At the summit of Green Mountain, vast black clouds shrouded the sky. The wind struck the branches, producing a rustling sound. A scarlet figure flashed past, only to find a sheer cliff ahead, leaving her nowhere to go.
The beautiful young woman’s black hair whipped about, while the blood seeping from her body blended with her red garments, making her look bold and bewitching.
“Feng Luan, hand over the Phoenix Token! It belongs to Xi’er. She is the Phoenix Heir.”
“Luan’er, as long as you hand over the Phoenix Token, I will still marry you as before. However, you can only be my concubine.”
Feng Luan looked mockingly at the two people who had pursued her all the way there. One was her biological father, while the other was her senior brother from the same sect, who constantly professed his love for her. She revealed a cold smile. “Luo Xi is of the Luo Family’s bloodline, but how is she worthy of being the Phoenix Heir? Luo Qingtian, do not forget that the Phoenix Token is my mother’s relic.”
After her mother died in childbirth, Luo Qingtian Took a concubine that same year. Luo Xi was therefore her half-sister and had followed her around like a shadow ever since childhood. Having devoted herself wholeheartedly to cultivation, she had never felt much affection for the Luo Family. Believing that the family was harmonious, she had never imagined there could be deception and intrigue.
Unexpectedly, just yesterday, that Luo Xi, who always acted weak and sensible before her, had somehow found a charlatan who boldly proclaimed that Luo Xi was the Phoenix Heir, that the Phoenix Token should belong to her, and that she needed to undergo blood-dropping recognition.
The Phoenix Token had always been the Feng Family’s family heirloom. Luo Xi did not possess the Feng Family’s bloodline, so how could she be the Phoenix Heir? Yet Feng Luan’s usually respectful father had actually believed it and threatened to force her to hand over the Phoenix Token.
He had even been willing to send the family’s elders to hunt her down and kill her.
Luo Qingtian sneered lightly. “So what? The celestial master has already said it! Luo Xi is the Phoenix Heir and the master of the token. Even if you monopolize the token now, what use is it? I advise you to hand it over immediately and spare yourself a beating.”
Hearing this, Feng Luan was contemptuous of the pair’s shamelessness.
She took out the token engraved with the Ancient Phoenix Totem from her robes. Several traces of blood stained her exquisite, bewitching face, while disdain and ridicule curved her lips. “You want the Phoenix Token?”
When Luo Qingtian saw Feng Luan take out the Phoenix Token, his eyes were filled with greed. It was rumored that whoever obtained the Phoenix Token would rule the world. If Luo Xi was the Phoenix Heir, then he was the Phoenix Heir’s father.
Would that not place him beneath only one person and above countless others?
“Feng Luan, I hope you will have the sense to hand the Phoenix Token over to me. If Xi’er acknowledges it as her master, our Luo Family will be able to shine in the Ancient Martial Aristocratic Families Tournament.”
Dressed in red garments, Feng Luan stood tall at the edge of the cliff. Hearing her biological father’s words, she could not help throwing her head back and laughing. She was known as the Number-One Prodigy among the ancient martial aristocratic families and possessed the Feng Family’s pure bloodline.
Yet her younger sister was useless in both literature and martial arts and did not possess the Feng Family’s bloodline. She was merely the daughter of a prostitute, but her biological father firmly believed that Luo Xi was the true Phoenix Heir.
How ironic.
Without the Feng Family’s support, the Luo Family would still be an insignificant aristocratic family forced to survive by relying on the Feng Family’s favor.
“If you want the Phoenix Token, step over my corpse first.” Mocking killing intent rose in Feng Luan’s dark eyes.
The man who had been standing beside Luo Qingtian spoke. “Luan’er, why are you being so stubborn? Aren’t you happy that Xi’er is the Phoenix Heir? As long as you hand over the token, you will still be the eldest miss of the luo family.”
Feng Luan glanced lightly at the man, and He Cheng felt a chill run down his spine.
“He Cheng, I respect you as my senior brother. While master was in seclusion, you colluded with Luo Xi. Aren’t you afraid that master will punish you after emerging from seclusion?”
He Cheng fell into contemplation upon hearing this. Seeing He Cheng remain silent, Luo Qingtian sneered. “If Elder Fu knew that Xi’er was the Phoenix Heir, he certainly would not blame you. He might even feel ashamed that you failed to hand the Phoenix Token over to us.”
