Volume 1, Chapter 420 – Huangze Mausoleum

“Is it an order from the Feather Emperor?”

Within the Feather Emperor Hall, the only person Qinglan knew was the Feather Emperor, Feng Yichuan.

“It is the Feather Emperor’s personal order.”

Cangyue nodded.

“Understood.”

Qinglan replied softly and slowly closed her eyes.

Not long ago, she had only just met Feng Yichuan once. As for this incarnation of Shi Lan’s, he had not expressed any stance.

With this demonic body here, the Lan Clan’s development in the demon domain would only go even more smoothly.

But Feng Yichuan clearly had no interest in interfering. Since he had agreed back then to let the Lan Clan remain, he naturally would not go back on his word, and had instead shown the Lan Clan considerable favor.

There were no blessings in this world that came for free. Qinglan understood that very clearly. What was owed now would have to be repaid in the future.

One did not summon someone without reason. Feng Yichuan had suddenly sent word, so he clearly had something arranged for her.

…

Early the next morning, Qinglan arrived at the Feather Emperor Palace.

The Feather Emperor Palace was different from the Feather Emperor Hall. The former was Feng Yichuan’s residence, while the latter was the central hub that ruled over the demon races within several million li around it, where Heaven Demons gathered like clouds and great demons were as numerous as carp in a river.

The Feather Emperor Palace extended no more than a thousand zhang across and lacked any overwhelming grandeur. Beneath green-tiled roofs stood rows of pavilions, their carved details delicate and elegant. Spiritual springs flowed among terraces and waterside kiosks, filling the air with a faint spiritual mist, like a heavenly paradise.

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The palace gates stood open. Before them stood a young woman dressed in a water-blue rainbow-feather robe, with fair skin and a temperament like the moon in the night sky, ethereal and graceful.

“The lord of the Lan Clan?”

Upon seeing Qinglan, the woman smiled as she spoke, her tone gentle as a breeze brushing the face.

“I am my lord’s attendant. Just call me Linghan. Please follow me.”

After Qinglan nodded, she turned and stepped forward.

“My lord has been waiting for quite some time.”

Following behind Linghan for the time it took half a stick of incense to burn, Qinglan heard a faint and drifting sound of a zither by her ear.

After passing around a great hall, they entered a courtyard, where a white figure was playing the zither in the yard.

Linghan stopped at the entrance to the courtyard and signaled for Qinglan to go in.

The instant Qinglan stepped into the courtyard, the music came to an abrupt halt.

Feng Yichuan, dressed in white, sat alone in the courtyard. His face was so beautiful it could almost be called peerless. Veiled in spiritual mist, he looked even more detached, like an immortal.

“The human race’s Dao of music is indeed wondrous. Thoughts and feelings that cannot conveniently be spoken aloud can all be poured out through melody.”

Feng Yichuan put away the ancient zither, his tone carrying a hint of emotion.

“I do not understand music.”

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Qinglan shook her head slightly, her expression as cold as ever. She could not understand the zither’s music, nor was she interested in this path.

Feng Yichuan had already seen the subtle differences between Qinglan and Shi Lan. He did not mind Qinglan’s somewhat indifferent reaction, and rose to his feet with the blood-colored folding fan in hand.

“The reason I called you here this time is to offer you a fortunate opportunity.”

At those words, Qinglan’s expression grew much more solemn. Danger often accompanied opportunity.

Her gaze swept toward the end of the folding fan in Feng Yichuan’s hand. Hanging there was a phoenix-shaped jade clasp, almost identical to the Divine Phoenix Heavenly Secret Jade in Shi Lan’s possession.

…

“Demon Emperor Huangze’s mausoleum?”

Hearing of the opportunity Feng Yichuan spoke of, Qinglan felt an inexplicable sense of absurdity.

Huangze’s mausoleum was no secret among the Demon Emperors. People had long been searching for the place where her bones were buried, but they had never found a thing.

It was only some time ago that news emerged from the Divine Phoenix clan, confirming the location of Huangze’s mausoleum.

Feng Yichuan lightly stroked the phoenix-shaped clasp in his palm, his expression somewhat complicated.

