Pale golden morning light filtered through the gaps in the willow branches, weaving tiny spots of light on the bluestone slabs.
Ao Yu stood beneath the old willow tree, holding a brocade box, grinning foolishly at the sky.
He had even rehearsed what to say: first, tell her the news he'd found, then hand her the hairpin while she was distracted. He'd say, "Thank you, Princess, for guiding me to pick Dew Condensing Grass last time. This hairpin can nourish Nanming Li Fire—please accept it as a token of my gratitude."
"If she asks about the pattern on the hairpin, I'll say... I'll say it's copied from the shell of a South China Sea spiritual clam. It just happens to look like phoenix feathers." Ao Yu muttered softly to the brocade box, the tiny crimson scales behind his ears flushing pink. Even the morning breeze by the Luo River seemed to carry a hint of sweetness.
But before the sweetness could warm his chest, an extremely faint hot wind suddenly swept through the depths of the willow grove. It was the scorching heat of Nanming Li Fire. Ao Yu's heart skipped a beat—was Feng Xi here?
Inside the Crystal Palace of the South China Sea Dragon Palace, Ao Lie had just tucked a sea pearl into a jade box when a sea clan guard stumbled in, holding a blood-stained crimson gold hairpin.
"Your Majesty! The Tenth Prince... the Tenth Prince was attacked at the Luo River and... and killed!"
The guard knelt to the ground, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "When your subordinate arrived, only this hairpin remained—along with... traces of an attack using Nanming Li Fire!"
"What!"
Ao Lie shot to his feet, his fingers digging five deep grooves into the dragon throne's armrest. Red dragon energy surged uncontrollably, scorching countless cracks into the crystal pillars in the hall.
Though Ao Lie had ten children, his youngest son, Ao Yu, was his favorite. He'd indulged Ao Yu's travels across the Primordial World, and even knew of his affection for the Phoenix Clan princess.
"Nanming Li Fire?"
"The Phoenix Clan!"
Ao Lie remembered Ao Yu's excited face before he left, saying he was "going to clear up the misunderstanding with Princess Feng Xi." A scarlet tide of killing intent gushed from his chest.
"Good! Good! Good! They dared to slay my son! Issue the order: the entire South China Sea army prepares for war! Assemble all Black Armored Soldiers, Fire Spirit Army, and White Whale Guards!"
War drums roared across the South China Sea. Scarlet battle flags unfurled above the Dragon Palace, their surfaces adorned with fire spirit pearls glowing in the morning sun—yet exuding a bloodthirsty cold light.
"We shall! Raze the parasol forest to the ground! Avenge our prince!!"
"Raze the parasol forest! Avenge the prince!"
======On the return journey to the East China Sea, the Phoenix Clan's procession drifted slowly on seven-colored clouds.
Elder Feng Yan frowned deeply. "There is no trace of Clan Leader Yuanfeng in the depths of the sea eye. The 'imprisoned phoenix' rumor is indeed a forgery. Upon our return, we shall consult Great Elder Feng Qi. We must immediately investigate the demon cultivators—this will surely quell the doubts within our clan."
Feng Xi sat on the edge of the cloud, holding a red rune between her fingertips. Ao Yu had given it to her at the Luo River, saying, "If you encounter danger, crush this rune to summon South China Sea water spirits for protection."
The rune still retained the warmth from Ao Yu's fingers, reminding her of the young man's awkwardness when holding the Dew Condensing Grass. An unfamiliar softness stirred in her chest—one she dared not acknowledge.
She had planned to speak to the Great Elder about her feelings for Ao Yu once the procession returned to the parasol forest. Even if their clan identities made it impossible, she at least wanted to tell him that she believed his words of "no enmity between dragons and phoenixes."
But at that moment, a message talisman streaked through the sky from behind, its burning sparks tearing through the firmament. It was an urgent letter from a Phoenix Clan spy, the handwriting so scribbled it was barely legible: "South China Sea's Tenth Prince Ao Yu was killed in an attack by the Luo River. The South China Sea accuses the Phoenix Clan and has mobilized its army for war!"
