CHAPTER 251: CHAPTER 251: THE LITTLE PRINCESS OF THE DYNASTY

The Spirit Realm.

In an Ancient City.

Long Street bustled with people, a constant stream of carriages and horses making it extraordinarily lively. Powerful cultivators on mighty Demon Birds soared through the skies above the Ancient City, casting vast shadows. However, the people of the Spirit Realm seemed accustomed to this.

A man and his dog, both looking disheveled, burst into an inn.

"Did you hear? The three great imperial dynasties are preparing to attack Heaven Martial."

"Oh? You mean that place where they banish criminals?"

"Exactly!"

"Incredible! The three imperial dynasties have always been at odds. For them to join forces now... could something extraordinary have appeared in Heaven Martial?"

"It’s possible. I’ve heard that people from the Purple Gold Divine Clan have also made a move."

"The Spatial Barrier between the two realms isn’t easily broken..."

"Indeed, it’s very difficult. However, the State Preceptors from the three great imperial dynasties have already arrived. They’re preparing to revive a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon."

Upon hearing this, the crowd was shocked.

"Which one?"

"The Phoenix Cauldron."

This was the Heaven Tao Divine Weapon of the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty. Legend said that the first Emperor of that dynasty personally slew an Ancient Phoenix. He then stripped its root bones, extracted its essence, and forged this Heaven Tao Divine Weapon.

Throughout history, it had been revived three times.

The first time was after the first Emperor successfully crafted it, to test its power.

The second time was during a period of dark turmoil. At that time, the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty was without an Emperor. The contemporary State Preceptor, leading powerful experts from numerous imperial dynasties, revived it together to suppress the Black Sea Great Calamity.

The third time... hundreds of thousands of years ago, it was revived in Heaven Martial, but it was apparently repelled.

It was all very sudden. The entire Imperial Dynasty, from top to bottom, was immensely embarrassed.

Hearing this, Chen Pingping, who was nearby, was surprised. He couldn’t help but lean in and ask, "A Heaven Tao Divine Weapon was revived, and it got repelled?"

"Because of that incident, the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty was ridiculed by the world for tens of thousands of years!" a man beside him said.

"What exactly happened?" Chen Pingping’s curiosity was piqued.

"Well, wasn’t it at that time that two Great Emperors emerged in Heaven Martial?"

"No, that’s not right. When the Phoenix Cauldron was revived, those two individuals hadn’t yet completed their Tao Verification to become Great Emperors. The truth is... they, while still in the Quasi-Emperor Realm, forcibly repelled the Phoenix Cauldron."

Chen Pingping was speechless. "..."

The man’s words painted a vivid picture in his mind. He had met the man in black, the first Sect Master of the Wuji Sect, Emperor Wuji. That man was truly powerful. At that time, he probably hadn’t become a Great Emperor yet, had he?

After Emperor Wuji suppressed the golden creature and Qiongqi, he rushed off to a distant battlefield. Chen Pingping had wanted to follow, but... he only received a glance.

Sigh. What a pity. If only I could have followed, I might have witnessed the revival of the Phoenix Cauldron myself! What an exciting thought.

"So powerful! Repelling the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty’s Heaven Tao Divine Weapon with bare hands while in the Quasi-Emperor Realm... Is that any different from a Divine King slaying a Royal Path expert?"

"Exactly!"

"But this time, Heaven Martial probably won’t be so lucky!"

Hundreds of thousands of years had passed. The two Great Emperors had long since fallen, vanishing without a trace, their legacies severed. The environment of subsequent eras had declined daily. Spirit Qi was sparse, the Tao no longer manifested clearly, and even embarking on the path of cultivation had become incredibly difficult.

In such an environment, forget Saints, even Lords or Royal Path cultivators would be hard-pressed to emerge, right?

If the three great imperial dynasties revived the Phoenix Cauldron again, Heaven Martial definitely wouldn’t be able to withstand it!

Chen Pingping wondered aloud, "Have any of you actually been to Heaven Martial? You seem to know so much about it."

