Chapter 134

The moment that dripping, ghostly hand touched the boat, the sounds of the world faded away. Fireworks, street chatter, all gone. Only the hush of water remained. The ferryman? Vanished.
Ferrymen were guides, not guardians. Once aboard, one’s life or death was no longer their concern.
The River of Forgetting teemed with wandering souls, feral spirits, ghosts that never crossed over. And among them lurked drowned ghosts who preyed on the newly dead, dragging them into the depths to devour their souls. What surrounded them now...was clearly a spirit’s enchantment.
From the water rose a stunning woman with eerily alluring features, draped in wet, flowing garments. She rested her chin on the edge of the boat, smiling seductively at Ling Qingxiao.
“Young master,” she purred. “There are many wicked ghosts beneath these waters. I am all alone, with nowhere to go on this haunted night. Might I seek shelter at your side?”
Ling Qingxiao didn’t respond. He merely tapped a finger against the boat’s rail. It seemed he’d concealed himself too well. This creature had mistaken him for easy prey. He wasn’t sure whether to admire her boldness or pity her ignorance.
Her tale of having no place to go was, of course, a lie. She had no money to pay the ferryman, so she’d been trapped here, wandering the waters, growing more powerful over time until she’d become one of the great river ghosts.
This patch of the river was her domain. She’d grown so accustomed to her free, unbound existence that she no longer wished to reincarnate. Being a tyrant of the deep suited her just fine.
But when she caught wind of Ling Qingxiao’s profound spiritual aura, even through layers of water and enchantment, she couldn’t resist. And when she surfaced and saw his striking appearance...she made her move.
She couldn’t comprehend the power difference between them. To her, he was simply a man with potent qi, perhaps not to be devoured outright, but certainly one worth seducing.
The girl with him? She ignored her. She had no use for women. Confident in her beauty, she leaned forward with a coy smile and reached out with delicate, snowy hands to tug at Ling Qingxiao’s robes.
She hadn’t even touched the fabric before a brilliant, razor-sharp burst of pure qi slashed across her palm. The ghost shrieked, yanking her hand back. A deep gash had split her skin, and the wound was laced with biting cold ice that shimmered with a faint golden thread of merit light.
The pain was searing, the golden light devouring her ghostly energy. In an instant, she lost half her cultivation. Her expression changed from coquettish to terrified. She realized, far too late, that she had provoked a true powerhouse.
“Immortal Lord, spare me! I...I didn’t know...please have mercy! I meant no offense. Cultivation is difficult for a lone ghost woman like me, please, don’t take my life.”
As she spoke, her illusion shattered. The enchantment dissolved, and sound returned to the world. Ling Qingxiao rose from his seat and looked down the path ahead, voice like frost.
“Where is she?”
The ghost trembled. She wanted to flee but dared not move.
“I...I don’t know, truly. I was blinded by desire, but I never dared lay hands on a celestial. As for the girl...I don’t know where she went.”
At that moment, the previously silent ferryman turned back around.
“Honored one, once you step onto the Path of Yellow Springs, there is no turning back. If you force your way out, you may anger the Underworld’s enforcers…”
“The enforcers?” Ling Qingxiao let out a soft laugh. Then his spiritual pressure exploded like a thunderclap, shattering the water’s surface with divine force.
“Even your Yama Emperor wouldn’t dare speak to me like that.”
Under his pressure, the once-noisy River of Forgetting fell silent. Wailing ghosts fled in terror, scattering like smoke. The female ghost let out another cry as the crushing force sent her reeling. She didn’t dare look back, just dove into the river’s depths to hide.
The ferryman couldn’t even stay upright. He collapsed to his knees, forehead pressed to the deck.
“Celestial Emperor! I...I didn’t know...please have mercy!”
Ling Qingxiao had never planned to trouble such lowly souls. They were just minor beings trying to survive. But this time, they had crossed the line. They had touched Luo Han, she was gone.