“This is the Divine Phoenix Heavenly Secret Jade, an indispensable item for opening Huangze’s mausoleum. It is divided into two pieces, yin and yang. The one in my hand is the yang jade. The other, the yin jade, was lost back in the Middle Antiquity…”

As Feng Yichuan spoke at length, Qinglan finally gained a rough understanding of the full story behind Huangze’s mausoleum.

In the Middle Antiquity, the demon race was at the height of its power. The Divine Phoenix clan alone had more than one Demon Emperor, so no one had any interest in Huangze’s mausoleum at all.

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At the time, the Divine Phoenix Heavenly Secret Jade became nothing more than a pair of symbolic jade pendants, passed among the upper echelons of the phoenix clan.

Later, after a Blood Phoenix at the Starfall Realm fell in the Chaotic Warlands, the yin jade vanished completely.

From that point onward, the sole remaining yang jade lost the ability to determine the mausoleum’s location. After changing hands many times, it eventually fell into the possession of Huang Xingyuan, the young mistress of the Divine Phoenix clan.

Feng Yichuan was not of the Divine Phoenix clan, yet in the unseen workings of fate, heaven had already decreed the bond. He married Huang Xingyuan as his wife.

After that, Huang Xingyuan fell on the battlefield beyond the realm, and this yang jade became one of her relics.

Feng Yichuan did not go into detail about this part and passed over it in a few words. When he had first met Shi Lan that day, it was precisely because the Divine Phoenix blood within her had stirred old memories that he had allowed the Lan Clan to remain.

Otherwise, Shi Lan would never have lived to see today, much less had the conversation that followed.

It was only recently that the Divine Phoenix clan came to him to reclaim the yang jade in his possession, to use as the key to open Huangze’s mausoleum.

“According to the records of the Divine Phoenix clan, Huangze’s mausoleum contains a great quantity of precious spiritual materials. Among them are several immortal roots that have already gone extinct in this world. Even Demon Emperors would find them of great use. But for the Divine Phoenix clan, the most important thing is still that complete Divine Phoenix Undying Scripture.”

The Divine Phoenix Undying Scripture was the Divine Phoenix clan’s supreme inherited treasure, an Emperor Scripture. The present Divine Phoenix clan possessed only incomplete fragments of it, which had greatly restricted the clan’s development in strength.

If one could obtain that Emperor Scripture, one would immediately become an honored guest of the Divine Phoenix clan.

Even though the Divine Phoenix clan no longer possessed the glory it had in the Middle Antiquity, it still had several Demon Emperors holding the line. To gain the support of such a force would undoubtedly allow one to rise at a single leap into one of the most sought-after top figures in the entire demon race.

After hearing Feng Yichuan’s account, Qinglan’s gaze flickered slightly.

Shi Lan had received an invitation from Chu Hanzhou, while on her side, she had also been given a place by Feng Yichuan.

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It could be said that among both the human race and the demon race, she now had support. When the mausoleum opened this time, she might gain enormously.

“There is still some time before the mausoleum opens. A single yang jade alone cannot sustain Demon Emperors entering, but there will surely be no lack of Heaven Demons. Prepare yourself wholeheartedly. Once inside, you will inevitably come into conflict with the other demon races.”

Perhaps thinking Qinglan would feel a great deal of pressure, Feng Yichuan immediately added,

“But you need not worry too much. When the time comes, I will arrange for twelve Heaven Demons to enter. You can act together with them then, and your safety will be assured.”

“Many thanks, Feather Emperor.”

Qinglan offered her thanks, took her leave, and withdrew from the courtyard.

Linghan was still waiting outside the courtyard entrance. Seeing Qinglan emerge, she gave a slight bow and escorted her out of the Feather Emperor Palace.

…

Qiongluo Realm, within a stretch of deep mountain ranges.

Molen led several runemasters at the front. Rune power wrapped around their legs, making them light as swallows. With each step they covered a hundred zhang, crossing mountains, rivers, and valleys as though walking on level ground.

Shi Lan walked unhurriedly behind them, her expression thoughtful.

Everything Qinglan had seen and heard had already been transmitted into her mind, and she had taken the matter of Huangze’s mausoleum to heart.

According to Feng Yichuan, Huangze’s mausoleum would inevitably become a cruel battlefield. Strengthening the golden body of her Nascent Soul was becoming ever more urgent.