Beauty of Resilience – Ju Jingyi, Guo Junchen

At the dawn of the Hongmeng era, the realms of immortals, humans, and demons gradually took shape. Only the phoenix was born together with heaven and earth, undergoing Nirvana awakening after thousands of years, and then disappearing without a trace. In the human realm, the practice of cultivating immortality thrived in the Great Yuyu Kingdom. Every three years, whether nobles, aristocrats, or distinguished families, all those who reached the age of sixteen had to undergo the Immortal Mirror test of their aptitude. If chosen, they could be sent to the White Egret Academy.

Wei Lingyue, the third young miss of the Ministry of Rites, had outstanding talent and an extremely rare constitution. Her younger sister, Wei Jingyue, was also remarkable, and the two sisters were already famous both inside and outside the capital. On the other hand, Wei Zhi, a maid in the Ministry of Rites, was often referred to as a “broom star” and was despised by the entire household. Her greatest wish was to enter the academy through the Immortal Mirror selection, not only to change her own fate but also to provide a better life for her mother and younger brother, Wei Ye.

However, Wei’s mother, Lady Gu, believed that her daughter was born with a jinxed fate and only wanted to marry her off as soon as possible, even to a disabled man. At this moment, the Minister of Rites, Wei, learned that Wei Zhi was also on the list for the Immortal Mirror test. He instructed Wei Lingyue to take care of her sister and also to keep an eye on their maid to avoid bringing shame to the Ministry of Rites.

Wei Zhi tried various means to break free from her mother’s control and had no choice but to seek help from her third young miss. Fortunately, Wei Lingyue stood up for her and allowed her to join the group for the coming-of-age ceremony. With this arrangement, Lady Gu had no objections, and Wei Jingyue, although unable to understand her sister’s actions, did not interfere too much.

On the day of the Immortal Mirror, the streets were filled with carriages and horses, attracting the attention of the entire city’s population. Even children from poor families begged for alms along the way. The Wei sisters showed no intention of giving alms and the astute steward at the forefront immediately pushed the little beggar to the side of the road. With a command, the carriage procession continued on its way.

Wei Zhi kindly helped the little beggar to his feet, took out a few copper coins from her meager savings, and then noticed Yan Yue standing in the distance. The steward called for Wei Zhi to catch up with the group, while Yan Yue watched her receding figure with growing curiosity, unable to understand how a mortal could see him.

Numerous noble young men and women made their appearance one after another, including Ming Lang, the young lord of Gu Cheng on the border, Liu Chang, the son of the mighty general, and Xiao Jin, the son of the treasurer of Bao Sheng Money House and the deputy minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Before long, the Court Scholar arrived to preside over the event, and dozens of people were grouped for the Immortal Mirror test, until Wei Zhi and the others stood before the mirror. Suddenly, a resplendent and radiant phoenix descended from the sky, enveloping the entire three realms.

With the appearance of the phoenix, the glory of the Huarong Empire was revived, and news of the Immortal Mirror spread rapidly. The rulers of the three realms all paid attention to this matter. The Court Scholar reported to the human emperor, believing that the phoenix was an auspicious symbol, indicating that the Great Yuyu Kingdom would thrive. However, finding the true phoenix among the eighteen candidates would take some time. The urgent task was to admit them to the White Egret Academy and seek guidance from experts.

Since the phoenix was currently in its infancy and its bloodline was hidden deep within, its power would become unrivaled in the three realms after three bloodline awakenings. To prevent the forces of demons and monsters from coveting its power, the heavenly emperor ordered Yan Yue, the Lord of the Scarlet Sun, to descend to the mortal realm and find the phoenix. Qing Huan, the leader of the Heavenly Guard, would assist him throughout the mission. Upon receiving the news, Yan Luo, the son of the heavenly empress, immediately brought Yin Er from the Eastern Kitchen to accompany Yan Yue. However, Yan Yue reminded his younger brother Yan Luo to return quickly and serve the Heavenly Court instead of wandering around aimlessly.

Lady Gu opposed Wei Zhi’s cultivation at the White Egret Academy, holding a grudge against her for indirectly causing the death of her husband and father ten years ago. Young Wei Ye, with a strong determination, supported his sister wholeheartedly. With his encouragement, Wei Zhi resolutely followed the Wei family’s caravan to the White Egret Academy, leaving behind a farewell letter to her mother.

The Taoist at the mountain gate had been waiting outside the academy for a long time, emphasizing the strict rules that only students were allowed inside. The Wei sisters dumped their heavy luggage on Wei Zhi and assigned her the worst room. However, Wei Zhi didn’t care about these things as long as she could complete her cultivation and achieve enlightenment.

Yan Yue, disguised as a Penglai Immortal Envoy, assumed the role of the master, and upon his arrival, he reprimanded the gossipy Bao Liang to serve as a warning. After the entrance ceremony for the disciples concluded, the dean, Jing Xiu, had a private conversation with Yan Yue, expressing concern that their long-standing acquaintance with the Court Scholar might affect their impartiality in selecting the phoenix. To reassure Jing Xiu, Yan Yue stated that the true phoenix was destined by fate and could not be changed by anyone.

Subsequently, Yan Yue gathered the disciples to study the academy’s rules. The disciples were controlled by a spell, and by the end of the morning class, they were already exhausted. Wei Jingyue publicly humiliated Wei Zhi, while those who sought to gain favor with Yan Yue followed suit. Fortunately, Ming Lang and Liu Chang stepped forward to resolve the situation. Meanwhile, the demons lurking around the academy attempted to spy, and when Wei Zhi came to deliver Yan Yue’s clean clothes, they easily broke the barrier on her room door. Yan Yue approached Wei Zhi and in his mind, he saw a scene of her wearing a wedding dress, feeling a sharp pain in his chest.

With just one glance, Yan Yue saw Wei Zhi’s future: she was dressed in a red wedding gown, tears streaming down her face, and eventually perished in a sea of fire, causing him unbearable heartache. Upon learning this, Qing Huan warned Yan Yue not to let compassion cloud his judgment, as the fate of mortals was theirs to change. If Yan Yue insisted on interfering, he would face severe punishment according to heavenly rules. Yan Yue was well aware of the strict regulations, but he had no idea that Qing Huan was secretly tasked by the Heavenly Emperor to monitor his every move and prevent him from repeating past mistakes.

In the following days, the disciples officially began their training, while the demons from the demon realm kept a close watch, especially on Yan Yue’s use of celestial spells. Wei Jingyue, still clinging to her spoiled behavior, bossed Wei Zhi around in front of everyone, only to be reprimanded by Yan Yue. Later, Yan Yue taught everyone the technique of teleportation, and Wei Lingyue, being exceptionally bright, quickly grasped its essentials.

It was because of this that Yan Yue mistakenly believed Wei Lingyue to be the phoenix and took her to the city wall to observe the suffering of the common people and guide her towards benevolence. Upon their return to the academy, Yan Yue assigned the disciples the task of copying the cultivation techniques and mantras a hundred times. The disciples complained, but they still obeyed their master’s command.

As the others gradually left, Wei Jingyue intentionally assigned Wei Zhi the task of cleaning the entire academy, knowing that Ming Lang, who had witnessed her mistreatment, couldn’t intervene. In the past, Ming Lang’s father, Ming Chengwu, and the city lord, Gu Yuanshan, were close friends, and their children were betrothed to each other. However, in a case of rebellion, Gu Yuanshan and his father were wrongfully executed, and Lady Gu fled with her daughter, Gu Fengzhi, who later entered the Shangshu Mansion as a maid and changed her name to Wei Zhi. Now, they were reunited, but Wei Zhi didn’t want to involve Ming Lang and they continued to pretend not to know each other.

The Wind God and the Thunder God reported to the Heavenly Emperor and the Heavenly Empress, bringing a joyful atmosphere with them. Xi Er brought pastries to lighten the serious mood. Yan Luo decided to stay in Yingzhou, but the Heavenly Emperor hoped he would stay in the heavenly realm. The Heavenly Empress knew her son had always enjoyed farming and weaving, so she helped persuade the Heavenly Emperor to grant Yan Luo’s request. As Yan Luo’s figure receded into the distance, the Heavenly Empress felt a complex mix of emotions. Recalling the visions she had seen before, she would rather see her son live a peaceful life without accomplishing anything, free from the treacherous center of power.

Wei Jingyue repeatedly caused trouble for Wei Zhi and often messed up her room, pushing Wei Zhi to her limit. She finally couldn’t bear it and lashed out at Wei Jingyue, disregarding their respective positions as master and servant. Wei Lingyue, knowing her sister’s spoiled and willful nature, apologized to Wei Zhi and offered to help with the laundry. As she looked at Yan Yue’s clothes, memories of the scene on the city wall resurfaced, and she couldn’t help but develop feelings for him.

Meanwhile, Yan Yue discussed Wei Lingyue with Qing Huan, but they couldn’t determine if she was truly the phoenix. Although she had a pure spiritual root and exceptional talent, she might still be an ordinary person with extraordinary destiny. While they were talking, Yan Yue received a distress call from Xi Er. It turned out that Xi Er had accidentally entered the Pleasure Tower in search of good food, and Yan Yue had to rush to her aid.

Due to a heavenly decree prohibiting the use of immortal techniques to create silver coins, Yan Yue had to gamble to rescue Xi Er. As he left the Pleasure Tower, he ran into Wei Zhi, and faced with her misunderstanding, he couldn’t defend himself. Yan Yue accompanied Wei Zhi on a shopping trip, and as he looked at her, he couldn’t help but fantasize. Curious about her background, he asked Wei Zhi, who honestly revealed that she came from Gu City and had never been married.

Meanwhile, the Royal Tutor placed spies in the academy to search for the phoenix, and the person in question was the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Xiao Jin. The Noble Consort took advantage of the Emperor’s seclusion to spend time with the Royal Tutor. The Royal Tutor’s ambitions went beyond seizing the throne; he also desired the phoenix, aspiring to gain supreme power and rule over the three realms.

On their way back, Wei Zhi and Yan Yue were unexpectedly robbed by a child, and when they chased after him, they discovered that the child’s mother had passed away. Wei Zhi begged Yan Yue to use his immortal powers to save her, but Yan Yue believed that life and death were predetermined and beyond the interference of others. Besides, everything was subject to change, and a true cultivator should remain unperturbed even if the sky were to collapse. However, Wei Zhi found his words heartless and accused him of being no different from the privileged aristocrats who had never experienced the hardships of life and knew nothing of the lowly existence of ants.

