# Chapter 2166: The Flame of the Vermilion Bird
"What did you say!?"
Boom!
The profound energy around Meng Kongchan momentarily went out of control, and the vast space trembled as if about to shatter.
The wrath of a Divine Venerable—how terrifying it was. Although his momentarily out-of-control profound energy dissipated instantly, the silver glow flickering in his eyes lingered long after. An invisible soul pressure caused Meng Cangji, Meng Xuanji, and the others, who were miles away, to suddenly halt, a chill spreading through their bodies.
"Mingming Divine Venerable?" Meng Jianxi was also full of shock. "Why... would she want to kill you? I have absolutely no recollection of you provoking her in any way."
"Hmph!" Meng Kongchan let out a heavy snort. "That madwoman—no matter how insane or heinous the act, it wouldn't be surprising. But this time, she dared to... make a move against Yuan'er!"
Meng Jianxi opened his mouth but couldn't speak for a moment.
This was only the second time in his life that he had so clearly perceived his father god's out-of-control anger spilling over.
The first time was a hundred years ago, when Meng Jian Yuan disappeared.
"Senior, there's no need to be angry," Yun Che said calmly, trying to console him. "Although the Eternal Night Divine Maiden harbored murderous intent, before she could act, she was severely wounded by Caizhi's sword due to her own serious injuries. That sword nearly cost her half her life. In terms of the outcome, it's actually Yongye who suffered the greater loss."
"She deserved it!" Meng Kongchan's anger had not subsided, and the silver light in his eyes grew even more condensed. He slowly turned his gaze, and his powerful soul had already silently swept toward the location of the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom, a low murmur escaping his lips: "Our Weaving Dream does not deign to quarrel with mad dogs, but that doesn't mean we are afraid!"
"This time..."
His voice suddenly stopped. A moment later, a refined woman's voice came from outside: "Sushang intrudes upon your presence. My master invites the Abyss Divine Son for a meeting."
"Lingxian Divine Official?" Meng Jianxi's face showed surprise again... Earlier, the Yuan Huang had wanted to summon him, and now it was Lingxian Divine Official. Such treatment for Yun Che was unprecedented in the entire history of the Abyss.
Meng Kongchan's expression was calm as he nodded slightly. "Go ahead."
As soon as Yun Che stepped out, a gentle breeze lifted him up. Compared to their first meeting, Sushang's extremely elegant face now carried a bit more warmth in her smile. "The Abyss Divine Son need not be nervous, nor speak much. Just follow me."
"Much obliged." Yun Che gave a slight bow and followed her into the air.
Watching Yun Che disappear among the clouds, Meng Jianxi was about to say something when the space before him suddenly blurred, and Meng Kongchan's figure had already vanished, leaving behind a lingering soul presence that sent chills for a long time.
Meng Kongchan's figure flashed instantly, and when he stopped, he was already standing face to face with Hua Fuchen.
The two exchanged glances, and Meng Kongchan said coldly, "Perfect timing. It's time to go deal with that madwoman."
Hua Fuchen, however, spoke calmly, "Above the Pure Land, private fights are forbidden. Even less so between Divine Venerables."
"Hmph!" Meng Kongchan's brows furrowed. "That madwoman isn't worth us provoking the Pure Land's wrath. But sending her a 'grand gift' surely wouldn't break the rules of the Pure Land."
"Hehe." Hua Fuchen smiled faintly. "I knew it. When it concerns Meng Jian Yuan, you will surely be truly angered this time, probably unable to wait until you leave the Pure Land."
"Let's go." Hua Fuchen had no intention of stopping him from the start. "With me by your side, she will definitely accept this grand gift of yours."
…………
Passing through layers of thin clouds, the world before them became colorful. A sea of trees and flowers filled their vision—for the myriad beings of the Abyss, it was no less than a paradise from their wildest dreams.
Lingxian Divine Residence.
Sushang Divine Attendant led Yun Che down and gestured to the side: "The Abyss Divine Son, please. My master has been waiting for a long time."
Before him was a sea of flowers that seemed to have no end. Yun Che did not speak much but nodded slightly and walked forward slowly.
After three steps, the space before him suddenly rippled like water. When the ripples faded, the world before him had silently changed.
A delicate wooden cabin and a vast cloud sea of pure white colorful cloud branches. A large red figure stood before the cloud sea, strikingly conspicuous amidst the vast pure white.
As his gaze fell, he saw a long crimson cloud skirt trailing on the ground, the cuffs and hem embroidered with intricate flame divine patterns. The divine patterns on the back even outlined splendid wing marks, faintly flowing with vermilion blazing light, making every flutter of the hem seem to carry the lingering illusion of a Vermilion Bird spreading its wings.
