Chapter 864: Vermilion Bird Nirvana

Chapter 864: The Vermilion Bird's Nirvana

Han Wubing gazed at the sky, somewhat dazed.

Ye Wuming had annihilated the epoch to oppose the Heavenly Dao. If there truly existed an "external foe" of the Heavenly Dao, she would have exploited it by any means. But Han Wubing, inheriting the memories of the ancient White Tiger, knew clearly that in the previous epoch, Ye Wuming had indeed not coveted the lands of the Spirit Race, even deliberately avoiding any contact.

Conventionally, this was understood as such a move being too conspicuous, alerting the Heavenly Dao—so avoiding it was natural. Han Wubing had never suspected anything amiss before.

But if the Sword Sovereign, who intended to revive the Spirit Race's lands, was a pawn of the Heavenly Dao, then Zhao Changhe's logic held true.

Yet before this, who would have thought the Sword Sovereign was a pawn of the Heavenly Dao? Their attributes were utterly incompatible. He was a pure swordsman, with nothing tied to earth, water, fire, wind, sun, moon, or stars. Any other demon god would seem a more likely hidden agent of the Heavenly Dao than the Sword Sovereign.

But no matter how unlikely, when forced to choose between the Sword Sovereign and Zhao Changhe, regardless of the challenge Han Wubing harbored toward Zhao Changhe deep within, he would still unhesitatingly choose to trust Zhao Changhe.

That was it... If there was any aspect of the Sword Sovereign that resembled the Heavenly Dao, it was the method of the Snow Owl's sword slave—was that given by the Sword Sovereign?

Han Wubing clenched his jaw tightly, his hand on his sword trembling.

In the previous epoch, he had discovered he was a false concept, abandoned by the emperor he had always revered, and thus gone mad. In fury, he had drawn out his sword bone, reborn as a human—unyielding, upright, and faithful—but due to his incomplete soul, he had easily become another's sword slave. Believing he had broken free from fate after destruction, he awakened his past memories, only to find he was still a pawn, even his arrival here seemingly preordained.

He had never escaped fate, as if a thread above always controlled him, no matter what he did, unable to break free from the predetermined frame, not even in madness.

Always a puppet on strings, then as now.

It was this that drove Ye Wuming to destroy everything in fury, resolutely restart the epoch, and begin a war spanning two eras.

It was also why she trusted not even the Four Symbols beside her—she could not determine who might become a pawn of the Heavenly Dao at a critical moment. Nor was it necessary to pre-plant hidden agents; anyone, even those perfectly fine, could suddenly be controlled by the Heavenly Dao on the spot, like a sword slave.

Just like Han Wubing now. Knowing the truth was useless, too late... As long as he had come, it was too late.

"Ah..." Han Wubing suddenly abandoned his sword, clutching his head, screaming in agony.

His once firm and sharp eyes gradually turned blood-red, until soon the eyeballs and whites were indistinguishable, only a vast bloodthirsty haze remaining.

Zhao Changhe had experienced that aura... the hatred suppressed beneath the Hanchi Ice Abyss.

When he raised his head again, the casual talk of old friends was gone, replaced by a single sword stroke aimed straight at Zhao Changhe on the distant sacred mountain.

The sword light blazed, swift as thunder, illuminating the pitch-black night. It was a White Tiger sword that could tear apart the Southern Sky.

With this White Tiger stroke, the rumbling earth "sat up," as if pulled upright by the sword.

...

"Clang!" Before Zhao Changhe and Han Wubing's old-friend conversation, atop the snowy peak outside the secret realm, the Sword Sovereign merged ten thousand swords into one, striking flatly at the heart of the Four Symbols Formation.

The formation's heart was held by Yue Hongling, sword against sword, locked with the Sword Sovereign's blade.

The Sword Sovereign, who last time seemed to test swordsmanship from basic moves to ultimate intent, had now completely changed his sword intent.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" Countless sword qi burst from Yue Hongling's body, staining her red in an instant.

San Niang, Huangfu Qing, and Xia Chichi were all horrified. The Four Symbols Formation, honed for so long, was nearly broken in one move; they could only frantically pour in power to keep Yue Hongling from falling.

Looking at Yue Hongling's unyielding eyes before him, the Sword Sovereign chuckled dryly: "The so-called daughter of destiny in this era is nothing but a pawn chosen by the Heavenly Dao. You thought our last spar was me appreciating your inheritance? Wrong... It was to determine how much you had inherited. The more complete, the more your sword intent becomes mine to command. But you were clever enough to also cultivate the White Tiger, trying to break the bounds—yet unfortunately, the White Tiger's control is also beyond your grasp."