Those who are impoverished are like ants. Even though Yan Yue himself is in a situation similar to that of ants, he understands the hardships Wei Zhi has endured as a servant and encourages her, telling her that even ants can eventually shake trees. This greatly moves Wei Zhi, and under Yan Yue’s guidance, she gradually becomes more accepting of the injustices in the world and calmly faces her own predicament.

That evening, when they returned to their room, Wei Zhi was surprised to find that it was clean and orderly. On the desk, there was a wooden box containing the four treasures of the study, which delighted her. On the other hand, Yan Yue went alone to the place where Wei Zhi had lived since she was young. He witnessed how Wei Ye was mocked and bullied by her companions due to poverty. Yan Yue finally understood Wei Zhi’s thoughts and concerns. He then approached a young boy whose mother had passed away. Although he couldn’t use magic to resurrect her, he could offer financial help by giving him some silver coins.

Yan Luo, accompanied by his fairy servant Da Tao, arrived at Yingzhou. To his surprise, the place was desolate and agriculture was in decline. A crisis was inevitable. In order to alleviate the current problem, Yan Luo entrusted the Fertile Soil to Da Tao, instructing her to take good care of Yingzhou and maintain the vitality of the Three Realms. Even if they couldn’t reverse the decline, they could at least buy some time.

The Gu family did not cancel the engagement with the man’s family. Instead, they took advantage of Wei Zhi’s entry into the White Egret Academy to enhance her value and covet her family’s assets. Naturally, the man’s father did not want to give up Wei Zhi as his daughter-in-law. He immediately understood the intentions of the Gu family and presented a deed of the shop, promising that if Wei Zhi married into their family, he would give them the small embroidery workshop.

Wei Lingyue admired her master Yan Yue and personally washed his clothes, sewing two bamboo leaves to repair the damaged parts. However, Wei Lingyue was unable to break the barrier and couldn’t open the door. At a critical moment, Wei Zhi brought a basin of water and helped her put the clothes inside. Watching Wei Zhi easily push open the door, Wei Lingyue felt amazed. Yan Yue used magic to erase the embroidery and reminded Wei Zhi to focus on the right path. If she came to the White Egret Academy, she should devote herself to studying and practicing.

The next day, during class, Wei Lingyue noticed that Yan Yue’s embroidered robes had disappeared. She misunderstood that Wei Zhi had tampered with them and felt dissatisfied, although she didn’t show it. Yan Yue created an illusion of wooden sparrows to test the disciples’ agility. Wei Lingyue and Ming Lang successfully passed the test, while Wei Jingyue embarrassed herself in front of everyone. Wei Zhi was also unable to perform her magic properly. Yan Yue observed the situation and announced the end of the class, leaving Wei Zhi behind to check her progress.

Nowadays, everyone can use teleportation, but Wei Zhi is completely unfamiliar with it. Despite her diligent efforts, her talent is average, making her seem insignificant among the others. In order to help Wei Zhi improve quickly, Yan Yue took her to a tree and instructed her to practice according to the book’s mantra. After Yan Yue left, Wei Jingyue deliberately knocked down the book with a slingshot, causing Wei Zhi to be laughed at by everyone. In the end, Wei Lingyue stepped forward to resolve the situation.

Under the influence of the Demon Lord’s Demon Eye, Bao Liang came to Yan Yue’s room with a vacant expression, intending to bribe him for better grades. Yan Yue noticed something was amiss and discovered that Bao Liang was surrounded by demonic energy. When Bao Liang attempted to attack him, Yan Yue expelled the demonic energy, causing the Demon Lord to retract his Demon Eye.

As a result, the escaping demonic energy stirred up a strong wind, causing Wei Zhi to accidentally fall from the tree. Fortunately, Yan Yue summoned a halo of light in time and saved her. This scene happened to be witnessed by Wei Lingyue, who felt somewhat suspicious. Without showing any gratitude, Wei Zhi slapped Yan Yue, angrily accusing him of being a celestial envoy who only played with mortals and never cared about their lives.

Wei Zhi’s words had a profound impact on Yan Yue. When he returned to his room, he carefully contemplated the deeper meaning behind her words. Qing Huan, entrusted by Yan Yue, investigated Wei Zhi and confirmed that she was just an ordinary mortal with an average destiny. However, a great calamity would befall her in the near future. Yan Yue felt uneasy upon hearing this and instructed Qing Huan to inform the Heavenly Emperor about the Demon Clan’s actions, advising the Demon Realm not to get too involved.

Ou Ya, the Wolf Tribe prince of the Demon Realm, and Lan Su, the Fox Tribe princess, were about to marry. Considering the difficulties in the reproduction of female demons, only the Phoenix Tail Feather could activate their bloodline and change the crisis in the Demon Realm’s reproduction. Therefore, they decided to infiltrate the academy in search of the true phoenix. Yan Yue taught a new lesson called “Creating Something from Nothing,” which allowed them to transform various objects out of thin air. He emphasized the importance of memorizing and studying the technique repeatedly to prevent the influence of one’s state of mind on the results of the spell.

Ou Ya disguised himself as a senior brother and infiltrated the academy, using his sense of smell to search for the trace of the phoenix. With his smooth talk and handsome appearance, he pleased many female disciples and took the opportunity to investigate their backgrounds. Wei Jingyue was attracted to Ou Ya and felt ecstatic, but when she saw that everyone else received flowers from Ou Ya, she couldn’t help but feel angry and concluded that he was a scumbag who flirted with everyone.

Later, Ou Ya used wine to intoxicate Ming Lang and the others, discovering that none of them were the phoenix he was looking for. Only Wei Zhi and Wei Lingyue had not been approached yet, but Wei Zhi unexpectedly saw through his disguise. Ou Ya thought that Wei Zhi, with her average talent, being able to see demons and monsters, indicated that she had a mixed human-demon bloodline. And Wei Zhi believed it to be true.

After Wei Zhi left, Ou Ya caught a scent of birds and followed it, only to find Wei Lingyue. At first, Ou Ya speculated that Wei Lingyue might be the phoenix, but he felt that the scent leaned more towards a mountain chicken. Meanwhile, Wei Zhi was doing laundry in the courtyard and was about to fetch water from the water tank when she was unknowingly possessed by the Demon Eye.

The next day, Yan Yue assessed everyone’s progress in practicing magic. Each person produced different objects, but only Wei Lingyue transformed a phoenix feather. The Demon Lord controlled Wei Zhi to attack Wei Lingyue, and just as Yan Yue was about to intervene, a scene of celestial and demonic battle appeared, and a sword pierced his chest, causing him great pain.

In the end, Yan Yue couldn’t bear the discomfort and fought the Demon Lord remotely, completely expelling the demonic energy from Wei Zhi. As a result, Wei Lingyue and Wei Zhi were injured and unconscious. They brought Wei Lingyue back to the room, and Wei Jingyue stayed by her bedside to take care of her. Wei Jingyue noticed Ming Lang looking worriedly at her third sister and asked him to leave.

Yan Yue treated Wei Zhi’s injuries alone, but he suffered a backlash and coughed up blood. His physical body soaked in a bathtub while his divine soul ascended to the heavenly palace to retrieve healing jade. The guards of the heavenly court sensed the situation was not good and the old guard revealed to the new guard a little-known past, saying that this was the second time he had seen the divine soul of the Crimson Sun God. The last time was when the god descended to the mortal realm for a karmic love affair and had a fateful connection with the phoenix, which led to the celestial-demonic war.

Although Yan Yue’s divine soul returned, his physical body was damaged and it took thousands of years to merge the spiritual and physical aspects. Therefore, the old guard speculated that something major would happen this time. Qing Huan also had unresolved doubts and believed that the phoenix matter was of great importance. She questioned why they didn’t directly send troops or recall Yan Yue but instead assigned other immortals to deal with it. The Heavenly Emperor stated that everything in the Three Realms had its predetermined course, and Yan Yue’s entanglement with the phoenix was difficult to escape.

When Wei Lingyue woke up and inquired about Yan Yue’s condition, she insisted on visiting him despite her younger sister’s objections. She happened to see Wei Zhi kissing Yan Yue, which ignited her jealousy. In fact, Wei Zhi noticed that Yan Yue had no breath and mistakenly thought he had lost his life while saving her. Regardless of gender differences, she performed artificial respiration to save him. Yan Yue’s divine soul returned to his body, opening his eyes in astonishment, and Wei Zhi felt ashamed and left.

Because Wei Zhi was manipulated by the Demon Clan to attack Wei Lingyue, and it was confirmed that Wei Lingyue possibly had phoenix bloodline, everyone despised Wei Zhi, even Ming Lang watched her being bullied without intervening. Hearing the criticism from those around her, Wei Zhi recalled the tragic death of her father and grandfather and began to question whether she was the cause of their deaths, bringing suffering to her mother.

At a critical moment, Yan Yue suddenly appeared and helped Wei Zhi up, warning everyone that within the academy, they should not distinguish between seniority and rank but understand the importance of unity and not engage in deception and infighting. Considering that Wei Lingyue was highly likely to be the phoenix, Yan Yue arranged for her to be protected in a separate courtyard with a barrier. His special care made Wei Lingyue misunderstand his intentions.

Yan Yue had long discovered the presence of demonic energy within the academy, saw through Ou Yang’s invisibility, and threw him out of the White Egret Academy. Wei Zhi felt guilty towards Wei Lingyue and brought her a pot of soup, but Wei Lingyue ignored it and locked herself inside her room. That night, a thunderstorm raged, and Wei Zhi sat outside Wei Lingyue’s room until the dean, Jing Xiu, arrived with an umbrella in front of her.

Wei Zhi confessed to Jing Xiu that she had been different from others since she was young, often seeing demons and spirits that others couldn’t see. She believed that Wei Lingyue’s attack was also due to her own reasons and begged Jing Xiu to teach her immortal techniques to rid herself of these abnormalities. She would rather live a peaceful life as an ordinary person.

Jing Xiu expressed his inability to help and tried to enlighten Wei Zhi, suggesting that these abnormalities were not evil powers but rather a part of her destiny. Instead of seeing fate as a restriction, it could be understood as a responsibility. Unfortunately, Wei Zhi found it difficult to understand his words at the moment. Jing Xiu noticed the jade chain on Wei Zhi’s hand and asked about her relationship with the former city lord, Gu Huai Xuan. Wei Zhi withheld some information about it.

