Chapter no.35 Earthly Yuan Realm

[ POV Change ]

Lin Lai walked cautiously down the dimly lit hallway, her footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls as she stood in front of the heavy wooden door, a cold look adorning her face.

She took a deep breath and placed her hand on the intricately carved surface of the door, feeling the rough texture beneath her fingers. After a moment's hesitation, she pushed it open and stepped inside.

The room was small and cramped, filled with shelves stacked high with tomes and scrolls. Dusty cobwebs stretched across the ceiling, and the faint smell of mildew hung in the air. But Lin Lai didn't notice any of these details. Her gaze was fixed on the inscription array of circles etched into the floor at the center of the room.

It was a complex design, filled with symbols and runes that glowed with a faint, otherworldly light.

She stepped closer to the circle, as she reached out, and placed her hand on its center. She could feel the energy pulsing through it, a steady hum that vibrated through her entire body. She closed her eyes and focused all of her spiritual Qi on the circle, willing the spirits to emerge.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light filled the room, and Lin Lai felt herself being pulled forward into the circle. She took a deep breath as she saw the holographic figures begin to emerge, taking on solid form as they emerged from the glowing portal.

There were dozens of them, all different shapes and sizes, all human-like.

" Greetings to the patriarchs and elders of the Qingchen Sect, The Mount Hua Sect, The Peng Clan Sect, The Ghost Yin Sect, and the Martial Society." Lin Lai exclaimed with a bow as the members of the various factions of the Murim gazed upon each other.

" Greetings to the Firefox maiden, we wish you a long marriage from the Qingchen Sect," An old man with sunken eyes exclaimed causing Lin Lai's eyes to flare in anger before she calmed herself down.

Her moment of anger didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room.

" Thank you for your kind words, as the various letters I had sent to each of your great sects noted; I wish for the destruction of the Divine Feather Sect." Lin Lai answered as the leader of the martial society spoke up.

" On what grounds do you stand for the destruction of one of the great pillars of the Murim Alliance ?"

" Oh, Leader Mao isn't the title of one of the great pillars of the Murim Alliance underserved by the Divine Feather Sect? In my eyes, any one of the great sects before me has greater credence for said title. Wouldn't you agree ?"

Many of the elders and patriarchs of various sects narrowed their eyes as they didn't believe a word that Lin Lai just said.

Seeing that no one was believing her words, Lin Lai changed her approach.

" But unfortunately I don't think the Divine Feather Sect will fall with the ancestral artifact in its possession."

And instantly Lin Lai caught the attention of everyone.

" What artifact?" The Qingchen Sect spoke up as Lin Lai smiled and answered.

" The Ancestral Artifact; one of the prized possessions of the Divine Feather Sect that can only be accessed by the patriarch. It will be brought to times of need and with it, the Divine Feather Sect could rival the power of the Murim Alliance." Lin Lai told the lie with a straight face as while she knew that the Divine Feather Sect had some kind of secret artifact, she didn't know its use or power but she knew of its existence.

" How can we trust your word ?"

" Then who can you trust? I am the adoptive daughter of the patriarch, who would know this place better than me?" Lin Lai answered back causing everyone to shut up.

" Even then why should we help you when the great patriarch of the Divine Feather Sect is there."

" Oh, don't worry I have been secretly poisoning him with the white wither poison."

Shock rang throughout the entire room as the patriarchs and elders of the various factions realized that this could be a perfect opportunity to destroy the Divine Feather Sect and ascend their sect to glory.

If the only threat to them; the patriarch was poisoned by the highly despised white wither poison that was undetectable to all and was a unique poison that got stronger by leeching off the spiritual Qi from its victim.

" The Qingchen Sect would like to offer our support to the firefox maiden's plan."

" The Mount Hua Sect would like to offer our support as well."

While two of the factions agreed to help, all the others hesitated.

Seeing said hesitation, Lin Lai pulled out her last card.

" Before any other sect would like to offer their helpful services, I would like to tell you that the Murim Alliance is going to launch a full-scale attack on the Immortal Demon Sect."

Lin Lai's words were the last straw that broke the camel's back as every faction immediately gave their support to the plan for the destruction of the Divine Feather Sect.

.....

The Divine Feather Sect was a marvel of engineering, carved into the very mountains themselves and suspended high above the clouds. It was a place of beauty and wonder.

But on this fateful day, the streets were filled with the sound of crumbling stones and the cries of terrified people. Buildings collapsed and fires raged out of control, filling the air with thick, choking smoke. The streets were chaotic and confusing, as people ran and stumbled through the rubble, trying to escape the destruction as attacks were launched on the sect.

