Months later, Zhong Shan, Wang Ku, Nie Qingqing, and the Phoenix of the Imperial Realm arrived within the borders of the Great Li Celestial Empire!
Wherever the trio passed, endless battles raged. The northern battlefield was chaotic beyond asure. As they neared the border of Great Li, Zhong Shan sensed sothing was amiss. He noticed the army of Great Li was disordered, their arrangents in disarray. Disarray? That ant the supre commander's orders were ineffective.
A celestial empire with a disorganized army? It could only an the supre commander was missing, not present in the military camp.
The supre commander missing? That surely ant there was a major upheaval in the Holy Capital of Li Fire!
"Faster!" Zhong Shan commanded.
"Caw~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
The Phoenix let out a long cry, its form flashing like a stream of light, shooting towards the direction of the Holy Capital of Li Fire.
Five days later, they arrived at the Holy Capital. But they all stopped outside, staring in disbelief at the scene before them.
Was this the Holy Capital of Li Fire?
Once, the Holy Capital was bathed in the golden glow of prosperity, countless floating islands dancing in the sky, a splendid scene of a flourishing era.
But now, all the fortune had dissipated, the floating islands had collapsed. The vast territory lay in ruins, with nurous buildings crumbled, and the ground littered with countless corpses. Even many Phoenix corpses lay strewn about.
On the devastated ground, huge cracks appeared, the entire land shattered, with endless magma gushing forth, flas shooting into the sky.
The enormous palace had fallen into a vast magma pit.
The once grand Holy Capital of Li Fire had beco a dead city, a heap of ruins, a field of magma, now a thing of the past.
Above the endless magma, seven or eight Phoenixes, with most of their feathers gone, flew desolately, letting out mournful cries.
"Caw~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
The Phoenix's sorrowful cry resonated in the desolation!
Nie Qingqing stared blankly at the scene, her whole body turning cold.
"No, this isn't the Holy Capital of Li Fire. It can't be!" Nie Qingqing shook her head, refusing to believe.
Zhong Shan grabbed her arm, calming her down.
"Let's check if Nie Fancheng is still around!" Zhong Shan comforted.
In truth, Zhong Shan knew all too well. The dissipation of fortune likely ant Nie Fancheng was in dire straits.
The Phoenix underfoot shot towards the palace at high speed.
At this mont, countless thoughts flashed through Zhong Shan's mind. Nie Fancheng? Was he still alive?
How powerful was Nie Fancheng?
Last ti, even the combined attack of Daoist God Crow, Lu Gui Tian, and Wu Huan couldn't harm Nie Fancheng. Although his clothes had a slight tear, it didn't diminish Nie Fancheng's formidable presence in Zhong Shan's mind.
Nie Fancheng was a peer of Gu Shentong, and before the assault on Elysium, he was the only Heaven-Realm expert recognized by Gu Shentong.
Being acknowledged by Gu Shentong, Nie Fancheng's strength was unquestionable. But had such a powerful figure been taken down in his own stronghold?
The palace was engulfed in endless magma, everything gone.
"Caw~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
The Phoenix under Zhong Shan let out a long cry, and seven or eight severely damaged Phoenixes surrounded them.
The Phoenix under Zhong Shan's feet, in the Imperial Realm, danced gracefully before transforming into a human form.
"Wuluo, ask them, ask them what exactly happened?" Nie Qingqing quickly instructed the Phoenix who had turned into a human.
"Yes!" Wuluo responded promptly.
Seven or eight Phoenixes flew over, swiftly transforming into human forms, their bodies covered in wounds.
"Phoenix King, you're finally back!" one of the Phoenixes cried out.
"What happened? Explain clearly!" Wuluo demanded with wide eyes.
"The Supre was captured! Quickly, think of a way to save the Supre!" another Phoenix wailed.
"The Supre was captured? Explain everything from the beginning!" Wuluo ordered.
"It was half a month ago. A group of powerful beings ca while the Supre was away. They killed the Emperor. When the Supre arrived, he only managed to see the Emperor one last ti before being captured by the remaining attackers," one Phoenix explained.
"What kind of powerful beings? Who are they?" Zhong Shan imdiately inquired.
"There were seven of them in total. I only recognized five: Daoist God Crow, Lu Gui Tian, Turtle Shou, Wu Huan, and Prince Lietian. The other two were wielding the Absolute Immortal Sword and the Trap Immortal Sword—they are from the Realm of Longevity. They slaughtered the Emperor of Great Li!" the Phoenix replied quickly.
"Impossible! In the Holy Capital of Li Fire, they couldn't have killed the Emperor. The Emperor could draw on the power of Great Li. No one could kill him," Nie Qingqing exclaid.
"But there was a traitor within the Great Li Celestial Empire," the Phoenix revealed.
"A traitor? Who is the traitor?" Nie Qingqing demanded.
"It was the Emperor's close eunuch. He is from the Realm of Longevity. He infiltrated the Great Li Celestial Empire thousands of years ago!" the Phoenix said with hatred.
The eunuch? Zhong Shan narrowed his eyes, imdiately thinking of the figure. During the last Grand Alchemy Conference, Nie Fancheng had brought the eunuch along and was subsequently ambushed. Nie Fancheng had always trusted him. Now, thinking back, it seed unusual. Why did Nie Fancheng fall into the trap of the Realm of Longevity so perfectly? It was because of this eunuch?
Eight peerless experts besieging Nie Fancheng in the Holy Capital of Li Fire?
