Chapter 324: Dongning King Meng Chuan Burning Life

Inside an elegant residence in Changfeng City.

Liu Qiyue, dressed in a loose green robe, sat writing in her study. Outside the window, the spring breeze carried petals, creating a beautiful shower of falling blossoms.

“Hmm?” She sensed something and turned her head. A figure had already appeared in the courtyard; it was Meng Chuan, who had just landed using a movement technique.

“A-Chuan.” Liu Qiyue’s face lit up with surprise. She put down her brush and hurried out of the study.

“Qiyue.”

Meng Chuan also deeply missed his wife. The couple gazed at each other.

Since his wife's transfer to guard the city, Yuanchu Mountain had strictly forbidden guardian demon-gods from revealing their stationing information to their families, let alone meeting them, all for the sake of secrecy. This measure was to prevent the demon race from discovering human defense intelligence. As a result, the couple hadn't seen each other for nearly two years.

“A-Chuan,” Liu Qiyue said softly, gently embracing Meng Chuan and resting her head against his chest.

Meng Chuan held his wife close, savoring this rare reunion.

“I missed you so much,” Liu Qiyue whispered.

“Me too,” Meng Chuan replied softly. “Now we can finally be together all the time.”

“Yes, Yuanchu Mountain has given the order,” Liu Qiyue said. “Guarding a city is a long-term assignment, so guardian demon-gods are now allowed to arrange for up to three relatives or friends to live with them, provided they maintain strict secrecy.”

Meng Chuan understood.

The couple went to the hall and sat down. Liu Qiyue brought out some fruit and pastries and poured them tea.

“I’ve been cut off from the outside world for nearly a year,” Meng Chuan said, eating a pastry. “What’s the situation like in the world now?”

“The demon race hasn’t made any major moves,” Liu Qiyue said, a hint of worry in her eyes. “However, demon kings are continuously infiltrating through the numerous medium and small world entrances across the land. There are simply too many of these entrances for us demon-gods to guard. With such a constant influx… the number of demon kings within the human world will only grow. Intelligence estimates suggest there are at least six hundred thousand demon kings hidden in the human world. The thought of so many demon kings lurking makes me uneasy.”

“There are about two hundred medium world entrances, and even more small world entrances, and these numbers are still increasing,” Meng Chuan nodded. “There are too few Marquis Godfiends. Weaker demon-gods would just be sending themselves to their deaths; we can’t defend against them all!”

“When a million demon kings infiltrate, they will surely make a move,” Liu Qiyue worried.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Meng Chuan said. “We just need to be prepared. By the way, has anything else happened recently?”

“Yes, good news,” she replied.

Liu Qiyue smiled. “Just two months ago, Yuanchu Mountain finally welcomed a new King Godfiend: King Jianjiu.”

“King Jianjiu?” Meng Chuan’s eyes lit up. He sighed, “It’s been fifty years, hasn’t it? Yuanchu Mountain has only produced one King Godfiend in half a century. This era at Yuanchu Mountain has seen the number of Kings rise from thirteen to fourteen.”

Becoming a King is incredibly difficult.

Even a ‘peerless genius’ who can reach the Dharma Domain realm before ninety years old would find it hard to reach the third level of Essence Soul within the same timeframe. King Godfiends have a lifespan of five hundred years, yet Yuanchu Mountain only had thirteen King Godfiends, which demonstrates how challenging it is to achieve this rank.

Sometimes, two or three prodigies from the same generation become King Godfiends in succession.

Other times, it takes seventy or eighty years for a single King Godfiend to emerge.

“Jianjiu wasn’t diligent in his youth, spending his time in frivolous pursuits and having a less-than-stellar reputation,” Meng Chuan mused. “Later, when his elder brother entered the demon-god blood pool and attempted the life-or-death trial, he failed. This spurred Jianjiu on. He only began to cultivate seriously at seventeen, became a demon-god at twenty-eight — which wasn't particularly outstanding among his peers — and became a Marquis Godfiend at sixty-six. Now, at one hundred and nine, he has actually become a King Godfiend.”

