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Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: The Crimson Envoy

The wind howled over the charred remains of the Ember Waste, carrying whispers of truth and vengeance.

Liu Shen stood silent, the Cinder Core glowing faintly in his palm. Behind him, Yu Meixing and Lei Qing exchanged uneasy glances. Nian Zhaoyu remained kneeling, her body steady, yet her eyes fixed on a distant horizon.

> "Phoenix Empire…" Liu Shen muttered.

"The bloodline that guards the gates of Heaven's Flame."

And now, they would feel the wrath of the Demon Sovereign.

---

A Royal Decree

In the heart of the Phoenix Empire, nestled between the Flamewing Mountains and the Blazing Vale, stood the city of Jingzhao—a fortress of burning spires and golden banners.

In its central tower, the throne room buzzed with tension.

Atop the crimson dais sat Empress Feng Jiali, a woman whose gaze could reduce men to ash. Her robes shimmered with phoenix feathers, and the ambient fire in the chamber bent toward her breath.

A hooded envoy stepped forward, bowing deeply.

> "Your Majesty. News from the west… the Sect of Shadows has been stirred. The Demon Sovereign walks again."

The hall froze.

Jiali's fingers curled over the gilded armrest. Her eyes narrowed, lips curling into a mirthless smile.

> "So… Liu Shen returns to the world."

One of her ministers whispered, "Shall we inform the Heavenly Accord?"

But Jiali raised a hand.

> "No. Not yet."

> "He will come here. He always does. Let him."

> "Summon the Crimson Envoy. Tell her... her prey is returning."

---

The Crimson Envoy

Far from the capital, in a temple submerged beneath lava flows, a woman meditated atop a floating obsidian stone. Her body was veiled in scarlet ribbons, her skin tattooed with glowing runes. Fire spirit beasts prowled silently in the background, avoiding her gaze.

Her name was Xue Ran, known to the empire as The Crimson Envoy—assassin, shadow priestess, and guardian of the Flamebound Path.

A blood-dragon scale pendant glowed on her chest. It pulsed.

A voice spoke from within.

> "He is coming. Liu Shen lives."

Xue Ran opened her eyes—molten gold with vertical pupils.

> "Then the hunt begins again."

She rose, flames blooming beneath her feet.

> "This time, I won't let you escape, Sovereign."

---

Meanwhile, at the Borderlands

Liu Shen's group had descended from the Ember Waste, passing through the Veil Ridge, a narrow border that separated neutral lands from Phoenix Empire territory.

They stopped at a ruined shrine—once a trade outpost, now long forgotten.

Yu Meixing scouted ahead while Lei Qing inspected their map.

> "There's a shadow forming near the central peaks," he said, tracing a spot.

"The Fire Vein Temple. Could be their forward base."

Liu Shen stared silently at the flame symbol etched into the stone.

> "They know I'm coming. They want me to find them."

Lei Qing frowned. "You're walking into a trap."

> "No," Liu Shen replied.

"I'm marching through it."

Just then, Zhaoyu stirred beside them. "She's already watching us."

> "Who?" Lei asked.

> "The one they call Crimson Envoy."

---

Nightfall Ambush

Under the cloak of night, their small camp near the Ridge burned with caution.

Liu Shen sat cross-legged, refining the Cinder Core. The artifact no longer resisted him—it pulsed in rhythm with his soul. Threads of scarlet flame circled his fingers like obedient snakes.

Suddenly—

> Crack.

A branch snapped.

Too precise.

Liu Shen opened his eyes.

> "We're not alone."

Yu Meixing vanished from view, slipping into the shadows.

Lei Qing stood, drawing his saber.

From the trees, a presence approached. No sound. No scent. Only a suffocating heat that warped the air.

Then—

> Whoosh.

A red blade of condensed flame shot out from the darkness—straight toward Zhaoyu.

But she didn't flinch.

> Tink!

The blade shattered against a barrier of molten wind.

Liu Shen stood now, eyes cold, hand outstretched.

> "You're early, assassin."

From the flames, a woman stepped forward.

Barefoot. Crimson-robed. Eyes like burning coals.

> "I was never late," she whispered.

"You're the one who came back too soon."

> Xue Ran.

> "Crimson Envoy," Liu Shen said, nodding slightly. "I remember killing you."

She smiled—sharp, cruel.

> "Only a piece of me. The rest… burned for this moment."

---

A Flame-Clad Duel

Without another word, the sky ignited.

Flames spiraled upward as Xue Ran's form was consumed in a phoenix-like shroud.

She launched herself at Liu Shen—swords of fire in each hand, trailing infernos.

He met her charge with a wave of dark flame, the Demonic Arts of the Abyssal Core awakening.

Their clash shattered the ground.

Lei Qing and Meixing retreated to a safer distance.

> "Can he win?" Lei asked.

> "That depends," Meixing replied, eyes gleaming.

"On whether he remembers what she took from him."

In the heat of battle, Liu Shen's mind was calm.

Xue Ran struck like a flame unchained—fluid, wild, and precise.

He countered each blow, weaving demonic sigils mid-air. The Cinder Core amplified his strikes, wrapping each counter in forbidden heat.

> "Your flame belongs to Heaven," he said.

"Mine burns beneath it."

Xue Ran laughed.

> "Then let's see whose fire consumes who!"

---

As dawn crested over the Flamewing Range, the duel raged on—flames carving canyons, shadow swallowing sky.

And somewhere deeper in the Phoenix Empire, Empress Feng Jiali smiled coldly.

> "Dance, Sovereign. Let the world see that your return is only the beginning of your end."

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