A painful concept arose in everyone's minds: That chance meeting between Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling, a glance across the jianghu, was merely a chess piece in Ye Wuming's game against the Heavenly Dao.

There was no daughter of destiny in this world.

The Sword Sovereign grew more smug as he spoke: "I even deliberately warned you that the Four Symbols Formation lacked offensive power, guiding you to focus on the White Tiger position, making you, Yue Hongling, face me as the formation's heart. But the more you did, the more you fell into the trap. This Four Symbols Formation is worse than four scattered individuals..."

But as he spoke, his smile stiffened.

He found that initially, Yue Hongling was indeed gravely wounded, needing the formation to sustain her—but now, as he rambled, he clearly sensed her sword qi growing anew, and this time, the Sword Sovereign could no longer control it.

"Is that so..." Yue Hongling's lips dripped with blood, a breeze brushing her hair across her pale face: "Every move I make was forged through blood and battle in the jianghu, not bestowed by anyone, nor innate... Even the Ye sisters, born with their powers, could awaken and rebel. You think a mere wisp of sword intent can control my sword qi? Sword Sovereign, or rather, Heavenly Dao, I think you never learn from your mistakes."

The Sword Sovereign immediately sensed the anomaly in this new sword qi: "Binglin Sword Qi!"

"Yes..." Yue Hongling murmured, as if to herself: "We also have companions nearly on par with the Heavenly Dao, pointing out our flaws. Though I don't cultivate Binglin, the formation is one—Chichi has it, so naturally I do too. This mutual support, intertwined as one, is something you two epochs have never experienced. How can you command it?"

"Whoosh!" A strand of sword qi turned toward Xia Chichi.

Since Xia Chichi's Binglin sword intent was shared with Yue Hongling, she was now in a relatively weakened state. The Sword Sovereign chose to break the formation from her side.

A dragon's roar rose, and a massive Azure Dragon phantom coiled up from within Xia Chichi. The overwhelming aura of the Human Sovereign surged, accompanied by extreme vitality of wood, forming an almost absolute defense around her. The Sword Sovereign's powerful sword qi scraped past like mud sinking into the sea, and even Yue Hongling's wounds from the myriad swords were instantly healed.

The Sword Sovereign almost had to pause to realize that this seemingly mischievous girl was the current Human Sovereign... Her Azure Dragon intent, so young, was already identical to the ancient Azure Dragon.

How had she cultivated this? It felt like a transfer of qi channels, as if by infusion.

Zhao Changhe... Piaomiao! These two names flashed through the Sword Sovereign's mind. Before he could analyze the secret transfer, the Xuanwu's fist and the Vermilion Bird's flame simultaneously struck both sides of his face.

At the same time, Yue Hongling raised her sword again, striking straight at his center.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion of energy, the snowy peak collapsed, and the Sword Sovereign drifted backward, somewhat disheveled.

He was not stronger than Piaomiao... In fact, the current Piaomiao was mightier than the original Sword Sovereign. Even Piaomiao could not break the current Four Symbols Formation, and neither could he.

If the ancient Four Symbols Formation had a flaw, it was the deliberate omission of Shuanghua left by Ye Wuming's side. With the Ice Soul in the formation, this Four Symbols Formation had no weakness! It had offense, control, elements, physical force, and even healing.

Most crucially, as Yue Hongling said, their cultivation was all earned through their own struggles in the jianghu, not innate—no longer the ancient Four Symbols that could be casually counter-controlled by the Heavenly Dao.

The era of humanity surpassed the past.

This concept arose in the Sword Sovereign's mind, and he suddenly snapped his fingers.

Instantly, all blades and swords worn by martial artists across the world leaped from their sheaths, even the swords beside Tang Wanzhuang and Baoqin, who were working at home, jumped up.

They were fine, but nearby, the Miao territories and the Spirit Race alike saw their weapons turn on their masters! Sisi's dagger inexplicably aimed at her own throat, unstoppable.

Chaos erupted across the world.

Unable to break the Four Symbols Formation, he resorted to outside tactics... Whether this could achieve Lie's so-called blood sacrifice of myriad souls was unknown, but under the Heavenly Dao's manipulation, it might have a similar effect.

Yet the Four Symbols ignored it entirely, continuing their relentless assault.

The Sword Sovereign grew somewhat frantic: "You disregard the lives of the people? Is this what you call the convergence of the human path's qi?"

