Book 08 Chapter 078: Jiang Lianshan?

A banquet hall, Borderless Heavenly Capital:

Gu Hai looked at the Yan Nation’s envoy, Xingtian, standing before him.

The last time Xingtian came to Borderless Heavenly Capital, he was quite arrogant, although he ultimately lost face to Vairocana. However, during the subsequent battles, Xingtian had become much more polite.

At least he recognized that Gu Hai was worthy of his respect.

“You plan to expel Jingwei’s souls from Lin Waner’s body in three days?” Gu Hai said with a satisfied expression.

“Yes, Her Holy Eminence said that since she made a promise to Heavenly Emperor Gu, she would certainly keep it. We will arrange it immediately, and soon, Heavenly Emperor Gu can welcome Lin Waner back!” Xingtian nodded.

“The Yan Heavenly Emperor is a trustworthy person. Please express our gratitude to her!” Gu Hai said solemnly.

“I will definitely deliver Heavenly Emperor Gu’s message. However, there’s one thing Her Holy Eminence wanted me to clarify with you.” Xingtian raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

“The energies of the Flame Monarch, Jingwei, and Lin Waner’s fire cauldron physique combined to form the Vermilion Bird Deity,” Xingtian said gravely.

“The Vermilion Bird Deity?” Gu Hai echoed in shock.

“Yes, the Vermilion Bird Deity. It’s Lin Waner’s seventh physical soul now. Heavenly Emperor Gu must be aware of its significance. Since the ancient war between the shamans and the animal spirits, there has been only this one Vermilion Bird Deity in the world,” Xingtian explained in a serious tone.

“Such a coincidence?” Gu Hai furrowed his brow.

“It’s not a coincidence; it’s an outcome of the previous emperor’s scheme. However, there was a flaw in the previous emperor’s calculations, and Lin Waner got caught up in it. In theory, a fire cauldron physique was needed, but it didn’t necessarily have to be Lin Waner’s. Nevertheless, everything aligned perfectly, so…” Xingtian struggled to explain.

“Ba wants the Vermilion Bird Deity?” Gu Hai chuckled.

“Well, it’s Princess Jingwei who is reluctant to let go. Her Holy Eminence is in a dilemma,” Xingtian replied.

“Since the Vermilion Bird Deity was a result of Jiang Lianshan’s designs, we won’t cause trouble. What’s yours will remain yours. When Lin Waner returns, we will have her force out the Vermilion Bird Deity. At that time, we can pass it to Jingwei,” Gu Hai said solemnly.

“Ah? Really?” Xingtian was surprised.

“Ba keeps her word; we do not make empty promises, either,” Gu Hai affirmed.

Xingtian relaxed and smiled. “Thank you, Heavenly Emperor Gu. With this, everything can be resolved. Before I came here, Princess Jingwei had a heated argument with Her Holy Eminence. Her Holy Eminence could not do anything about it, so she sent me to negotiate with you. We can discuss whatever requests you have.”

“No need for that. Please ensure Lin Waner’s safety,” Gu Hai replied solemnly.

“We will definitely do that!” Xingtian said happily.

Gu Hai nodded. He would see Lin Waner in three days; at this moment, he had no intention of complicating matters. Negotiate? There was no need for negotiations. Lin Waner was more important than any conditions.

“Then I will report back to Her Holy Eminence! Thank you, Heavenly Emperor Gu! I will definitely escort Lin Waner back in three days!” Xingtian said.

“You have my thanks!” Gu Hai nodded.

Xingtian quickly left Borderless Heavenly Capital and soon returned to Great Desolation City.

Ba had just dismissed an assembly. As soon as she left the court, Xingtian arrived.

“Your Holy Eminence, Gu Hai has agreed!” Xingtian reported happily.

Although Ba had initially refused Jingwei’s demands, she could not forget about her younger sister, which was why she sent Xingtian to negotiate.

Upon seeing Xingtian’s excited expression, Ba could not help her heart pounding heavily.

Curious, Ba asked, “Oh? How did Gu Hai respond?”

