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Seeing Li Hengsheng writhing in pain on the bed, his body bending like a shrimp, Lu Shiran was momentarily anxious.
There was simply no way to alleviate it.
"Husband, is there anything we can do?" Lu Shiran asked hastily.
But Li Hengsheng shook his head. This consequence could only be endured.
The power of the Sun-Moon True Fire was immense. The current situation was already quite fortunate. If it weren't for the Divine Phoenix Bone, Li Hengsheng would have been reduced to ashes by now.
Yet every cell in his body was still filled with searing pain.
"So hot…"
It was both painful and scorching.
Li Hengsheng felt his body growing hotter by the moment, as if he were in a furnace.
"Don't make a fuss," Li Hengsheng gritted his teeth and said to Lu Shiran. Today's events at the Mu residence had been perfect. With Mu Zhan dealt with, it would surely deter the Hua family and Caohe Manor.
If they knew the side effects were so severe, and word got out, the Hua family's experts would come knocking, and it would be all over.
So secrecy was essential.
"I understand," Lu Shiran acknowledged Li Hengsheng's concerns.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Go have some food. I brought something back for you from the Mu residence," Li Hengsheng said, his throat moving.
"I'll stay with you. I'm not hungry," Lu Shiran shook her head. How could she have an appetite at a time like this?
"Go eat," Li Hengsheng insisted firmly. "The more normal you act, the less people will suspect. Don't worry, I'll be fine soon."
"Alright then," Lu Shiran reluctantly agreed to eat.
However, when Lu Shiran returned from outside, she found Li Hengsheng's body red as if scorched by fire.
Previously, he could suppress it with his inner strength, but after it was exhausted, Li Hengsheng had to endure the scorching pain sweeping through his body with sheer willpower.
Lu Shiran hurriedly brought in water, undressed Li Hengsheng, and wiped his body with a towel soaked in cold water.
"Sss!"
When the water touched Li Hengsheng's body, it evaporated as quickly as if it had touched a hot iron.
This frightened Lu Shiran.
And at this time, Li Hengsheng had already passed out.
"What kind of secret technique was used to cause such severe side effects?" Lu Shiran could hardly believe it.
Her own Sun-Moon Immortal-Demon Divine Body was already at the stage of minor achievement, and the techniques she could use also had side effects, but Lu Shiran's side effects were nowhere near as severe as Li Hengsheng's.
Li Changqing, far away in North Cold City, also received news of Li Hengsheng's performance through Zhen Wanshou.
"Sun-Moon True Fire?"
Li Changqing frowned slightly as he read the report, then asked, "What is Sun-Moon True Fire?"
Zhen Wanshou explained, "Sun-Moon Immortal-Demon Divine Body."
"I had no idea your son possessed such a divine body!" Zhen Wanshou exclaimed. "I hadn't noticed before. Among the many divine bodies that have appeared in the Cangyuan Realm, your son's ranks among the top. The last owner of this divine body was a figure from thousands of years ago. I never expected another Sun-Moon Immortal-Demon Divine Body to emerge in this generation."
"Sun-Moon True Fire is a divine ability of the Sun-Moon Immortal-Demon Divine Body. This Sun-Moon True Fire is extremely powerful, said to be a fearsome flame that even Grandmasters dare not touch. Yet your son managed to wield it with a Postnatal Great Perfection body and survived, suffering only backlash from the divine body. This is already inconceivable," Zhen Wanshou analyzed.
"Backlash…"
Li Changqing was worried.
He knew the flame was so powerful that his son could wield it probably because of the Divine Phoenix Bone; otherwise, he might have been burned to death.
A flame feared even by Grandmasters.
Such a thing would definitely have a strong backlash.
"Is there any solution?" Li Changqing looked to Zhen Wanshou, who was more knowledgeable and might have a solution.
"There isn't one. He can only endure," Zhen Wanshou shrugged. "This is the backlash from Sun-Moon True Fire, not something ordinary. It's not so easily resolved. Just wait, as time passes, it will gradually subside."
"Let's hope all is well."
Li Changqing sighed softly.
However, he also understood that today's events at the Mu residence, with the Sun-Moon True Fire burning Mu Zhan, were meant to deter the three forces.
Now the Mu residence, Hua family, and Caohe Manor surely wouldn't dare act rashly.
All of this was achieved without anyone's help; his son did it all on his own.
Li Changqing also felt a sense of relief.
***
Cangyuan Realm, Tianhai City.
This place was known as the number one city in the world.
Tianhai City was not on land but truly above the sea.
And it wasn't an ordinary sea; it was the real Sky Sea.
This ocean floated in mid-air, astonishing to behold.
It was also known as the miracle of the entire Cangyuan Realm.
The true ruler of Tianhai City was the master of the Cangyuan Realm, the Cangyuan Realm Lord!
