Seeing an opportunity, Bai Shuo leaned toward Mu Jiu and whispered, “Your Highness, let’s go in. Nan Wan is right; we’re here for the Wu Tong Tree Heart, and with your skills, you could easily outshine Bei Chen and Nan Wan. If you secure all three Wu Tong Tree Hearts, you could wield the Wheel of Annihilation in one hand and the Wu Tong Sword in the other. Who in the Three Realms could rival you then?”
Mu Jiu looked at Bai Shuo with interest, sizing her up. “I’m not blind, you know—you’re an immortal.”
Bai Shuo nudged his shoulder. “What does that matter? The immortal and demon clans are family, aren’t they?”
Mu Jiu glanced at Bai Shuo, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
Though Bai Shuo was an immortal, she was as cunning as any fox. The young man and the blacksmith by her side were equally enigmatic, with an aura that blurred the lines between immortal and demon. Mu Jiu, who loved intrigue, found himself drawn to her mysteriousness, and the temptation of wielding two top-grade artifacts was hard to resist.
Mu Jiu looked over at Bei Chen and gave him a nod. “Bei Chen, the martial feast only happens once every century. The immortal and demon clans both came here; if we go back empty-handed, you won’t lose face, but I sure will. How about we give it a try?”
Bei Chen said nothing, merely turned toward the tomb, drawing his sword without further comment.
Mu Jiu also shed his usual playful demeanor as the Wheel of Annihilation appeared in his hand.
The two leapt simultaneously. White and red spiritual energy radiated from the Kunlun iron sword and the miniature Wheel of Annihilation, merging on the stone wall. Brilliant light flashed, the energy dissipated, and the tomb door opened with a staircase leading down.
Bai Shuo’s eyes brightened. “It’s open!”
This time, before Nan Wan could take the lead, Mu Jiu was already a step ahead, jumping into the tomb first. The others followed down the steps without hesitation.
The tomb chamber below was simple, carved directly from stone. A tranquil stream flowed within, and after descending a hundred steps, they entered a small stone chamber.
In the center of the chamber, a burning Wu Tong Tree Heart floated silently.
Mu Jiu stared, wide-eyed and amazed.
The heartfire emitted a pure and powerful energy, and just by standing near it, everyone felt a refreshing clarity in their minds. The spiritual energy suppressed by the array even seemed to loosen its hold.
To think that this sacred item of the phoenix clan could suppress the former Heavenly Emperor Twilight’s divine magic! Not only would it forge a peerless sword, but even keeping it nearby would surely accelerate one’s cultivation immensely.
Eyes lit up with desire around the room, except for Fan Yue, who remained indifferent, though even Hua Hong raised an eyebrow.
Bai Shuo’s eyes sparkled even more brightly; although she couldn’t directly sense the heartfire’s energy, she could see it was a treasure just by looking!
Better to keep it in the family—this magnificent treasure had to belong to her Ah Zhao!
Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, but as they approached within half a meter of the heartfire, it suddenly flashed and split into two flames.
The strange sight stunned Mu Jiu. After a night of shocks, he was wary of any tricks. He instinctively stepped back. “W-What’s going on?”
The others exchanged puzzled glances, but Bai Shuo, staring at the two flames, seemed to understand. “Don’t you all find it odd? That first Wu Tong Tree Heart was incredibly hard to obtain, and it took a long time, didn’t it?”
Mu Jiu stroked his chin and nodded. “True. Guarding that first heartfire was an immortal lord at his peak. Even as a mere Golden Core, he could’ve taken down all of us. If each of the three trials is this hard, with only three days to complete them, it’d be impossible to retrieve all three heartfires hidden in Strange City.”
"So, this mountain trial actually consists of two parts. The first task was to dispel Senior Rong Xian’s resentment, and the second was for the immortals and demons to work together to open the stone door above." Bai Shuo gestured upwards.
"Opening the stone door?" Nan Wan was puzzled. "Is it really that simple?"
"It’s not simple at all." Bai Shuo spread her hands. "For immortal and demon disciples to cooperate—this hasn’t happened for tens of thousands of years. Only the late Phoenix Emperor and Demon Lord Chang Qin managed it back then."
True enough. Although successive rulers have worked to maintain peace, tensions between immortals and demons remain just beneath the surface. Jin Yao, a senior disciple of Twilight Immortal Emperor and inspired by Phoenix Emperor’s vision, had dedicated himself to dissolving the enmity between the two clans. It was no surprise that he had set this task in the Wu Tong martial feast.
In the Roost Pavilion on Phoenix Island, Feng Xian watched Bai Shuo’s insightful explanations through a water mirror, stroking his beard in satisfaction.
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