Back in her room, Wei Zhi stared at the jade chain in a daze, recalling how she had always been misunderstood by her mother whenever she banished evil spirits since she was young. Every time she made a big mistake, her grandfather, Gu Huai Xuan, would step in to calm the situation. Gu Huai Xuan knew that his granddaughter had an extraordinary background, but he had never treated her differently. He even gave her the jade chain that belonged to the head of the family in each generation, instructing her to wear it at all times and control her temper to avoid trouble.

Yan Yue sought out Qing Huan and mentioned his old chest injury, noticing that it had been recurring frequently since he descended to the mortal realm. Qing Huan knew the truth but chose to be evasive, comforting Yan Yue and suggesting that he shouldn’t think too much about it. The top priority was to focus on selecting the phoenix, and Wei Lingyue was currently the most likely candidate with phoenix bloodline.

Minister Wei voluntarily approached Wei Lingyue, briefly inquired about her injury, and then got straight to the point. He wanted to take her back and give up cultivation. Wei Lingyue firmly refused, well aware that her father had always favored her younger sister, Wei Jingyue. Only by becoming the phoenix and bringing honor to the Wei family could she prove her worth.

In the end, the father and daughter parted ways unhappily. Wei Jingyue rushed over upon hearing the commotion, believing that her third sister, Wei Lingyue, was the true phoenix. Although Wei Jingyue also had aspirations to become the phoenix, she cared more about Wei Lingyue in her heart. She boldly declared that anyone who dared to obstruct Wei Lingyue would be eliminated, as nothing was more important than her sister. Wei Lingyue felt deeply touched upon hearing this.

Within the academy, Wei Zhi encountered Ou Ya once again and urged him to leave quickly to avoid being caught by the dean. Inadvertently, Wei Zhi, who had taken off the jade chain, unknowingly captivated Ou Ya, reminding him of the clan leader’s advice to hold on to a woman who moved his heart. After realizing the situation, Ou Ya was shocked and scared, quickly turning around and running away, leaving Wei Zhi confused and puzzled.

At this time, the Demon Lord infiltrated the academy in search of Wei Lingyue. Wei Zhi discovered his presence and was choked by the Demon Lord while trying to protect Wei Lingyue. Her life was hanging by a thread. However, Wei Lingyue refused to come out of her room, partly out of fear and Jing Xiu’s advice, and partly to take this opportunity to eliminate Wei Zhi, her love rival.

Fortunately, Yan Yue appeared in time and saved Wei Zhi. He engaged in a battle with the Demon Lord, and the two were evenly matched. The disciples rushed over, but they couldn’t intervene. Suddenly, the Demon Lord received news about Huo Rong’s incident and immediately stopped the fight and left. Yan Yue, convinced that Wei Lingyue was the phoenix, arranged for Wei Zhi to stay in her room and scolded her for overestimating her abilities, punishing her by copying the immortal scriptures a hundred times.

The Demon Lord searched for Huo Rong’s whereabouts and discovered that it was actually Yi Er who had mistakenly entered the Demon Realm and took Huo Rong as the fire seed. Since Huo Rong had been damaged, Yi Er quickly tried to appease the Demon Lord’s anger by claiming that she could restore Huo Rong to its original state. Yi Er had the Demon Lord transform into an ordinary-looking immortal and took him to the Yan Zhou Mihun Grand Peach, obtaining some vital soil from it to restore Huo Rong.

Xiao Jin reported the situation to the Minister as usual. In order to prevent the academy from selecting the phoenix bloodline, the Minister decided to send a book named “Ming Cheng Wu” to the capital as soon as possible to achieve their goals through internal and external coordination. The academy held an assessment for outstanding disciples every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and everyone was busy cultivating for it, including Wei Zhi. Ou Ya secretly visited her and couldn’t understand why he felt sad and upset when she was injured, knowing that she wasn’t the phoenix.

Yan Yue cared about Wei Zhi’s injuries and brought her spiritual pills and miraculous medicine. On the other hand, Wei Zhi felt depressed despite everyone’s encouragement. She went to the lakeside, drank wine, and danced gracefully, only to find herself in Yan Yue’s embrace with a simple turn. Leaning against Yan Yue’s shoulder, she looked at the night scenery and murmured to herself. Instead of pushing her away, Yan Yue smiled knowingly.

The early morning sun rose, but Wei Zhi remained in a deep sleep. Seeing this, Yan Yue used magic to delay the sunrise and cast a gentle morning light. Yi Er resurrected Huo Rong using the Life Soil and, when questioned by the Demon Lord, falsely claimed that Qing Huan had transformed into Penglai Immortal Messenger. The Demon Lord didn’t believe her and imprisoned Yi Er, demanding that she reveal how to sneak into the Demon Realm and steal Huo Rong without anyone noticing. Knowing that she could easily immobilize the guards in the Demon Realm with her magic, Yi Er decided not to mention their weakness, fearing punishment.

Despite the attack by the Demon Clan on Bai Lu Academy, the Minister didn’t inform the Emperor, and instead requested an imperial decree to proceed with the Mid-Autumn Assessment as planned. Parents of the disciples were invited to attend the feast. Yan Yue couldn’t understand this decision, but Jing Xiu saw through the worldly affairs and believed that holding the Mid-Autumn gathering during the Demon Clan’s attack would help stabilize people’s hearts. He entrusted Yan Yue to protect the students’ safety.

Just as Jing Xiu left, Qing Huan suddenly appeared and criticized Yan Yue, as the God Sovereign, for delaying the sunrise. Qing Huan believed that mortal lives were fleeting, and any attempt to change fate using immortal arts went against the will of heaven. He warned Yan Yue that such actions would result in punishment or even heavenly condemnation.

Da Tao woke up and informed Yan Luo of the situation. He blamed himself for failing to guard properly and was willing to take responsibility. Yan Luo felt that since the incident had already happened, there was no need to delve deeper. However, Da Tao volunteered to fertilize the land throughout the entire Yingzhou region. After finishing their daily lessons, Yan Yue distributed the invitations to the disciples, instructing them to inform their parents to attend the banquet.

Ou Ya spent the whole day hiding and watching Wei Lingyue from the wall. Although she was beautiful and had the aura of a bird clan member, she had no attraction to him. She couldn’t compare to Wei Zhi, who had ordinary talent. Jing Xiu found an invitation that Wei Zhi had dropped in the classroom and personally handed it to her, unaware of the strained relationship between Wei Zhi and her mother.

Ming Cheng Wu arrived in the capital and visited the Minister. From the Minister’s words, it was clear that he wanted Ming Lang to win the first place and be named the phoenix. The Ming family had guarded the border for many years and had long desired to come to the capital to seek higher power. Ming Lang mentioned Wei Lingyue to his father, intending to propose a marriage alliance between the two families. However, Ming Cheng Wu reminded him to maintain their friendship as classmates and not have any other thoughts.

Feeling down, Ming Lang went to Wei Zhi to confide in her. Wei Zhi comforted him, telling him not to be discouraged and that he and Wei Lingyue were a perfect match. Unfortunately, their conversation was overheard by Wei Jingyue, who harbored resentment. On the other hand, Minister Wei had already learned of the collusion between the Minister and Ming Cheng Wu and planned to use this opportunity to make his daughter realize the futility of her aspirations.

After much hesitation, Wei Zhi decided to return home to persuade her mother to attend the Mid-Autumn feast. Lady Guo sternly refused her and even stepped on the cloud cake she had brought, locking her up in a shed to be sent to her husband’s family. Shortly after, Jing Xiu arrived at Wei Zhi’s home and immediately recognized Lady Guo, but their reunion was filled with disappointment.

Years ago, when Jing Xiu traveled the world, he met Guo Cheng and Guo Huai Xuan in Guo City, and they had a pleasant conversation. Before leaving, Jing Xiu saw young Wei Zhi and still remembered the jade bracelet on her wrist. This is why he was convinced that Wei Zhi was connected to the Guo family. Lady Guo told Jing Xiu about the tragic extermination of their clan. The Emperor, deceived by false accusations, blamed the drought on Wei Zhi and ordered her to be sacrificed to pray for rain.

The family packed their belongings that night, intending to take Wei Zhi and leave. However, they were surrounded by soldiers. Guo Huai Yuan and his son were shot while protecting Wei Zhi, and in her anger, she awakened her Phoenix bloodline. Everyone present perished, except for Lady Guo. Since then, Lady Guo traveled with Wei Zhi to various places and finally settled in Yu Capital, where she gave birth to Wei Ye. Although Lady Guo knew Wei Zhi was her own flesh and blood, it was difficult for her to let go of the resentment for the loss of their entire clan caused by her daughter.

As Chun Wu’s condition worsened, Gu Shi took the initiative to visit Chun Ye and proposed an immediate marriage between Wei Zhi and the Chun family to bring joy to the household. Chun Ye was overjoyed and promised to make all the necessary preparations to welcome Wei Zhi into the family. However, just as Gu Shi left, Chun Wu’s illness suddenly took a turn for the worse, and the planned celebration turned into a funeral.

The siblings in the clan blamed Chun Ye for being too hasty and criticized him for hastily preparing the marriage gifts, resulting in a loss of personal wealth. While Chun Ye and his brothers were brainstorming for a solution, a mysterious person appeared and offered a solution. She stated that even if the groom passed away, the bride still had to fulfill the marriage contract. As for the Chun family, they didn’t need to worry about the authorities as she had already made all the arrangements.

With no other options, Wei Zhi sought help from Ming Lang, but he was also at a loss. In order to prevent Wei Lingyue from misunderstanding him, he turned against Wei Zhi on the spot. Desperate and unable to find anyone suitable to help, Wei Zhi begged Yan Yue for assistance, but he responded that everyone had their own fate and needed to follow it. He was seen as heartless and indifferent by Wei Zhi for standing idly by.

As Wei Zhi left disappointed, Yan Yue suddenly felt a dull pain in his chest and repeatedly thought about Wei Zhi’s words. That night, Jing Xiu went to the Purple Hua Book Pavilion to find the Chief Elder Mu and wanted to learn about the special properties of the jade bracelet that Wei Zhi wore. Mu Elder never made losing deals and usually required an equal exchange. If Jing Xiu could return to his own body, he would provide any information free of charge. However, Jing Xiu refused the offer.

When Gu Shi heard that the Chun family wanted to bury her daughter alive, she regretted her decision to cancel the marriage years ago. But when the Chun family sent people to cause trouble, Wei Zhi was kidnapped. Gu Shi then went to the government office with Wei Ye to seek justice, but the officials were bribed by the Chun family and threw her into the dungeon.

As the funeral procession made its way outside the city, Wei Zhi, inside the burial sedan, remembered her grandfather’s dying words and took off the pearl bracelet on her hand, activating her bloodline. As flames started to rise from the sedan, Yan Yue appeared out of thin air and carried Wei Zhi back to Bai Lu Academy.

