The moment the gates of the Crystal Palace closed, all sound ceased, as if this place had been severed from the world.
The attacks of a sixth-realm Dharma Body expert landed on the palace, yet not even the slightest tremor could be felt.
"Good thing the gates closed quickly."
But Li Mo didn’t dare relax in the slightest.
It was hard to say which was more dangerous—the outside or the inside.
"Another Heavenly Phoenix Domain..."
Ying Bing lifted her face, her eyes reflecting a swirling, ever-shifting orb of light.
The radiance of the entire Crystal Palace originated from that ethereal glow suspended at the dome. Within it, scenes flickered—tribes, villages, cities—appearing and vanishing in turn.
It was as though there existed a world inside, constantly evolving, flourishing, and cycling through rebirth.
The familiarity rising from the depths of her soul reminded her at every moment—this Heavenly Phoenix Domain was real.
Tendrils of light coiled around the crystal coffin below, within which lay a faintly discernible figure, its features unclear.
"You have finally found this place."
Suddenly, a woman's voice echoed through the palace.
As the voice spoke, the swirling orb of light ceased its flickering, revealing a grand temple scene. Inside, a sacrificial ceremony seemed to be underway, with lifelike figures moving about as if real.
Then, abruptly, everyone froze—except for the woman standing atop the altar, who turned her gaze toward them.
Fresh blood trickled from Tian Miao’s lips again.
She had just attempted a divination technique, only to see utter chaos. She stopped immediately—otherwise, spitting a little blood would have been the least of her worries.
Li Mo tightened his grip on the Eighty Hammers, their weight lending him some comfort.
He activated his Heavenly Fate Eye at once.
But all it showed... was a string of question marks.
Young Li suddenly recalled Tian Miao’s words—there were three kinds of existences that were unfathomable, beyond the reach of fate’s scrutiny.
Beings of terrifying power... those possessing artifacts that shielded them from fate’s gaze... and those who did not belong to this world—like himself. His fate bore no color, and the Heavenly Fate Eye could not glimpse his future.
Which category did this one belong to?
Or perhaps... more than one?
The woman sighed, descending gracefully from the dreamlike orb of light.
She wore black robes somewhat resembling those of the Demon Summoning Sect, appearing around thirty years old yet exuding an air of weariness. Her features were sharp, her eyes a pale gray, shimmering with an otherworldly divinity as she regarded the three of them.
Her gaze lingered—specifically, on the ice block.
Li Mo’s first instinct was to block her line of sight, the faint glow of the Lunar Radiance flickering behind him.
But his spiritual sense detected no physical presence—as if she didn’t exist at all.
Uncertain, he decided to test it.
He casually tossed out a gold brick.
It passed straight through her body without resistance, landing with a heavy thud.
Li Mo relaxed slightly. If she was only a spiritual remnant, no matter how high her cultivation had been in life, she couldn’t compare to when she had a physical form.
He hefted his hammer and asked,
"Was it you who released the Black Nian Beast to kill the Ying clan’s people?"
"It was me, yet not me. To be precise—it was Him."
‘Qin Yuzhi’ shook her head, pointing at the figure in the crystal coffin.
Even after reading the diary on the murals, Li Mo was nearly lost in confusion.
So, the Black Nian Beast’s master was the Cloud Dream Ancestral God?
"Was the diary outside written by you?"
‘Qin Yuzhi’ nodded slightly.
"After I became the sect master of the Divine Sect and inherited the Dream Path, I sensed another consciousness awakening within me—replacing my true self. Later, I uncovered a secret through extensive research."
"The successors of the Nine Heavens are not inheritors."
"To resist the erosion of time, the inheritance is actually their seed of revival. The higher one’s cultivation, the more they resemble ‘Them,’ until finally, ‘They’ awaken within the successor’s body..."
‘Qin Yuzhi’ sighed. "Once I realized this, I began constructing the Cloud Dream Palace, sealing my physical body in the coffin and sending my spirit into the Heavenly Phoenix Domain, waiting for it all to end."
"Fortunately, before your return, Ancestral God Yuanhuang, He had yet to break free."
Ancestral God Yuanhuang?
Tian Miao was stunned.
Li Mo blinked—there was no way this was referring to him. That left only...
But Ying Bing had grown up with him since childhood. How could she be the Nine-Colored Yuanhuang, the one who led the Nine Heavens to descend?
The Phoenix Aura, Blood Phoenix Essence, and Jade Phoenix Divinity—these three relics of the Nine-Colored Yuanhuang’s legacy—were now in Ying Bing’s possession.
So, was that why she was mistaken?
He gave Ying Bing’s slender hand a subtle squeeze.
Qingyuan Sect’s Best Actress—activate!
"You’ve worked hard."
Ying Bing remained cold and aloof, like a goddess gazing down upon the mortal realm.
For her, this was simply acting naturally.
"I only followed your instructions." ‘Qin Yuzhi’ bowed again.
Witnessing this, Tian Miao’s thoughts churned. She had never expected such a turn of events.
No matter how clever she was, the sheer lack of information left her both shocked and bewildered.
There had once been internal strife among the Nine Heavens’ immortals—though the exact reasons remained unclear.
But it wasn’t hard to imagine why the Nine-Colored Yuanhuang would suppress the revival of the others.
"You seem... weaker than before?"
‘Qin Yuzhi’ narrowed her eyes slightly as she studied Ying Bing.
Ying Bing’s jade-like face remained expressionless.
"Are you probing me?"
Li Mo inwardly applauded. Ying Bing was truly Ying Bing—it didn’t even seem like acting.
Clearly, she had picked up a thing or two from the Best Actor...
‘Qin Yuzhi’ lowered her gaze, as if finally at peace.
"The Heavenly Phoenix Domain has always been yours. Please reclaim it to prevent the Great Dream Ancestral God’s revival. With you overseeing it, there will be no mishaps."
"Once that is done, open the coffin and let my physical body return to dust. Then, my duty will be fulfilled."
Ying Bing’s ice-mirror eyes flickered.
She, too, was curious—what exactly was this Heavenly Phoenix Domain?
But just then, Li Mo suddenly pulled her back.
"Wait—something’s wrong!"
Qin Yuzhi looked puzzled.
Li Mo turned to Tian Miao.
"Tian Miao, could you see her fate earlier?"
Tian Miao shook her head.
Li Mo grew even more certain. He turned back, his voice grave.
"Qin Yuzhi’s physical body is gone—only her spirit remains. There’s no way her fate should be invisible!"
"Unless... you’re not Qin Yuzhi at all!"