Chapter 291: Heavenly Mirror, Calamity Seal Sword!
Chapter 291: Heavenly Mirror, Calamity Seal Sword!
Around her, a faint mist of crimson shimmered with blood dragons coiled around her body, adding an air of untouchable majesty. With such beauty, she could drive any male of any species to distraction with just a glance.
"Must be her unlocked talents that\'s upped her charm," one devil remarked, eyeing the deviless from a respectful distance.
"She\'s the unrivaled beauty of the Nine Hells, no question about it," another devil agreed, whispering under his breath.
Below the massive boulder, the two devils looked up in awe, speaking in hushed tones. "Say what you will, but the humans and demons might not take kindly to that."
"What does it matter? Demons are mere beasts compared to her, and human women? Skinny, with no curves to speak of. What beauty can they hold?" the other devil replied, with a sniff of disdain.
"True enough. All seek the allure of a deviless... The War Princess, young and fiery, a goddess among devils. In the Endless Netherworld, who wouldn\'t revere her?"
"And to think, Envoy Feng is the envy of us all."
"Him? He can\'t handle the War Princess. As for who\'ll win her hand, that\'s anyone\'s guess..."
Since the War Princess chose to stay in the Demon Continent, her unlocked talents had caused quite a stir in the Endless Netherworld.
Even before her return, she had become a legend, a deity. So, any of the new arrivals from the Endless Netherworld bowed before her, in genuine reverence.
"You\'re coming back?" Atop the massive boulder, the woman tilted her head slightly, looking down towards her heart.
"Miss me?" a calm response came in her mind.
Yun Xiao had been busy these past few days, scarcely paying her any attention.
"My loathing for you doesn\'t leave much room for that kind of sentiment," the War Princess bit her red lip and retorted.
"All that potential, and the only skill you ever developed is flapping that mouth of yours," Yun Xiao quipped back.
"Hmph. You\'re one to talk. Then again, I\'m sure you have much more experience in that department than me." The War Princess chuckled.
"Are you provoking me?" Yun Xiao\'s voice was cool and distant.
The War Princess pursed her lips, choosing silence over words.
"Wait for me." With that, Yun Xiao\'s voice vanished as if he never was.
The War Princess rolled her crimson eyes and muttered, "Little imp!"
Suddenly, the entrance to the Endless Netherworld shimmered!
HUM! A young devil in pale battle armor appeared. His long hair was tied back, his face ashen and fierce. However, as he approached the War Princess, his menacing aura dissolved, replaced by a look of utmost respect.
"My Lady, there\'s a situation." Feng You bowed slightly, daring not to gaze at her legs.
"Speak," the War Princess said, casually swinging her legs. For some reason, after that exchange, her mood seemed to lift. She hummed a childhood tune, a small smile playing on her lips.
"At the Sword Baptism Ceremony of the Eternal Sword Prison, two Exiled Sword Immortals emerged, causing quite a stir. Even overshadowing you, they\'ve become the talk of the Nine Hells," Feng You reported, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Exiled Sword Immortals? The Eternal Sword hummed nine times?" The War Princess raised an eyebrow, curious. She hadn\'t heard about Yun Xiao\'s exploits in the Eternal Sword Prison. Realizing the outcome, she thought, "That guy, always a surprise."
Without saying, she knew Yun Xiao must be one of those Exiled Sword Immortals.
Feng You detailed the feats of the two Exiled Sword Immortals and the results of the Immortal Sword Rankings, his eyes glinting with a cold, decisive edge.
"This Exile Yun, defeating five opponents at the Perfect Dao Heart Realm, might be on par with me now," Feng You inhaled deeply, "So, there\'s a consensus in the other eight hells: the Exiled Sword Immortals must die."
"Oh, impressive," the War Princess smirked slightly, a hint of sweetness in her smile.
"My Lady! Your father said this situation benefits you. With someone drawing the ire, you should return to the palace to cultivate safely," Feng You advised earnestly. He always advised with good intentions, but the War Princess barely listened.
Suddenly, she asked, "Is this Exile Yun handsome?"
Caught off guard by such an odd question, Feng You chuckled. "In the Eternal Sword Prison, he\'s hailed as the most handsome in the Nine Hells. That\'s ridiculous, though. He\'s just a kid."
"Shut it," the War Princess glared, thinking to herself, "He\'s just a bit small..."
