Chapter 772: We Are One Family

The Taiqing Grandmaster's eidolon bore tremendous strength. Xiao Nanfeng, controlling the eidolon, whipped the horsetail whisk in Lou Yujing's direction. A river of red energy surged toward him, vast and coursing with incredible strength. It broke through the stalemate between the two lunar domains as it headed toward Lou Yujing.

Lou Yujing grimaced. With a wave of his arm, he caused the void to fracture around him as he unleashed a storm of crescent blades.

The blades struck the red river in an earth-shattering explosion. Even the void reeled from the impact.

The Taiqing Grandmaster's eidolon stepped forward and phased through the lunar domains. He arrived instantly before Lou Yujing and struck him with his palm.

"You bastard, do you really think you can fight me now that you have the grandmaster's eidolon? Vitality!" Lou Yujing invoked.

Even more energy flooded into Lou Yujing's body. He suddenly expanded in size as his palm rose into the heavens to defend against the Taiqing Grandmaster's eidolon.

Both cultivators were incredibly strong. Their attacks caused the void to ripple as a firestorm formed around them.

From afar, all that could be seen was a sphere of red light hovering in the air, surrounded by flashes of fire and wind. A huge fight was clearly unfolding, but it was obscured from everyone's sight.

The Loss Diagram, which had been able to seal even Saint Chi Hai, clearly possessed incredible strength. Despite having a saint's powers, Lou Yujing was unable to take Xiao Nanfeng down.

Meanwhile, Tu Feng arrived at Hongyue's capital.

Hongyue's capital was surrounded by a defensive formation that no ordinary person could bypass, even a Boundless Immortal—but Tu Feng was hardly ordinary.

An official responsible for maintaining the formation around Hongyue's capital was bowing toward Tu Feng within a forest.

"Third Elder, everything is ready. Please follow me."

Tu Feng nodded and flew into Hongyue's capital behind the official.

There were plenty of followers of the Tu clan who had secured high-ranking positions in Hongyue.

Tu Jiuniang, who thought that all the high-ranking members of the Tu clan except for her was dead, naturally didn't guard against the possibility that one might still be alive.

To the Tu clan's followers, though Tu Jiuniang might have been the empress of Hongyue, Tu Feng held the higher position.

Tu Feng was the de facto leader of the Tu clan out in the wider world.

At that moment, he was stealthily bypassing the defensive formation by Hongyue's capital with the help of the official guiding him. Then, he quickly made it into the palace.

In a certain hall, Tu Jiuniang was eyeing her subordinates. She wanted to know how the various fights were progressing in real time.

"Is there still no news from Shenfeng's capital?" Tu Jiuniang asked anxiously.

One of her subordinates pointed at another. "The spies at Shenfeng's capital were all suddenly disabled, perhaps because of the effect of the loss chants. He's close by but far enough from the capital to have avoided those effects."

Everyone turned to the designated official, who bowed. "I can barely get a glimpse of what's going on, Your Majesty. There's a red full moon and a red waning moon hanging in the air high above me. His Majesty is fighting against a giant within a firestorm. I cannot clearly identify what's going on within, but I can sense the powerful shockwaves radiating from the two combatants' attacks even from afar."

"And?"

"I cannot say, Your Majesty. I don't dare approach. I can hear snippets of chanting that leave my mind foggy. I'm fleeing as quickly as I can."

"Continue keeping an eye on Shenfeng's capital. Let me know immediately if there's any further development," Tu Jiuniang instructed.

"Understood!"

"And what about the fights elsewhere?"

"Outside Taixu, His Majesty's avatar is still embroiled in an intense fight with the Divine Emperor. Li Qianjun is suffering against the Demon Child and Ye Sanshui, and he's growing weaker and weaker."

"Yang Chuan is defending Yongding and is exceptionally strong. Even with two Boundless Immortal relics, Yuan Wudi is being pushed back," another subordinate reported.

Tu Jiuniang nodded. She cared little about Li Qianjun and Yuan Wudi; all she wanted was to ensure that Lou Yujing lived.

Just then, another official suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I just caught a small fox from the Tu clan. I've brought it to the palace. What should I do with it?"

Tu Jiuniang frowned. "Don't bother me with such trifles. Go kill it. I care only for His Majesty's battlefield."

"Understood!" The official lowered his gaze and continued, "Your Majesty, that fox mentioned that, while running, it was caught by Xiao Nanfeng's subordinates. It apparently knows about some secret of Xiao Nanfeng, but it refuses to tell anyone but you."

"Oh? Who's the fox?" Tu Jiuniang's interest was quickly piqued.