His fury surged anew. His gaze turned on the ferryman, icy and murderous. The man trembled so hard his spine practically fused to the deck. Ling Qingxiao spoke, each word like an executioner’s blade:
“You’d best pray she returns unharmed. Otherwise...none of you will escape punishment.”
With that, he stepped into the air and took off, walking across the surface of the river as if it were solid ground, retracing his steps.
The laws of the Yellow Springs said: once the path is taken, one cannot turn back.
But such laws...were never meant to bind the strong.
—
Meanwhile, Luo Han stood quietly on dry land, looking at the figures before her with genuine curiosity. She didn’t resist. She wanted to know exactly what they planned to do. And so, she followed them without a word.
Hidden beneath the shadowed canopy of the forest, a formation flickered, one moment dim, the next glowing faintly. Then, with a soft surge of light, several figures emerged from within.
Yun Menghan’s eyes lit up. She called out cheerfully, “My lord, Red Lotus Demon King, you’ve returned!”
Ye Zhongyu had likewise concealed his identity, dressed plainly as a mortal. His natural bearing was already bold and martial, now clad in commoner’s clothes, he looked every bit the stalwart general of the mortal world. By contrast, standing beside him was the Red Lotus Demon King, whose allure was far more seductive. Even stripped of the lavish silks of the demon realm, his features still shimmered with charm, each glance carried a hint of mischief, each gesture deliberately inviting.
The two men stood in stark contrast, one heroic, the other beguiling, each with their own appeal. But Yun Menghan’s gaze barely lingered on them before shifting to the woman behind them. Even at their second meeting, Yun Menghan was once again taken aback by her beauty.
She wore flowing white robes, lightly embroidered with drifting clouds. Her sleeves and sash bore delicate patterns of peacock feathers that shimmered in the night, each fold glowing with iridescent hues from every angle. The gown seemed simple, yet it was undoubtedly of rare and priceless make. And still, in the presence of her beauty, even such finery felt like mere adornment.
Yun Menghan found herself dazed. She’d only met Luo Han twice, but an inexplicable sense of familiarity tugged at her heart. She wasn’t alone. The Wu High Priest, who was maintaining the formation, also found himself subtly shaken upon seeing Luo Han again. Last time, he had taken her as a potential threat. Who could have imagined...she was the Heavenly Dao itself?
The high priest swiftly dispelled the array and stepped forward, robes trailing as he bowed deeply. “I greet the Heavenly Dao. Last time I was ignorant of your true nature and acted with disrespect. I beg your forgiveness.”
Luo Han swept her gaze around. She could tell, they had prepared carefully for this ambush. They had chosen this exact moment when the Ghost Gate was open, and the air was thick with chaotic qi. They had waited until Ling Qingxiao boarded the ferry and was bound by the laws of yin and yang, unable to return. Then, activating an ancient formation, they had forcefully drawn her away.
They had even dispatched their two strongest trump cards, Ye Zhongyu and the Red Lotus King to snatch her out of Ling Qingxiao’s hands. It was clear: Ling Qingxiao had left a lasting psychological shadow upon them.
Ye Zhongyu glanced at the path behind them, urgency flashing in his eyes. “No time for pleasantries. We can speak later, right now, we must leave this place.”
No one objected. They all understood that their illusions wouldn’t fool Ling Qingxiao for long. The rule that “one cannot turn back on the Road of the Yellow Springs” might hinder others, but it couldn’t bind him. He would be on their heels in no time.
Everyone moved quickly, Yun Menghan included. But as Ye Zhongyu turned back and saw Luo Han still standing motionless, he instinctively reached out to pull her along. The moment his fingers neared her robes, he was stopped cold by an invisible barrier. Luo Han stood as steady as a mountain, her eyes sharp and cold.
“Who do you think you are, daring to touch me?”
To Ye Zhongyu, she looked young and delicate, and since she had never revealed her strength, he’d assumed she was weak. During the snatching, all of their focus had been on guarding against Ling Qingxiao, no one had considered that Luo Han herself might resist.