Before he finished, the words caught in his throat.

All the seemingly rebellious blades stopped three inches before their masters' bodies, unable to advance further.

Piaomiao leisurely removed the dagger from Sisi's throat, tossed it in her hand, and sheathed it back at Sisi's waist without a word.

The Sword Sovereign sensed Piaomiao's power, his expression turning ugly. With Piaomiao protecting the land, while dealing with the Four Symbols Formation, he could no longer cause any trouble to the outside world.

Originally, Piaomiao's so-called protection of the land would not favor either side in a struggle for qi, as war had no good or evil—she would only stand with the victor. But this time, Piaomiao had blatantly sided with Zhao Changhe, even focusing on protecting his women! She was a top-tier demon god who could duel him one-on-one. Had this battle ended before it even began?

The Sword Sovereign was not the Heavenly Dao, only a nail cast by it. His greatest confusion now was why the Heavenly Dao had not yet acted, directly controlling Piaomiao to obey, just as it controlled Han Wubing in the Spirit Race's secret realm.

Could it be that Piaomiao was uncontrollable?

Yes... She seemed to have reshaped her body, her soul different from before, entangled with fragments of the modern human Cui Yuanyang.

The current Piaomiao could be said to have escaped the cage, leaped out of the Three Realms!

Distracted, the Sword Sovereign could no longer withstand the Four Symbols Formation's frenzied assault and finally roared to the heavens: "If you do not act now, don't wait to fish for Ye Wuming—all great matters will be ruined by Zhao Changhe!"

With his words, the Four Symbols Formation suddenly dispersed.

Huangfu Qing, the key link in constructing the Four Symbols, stood motionless, her eyes gradually turning blood-red.

A hidden agent of the Heavenly Dao, and the Vermilion Bird.

The Vermilion Bird's cultivation, always chasing flames, had from the start remained within the Heavenly Dao's framework. Even delving into life and death, it had not broken free, for life and death were themselves the Vermilion Bird's intent—she had never transcended.

As the Vermilion Bird was subdued, it was precisely the moment Han Wubing thrust his sword at Zhao Changhe.

The Earth sat up, soil cascading down, revealing a mighty giant’s form. The sun and moon were its eyes, mountains and rivers its flesh and blood, wind and clouds its breath.

The ancient god Earth began to awaken.

The Vermilion Bird and White Tiger answered this prophecy.

The key to reviving the land of the Spirit Clan had always lain within the threads of fate woven by the Heavenly Dao, never straying… as long as she came, it would suffice.

The White Tiger governed slaughter, the Vermilion Bird governed life and death; the resurrection of this body needed only these two to be harnessed for its use, for all else it already possessed, buried throughout an entire epoch. But as of now, it could still only be considered a “corpse puppet,” because lacking the crucial sacrifice, this body could not unite with the soul sealed in the Ice Abyss.

What it truly needed was the death of the White Tiger and the Vermilion Bird, to exchange for the complete rebirth of this form.

Han Wubing’s sword pierced toward Zhao Changhe—would Zhao Changhe, unaware of the truth, cleave him with a single stroke?

The Sword Emperor’s sword, like a bolt piercing sun and moon, shot straight at the motionless Huangfu Qing; could the Four Symbols Array, missing its key link, protect her?

Sanniang, Xia Chichi, and Yue Hongling were horrified, rushing madly to shield the standing Huangfu Qing, but without the interlocking activation of the Four Symbols Array, individual strength was no match for the Sword Emperor—they could not stop him!

Just then, darkness descended.

It was already night, but with the sun, moon, and stars, it was not yet utterly dark.

But in that moment, the entire space plunged into absolute darkness, without a single glimmer of light.

The boundless gloom seemed like a tightening band, clamping down on the Sword Emperor’s sword, which had already pierced an inch before Huangfu Qing’s face, unable to advance further. At the same time, Ye Jiuyou’s voice came as if from the depths of the underworld: “The lives of the Four Symbols are mine, Ye Jiuyou’s—do you even deserve to take them?”

The Sword Emperor paused, thinking for a moment that Ye Jiuyou might have colluded with Zhao Changhe, only to see Ye Jiuyou slam a palm with a “bang” into Huangfu Qing’s back.

The dazed Huangfu Qing spat out a mouthful of blood, the light in her eyes rapidly dimming.

Anyone struck by such a solid blow from Ye Jiuyou would surely die; it was clear that Huangfu Qing’s aura had already faded, her whole body withering swiftly into a flickering flame—the last soul-fire left by a strong one, which would dissipate on its own even without a strike.

