Chapter 722: Reaching Out Toward the Sun

After a respectful bow, the General Alliance Leader withdrew, head lowered. Throughout this process, he could feel the Seventh Prince, seated high in the main hall, keeping his gaze fixed on him. Thus, he made no attempt to hide his expression, completely revealing his reluctance, relief, and ultimate composure. Only after leaving the hall and walking a considerable distance did he straighten up, smiling as he walked towards his residence in the capital.

He would gently greet familiar colleagues he met along the way. Despite his cultivation at the second stage of Returning to Void, he was not arrogant; there was no hint of pretension about him. From beginning to end, his demeanor was gentle and refined. Upon returning to his residence, he lit an incense stick, took out a chessboard, and leisurely played a game by himself. Yet, upon closer inspection, a natural chill could be seen deep within his eyes, amidst the curling smoke, like a venomous snake hidden inside the belly of a lamb.

“On my first day here, I mentioned the matter of the cauldrons to His Royal Highness, but he wasn’t interested at the time… Today, however, he suddenly summoned me and brought it up again…” A gentle smile appeared on the General Alliance Leader’s lips; it was his instinct to smile whenever he contemplated a problem.

“The Supervisor, along with tens of thousands of soldiers and Ling Yun… they’ve lost contact in Fenghai Commandery.”“Now, His Royal Highness wants me to retrieve the cauldrons…”

The General Alliance Leader’s smile grew softer, and the hidden chill deep in his eyes became even more concealed. He knew very well that the Seventh Prince was no ordinary person. Though young, having been born into an imperial family and exposed to its ways, he was naturally cunning and shrewd. Therefore, one should never look at things on the surface.

“Ostensibly, he’s asking me to retrieve the cauldrons, but in reality, he’s using me as a pawn. He wants to use me to probe the true situation in Fenghai Commandery, so he can then analyze the real reason for the army’s disappearance.”“As for himself, he can advance or retreat. If something happens to me, he can easily disclaim responsibility.”

The General Alliance Leader smiled as he picked up a chess piece; although he hadn't placed it, two pieces materialized on the board by themselves. This scene seemed simple, but if a practitioner of Returning to Void were to witness it, their mind would surely be stirred. This seemingly simple action contained an almost ultimate application and sublimation of laws, surpassing the Myriad Transformations of Reality and Illusion. The Returning to Void realm encompasses Thousand Paths of Shattered Space, Myriad Transformations of Reality and Illusion, Billions of Fantastical Ideas, and Trillions of Laws Returning to One.

“I like the number three.” The General Alliance Leader chuckled softly, gentle and composed.

***

Meanwhile, in Fenghai Commandery, within the Immortal Forbidden Zone, before the Phoenix Hall. As the massive gates opened, darkness consumed everything. Not only Xu Qing and Zi Xuan’s figures, but also their minds, were enveloped and merged with the spreading blackness.

A scene, whether real or illusory, appeared before their eyes. The hall in their vision was silent, vast, and cold as a dungeon. Only one statue stood in the center, as if sealed within a cage. The statue depicted a middle-aged woman, similar to Zi Xuan but clearly not her. Her features exuded elegance, her expression was a smile, her eyes conveyed compassion, and there were distinct crow’s feet wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

She lowered her head slightly, gazing at her hands clasped before her. A lamp rested in her palms, as if it were the most precious treasure of her life. The lamp was crafted from purple stone, resembling a blooming redbud flower, with a purple phoenix perched upon it, its wings spread, lifelike.

The moment he saw the lamp, a tearing sensation intensified in Xu Qing’s mind, and his lost memories resurfaced one by one. He turned to Zi Xuan; he remembered entering this place before, seeing scenes related to Zi Xuan, witnessing a woman identical to Zi Xuan appear beneath the statue, and seeing the great doors open, a man walking in. He also recalled the conversation in that scene—the man… seemed to be the son of the Mysterious Nether Ancient Emperor! Everything surfaced in Xu Qing’s mind, like thunder, roaring through his consciousness.

At this moment, Zi Xuan was trembling. Gazing at the statue, her expression was sorrowful. She released Xu Qing’s hand and unconsciously walked towards the statue, murmuring, “My dream is a world of pitch black, and there is a lamp there. It’s extinguished, but I imagine it to be a blooming redbud flower with a purple phoenix perched upon it. This lamp has always appeared in my dreams, dreams without light. The world in my dreams is this place.”

Zi Xuan’s voice, echoing in the silent hall, sounded ethereal, as if drifting from the depths of time to resonate in the present. As she walked, the moment she stood beneath the statue, the blurry figure identical to Zi Xuan that Xu Qing had seen in his memory during his previous visit, appeared. However, this time, the illusory figure overlapped with the Zi Xuan standing there, becoming indistinguishable. She gazed at the statue, her eyes filled with filial affection and bitterness.

Then, a scene from Xu Qing’s memory reappeared: the figure of the Prince, passing through his own body from behind him, stood before Zi Xuan. The imperial robe adorned with four-clawed golden dragons, and a swaying nine-bead imperial crown made the figure exude an intense heavenly might. The Prince seemed to say something, but Xu Qing couldn’t hear it. He could only see Zi Xuan gazing afar, her eyes filled with deep longing and sorrow. But this time, it was ultimately different from what he remembered. He heard Zi Xuan’s voice.