Xingtian related what Gu Hai had said.

“Gu Hai wasn’t greedy? That makes things much easier!” Ba nodded in approval.

“Your Holy Eminence, could Gu Hai verbally agree and then change his mind later? After all, the Vermilion Bird Deity is quite precious. That is…,” Xingtian asked, furrowing his brow slightly.

“He won’t. Despite his many strategies, Gu Hai is mostly straightforward. If he gives his word, he will keep it. Otherwise, why do you think so many consummate Upper Heavenly Palace Realm experts are willing to serve him?” Ba said calmly.

“Understood! I was overly cautious!” Xingtian smiled.

“Go inform Jingwei. Make her happy, and then have her come to see me,” Ba ordered with a smile.

“Yes!” Xingtian replied.

Xingtian immediately left the palace and went to Jingwei’s residence. Meanwhile, Ba gazed towards the north, at Borderless Heavenly Capital.

“Jiang Lianshan, you calculated everything in the Divine Continent, but did you factor in the appearance of Gu Hai?” Ba said as she looked into the distance.

“Your entire life was filled with schemes, devoid of sentiment and loyalty, even to your own family. You treated us as pawns, subjecting us to torment, no matter how we struggled. You imprisoned us for three thousand years in a fiery purgatory. Do you know the suffering we endured during those three millennia? We desired to die, yet we could not. You believed that turning us into the fire-attributed zombie ancestor was for our own good. Did you ever realize that we didn’t want this torment? Dying in the flames, resurrecting, then dying in the flames again. Hahaha! Did you ever think about the suffering we would endure? You were cold-hearted, indifferent, and unfeeling. We thought you had no emotions, but in the end, you died for the sake of love? How laughable, how utterly laughable!” Ba murmured to herself coldly.

As Ba reminisced about Jiang Lianshan, Xingtian suddenly rushed back in a panic.

“Your Holy Eminence, something’s wrong. Princess Jingwei has disappeared!” Xingtian exclaimed anxiously.

“What?” Ba’s expression darkened, her face filled with confusion.

“Jingwei is not in her residence, and none of the attendants or guards there saw her leave. She just vanished!” Xingtian said urgently.

“She left? We set up a Divine Fire Ritual Array around Great Desolation City. If a fire cauldron physique enters or exits, there should be a reaction, but the Divine Fire Ritual Array has not responded. How could she have left?” Ba said with a deep frown.

Ba arrived at Jingwei’s residence in a stride.

The vicinity of the residence was chaotic. Attendants and guards were searching everywhere. Upon seeing Ba arrive, they immediately knelt down.

“Where was Jingwei last seen?” Ba asked in a stern voice.

“Her chamber, the princess’s chamber!” exclaimed the attendants.

Ba strode towards Jingwei’s chamber, with Xingtian following closely behind.

“Your Holy Eminence, I’ve used my divine perception to search, but she’s truly not here!” Xingtian reported urgently.

“She went missing from her chamber?” Ba inquired of a servant after a brief search.

“Yes, yes, the princess returned in a fit of rage and smashed many pieces of furniture, attacking anyone who approached, so we…,” the servant explained fearfully.

Ba shot a cold glance at the servant and then turned her gaze back to the chamber.

Inside, it was empty. However, Ba had a way to uncover the truth.

Buzz!

Suddenly, a faint golden-red haze emerged above Ba’s head, and then a small heavenly eye materialized out of thin air. It was Ba’s heavenly eye.

When the heavenly eye appeared, it emitted a red light that enveloped the chamber. Slowly, the recent events played out before them.

In the image, Jingwei returned to her chamber and saw a young girl standing in front of her dressing table.

“Isn’t that Princess Jingwei’s corpse?” Xingtian exclaimed as he watched the scene.

“Yinggou?” Ba’s eyes turned cold, radiating an icy aura.

In the image, Yinggou gazed silently at Jingwei, who was in a state of shock. Then the two began communicating.

Initially, Jingwei was very resistant to Yinggou. Her words seemed to carry a sting. However, something Yinggou said made Jingwei’s eyes widen in disbelief.