These words made He Cheng’s wavering heart resolute once more. Generation after generation, their ancient martial aristocratic families had survived by worshiping the holders of the Phoenix Token. Although master had always cared for Feng Luan in every possible way, he still knew which matter was more important.
“Master will understand.”
Feng Luan took in He Cheng’s expression and words, and a cool smile touched her lips. The previous day, she had been injured by the elders of her clan. Now, every tendon and bone in her body was shattered, and she was severely wounded. She certainly could not defeat the two people before her.
Who would have thought that Feng Luan, renowned for her brilliance all her life, would perish here?
The Phoenix Token was her mother’s relic. She absolutely could not hand it over to anyone else.
“Hand over the Phoenix Token!”
Luo Qingtian approached step by step.
Yet Feng Luan had nowhere left to retreat.
Before her stood the two people coveting her Phoenix Token, while behind her was a sheer cliff and a Ten-Thousand-Zhang Abyss.
She had always been proud and would never compromise, even when trapped in a desperate situation. Moreover, given their ugly faces and Luo Qingtian’s ruthlessness, Feng Luan was somewhat afraid that they would attack the Feng Family. However, the Feng Family’s position was not something the Luo Family could shake.
There was one thing she was certain of: the moment Luo Qingtian obtained the Phoenix Token, he would eliminate her.
The wind rustled and dark clouds filled the sky. Even the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Abyss could not frighten her. Feng Luan held onto a sliver of hope, believing that perhaps there was still a chance for survival.
If she fell into Luo Qingtian’s hands, she would suffer endless ruin.
“Hahahahaha, Luo Qingtian, I will never hand the Phoenix Token over to you in this lifetime. If there is a next life, I will make you beg for life and beg for death!” After saying this, Feng Luan tightened her grip on the Phoenix Token and leaped toward the cliff bottom.
Luo Qingtian and He Cheng had indeed developed murderous intentions toward Feng Luan, but when they saw her leap into the cliff bottom with the Phoenix Token, they hurried over.
They leaned over and looked down. Clouds and mist swirled around the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Abyss. Even a stone thrown down made no sound. That leap would certainly have reduced Feng Luan to a mangled corpse.
Luo Qingtian’s expression darkened slightly. “Go back and send people to search. We must find the Phoenix Token and recover Feng Luan’s remains so they can be burned in a trial by fire!”
“She wanted a next life, didn’t she? I will make her endure the pain of the trial by fire forever and prevent her from undergoing reincarnation.”
Standing to the side, He Cheng felt his blood run cold as he listened to Luo Qingtian. After all, Feng Luan was also his biological daughter, and hearing him say such things was truly chilling. But then he thought about it: if Feng Luan had not brought this upon herself by refusing to understand, she would not have suffered such a painful experience.
In the end, she had brought death upon herself.
They had not considered that their actions amounted to robbery by force. Instead, they were blaming Feng Luan.
Below the cliff.
Feng Luan felt her center of gravity disappear. Her spiritual power was exhausted, and she could not summon the slightest strength to control her falling speed. Her slender fingers clenched the Phoenix Token tightly, their knuckles turning white.
Was she really going to perish here?
She was unwilling to accept it.
But she had suffered a severe internal injury during the encirclement and assault. The piercing pain had already begun spreading through every limb and bone, and her consciousness was growing hazy.
Feng Luan bit down hard on her lower lip. Blood stained her delicate lips red, resembling blooming plum blossoms—aloof and despairing.
The long-silent Phoenix Token seemed to sense Feng Luan’s life force fading. It emitted red light, growing from weak to strong, and trembled as it produced a buzzing sound.
A scarlet phoenix Phantom burst out from within the token, releasing a Phoenix Cry. Flames wrapped around its entire body as it soared into the clouds. The flames enveloped Feng Luan as she fell, her red garments blazing like fire.
In an instant, Feng Luan disappeared, along with the Phoenix Token.
The sky, which had been covered in dark clouds, cleared in an instant. The rustling wind also stopped. The two people at the edge of the cliff had already left, failing to notice the strange phenomenon or the scarlet radiance.
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