Chapter 2436 - The Song and Dance of the Phoenix

The sword was worn out with dull luster, and its edge was nicked in numerous places. Its surface was smeared with dried blood.

It wasn’t at all assuming, but when Luo Yao saw it, her pupils constricted.

Phoenix Song! The sword Li Fuyou had used in his life!

After Li Fuyou was surrounded and killed, Phoenix Song wound up in the Dipankara Buddha’s hands. Luo Yao and the others had always hoped to reacquire it, but they’d never succeeded.

They would never have guessed that Old Man Heart Demon had gotten his hands on it!

When Su Yi saw it, he was unwittingly stunned. His brow furrowed, and he seemed to realize something.

“Fellow Daoist, I’m sure you couldn’t be any more familiar with this sword,” said Old Man Heart Demon, gently stroking the blade, his voice gentle. “If I offered you this sword in exchange, might I acquire the power of reincarnation?”

He wanted to trade a relic of one of Su Yi’s past lives for the power of reincarnation! Even Progenitor Huan Yan and Progenitor Huang Qi were stunned.

It’s just a broken sword. How could Su Yi possibly agree to that?

But against all expectations, Su Yi fell silent!

Everyone keenly sensed that Phoenix Song must have extraordinary significance to Su Yi.

After a while, Su Yi said, “I’m curious. Just what kind of relationship do you have with the Dipankara Buddha, anyway?”

Old Man Heart Demon smiled warmly. “I’ll naturally be happy to tell you after you’ve made your decision.”

He glanced down at Phoenix Song. “You needn’t even try to make any counter offers, nor should you try to threaten me. If you agree, give up the secrets of reincarnation immediately. Refuse, and I’ll destroy the sword for good.”

His warm voice echoed throughout heaven and earth.

Everyone could see the dark look on Su Yi’s brow. There was no doubt about it; Old Man Heart Demon had found one of his weak points!

After a while, the rusted sword sheath floated above Su Yi’s hand. He said calmly, “You can destroy Phoenix Song, and I can rip the Outsider Celestial Demons up by the roots. It’s just a matter of who’s more ruthless. Go right ahead.”

The atmosphere was stifled and oppressive to the extreme.

Old Man Heart Demon gazed intently at Su Yi. “You'd rather risk a flaw in your Dao Heart than give up the secrets of reincarnation?”

Su Yi remained calm. “This might well influence my Dao Heart, but won’t it sever a lingering obsession and fetter from my past life, too?”

The others listened in, silently stunned. Only now did they realize that losing Phoenix Song would be enough to shake Su Yi’s Dao Heart!

In truth, this verbal confrontation was effectively a clash of the heart!

Old Man Heart Demon had taken out a weapon sufficient to leave flaws on Su Yi’s Dao Heart, but Su Yi had no intention of compromising. He instead saw it as a way to sever a lingering obsession, and he wanted to sever his fetters!

“Ling Mi, what exactly is going on here?” asked Progenitor Huan Yan.

Old Man Heart Demon said calmly, “A long time ago, Yi Daoxuan refined two swords, Phoenix Song and Phoenix Dance.

“One contained a wisp of his vital source energy, the other, some of Yu Xinyao’s, his Dao Partner.

“Phoenix Song belonged to Yi Daoxuan, while Phoenix Dance was Yu Xinyao’s personal weapon.”

Everyone was flabbergasted.

Wait

,

Yi Daoxuan and his Dao Partner are involved in this!?

Su Yi remained calm. He said nothing.

But Old Man Heart Demon continued, “Back then, in Qingwu Divine Court, Yu Xinyao sacrificed her life to create a path for Yi Daoxuan to escape.

“Yi Daoxuan managed to flee, and he took Phoenix Dance with him. He wanted to bring Yu Xinyao back after finding the power of reincarnation.

“Alas, he died without ever realizing this desire.

“During his years on the run, he seemed to realize that the trend was not in his favor, and that his good fortune had run out, so he fused the two swords into one and hid them in the Tianxiu Sword Shrine, the universally acknowledged sacred ground to the world’s sword cultivators.

“The sword wasn’t particularly strong, but it contained a portion of Yi Daoxuan and Yu Xinyao’s vital source energy.

“Not long after, Yi Daoxuan died.”

Old Man Heart Demon looked at Su Yi. “Years later, a sword cultivator known as Li Fuyou arrived in the God Domain, exploring everything beneath the heavens.

“Later, perhaps by coincidence, perhaps as an act of fate, Li Fuyou made it to the Tianxiu Sword Shrine, where he claimed the fused Phoenix Song.”

Here, everyone finally understood how Yi Daoxuan’s Phoenix Song had become Li Fuyou’s.

From beginning to end, Su Yi just stood there quietly, not saying a word or expressing any emotions whatsoever. He just took occasional sips from his jug of wine.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Old Man Heart Demon continued, “Li Fuyou was Yi Daoxuan’s reincarnation. He might never have awakened Yi Daoxuan’s memories, but he naturally grasped the secret hidden within Phoenix Song.

“Before his death, Li Fuyou protected Phoenix Song with his life, ensuring it remained intact. He presumably did so to protect the secret hidden inside it.

“Unfortunately for him, although he protected the sword, he died, just like Yi Daoxuan before him.

“And the sword wound up in the Dipankara Buddha’s possession.”

By now, all was clear. Everyone finally understood why Old Man Heart Demon would offer Su Yi the sword in exchange for the power of reincarnation.

The reason was simple. The sword wasn’t important, but the wisp of Yu Xinyao’s vital source energy was of the utmost importance!

