Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

Ripples spread across the golden water.

The barefoot woman in the red robe walked over.

She walked very slowly.

With each step, golden ripples spread out beneath the feet, like blooming golden lotuses.

Gu Xiang instinctively pulled Su Qing behind him to shield her.

It's instinct.

Even standing is difficult for him.

The woman stopped.

She stood three steps away from the two of them.

She tilted her head, looked at Gu Xiang's tense expression, and smiled.

"Young scholar, don't be nervous."

"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have made a move just now."

She walked past Gu Xiang and her gaze fell on Su Qing behind him.

That look in his eyes was strange.

It felt like looking at a younger relative of one's own family, or like looking at a close friend one hasn't seen for many years.

She reached out her hand.

Su Qing wanted to hide.

But his body seemed to be frozen in place, unable to move.

That hand bypassed Gu Xiang's obstruction and gently took Su Qing's hand.

Su Qing's hands were very cold.

The woman's hands were very warm.

It's like a piece of warm, smooth jade.

"Your hands are so cold, you must have been quite frightened."

The woman squeezed Su Qing's fingers, her tone very familiar.

"That fox back then was much bolder than you."

"They dared to dance on my grave and even dared to steal my offerings."

Su Qing was stunned.

She looked at the woman in the red robe in front of her.

That sense of familiarity grew stronger and stronger.

That was a throbbing sensation deep within my blood.

She has just merged with the Phoenix True Fire and awakened her Phoenix Eyes.

She could sense that the woman in front of her shared the same aura as her.

And she's even purer than him.

Older.

"Who...are you?"

Su Qing's voice trembled slightly.

The woman blinked.

"you guess?"

Su Qing didn't say anything.

She couldn't guess.

I dare not guess.

This is the interior space of the Wutong Sacred Tree.

It is the place where the two Phoenix Emperors perished back then.

Who else but those two could be here and control the power of the sacred tree?

but……

Wasn't that person already dead?

Even the bones have turned into soil on Luofeng Slope.

Even the Dao Fruit transformed into the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart and the Nirvana Seed.

How could he still be alive?

Seeing that Su Qing didn't speak, the woman pursed her lips.

"That's so boring."

"Young people these days have absolutely no sense of humor."

She released Su Qing's hand, turned around, and faced away from the two of them.

She looked at the golden space and sighed.

"I am Feng."

Three words.

Light and airy.

But it was like a thunderclap, exploding in Gu Xiang and Su Qing's ears.

Gu Xiang's eyes widened.

Su Qing froze on the spot.

凤？

The Phoenix in the Two Phoenix Emperors?

The legendary phoenix who was willing to sacrifice himself to fulfill the wishes of the phoenix?

"impossible!"

Su Qing instinctively retorted.

"The Phoenix Emperor has long since perished!"

"Even the true spirit has dissipated!"

"How could you possibly be the Phoenix Emperor!"

The woman turned around.

She looked at Su Qing with a hint of mockery in her eyes.

"Who told you that you can't speak when you're dead?"

"Who told you that once the true spirit dissipates, not a single trace can remain?"

She pointed to the golden water beneath her feet.

"This is the sacred parasol tree."

"This is my home."

"Is it too much for me to leave a back door in my own house and hide some secret stash of money?"

Su Qing was speechless.

That tone...

Why does he sound like a street thug?

Shouldn't the legendary Phoenix Emperor be high above, majestic and inviolable?

The woman seemed to see through Su Qing's thoughts.

She shrugged.

Don't think of me as something sacred.

"I'm just a woman too."

"She's a foolish woman who got scammed by a man."

As she said this, the smile in her eyes faded a little.

Instead, there was a faint hint of mockery.

"Back then, I cultivated to the peak of Quasi-Emperor with that dead bird."

"We all want to prove our faith."

"Everyone wants to become emperor."

"But this damned God is incredibly stingy."

She pointed to the top of her head.

"There is only one place for that position. We originally planned to break free from the shackles of heaven and earth and attain enlightenment together."

"But Heaven's will intervened. We were too strong, so strong that even Heaven's will could not suppress us. So Heaven gave us a choice."

"Either, both of them fight to the death against the Heavenly Dao and destroy this world."

"Either prove one truth, and fulfill the other's purpose."

Gu Xiang was terrified.

Is this an ancient secret?

Is this the truth behind the fall of the phoenix?

"and then?"

Gu Xiang couldn't help but ask a question.

The woman glanced at him.

"Then?"

"Then I told him, 'Please sit down.'"

"I don't care about that position."

"I just want to be with you, even if it's just as a maid serving tea and water."

The woman spoke very casually.

It's as if they're talking about something trivial.

But Gu Xiang could tell how much blood and tears were hidden behind those words.

He handed over the opportunity to become emperor to someone else.

How much courage does that take?

How deep is the love?

"He agreed?"

Su Qing asked.

The woman chuckled softly.

"Of course he agreed."

"He dreams of sitting in that seat."

"But at the last moment, he hesitated."

"It's not that he can't bear to part with me."

"He's afraid."

"He feared that Heaven might be deceitful."

"He was afraid that if I died, he wouldn't be able to live either."

"So, at the last moment, he wanted to drag me down with him."

"He wanted to use my life to fill that hole."

"The result was that we both died."

Nobody got that seat.

The woman's voice was cold.

It exuded a chill.

"Maybe that's just how men are."

"Love and affection? It's all bullshit."

