Chapter 606: Golden Crow Ancestral Land

Profound Sky Continent, Blue Wind Nation.

“Your Majesty,” a general reported, “your humble servant has investigated and confirmed why the five nations have consistently refused to send troops to assist us. As rumored, before the Divine Phoenix Empire marched on our Blue Wind, they indeed signed identical armistice agreements with the Azure Tide Nation, Blackfiend Nation, Sunflower Nation, Heavenly Fragrance Nation, and Gara Nation. Furthermore, these agreements have a term of three hundred years! The terms state that as long as the five nations do not intervene during the Divine Phoenix Empire’s invasion of our Blue Wind, the Divine Phoenix Empire guarantees not to invade those five nations for at least three hundred years!”

A woman clad in magnificent phoenix robes, exuding grace and peerless beauty, faced a portrait, remaining silent for a long time. The portrait depicted a young man; every stroke and line had been drawn by her own hand.

Receiving no response from her, the general, clad in golden armor, remained kneeling with bowed head, unwilling to disturb her.

After a long while, she turned around and murmured, “The principle of mutual reliance, where the loss of one leads to the downfall of the other—have they completely abandoned this survival truth for three hundred years of peace?”

“General Feng, have you ascertained the true objective of the Divine Phoenix Empire’s invasion of our Blue Wind?”

General Feng bowed solemnly and replied, “The Divine Phoenix Nation, willing to sign agreements with five other nations just to invade our Blue Wind, must have a significant agenda! However, your humble servant has not yet been able to ascertain it. There are rumors circulating that this Divine Phoenix invasion is an act of enraged retaliation because our Blue Wind caused them to lose face in the Seven Nations Ranking Battle... but your humble servant believes this claim is not credible.”

“Retaliation?” Empress Cang Yue’s beautiful face flushed with anger. “My husband, the Blue Wind Nation’s consort, saved their Divine Phoenix Nation’s Snow Princess, yet he perished in the Primordial Profound Ark! Their Divine Phoenix Nation offered not a single word of thanks, but instead launched a massive invasion, trespassing on our land, murdering my father, and poisoning the lives of millions of my Blue Wind citizens. What face do they have, what right do they possess, to speak of ‘retaliation’!”

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger!” General Feng’s expression was resolute. “Your humble servant lives for Blue Wind, and will die as a ghost for Blue Wind. I vow to stand with Blue Wind until death! As long as a shred of life remains in me, I will slay every last Divine Phoenix dog!”

A faint ripple of profound energy emanated. Empress Cang Yue turned her gaze, saying, “Is that news from the front? Check it immediately.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” General Feng quickly took out a sound-transmitting jade. After reading the sound imprint that had just arrived, his expression subtly changed. He then reported to Empress Cang Yue, “Your Majesty, a message has arrived from the front-line intelligence unit. The Divine Phoenix army has suddenly made an unusual move.”

“Unusual? What do you mean by unusual?”

“The Divine Phoenix army is currently only seventeen hundred miles from our Imperial City. However, just today, the main Divine Phoenix force suddenly split off thirty percent of its troops and headed directly east! According to the intelligence gathered, their target is actually Flowing Cloud City in the east! Their marching speed is extremely fast; they could reach Flowing Cloud City in less than twenty days.”

“What? Flowing Cloud City? Why would they divide their forces to go to Flowing Cloud City?” Empress Cang Yue’s voice suddenly became urgent. The three words ‘Flowing Cloud City’ made her soul tremble violently, for it was Yun Che’s hometown... and also where Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi were currently residing to avoid the conflict.

Flowing Cloud City was the smallest, most inconspicuous, and lowest-tier city in the Blue Wind Nation. A large portion of Blue Wind citizens didn’t even know its name. Precisely because of this, it was particularly incomprehensible and bizarre that the main Divine Phoenix army, which had been directly attacking the Blue Wind Imperial City, suddenly diverted its forces to Flowing Cloud City... especially a significant thirty percent of their military strength.

“Your humble servant is also utterly puzzled!” General Feng frowned, saying, “Flowing Cloud City is remote and extremely barren. Conquering it would be practically worthless and would only add to the army’s burden... Or, perhaps, this is a feint by the Divine Phoenix army?”

Empress Cang Yue gave a bitter smile. “Given the Divine Phoenix Nation’s power, they have already captured sixty percent of our Blue Wind’s territory in just two years. Their main army is crushing us, pressing directly toward our Imperial City... Why would they need any feint? Their sudden advance on Flowing Cloud City must have an ulterior motive.”

Empress Cang Yue’s breathing quickened. She lightly pressed her hand to her chest before speaking with some difficulty. “...General Feng, immediately send a message to City Lord Yuwen of Flowing Cloud City. If the Divine Phoenix army arrives at the city gates, they absolutely must not resist. They must open the gates immediately and surrender.”

“Why?” General Feng abruptly looked up, his face filled with bewilderment.

Empress Cang Yue closed her eyes and said, “Flowing Cloud City and its surroundings have no garrisons. Facing the Divine Phoenix army, which is like tigers and wolves, they have no power to resist whatsoever. Forcing a struggle would only provoke their savagery and cause the citizens of Flowing Cloud City to suffer unnecessarily...”

General Feng slowly raised his hands, then slowly lowered them, saying with some despondency, “Your humble servant obeys.” He then slowly retreated.

Empress Cang Yue’s gaze fell once again on the portrait she had drawn with her own hands. She would gaze at this portrait for several hours each day, lost in thought, and each time, her eyes would fill with tears...

