be anxious when she dances with the sword later." Linglong huffed: "The Divine Lord does not expect much from His Highness either."

The thing that leaves her soul in turmoil

Liang Yu turned to look at the Huarong Sword floating in the air, its radiant tassel and the shimmering blade complementing each other beautifully. Since she first grasped the Huarong Sword at the age of three hundred, she has held this sword for over two hundred years, and she is intimately familiar with every gust of its sword wind

Below the stage, Ji Beichen did not look up. He mechanically and incessantly brought the peanuts from the plate to his mouth.

Everyone watched with rapt attention

She was trembling violently as if she were soaked in cold sweat

Is Hua Rongjian angry

Shenwu looked around and suddenly saw in the distance a figure dressed in an indigo inner robe, with a purple-clad female immortal seated on his legs. His brows furrowed: "What, is the son of Hongjian also here?"

It hurts so much... She took a deep breath, and her vision became a blur... In a daze, tears flowed into her mouth, both salty and bitter... She suddenly woke up, no, this won't do... Enduring the waves of intense pain in her head, she slowly crawled up from the ground. The Huarong Sword began to emit a strange red light, hovering and trembling, the sharp whistling of the sword almost pierced through her eardrum.

She was unexpectedly knocked several meters away by the Huayong Sword, crashing into the one-zhang high carved dragon wind white jade pillar of the Star Inch Platform, and spat out a mouthful of blood onto the smooth and reflective marble tiles

When Liang Yu appeared, the entire venue was astonished. Shu Feng immediately felt a sense of comfort throughout his body, and his anxious emotions were swept away. His eyes followed the red figure on the Star Dimension Stage as it moved back and forth.

The tears in her eyes slowly dried up

In the past, there were several occasions when she was beaten by that old man Yulang and lay here. Even while lying on the ground, she still had the strength to shout: "Yulang, why don't you just kill me!" At that time, in order to discipline her temperament and consider her dignity, I never allowed a second person to witness it.

At that time, he was as proud as he is now heartbroken

She propped herself up with her hands and shakily climbed to her feet. As the sovereign of the floral realm, she could not allow her own sword to kill. Having lost eighty percent of her magical power, she could not manipulate the air and could only stagger step by step to Hua Rong's side. She reached out to grasp the sword hilt and forcefully activated the sword technique; this time she succeeded in holding it, but Hua Rong seemed extremely anxious, and the red light on the blade grew increasingly intense. She knelt on one knee, her hairpin came undone, and her long black hair fell down, covering her neck. She reached out to grasp the sword hilt and forcefully activated the sword technique; this time she succeeded in holding it, but Hua Rong seemed extremely anxious, and the red light on the blade grew increasingly intense. She knelt on one knee, her hairpin came undone, and her long black hair fell down, covering her neck.

Let go, do you want to die

Gradually unable to hear clearly, who is telling her to let go

The barrier of the Star Inch Platform consists of as many as nine secret commands, each with seven characters, exhibiting endless variations, and no one else can decipher them, unless she herself steps out.

Today, Huaron seems to be somewhat heavier than usual, and she even hears a rumbling sound coming from the sword sheath—why has Huaron's sword suddenly become so excited

Almost simultaneously, they drew their swords and soared to the Star Inch Platform

On that day, Hong Jian, the God of the Phoenix, led a rebellion and was slain by the heavenly generals at the Southern Heavenly Gate. Before his death, he entrusted the Haotian Tower to his only son, Feng Tong. This son had previously guarded the Lotus Tower, commanding three thousand young disciples, and was once an unparalleled young deity. However, unbeknownst to many, he colluded with his father and fled to the lower realm with the Haotian Tower, battling the heavenly army for three days and nights, refusing to surrender, forcing the heavenly soldiers to retreat.

She suppressed her doubts, calmly drew her sword, as light and shadow danced, crimson clouds swirled, her black eyes were merciless, and within them seemed to contain the chilling essence of the night.

She let go in despair, her eyes staring blankly at the sky, where the bright blue expanse was pierced by a blinding halo of sunlight

She is confused, yet it seems she understands everything.

Liang Yu rolled over to evade Hua Rong's assassination. Hua Rong flew around in a circle and pounced on her again, a brilliant red light shining forth. She was unable to dodge in time, and with a "thud," her left arm was pinned to the ground. The pain caused her brow to twitch, and Hua Rong, now even more exhilarated by the blood, spun around once more and lunged at her again.

In a haze, I heard someone whispering: "Liangyu, let go."

Hua Rong trembled, as if in cold laughter

Her youth also demands her death

However, today, under the gaze of one hundred and two deities on the Star Platform, the Huayong Sword was not meant to discipline her

She suddenly turned her head and clearly saw a person's face

Feng Tong smiled even more proudly, then pointed to the stage and said: "The barrier on the Xingcun stage that will be set up later is personally arranged by me. This barrier has nine layers of secret commands, each consisting of seven digits, with endless variations. No one else can break in, unless she comes out herself"

Feng Tong witnessed Hua Rong throwing Liang Yu out with the sword and immediately wanted to stand up, but he did not know who had cast a binding spell on him; he was unable to move or make a sound

If I let go, will everything be completely over?

