The Immortal’s "White Moonlight" Reborn - Chapter 50

Wen Qiwu is forced into a soft embrace, unable to move.

“My Queen, the Trial Grounds are waiting only for you.” A Bi Fang bird spiraled down, landing gracefully. As she reported on the status of the trials, her ruby-red eyes kept darting curiously toward Wen Qiwu.

“I understand.” The Bi Fang Queen frowned slightly. Though she was reluctant to leave, the youth of her tribe could not enter the Trial Grounds without her presence. She would have to make haste.

“My Queen, who is she?” the messenger bird chirped, her curiosity piqued. For some reason, she felt an overwhelming urge to nuzzle against this beautiful “human.”

The Bi Fang Queen’s eyes curved beautifully. “She is a child of another tribe.”

“Here, take this.” The Queen placed a feather-shaped token into Wen Qiwu’s hand. With this, she could move freely within the Bi Fang territory. “You are welcome to visit our tribe as a guest at any time.”

Having delivered the token, the Queen pulled the lingering messenger bird away toward the trials. As they flew, she noticed her tribeswoman was unusually distracted.

“What are you thinking about?”

“The member of the Feather Clan from just now…” the bird answered instinctively.

The Bi Fang Queen looked back, her expression thoughtful. “You like that child too?”

The messenger bird nearly fell out of the sky in her haste to explain. “No, no! I… I just felt a natural urge to be close to her. Yes, purely that!”

Because it is “pure,” that child must be hiding a significant secret, the Queen thought. She had initially assumed her own fondness was just a personal whim, but if the girl attracted other birds as well, she would have to re-evaluate what this “fondness” truly signified.

In ancient times, only the Phoenix Clan could command such instinctive closeness from all birds. However, the Bi Fang Queen was young among the avian sovereigns; she had never seen a Phoenix and did not recognize the pull of that ancient bloodline.

I’ve left a token on her. Once the trials are over, I shall investigate this personally.

Wen Qiwu gripped the token, staring in the direction the Bi Fang Queen had vanished, appearing slightly dazed.

Her thoughts, however, had nothing to do with the Queen. She was thinking about… certain small habits her Senior Sister had when drawing her sword.

Most people would think all sword cultivators gripped their hilts the same way, but everyone had their own unique nuances, details the cultivators themselves might not even notice. Only someone who knew them intimately would spot such things.

Having practiced alongside her Senior Sister every single day since childhood, how could Wen Qiwu not be familiar with them?

When too many coincidences align, they cease to be coincidences. Wen Qiwu decided she should take the initiative to peel back the secret “Fellow Daoist Yu” was hiding.

“Fellow Daoist Wen.”

Wen Qiwu felt a gentle tug on her sleeve. She noticed the nervous expression on her companion’s face. How to describe it… since her return, she often saw this same insecurity in her Senior Sister a fear that the moment she let go, Wen Qiwu would vanish.

Her heart softened, and she instinctively moved to comfort her. Then, she remembered: this was “Yu Hengwei,” not “Senior Sister.” She swallowed the words she was about to say.

Right. Senior Sister needs my comfort, but “Daoist Yu” certainly doesn’t. After all, we aren’t that close, Wen Qiwu thought with a mental huff.

And if it IS Senior Sister… then she definitely isn’t getting any comfort right now!

“The Bi Fang Queen is gone. Shall we set out as well?” Yu Hengwei asked. Her voice sounded slightly sharp, as if she had just swallowed a bowl of vinegar.

Wen Qiwu glanced at the slender fingers clutching her sleeve. A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on her lips before she parted them to say a simple, “Alright.”

The Feather Clan’s Trial Grounds were located near the Tomb of the Phoenix Sovereign. The avian sovereigns likely knew the general location of the tomb, but as no one had been able to enter for millennia, they could only observe it from the outside.

Yu Hengwei led Wen Qiwu in a wide arc around the Trial Grounds, heading directly for the spatial rift that led into the tomb.

As they neared the site, the surroundings became increasingly unsettled. The demonic creatures and vengeful spirits wandering the earth were no longer the “small fry” that could be cleared by a single arrow. Before being slain and suppressed by the Phoenix Sovereign, many had been world-renowned overlords, some even at the True Immortal Realm in life. Even as mere remnants, they were formidable opponents.

