Chapter 71: Refining the Supreme Treasure within the Immortal Soaring Cliff

Sigh...

At this moment, even Ling Yan could not help but let out a silent sigh in her heart, realizing that today's events could no longer be resolved peacefully.

If it weren't for the need to secretly investigate the matter of the Demon Transformation Vessel and keep its theft hidden, she would have already revealed her identity as the daughter of the Celestial Emperor to intimidate the Four Saints of the Abyssal Ruins.

Yet now, the fate of the wild realms—even the very rule of the gods—hung in the balance due to the Demon Transformation Vessel. Her father, the Celestial Emperor Lingxiao, had ordered her to pursue the matter in secret. Should her identity be revealed, it would inevitably spark unnecessary turmoil, embroiling even more parties and making the situation all the more unmanageable.

While the struggle below raged without hope of reconciliation, Fairy Xi Yan had already quietly arrived outside the cave on Feixian Cliff in the rear mountains.

Upon learning that her second senior brother, Tianqian, and her fourth senior brother, Tianfen, were heading to the rear mountain to trouble Ling Yan and Bai Mu, Xi Yan had flown after them in a panic, hoping to prevent this futile conflict.

But when she reached the Sword Pavilion, she found the disciples of the Abyssal Ruins had already formed the Ninefold Demon-Slaying Sword Formation, trapping the two inside. She realized then that things had spiraled beyond her ability to turn the tide.

In her alarm, a sudden idea struck her. Seizing the moment when Bai Mu and Ling Yan were holding off the sword formation, she hurried alone to Feixian Cliff behind the Floating Jade Mountain, seeking her father, the Immortal Brahma, to plead for her dear friend Ling Yan.

Feixian Cliff, perched atop the sheer summit of Floating Jade Mountain, was a vast and deep natural cave of stalactites. It held the remains and treasured belongings of the most distinguished disciples of the Abyssal Ruins Sanctuary throughout the ages. All of the sanctuary's most profound scriptures and sword manuals were stored here as well, making Feixian Cliff, along with the Sword Pavilion, one of the two forbidden grounds of the Abyssal Ruins Sanctuary.

When Xi Yan, flustered and anxious, arrived at Feixian Cliff, she found the cave entrance sealed tight, impenetrable. The God of War, Brahma, had not emerged in response to the commotion at the mountain's foot. The four Saint Sons, who normally guarded the entrance, were absent as well, no doubt tending to affairs back at the sanctuary.

This, in turn, gave Xi Yan a rare and perfect opportunity.

“Father, the daughter of the Celestial Emperor is being besieged by two of my senior brothers on the mountainside! Please, come to her aid at once!”

“The daughter of the Celestial Emperor?”

“That little girl Ling Yan?”

From within the cave came a voice—old, yet brimming with energy. Though not loud, his words carried effortlessly through the seamless stone door to reach Xi Yan’s ears, a testament to his unfathomable cultivation, as if he commanded the very forces of creation.

“Yes, that's her!” Xi Yan urged anxiously. “Please, you must intervene at once! Should any harm befall her, disaster will surely befall the entire Abyssal Ruins Sanctuary!”

“What are you so worried about?” The God of War's calm, unhurried voice drifted from within. “It’s the perfect chance for your senior brothers to teach Ling Yan a lesson, so she’ll stop bullying you. Consider it a way to vent for all your years of defeat.”

“No!” Xi Yan’s face darkened with anger as she hurried to the stone door and protested loudly. “I want fair competition, not to rely on my senior brothers to bully the weak! Besides, Ling Yan has something important to discuss with you—please, do not let a minor matter ruin a greater cause!”

“I already know what she intends to say,” Brahma replied, his voice still measured from within the cave. “From what my divine sense perceives, the girl Ling Yan has not suffered any real loss, and the Ninefold Demon-Slaying Sword Formation of our Abyssal Ruins Sanctuary has been broken. For them to escape is no difficult feat.”

“You already know?” Xi Yan stared at the stone door in disbelief.

“Indeed.” Brahma’s voice analyzed softly from within. “I heard everything that happened before the Sword Pavilion, and their conversation in the mountains. I am just a bit curious about that young man, Bai Mu. At such a young age, he shows remarkable prowess, and he seems to possess an ancient divine weapon as well.”

“He is a disciple of Bai Ze, and the weapon in his hand is none other than the Azure Dragon Sacred Sword, lost for thousands of years!” Xi Yan relayed everything she had learned without reservation.

“So it is true—the Azure Dragon Sacred Sword has reappeared!” Brahma murmured softly in the cave. Though his voice was barely audible, not a word escaped Xi Yan’s ears.

“Father, did you foresee the Azure Dragon Sacred Sword would soon emerge?”

“Perhaps,” Brahma replied vaguely, then admonished earnestly, “There is an extremely important artifact I must forge here in Feixian Cliff. I need you to go down the mountain in my stead and put a stop to their conflict.”

“And another thing—”

After a pause, the God of War spoke again, his tone suddenly mysterious. “Once you have secretly aided those two in their escape, you must follow after them and guard them along the way. The Azure Dragon Sacred Sword must not fall into the hands of demons or monsters. Do you understand?”

“Are you sending me into the mortal world for training?” Xi Yan asked in surprise, though her heart filled with delight at the prospect of finally venturing into the wild realms. The thought thrilled her even more than taming a qilin beast.

Sigh...

“Something like that.” Brahma’s distant sigh drifted out, his tone once again cautious. “Now that you are entering the mortal world, you must remain righteous and shun evil. In these turbulent times, it is all the more important to preserve the purity of your heart. Do you understand?”

“Rest assured, Father. I will not fail in my duty and will do everything in my power to keep the Azure Dragon Sacred Sword safe!” With that, she composed her joy, bowed deeply toward Feixian Cliff, and said softly, “Father, please take care of yourself while I am away.”

“Go, then. When you return in triumph, I shall come down the mountain myself to welcome you home.”

Once the words fell, the cave grew silent again. The seamless stone door sealed the cave from the outside world, leaving Xi Yan in the dark about what transpired within. She could only assume Brahma had returned to forging his fabled artifact.

Having received her father’s instructions, Xi Yan dared not delay further, fearing that any more time lost might bring catastrophe to the Sword Pavilion. No matter which side suffered injury, regret would follow.

After a moment’s thought before the cave, she leapt gracefully from the cliff like a white crane, gliding toward the Sword Pavilion.

Once her figure vanished from the open space before Feixian Cliff, a strange sigh echoed from within the cave.

Then came a soft murmur: “The great tribulation of Heaven approaches. The demonic star has appeared. Success lies with the Demon Transformation, failure with the Azure Dragon. Since this is Heaven’s tribulation, all we can do is our utmost and leave the rest to fate. May the artifact I am forging keep the Demon Transformation Vessel in check—otherwise...”