"What did you say?" Feng Xi shot to her feet, the rune slipping from her fingers and bursting into tiny sparks on the cloud.
"Dead... dead?"
"Ao Yu... is dead?"
She couldn't believe her eyes. After verifying the message three times, she stumbled and grabbed hold of Elder Feng Yan beside her, clutching the red protective rune tightly, her voice trembling with tears. "Ao Yu... how could this happen? How could he be killed at the Luo River?"
Elder Feng Yan took the message talisman, his face turning as pale as paper instantly.
Thousands of years ago, before the Ancestral Dragon's awakening and before Ao Lie became the South China Sea Dragon King, he had fought alongside Ao Lie against chaotic beasts. He knew Ao Lie was fiercely protective of his own. Now that Ao Yu had died a tragic death by the Luo River, the Phoenix Clan was in grave danger!
"Speed up! Return to the Phoenix Clan!"
Elder Feng Yan made a decisive decision, waving his hand to urge the procession forward. "Hurry! We must return to the parasol forest before the South China Sea dispatches its army and uncover the truth! Hurry!"
The seven-colored cloud suddenly accelerated, transforming into a stream of light rushing toward the parasol forest.
But just as they crossed the East China Sea border, endless black flames surged ahead. Countless black flame soldiers emerged from the void, their fire blades glowing with black light. The thick stench of black flames rolled in the air!
"Demon cultivators! Protect the princess!"
Elder Feng Yan roared, his Nanming Li Fire surging to form a zhang-tall phoenix afterimage, blocking the front of the procession.
Phoenix Clan juniors also channeled their spiritual energy, shooting fire spears and fire feather arrows at the demon soldiers. But the demonic energy was as thick as ink—after flying a short distance, the fire spears were corroded down to charred wooden shafts.
A demon general stepped forward from the formation, clad in pitch-black scale armor, his demon blade wrapped in chains. He sneered, swinging the chains to wrap around the necks of two Phoenix Clan juniors instantly. Demonic energy invaded through the chains, and their bodies withered at a visible rate. "I am the 'Black Flame Demon General' under His Majesty the Demon Emperor! Phoenix brats, today is your day of death!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the demon general waved his hand, and the demon soldiers swarmed forward.
His great blade also came crashing down toward Elder Feng Yan, who narrowed his eyes and struggled to block!
Feng Xi gripped her phoenix feather sword, her fingertips white with tension.
As the Phoenix Clan princess, when had Feng Xi ever participated in a fight to the death? When the Phoenix Clan sent troops to the Qilin War, she had been too young to leave the parasol forest.
She watched as the juniors around her fell one by one, as the phoenix afterimage of Elder Feng Yan was gnawed down to tattered wings by demonic energy. Gritting her teeth, she raised her sword and prepared to charge at the demon general.
"Princess! Flee!"
Elder Feng Yan suddenly turned around, pushing Feng Xi toward the back of the cloud. He then ignited his phoenix origin.
Seven-colored radiance burst into a seven-colored beam of light, forcing a gap through the demon siege.
"Princess, run! Return to the parasol forest! You must..."
Within the beam of light, Elder Feng Yan's figure gradually faded, but the demon soldiers surged through the gap like a tide.
Feng Xi watched the fading spiritual light of the elder, tears blurring her vision. She glanced back at the dozens of remaining Phoenix Clan juniors, all wounded.
She couldn't flee alone. She was the Phoenix Clan princess!
"Phoenix Clan juniors, hear my command!"
Feng Xi raised her phoenix feather sword, and Nanming Li Fire blazed along the blade, reflecting her resolute eyes.
"Even if we die today, we will let the world know what it means to be a phoenix! Follow me into battle!"
She leaped down from the cloud, her phoenix feather sword carrying the power to burn the sky, directly targeting the Black Flame Demon General.