Through this incident, Wei Zhi confirmed that Yan Yue was not an ordinary person. Yan Yue flew with Wei Zhi on a cloud and encouraged her not to be disheartened because she was not a jinx as others claimed. She was a student of Bai Lu Academy and his own personal disciple.

Jing Xiu personally went to the government office to release Gu Shi and her son, assuring her that Wei Zhi was safe and urging her to let go of the past. Gu Shi understood that she had made too many mistakes in the past, so she gradually let go of her resentment towards her daughter and prayed for her to cultivate well in the academy, thanking Jing Xiu for his efforts.

Yi Er roamed freely in the Demon Realm and found luminous mushrooms to cook. She wanted to invite the Demon Lord to taste them, but the next moment, she fainted. After being examined by a demon doctor, it was determined that Yi Er had been poisoned by the food. Although luminous mushrooms were a rare delicacy in the Demon Realm, they were highly toxic to immortals. At present, her life was in danger, and only the Nian Bi Lingzhi could counteract the poison.

Since the Nian Bi Lingzhi was extremely rare and had never grown in the Demon Realm, the Demon Lord personally went to Mu Elder to ask for the antidote. However, he discovered a secret related to the word “qing” (emotion) in the exchange proposed by Mu Elder and decided to offer his own smile as a trade. After Yi Er woke up, she vaguely remembered that the Demon Lord had given her the antidote and felt deeply grateful, silently vowing to repay his favor in the future.

At this time, the Heavenly Empress appeared in the Demon Realm and took Yi Er back to the Heavenly Palace. She reprimanded her for her indulgence and for daring to secretly descend to the mortal realm and tamper with the laws of time, which could potentially lead to punishment for the entire universe. The Heavenly Empress’ maternal clan has been in charge of time since the beginning of Heaven and Earth, and their responsibility relied on adhering to the celestial rules and keeping secrets. Therefore, as a way to fulfill her obligations to her clan, she ordered Yi Er to be confined and reflect on her actions.

Wei Zhi returned to the academy and was stopped by Wei Jingyue on her way back, who questioned her and bluntly stated that their master had saved her. Upon hearing this, Wei Jingyue was furious and accused Wei Zhi of lacking shame and seducing two men. Seeing this scene, Wei Lingyue felt jealous, and the two of them developed a deep grudge against each other.

Ou Ya had been waiting for Wei Zhi in his room and complained that she didn’t seek his help when she had a problem. Wei Zhi couldn’t be bothered to explain and simply drove him away. Lan Su noticed that Ou Ya had developed feelings for someone else and wanted to cause trouble for Wei Zhi. Ou Ya quickly stopped Lan Su and warned her not to harm Wei Zhi in the slightest.

Due to Yan Yue changing the fate of others without authorization, committing an unforgivable crime against the celestial laws, the Heavenly Emperor had no choice but to punish him severely according to the law, stripping him of two hundred years of spiritual power and temporarily sealing half of his cultivation. Qing Huan privately reported the situation in the mortal realm to the Heavenly Emperor, stating that Wei Lingyue had exceptional talent and was different from others. However, due to the deep-seated Phoenix bloodline, it was still impossible to accurately determine her potential. Therefore, Qing Huan planned to include a test specifically targeting the Phoenix’s characteristics in the Mid-Autumn Assessment. However, the Heavenly Emperor felt that these questions were too simple and instructed Qing Huan to add another level of difficulty.

Meanwhile, Yan Yue recounted what he had seen and heard in the mortal realm to the Heavenly Empress, hoping she could provide him with answers. The Heavenly Empress believed that these scenes were not from the future but fragments of the past. For some reason, Yan Yue had intersected with these fragments, making his situation unpredictable.

On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Assessment, Yan Yue and Jing Xiu announced the rules to the disciples. Everyone would be grouped by drawing lots, with two people who drew the same constellation forming a team. Wei Jingyue intentionally switched Wei Zhi’s sign, successfully forming a team with Ming Lang, while Wei Zhi and Wei Lingyue became teammates.

Wei Zhi didn’t want to burden Wei Lingyue during the assessment and hoped that Yan Yue could help her change teams. Sensing Wei Zhi’s concern, Yan Yue decided to teach her the “Sun Crown” technique, reminding her that it could save her life in dangerous or critical moments. As Yan Yue demonstrated the technique, Wei Zhi became fascinated and attempted to summon the Sun Crown, but ended up surrounding both of them, creating an ambiguous atmosphere.

During the Mid-Autumn Assessment, the atmosphere at Bai Lu Academy was lively. The fathers of the disciples got to know each other, and Wei Lingyue’s father generously gave each person ten thousand silver. Guo Shi met privately with Yan Yue, wanting to recommend a suitable candidate to be crowned as the Phoenix. Yan Yue firmly stated that the Phoenix was chosen by destiny and couldn’t be determined by anyone’s will.

To avoid trouble for her daughter, Gu Shi didn’t bring Wei Ye to the Mid-Autumn Assessment. Yan Yue, accompanied by eighteen disciples, arrived at the hall and announced the assessment’s content to the parents. The assessment would take place in an illusory tower that materialized out of thin air. The groups entered the tower one after another and were soon transported to an unknown desolate mountainous area. Yan Yue’s voice echoed through the surroundings.

The tower was divided into three levels, with the first level being the gathering hall where the disciples were located. Each higher level represented a higher level of difficulty, and only by reaching the third level and passing three tests could they reach the top of the tower and be declared the winners. Although the challenges within the tower were illusory, they could cause real harm or even death. Therefore, Yan Yue distributed flight charms to everyone, allowing them to safely leave the environment by breaking the charm if they encountered insurmountable difficulties or wanted to withdraw from the assessment.

However, as soon as the assessment began, two groups chose to withdraw. These individuals were those who had received benefits from their fathers. At this moment, a senior disciple reminded everyone that leaving the forest before the incense burned out would be considered passing the first challenge, otherwise, they would face unpredictable consequences. However, the first challenge’s forest was filled with dense mist, and despite walking in a large circle, everyone ended up back where they started.

Wei Zhi noticed that the senior disciple seemed somewhat strange, and she instantly realized that he was a troublemaker. As expected, the senior disciple revealed his true form and informed Wei Zhi that he was the guardian spirit of the tower, responsible for protecting the flowers and trees inside. Wei Zhi subtly tried to find out a way to leave the forest, and suddenly thought of using flight.

Everyone was still spinning in place in the forest, but only Wei Zhi thought of a way to get out. She suggested that everyone try using the teleportation technique taught by the master, and it worked smoothly. On the other hand, the Baoliang group got lost and chose to quit out of fear, causing Liu Chang to lose his qualification for the assessment. Liu Chang angrily scolded Baoliang as a coward, and his father stepped forward and slapped him, apologizing to Baoliang’s father for the incident.

In the blink of an eye, the second challenge was an endless sea. Wei Lingyue guessed that this should be the Weak Water Barrier, where any spell would be difficult to cast. While they were talking, the demonic mist quietly approached. Wei Lingyue exclaimed that it was not good, as this mist invasion easily triggered inner demons, making it impossible for people to concentrate.

With the Weak Water in front and the demonic mist behind, everyone was trapped and had nowhere to go. Wei Zhi remembered what Talin had said and decided to turn back towards the direction of the mist, risking their lives. As a result, two more groups chose to give up. Those who entered the mist each triggered different inner demons.

Wei Jingyue liked Ming Lang and felt sad seeing Ming Lang fall in love with her sister. Ming Lang wanted to be the top scorer in the assessment, but he couldn’t bear to harm Wei Lingyue and would rather be stabbed to death by her sword. Wei Lingyue became the Phoenix as she wished, earning the admiration of many people. However, when she was in a high position, she suddenly faced questioning from Yan Yue and instantly came out of the environment.

In the end, everyone relied on the Heart Protection Technique to pass through the Weak Water Barrier. Wei Lingyue felt puzzled in her heart, thinking that Wei Zhi’s success was not just luck and that he probably had a hidden secret. However, the assessment was full of danger, with people being eliminated or quitting constantly. By the third challenge, only Wei Zhi, Ming Lang, and the Wei Lingyue sisters remained.

The four of them entered a land of ice and snow. At first, they could withstand the cold wind, but later it became difficult to bear. Wei Zhi was completely unaffected and kept Wei Lingyue warm like a human furnace. Seeing Wei Jingyue freeze and faint, almost losing her life, Ming Lang hesitated but ultimately gave the only life-saving elixir to Wei Jingyue. Then the two of them withdrew from the assessment.

The master felt dissatisfied with the situation, but Ming Lang’s act of kindness was appreciated by the others present, even in defeat. Everyone initially thought the assessment would soon be over, but Qing Huan unexpectedly set up more challenges, intending to have Wei Lingyue and Wei Zhi compete against each other. In order to win, Wei Lingyue ruthlessly attacked Wei Zhi, causing the jade chain to break and fall to the ground. Just as Yan Yue was about to intervene, the magnificent scene of the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix suddenly appeared, and everyone believed that Wei Lingyue was the Phoenix. Yan Yue protected her.

The results of today’s Mid-Autumn Festival obviously did not meet the expectations of the master, but he couldn’t deceive the emperor and had to report the truth. Wei, the Minister, no longer opposed his daughter becoming the Phoenix and sighed that the situation was already settled, promising to do everything he could to protect her. Wei Lingyue was very happy and promised that once she was crowned as the Phoenix, she would serve Dayu and seek the well-being of the people.

Late at night, Wei Zhi sat alone in the room repairing the jade chain. She faintly heard some movement outside but couldn’t see anyone when she opened the door. Yan Yue personally strengthened the barrier for Wei Lingyue, advising her not to go out for the time being. Wei Lingyue wanted to persuade Yan Yue to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival together, but she was rejected. Qing Huan, who had been waiting for Yan Yue for a long time, admitted that the additional challenges were the will of the Emperor. As for why the Phoenix was not sent to the Heavenly Court for protection, he concealed something and didn’t explicitly say it.

An assassin sneaked into the room intending to assassinate Wei Zhi, but fortunately, Ou Ya arrived in time and killed the assassin. Wei Zhi sensed that her family was in danger and indeed saw another assassin targeting her mother and younger brother. Gu Shi bluntly said that he had long suspected Ming Chengwu of framing the old city lord, but unfortunately, there was no evidence. Yan Yue took Wei Zhi to the Ming Residence and gave her a magic weapon for protection. Despite all the clues pointing to Ming Chengwu, even Ming Lang vaguely guessed the truth of the old case, but unexpectedly, Ming Chengwu died of accidental poisoning.