The Cangyuan Realm Lord was re-elected every fifty years. Whoever defeated the previous Cangyuan Realm Lord could become the new one, controlling the Cangyuan Seal.
However, the current Cangyuan Realm Lord, Jiang Tianyun, had been in power for many years and was unwilling to relinquish his position.
This caused a hint of suspicion among the people of the entire Cangyuan Realm.
There were many rumors and speculations.
Meanwhile, outside Tianhai City.
A massive sea road stretched across the sky, rising straight from the ground up three thousand feet, directly connecting to the gates of Tianhai City.
To enter Tianhai City, one must take a ship from the base of Mount Wan Jie, follow the current, and sail up into the sky to enter Tianhai City.
Inside Tianhai City, however, was land.
It was incredibly magical.
At this moment, a giant ship was sailing upwards, with all the passengers on deck admiring the scenery below.
The view was as beautiful as a painting.
The ship ascended smoothly, so there was no risk of them falling.
"Master, this place is truly beautiful. To think such a miraculous place exists!" A young man in a gray robe exclaimed to the elder behind him with delight.
The surrounding scenery was so breathtaking, with the afterglow of the setting sun spilling over the clouds, their ship slowly climbing.
All the clouds were golden, as if they were part of a world woven from gold.
The elder behind him, stroking his disciple's head affectionately, said, "Isn't it beautiful? When your master first came to Tianhai City, I was just like you."
"I was about your age, brought here by the Grand Ancestor." The elder seemed to reminisce about the past.
"When the Grand Ancestor brought me here, I even met the Cangyuan Realm Lord." Pride shone on the elder's face.
"The Cangyuan Realm Lord!" The young man in the gray robe said longingly, "I heard that the Cangyuan Realm Lord is the most powerful person in the entire Cangyuan Realm. Is that true?"
"Yes, the Cangyuan Realm Lord is unmatched."
"One day, I too wish to become the Cangyuan Realm Lord," the young man suddenly declared, his eyes serious.
Even the elder was taken aback, never expecting his young disciple to utter such ambitious words.
"Good, that's the spirit," the elder laughed heartily. "Work hard in your cultivation, and if you become the Cangyuan Realm Lord one day, even I will bask in your glory."
"No, even our Huangting Palace will rely on you."
But after saying this, the young man fell silent, staring intently into the distance.
"What's wrong?" the elder asked in surprise.
"Master, didn't you tell me that to reach Tianhai City, one must take a ship from Mount Wan Jie?"
The young man spoke woodenly.
"That's right," the elder nodded. "Only by taking a ship can one ascend."
"But… I see someone flying up…" The young man pointed into the distance, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The elder's first reaction was that his disciple was joking with him.
Tianhai City was thousands of meters high in the sky, and not only that, but there were also restrictions within the city that made it impossible for anyone to fly up. However, seeing the earnest look in his disciple's eyes, the elder didn't think it was a joke.
He turned to look into the distance.
In an instant, the elder also gasped in shock.
In the sky, bathed in the golden sunlight, there was indeed a figure soaring up.
It was a woman.
Dressed in blood-red clothes, she stood out strikingly against the golden sunset.
She flew towards Tianhai City, her feet stepping on nothingness.
At this moment, others besides them also noticed the woman's presence.
"Look, someone is flying towards Tianhai City!"
Many exclaimed in shock.
How could anyone fly outside Tianhai City?
Who was that woman?
She looked very young, almost like a girl in her teens, with clear eyes and white teeth. Her gaze fixed on Tianhai City, she held a sword in her hand and ascended, like a banished immortal descending upon the world.
Her extraordinary demeanor made others feel ashamed from afar!
My goodness!
Who was this celestial being?
They couldn't believe their eyes.
Who was she to possess such divine powers?
The red-clothed girl reached the sky above the ship, and before her lay the vast Tianhai City.
Just the city gates alone were like the gates of heaven.
One could not see the end of the city from the gates.
The number one city in the world!
Spanning hundreds of miles.
Beneath the city gates, one felt as insignificant as ants.
Even the guards at the city gates were stunned to see the red-clothed girl flying up.
Someone flew up from the sea of clouds?
What was happening?
"Who goes there!"
The many guards shouted in unison, their voices as red as blood, each possessing the cultivation of the Postnatal Realm.
Their voices boomed and echoed, combining to form a formidable force.
But when their voices reached the red-clothed girl, they dissipated into nothingness.
Around the girl seemed to be an impenetrable forbidden zone.
She didn't look at them; her gaze was fixed on Tianhai City ahead.
At the end of Tianhai City.
That was the city lord's mansion!
Rules swirled around it, possessing supreme power, each palace exuding a force that could awe the heart.
This was a place where only the Cangyuan Realm Lord was worthy to reside.
As the red-clothed girl appeared at the gates of Tianhai City, within the city.
