The moment the Vermilion Bird opened its pupils, the entire dark domain seemed to tremble.
That scorching, bright power could burn away all darkness.
After awakening the spiritual consciousness of the divine beast, the Vermilion Bird, Han Feng lost control and became a "bystander."
The Vermilion Bird's eyes first looked at Han Feng. It was slightly surprised to see the "Myriad Beast Catalog" condensed in his hand.
Then, it looked at Sikong Chan at the side. It was the first time this empress had seen the divine beast of her faith. She performed a grand salute, shouting to welcome the Vermilion Bird's descent.
"A descendant of the Sikong family..." the Vermilion Bird murmured, and finally, its gaze shot towards that evil eye filled with resentment.
"Vermilion Bird!"
A voice like that from the nine netherworlds came from the evil eye, but it seemed to be restricted, hollow and powerless.
The Vermilion Bird's wings vibrated slightly, and its body lifted. Its flames illuminated half the sky, and the dark domain broke on its own.
"Evil creature, you still haven't given up?"
Hearing the Vermilion Bird's words, the evil eye gradually turned black, and the evil qi between heaven and earth rapidly gathered towards it.
However, in the Vermilion Bird's eyes, all of this was useless.
"A mere remnant spirit, how long do you intend to suppress me!"
The evil eye roared and shot out an extremely pitch-black energy. It was soul-stirring. If the evil eye had struck with this blow just now, the Empress would definitely not have been able to block it.
When Han Feng saw the attack erupted by the evil eye, his domineering pupils shrank slightly.
"Half-Saint..."
This blow contained a thick domain power. A layman couldn't see the trick, but Han Feng knew that the existence behind the evil eye had probably already entered the Saint realm.
The Vermilion Bird slowly spat out a mouthful of flame. This was its companion fire, the Nanming Li Fire.
As soon as this fire appeared, it dispersed the yin and evil of heaven and earth.
Han Feng sensed the powerful laws contained in the Nanming Li Fire and knew that this was a flame that was in no way inferior to a Heavenly Flame!
People in the world often had the prejudice that beast flames were inferior to Heavenly Flames.
The reason was that Heavenly Flames were very rare, while beast flames were more common.
But some of the top-tier flames among beast flames were in no way inferior to Heavenly Flames. It was just that ordinary cultivators had no access to them.
The Vermilion Bird controlled the Nanming Li Fire. The moment it came into contact with the pitch-black energy, it began to spread towards it.
The evil qi, which was originally good at corrosion, didn't even dare to get close in front of the Vermilion Bird.
"Scram back to your old place!"
A light flashed in the Vermilion Bird's pupils, and a surging power directly submerged the evil eye.
In the firelight, the evil eye seemed to know that the situation was set. It no longer struggled, but just looked at the Vermilion Bird with an extremely hateful gaze.
The evil eye slowly closed and dissipated in the Purple Shattered Ruins.
The disaster that endangered the entire Nanli Empire was resolved with ease in front of the Vermilion Bird.
The Vermilion Bird continued to fly into the sky, and the flames on its body suddenly expanded several times.
It was like a sun, dispersing all the gloom.
In the Purple Shattered Ruins, the evil qi energy was greatly reduced.
Outside the Purple Shattered Ruins, the light shone on the soldiers' bodies. It was warm, and all the residual evil qi in their bodies was purified.
When everyone saw this scene, they were stunned.
Was this... a miracle?
The Vermilion Bird's small action had saved the lives of thousands of soldiers. If the evil qi had been left unchecked, it would have become more difficult to cure later.
Even if the evil qi was dispelled at that time, the hidden injuries caused would be very difficult to recover from.
After doing this, the Vermilion Bird descended in front of the Empress.
"What is your name?"
"Divine Emissary Vermilion Bird, my name is Sikong Chan."
The Vermilion Bird nodded.
"This is the last time I will help you suppress the evil. My remnant spirit is exhausted. After this, you will have to rely on yourselves."
"That evil creature has been driven away by me and will not return for five hundred years. During this time, you must be prepared."