To him, Luo Han had always been no different from Su Yinyue or Yun Menghan, just another pretty face in someone else’s story. He had never imagined...she simply hadn’t needed to strike.
He hadn't even seen her move, yet he was stopped completely by her barrier. Ye Zhongyu, the great Demon King, found himself unable to take a single step forward.
Shock filled his eyes. And then pain. His wrist flared suddenly, as if some old wound had been torn open. It was as though...in another lifetime, someone had punished him for this same offense by slicing off his hand.
Luo Han’s sudden burst of force stunned everyone. Even the Red Lotus King and the high priest exchanged uneasy glances.
All their meticulous planning had revolved around Ling Qingxiao. No one had spared a thought for the object of their scheme. To them, Luo Han had been little more than a prize to be seized, a sacred relic passed from hand to hand.
But now, they realized: she was no vase. And she was certainly not to be trifled with. Her strength...rivaled anyone present.
Ye Zhongyu understood his mistake immediately and adjusted his approach. He adopted a look of grave sincerity and said, “Heavenly Dao, we arrived late...we’re sorry you had to suffer.”
Luo Han tilted her head, her expression unreadable. She murmured softly, “Suffer? Did I suffer?”
The high priest stepped forward earnestly, his eyes fixed on her. “I have wronged you, Heavenly Dao. When we met in the Wu village, I was unaware you had been taken by that tyrant. I mistook you for his accomplice and nearly attacked you. Please...forgive my sin.”
Luo Han offered a dry reminder, “It might not have been a mistake. I was with him.”
But the high priest didn’t seem to register her meaning. With emotion brimming in his eyes, he continued weeping. He dropped into a full prostration. “The gods vanished for eons...and now, finally, a divine returns. My lord, please restore balance to the Six Realms. Ling Qingxiao rules the heavens with tyranny. He imprisoned his own father, slew his brother, and drove Ye Zhongyu into exile. He silences dissent, persecutes those who speak against him, and wages war for selfish gain. He even covets his own sister-in-law, launching an invasion on the demon realm just to seize Yun Menghan for himself. Such a cruel, lustful, and heartless man...how can he sit on the Heavenly Throne? Yet we are powerless, none of us can challenge his cultivation. Only you, Heavenly Dao, can judge him. Please...deliver justice and bring peace to our world.”
Luo Han stared at him for a long while. Honestly...she didn’t even know what to say. Filing a grievance against Ling Qingxiao...to her? It was like lodging a complaint against the magistrate’s wife, while talking to the magistrate’s wife.
The high priest was clearly too impassioned to notice how ridiculous it all was. Luo Han couldn’t bring herself to reveal that she and Ling Qingxiao shared a not-so-proper relationship. So instead, she sighed and said softly:
“There are always two sides to every story. You’ve formed your opinion of him and see only what you wish. But if you looked from another perspective, you might find...everything he’s done was for the Heavenly Realm. Yes, the demon and beast realms may have suffered, but he is the Celestial Emperor. That is his duty. It is not a sin.”
The high priest was dumbfounded. He had just poured out his soul in a righteous speech...only for the Heavenly Dao to tell him to be more understanding of Ling Qingxiao?
Ye Zhongyu’s heart sank. It was over. They had still come too late.
Luo Han had already been won over by Ling Qingxiao so thoroughly that even her stance now leaned toward him. Ye Zhongyu swallowed his rising anxiety, forcing a solemn, loyal expression of righteous concern as he said gravely, “Heavenly Dao, you transcend the Six Realms. You should remain impartial. No doubt Ling Qingxiao has whispered sweet lies in your ear these past days, flowery words spun from carefully disguised deceit. You must not be fooled by him.”
But Luo Han had already lost her patience. A man who dared unleash a forbidden technique on the battlefield was now accusing Ling Qingxiao of injustice? How laughable. Her mood soured, and her face darkened.