"How did the battle go?" Zhong Shan asked again.
"With the Supre absent, and the Earth Master also not present, there was only the Emperor and another hidden Heaven-Realm expert from Great Li. That Heaven-Realm expert was ambushed by the eunuch and killed shortly after. The Emperor faced eight Heaven-Realm experts alone, but there were too many of them. They were too powerful. Even with the Mountains and Rivers Society Seal, the Emperor couldn't prevail!" the Phoenix recounted sorrowfully.
"Is Nie Fancheng truly dead?" Zhong Shan asked.
"The Emperor killed the eunuch and two Heaven-Realm experts from the Realm of Longevity wielding the Immortal Swords. He heavily injured Lu Gui Tian. But Daoist God Crow was too strong. The Emperor couldn't match him. In a desperate move, he self-destructed the Mountains and Rivers Society Seal, gravely injuring Daoist God Crow and even damaging his Immortal-Slaying Gourd! When the Supre arrived, the Emperor had already turned to ashes," the Phoenix said mournfully.
Nie Fancheng, having slain three Heaven-Realm experts and heavily injured Lu Gui Tian and Daoist God Crow?
"What happened to the Supre?" Wuluo imdiately asked.
"The Supre intended to avenge the Emperor but was gravely injured by the remaining attackers. Lu Gui Tian captured him and took him away! We were all severely injured and unable to move at that ti. If we hadn't been immobilized, we might have been slaughtered too," the Phoenix explained.
"Which direction did they go?" Wuluo pursued.
"Daoist God Crow, gravely injured, left alone in one direction. Prince Lietian headed towards Phoenix Island! Lu Gui Tian, Wu Huan, and Turtle Shou, along with the captured Supre, went southwest! We were all lying on the ground, our bones shattered, unable to move. If not for that, we might have been killed too!"
"What about the other officials?" Wuluo asked imdiately.
"With that eunuch's inside help, no matter how many subordinates there were, it would have been useless," Zhong Shan shook his head.
At this mont, Nie Qingqing's expression was vacant. The sudden blow was too much for her to bear. The front lines of the Great Li Celestial Empire were still engaged in battle, yet the capital had already turned to ruins?
The Emperor was dead? Nie Qingqing suddenly felt as if she had lost the entire world. In an instant, it was as if the sky had fallen, as if the world had ended.
Tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes. Her whole body weakened, and she collapsed to the ground.
"Your Highness, what should we do?" the Phoenix asked Wuluo.
"Emperor Zhong, please save the Supre!" Wuluo suddenly knelt before Zhong Shan.
Though Wuluo couldn't discern anything extraordinary about Zhong Shan, she knew he must be an exceptional person. Otherwise, why would both the Emperor and the Supre have summoned him? Now, with the Supre captured, the Phoenix clan would be dood if they couldn't rescue him. But who could they turn to for help in such dire tis? Zhong Shan was their only hope.
The sight of the Phoenixes bowing awakened the dazed Nie Qingqing. Seeing them, she bit her lip, forcibly suppressing her overwhelming sorrow.
"Zhong Shan, can you save the Supre?" Nie Qingqing looked at Zhong Shan with hope.
Taking a deep breath, Zhong Shan asked solemnly, "Why did they capture Wu Jiutian?"
"We don't know, we have no idea!" the Phoenixes responded quickly.
"How long ago did they leave?" Zhong Shan asked again.
"Ten days ago, they left ten days ago!" the Phoenixes answered hopefully.
"Your Majesty, can we catch up to them?" Wang Ku asked calmly.
"We should be able to. I don't know how powerful Nie Fancheng was exactly, but from his relentless slaughter of the Realm of Longevity's people, it's clear he hated them deeply. He even killed two Heaven-Realm experts wielding the Absolute Immortal Sword and the Trap Immortal Sword. Daoist God Crow must also be seriously injured. However, his suspicious nature led him to leave alone. As for the remaining ones, Lu Gui Tian, Wu Huan, and Turtle Shou, they were all heavily injured!" Zhong Shan analyzed.
"Everyone is heavily injured?" Wang Ku frowned.
"Prince Lietian went to Phoenix Island alone, indicating he's an exception. But between Wu Huan and Turtle Shou, at least one must be seriously injured!" Zhong Shan took a deep breath.
"They're heavily injured and carrying Wu Jiutian. They won't be moving fast," Wang Ku understood.
"Exactly, and I know where they're likely heading!" Zhong Shan's eyes narrowed.
"Please, Emperor Zhong, save the Supre!" Wuluo kowtowed to Zhong Shan.
"Get up! Transform into your true form and carry us!" Zhong Shan ordered.
"Yes!"
Wuluo transford back into her Phoenix form and swiftly carried Zhong Shan, Wang Ku, and Nie Qingqing in pursuit.
Nie Qingqing was in a daze, while Zhong Shan was deep in thought about the possible forthcoming events, unable to offer comfort. He rely held Nie Qingqing's hand tightly as a gesture of reassurance.
"Your Majesty, why would the Realm of Longevity besiege the Great Li Celestial Empire, forsaking all this fortune?" Wang Ku asked.
"The Realm of Longevity and the Taishui Celestial Empire have always been in collusion. The fall of the Great Li Celestial Empire benefits the Taishui Celestial Empire. As for the fortune? Once the other imperial dynasties annex the Great Li's lands, they can seize it back from them!" Zhong Shan answered without needing to think.
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