Nantian Fengyu floated lazily in the air, hands behind her head, her playful grin at odds with the devastation she had just wrought.
"Whew~ Looks like I made it just in time!" she chirped.
The defenders of Nine Firmament City stared in stunned silence.
Yun Qianxue was the first to recover.
Nantian Fengyu winked. "Miss me?"
Before anyone could respond, she snapped her fingers.
Another wave of Phoenix flames surged outward, this time forming a ring of fire around the city, sealing off any remaining rifts. The remaining Chaos creatures screeched as they were burned away, their presence erased from existence.
The battlefield fell silent.
Only the crackling of flames remained.
Yun Qingrou exhaled sharply, lowering her sword. "Fortunately, you came in the right time."
Nantian Fengyu landed lightly beside Yun Qianxue, her red robes fluttering as she surveyed the damaged city.
"So," she began, tilting her head, "what exactly happened here? How did these ugly things get past the city's defenses?"
Yun Qianxue shook her head. "I'll explain everything soon. First, we need to stabilize the situation."
She turned toward the city below, where cultivators and mortals alike were emerging from shelters, their faces filled with both relief and lingering fear. Taking a deep breath, Yun Qianxue's voice resonated across Nine Firmament City, calm yet commanding.
"I'm sorry, everyone. All injured, please gather at the central square for treatment. The rest, please assist the mortals and secure the perimeter."
The cultivators below immediately moved into action. No one complained—no one hesitated. This city had become their home, and they would protect it without question.
A burly cultivator cupped his hands and shouted back, "Elder Yun, don't blame yourself! This was unforeseen!"
Another voice joined in, "Nine Firmament City is still the safest place in the world!"
More shouts of agreement rose from the crowd.
Yun Qianxue was touched. She bowed her head. "Thank you, everyone."
Then, she turned to Yun Qingrou. "Second Sister, oversee the recovery efforts."
Yun Qingrou nodded. "Understood."
With that, Yun Qianxue gestured to Nantian Fengyu and Tang Suyin. "Come with me."
The three women moved swiftly through the city, heading back toward the formation hall where Yun Lingwei was imprisoned. As they walked, Yun Qianxue quickly summarized the situation.
"The Primal Chaos Wall has fallen. The Realm of Chaos has invaded. Ren Yuan has infiltrated the Divine Realm—somehow, he corrupted Yun Lingwei."
Nantian Fengyu's playful expression vanished. "Ren Yuan? That slippery bastard is still alive?"
Tang Suyin's voice was grim. "Not just alive—stronger than ever. The fact that he could turn Sister Lingwei against us is already scary enough."
"No wonder those Chaos creatures got in. So, what's the plan now?" Nantian Fengyu raised her brow slightly.
"We need to eliminate Ren Yuan's influence on Lingwei. But I'm not sure if we can." Yun Qianxue said with a hint of concern. She was afraid that the only way to do it was to wipe Yun Lingwei's soul, which she didn't want it.
They reached the sealed chamber. The ice barrier still held, but faint cracks had begun to spread across its surface.
Yun Qianxue frowned slightly. "She's trying to break free."
Although Yun Qianxue's strength was much superior to Yun Lingwei in term of combat, Yun Lingwei was definitely more robust in term of defense.
Inside the chamber, Yun Lingwei's body jerked violently.
Her eyes snapped open.
A voice that was not hers snarled through the ice.
"You think this pitiful seal can hold me?"
The entire chamber trembled.
The ice prison exploded outward in a storm of shards. Yun Lingwei stepped forward, her crimson eyes burning with unnatural malice, her body wreathed in dark energy.
Before anyone could react—
A blazing handprint of fire erupted from Yun Lingwei's palm, hurtling toward Yun Qianxue with terrifying speed.
Yun Qianxue's eyes narrowed—but before she could counter—
Nantian Fengyu stepped forward, her petite frame suddenly radiating overwhelming pressure. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed her own Phoenix Palm—a technique of the same name, but with power on an entirely different level.
The two fiery handprints collided—
And Yun Lingwei's attack was utterly annihilated.
The residual force blasted into her, sending her crashing through the chamber walls. Stone and debris rained down as she tumbled across the ground, her body skidding to a stop several dozen meters away.
Yun Lingwei slowly pushed herself up, her crimson eyes locking onto Nantian Fengyu with undisguised hatred.
She lunged again, her fingers morphing into blackened claws, aiming straight for Nantian Fengyu's throat.
But Nantian Fengyu didn't move.
Instead, she smirked.
A piercing cry echoed through the hall as a pair of Divine Phoenix's eyes materialized behind Nantian Fengyu—ancient, blazing, filled with the authority of a primordial beast.
Yun Lingwei's body froze mid-air.
Her soul shuddered violently under the Phoenix's gaze.
Tang Suyin's eyes sharpened. "Now! Her soul is wavering—Ren Yuan's control is weakening!"
She raised her hand, golden light pulsing from her fingertips as she scanned Yun Lingwei's soul, pinpointing the foreign energy coiled within it.
"There!" Tang Suyin shouted. "Fengyu, burn it out!"
Nantian Fengyu didn't hesitate.
She snapped her fingers.
A wisp of primordial Phoenix flame shot forward, so pure it burned concepts rather than flesh. It pierced straight into Yun Lingwei's forehead—
And seared the corruption away.
A scream—not Yun Lingwei's, but something far more ancient and vile—erupted from her throat as Ren Yuan's influence was purged.
The crimson light in her eyes flickered—
Yun Lingwei collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath, her body trembling.
"...W-what... happened...?" she whispered hoarsely.
Yun Qianxue immediately rushed to her side, catching her before she could fall. "Fourth Sister!"
Tang Suyin exhaled in relief. "It's gone. Ren Yuan's control has been severed."
Nantian Fengyu crossed her arms, flames still licking at her fingertips. "Tch. That bastard really thought he could puppet one of us?"
Yun Lingwei clutched her head, fragments of memories flooding back—Ren Yuan's invasion, the moment his Heaven's Eye had ensnared her will, the horrifying realization that she had been turned against her own sect...
Tears welled in her eyes. "I... I almost destroyed everything..."
Yun Qianxue shook her head firmly. "No. This wasn't your fault."
Tang Suyin placed a comforting hand on Yun Lingwei's shoulder. "Rest now. We'll handle the rest."
"Where is my good junior brother?" Nantian Fengyu tilted her head slightly.
Yun Qianxue exchanged glances with Tang Suyin for a moment before saying. "He went to find Nian Shi."
"What?" Nantian Fengyu was stunned. "Did he go alone again?"