“I know full well what kind of man he is. I don’t need your guidance. I’ve heard your warnings. You may leave now.”
Her open partiality was undeniable, and Feng Yuchen, always impulsive and hot-headed, flared up at once. “You are the Heavenly Dao! How can you defend a tyrant like Ling Qingxiao? Don’t tell me you’re just like those foolish women who fall for a pretty face and ignore the evil beneath?”
Big mistake. The moment he said that, Luo Han’s smile turned chillingly cold. The kind of smile one gives before flipping a table.
“That’s right,” she said slowly, eyes locked on Feng Yuchen. “And what of it? You say I’m biased toward Ling Qingxiao. But what about you? You, once a crown prince, fraternized with the enemy during wartime. Where is your honor? Did you ever stop to think of your mother? Your sister? The people under your rule? What do you expect the cultivators of the Celestial Realm to think of your behavior?”
Feng Yuchen’s breath caught. He fumbled for a retort, but Luo Han didn’t give him the chance.
“Oh, wait, of course you didn’t think of any of that. Which is why, as of now, you are no longer crown prince.”
That stunned silence? Yeah, that was the sound of jaws hitting the floor.
Even Yun Menghan, who until now had been quietly observing, was taken aback. “What are you talking about? Feng Yuchen has always been the Crown Prince. How could he not be?”
Luo Han adjusted her sleeve with elegant nonchalance, as though only just remembering. She looked to Feng Yuchen and said, “Ah, that’s right. You probably haven’t heard yet. You were officially stripped of your title. Your elder sister ascended the throne days ago and abolished all your privileges.
“Now, you’re just a free man, unburdened by duty, free to chase your ideals. Congratulations.”
The silence that followed was absolute.
Feng Yuchen stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief. “Impossible...My mother would never give the throne to someone else. My sister, she’s a woman! How could she inherit the crown?”
Yun Menghan was just as shocked. “There must be some mistake. Feng Yuchen is the rightful heir. He has no brothers. Who else could inherit?”
“No brothers, perhaps. But he has a sister. A capable one.” Luo Han’s voice was calm and sharp as a blade. “The Phoenix Clan needs a ruler who stands with the people. If he cannot do that, then the wise choice is to pass the crown. There’s nothing impossible about it.”
She had no more interest in entertaining them. Dusting off her sleeve, she turned to leave.
“Chat amongst yourselves. I’m heading back.”
At that, her position became clear, undeniably clear. She stood with the Heavenly Realm. She defended Ling Qingxiao’s actions without reproach.
Red Lotus King’s eyes narrowed, exchanging a quick glance with Ye Zhongyu. Then he said coldly, “So this is it, then. The Heavenly Dao has chosen to assist the wicked and consort with the tyrant?”
Luo Han halted, half-turning back. Her expression unreadable, her voice cool. “What makes a tyrant, hmm? Is anyone who stands against your interests automatically the enemy?”
They didn’t answer. Instead, they struck.
Red Lotus King and Ye Zhongyu attacked in tandem, but the moment their hands moved, Luo Han’s spiritual pressure exploded outward like a crashing tide. A shimmering barrier surrounded her, blocking their joint strike with ease.
They hadn’t expected her to react so quickly, let alone hold her ground.
She raised both hands, and a golden radiance began to gather at her fingertips. Around her, wind, water, earth, and wood responded to her call, swirling in graceful harmony.
“I was being polite before, giving you face.” Her voice was cold, biting. “But since you insist on courting a beating, I won’t hold back. I’ve been meaning to knock some sense into you for a while now, just didn’t want to be the one blamed for bullying children.”
“But since you threw the first punch...I’ll allow myself a little self-defense.”
Ye Zhongyu’s face was grim. Her strength far surpassed what he had imagined. How had someone so powerful hidden it so well—blending among them as if she were just another mortal?