“He cultivates the Thirteen Sword Fiend Demonic Body,” Meng Chuan smiled. “Historically, those who cultivated the Thirteen Sword Fiend Demonic Body were known for their formidable combat. Yet he prefers formations and uses the Thirteen Sword Fiends to set up arrays.”

“Come, let’s have some wine.”

Meng Chuan retrieved a wine pot from his spatial treasure, saying excitedly, “With another King Godfiend, I’m happy; I must drink!”

Liu Qiyue joined him in drinking. An additional King Godfiend meant an added powerful combat force. And a King Godfiend cultivating the ‘Thirteen Sword Fiend Demonic Body’ was particularly skilled in battle.

The couple chatted leisurely.

They discussed events from the past year or two, as well as matters concerning the ‘World Gap.’ The ‘World Gap’ was even known to the demon race, so its secrecy was not particularly high.

“Oh, this is for you,” Meng Chuan said, handing the beast hide book to his wife.

“What is this?” Liu Qiyue asked, taking it with curiosity. As soon as she touched it, she noticed how soft it was; the book was made from a mysterious white beast hide.

She opened the book and saw an imprinted image of a flying phoenix. Liu Qiyue’s heart stirred, and she immediately became engrossed.

She gazed at it for well over half an hour. The sun had set, and the sky had grown dim.

“The Phoenix Aerial Art,” Liu Qiyue said, looking up at her husband. “Where did you get this?”

“It came from the demon race. My master said it’s a movement technique that should be suitable for your cultivation,” Meng Chuan explained.

“Yes, just looking at the image makes my blood boil with excitement,” Liu Qiyue said, thrilled. “I’ll try it out first.”

As soon as she spoke.

She darted out of the hall and flew high into the sky to practice the movement technique.

“Whoosh.”

An incredibly beautiful fiery divine bird appeared in the sky. This divine bird spread its wings and soared, its tail feathers trailing long flames. It flew back and forth above the residence, leaving behind a breathtaking trail of light.

Meng Chuan watched in awe. “Is that divine bird a phoenix?”

The divine bird was an illusion formed by flames, with Liu Qiyue at its core.

When Liu Qiyue used the movement technique, she would typically block light to prevent external observation. However, Meng Chuan’s lightning-magnetic domain allowed him to see clearly.

“Whoosh.”

The fiery divine bird descended, its flames dissipating in mid-air, leaving behind a stunned Liu Qiyue.

“A-Chuan, this is truly the ultimate art for Phoenix Divine Body cultivators,” Liu Qiyue said, looking at Meng Chuan. “I feel like I genuinely transformed into a divine phoenix and flew. I even have a direction for reaching the Dharma Domain realm in the fire lineage.”

“You have a direction for the Dharma Domain realm?” Meng Chuan was delighted for his wife.

“Yes, during the last defense battle, I unleashed Phoenix Nirvana, firing nine arrows consecutively and killing five fourth-tier demon kings. Only one fourth-tier demon king managed to escape. That Phoenix Nirvana brought me to the ‘peak of the Dao realm,’ but I had no clue how to reach the Dharma Domain realm until now,” Liu Qiyue said excitedly. “Today, I see the path.”

Meng Chuan gently embraced his wife. “Your letter mentioned that you consumed twelve years of your lifespan during that battle.”

“The stronger I become, the purer my Phoenix bloodline. The greater the power increase during Nirvana, the faster it consumes lifespan,” Liu Qiyue nodded. “Firing nine arrows consumed twelve years of my life. The rate of consumption is indeed much faster than when I was a Great Solar Godfiend.”

When she was a Great Solar Godfiend, his wife had also undergone Phoenix Nirvana, which consumed eighteen years of her lifespan that time.

“Over these years, you’ve burned through more than thirty years of your lifespan,” Meng Chuan said, looking at his wife with deep concern.

“Being able to kill demon kings makes it worth it,” Liu Qiyue said, smiling at Meng Chuan.