Yan Yue and Wei Zhi sensed that something happened in the Ming Residence, but by the time they arrived, it was too late. Ming Chengwu had died of poisoning, and Ming Lang was captured by the soldiers. When Yan Yue brought Wei Zhi back to the academy, they noticed something strange about the barrier. The Dean, Jing Xiu, explained that Gu Shi had been ordered to bring Wei Lingyue to the palace.

On her way to the audience with the emperor, Wei Lingyue was intercepted by the Demon Clan’s leader, who killed many guards and took her to the Demon Realm. He referred to her as his sister and brought her back to their old city to reveal the past. Wei Lingyue had no recollection, but the Demon Clan leader was unconcerned because he believed that once she merged with Huarong, her memories would return.

According to the Demon Clan leader, Huarong was the fragment of the Phoenix’s soul that fell into a flower bud after its demise. It had been passed down for thousands of years, waiting for the Phoenix to awaken again. The Demon Clan leader then brought Wei Lingyue back to the Demon Realm, where she was hailed as the Holy Maiden and guided step by step towards Huarong. However, during the process, Wei Lingyue and Huarong repelled each other, revealing her true form as a peacock. The Demon Clan leader was furious.

Xiao Jin rushed to the academy with shocking news that Ming Chengwu had committed suicide out of fear, and Ming Lang was taken away to prison by the soldiers. The reason behind this was that Ming Chengwu had hired an assassin to attack Wei Zhi and her family. The crowd was in an uproar, and they looked at Wei Zhi, who was standing behind Xiao Jin. Wei Jingyue was worried about Ming Lang’s safety and accused Wei Zhi of being a disaster.

Dean Jing Xiu intervened to stop Wei Jingyue, expressing his desire to avoid internal conflicts among the disciples at this time and not let the outside turmoil disturb their studies. Jing Xiu informed everyone that there would be soldiers stationed at the academy in the near future, and he and Yan Yue would take turns patrolling to ensure everyone’s safety.

The Demon Clan leader was angry that Wei Lingyue had deceived him by pretending to be the Phoenix. He devised a plan to lure Yan Yue and rescue Wei Lingyue. Wei Jingyue once again confronted Wei Zhi, first breaking the jade chain she often wore and then splashing sulfuric acid on her. In a fit of anger, Wei Zhi activated her Phoenix bloodline, and a red light soared into the sky, attracting the attention of everyone, even the three realms.

Yan Yue realized that the red light was the aura of the Phoenix and quickly turned to look at Wei Lingyue, who appeared panicked, confirming his earlier suspicions. As Yan Yue hurried towards the direction of the red light, Wei Lingyue’s mind was in chaos, and she suddenly remembered Wei Zhi’s unusual behavior, incredulously guessing that she was the Phoenix.

The other disciples thought something had happened to Wei Zhi and wanted to rush into the room to save her but were killed by the Demon Clan leader. The Demon Clan leader tried to forcibly take Wei Zhi away, but she was terrified of the demon in front of her and kept evading him. Just as Wei Zhi confronted the Demon Clan leader, Yan Yue and Jing Xiu arrived in haste. However, Yan Yue’s powers were sealed by the Heavenly Emperor, making him no match for the Demon Clan leader.

Because of this, everyone present knew that Wei Zhi was the true Phoenix. In a critical moment, Wei Zhi’s Phoenix bloodline erupted, transforming her into her true form and taking Yan Yue away. The Demon Clan leader tried to stop them but could only watch as the Phoenix flew away, vividly recalling scenes from their past, witnessing the destruction of their country and family as Princess Wei Zhi wore a red bridal gown.

When Wei Zhi woke up and saw Ou Ya looking worried, she noticed that Yan Yue was severely injured and temporarily lost the ability to protect her. Considering that the Demon Clan would soon come after them, Ou Ya took them to hide in the Demon Realm for recovery. Wei Zhi settled Yan Yue in a room to rest while Ou Ya prepared a bath for Wei Zhi, allowing her to freshen up and change clothes.

Meanwhile, Qing Huan, feeling guilty for failing his mission, went to the Heavenly Emperor to confess. The Heavenly Emperor didn’t delve deep into the matter and commanded Qing Huan to find Yan Yue’s whereabouts as soon as possible. Yan Yue woke up from a nightmare and saw Ou Ya in the courtyard. He was about to inquire about Wei Zhi when he noticed that she had finished bathing and changed into new clothes, which brightened his eyes. Lan Su criticized Ou Ya for not randomly bringing others into the Demon Realm, especially not getting involved with the Phoenix’s affairs. Ou Ya quickly explained to Lan Su to prevent her from reporting to the Demon King.

Because of Wei Zhi’s appearance, Lan Su became extremely jealous and blamed her for interfering in Ou Ya’s affections. Prince Yi Li of the Fox Clan couldn’t bear to see his sister being bullied and wanted to confront Ou Ya, but Lan Su stopped him. Despite feeling annoyed, Lan Su couldn’t bear to see the person he liked getting hurt.

Currently, Yan Yue’s cultivation was damaged, and even the lowest-level spells were difficult for him to cast. Wei Zhi felt regretful upon seeing this and expressed her remorse for causing trouble to her family since she was young and now even harming her master. However, Yan Yue didn’t mind at all and comforted Wei Zhi instead. When he saw the jade chain that Wei Zhi always wore, he realized that Guo Shi might know Wei Zhi’s true identity as the Phoenix, which was why he gave her such a suppressing treasure.

Wei Lingyue returned to the White Egret Academy, but things were different now. The truth about her pretending to be the Phoenix was exposed, leading to ridicule from many disciples. Filled with anger, Wei Lingyue vowed to protect herself from the humiliation she had endured and became determined to stand against Wei Zhi. She then went to find Guo Shi alone, offering to assist him in any way possible. Guo Shi also had concerns in his heart, considering that the incident with Gu Cheng had already made Ming Chengwu a scapegoat. Unexpectedly, the Phoenix turned out to be Wei Zhi, and someone willingly needed to step into the game to break the deadlock.

The Demon Clan’s leader regained the lost fragments of memory through Huarong and remembered the past, vaguely recalling how his sister was betrayed by Chen Yan, leading to the destruction of their country and family. As the Phoenix descended to the mortal realm, the long-sealed Four Guardians of the Demon Realm emerged. The Demon Clan’s leader commanded Chisong to search for the Phoenix and secretly eliminate anyone seeking the Phoenix.

Due to Wei Zhi’s low cultivation, she couldn’t yet integrate her Phoenix bloodline and experienced adverse reactions. Yan Yue reminded her to diligently study immortal cultivation techniques to quickly improve her spiritual power and stabilize her cultivation. In the following days, Wei Zhi practiced diligently and finally mastered the art of teleportation.

However, the Phoenix aura was unique to the Three Realms and easily attracted attention, causing the demonic beings to go crazy. As soon as Wei Zhi stepped out of her home, she was surrounded by curious and infatuated monsters, all proposing to marry her. Yan Yue and Ou Ya appeared in time to take Wei Zhi away. Ou Ya could clearly see Yan Yue’s jealousy over the recent events, and denying it would be pointless.

To avoid drawing the attention of the Demon Clan, Yan Yue decided to personally make pills for Wei Zhi to conceal her Phoenix aura. However, the ingredients required for the pills, one hundred Fox Clan maiden hearts and Sea Monster vocal cords, were extremely rare and precious. Currently, the only place to find such treasures was the Treasure Gathering Tower.

Upon hearing that Wei Zhi was acquainted with Ou Ya, Chisong speculated that the Phoenix might be hiding in the Demon Realm and asked Yi Li to help keep an eye on her whereabouts. Yi Li received the information that Ou Ya planned to take Wei Zhi and Yan Yue to participate in an auction at the Treasure Gathering Tower. He decided to go along with his sister Lan Su and indeed saw Ou Ya sitting in the front row.

The eccentric master of the Treasure Gathering Tower, Stinky Skunk Fairy, descended from the sky, and the auction of treasures began one after another, attracting various monsters seeking to win favor. Ou Ya was amazed by the offerings, including the Linglong Heart and Sea Monster vocal cords. Yi Li intentionally competed with Ou Ya, always trying to outbid him. However, when Ou Ya noticed Yan Yue’s signal, he immediately bid ten thousand years of cultivation.

While Yan Yue went to the back room with Stinky Skunk Fairy to discuss matters, the fragrance used by Ou Ya on Wei Zhi gradually lost its effect, and her Phoenix aura could no longer be concealed, causing chaos in the venue. Yi Li took the opportunity to ask Wei Zhi to remove her veil and reveal her true face. Ou Ya stood in front of Wei Zhi and retorted Yi Li. Fortunately, Yan Yue arrived in time, and the three of them left the Treasure Gathering Tower together.

In reality, Yan Yue, as a heavenly being, had no cultivation in demonic arts. However, he exchanged these treasures using medicinal jade and used his own spiritual power to refine pills for Wei Zhi. As a result, Yan Yue’s body grew weaker, but he had to hide the truth from Wei Zhi. On the other hand, Lan Su realized that Wei Zhi had feelings for Yan Yue, and suddenly his mood brightened, knowing that she wasn’t interested in Ou Ya and couldn’t be considered his rival.

Wei Zhi’s feelings for Yan Yue were well known, but Yan Yue’s attitude towards Wei Zhi was unpredictable. He would show care for her one moment and then become distant the next. While Wei Zhi was alone in her room, feeling troubled, Lan Su suddenly approached her and offered to help her win over Yan Yue, providing three effective strategies.

With Lan Su’s assistance, Wei Zhi dressed up carefully and carried a specially made sachet to find Yan Yue. She used the excuse of wiping her face to get close to him, but accidentally bumped into him. Their eyes met, and the close proximity made Yan Yue flustered. He quickly found an excuse to leave and ran into Lan Su, who was waiting outside and curious about the outcome.

Yan Yue realized that Lan Su had schemed behind the scenes and asked if she knew Ou Ya’s intentions. He questioned the need to place hope on Wei Zhi, as their feelings might not be deep enough, and it could lead to various complications with Wei Zhi. Yan Yue’s words awakened Lan Su, making her realize that her thoughts were too naive. She lowered her head and left dejectedly.