Luo Han glanced at the sky, murmuring to herself. “Time’s tight. Best not waste it. Come at me together, let’s end this quickly. If I don’t get back soon and he thinks I left on my own, it’ll cause a lot more trouble.”
Red Lotus King moved first.
A crimson lotus surged from the ground and erupted beside Luo Han in a burst of hellish flame, the Lotus Hellfire, capable of burning even souls to ash.
But Luo Han was no ordinary soul. She twirled her wrist, tracing a circle in the air. Gentle energy spiraled outward, bending the inferno into a ribbon of flame. She wrapped it around her fingers, then carefully drew it into her palm.
She had intended to let her Devourer Beast consume it, but then remembered the beast was currently in another timeline. So she simply kept it.
Turning to the Red Lotus Demon King, she nodded. “Thanks.”
Finally, something to keep me warm on future camping trips.
Red Lotus Demon King’s face turned a sickly shade. That flame, his most precious trump car wasn’t easily obtained. Only through a rare convergence of fate had he, born of a red lotus himself, managed to tame it. It had been his secret weapon for years, ensuring his dominance in the demon realm.
And now...just like that, it was gone.
He didn’t even know whether to curse Luo Han’s shamelessness or mourn the loss of his flame. Was this really the Heavenly Dao? Why did she seem so...skilled at robbing people blind?
The other cultivators around them tightened their grips on their spiritual tools, then suddenly hesitated. Why did they suddenly feel reluctant to strike?
Ye Zhongyu noticed her control over elemental forces and shifted tactics. He condensed dark demonic energy in his palm, darting in close for a melee assault. Red Lotus Demon King followed, trying to reclaim his stolen flame.
Luo Han stood her ground. Facing both of them alone, she showed no panic.
Wind, frost, rain, and snow danced at her fingertips, each element shaped with flawless precision. Every strike she made was fluid and elegant, parrying their attacks with ease, adjusting in real time, never once losing the upper hand. She moved like someone who was the world.
Yun Menghan and the others stood off to the side, utterly stunned.
Ye Zhongyu and the Red Lotus Demon King, one a Demon King, the other the overlord of the demon clans had joined forces, and still, they couldn’t get close to Luo Han. And yet, all this time, they had convinced themselves she was a helpless prisoner under Ling Qingxiao’s control, rushing in like heroes to rescue her.
Feng Yuchen finally shook off the shock of losing his crown and asked, “Should we help them?”
Yun Menghan hesitated. “Wouldn’t ganging up on her be...dishonorable?”
Feng Yuchen’s face hardened. “She acted without honor first. We’re only returning the favor.”
As he spoke, he summoned the Phoenix Clan’s true fire, seizing a moment of vulnerability and launching it straight at Luo Han’s back.
The Phoenix Clan, like all avian bloodlines, were known for being fiercely loyal, quick-witted...and notoriously weak in combat. Their one saving grace was their innate ability to resurrect through nirvana. The Phoenix Fire, their racial gift, was one of the most feared flames under heaven. And yet, before his fire had flown even halfway, it was blown back by an even stronger crimson blaze. The ground’s formation array crumbled into ash, and everyone turned.
A group of figures stood beneath the moonlight. At the forefront stood a woman cloaked in red, crowned with a phoenix diadem. She raised a hand and knelt toward the person beside her, respectfully bowing.
“Your Majesty. My younger brother has been spoiled by our mother, unable to distinguish right from wrong. Once I return to Wuzhou, I will discipline him severely. He will not be allowed to take a single step outside Yunzhong City again.”
Feng Yuchen stared at her silhouette, his voice trembling: “Sister…”
Feng Yujia wore the phoenix crown and regal robes, symbols of the Phoenix Clan's reigning queen. Yet despite her authority, she addressed the man beside her with utmost reverence. He stood with hands behind his back, moonlight draping over his elegant features. Regal yet ethereal, his presence evoked awe and fear in equal measure.
Ye Zhongyu’s expression went rigid. “Ling Qingxiao. It’s you.”