“I will not leave! Father Emperor’s decision is wrong! Abandoning our people, abandoning our homeland, transforming the Heavens Beyond into a sacred land and living there alone—what meaning would life have then?! To save one’s own life while disregarding the Calamity of Wanggu, this Ancient Emperor… he is unworthy!” Zi Xuan was filled with grief and indignation. Xu Qing’s mind was shaken by these words.

The figure in the imperial robe fell silent, then, after a long moment, extended a hand, as if making a final effort. Zi Xuan’s eyes showed determination, and she shook her head again. Finally, the Prince’s expression turned desolate. He took out a small purple bottle and poured a few drops of liquid from it onto the lamp in the statue’s hand. Having done this, he placed the small bottle aside, turned silently, his expression filled with sorrow and a hint of pain. He stepped towards the hall’s entrance, passing through Xu Qing’s form, walking farther and farther away… As he vanished, the hall’s doors slowly closed.

The entire hall became completely silent. Only the flame of the lamp continued to burn, emitting faint crackling sounds, its light illuminating the hall as the flame flickered. In the lamplight, Zi Xuan’s expression was sorrowful. She squatted down beside the statue, weeping silently.

The scene in Xu Qing’s memory ended here. But this time, everything unfolding before his eyes did not end. Time, within this hall, seemed to lose its meaning, flowing silently and imperceptibly, until wretched wails and pained roars echoed from outside. Blood-red light spread outside. Faint cries for help drifted in.

At this moment, Zi Xuan’s figure stood up again. A set of battle armor appeared on her, and she walked step by step through Xu Qing’s body, exiting the hall. Xu Qing couldn’t move; he could only watch silently.

After an unknown period, the sounds from outside gradually faded. Zi Xuan’s figure, weary and weak, returned to the hall. Most of her battle armor was shattered, and her body was covered in wounds. Yet, in her hand, she carried a fish head. The moment he saw the head, Xu Qing immediately recognized it as the head of the Immortal Forbidden God.

Carrying the head, Zi Xuan’s figure slowly walked to the statue. Gazing at it, a gentle expression appeared on her pale face. “Mother, I can only slay that foreign god once. In many years, it will revive here again. However, when it revives, it will no longer possess a higher divine status. Also, I used the spell you once taught me, Mother; it will die by internecine conflict in the future. Unfortunately… I won’t be able to see it.”

Zi Xuan spoke softly, wanting to pick up the small purple bottle and add more oil to the lamp, but she was too weak. In the end, she could only sit down, leaning against the statue, and slowly closed her eyes. Her spirit faded, her soul departed.

The lamp continued to burn, but without additional oil, its light gradually dimmed as time passed, until it completely vanished. The entire hall plunged into darkness. Coldness descended, accompanying the fading light and the silence outside. Darkness consumed everything.

Time flowed, years passed. After an unknown number of years, the Immortal Forbidden Zone suddenly trembled one day. A sense of revival surged, and the low roar of a deity reverberated. Flesh and blood appeared in the Immortal Forbidden Zone, covering the earth, submerging halls one by one, including this one.

A very, very long time passed again. Until this day, in the pitch-black hall, before the statue, a purple circle suddenly appeared. It manifested out of thin air, and its appearance immediately caused a roar throughout the entire Immortal Forbidden Zone. Roars echoed, and terrifying divine sense erupted from the depths of the Immortal Forbidden Zone, rapidly spreading towards this place.

Just as the divine sense swept over, a hand reached out from within the purple circle, snatched the extinguished lamp, and pulled it into the circle. The hand seemed to want to grab the small purple bottle as well, but there wasn't enough time. So, it decisively withdrew, but it was still a moment too late. The divine sense from the Immortal Forbidden God, rushing like a tidal wave, slammed fiercely into the purple circle, making contact with the hand. The circle shattered into countless fragments, merging into the endless void. The hand trembled; though it still departed, the lamp it held lost its wick, which fell into the void, its whereabouts unknown.

Everything ended. At this moment, the scene vanished from Xu Qing’s sight. The hall and the statue also vanished. This place reverted to ruins. Like a dream.

When the dream ended, everything was gone. Only Zi Xuan stood on the ruins, a solitary figure like a winter plum defying the snow in a quiet valley, as if she were alone in an empty wilderness, regardless of any onlookers. Gazing at the sky, her expression was desolate. After a long while, she spoke softly, “Let’s go back.”

Xu Qing silently walked over and, together with Zi Xuan, they walked out. They remained silent throughout the journey until they left the Immortal Forbidden Zone. They had arrived in the dead of night, but by the time they walked out, it was already daytime, though they didn't know which day it was. The sky was blue, and the sun shone brightly.

Looking at Zi Xuan’s desolate figure ahead, Xu Qing suddenly called out to her. Zi Xuan turned, gazing at Xu Qing. Xu Qing said nothing more, only asking her to extend her palm. In the sunlight, Zi Xuan’s palm was clear, with lines and patterns, like destiny.

“What do you have in your palm?” Xu Qing asked.

Zi Xuan looked puzzled and shook her head. Xu Qing looked into Zi Xuan’s eyes and spoke softly, “In your palm, there is sunshine.”

Zi Xuan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. She gazed at her palm for a long time… then smiled gently.