Wei Zhi didn’t have high expectations to begin with. As long as she could stay by her master’s side, it would be enough for her. However, she learned through Lan Su that Yan Yue exchanged medicinal jade for valuable alchemical treasures. She felt a mix of emotions and wanted to retrieve the medicinal jade from the Treasure Gathering Tower. Unfortunately, she didn’t have anything valuable to exchange, making it difficult to achieve. Yan Yue comforted her, assuring her that without the medicinal jade, her recovery would be slower but not fatal.

Wei Lingyue burned all the books and secretly vowed to make a change. Just then, Jingxiu entered from outside and pointed out that even if she burned the books, she couldn’t burn away her love, hatred, anger, and infatuation. Wei Lingyue immediately realized that the person before her was not the Dean. Despite the similar appearance, their attire and temperament were different.

With Mu Lao’s guidance, Wei Lingyue arrived at the Zihua Book Pavilion. She knew that she wanted to replace the Phoenix and possess supreme power. Similarly, Wei Lingyue had thought about the price she would have to pay for Mu Lao’s help. After Wei Jingyue was reprimanded by Ou Ya, her appearance aged to that of an old person. Wei Lingyue brought her to the Zihua Book Pavilion to restore her youth, with the price being that their father would completely forget about this younger daughter.

Moreover, Wei Lingyue provoked Wei Jingyue’s hatred towards Wei Zhi, causing her to blindly follow her arrangements. Since Wei Lingyue planned to seek refuge with Guo Shi, she naturally had to offer a great gift. That night, Guo Shi discovered Wei Lingyue sitting naked on the bed without hesitation and accepted this gift.

Yili apologized and invited Ou Ya to drink, asking him to bring Wei Zhi and Yan Yue as a way of making amends. Ou Ya and Lan Su were unaware of Yili’s intentions, but to prevent any accidents, they disguised themselves as Wei Zhi and Yan Yue and went to the meeting. They pretended to drink the drugged wine until they feigned unconsciousness. It was only when Chishi appeared from the corner that Yili and Lan Su took action, helping Yan Yue and Wei Zhi buy time to escape. However, the Great Demon Lord appeared in the Demon Realm and easily found them. With Yan Yue’s injuries not fully healed, he couldn’t match the Great Demon Lord’s power. As they tried to flee the Demon Realm, they fell into a trap set by the Great Demon Lord and fell into a deep coma.

Not long after, Guo Shi brought Wei Lingyue to the palace to meet the emperor. He openly stated that the descent of the Phoenix was unpredictable and that good and evil were indistinguishable. It almost caused a major disaster, but fortunately, the Peacock had appeared to counterbalance it. Wei Lingyue requested the emperor’s permission to eliminate demons and evil. Despite the emperor’s doubts about Wei Lingyue’s identity and abilities, when he accompanied her to the academy and witnessed the grieving parents of the slain disciples, he concluded that the Phoenix was not a benevolent being. He immediately issued a decree appointing Wei Lingyue as the Holy Maiden of the Grand Yu Kingdom.

Wei Zhi evaded pursuit from the demons and brought the unconscious Yan Yue to the Taoyuan Village, which served as the intersection between the human and demon realms and had descendants of unions between humans and demons. Pretending to be a married couple, Wei Zhi and Yan Yue lived a peaceful life, but their disappearance almost brought disastrous consequences to the demon clan. Just as the Great Demon Lord was preparing to attack the Demon Realm, the Demon King took the initiative to negotiate and promised to find the Phoenix within five days.

Lan Su heard that the Demon King was being controlled by the Demon Lord in search of the instigator and quickly went to inform Ou Ya to escape from the Heavenly Demon City as soon as possible. Now that the Heavenly Emperor was aging, his clothes dirty and his vitality diminishing, all signs indicated that he was facing the Five Declines of Heaven and Man. The Heavenly Empress was deeply worried and at a loss for a good solution. Yi Er noticed her aunt’s changing emotions and wanted to share her worries, so she immediately thought of going to the Demon Realm to select wood for making a comb. However, she was almost killed on the way by an ambush, but fortunately, the Great Demon Lord appeared in time to save her.

After leaving the Heavenly Demon City, Ou Ya went alone to find the Demon Clan prophet and shared his experiences during this period, including his encounter with the Phoenix. When the prophet heard the word “Phoenix,” he finally saw a glimmer of hope and said that as long as they obtained a Phoenix tail feather and placed it at the source of the Demon Realm’s Fountain of Life, they could change the fate of the entire Demon Clan. However, when the prophet learned that the whereabouts of the Phoenix were unknown, he became furious and threw Ou Ya out, demanding that he find the Phoenix at all costs.

Since Wei Zhi and Yan Yue secluded themselves in Taoyuan Village, they seemed like an ordinary and loving couple. They worked together every day, and Yan Yue often went to the market at the intersection of the human and demon realms and brought back various strange delicacies for Wei Zhi. Wei Zhi was curious why the wooden carvings made by Yan Yue didn’t have facial features. She thought they would look lifelike and pleasing if they had facial features.

Later, Wei Zhi went up the mountain alone to pick mushrooms, and Yan Yue worried about her safety. He silently followed her from behind until she was out of danger before revealing himself. By the riverside, they saw a happy family of three, which reminded them of their own families. It was the first time Yan Yue expressed envy for mortals because immortals were aloof and lacked the precious affection of ordinary life.

Due to the Great Demon Lord’s cold and rejecting attitude towards Yi Er, her rebellious nature was stirred, and she insisted on cooking a delicious thank-you banquet for him. However, Yi Er’s actions in the Demon Realm often surprised and troubled the Great Demon Lord. At the same time, her exceptional cooking skills attracted a crowd of demons.

That night, as Yan Yue sat at the door carving facial features on a wooden sculpture, he suddenly felt unwell, and the trigger fell deep into his marrow unnoticed. The next day, Yan Yue carried a basket and went to the market, while Wei Zhi tidied up the bed and discovered that the facial features on the wooden sculpture were her own. She felt a small sense of joy in her heart.

Yi Er had been in contact for several days but couldn’t figure out the Great Demon Lord’s preferences. In the end, she decided to make a simple stir-fried vegetable dish. Unexpectedly, the Great Demon Lord was pleasantly surprised and couldn’t stop eating. The reason he liked this dish was that it was her sister’s specialty, and it made him reminisce about her. As a result, he made a condition for Yi Er to cook stir-fried vegetables for him every day.

Through their time together, the bond between Wei Zhi and Yan Yue grew rapidly. However, as the triggers fell more frequently, Yan Yue’s body became weaker and weaker. Wei Zhi decided to gather herbs in the mountains every day to nurture Yan Yue’s body. During this process, they also saved a raven. Yan Yue felt sorry for Wei Zhi’s hard work, but she didn’t mind at all as long as it helped him recover as soon as possible.

The Great Demon Lord promised to prepare a luxurious kitchen for Yi Er and sent someone to bring her sister’s belongings. Yi Er wore the clothes from Wei Zhi’s past life, bearing a striking resemblance to her. The Great Demon Lord couldn’t help but be enchanted but later felt desolate. One day, the Great Demon Lord came to Yi Er to taste the stir-fried vegetables. He saw her using her sister’s sword to skewer meat and roast it over the fire. He instantly flew into a rage and ordered her never to set foot in the sacred hall again.

When Wei Zhi returned from gathering herbs and didn’t see Yan Yue, she anxiously asked Flower Granny about his whereabouts and had to patiently wait at home. Yan Yue had gone to buy cloud cakes for Wei Zhi and only returned when it was dark, which deeply moved Wei Zhi. Under the beautiful scenery, Yan Yue and Wei Zhi looked into each other’s eyes and faced their feelings. Just as Yan Yue was about to kiss Wei Zhi, the poison took effect, causing him to fall into a coma.

Qing Huan sensed that Yan Yue was already emotionally invested and was likely to repeat past mistakes, but he was powerless to do anything about it. A close friend advised Qing Huan that some things were destined long ago, and even immortals couldn’t defy fate. No matter how much he wanted to help Yan Yue, in the end, Yan Yue would have to face it alone.

The next morning, Wei Zhi went to gather herbs for Yan Yue as usual. During this time, she once again saved the life of a raven and could understand its language, successfully conversing with it. Wei Zhi learned that the raven’s family resided in Shiqiao, the eastern suburbs of Yudou. She wrote a note and entrusted it to the raven, earnestly requesting its help to deliver the message of safety to Guo Shi and his son.

Yi Er came to deliver delicious food to the Great Demon Lord and found him heavily intoxicated and seemingly sad. Mistaking Yi Er for her sister while drunk, the Great Demon Lord revealed his affection for her over the years. Yi Er also happened to learn that the Great Demon Lord used his smile to exchange for the activation of a poisonous mechanism. This mechanism controlled people’s hearts with the power of love, and if not severed in time, it would endanger their lives.

To protect Ou Ya from being caught and sent to the Great Demon Lord as a scapegoat, Lan Su decided to impersonate him and go to prison. Unexpectedly, Ou Ya found out and turned back. Lan Su resented Ou Ya’s indecisiveness and angrily accused him of only thinking about beauty all day long. Ou Ya admitted his change of heart, deliberately speaking harshly to make Lan Su feel disillusioned.

Yi Er returned to the Heavenly Realm and met the Heavenly Emperor, who punished her for neglecting her duties and trespassing into the Demon Realm. When Yi Er left the Demon Realm, the Great Demon Lord had already sent his subordinates to give her the demon wood. Thus, he seemed cold on the surface but cared deeply in his heart. Yi Er couldn’t understand his actions of using a smile to activate the poisonous mechanism, which both puzzled and pained her.

The Heavenly Empress brought a wooden comb made by Yi Er to the Heavenly Emperor and combed his hair. True to the effects of the demon wood, his white hair showed hints of turning black. The Heavenly Emperor mentioned that Wei Zhi’s Phoenix bloodline had already been awakened. If it was awakened again, his powers would likely be on par with the immortals. The third awakening of the bloodline would result in rebirth, bringing destruction to all beings in the Three Realms, leaving them with limited time.

Lan Su watched as Ou Ya was publicly paraded through the streets, feeling deeply saddened. Despite Lan Su’s rebellious personality, she couldn’t bear to see her sister in distress. The raven delivered the message to Guo Shi and his son, and Wei Ye was overjoyed, expressing her intention to reply to her sister. However, upon hearing this, Guo Shi quickly covered Wei Ye’s mouth to prevent others from hearing. Unfortunately, someone who had been sent by Wei Lingyue to monitor them had already seen everything and reported it back to her.