Then Jingwei’s expression turned ecstatic, and she suddenly seemed to trust Yinggou completely.

The image had no sound, only the visual of the two figures. Yinggou waved her hand, and a mist appeared.

Jingwei followed Yinggou into the mist, and in an instant, both of them vanished. The mist gradually dissipated.

Buzz!

Ba abruptly retracted her heavenly eye, her face darkening.

“Your Holy Eminence, was that Yinggou just now who took Jingwei away? You can understand lip reading. What did they say?” Xingtian asked, astonished.

Ba’s expression suddenly turned gloomy, and she did not reveal the whole truth to Xingtian.

“Go back to Borderless Heavenly Capital. Tell Gu Hai what you know and inform him we will bring Jingwei back. However, extend the deadline by three days,” Ba ordered in a chilling tone.

“Ah? Understood!” Xingtian nodded with a hint of confusion.

Is it only a matter of Jingwei being taken away, or is there more to it? It couldn’t have been that straightforward, considering Her Holy Eminence’s terrifying expression.

After all, Her Holy Eminence has never looked so furious, even when facing Ji Dihong and Jiangchen.

Since Ba was not willing to say, Xingtian dared not pursue the matter. He could only make his way to Borderless Heavenly Capital.

——

Above a sea of fire, the nether realm:

Instead of water, this sea roiled with magma and flames scorching the sky above.

The flames came in various colors, representing different levels of heat.

Flame phantoms roamed this fiery sea, akin to fish swimming in the sea. Flame knights rode fiery steeds, galloping across the fiery expanse. The area abounded with dead souls and fire spirits.

At this moment, a crystal ship coursed this sea of flames, defying the odds and heading in.

There were only two individuals aboard the crystal ship: one was Jingwei, currently inhabiting Lin Waner’s body, and the other was Yinggou, Jingwei’s corpse.

Both women looked at some burnt rocks in the distance as Yinggou steered the crystal ship to speed towards them.

Jingwei turned to Yinggou with caution. “This is the East Spiritual Fire Sea. Are you sure we need to venture deeper?”

“Don’t worry. If I wanted to harm you, you wouldn’t be able to resist. I won’t hurt you,” Yinggou replied calmly.

Jingwei nodded.

Yinggou is undeniably powerful, to an extraordinary degree. Although I don’t know how she compares to Elder Sister Ba, she is undoubtedly stronger than Xingtian or Hou Yi.

“This East Spiritual Fire Sea suppresses all living beings, and only those with a fiery nature can breathe easily here. I have the fire cauldron physique, but you don’t, right?” Jingwei frowned at Yinggou.

“I am the water-attributed zombie ancestor!” Yinggou said confidently.

Jingwei nodded slightly, still wearing a puzzled expression.

The crystal ship sailed through the fiery sea, battling waves for a day and a night until it finally reached a towering mountain where flames raged.

“It’s this flame mountain. Let’s disembark,” Yinggou said calmly.

Yinggou leaped off the crystal ship first, and Jingwei followed suit.

As soon as Yinggou left the ship, the surrounding flames melted it, instantly turning it into a puddle of clear water that evaporated. It turned out the crystal ship had originally been made of ice.

Jingwei clenched her fists, feeling a slight nervousness. She joined Yinggou in a swift ascent to the summit of the flame mountain.

On the mountaintop, a man dressed in golden-red imperial robes stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant sky as if awaiting the arrival of Jingwei and Yinggou.

Jingwei approached cautiously, her eyes filled with anticipation and uncertainty.

“You finally came?” the man said calmly.

Jingwei could never forget that voice; it was too familiar. In an instant, her entire body trembled with excitement, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“Jingwei is here!” Yinggou nodded.

The man slowly turned around. How could Jingwei not recognize that appearance? She choked up as her tears spilled over.

“Father! Eminent Father, are you really alive?” Jingwei strode over.

This man was none other than Jingwei’s father, the Yan [old] Heavenly Dynasty’s heavenly emperor, Jiang Lianshan.