A touch of gentleness appeared in the Vermilion Bird's majestic pupils.
"Your talent is very good. You have hope of breaking through to the Saint realm in the future. At that time, suppressing the evil creature will not be difficult for you."
Sikong Chan bowed her head in a salute. "The Sikong Imperial Family will forever remember the grace of the Divine Emissary Vermilion Bird."
The Vermilion Bird nodded upon hearing this, but its gaze turned to Han Feng.
Han Feng was in a special state at this time. The domineering aura of the master of myriad beasts in his eyes had not dispersed for a long time. Facing the Vermilion Bird's gaze, he just nodded slightly.
The Vermilion Bird smiled. "I didn't expect to see such an interesting thing before I left."
"What is your name?"
"Han Feng."
"Han Feng, is it..."
The Vermilion Bird walked in front of Han Feng. "You awakened me. Did you want me to be on your catalog?"
Han Feng nodded. "If you are willing."
The Vermilion Bird smiled again. "Of course I am willing. However, I can only give you a little bit of my spiritual consciousness as a mark. As for whether you and I will meet again in the future, that will depend on your own fortune."
With that said, the light on the Vermilion Bird's body slowly dissipated, finally condensing into a speck of spiritual consciousness that flew into the "Myriad Beast Catalog" in Han Feng's hand.
A small "Vermilion Bird" imprint was lit up on it.
In an instant, Han Feng felt a magical power surge from his body.
Boom!
A ball of flame suddenly ignited in Han Feng's hand.
"Nanming Li Fire!"
This divine beast flame, which was in no way inferior to a Heavenly Flame, had actually been obtained by him just like that.
After the Vermilion Bird's light completely disappeared, the "Myriad Beast Catalog" in Han Feng's hand also returned to its normal state.
Exiting the profound meaning state, Han Feng suddenly felt a trace of fatigue.
At this time, everyone's gaze turned to him.
The person who had awakened the Vermilion Bird just now was this hero who had arrived later.
Although the Vermilion Bird had pacified this disaster with a crushing momentum, no one had forgotten Han Feng's contribution.
The Empress slowly walked towards him and said in an extremely sincere tone, "Han Feng, thank you."
Han Feng let out a long sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and looked up at the sky with a smile.
At this moment, the Purple Shattered Ruins had a strange beauty.
The war was over.
He had once again changed a node in the long river of history.
Although this battle in the Nanli Empire was nothing to the entire Dou Qi Continent.
But behind this victory, there was a joy that belonged uniquely to Han Feng.
It proved that the future could be changed.
Yao Tianhuo came up at this time and slapped Han Feng heavily on the shoulder.
"I knew you could do it, kid."
In his excitement, Yao Tianhuo was incoherent. In the end, he gave him a thumbs up.
His trust in Han Feng had already piled up to a peak through one event after another.
No matter how difficult the situation was, as long as he saw Han Feng appear, his anxious heart would be put at ease.
With him present, no matter how big the difficulty, it could be resolved.
"It was just good luck, catching it in time," Han Feng said with a smile.
If he had been any later, although the outcome of the war would not have changed, and the Vermilion Bird would still have swept away everything, Sikong Chan would definitely have been gone.
In that case, it would be no different from history.
The group returned the way they came. The Empress walked side by side with Han Feng.
She had consumed a great deal in this battle. Although she had not sacrificed herself in the end, the overdraft was still quite serious.
Seeing the Empress's current state, Han Feng took out a pill and handed it to her.
"A spirit-recovering pill. You'll feel better after taking it."
"Thank you."
The Empress swallowed the pill without hesitation.
Normally, she would never take a pill handed over by someone else directly. She would only dare to eat it after checking it.
But after the incident just now, Han Feng's position in her heart had risen directly to the highest level.
Whether it was the grace of saving her life or being recognized by the Divine Emissary Vermilion Bird, Han Feng's status was already irreplaceable.
The Empress thought about how to repay Han Feng's kindness, and even felt an impulse to keep him in the Nanli Empire.
"Han Feng, what did the Divine Emissary Vermilion Bird say to you in the end?"