The space around them was permeated with a faint, searing spiritual energy—the accumulation of a millennia-old Vermilion Bird divine essence, carrying both the vastness of flames and the timelessness of ages.
Within Yun Che, the Phoenix bloodline and the Golden Crow bloodline simultaneously stirred, violently so. Yun Che quickly bowed: "Yun Che of the Weaving Dream Divine Kingdom pays respects to Senior Lingxian."
The large red figure slowly turned, and the legendary Lingxian Divine Official finally fully revealed herself before Yun Che's eyes.
For a moment, he was stunned.
In the current Abyss era, the only true gods who existed not through "Divine Succession" were five: the Yuan Huang and the four Divine Officials. True gods had extremely long lifespans, so their appearances were difficult to gauge by age.
One could disregard something like the Liuxiao Divine Official, who cared nothing about appearance. As the only woman among the five gods, Lingxian Divine Official was thought to be relatively concerned about appearance, likely using her divine power to maintain a youthful appearance... But the old age of the Lingxian Divine Official before him far exceeded Yun Che's expectations.
"Child, no need to bow."
She spoke, her voice gentle as a spring breeze brushing willow leaves. Her face was covered in aged wrinkles, deep as tree rings. The lines at the corners of her eyes and brows hid the traces of time. Her eyes were clouded with age, yet filled with warm smiles, as if they could turn all the world's anxiety into clear autumn water.
"I called you here today to have a chat with this old woman. I hope you won't mind."
Such a kind voice and words made it hard to believe they came from a Pure Land Divine Official. Yun Che quickly bent slightly and said, "Senior Lingxian, how could you say that? To be summoned by you is my greatest honor."
Lingxian Divine Official smiled gently. She raised her long sleeve, and as her withered hand moved, an exquisite cushion appeared before Yun Che: "Child, sit."
"Yes."
Although he felt it a bit improper, Yun Che naturally couldn't refuse and sat down as instructed.
Lingxian Divine Official silently looked at him for a long while before sighing, "Indeed, it is the aura of Lord Ni Xuan. I never thought that after the world was severed, at the end of my tether, I could once again bathe in Lord Ni Xuan's divine essence... Heaven must have mercy."
Yun Che said, "Senior Lingxian, were you an old acquaintance of my master?"
Lingxian Divine Official shook her head. "Lord Ni Xuan is such an existence; how could I have the honor of being closely acquainted with him? But our Vermilion Bird clan has been greatly blessed by Lord Ni Xuan. This grace is engraved on our very souls, unforgettable even if we are annihilated."
"..." Yun Che could not respond to that.
Lingxian Divine Official lifted her gaze, her sight drifting toward an unknown distant sky, and suddenly let out a somewhat distracted murmur: "He... hasn't smiled so genuinely in too many years."
Yun Che: "..."
Yun Che did not rashly ask who "he" was, but Lingxian Divine Official voluntarily gave the answer: "Ever since he came to this world and became the Yuan Huang, his soul seemed to have died. He felt no anger, no surprise, no resentment, no sorrow... The occasional smile was merely a pulling of his facial muscles, carrying not a trace of joy."
"And in that Eden Holy Temple, there is forever an unsheddable aura of grief and sorrow."
"Unexpectedly, before his life ended, I was able to see his genuine smile once more..."
Her graying hair was pinned up with a red jade hairpin, a few strands falling to her temples, shimmering with the ancient divine charm of a bygone era.
At that moment, Yun Che suddenly understood why Hua Caili had hesitated to speak so many times before.
"Senior," he began, "forgive my boldness, but regarding the Yuan Huang... do you have an inescapable attachment to him?"
Lingxian Divine Official smiled, and a faint mist slowly rose in her cloudy gaze.
"It was a time very long ago."
"At that time, I was a rebellious young sparrow. Because my Vermilion Bird bloodline was impure, and I was born with an unusual body that coexisted with the power of wind and thunder, I was often looked upon strangely by my clan. Out of spite, I ran away and fell into a poisonous swamp, nearly dying. Fortunately, I was saved by him... To him, it was just a passing glance back then, but little did he know, that was the beginning of my lifelong watch."
"Back then, he was the Crown Prince of the Heaven-Slaying Clan. And I was merely a small young sparrow. I could only watch from afar, gazing foolishly... until the tragic news came that he had been cast down into the Abyss of Nothingness. At that time, I felt only that there was no hope left, and the light of heaven was extinguished. I wandered in a daze for decades, finally choosing to plunge into the Abyss to follow him."
Yun Che: "..."
Faced with a junior she had just met, she spoke without any concealment. Though her appearance was aged, the warmth and ancient divine charm that radiated from within made her seem like a deity stepping out of an ancient scroll, carrying silent majesty yet kind enough to inspire reverence.