Later, Wei Lingyue followed the raven to Wei Zhi’s residence and directly killed the raven to silence it, pretending to be injured and unconscious nearby. Wei Zhi brought Wei Lingyue back to her dwelling and personally treated her wounds. Wei Lingyue lied that Guo Shi and Wei Zhi had been taken away by the authorities and were scheduled for execution the next day. Believing it to be true, Wei Zhi didn’t wait for Yan Yue to return and hurriedly rushed to Yudou, unknowingly falling into Guo Shi’s trap.

Meanwhile, Yan Yue was at the marketplace, crafting silver jewelry for Wei Zhi, unaware of what was happening at home. The constable Chen Wu Chang had been bribed by Guo Shi to act as an insider, helping them set up a trap for Wei Zhi. He revealed that Guo Shi and Wei Ye were about to be executed and deceived her into heading to the eastern suburbs of Yudou’s execution ground. Guo Shi received the news without much reaction, clearly expecting today’s outcome. He believed that the trap was foolproof as long as he controlled Wei Zhi, and cooperation was the only path to take.

Yan Yue returned home and was surprised to see Wei Lingyue. Wei Lingyue deliberately hid the truth from Yan Yue but was caught in her lie. In response, Wei Lingyue decided to come clean and discovered that Yan Yue was deeply affected by the poisonous mechanism. If she didn’t withdraw in time, he would suffer from the poison and die within seven days. Wei Lingyue, still holding onto a glimmer of hope, confessed her feelings to Yan Yue but was rejected. In frustration, she revealed the plan to harm Wei Zhi, causing Yan Yue to suffer in agony from the effects of the poison.

Wei Zhi hurriedly rushed to the execution ground only to discover that it was a trap. Guo Shi had already arranged for someone to impersonate Gu Shi and lure Wei Zhi out. Taking advantage of her unpreparedness, they pulled out a dagger and stabbed her in the abdomen. Seeing this, the crowd intended to shoot Wei Zhi, but she resisted with the power of the phoenix. It wasn’t until Guo Shi threatened to take Gu Shi’s life that she reluctantly surrendered.

Afterward, Wei Zhi was thrown into a prison cell, and Wei Jingyue wanted to take this opportunity to torment her. Fortunately, Ming Lang appeared just in time. Ming Lang lied, claiming that he wanted to personally end Wei Zhi’s life to avenge his father. He then knocked out Wei Jingyue and, with several subordinates, rescued Wei Zhi and Gu Shi and his son. As they fled, the guards pursued them relentlessly, but thanks to Ming Lang’s prepared strategies, they successfully evaded Guo Shi’s sight.

Enraged, Guo Shi vented his anger on Wei Jingyue, scolding her for being incompetent. Wei Lingyue volunteered to lead the army to retake Gu City and exterminate Wei Zhi, aligning herself with the rebellious faction of the Ming family. At first, Guo Shi doubted Wei Lingyue’s abilities, but after witnessing her effortlessly kill the guards of his residence, he pondered for a moment and agreed to her request.

That evening, Wei Jingyue tearfully complained to Wei Lingyue about being deceived and abandoned by Ming Lang. Wei Lingyue recalled Yan Yue’s cold rejection and made a decision. She reminded her sister that they must let go of their romantic entanglements and focus on revenge and resistance. From now on, their hearts would be filled with only hatred and the struggle to take Wei Zhi’s life.

Wei Lingyue was appointed as a general and led a large army to set out. The Emperor issued a decree, stating that the phoenix brought calamity to the country, colluding with the rebels from Gu City, the Ming family, openly rebelling. Therefore, loyal patriots from all over the country were recruited and placed under the command of the Peacock Fairy, Wei Lingyue, to help her exterminate Wei Zhi and serve the country with loyalty.

This news caused controversy among the people of the city. Wei Zhi took her mother and younger brother and hid in various places. Before parting ways, she entrusted them to Ming Lang’s care. Now that Ming Lang had become the new lord of the city, surrounded by loyal subordinates from Gu City, he revealed that he had secretly infiltrated the archives and discovered that several pages were missing from the records of Gu Shi’s extermination. After conducting multiple investigations, he gradually learned of the intricate connections between his father’s death and the old case of the Gu family.

Ming Lang promised to personally escort Gu Shi back to Gu City. Wei Zhi made paper windmills as a memento for her brother. However, as soon as she left, Gu Shi woke up. Although she felt reluctant, she didn’t show it in front of her daughter. Wei Zhi bid farewell to Ming Lang and returned to Taoyuan Village. There, she saw Yan Yue unconscious and received a message from the raven, revealing the only solution to their problem was to find the person they were deeply in love with because the mechanism could only be transferred once, and there would be no turning back once activated.

When Yan Yue woke up and saw Wei Zhi by his side, he felt overjoyed, fearing that he would never see her again in this lifetime. Wei Zhi was deeply moved and took the initiative to kiss Yan Yue. Secretly, she transferred the mechanism to herself. The two finally consummated their relationship. When dawn broke, Yan Yue noticed that the mechanism had disappeared from his body and mistakenly believed that his spiritual power had repelled it. However, he discovered that Wei Zhi was exhibiting the same symptoms. Yan Yue felt heartache for Wei Zhi’s selfless act and vowed to find a way to save her.

During this time, Wei, the Minister of Books, completely saw through Wei Lingyue’s ambition. Reflecting on the fate of Ming Chengwu, he was reluctant to get involved in the treacherous political schemes and decided to retire and live a peaceful life in his hometown. Wei, the Minister of Books, had a private conversation with Wei Lingyue, asking her if she was willing to give up everything and return with him. Wei Lingyue remained silent, and her answer was evident.

At this moment, when Yan Yue was using his spiritual power, he once again witnessed the scene of him and Wei Zhi in a life-and-death battle, leaving him shocked. Yi Er was forbidden to leave and was contemplating the difference between immortals and demons. She immediately dismissed her thoughts of the Demon Lord. On the other hand, the Demon Lord was interrogating Ou Ya, demanding information about Wei Zhi’s whereabouts. Despite enduring various tortures, including having his blood drained by Ice Spark to release the North Sea’s cold energy, Ou Ya refused to disclose any information about Wei Zhi.

To find a solution to unravel the mechanism as soon as possible, Yan Yue personally went to the Purple Hua Library to seek help from Mu Lao. However, Mu Lao was also helpless. Through a dream, Yan Yue saw a scene of himself killing Wei Zhi. Mu Lao explained that immortals do not dream because of their destiny. What he was currently seeing could be either the past or the future.

Yi Er, with nothing to do in the Heavenly Realm, couldn’t control her longing for the Demon Lord. She secretly came to the mortal realm and ended up breaking the seedlings that Da Tao had diligently planted. Da Tao hurriedly reported this to Yan Yue, who immediately saw Yi Er hidden among the seedlings. However, she was already heavily intoxicated and speaking incoherently.

The Demon Lord tortured Ou Ya mercilessly but couldn’t extract the whereabouts of the phoenix from him. Instead, he learned about Ou Ya’s true intentions in approaching Wei Zhi. Although Ou Ya desperately wanted to solve the problem of the scarcity and thin bloodline of the female demon race, he never considered forcing Wei Zhi. As a result, the Demon Lord spared Ou Ya’s life.

At first, Da Tao thought Yi Er was drinking because of Yan Yue, considering their prior engagement. However, Yi Er firmly denied it, emphasizing that they had no romantic feelings for each other and that her affections lay with someone from the Demon Realm. Da Tao was shocked and admired her at the same time, realizing that Yi Er was in unrequited love and feeling a sense of shared destiny.

Alone at his residence, Yan Yue was suddenly embraced tightly by Wei Zhi, who was deeply anxious, fearing complete separation. Yan Yue vowed to protect Wei Zhi. Since Mu Lao couldn’t decipher the mechanism’s poison, Yan Yue had to return to the Heavenly Realm and seek the assistance of the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor sighed, knowing that Yan Yue could never escape his destiny, and revealed the deep connection between his mother and the phoenix.

When the phoenix descended upon the mountains, it was unruly and gathered immense evil power over the long years, causing havoc and triggering a devastating war. Only Yan Yue’s birth mother, Xi Cai, a celestial being, could contend with the phoenix. Xi Cai was tasked with capturing the phoenix and trapping it within a sea of flowers, using pure spiritual energy to cleanse its delusions.

However, the phoenix went mad once again, breaking through the celestial demon barrier and causing a catastrophe. In a critical moment, Xi Cai sacrificed herself, burning alongside the phoenix’s jade stone, using up her remaining cultivation to save countless dying beings. The Heavenly Emperor shared this story to help Yan Yue understand that slaying the phoenix was his duty as the Red Sun God. He had to wait until the phoenix’s bloodline erupted for the third time; otherwise, the phoenix would be reborn through Nirvana and utterly destroy the Three Realms.

Burdened with the mission to save all beings, Yan Yue couldn’t bear to harm Wei Zhi with his own hands, leaving him in a painful dilemma. The Heavenly Emperor, enraged by this, released Yan Yue from his seal and showed him the scenes of their past battles. Overwhelmed by the formidable seal’s power, Yan Yue couldn’t endure it and eventually lost consciousness.

Ming Lang deployed his troops to defend Gu City against Wei Lingyue. Gu Shi, considering the vast difference in military strength, revealed the location of Gu City’s secret passage to Ming Lang in order to ensure the safety of the elderly, weak, and women in Gu City. Meanwhile, Mu Lao suddenly arrived at the White Egret Academy and advised Jing Xiu to go along with the influential Wei Lingyue by the Emperor’s side to secure his own prosperity. However, Jing Xiu refused his advice.

Now that Yan Yue had regained his memories from his past life, he understood that he couldn’t defy the Heavenly Emperor’s will and should eliminate any future troubles for the beings in the Three Realms. However, Wei Zhi was innocent and kind-hearted. Yan Yue pleaded with Qing Huan to grant him some time alone with Wei Zhi, as a final farewell.

Back in the Taoyuan Village, Yan Yue concealed the truth from Wei Zhi and accompanied her in happy and blissful moments. He gave her a hairpin he had personally made and cooked noodles for her to celebrate her birthday. Wei Zhi, recalling past events, regretted causing trouble for her grandfather and father, and since then, she had never celebrated her birthday.

Wei Zhi took Yan Yue to the seaside, where she confessed her love for him, hoping they could be together forever and imagining time freezing in that moment. Upon hearing this, Yan Yue used magic to temporarily stop time. Before Wei Zhi could notice, he made her fall asleep again and drew his Red Dawn Sword. With tears in his eyes, Yan Yue kissed Wei Zhi goodbye and gripped the sword, preparing to strike her.