She cared only for Lou Yujing. Any information related to him, she was interested in. Lou Yujing was currently fighting against Xiao Nanfeng, so Xiao Nanfeng's secrets would be crucial information.

"It's Tu Liushan's granddaughter," the official reported.

"Her? I heard she was rescued by the spectral guards. To think she was caught again! Bring her to me," Tu Jiuniang said. The next moment, she got up. "I'll join you. It'll be faster that way."

"Understood!" The official bowed.

He brought Tu Jiuniang toward a compound for prisoners in the palace. All the guards bowed as she walked in.

From afar, she could see a small fox curled up on the ground in the distance, blood streaking its body.

"It is her." Tu Jiuniang's eyes lit up as she flew over.

The official who had escorted her here told the others, "Her Majesty is going to interrogate a member of the Tu clan. They may discuss secrets we're not privy to. We'll stay here and wait for Her Majesty to summon us."

"Understood!" the other officials chorused.

They were aware that this official was one of Tu Jiuniang's confidantes, who had been with her from the start. No one questioned his judgment, and the kit they had captured did come from the Tu clan. Despite the fact that fog suddenly filled the courtyard, no one believed that anything was amiss.

After all, Tu Jiuniang was a Boundless Immortal. What could happen to her within the palace?

As Tu Jiuniang flew into the courtyard, a formation activated. Thick fog rose up around her.

She frowned, instantly realizing that something was amiss. She was shocked. Had her confidante betrayed her?

"Jiuniang, why are you fleeing?" a familiar voice called out.

Tu Jiuniang stopped short and looked back at a green-robed man in shock.

"You! How are you still alive?!" Tu Jiuniang exclaimed.

"Granduncle!" The pitiful kit leapt up into the green-robed man's lap.

The green-robed man patted the fox in consolation and passed it to a subordinate standing behind him. "Leave. Let me talk with Jiuniang."

"Understood!" everyone in the courtyard chorused.

Clearly, they were all loyal to Tu Feng.

Tu Jiuniang shuddered as she looked at Tu Feng. Her body seemed to turn cold. In fear, she ventured, "Third Brother, w-weren't you executed in the Imperial Court?"

"Are you hoping that I was?" Tu Feng retorted, meeting her gaze.

"I..." Tu Jiuniang's face turned progressively whiter.

Tu Feng glanced at her impassively. He took a deep breath. You're the youngest of us nine siblings. You were very mischievous in your youth, and you made a fuss even before you were born. You would frequently disturb our mother while she was trying to rest, and she suffered as a result. While carrying you to term, she suffered an enemy assault and gave birth to you prematurely. As a result, she almost died."

"I—" Tu Jiuniang pursed her lips.

"You were born weak, and Father infused all the Immortal qi he had just cultivated into your body. His hair turned white overnight, and he only recovered after prolonged rest.

"Even so, no one blamed you. Everyone cherished and doted on you.

"While we were in the green knoll hidden realm, though we were beset by enemies on all fronts, we always, always let you have your way. We banded together against anyone who dared to bully you.

"I remember that one year, you made a fuss about wanting a red damask robe. Sixth Brother braved enemy territory and almost died for you in order to snatch you one.

"I remember that one year, you reached a bottleneck in your cultivation and was stymied. Fourth Sister spat out her own inner core and distilled it for you so that you could break through.

"We didn't care that you were willful; everyone was willing to support you because we were family.

"When Mother died, she kept telling us to take care of you, that you were mischievous and disobedient, that we needed to help you out.

"When Father died, he told us to keep our family united, to care for and cherish one another.

"All these years, despite all the life-and-death struggles we faced, we faced them together with each other's help.

"For you siblings, I was willing to become a Martial Aspect in the Imperial Court and suffer in silence. I would rather have died than reveal any information about you, because I know that we're family.

"Fourth Sister was always thoughtful. As a youth, she would let you tag along with her wherever she went.

"Sixth Brother would let you ride on his neck and go shopping with you. He didn't care that you frequently made obnoxious demands and laughed everything off.

"Eighth Brother always shared whatever pills and herbs he found with you first.

"And Eldest and Second Brothers fought to give up their opportunity to leave the green knoll hidden realm for you.

"Have you forgotten how everyone treated you?

"Or have we been a joke to you all along? Were we just people you could take advantage of when we were useful, and discarded when we weren't?"

Tu Jiuniang stumbled back and almost fell to the ground. Her face contorted in fear as she began to cry. "I, I wasn't planning to. I—"

"Is Lou Yujing really more important than the rest of us to you? You'd sacrifice us all for him?" Tu Feng demanded.