Chapter 969: Breaking the Barrier

The long feather ignited without flame. From afar, it looked like a phoenix undergoing nirvana, reborn in fire.

The Nine Phoenix King flapped her wings and flew toward the celestial barrier, hurling the long feather down.

Fiery radiance descended from the heavens. Like the slanting rays of a setting sun, it sank into the clouds. The long feather struck the celestial barrier, instantly triggering its violent counterattack.

Boom!

Like a stone thrown into water, it stirred up waves upon waves.

Flames and clouds clashed, an immense surge erupted outward, the rolling clouds tried to force the feather back, even the ground beneath their feet trembled.

Qin Sang steadied himself, staring in shock at the scene within the celestial barrier. The Nine Phoenix King actually dared to attack it!

That long feather, whose origin he did not know, was not annihilated by the barrier’s counterforce. Instead, it remained dazzling, like a blazing sun, gradually pushing through the clouds and sinking deeper.

The Nine Phoenix King moved faster, casting countless runes that flowed like streams, urging the feather to burrow deeper into the clouds.

The celestial barrier’s retaliation grew fiercer, striking not only the feather but also the phoenix flag array.

The array sealed off the space, suppressing the anomaly. At first, it was easy, but as the feather and the barrier clashed more violently, it began to falter.

Ripples appeared in the void. The phoenix phantom, which had been hidden, flickered in and out of sight. At the points taking the brunt of the impact, cracks appeared, showing signs of collapse. It was uncertain how much longer the phoenix flag array could last.

The struggle between the long feather and the celestial barrier clearly would not end quickly.

The feather vanished into the depths of the clouds. From outside, only faint glimmers of flame could be seen.

Qin Sang secretly roused the Sky-Eyed Butterfly. Only then could he barely glimpse the feather slowly descending through layer upon layer of clouds. Though the feather’s true body was hidden, the phoenix phantom upon its surface grew clearer. Around the enchanting phantom, strange ripples of space appeared. These ripples bypassed the celestial barrier and traversed freely within, wondrous and mysterious.

The celestial barrier, unable to stop the feather’s advance, seemed to recognize the Nine Phoenix King as its master. The clouds surged into crashing waves, transforming into beams of light that blasted outward.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The Nine Phoenix King, standing nearest, bore the brunt. Her expression shifted. Tilting her head, she let out a sharp cry as her aura soared. At the same time, the feather erupted with blazing fire, scattering the beams at the last instant, forming a flaming shield that suppressed the barrier’s counterstrike.

Were it not for the phoenix flag array, such commotion would have long since alerted every cultivator inside Seven-Kill Hall. Even so, the aftermath leaked out.

The Nine Phoenix King twisted and dodged amid the waves of energy, while the phoenix flag array had to endure the strikes head-on.

Deafening booms resounded. The flags trembled violently, swaying as though about to collapse.

Without needing her order, Fairy Caiyi and the other demons pressed their palms against the phoenix flags and activated the secret technique to the best of their abilities, stabilizing the array.

Qin Sang followed suit, though he deliberately held back, conserving his strength. He was waiting. If the anomaly could be exposed and draw the attention of a Spiritual Infant cultivator, he would not hesitate to strike. But such a chance was hard to seize.

The Spiritual Infant cultivators were far away. By the time they discovered the disturbance and arrived, Qin Sang would already have been slain by the demons. Even if the Nine Phoenix King were hunted down and killed in the end, it would bring him no benefit.

With their support, the phoenix flag array, though shaky, became more stable than before. Sensing this, the Nine Phoenix King kept her focus firmly on the feather.

By now, it had vanished into the depths of the clouds. Inside, chaos reigned. Even the Sky-Eyed Butterfly could no longer see anything. Qin Sang had to let it withdraw its power.

Unable to glimpse what lay within, Qin Sang grew even more uneasy. He could not gauge the right moment. What troubled him most was his ignorance of the Nine Phoenix King’s true aim, leaving him with nothing to do but wait.

Time passed, and the feather pressed deeper into the barrier. The counterattacks were sharp, yet the feather suppressed them, astonishing the demons. None could fathom what kind of treasure it was, that it could even overwhelm a celestial barrier.

Before long, the Nine Phoenix King changed her hand seal. She spat out a stream of red clouds, fusing it into the feather. Her eyes glared at the barrier, and she shouted, "Break!"

Rumble!

The clouds erupted in a storm. Its backlash flung her violently backward. Feathers on her body shattered, scorched as though burned, leaving her in a wretched state.

She ignored her wounds, her gaze locked on the celestial barrier. In that instant, the feather burned out its last flames, successfully piercing through the barrier and falling into a hidden region below, shrouded in darkness.

Like a sunset glow, the feather plummeted into the black void, its brilliance fading in an instant until it vanished.

Outside the barrier... The phoenix flag array, battered by the counterforce, finally collapsed. Without the demons to support it, the flags shattered, their spiritual essence lost, crumbling to dust under the impact. The array could no longer suppress the anomaly.

The Nine Phoenix King snapped back to herself. With rapid seals, she detonated the remaining flags, drawing on the last of the array's strength. Then she gave a command, "Retreat!"

"We’re leaving already?" Fairy Caiyi and the others were stunned.

They had thought she broke the barrier to enter the inner hall or seize some treasure. Instead, she merely sent in a feather and immediately ordered retreat.

None of them could guess her purpose. Her command brooked no doubt. She turned and left.

The celestial barrier seemed to unleash a chain reaction. Waves of force erupted one after another, even disturbing distant parts of the barrier. Terrifying pulses spread out, making their scalps tingle.

The demons dared not linger, scrambling after the Nine Phoenix King. They had barely gone far when a deafening roar burst behind them. Startled, they turned and saw a beam of radiant light pierce through the collapsed array and surge skyward. The light pillar could be seen across the entire Seven-Kill Hall.

The phenomenon did not fade. Instead, it grew even stronger. From the distance, figures appeared over the mountains, their faces filled with suspicion as they stared at the light.

Soon after, powerful auras emerged from deep within the mountains. Streams of evasion light shot toward them at alarming speed. The Spiritual Infant grandmasters had indeed been alerted.

Faced with so many Spiritual Infant cultivators, the Nine Phoenix King’s expression hardened. She dared not be careless. Shifting back into human form, she waved her hand, concealing the demons’ presence. Then she led them to slip through the mountains, avoiding the incoming lights.

"Ninth Aunt, where are we going now?" Fairy Caiyi asked.

"Out of Seven-Kill Hall," the Nine Phoenix King said lightly.

Her words left the demons bewildered.

Has she really gone through all this trouble only to look at a ruined cave dwelling and send a feather into the inner hall?

She gave no explanation, and none dared to question her further. Silently, they followed her back toward Celestial Blossom Lake.

Without a jade token in her possession, and with higher cultivation suffering stronger shocks from the celestial array, she could not borrow the others' tokens. She could only rely on the same method she had used to enter to leave Seven-Kill Hall.