“Husband... please wait for me a little longer... Once I have protected Blue Wind’s last shred of dignity... I will come to join you...”

Illusory Demon Realm, Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.

The crimson-gold barrier enveloping Yun Che and the Little Demon Empress suddenly shattered. At the same time, nine points of dazzling, blinding golden light descended from the sky and landed on the Little Demon Empress. Before Yun Che could react, the Little Demon Empress’s body was completely enveloped in golden flames and then vanished before his eyes.

“Hahahahaha...” The Golden Crow Spirit’s booming laughter echoed from above. “Truly worthy of one with the Dragon God bloodline, to take only forty-seven days. However, this daughter of the Demon Emperor has truly opened my eyes. As a maiden, she was so utterly ferocious. I am suddenly curious if she was willing to do anything for the power of revenge, or if this is simply her true nature... Hahahahaha!”

“Where did you send her?” Yun Che’s voice was urgent. Previously, his concern for the Little Demon Empress’s life, even risking great danger to protect her, was primarily for the Yun family; for if she died, the Yun family would surely decline or perish. But now, things were different. The Little Demon Empress was no longer just the Little Demon Empress to him; she was Yun Che’s woman... though the process had been a little... strange...

“She has lost her virgin yin, and her body has been thoroughly nourished by your primal yang. Neither her physical body nor her life force will be easily incinerated by the Golden Crow flames. Even her lifelines have been fully restored, much more smoothly than I anticipated. I have just bestowed nine drops of the most primal Golden Crow blood into her veins. She is now in the Golden Crow Secret Realm, formed by my power, gradually drawing forth all the origin energy within it, and in this process, comprehending my Golden Crow lineage’s supreme profound art—the *Golden Crow Burning World Record*!”

“To draw out all the origin energy will only take seven days, after which she can achieve Half-step Divine Profound Realm! However, if she wishes to emerge from the secret realm, she must comprehend at least the third stage of the *Golden Crow Burning World Record*. If her aptitude is dull and she cannot accomplish this within three years, then she will simply die inside!”

“...” This Golden Crow Spirit completely lacked the awe-inspiring yet relatively gentle temperament of the Phoenix Spirit or the Dragon God’s Soul. Not only was its nature violent, but it would also arbitrarily imprison people, not allowing them to leave until they fulfilled its objectives.

It acted entirely on its own whims, completely disregarding the will of others... It was simply tyrannical and overbearing to the point of being inhuman.

Yun Che thought this to himself... but of course, he dared not voice it.

Yun Che was perfectly clear about the consequences of the Little Demon Empress accepting the Golden Crow’s power. Although he now harbored an incredibly strong desire to stop her, he also knew full well that he couldn’t prevent the Little Demon Empress from doing this... If he forcefully stopped her, she would resent him for life.

“Yun Che, do you know why I helped her?” Crimson-gold eyes opened in the sky, their gaze, filled with endless might, enveloping Yun Che.

“She is the inheritor of the Golden Crow bloodline, so you helping her... is only natural, isn’t it?” Yun Che said.

“Me helping her is only natural? Hahahahaha, ridiculous! Her ancestors received my bloodline inheritance, which allowed them to dominate the Illusory Demon Realm! My boundless grace was bestowed upon them; I never owed their clan a single bit. On what grounds do you say my helping her is natural? If I had wished to help her, I would have acted long ago when she was forced into desperation... The reason I help her now has nothing to do with her bloodline or race; it is solely because of you!”

“Because... me?” Yun Che pointed to himself, momentarily stunned.

“You are merely a mortal, yet you possess the Heretic God’s inheritance, capable of causing profound energy to rampage, unleashing divine might several, even dozens, of times greater! You also obtained the Heretic Fire Seed, granting you the world’s unique Fire Spirit Evil Body, capable of controlling all fires under heaven! Not only that, but you astonishingly possess the bloodline of the Primordial Dragon God, giving you a divine body that transcends mortals! Therefore, you can be said to be the most suitable being in this world to inherit the Golden Crow bloodline and wield the Golden Crow flames! I have borne the will of the Golden Crow and guarded this place for countless years, and now... I have finally awaited the most perfect inheritor!”

The Golden Crow Spirit’s words quickly eased Yun Che’s previously tense mind. “Your meaning... is that you want me to... inherit the Golden Crow bloodline?”

“That’s right! Your aptitude is tens of millions of times stronger than that of the Demon Emperor’s lineage! There can be no one in this world more suitable than you to inherit the Golden Crow bloodline! The Golden Crow flames in your hands will undoubtedly unleash boundless scorching power! Yun Che, are you willing to accept the Golden Crow inheritance I bestow upon you!”

According to Jasmine’s description, the Golden Crow flames were the strongest divine fire, even surpassing the Phoenix flames in power. When he first heard Xiao Yun speak of the Golden Crow inheritance, a desire to obtain the Golden Crow flame power immediately sprouted in his heart, but Jasmine quickly poured cold water on that idea.

But at this moment, the Golden Crow Spirit before him was actually taking the initiative to bestow the Golden Crow bloodline upon him!

Yun Che naturally had no reason to refuse, and immediately said, “To receive a divine power inheritance is naturally every profound practitioner’s dream. I thank the Golden Crow Saint Spirit for this great favor.”

No sooner had Yun Che finished speaking than Jasmine’s cold laugh echoed in his mind: “You’re celebrating too early!”

“Excellent!” The Golden Crow Spirit’s voice finally held a hint of gentleness. “You truly will not disappoint me. Since that is the case, then allow me to first erase the Phoenix bloodline within your body!”