In order to make Ou Ya believe his words, the Demon Lord brought him to Huarong and revealed the past and present of Yan Yue and Wei Zhi. While the outside world believed that the Demon Clan intended to deal with the Phoenix, it was actually the Heavenly Realm’s relentless coercion. Ou Ya found it hard to believe, but the truth was as such, compelling him to bring the Demon Lord back to Taoyuan Village.

Just as Yan Yue was about to use the Red Dawn Sword to kill Wei Zhi, Ou Ya appeared in time to save her, and Wei Zhi woke up to see Ou Ya injured and lying on the ground. Initially, Wei Zhi didn’t believe that Yan Yue would kill her, but when she saw Yan Yue’s cold expression and admitted that what Ou Ya said was true, her heart instantly turned cold.

Yan Yue completely ignored the pained look in Wei Zhi’s eyes and stated that the Phoenix was a calamity to the Three Realms. If it awakened, it would cause immense suffering to all living beings. His mission was to protect the people and slay the Phoenix. Afterwards, Yan Yue made another move against Wei Zhi, but Ou Ya fought back fiercely, desperately resisting to buy time for the Demon Lord to take Wei Zhi away as quickly as possible.

However, once Yan Yue regained his powers, he became unstoppable. He pursued them all the way to the Demon Realm, and even though they were surrounded by layers of demon soldiers, they were quickly defeated. Wei Zhi looked at the completely transformed Yan Yue before her and reminisced about their shared memories. The hidden mechanism within her body started to act up, causing her immense pain. The words Mu Lao had said echoed in Yan Yue’s ears, and without hesitation, he swung his sword towards Wei Zhi, seizing Huarong and returning to the Heavenly Realm to report.

Several days later, Ou Ya explained the whole story to the Demon King, hoping to restore his engagement with Lan Su. Through this ordeal, Ou Ya finally understood that the one he truly loved was Lan Su, and his infatuation with Wei Zhi was merely a result of the Phoenix bloodline. Lan Su, deeply devoted to Ou Ya, forgave him, and the two reconciled and returned to their previous state of harmony.

However, they couldn’t help but feel sorrow for Wei Zhi’s death. Ou Ya had grown compared to before, learning to approach things with a more mature perspective. He believed that Yan Yue deeply loved Wei Zhi and that killing her was beyond his control. Lan Su couldn’t understand it at all and angrily accused Yan Yue of using Wei Zhi’s emotions. But regardless of everything, the deed had been done, and Ou Ya now just wanted to live a good life with Lan Su, cherishing every day of their future together.

With the withering of Huarong, symbolizing the fall of the Phoenix, the crisis in the Three Realms was resolved, returning to peace and tranquility. Yan Yue’s heart turned into ashes. He descended to the mortal realm alone and arrived at Yingzhou, only to see a large area of plants affected by the Phoenix’s fall, turning yellow and dim, struggling to grow. Yan Yue took the initiative to take on the task of tilling the land, day after day, digging and planting. Yan Luo knew that he was bound by his identity, hiding his sadness even when his heart ached, pretending to be carefree while being more tormented than anyone else.

After finishing tilling all the land, Yan Yue bid farewell to Yan Luo and traveled around, reminiscing about everything while seeing the sights. The image and laughter of Wei Zhi remained vivid in his mind. Wei Zhi had lived cautiously, relying on the care of her family and friends. Later, she was fortunate to meet Yan Yue, and a ray of light shone in her dark world. Unfortunately, that ray of light carried a sharp blade, causing her to be covered in wounds, and she dared not hope for brightness again.

Meanwhile, Wei Zhi woke up in the Demon Realm and suddenly remembered Yan Yue’s attempt to kill her. The Demon Lord revealed that Yan Yue did indeed plan to kill her, but thanks to Ou Ya’s desperate efforts, they managed to save Wei Zhi and escape the danger. The Demon Lord, whose name was revealed to be Mu Nan, had been Wei Zhi’s closest relative in her past life, but Wei Zhi had been deeply hurt by Yan Yue and treated Mu Nan with great hostility.

Yi Er came forward to comfort the Demon Lord, inadvertently reminding him of something, so he brought Wei Zhi back to Taoyuan Village. The room remained as it was, and Wei Zhi looked at the wooden sculpture Yan Yue had carved for her. Suddenly, her emotions completely spiraled out of control, and in a fit of anger, she burned down this house full of beautiful memories. The Demon Lord finally felt relieved, knowing that only through this could she move on.

The heavenly rules strictly forbid the interaction between immortals and demons, but Yi Er has repeatedly ventured into the mortal realm on her own and was caught by the Queen of Heaven. The Queen of Heaven instructed Yi Er to remember her engagement with Yan Yue and to be mindful of her words and actions. However, Yi Er opposes this arranged marriage where she has no choice and must marry someone she doesn’t love. They are born to endure various dogmas and marry someone they don’t love, unable to be their true selves.

The Demon Clan’s Grand Sovereign discovered that Wei Zhi was extraditing Chen Yan on behalf of Yan Yue, which shocked him greatly. Wei Zhi also came to know that it was the Demon Sovereign who caused the extraditing mark on Yan Yue. She angrily reproached him for his actions. In order to help Wei Zhi fully recover her memories and trigger the third bloodline rebirth, the Demon Clan’s Grand Sovereign brought her to the Three Lives Stone to look into her past.

In her past life, Wei Zhi was Sima Wangyue, the daughter of a marshal, and she grew up with her adopted brother Mu Nan as childhood sweethearts, considering each other as siblings. Sima Wangyue was unlike typical girls who enjoyed embroidery and flowers; she liked to wield knives and study military strategies, hoping to become a heroine in the future. Similarly, Mu Nan was deeply loyal to Sima Wangyue, and the two of them often sparred with each other.

Sima’s Lady wanted her daughter to find a good husband and frequently arranged various noble suitors for her. However, each time, Mu Nan would disguise himself as a woman and collaborate with Sima Wangyue to scare away the visiting noble sons. Every year, when the army went to war, Wangyue would drag Mu Nan to watch the crowd, much to his annoyance. Wangyue felt that these soldiers going to war for their country were very valiant, but her attention unknowingly was drawn to a young soldier who was none other than Chen Yan in his past life.

Marshal Sima was ordered to lead the army and accompany Marshal Chaoyang to the frontlines of the war against the enemy. However, Chaoyang was a playboy who took advantage of every opportunity and preferred to avoid the battlefield. This infuriated Marshal Sima, but he had no choice. On the other hand, Sima Wangyue wanted to join the army and deliberately displayed her martial arts skills in front of her father, but her father saw through her intentions, and her plan fell through.

That night, Sima Wangyue was sitting alone in her room feeling unhappy. She couldn’t understand why her father placed so much emphasis on gender distinctions. Just as she expressed her confusion, Marshal Sima entered from outside and asked if Wei Zhi would be afraid if she encountered enemies on the battlefield. Sima Wangyue decisively answered that she wasn’t afraid. Seeing his daughter’s determination, Marshal Sima agreed to let Sima Wangyue replace Marshal Chaoyang as the commanding officer.

On the day of their arrival at the lone city, Marshal Sima arranged for Sima Wangyue to lead the troops and set up a camp within the first ten miles as the forward outpost. Due to the significant responsibilities of the outpost, General Cao believed that Sima Wangyue was not qualified to guard it, which made him feel dissatisfied. General Qi, on the other hand, comforted Cao and believed that the Marshal had his reasons for making such arrangements.

As Chen Yan, in the guise of a new soldier, descended to the outpost, the veteran soldiers intended to take advantage of the situation to teach him a lesson but found that his martial skills far surpassed theirs. Sima Wangyue intervened to settle the dispute and immediately appointed Chen Yan as the leader of the new recruits, allowing him to work by her side.

During the march, Sima Wangyue encountered refugees, and a spy hiding among them attacked her. Fortunately, Chen Yan protected her in time, and with Mu Nan’s cover, they successfully escaped. Chen Yan wanted to help Sima Wangyue remove her armor and treat her injuries, but Mu Nan quickly intervened. In private, when Sima Wangyue was alone with Mu Nan, he revealed that he had killed someone that day. Sima Wangyue comforted Mu Nan, telling him not to be upset. They had studied military texts since childhood and understood the principle of showing kindness to those who surrender, or else it would be difficult to protect the people in the city.

In the following days, Sima Wangyue noticed that Chen Yan, whether in setting up camp, handling horses, or fighting, was not like an ordinary new recruit. This raised suspicions about his identity. Chen Yan admitted that he used to be a refugee, later captured by bandits and trained to carry out missions. He couldn’t tolerate their killings of the weak and innocent for food, so he seized the opportunity to escape and joined the army.

Sima Wangyue firmly believed Chen Yan’s words and, appreciating his abilities, promoted him to sergeant. Not long after, while patrolling with Sima Wangyue and others, they unexpectedly discovered enemy forces transporting provisions. They decided to observe the situation and subsequently decided to burn down the enemy’s supplies.

Just as everyone was at a loss, Chen Yan suddenly came up with an idea, believing that it was a good opportunity to make a contribution. So, under Chen Yan’s persuasion, Sima Wangyue reluctantly agreed to infiltrate the enemy camp and set fire to their provisions. However, when they sneaked into the enemy camp in the middle of the night, they didn’t notice the trap ahead, and as a result, they triggered a mechanism that led to the enemy’s encirclement.

The other two could only rush back to report the situation and seek help. Chen Yan and Sima Wangyue were locked up in a prison cell, their hands and feet bound. Fortunately, Chen Yan had already prepared a hidden sword, and Sima Wangyue had to use her mouth to release the sword. In the process, Chen Yan noticed that Sima Wangyue didn’t have an Adam’s apple and guessed that she was disguised as a man.

Mu Nan saw Chen Yan carrying Sima Wangyue’s handkerchief with him and couldn’t help but be consumed with anger. Little did he know that Chen Yan was playing a double game, waiting for the perfect opportunity for Sima Wangyue to enter the tent, deliberately employing a scheme of pretending to be injured to make her witness him being harmed by Mu Nan’s sword. In this way, Sima Wangyue blamed Mu Nan for his actions, and misunderstandings arose between them.

Sima was on the verge of being trapped by the enemy and unable to escape. Fortunately, Chen Yan arrived just in time to rescue Sima and ensure the safety of the Sima family. During this period of time spent together, the relationship between Sima Wangyue and Chen Yan quickly grew warmer, especially as Chen Yan felt indebted to the Sima family. Half-jokingly, Chen Yan expressed his desire for Sima Wangyue to offer herself to him as a gesture of gratitude.