"If it's a secret, then forget it."
The Empress couldn't help but ask.
Han Feng smiled lightly. "It's no secret. It just gave me its imprint and said that if there is a possibility in the future, we can meet again."
The Empress was slightly silent.
"The Divine Emissary Vermilion Bird is a divine beast from the ancient times. It followed the Ancient God to the Dou Qi Continent. There are very few records about it. Even our Sikong family only knows that it helped the Dou Qi Continent pacify a huge disaster back then, a disaster many times more serious than the matter of the Purple Shattered Ruins."
Han Feng listened attentively.
"After that, the Vermilion Bird guarded the south, until one day, it left the Dou Qi Continent, leaving behind some legacies for the Sikong family to keep."
The Empress recounted her family history.
"By accepting the legacy of the Divine Emissary Vermilion Bird, we naturally also undertook its mission. Our Sikong family has guarded the Purple Shattered Ruins for generations. It was not until a thousand years ago that a chaotic war broke out on the Nanli Continent, which once disturbed the stability of the Purple Shattered Ruins. So my ancestor pacified the entire continent and gathered the power of the Nanli Continent to suppress the Purple Shattered Ruins together."
Han Feng nodded, roughly understanding the matter of the Empress's family.
"The Vermilion Bird said that the Purple Shattered Ruins will not cause trouble for five hundred years. In five hundred years, I will definitely have become a Saint. At that time, I will help Your Majesty solve the problem of the Purple Shattered Ruins completely."
"So confident?" the Empress asked in surprise.
Becoming a Saint was not an easy matter; otherwise, it wouldn't have stumped so many famous experts.
"Of course."
Han Feng smiled lightly.
If he couldn't become a Saint in five hundred years, he might as well just go and die.
The Empress smiled charmingly.
"I may not need your help. It's not certain who will break through to the Saint realm first."
"Oh? It seems Your Majesty has lofty ambitions," Han Feng said with emotion.
"I am only fifty-odd years old. Why can't I strive for the Saint realm?"
After speaking, the Empress's face turned slightly red.
She must have been muddled, why would she reveal her age to Han Feng?
However, her gaze still glanced at Han Feng, as if wanting to see how he would respond.
"Fifty-odd years old... Your Majesty, I am also only fifty-odd years old. The conditions are fair. We can indeed compete."
Hearing that Han Feng was of a similar age, the Empress was secretly satisfied.
"But I am already at the seven-star Dou Venerate realm. Can you really catch up?"
Han Feng smiled without saying a word.
A seven-star Dou Venerate, the gap was indeed a bit large. But if there was no challenge, what was the point of him taking action?
A quarter of an hour later, they returned to the entrance of the Purple Shattered Ruins.
The generals and soldiers, seeing the Empress return triumphantly, shouted loudly, "Long live Nanli!"
Some soldiers cried with joy.
They had paid such a heavy price and finally ushered in the dawn of victory.
During this period, the repeated despair had almost crushed them.
It was the Empress who had given them the faith to persevere.
The Empress looked at all the generals and soldiers, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
"You have all worked hard."
———
After coming out of the Purple Shattered Ruins, the Empress joined forces with everyone to seal the ruins.
The painful price of this war was something no one had expected.
If she had known earlier that the enemy behind it was so powerful, the Empress might not have let the soldiers fight, but would have chosen to sacrifice herself from the start.
The evil eye had also not expected the Empress to be so decisive. Otherwise, if it had known that it would be defeated no matter what, it would not have spent so much effort to set up a trap and lure the Empress deep in.
Fortune and misfortune. Although the generals and soldiers had suffered varying degrees of injuries, their contributions had indirectly saved the Empress's life. In the future, the Nanli Empire might have an additional Dou Saint monarch.
At that time, the Nanli Empire would be unprecedentedly powerful.
The post-war processing matters proceeded step by step.
Batches of transport airships carried the wounded soldiers back to the city for treatment.
The Empress herself was also not lightly injured, but she did not wait for herself to fully recover. After stabilizing her injuries, she came out of seclusion to oversee matters.