If he traded the power of reincarnation for the sword, he’d be buying Yu Xinyao a chance at rebirth.

And Su Yi was, after all, Yi Daoxuan and Li Fuyou’s reincarnation!

Su Yi finally spoke, his expression as calm as ever. “Did the Dipankara Buddha tell you this?”

Old Man Heart Demon smiled faintly. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that Yu Xinyao was your Dao Partner, and she died saving your life. Now, you don’t even need to sacrifice yourself. Just give up the secrets of reincarnation, and you can buy her a chance at rebirth. Are you... really going to refuse?”

Luo Yao, Wen Qingfeng, and the others’ hearts were heavy. There was no denying that this hidden weapon of Old Man Heart Demon’s was far too potent!

Su Yi took another sip of wine and said, “Even if I bring her back, I’m afraid she won’t accept me, and I cannot possibly treat her as Yi Daoxuan did. Given that that’s the case, why would I accept your offer?”

He put his jug of wine away. “Admittedly, destroying Phoenix Song will affect my Dao Heart, but... that’s the extent of it.”

Old Man Heart Demon frowned. “Truly?”

“Why not try it?” said Su Yi.

Old Man Heart Demon took a deep, hard look at Su Yi. “I wouldn’t have guessed you’d be this heartless. No wonder you killed your old friends without hesitation before departing Dao-Seeking City.”

It was fine until he brought it up, but the mere mention of this incident filled Luo Yao and the others’ hearts with indescribable hatred and grief.

Who could have forgotten the sight of Su Yi personally sending their old friends into the cycle of reincarnation, one by one?

Su Yi said calmly, “I did indeed kill them, but that doesn’t mean I can’t one day bring them back through the cycle of reincarnation.”

He paused, then added, “But if I rip the Outsider Celestial Demons up by the roots, they’ll be gone for good. I won’t leave a single one behind.”

Old Man Heart Demon’s eyes narrowed. “You aren’t afraid of threats. Naturally, I’m not either. In that case, Phoenix Song is no longer useful to me, so I might as well just destroy it.”

He drew his finger through the air as if to destroy the sword, but then...

Boom!

The blood-red clouds of the Tribulation of the Five Witherings descended with thunderous fury. Tribulation light danced through the air like flurries in a blizzard.

Practically simultaneously, Progenitor Huan Yan and Progenitor Huang Qi took action.

Progenitor Huang Yan raised her hand and tossed a bronze mirror into the air. The surface lit up with resplendent light, like a blooming lotus, creating a vision of a boundless, flowing current.

The flowing water reflected countless radiant full moons. Each full moon was like a mysterious, inscrutable glyph of the Grand Dao, and each contained its own illusory world.

The countless radiant moons floated in the water, like countless bobbing worlds of illusions. The sight was grand, vast, and astonishing.

Water Moon Flower Mirror

The name was taken from the idiom “Flowers in a mirror, the moon reflected on the water.” It referred to that which could be seen but not touched.

This was Progenitor Huan Yan’s hidden killer weapon! She wouldn’t use it lightly, so when she did, it meant she wanted to determine a victor in a single strike!

Kaboom!

Luo Yao and the others’ souls suffered a heavy impact. Their awarenesses were clouded, and their memories were in chaos.

Practically instantaneously, they sensed someone manipulating their consciousnesses. All of them charged uncontrollably at Su Yi!

Progenitor Huang Qi, meanwhile, gripped a bloody halberd and slashed from afar.

Wham!

Countless blood-red divine chains manifested around Su Yi, intertwining to seal the area around him completely. He was trapped!

From a distance, it looked as if a cage of blood-red chains had enveloped Su Yi, trapping him with Luo Yao and the others—who were currently trying to kill him!

The Blood Void Halberd!

This was Progenitor Huang Qi’s ultimate killer weapon. It could sever space, cleave through the five elements, and invert Yiin and Yang. It was a supreme killer weapon forged with spatial Laws.

A single strike was enough to slaughter a Nine-Tribulation Master God!

Just like Progenitor Huan Yan, Progenitor Huang Qi drew on his killer weapon immediately. He wasn’t holding back at all. He was trying to end this in a single strike!

He wasn’t planning to give Su Yi any chance to fight back or struggle!

Beneath the dome of heaven, the Well of Ancient Chaos shifted. It erupted with far-reaching chaos light, blocking the Tribulation of the Five Witherings.

Old Man Heart Demon had been on the verge of breaking Phoenix Song when he laughed and tossed the sword away.

Clang!

The sword erupted with dazzling sword qi, and two figures floated above it.

The first was Yi Daoxuan, the other was a tranquil, ethereal beauty: Yu Xinyao!

The two of them joined hands, then worked together to swing Phoenix Song through the air.

Boom!

Formless sword qi cleaved directly into Su Yi’s heart.

Yi Daoxuan and Yu Xinyao’s figures appeared reflected in the world of his heart.

Deep within Su Yi’s heart, Yi Daoxuan’s memories fully reawakened.

“If you kill Xinyao, you’ll destroy your own Dao Heart! Don’t forget that she died for you!” Yi Daoxuan roared.

“Daoxuan, let him kill me. Ultimately, he isn’t you, and hasn’t been for a long time. Killing these imprints of us will be good for him,” Yu Xinyao said with a sigh.

...As these voices rang out, memories of Yi Daoxuan and Yu Xinyao flooded into Su Yi’s heart like a tidal wave or avalanche, assailing it like mad.

Su Yi’s heart was under an unprecedentedly powerful attack!