Chapter 275: Phoenix Cry
Shadows covered the area inside and outside the Zhou Garden.
On the deep night snowfield, only countless snowflakes filled the night sky, with no stars visible. Yet one could clearly see that shadow extending from Snow Old City.
That shadow was darker than the night itself, colder than death, representing the will of the Demon Lord. No matter how dazzling the sword light that traveled through it might be, it could not break through in a short time.
However, that sword light was already powerful enough, even possessing the ability to contend with that shadow. The sword light could not cut through the shadow, but it could easily sever many other things.
For example, the arm of the terrifying Third Demon General, and the throat of the Seventh Demon General.
The Seventh Demon General clutched his throat, collapsing slowly like a mountain.
That sword light returned once more, entering its sheath, its aura restrained.
Yet neither the dying Seventh Demon General nor the other demon strongholds showed any emotional change at this scene. This deadly, inescapable trap was filled with a chilling indifference.
Su Li lowered his head, lost in thought. His right hand gripped the sword hilt, and his black hair had already fallen loose over his shoulders, dancing gently in the night wind like a demon or a god.
The Black Robe’s gaze pierced through the deep, dark ocean, landing on him. He said calmly, “Your daughter is about to die, and you are about to die as well. What does that feel like?”
This was undoubtedly a psychological attack, even a crude and simple one. But simplicity did not mean it lacked power. The Black Robe intended to use these words to break his composure.
Su Li raised his head and looked at the Black Robe, speaking calmly, “Since you want to kill me, why must you send these fellows to fight me one after another? Adding fuel to a fire endlessly will only burn it to ashes.”
“As long as enough fuel is added, there will come a moment when the fire is smothered,” the Black Robe said indifferently. “This tactic may cost more, but it guarantees your death.”
Su Li fell silent, knowing the Black Robe was right.
That shadow from Snow Old City severed the connection between him and the human world. Moreover, many truly powerful demon strongholds had yet to act—such as the legendary Demon Marshal, and the Black Robe himself, who remained seated quietly. To kill the Li Mountain Little Uncle, the demon race had made meticulous arrangements.
This plan involved the Zhou Garden, its surroundings, and the distant southern continent.
No matter what countermeasures the White Emperor City or the strongholds of the human world might devise, it was already too late. The Demon Lord’s pressure was being prepared, and the demon elder council in Snow Old City was waiting.
This method of killing was attrition. The Black Robe intended to use a sufficient number of demon strongholds to grind away Su Li’s sword intent and momentum, killing him in this simple, even monotonous manner.
Because only this method would leave no room for accidents.
“You are the most dazzling star in the human world after the great war. You have already brought too many surprises to this continent, and you know I dislike surprises the most.”
The Black Robe looked at him and said.
Su Li was silent for a long time before speaking. “No, I will not die.”
The Black Robe’s voice rose slightly, showing interest. “Oh? And why is that?”
Su Li looked at him calmly and said, “There is no reason, no cause. I simply believe I will not die. Likewise, I believe that girl, and those children representing humanity’s future, will not die either.”
The Black Robe said, “I admire that you still hold onto such baseless confidence on the brink of death.”
Su Li smiled again. His pupils reflected the snowy sky, as if about to burn.
One can fear pain, but one must not fear death—especially you… Why? Is death not more terrifying and grim than pain? And why say “especially you”? Why must you not fear death?
In the process of falling into the abyss of death, Xu Yourong thought about these words and the many things they unraveled. Suddenly, she understood some truths, and so she opened her eyes.
Why must she, above all, not fear death? Because she was a phoenix. Her fate was destined to be one of endlessly tempering her soul through death and pain, until one day, she could calmly welcome death, thus achieving true rebirth.
Was this the meaning of living toward death? Lady, was this what you wanted to tell me? In an instant, Xu Yourong felt that the endless abyss before her had suddenly become bright.
At this moment, she was severely injured, her true essence depleted, and poison was eroding her body and spirit. Yet the truth she had realized brought her an unprecedented calm.
Falling endlessly, the wind on the cliff swept the blood from her lips like a fiery thread trailing behind.
In her eyes, countless pearl-like points of light appeared.
Heading toward the bottom of the abyss, she calmly awaited death.
Calmness was an attitude of fearlessness, but not ignorance. She sensed the grim coldness of death, experienced its true meaning, and then began to fear again.
This fear did not mean she had left her fearless state of mind. It was still a perception—a clear, distinct perception deeply etched into her spiritual world.
Only this great fear brought by death could stir unimaginable energy from the deepest core of her spiritual world—the energy hidden within her bloodline.
That vast energy began to burn, plunging her into a strange state where clarity and delirium intertwined. As death drew nearer, a soul deep within her body awakened.
It was the soul of the phoenix, and also her own soul.
It was a self she had never before faced, never even discovered.
With her eyes open, staring into the pitch-black, sightless abyss and the invisible yet bitingly real night wind, she truly understood her fate.
Fate had brought her away from Saintess Peak and into the Zhou Garden.
But fate was not about her meeting Nanke. It was about meeting herself.
Meeting another self—the truest self.
This journey was not in vain.
In the process of falling toward death, she felt infinite emotion.
In the deathly silent abyss, the quiet cliffs, the high and remote Mu Valley, and the vast world of the Zhou Garden, a clear cry suddenly rang out.
The sound was not mature, carrying a hint of youthfulness, yet it was incomparably clear and piercing.
Compared to this cry, Nanke’s earlier clear howl suddenly seemed lacking in grandeur.
This cry was the song of a young phoenix.
The kingly aura was fully revealed in this phoenix cry.
Nanke stood quietly at the cliff’s edge, uncertain whether she was mourning the death of her destined rival or lamenting that her own life would henceforth be consigned to solitude.
After a moment, she turned and walked toward the stone platform on the cliff.
That person had passed. Though there was some expected melancholy and emptiness, in the end, there was more satisfaction. From tonight onward, no one would be able to soar in the same sky as her. That was something worth celebrating.
Then, the phoenix cry echoed through the cliffs.
She stopped in her tracks, turned to look at the night sky beyond the cliff, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face.
A pair of fiery wings appeared in the night, illuminating the cliff walls, carrying Xu Yourong as she flew into the distance.
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