Gu Xiang felt a chill run down his back.

He glanced at Su Qing subconsciously.

Fortunately.

I'm not that kind of person.

He was willing to risk his life for Su Qing.

The woman seemed to notice Gu Xiang's subtle actions.

She glanced at Gu Xiang.

"You don't need to look at her."

"You're not like that dead bird."

"If you were like him, you wouldn't have put the seed of Nirvana into your heart when you were outside."

"You wouldn't turn yourself into this dried-up mess for the sake of this little fox."

Gu Xiang smiled bitterly.

He really does look like a human being now.

Although it was supported by golden light, its foundation was already hollow.

"senior."

Gu Xiang cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"Since you're still here, what about the one outside...?"

"That's him too."

The woman interrupted Gu Xiang.

"That's his obsession."

"It's his demonic heart."

"He's not completely dead."

"I'm not completely dead either."

"We are all waiting."

"Wait for an opportunity."

"Now, the opportunity has come."

Boom!

A loud bang came from outside.

The entire golden space trembled violently.

Giant waves surged on the golden surface of the water.

That was the phoenix attacking the Wutong Divine Tree.

He was outside, trying to forcefully break open the tortoise shell.

"phoenix!"

"Get out here!"

"Hand over your exquisite heart!"

Phoenix's voice pierced through the barrier of the divine tree and echoed throughout the space.

Filled with endless greed and murderous intent.

Su Qing's expression changed.

She could feel that the power was too strong.

So strong it's despair-inducing.

Even hiding here, you can still feel that suffocating sense of oppression.

"it's useless."

Su Qing shook her head.

She released Gu Xiang's hand and hugged his waist instead.

She buried her head in Gu Xiang's arms.

Her voice sounded like she was about to cry.

"We can't get out."

"He is a quasi-emperor."

"A true quasi-emperor."

"Even with the sacred tree protecting it, it won't last long."

Gu Xiang remained silent.

He simply held Su Qing tightly.

He gently patted her back with his palm.

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm here."

"At worst, I'll just die."

"It would be worth it to die together."

Gu Xiang's voice was calm.

He was a scholar.

Scholars believe in remaining calm and composed even when faced with a collapsing Mount Tai.

Although he was also in a state of panic.

But he couldn't show weakness.

He is Su Qing's man.

It's this silly fox's world.

What will the fox do if the sky falls?

"Tsk tsk tsk."

A smacking sound came from the side.

The woman crossed her arms and looked at the two of them with disdain.

"Hey you two, can you stop being so pessimistic?"

"I'm not dead yet."

"The tree hasn't fallen yet."

"Why are you already giving your last words?"

Su Qing raised her head.

She looked at the woman, her eyes red.

"Senior, can you beat him?"

The woman shrugged.

"We can't beat them."

"I am now a true spirit."

"It doesn't even have a physical body."

"What are we going to use to fight?"

The light in Su Qing's eyes went out instantly.

"That's still a dead end."

The woman rolled her eyes.

"Who says you have to die if you can't win?"

"Can't you use your brain?"

"You're a fox spirit, not a pig spirit."

The woman stepped forward.

She reached out and flicked Su Qing's forehead.

collapse.

It was very loud.

Su Qing covered her forehead, looking aggrieved.

"senior……"

"Alright, stop trying to summon his soul."

The woman withdrew her hand.

She glanced at the top of her head.

The attacks from outside are getting more and more intense.

Cracks have appeared in the walls of the sacred tree.

The golden light began to dim.

"Time is running out."

The woman dropped the mocking expression on her face.

Her expression turned serious.

A resolute glint flashed in those golden eyes.

"That dead bird wants to become an emperor."

"He wants a delicate heart."

"I want the seed of Nirvana."

"You want my life."

"He's dreaming."

The woman snorted coldly.

She looked at Gu Xiang.

"Young scholar."

"I need to borrow something from you."

Gu Xiang was taken aback.

"What?"

"The person I borrowed from you."

A strange smile curved the corners of the woman's lips.

Before Gu Xiang could react...

The woman suddenly waved her hand.

call--!

A golden gust of wind suddenly rose from nowhere.

It directly engulfed Gu Xiang.

"Gu Xiang!"

Su Qing was shocked.

She reached out to grab it.

But the wind was too strong.

So fast that even the afterimage was not visible.

Whoosh!

Gu Xiang has disappeared.

They simply vanished from the spot.

Not even a trace of its breath remained.

Su Qing's hand grasped at empty air.

She stared blankly at the empty space beside her.

I was completely stunned.

"you……"

Su Qing turned her head sharply and stared intently at the woman in the red robe.

The hurt in her eyes instantly turned into anger.

The phoenix wings behind him suddenly spread open.

Crimson-gold flames burned on his body.

"Where did you put him?!"

Give him back to me!

Su Qing roared.

She was like a mother animal whose cubs had been taken away.

Even when facing the ancient Phoenix Emperor, she dared to show her claws.

The woman looked at the crazed Su Qing.

She is not angry.

Instead, he laughed.

He was laughing very happily.

"That's right."

"This is what a nine-tailed celestial fox should look like."

"Stop crying all the time."

"That's the right of the weak."

The woman turned around.

She looked out into the darkness.

Looking at the phoenix that was attacking frantically.

Don't worry.

"He won't die."

"Not only will they not die."

"There will be another great opportunity."

The woman had her back to Su Qing.

Her voice became somewhat ethereal.