He walked through the cyclone but felt nothing. Flames danced all around him, swirling like a tornado, but they could not reach him, phased as he was in an entirely separate space. It was strange watching flames pass through his body. He’d seen this happen before. However, right now, it was happening constantly.
This is draining my chi a lot more quickly than I thought it would.
The drain on his chi was constant. He fortunately had a lot more chi now that he had reached the Deva Realm. Even if he kept Nihility going for several hours, he wouldn’t run out of chi that quickly. That said, he wished he could teleport. It wasn’t possible in this cyclone since he could barely see where he was going, but it would have made traveling through here so much easier.
How much further do I have to go?
His thoughts wouldn’t be going in circles like this if he had someone he could talk to, but Youmei couldn’t travel with him. Shadow Walking only worked when there were shadows for the cultivator to walk in. The light from the fire burned away all the shadows in this area, so she couldn’t come with him. Being alone like this sucked. Now that he thought about it, Wu Jian had never truly been alone before. Even after his clan was killed, someone had always been by his side.
Time passed intermittently. He had nothing but his thoughts to accompany him. Had it been an hour? Two hours? His chi was still good, but the constant drain was bothersome and the strain of remaining phased out of this space left him mentally exhausted.
What are the others doing? Are they okay? I hope they didn’t run into any magical beasts…
The inner layer was filled with magical beasts so much stronger than them that even he realized what they were doing was stupid. But for however dumb it was, he believed this was something they had to do. Strength could not be acquired without risk.
And I need to get stronger.
Wu Jian had not forgotten his purpose. His clan had been annihilated and he would see the people who had done the deed dead. He would wipe them out from the face of existence and erase the very memory of them. That goal had not changed even after reuniting with Wu Meiying.
Her goal is the same as mine.
She also wanted to get revenge, on the people who had wiped out the Wu Clan, and on her apprentice, who was responsible for the people who had wiped the clan out. It would be a long time before they could deal with her apprentice, however. For now, he just needed to focus on the people on this world.
Oh! I think I see the end.
The cyclone had lessened up. It was a good thing, too. He was almost out of chi. He didn’t know how much walking he had done, but it must have been at least half a day’s worth. Wu jian emerged from the cyclone and was almost startled at the unbelievable calm suddenly inundating him. It was such a stark difference that he couldn’t help but gape.
But what made him really shocked was what lay before him.
There’s no way this is still the Realm of Sacred Flames…
What appeared before him was like something out of a dream, a serene garden full of colorful flora the likes of which he had never seen before. The grass beneath his feet was cool to the touch and slightly moist with dew as though freshly watered. Trees sparsely dotted the garden at irregular intervals. They resembled sakura trees, but their blossoms were bright crimson like fresh blood. There was a walkway that meandered around the garden, and Wu Jian quickly made his way to it when he realized he was stepping on some flowers.
Perhaps the most eye-catching detail about this garden was the massive pagoda smack dab in the middle. The grand pagoda was so tall it looked like it ascended to the heavens, its architecture a testament to the builder’s ingenuity and artistry. This magnificent structure stood as a profound symbol of reverence, adorned as it was with statues of the Vermillion Bird.
So this realm wasn’t made in worship of the Phoenix?
Wu Jian walked down the path, taking in the sights. The pagoda’s silhouette pierced the skies, with multiple tiers that gradually narrowed as they ascended, each level adorned with intricate sculptures depicting the mythic Vermillion Bird. The vermilion and gold hues of its exterior shimmered with a lustrous glow, as if the building itself was aflame, yet untouched by its own fervor.
As he drew closer, Wu Jian noticed the astonishingly ornate eaves that curved gracefully around the pagoda. Crimson banners, emblazoned with a great bird whose blazing wings made its origins obvious, fluttered in the eternal breeze that blew through this strange realm. The pagoda’s roof culminated in a brilliant, fiery pinnacle that radiated a soft, warm light, casting a gentle illumination over the garden.
This place, which appeared to have once been a place of worship, was now empty. The magnificent structure seemed at odds with the solitude surrounding him. Wu Jian imagined this place was once a realm of learning or perhaps even reverence. He could see people who referred the Vermillion Bird coming from all around the world to pay homage here, and yet, such was not the case now. Wu Jian wondered why.
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Because his goal was to check out the area and report back, Wu Jian wandered inside of the pagoda. He was immediately enveloped in the hallowed atmosphere. The air shimmered with a warm, fiery light, creating an ethereal ambience that drew him in. He expected blazing heat. What he got instead was a comfortably warm temperature and the scent of exotic flowers carried on the breeze.
Adorning the interior were intricate motifs of the Vermillion Bird. They were beautifully woven tapestries, paintings, and sculptures that lined the walls, telling the mythic stories associated with this creature. Wu Jian was beginning to suspect this place was much like the White Tiger Sect Ruins.
Supporting the pagoda’s structure were pillars made of rare and precious materials--a type of crimson jade that looked like it contained the essence of fire. They were inscribed with ancient wisdom. Wu Jian read the one nearest him and realized it was for a fire technique. Sadly, that meant he couldn’t learn it.