"When we met again in this life, he saved me once more. I once thought this was a blessed fate bestowed by heaven. But... he had completely changed. His eyes no longer held light, his lips no longer held smiles, and he no longer had that spiritual charm that could cleanse one's heart."
"My wishes changed again and again through the long years and suffering—from hoping he would accept my feelings, to trying to dispel the pain in his heart, to wishfully urging him to let go of his obsession, and finally... only asking to see him smile as he once did."
"But my three million years of foolish hope was ultimately just foolishness."
Yun Che looked at her aged face and listened to her voice that seemed to come from ancient times, his thoughts infinitely complex.
Behind Mu Su's deep obsession that was like an abyss, there was also a three-million-year unchanging devotion from another person.
"Senior's unwavering devotion is deeply admirable," Yun Che said with sincere emotion.
Lingxian Divine Official turned her gaze back, the warmth and gentleness still in her eyes. "Child, do you know why he likes you so much?"
Yun Che did not respond, waiting for the answer.
"To him, the two most important people in his life were her and Lord Ni Xuan."
"And you are Lord Ni Xuan's successor, and you share so many similarities with him. When you endured the double punishment of the Wild Devouring alone at the Eden Cloud Summit for Caizili, he saw his own former shadow in you."
"Your appearance has allowed his long-silent heart to sprout new shoots. So... I owe you a great debt of gratitude once again."
Yun Che said humbly, "To have caught the attention of the Yuan Huang is my greatest honor. The word 'debt of gratitude' is far too much for me to bear."
Lingxian Divine Official smiled, then suddenly said, "In ancient times, the three clans of the Vermilion Bird, Phoenix, and Golden Crow all originated from the same flame source, but later, due to differences in philosophy, they became incompatible. Now, the Phoenix Flame and the Golden Crow Flame coexist peacefully within you. I suppose only Lord Ni Xuan's profound veins could allow this."
She slowly raised her hand. On her thin finger was a red jade ring engraved with Vermilion Bird divine patterns. As red flames ignited in her palm, the ring's surroundings rippled with flame waves like rhythmic melodies, gradually forming a beautiful and soul-cleansing tune.
"Since that is the case, I will also let the Flame of the Vermilion Bird burn within you."
The words fell, and before Yun Che could respond, her pupils suddenly turned into endless, blazing flame abyss.
An ancient divine cry resounded above the Pure Land.
Behind Lingxian Divine Official, a giant divine shadow stood in the air, its head held high like carved jade, its phoenix eyes narrow and sharp, its pupils deep red-gold whirlpools that both reflected the sky-burning flames and hid the vicissitudes of ten thousand ages.
"Sen... ior!?"
Boom—
A roar drowned out Yun Che's voice. The Vermilion Bird divine shadow spread its wings for ten thousand miles, its feathers cast like cinnabar forged, each scale glowing with fiery glass-like splendor. When it flapped its wings, it was like red clouds surging, the heat waves turning into a sky full of flowing fire, scorching the Pure Land's sky until it rippled with distorted red light, layered like burning twilight.
The trailing feather filaments at the tips were like sparks falling to dust, turning into scorching red lotuses upon touching the ground, blooming for an instant before returning to nothingness.
Above the Pure Land, the Abyss Knights all lifted their heads, then bowed from afar as if worshipping a deity.
Yun Che's vision had turned into pure red. The flames engulfed his world, but the fire that burned his body was neither the scorching heat of Phoenix Flame nor the violence of Golden Crow Flame—it was a warmth that enveloped body and soul, like countless gentle hands caressing, soothing every scar etched upon his heart.
The surging flame aura was ethereal yet condensed, as if it could burn away hesitation and incinerate illusory thoughts.
"Master, your... your aura!"
The sound of space being forcibly torn open reached his ears, followed by Sushang Divine Attendant's panicked cry, completely tearing apart her usual elegance.
Yun Che snapped back from the ethereal flame dream. As his vision refocused, he saw clearly that between Lingxian Divine Official's palms, six drops of crimson blood beads had already appeared, and a seventh drop was slowly condensing.
Sushang Divine Attendant's figure was blocked by the flame domain, unable to approach. Only her terrified voice came continuously: "Master, stop! With your body... how can you deplete your source blood like this! Stop! Master! Sushang begs you to stop! Please take care of yourself..."
Lingxian Divine Official, however, did not stop. The smile at the corner of her mouth was gentle with a faint trace of satisfaction. She said softly, "Sushang, there is no need to worry or grieve. This is my repayment to him, and also the fulfillment of my own wish."
"After my death, the Flame of the Vermilion Bird will surely... burn anew within him."
— End —