Hua Rong wants her dead

Sweat beads formed densely on Liang Yu's forehead, and a sense of panic arose within her. Huaron seemed to become heavier and heavier, as if it were filled with iron. She could hardly lift it!

Feng Tong felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, using her primordial spirit to break the immobilization spell, each attempt causing excruciating pain throughout her body. He sneered, "It was you, what did you just feed her?"

Her tears mixed with blood streamed down her face, and as she reached out to grab it, she merely tore off the tassel from the sword's hilt and threw it far away

The last to take their seats were Yu Wen and Shen Wu, while the remaining one hundred and two deities, both great and small, had already settled down. They faced the exquisite delicacies laid out on the table, marveling at the elegance and generosity of the floral realm, while engaging in casual conversation. Yu Wen sat comfortably, but Shu Feng appeared somewhat restless, often lost in thought.

Qianfang's Ji Beichen slowly turned his head back, his youthful face devoid of color. He held a glass of wine in his hand and provocatively made a gesture as if to toast, then immediately drank it all, saying, "Useless."

Her dark eyes flickered as she reached out to grasp the Huarong sword

Why has it come to this

It turns out

She gripped the sword tightly, her hands slick with sweat. The sword trembled violently in her grasp, as if it had a life of its own, trying to escape her shackles. The sweat on her back had already soaked through, and Liangyu felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, suddenly struck by a piercing pain at the top of her head

Liang Yu gazed at the indistinct crowd below, feeling somewhat nervous as she silently recited the sword techniques she had long since mastered.

This door must be opened

The tassels swayed with the wind, producing a "dingling" sound, resembling a wind chime, as Liang Yu tilted her head in confusion

The three-layer gauze garment was completely soaked, and he leaned against the stone tablet, his breaths trembling slightly. His damaged primordial spirit was continuously attacked by the barrier, each strike delivering a painful blow. He could not care less about the blood that kept spilling from the corner of his mouth, his ten fingers gripping the stone tablet tightly.

Feng Tong spat a mouthful of blood onto the white jade table, breaking the immobilization spell. He stood up unsteadily while holding his sword, his eyes filled with malice, and walked step by step to Ji Beichen's side: "Wait, I will surely take your life."

* * * *

The surrounding deities all displayed a look of disdain: "How many years have passed, and yet Feng Tong remains so arrogant?" "Indeed..."

She exerted all her strength to suppress Huarong— the red light of the sword blade expanded inward, suddenly transforming into a raging fire, spreading from her fingertips. The burning sensation caused her to scream, but she immediately bit her lip and held tightly onto the sword hilt.

The deities seated above all covered their faces with their sleeves, unable to bear to look any longer. Shufeng, with his mouth agape and hands clenched into fists, let two streams of tears flow down his face

This is not an ordinary immobilization technique; Ji Beichen uses his own primordial spirit as a conduit to unleash such powerful pressure. However, he did not expect that the opponent would also attack with an out-of-body primordial spirit, clearly employing a reckless strategy.

Hua Rong, do you not recognize me

* * * *

With each breath, Liang Yu felt a sharp pain that affected her internal organs, and the pain in her head was even more intense. She covered her head with her hands and curled up on the ground

The Celestial Palace continuously lowered his rank, yet it could not affect him, for the widow of the Lord of the Zitan Hall, Madam Chonghua, was once a disciple of the Phoenix Clan and fiercely protected him. Furthermore, he possessed the Haotian Tower, one of the ten ancient divine artifacts, which had the power to destroy the heavens and the earth, making it unwise for anyone to gamble against it. Although he retained his life, the phoenix in the Nine Heavens could no longer soar through the clouds, relegated to a small cave in the Flower Realm, and his days were likely quite difficult.

The voices from the audience grew increasingly fervent, yet it was unclear what they were shouting.

It is said that Huarong has claimed the sword, which in her hands is as hard as wrought iron and as flexible as a soft whip, with endless variations. This has been the case since the very first day, not to mention that for the past two hundred years, she has carried the sword manual left by Qianxiu every day, rising at dawn and watching the petals fall thickly enough to roll on them.

He did not have time to entangle with him, and with a heart full of anxiety, he shouted towards the stage: "Dodge!"

She extended her trembling hand to grasp the hilt of the sword, a surge of searing power flowed from her palm, instantly infusing her entire body, as if a pain that exploded throughout her being.

She was stunned by this thought, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cave. Huaron faced her day and night; why did she suddenly want her dead? She struggled to widen her eyes, her vision alternating between clarity and blur. She sensed that something was amiss, yet could not pinpoint what exactly was wrong.

Ah... she cried out in pain, kneeling on the ground while holding her head. As her grip loosened, the Huarong Sword immediately flew into the air, swirling around, accompanied by the sound of dragon roars. Below the stage, a commotion ensued, and Liangyu's mind was in a state of chaos, as if something was taking root in her head, slowly causing it to feel as if it were splitting apart.

* * * *

The young man wanted to sneer, but suddenly realized that the air was vibrating, and a powerful force was striking against his barrier repeatedly.