The Sword Emperor breathed a sigh of relief—dead was fine, no matter who killed her. It seemed Ye Jiuyou, as always, had failed to see through the truth, still trapped in her habitual vendetta.

Almost simultaneously, Zhao Changhe drew Longque and struck Han Wubing’s chest, splitting him open from belly to chest.

Even the ancient White Tiger at its peak could not withstand such a heaven-and-earth-defying blow from Zhao Changhe, now at the third level of the Imperial Realm.

Han Wubing stood still, looking down at the wound on his chest, the crimson in his eyes also beginning to fade.

The two primal essences of the Vermilion Bird and White Tiger entered the earth. With a “crack,” far away in the Hanchi Ice Abyss, the seal shattered, and a violent remnant soul howled forth. The body that had risen within the Spirit Clan’s secret realm had opened its eyes.

The Sword Emperor sensed it, his heart greatly eased. He glanced at Sanniang and the others, frozen in shock, and laughed: “Since that’s the case, their lives belong to Her Highness Jiuyou.”

With that, he prepared to enter the Spirit Clan’s secret realm to meet the divine body of the Heavenly Dao.

The next moment, he was suddenly horrified.

Why were the restrictions of the Four Symbols Array still in place?

The Vermilion Bird’s remaining ember flickered—how could it still power the array? Could it be that she hadn’t died at all? Then what was the meaning of this act?

As this thought crossed his mind, Sanniang, Xia Chichi, and Yue Hongling suddenly unleashed their attacks, not aimed at Ye Jiuyou at all, but viciously directed at the Sword Emperor. Just as the Sword Emperor was about to retreat, a delicate hand wearing a jet-black jade ring pressed silently against his back.

“Bang!”

The air fell into utter silence.

The Sword Emperor, in disbelief, looked down at the hand piercing his heart, then turned his head to see Ye Jiuyou behind him, smiling sweetly: “You said it was foolish for them to trust you—how strange, then, that you dared to trust me?”

The Sword Emperor: “…”

He clutched his chest, with no heart for regret, nor any mind to admire the beauty and majesty above; his only thought was that if the Vermilion Bird’s death was a ruse, then was Han Wubing’s death also a ruse?

As the words fell, the Vermilion Bird’s soul-fire on the ground suddenly swelled, quickly taking the form of a firebird, then rapidly expanding.

With a clear phoenix cry, the enormous form of the Vermilion Bird soared into the nine heavens, its wings blotting out the sky, turning the entire firmament into a sea of flame.

“Using your death to transform into the Vermilion Bird’s life. This was the plucking chestnuts from the fire plan we sisters discussed two days ago—what her Imperial Realm third level lacked was precisely this experience and transformation, but she dared not tell her husband, burdened with worries…” Ye Jiuyou withdrew her demonic hand, smiling as she looked up at the sky: “But with my hand in the operation, there would be no problem… See how beautiful this is? The extreme transition of life and death—the Vermilion Bird born from the Netherworld—who said my divine office opposes hers? All lies.”

The Vermilion Bird was reborn through nirvana.

Among the humans of this age, aside from the cheater Zhao Changhe, the Vermilion Bird Venerable Huangfu Qing was the first to break through the barrier, reaching the third level.

The price paid was that from now on, she would have to call Jiuyou “elder sister.”

In Ye Jiuyou’s mind flashed the conversation with Huangfu Qing the night before: “Have you thought it through? Though through my hands, I can at least ensure you won’t die, but whether you can break through is uncertain—you might even suffer severe damage to your vitality.”

“I’ve thought it through. Breaking through or not is another matter… I feel that the reason I cannot break through seems to be a kind of defined cage—is this the Heavenly Dao barrier you’ve been pursuing?”

Ye Jiuyou’s expression grew stern: “You are a human of this age—why do you have this feeling?”

“Perhaps my Vermilion Bird intent is too pure. I wonder if this condition of mine might be a serious flaw, and maybe we can use it to sell a false opening?”

“And if we guess wrong? Wouldn’t that be asking for trouble?”

Huangfu Qing smiled: “Even if not, I am willing to risk life and death. There is only the Vermilion Bird whose demonic flames burn the heavens, not a Huangfu Qing who looks up from beneath a demon god.”

Ye Jiuyou looked her up and down for a long time, then finally broke into a smile: “I can agree to help you… but you must also agree to one condition.”

“Please speak.”

“From now on, call me elder sister.”