A short elder watering the plants seemed to sense something. His eyes turned towards the direction of the city gates.
Then he put down his watering can.
In a few steps, he reached the void above, quietly watching the distance.
"The day has not yet come," the short elder muttered to himself.
"A guest has arrived. Please entertain her," a misty voice entered the short elder's ears.
The short elder turned to look deep into the palace, then bowed and said, "Yes, master."
Outside the city gates.
The red-clothed girl stood in the air, her eyes closed, seemingly sensing something.
On the city tower, the many guards stared at her intently, and numerous crossbows were also aimed at her.
These were no ordinary crossbows. They were made of special materials, and the arrows were crafted from unique materials.
Their power was astonishing!
A single arrow could kill an Innate.
Three could break through the defense of an Innate Great Perfection expert.
If the thirty-six crossbows on the city wall were fired simultaneously, even a Grandmaster would have to avoid their edge and dare not confront them head-on.
"General."
At this moment, a young man in silver armor walked up to the city tower.
Everyone hurriedly paid their respects.
The young man's calm eyes looked at the red-clothed girl.
He frowned deeply, unable to sense any aura from her.
This person was very dangerous.
Boom——
At this moment, the ship behind them also rose to the clouds.
Everyone on the ship witnessed everything.
"Who is that person?" The gray-robed young disciple stared blankly at the red-clothed girl.
"I don't know."
The elder behind him also shook his head, indicating he didn't understand the situation before them.
"State your name! Those of unknown origin will be executed on the spot!"
The city guard general shouted loudly.
His strength was profound, and his voice stirred the clouds, scattering them!
But after waiting for two seconds, the red-clothed girl still did not speak, as if she was brewing something.
"Fire!"
With that, the young general gave the order.
As soon as his words fell, the thirty-plus crossbows erupted with tremendous power!
The massive crossbow bolts whistled through the air, and even the air twisted as the arrows were released!
The bolts rained down, targeting the red-clothed girl!
"Don't!"
The young man on the ship changed color and exclaimed.
At this moment, he was full of curiosity about the red-clothed girl and didn't want to see her shot down just like that.
But unexpectedly, the thirty-plus crossbow bolts shattered on the spot as they neared the red-clothed girl!
They turned to ash!
Directly dispersing between heaven and earth.
The red-clothed girl was unharmed, and she might not even have noticed the arrows coming her way.
This scene.
Stunned everyone.
All the guards on the city wall were dumbfounded.
The young general was also in disbelief.
These were bolts that even a Grandmaster wouldn't dare to confront head-on. Who was this red-clothed girl to make them crumble without even moving?
He couldn't understand it.
"So powerful!"
The young man in the gray robe exclaimed.
"Master, she's really powerful!" The young man said to his master.
But his master, the elder, was also stunned.
"This is no longer simply being powerful," the elder muttered to himself.
With such strength, aside from their Grand Ancestor, no one in their Huangting Palace could do this, right?
At this moment, the red-clothed girl slowly opened her eyes.
As she did, it seemed as if the setting sun dimmed at that moment.
"She's not here?"
The red-clothed girl murmured to herself.
But the next moment, a gleam flashed in her eyes.
The sword on her back was instantly drawn!
She raised her hand, and a sword slashed out!
Everyone present could swear they had never seen such a terrifying sword qi in their lives!
The moment the sword qi was unleashed, it seemed to tear the heavens and earth apart.
As if the sun and moon were being divided.
The sword qi was filled with a sense of parting.
Space instantly cracked, the fissures spreading out, extending infinitely.
Everyone in Tianhai City didn't understand what was happening. They felt as if time had stopped.
The street that stretched for hundreds of miles from the city gate to the city lord's mansion was split in two by this single strike!
One could even say that the red-clothed girl's sword had split the entire Tianhai City in half.
Split the entire Cangyuan Realm in half!
The sword qi covered a hundred miles in an instant, and the next moment, it was about to split the city lord's mansion in two.
Such a change gave no one any time to react.
By the time they realized what was happening, they found Tianhai City had been split open!
This scene shocked everyone in Tianhai City to the core.
A sword split Tianhai City?
What kind of power was this?
What level of strength did one need to achieve this?
However, just as the sword qi was about to split the city lord's mansion, a short elder appeared in front of the sword qi.
The short elder made his move.
He held a short spear in his hand, blocking the terrifying sword qi.
Then he raised his hand, and the short spear sent the sword qi flying, shattering the nine heavens.
The thunderous sound made people wonder if the heavens and earth were about to collapse.
The events that unfolded in such a short time left everyone dumbfounded.
What was happening?
The people on the distant ship were also shocked, who would believe they had just seen someone split the heavens and earth?
"That is…"
At this moment, the young man's master looked at the red-clothed girl in shock.
"The Heavenly Maiden Sword."