As the flames licked at the grand facade of the palace, the once-majestic building was reduced to rubble. The inferno had finally reached its climax, engulfing the center of the city in a raging inferno.

The people watched in horror as the flames consumed the walls, once impenetrable, crumbled like ash in the wind.

The screams of the dying echoed through the streets as the fire spread, consuming all in its path. Those who had escaped the initial blast were caught in the chaos, running for their lives as the fire raged on.

Inside the destroyed palace, Lü Fengxian lay on the ground, his body wracked with coughing as he struggled to stand. Blood spewed from his lips, staining the ground beneath him a dark red.

The man whose presence commanded respect was now dying on the ground, his once-great power had been reduced to a withered shell as the white wither poison destroyed him from the inside out.

He tried to push himself up, his fingers clawing at the ground as he tried to find the strength to stand. But his body seemed to have stopped listening, his limbs heavy and unresponsive.

" How does it feel to be so weak, husband ?" Lin Lai answered as she slowly stepped toward Lü Fengxian.

Lü Fengxian's eyes widened.

" Y, You knew."

" Yes, I found out cheerfully. Look at all of this beautiful destruction that you have caused but tell me, why did you do it, you disgusting pig !"

Lin Lai shouted out as she grabbed Lü Fengxian by the collar and slammed him to the wall.

" L, Lü Bu will show you no mercy."

" Oh, my little brother; don't worry I have a lot of friends going after him and that precious artifact."

Lü Fengxian tried to call upon his strength but the white wither poison got stronger.

" Answer me and I can guarantee that your son makes it out alive."

" Y, You give me your words."

" Yes, you pathetic pig."

" L, Lin Lai, you of all people should know that talent is everything in the Murim world. Those without it always had to bow to the strong."

Lin Lai tightened her grip as she screamed out.

" What does that have to do with anything?!"

" L, Let me speak.... even with all the titles I was given, I could never truly compete with the talented monsters of the Murim and that's when I found you; someone born with the Celestial Flame Maiden Bloodline."

Lin Lai's eyes widened as everything clicked in her mind.

The Celestial Flame Maiden was a legend famous around the Murim world.

Legend says that a mortal man would sing to the moons in the sky. His voice and charm moved the heavens so much that they sent a fairy from the sun to him. Said fairy was believed to be the first being to be born with a bloodline physique. As man and fairy fell in love and embraced each other in holy matrimony, the man was blessed with the powers of the God of the Sun as he left this world to be one with the fairy in the night sky.

" I, I was born with the Celestial Flame Maiden Bloodline ?!"

Lin Lai's eyes widened as Lü Fengxian smirked.

" If only I didn't spare you that night after stealing your bloodline. Just a few more years of refining it and I would have broken through to the Celestial Domain Realm."

Lü Fengxian cursed his luck as Lin Lai's grip tightened over his neck.

" Oh, don't worry; your sendoff from this world isn't going to be painless, you damn pig."

Lü Fengxian spat on Lin Lai's face as he exclaimed.

" I'll be waiting in hell for you."

Lin Lai didn't bother cleaning the spit as she grabbed Lü Fengxian's mouth and said.

" Let me hear you scream."

[ A Few Months Later ]

[ Boiling Bay Prison - Dreamland Array ]

The forest was eerily quiet as the night sky stretched out above the treetops, a canvas of deep indigo dotted with sparkling pinpricks of light. The only sound was the gentle crackling of the fire that danced in the clearing, casting a warm glow over the figure seated beside it.

Lin Lai sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, her eyes closed as she basked in the warmth of the flames.

As the fire cast its flickering light over her features, it was easy to see the broken girl that lurked just beneath the surface.

A smile plastered on Lin Lai's face as she remembered the screams of that pig ( Lü Fengxian) being slaughtered at her hands.

Remembering her lost bloodline physique, Lin Lai wondered how powerful would she have gotten if it had awakened.

' Would I have been like him ?'

Lin Lai thought as she looked up to see Zhongli's sleeping back.

Even if he didn't show it, Lin Lai could sense it.

He had broken through to the Earthly Yuan Realm.

But just a few hours ago he was in the manifestation realm.

Lin Lai couldn't help but gulp at Zhongli's monstrous speed of cultivation.

What took her decades was achieved in mere hours by him.

Was this due to some bloodline physique?

Lin Lai wondered as she gazed upon Zhongli and his unique aura of the Earthly Yuan Realm.

For a manifestation realm expert to break through to the Earthly Yuan Realm they had to wash their bodies with their attributes Qi and cleanse the entire body of impurities but to Lin Lai, Zhongli's aura was alien like as he washed his body with the five elemental attributed Qi's hence why she concluded that he must have a bloodline physique alongside his monstrous speed of growth that made even the great talents of the Murim Alliance look like trash.