Han Feng accepted the Empress's employment and stayed behind to refine healing pills.
Wenren Xuan and other imperial alchemists started their cauldrons to refine pills together with him.
Taking advantage of the time refining pills, Han Feng familiarized himself with the newly obtained "Myriad Beast Spirit Flame" and "Nanming Li Fire."
He found that the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame and the Myriad Beasts Cauldron were very compatible, and his alchemy efficiency had increased by more than fifty percent.
One must know that his level was already the limit that an alchemist of the same grade could reach. To be able to break through under such circumstances was truly an unexpected joy.
As for the Nanming Li Fire.
This beast flame contained a light-attribute aura and had a strong restraining effect on dark Dou Qi.
Han Feng had a sudden idea. He took out the demonic sword fragment from before and found that by burning it with the Nanming Li Fire, he could easily purify the demonic qi in it.
In this case, he was also a demon-dispelling expert.
However, the purifying effect of the Nanming Li Fire was mainly reflected in its targeting of dark energy. For other energies, the effect was not so significant.
Light-attribute Dou Qi, apart from targeting dark Dou Qi, did not restrain any other attributes, so this was also normal.
During a break from alchemy, Han Feng took the opportunity to integrate the Nanming Li Fire into the Flame Mantra. The process was very smooth. Although it did not evolve the Flame Mantra to the Heaven Rank, Han Feng clearly felt that the quality of his Dou Qi had improved by a small margin.
Even his cultivation had broken through to the initial stage of nine-star Dou Ancestor in one fell swoop.
The speed of his progress made even Han Feng himself feel that it was a bit exaggerated.
He secretly made up his mind that he would have to properly stabilize his foundation in the next period of time.
It was also time to prepare for his breakthrough to Dou Venerate.
The Dou Venerate realm did not pose any particular difficulty for Han Feng.
He just needed to cultivate step by step.
His physique had already been refined. The next step was to accumulate Dou Qi, then compress and qualitatively change it.
This was a time-consuming process. Even if Han Feng already had a very deep understanding of the power of laws, he could not bypass this process of accumulation.
After refining the last batch of healing pills, Han Feng handed them to the staff outside the room.
He walked out of the room and went directly to see the Empress.
Zhuque City Imperial Palace.
Han Feng walked into the palace gate. This was his first time here, but he was here to say goodbye.
Arriving at the main hall where the Empress worked, Han Feng saw the earnestly working Sikong Chan.
Being an emperor is really not that easy...
Han Feng stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, your injuries have not yet recovered."
It had been so many days, but the Empress was a bit too absorbed in her work.
"It's just the after-effects of overdrawing my power. I'm already very lucky."
Without you, I would already be dead.
"Your Majesty, I am preparing to leave."
The Empress's body stiffened upon hearing this, and she put down the brush in her hand.
"Are you returning to the Northwest Continent?"
Han Feng had told her about his origin before.
Han Feng nodded.
"I've been out for so long. It's time to go back."
The Empress nodded and took out an item from her storage ring.
"You gave me a token, so I will also give you a gift."
Han Feng saw a belt in the Empress's hand.
"This is..."
"A spirit artifact. It can not only store items, but also store energy. It can also open a shield at critical moments to block a Dou Venerate's attack."
The Empress smiled. "Although you may not need it, it is a token of my appreciation. You can't refuse."
Han Feng looked at the "Chan" character carved on the spatial spirit stone in the middle of the belt and smiled slightly.
"Then I will accept it."
The Empress personally put it on for him and looked at him from afar.
"Not bad."
Han Feng tightened his waist and said his final farewell to the Empress.
"We will meet again."
"We will meet again."
Han Feng took out the Void God Stele, stepped into the void, and disappeared from the imperial palace.
The Empress watched him disappear before her eyes, feeling a sense of loss in her heart.
Han Feng, the next time we meet, I will definitely step into the Saint realm before you!
When I win the bet, I will keep you by my side.
I'll make you... my one and only husband!
———
(End of the Nanli Continent Arc)