Feng You was puzzled by her irritation.
"My Lady, because of the Exiled Sword Immortals, the situation in the Heavenly Land is about to change," Feng You shifted back to business.
"What do you mean?" The War Princess turned serious, tuning in for the matter at hand.
"The Inscription Cultivators from the Calamity Seal Purgatory have caught wind of this. They\'re using the Heavenly Land incident as leverage, and offering the Calamity Seal Sword to expand the passage, seeking an alliance with us," Feng You explained coolly.
"Calamity Seal Sword? That\'s the Calamity Seal Purgatory\'s treasured weapon, similar to the Eternal Sword Prison\'s Heavenly Mirror, right?" the War Princess spoke, gently patting her chest, signaling someone to listen closely.
"The power is comparable. But while the Heavenly Mirror is damaged and nearly ineffective, the Calamity Seal Sword is intact and, in practice, surely stronger," Feng You explained.
"Don\'t we in the Endless Netherworld have such treasures?" the War Princess asked.
"We do, but none quite match the Calamity Seal Sword. We\'ve tried before to expand the portal without success," Feng You said.
"So the Calamity Seal Sword can do it?"
No sooner had the War Princess spoken than the portal of the Endless Netherworld trembled. Its surface rippled and twisted, hinting at some change.
"Judging by this commotion, it might just be able to expand the portal!" Feng You observed, speaking earnestly.
"So, my father\'s already agreed to cooperate with the Inscription Cultivators? They\'re already attacking the portal?" The War Princess\'s brows knitted in concern.
"Yes," Feng You nodded.
"That old fool..." she cursed under her breath, clearly displeased.
"Don\'t worry, My Lady. Though we\'re cooperating, we\'re just borrowing the Calamity Seal Sword. Once the portal expands, how many Inscription Cultivators enter our realm is entirely up to us," Feng You reassured.
An expanded portal would be permanent.
"Moreover, the Inscription Cultivators said their goal isn\'t the Heavenly Land," Feng You added.
"Not Heavenly Land? Then what is it?" the War Princess scoffed.
"They don\'t believe in the Heavenly Land legend. They think it\'s all smoke and mirrors," Feng You looked towards the entrance to the Eternal Sword Prison and said coldly, "That Qingzan said the two Exiled Sword Immortals from the Sword Ruins are likely to enter here after the Immortal Sword Rankings. It\'s the best chance to kill them!"
"Oh?" The War Princess rubbed her chest, thinking to herself, "Did you hear that? They\'re planning to kill you..."
"We\'re at odds with the Sword Ruins, and the Exiled Sword Immortals are our mortal enemies. In this, we and the Inscription Cultivators stand united. So, if an opportunity arises, both sides will go all out to eliminate these two scourges," Feng You stated, then respectfully turned to the War Princess. "My Lady, the battle will be fierce. It might be best for you to return..."
"Return, my foot. With such a big event, it\'s even more crucial for me to oversee things here," the War Princess scoffed.
"..." Feng You was speechless.
For some reason, he sensed something odd about her, like a young girl in the throes of spring. But he wasn\'t the spring she was longing for. Then who could it be?
"It must be an illusion," Feng You reassured himself.
"By the way," the War Princess looked at Feng You, "if the Calamity Seal Sword can expand the portal, who will the Inscription Cultivators send?"
"Your Highness, when I entered, I heard Qingzan speculate that the Calamity Seal Sword\'s expansion could only open a Fate Ocean Realm portal. Anyone above that realm might still be unable to enter. Once successful, our side will likely be led by your uncle, Chen Shi, while the Inscription Cultivators might send one or two Supreme Adjudicators in the Establishment Fate Ocean Realm, with the Talisman Prince leading them." Feng You\'s eyes flashed coldly at the mention of the Talisman Prince.
"Talisman Prince, Fu Longxiang, right? The eldest son of the Talisman Emperor, top of the Calamity Seal Purgatory\'s Divine Sigil Rankings? That infamous, nefarious sleazeball in the Early Fate Ocean Realm?" the War Princess\'s questioning sounded like an introduction.
"Yes, that\'s him," Feng You frowned, "In all the Nine Hells, only four young prodigies have reached the Fate Ocean Realm, including him and me."
The Fate Ocean Realm was above the Dao Heart Realm!