"Why would we need to go there?" someone retorted, looking at him sideways with great certainty. "Heaven Martial is just a small dimension created by a supreme expert from our Spirit Realm. The myriad beings and the Five Elements that evolved there were based on ours. After all this time, they must be nearly depleted by now, wouldn’t you say?"

Chen Pingping paused.

"If you calculate the time, it’s been a million years. According to the few words left by that supreme expert, Heaven Martial’s lifespan is also nearing its end."

"Indeed!"

"But is there a possibility..." Chen Pingping ventured, "that Heaven Martial has developed its own consciousness and begun a self-sustaining cycle?"

After he said this, the inn fell deathly silent.

It wasn’t impossible. After all, no one present had ever been to Heaven Martial.

But Chen Pingping was different. He had come from there and was intimately familiar with its environment. To his knowledge, Heaven Martial showed no signs of impending doom. As for Spirit Qi and the Tao, although sparse and not readily apparent, they were still acceptable. The Royal Path also existed, though Lords and Saints were nowhere to be seen.

These terrifying existences, Chen Pingping speculated, are probably hidden deep in the mountains or passing their days buried in coffins.

The only thing that truly worried him was the Heaven Tao Divine Weapon they had mentioned—the Phoenix Cauldron. Right now, Heaven Martial has absolutely no power to resist the revival of a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon. And most critically, their target is the Tao Seed.

Chen Pingping fell into deep thought.

He didn’t know how much time had passed. When he came back to his senses, the topic of conversation in the inn had shifted.

The young geniuses of the Purple Gold Divine Clan had made several moves, only to be thwarted each time.

Everyone was astonished.

"No way? Really?" a man exclaimed in disbelief.

"It’s absolutely true! The news came from within the armies of the three great imperial dynasties..."

"Who did it?"

"It’s unclear. No one was able to see the enemy at the time."

Chen Pingping rubbed his nose, a smile playing on his lips. Purple Gold Divine Clan... Golden Cicada! He committed these two terms to memory. Looking down at Hei in his arms, he couldn’t help but wonder: What expression will that fellow have when he sees Hei?

At that moment, a group of people walked down Long Street. They were dressed in magnificent, noble attire and carried themselves with an extraordinary air, yet their expressions were hurried, and their pace was quick.

Someone whispered, "People from the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty are here. The State Preceptor should be with them. I wonder if we’ll be able to see the Phoenix Cauldron."

"You’re overthinking it. How could a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon be casually displayed?"

"True enough!"

"Huh? Is that... the little princess of the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty?" a man in white exclaimed in surprise.

Following the main group was a young girl in a blue dress. She was slender and graceful, with a delicate appearance and a well-proportioned figure; in a few more years, she would undoubtedly be a great beauty. She was very lively, skipping and hopping as she walked.

As she passed the inn, she seemed to catch the scent of food. She stopped and declared, "I want to eat!"

The maidservant following her broke into a cold sweat. "Your Highness, you are currently on a mission... We should..."

"A mission? So what?" Lan Xiuzhi said dismissively. "I am a princess of the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty! Who in all the lands would dare to harm me?"

"But—" the maidservant began, then hesitated.

"No ’buts’! I am carrying the Phoenix Cauldron, yes, but if you don’t say anything, and I don’t say anything, who’s to know?" Lan Xiuzhi declared, striding forward with her head held high.

"..."

Upon hearing her last statement, everyone in the inn panicked.

Phoenix Cauldron? That’s right! They remembered the rumors: this little princess possessed an unusual constitution, one capable of housing the Heaven Tao Divine Weapon, the Phoenix Cauldron. With her carrying it, it was considered absolutely safe.

But this little princess... wasn’t she a bit too loose-lipped?

WHOOSH!

The crowd scattered, not daring to linger. If Lan Xiuzhi hadn’t mentioned the Phoenix Cauldron, they could have continued their meal in peace. But now that she had blurted it out, this was a major issue.

Would the experts of the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty silence us to keep this a secret? They couldn’t risk it! Running was the only option!

"Quick, run!"

A man stood up, intending to pull Chen Pingping with him.

Chen Pingping, however, protested, "But I haven’t finished eating yet!"

Besides, an opportunity has presented itself, he thought, and I don’t want to miss it!