The juniors charged alongside her, their fire spirit energy weaving into a net. Even as demonic energy corroded their bones, even as their bodies were pierced by demon blades, no one took a step back.
Caught off guard by Feng Xi's madness, the Black Flame Demon General was forced to retreat repeatedly.
But after a moment, the demon general spun his great blade, slashing a deep, bone-deep wound across Feng Xi's shoulder. Demonic energy invaded through the wound, slowing her movements gradually.
She watched as the juniors around her fell one by one, as her own Nanming Li Fire grew weaker and weaker. Suddenly, she touched the fire spirit rune in her bosom...
When the demon blade struck again, Feng Xi was no longer able to dodge.
She clutched the rune tightly.
"Pfft~"
With a soft sound, the protective shield formed by the rune was pierced along with her body. The demon blade stabbed through her chest.
Feng Xi looked toward the direction of the Luo River.
There, she had left her unspoken feelings, and Ao Yu had left his ungiven hairpin...
"Ao Yu... I'm sorry... I never got to... never got to explain..."
The last wisp of Nanming Li Fire faded from her fingertips, and the screams of the Phoenix Clan procession gradually fell silent.
Demon flames swept over the cloud, devouring all the bodies and bloodstains. Only a few charred phoenix feathers remained, swirling in the wind and slowly falling.
Inside the Council Hall of the Parasol Forest, Great Elder Feng Qi watched as a Phoenix Clan spy stumbled in, clutching a charred half-feather—the only remaining trace of Feng Xi.
"Great Elder! It's a disaster! Elder Feng Yan and the princess's procession... were completely annihilated on their way back! And the South China Sea Dragon Clan has already dispatched their army!"
"What?!"
The parasol leaf in Feng Qi's hand fell to the ground. His elderly body swayed, nearly collapsing.
The elders in the hall erupted into chaos instantly. Some roared, demanding revenge against the South China Sea; others urged sealing the forest for defense. Young juniors rushed outside the hall, holding fire spears and shouting, "Avenge the princess! Avenge the elder!"
Feng Qi looked at the boiling crowd outside the hall, at the charred phoenix feather handed by the spy. Two lines of old tears rolled down his cheeks.
Xi'er...
My Xi'er...
The South China Sea?
Very well! If they want war, then war it is!
"Issue my order!" Feng Qi's voice carried an unprecedented grief and resolve. "Assemble the entire Phoenix Clan army! Take Nanming Li Fire as the signal and march to meet the South China Sea Dragon Clan! We, the Phoenix Clan, shall fight them to the death!"
The seven-colored phoenix flag rose above the parasol forest. The phoenix totem on the flag was blurred by the morning mist, yet exuded a resolute willingness to die.
Three days later, in the airspace at the border between the South China Sea and the Southern Region, the armies of the dragon and Phoenix Clans faced off.
Ao Lie, clad in crimson scale armor, held a fire spirit spear, his fire spirit energy churning around him. Behind him stood tens of thousands of Black Armored Soldiers and White Whale Guards. The sound of war drums shook the air.
"Feng Qi! Hand over the murderer who killed my son! Otherwise, today, this king shall raze the parasol forest to the ground and make the Phoenix Clan bury Ao Yu with their lives!"
Feng Qi stood atop a seven-colored cloud, his parasol staff glowing with spiritual light. Behind him, the Nanming Li Fire of the Phoenix Clan juniors merged into a sea of fire. "Ao Lie! Your dragon clan imprisoned our Phoenix Clan's Yuanfeng and killed our elder and princess! Ao Lie! Your dragon clan shall pay blood for blood!"
"Oh? A dead old man and a little girl? Those are just interest!"
Ao Lie sneered, pointing his fire spirit spear directly at Feng Qi.
"My son died at the Luo River.I must have the entire Phoenix Clan join him in death!!Today, my South China Sea Dragon Clan shall raze the Phoenix Clan! All dragon clan juniors, attack!"
"Attack!"