The champion of the Immortal Sword Rankings from the Sword Ruins, Yi Qingfan, was at the Perfect Dao Heart Realm, still a notch below these top four prodigies of the Nine Hells.
Feng You, with his cultivation at the Fate Ocean Realm, could even slay Peak Master Bai. He was undoubtedly strong, or else he wouldn\'t have been chosen to marry the War Princess.
The Dao Heart Realm was the beginning of the Second Dao Tribulation, where one\'s dao heart stabilized and plunged into the fate ocean. This fate ocean could be the heart, the Dantian, or even the flesh itself. Reaching the fate ocean signified the true merging of the dao heart with ones power.
Those who reached the Fate Ocean Realm at a young age were almost certainly destined to be Hell Wardens! Likewise, if Yi Qingfan truly possessed the talent of a Sovereign Star Child, he would have also already reached the Fate Ocean Realm!
"With just a few Supreme Adjudicators and Peak Masters from the Calamity Seal Purgatory, Fu Longxiang thinks he can assassinate the Exiled Sword Immortals?" the War Princess scoffed.
"Fu Longxiang possesses the Myriad Manifestations Sigil, a Life Dao Sigil that\'s only appeared a few times in the history of the Calamity Seal Purgatory. No doubt, he\'s a bit stronger than me," Feng You admitted reluctantly, a little wary of his rival. "And this time, Qingzan might hand him the Calamity Seal Sword. With both the Myriad Manifestations Sigil and the Calamity Seal Sword, he\'ll become an even tougher foe to handle. He might not be a Sword Cultivator, but his mother is Qingzan. Even if he lacks a Sword Soul, he has the bloodline of a Sword Cultivator. With the Calamity Seal Sword, he could easily shatter any Sword Soul, right?"
"Alright, I got it." The War Princess patted her chest and thought to herself, "Did you hear that? I\'ve dug out all the enemy\'s information for you"
"My Lady, are you having chest pains?" Feng You asked, puzzled.
"None of your business, now leave." The War Princess glared at him.
"Yes," Feng You bowed, departing with a mix of emotions. After a few steps, he couldn\'t resist looking back and asking, "My Lady, your father actually ordered you to return. The upcoming battle will be ruthless, you"
"That old man dares to order me? Tell him to keep his distance." The War Princess rolled her eyes.
"..." Feng You, speechless, continued his retreat. But before making his exit, he clenched his teeth and solemnly swore, "Then rest assured, My Lady. Should anything happen, I will protect you with my life!"
"Don\'t boast. You might not even be my match now." The War Princess stood up, her slender waist swaying gracefully and her long legs a blur as she strode away.
Swords Ruins, Ancestral Sword Tomb
Two figures, young and old, were flying towards a humble hut, the brilliance of their Sovereign Swords illuminating the surroundings. These were the two most formidable Sword Souls in all of the Nine Hells!
"Sword Warden, Exile Yun!" An elderly man rushed out, smiling sheepishly at the two, his forehead beaded with sweat.
"Where is my master, the Tomb Guardian?" the Sword Warden asked, eyeing the empty hut.
"The old Sword Warden, burdened with his thoughts, has left on a journey. He tasked me with guarding the tomb for a few days. Rest assured, I will serve our ancestors diligently," Overseer Sikong hurriedly replied.
"Leaving one\'s post at the Ancestral Tomb... that\'s not acceptable," the Sword Warden said coolly.
"Yes..." Overseer Sikong didn\'t dare argue, knowing the Sword Warden wouldn\'t punish him for this. He stood aside respectfully as the Sword Warden and Yun Xiao headed towards the Ancestral Tomb without paying him any further attention.
"Wait!" Overseer Sikong called out, his voice trembling.
"What now? Can\'t the Sword Warden and the Exiled Sword Immortal enter the Ancestral Sword Tomb?" The Sword Warden turned, his gaze cold upon Overseer Sikong.
"No, it\'s not that!...You can, you can enter," Overseer Sikong stammered, sweating profusely. Glancing behind him, he saw over twenty Overseers following the Sword Warden and Yun Xiao through the mist, a clear sign of the overwhelming support Yun Xiao had in the Sword Ruins.
"Good evening, Overseer Sikong." the other Overseers greeted as they landed near the Ancestral Sword Tomb.
"Good, good evening," Overseer Sikong replied, bowing his head, his face growing paler. The mocking glances from his colleagues weighed heavily on him, making his heart sink further.