"Isn't that one of the Four Saints of the Human Race, Li Xuanxi's personal sword?"
"Master, who is Li Xuanxi?"
The young man in the gray robe hurriedly asked, "Could this woman be Li Xuanxi?"
"It shouldn't be," the elder frowned and shook his head. "The era of the Four Saints was the most glorious period in human history. Four experts of the Land of Immortals ruled over the human race. The current Cangyuan Realm Lord Jiang Tianyun is also one of the Four Saints, and Li Xuanxi is one of them. But Li Xuanxi has long been dead. How could she appear?"
"It's been a long time."
At this moment, the short elder actually took one step and instantly traversed a hundred miles, arriving at the city gate.
He looked at the red-clothed girl and said with a chuckle, "I never thought I'd see Saint Li in my lifetime."
"Li Xuanxi is dead. I'm now called Lu Qiaoqiao," the red-clothed girl said calmly.
"It's you, though. I never expected that the little page who followed Jiang Tianyun would become an Immortal of the Land."
Lu Qiaoqiao glanced at the short elder.
"It's thanks to the master's support," the short elder said respectfully. "Without it, where would I, Jiang Feng, be today?"
"Alright, step aside. I want to see Jiang Tianyun."
After speaking, Lu Qiaoqiao moved to enter.
But Jiang Feng immediately blocked Lu Qiaoqiao's path, hastily saying, "The master is currently in seclusion and cannot come out. Please wait, Saint Li."
"Heh," Lu Qiaoqiao scoffed. "You want me to wait? Why? Because of you?"
"Although you are now an Immortal of the Land, no offense, but you can't block even two of my swords. I could slay you," Lu Qiaoqiao said calmly.
"Of course."
Jiang Feng quickly agreed.
He believed Lu Qiaoqiao had the strength.
One of the Four Saints of the human race, those were the top figures in human history.
The sword that split Tianhai City just now, Jiang Feng knew, was not Lu Qiaoqiao's strongest strike. If Lu Qiaoqiao were to get serious, he truly wouldn't be able to withstand it.
At this moment, the entire world was filled with the sound of cracking.
Before everyone's eyes, Tianhai City, which had been split open, began to slowly 'heal' itself.
The streets that had been cleaved apart slowly merged back together, returning to their original state.
The torn sky also began to heal.
Everything seemed to return to the state before Lu Qiaoqiao drew her sword.
At this time, at the gates of Tianhai City, space twisted, and from the distorted space, a figure emerged.
"Cough, cough."
Before the person arrived, a coughing sound was heard.
The man who appeared before everyone was dressed in a white robe, appearing to be only in his fifties, but his temples were already white, and even his eyebrows had turned white.
At first glance, he looked like a sickly scholar.
Seeing this man, all the guards and soldiers knelt down.
"Greetings to the City Lord!"
Such a presence drew the attention of countless people.
"Is this the Cangyuan Realm Lord?"
The young man in the gray robe looked at the white-browed man in surprise.
"Shh!"
The young man's master quickly covered his mouth.
But his eyes were also fixed on Jiang Tianyun, who looked exactly the same as when he was young!
There was no change at all.
"Jiang Tianyun."
Lu Qiaoqiao looked at the newcomer.
"Cough, cough, cough."
"It's been many years since we last met."
"Congratulations on your return."
Jiang Tianyun looked at Lu Qiaoqiao, revealing a slight smile.
"Let's save the congratulations for later. Shouldn't we settle our accounts now?" Lu Qiaoqiao slowly raised her sword.
Seeing Lu Qiaoqiao's gesture, Jiang Feng quickly stepped in front of Jiang Tianyun.
But as soon as he raised his hand, Lu Qiaoqiao's sword was lowered again.
"It's pointless to bully a mere avatar," Lu Qiaoqiao said, staring at Jiang Tianyun. "Let's have a fair fight."
"Heh."
Jiang Tianyun laughed and said, "Although I'm not the real body, your physical body is no longer the same as it was back then. If you can exert eighty percent of your peak strength, that would be quite impressive."
"Enough to kill you."
Lu Qiaoqiao turned and left.
"Two months from now, at Mount Wan Jie, we will have our battle. If you don't show up, I will split your entire Tianhai City in half!"
After speaking, Lu Qiaoqiao's figure disappeared in front of Tianhai City.
At this moment, the entire world stood still.
Because this news was too shocking for everyone.
One of the Four Saints of the human race, Li Xuanxi, had returned.
Li Xuanxi was challenging the Cangyuan Realm Lord Jiang Tianyun!
What news could be more explosive than today's?
"Cough, cough, cough."
Jiang Tianyun gazed at the spot where Lu Qiaoqiao had vanished, then said, "She's different now."
"The stele in the Black-White Forbidden Zone, she saw it back then too."
With that, Jiang Tianyun glanced at Jiang Feng and also disappeared at the city gate.