Something must have happened to allow these suppressed entities to break free.

Their progress slowed. For some reason, Yu Hengwei had shifted into a purely protective stance. Her attacks were steady and cautious, a far cry from the slaughter she had unleashed in the mist.

“Fellow Daoist Yu, is something wrong?” Wen Qiwu noticed her companion was constantly scanning the perimeter, seemingly afraid to go all out. Was there something here that demanded such extreme vigilance?

“Look ahead. That skeleton in the gold-threaded black robes—do you see him? I suspect he was one of the Demon Lords executed by the Empress. It’s said the weakest among them was at the early stage of the True Immortal Realm,” Yu Hengwei said, pointing toward a skeletal figure lurking among the spirits.

“True Immortal Realm…” Wen Qiwu braced herself. Even if it was a ten-thousand-year-old corpse, the title “True Immortal” demanded her full attention.

“Don’t be afraid. The Empress didn’t just suppress them; their power has been drained over ten millennia until less than a tenth remains. They aren’t that difficult to handle.”

I will protect you, Yu Hengwei promised silently.

She pierced several lunging monsters with ice needles. Her voice wasn’t overly tender, but it carried a reassuring weight.

No monster could get close to Wen Qiwu; those that tried were turned into ice dust. Yu Hengwei shielded her perfectly, while Wen Qiwu provided cover by sniping distant threats, easing the burden on her companion.

“But… I am worried about something else,” Yu Hengwei added, her brow furrowed. “The Empress also suppressed a True Demon of the Divine Realm. Now that these things are out, I don’t know if that Divine-level remnant has stirred.”

She didn’t fear True Immortal remains, but jumping an entire major realm… Yu Hengwei remembered being forcibly ejected from the tomb decades ago. The gap between the True Immortal and Divine Realms was too vast; she didn’t want to take risks.

“A True Demon of the Divine Realm…” Wen Qiwu felt a prickle of unease. This was not a place to linger.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet shook violently, much like the tremors in the Endless Sea of Trees. But there was no explosion of fire. Instead, the sky turned pitch black in an instant.

As night fell, the number of monsters multiplied. Yu Hengwei’s heart sank. Realizing she could no longer hold back, she decided to carve a direct path to the tomb. But if she fought for real, she would have to use her sword.

She suddenly pulled Wen Qiwu into her arms, pressing her head against her chest. Using a God-Stride technique, she surged forward, her mind-controlled sword clearing a path with brutal efficiency.

Wen Qiwu was forced into a soft embrace, enveloped by a faint, cool fragrance. After a moment of shock, she struggled to move, only to be held even tighter. She didn’t dare move again.

Yu Hengwei followed the route from her memory. It had been decades, so finding the exact spot took some time. Eventually, she noticed the density of monsters was thinning in one direction. She made a split-second decision to move that way. In the blink of an eye, she landed with Wen Qiwu at the base of a cliff covered in rubble.

This is it.

Yu Hengwei loosened her grip. Wen Qiwu scrambled out of the embrace, gasping for air. Yu Hengwei didn’t realize what was wrong until Wen Qiwu, face flushed red, whispered, “That hold… was a bit suffocating.”

Suffocating?

Yu Hengwei recalled the position they were in. Suddenly, her face began to burn fiercely.

“I-I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

You’re planning on a “next time”?! Wen Qiwu shot her a silent, wide-eyed glare.

“This is the entrance to the Phoenix Sovereign’s Tomb. The monsters won’t dare come here for now, but that might change. Quickly, see if you can enter,” Yu Hengwei said, desperately trying to change the subject.

Wen Qiwu made a mental note to settle this later and turned her attention to the surroundings. It looked like an ordinary, unremarkable rock pile.

“But there’s nothing here but rubble” Before she could finish, Yu Hengwei grabbed her wrist and pressed her palm against the largest boulder.

The moment her hand touched the stone, a glowing Fire Phoenix sigil flickered into existence. A vertical spatial rift opened above the rocks. Even from the outside, the searing heat from within was palpable. This was the entrance.

“It really is here!”

Wen Qiwu reached out to test the rift, but before she could touch it, a sudden force repelled her hand. If Yu Hengwei hadn’t reacted instantly to pull her back, Wen Qiwu might have been injured.

The Phoenix Sovereign’s Tomb was refusing her entry?

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