At the heart of the pagoda lay a grand altar, made of a luminous, crystalline material that looked to have been forged in the heart of a volcano. Atop it rested a majestic statue of the Vermillion Bird, its wings outstretched as if in eternal flight. The statue glowed with the light of brilliant flames. As he approached it, Wu Jian felt like there were eyes watching him, which caused the hair on the back of his neck to prickle.
“It seems I have a guest. How long has it been since someone has set foot in this hallowed ground.”
A voice, ancient and powerful, filled the chamber. Wu Jian tensed, ready for action. He summoned Pale Moon to his side and warily eyed his surroundings.
“You need not fear, young one. I shall not harm you.”
Wu Jian hesitated for a moment before storing Pale Moon back in his storage ring. He still could not find the source of the voice, but he did not sense any hostility.
“Are you… the Vermillion Bird?”
“You are close. I am but a fragment left behind when the Vermillion Bird decided to leave this world for greener pastures, much like the White Tiger you met before.”
“So you can sense that?”
“Indeed. We four were once the guardians of this world. We ruled together. It was a time of peace and harmony back then. Humans and magical beasts did not fight as they do now.”
“It sounds like something happened to change that.”
“Yes. Greed happened. It was a slow process, but over the centuries, our selects amassed a vast collection of ancient artifacts, divine relics, and mystical treasures. These items possessed great power. As our sects grew in prominence, our leaders became increasingly coveetous. It wasn’t long before our once united front succumbed to rivalry and competition. Soon, each sect sought to outshine the others. While competition and rivalry are good, the atmosphere between the sects became toxic. It was not long before the sect leaders, tempted by power and wealth, began to indulge their desires. They used their positions to hoard the most potent artifacts, believing it would solidify their authority… and yet all it did was breed resentment and internal strife. Before long, war engulfed the land as sects battled both from within and without.”
Wu Jian listened to all this with a hand on his chin, eyes narrowed in thought. “All this happened after the original deities left, right?”
“Correct. This would have never happened had the four remained in this world. Their strength was unrivaled… or so I believed.”
“Do you suspect otherwise now?”
“…I have been here for a long time, and during this time, I have had plenty to think about. I’ve thought long and hard about what happened. How could the four greatest sects of this world fall to greed and malice so easily? Our members might not be infallible, but they were good people with righteous hearts.”
“You think someone corrupted them.”
“Indeed. While the four great sects did their best to rule with justice and fairness, that does not mean nobody was ever hurt. There were also many sects below us that had very little power or wealth because we hoarded it all unto ourselves. Of course, those sects lacked the power to oppose us.”
“Then who could have done this?”
“I cannot say, but I have always suspected it was someone hiding in the shadows of society. There were a few powerful families back then who did not belong to any sect. Each of the Four Great Sects also had dealings with them. They would give us supplies, whisper kind words in our ears, and stroke our egos. I have long suspected these families were mere branches of one much larger family that had been working to undermine our authority. We never suspected them because we assumed they did not all belong to the same group.”
The more Wu Jian heard, the more he began to think the group responsible for this was the same group responsible for the destruction of his clan. He had no proof. It was just a hunch. However, according to Wu Meiying, the person who was after her was her apprentice, who had been around for thousands of years. His agents were spread across the Nine Heavens and even on small worlds like this one. It was perfectly possible that the people responsible for the Four Great Sects downfall were his underlings.
But what motivation could they have to do this? Were they concerned that the Four Great Sects were gaining too much power and that would hamper their ability to take action? Or perhaps their motivation was the same as everyone else. They just got greedy and decided to do away with the competition.
He sighed. Without knowing the truth behind what happened, he had no way of knowing whether his hunch was right, and the Vermillion Bird’s fragment didn’t seem to know either. It likely didn’t have the full picture. It also sounded like the people responsible for all this had stayed hidden.
There is nothing I can do to change the past. For now, I need to focus on the present.
He looked at the Vermillion Bird statue… since there was nothing else to look at and he felt awkward holding a conversation with the air.
“I have several friends on the other side of this cyclone. Is it possible to remove it so they can come in?”
“It is not possible to stop this cyclone. Even I cannot do that. However, I can create a hole through which your friends may pass through. I have been observing your group since you entered the inner realm. You’re an interesting bunch, and I believe you to be trustworthy. There is also one among you whom I believe would benefit from my tutelage.”
“Is it Huǒ Yulie?” asked Wu Jian.
“No, it is the young man. Huǒ Shuchang I believe his name was.”
“Ah. That guy.”
“I am now opening a hole for them to pass through. You should go out to greet them.”
“All right. I’m going then. I’ll be back once they arrive.”
Wu Jian left the way he’d come, wandering back toward the cyclone that continued to rage. Yet all the while, he thought about his conversation with the Vermillion Bird’s fragment. What happened all those thousands of years ago? He wished to know those answers, yet sadly, he believed no answer would be coming any time soon.