Immortal of the Ages

“So, what kind of treasures did you find?” Yun Xiao asked.

“Everything you can imagine,” the War Princess replied. “Celestial treasures, Calamity Sources, elixirs, and also secret daoist magics, spiritual plants, and rare celestial ores.”

“Good. Let's not waste time. I'll clear this place out while you focus on forming the Corona here. Once that’s done, we head straight to the Harmony Divine Palace,” Yun Xiao declared.

“How do I form it? Which Calamity Form should I choose?” the War Princess asked, puzzled.

“Leave it to me. I'll choose one for you and help you form it,” Yun Xiao said, his authority rooted in the essence of the Mortal Dust Devil within him, allowing him to control her cultivation.

“That’s exactly what I was waiting to hear,” the War Princess thought to herself, a smirk playing on her lips. Wasn’t this just the life?

Yun Xiao then entered the chamber full of Calamity Sources. Quickly, he fetched the largest block of ice, hurling it into the War Princess’ arms. “This is the most valuable piece here, worth 3,000 True Immortal Jades. Forming the Corona might be a bit perilous.”

“What should we do then?” she asked.

“I’ll handle it,” Yun Xiao paused, then said resignedly, “I just wanted you to be mentally prepared, so you don’t start howling in pain.”

“Haha.” With that, Yun Xiao turned and entered another chamber. Yet he never truly left the War Princess’ side but instead took residence in her heart. “Don’t move; just sit. I'll handle the cultivation.”

“Mhm!” The War Princess relaxed, cross-legged, stretching lazily as if on vacation.

“Wake up a level higher, and oh, the satisfaction.”

Her face was always smiling, contentment glowing from within.

“I can’t seem to appear this lazy, though. I should say more, get more involved.” She cleared her throat and asked, “Hey, all this talk about the Corona, what exactly is it?”

In her heart, the Mortal Dust Devil Seed stirred, mobilizing the devilish blood within her as it spoke sternly, “It is the innate force born from the collision of the Fourth Dao Tribulation's Eight Extremes Celestial Baptisms with the cultivator’s physical body, bloodline, and celestial power after successful transcendence. It manifests as a Corona around the person.”

“That sounds complex. What does it do?” she inquired.

“It has many functions, mostly beneficial auras, but some can attack directly. It depends on the type of Calamity Source and one’s own bloodline. It also enhances the cultivator's connection with the elements of the world, improving their insight,” Yun Xiao explained.

“In simple terms, it’s a boost to battle power,” the War Princess realized.

“Your summary sounds like nonsense,” Yun Xiao scoffed.

“You just enjoy the thrill of schooling a silly little girl, don’t you? I'm just playing along for you,” the War Princess huffed.

“Then, do what you're best at and keep playing along,” Yun Xiao said.

"Hmph," the War Princess muttered under her breath, cursing him several times in her heart.

"By the way," Yun Xiao suddenly emerged from one of the icy chambers and, looking at the delicate beauty seated in meditation, asked, "Did you just tell Zhao Menglin that your name was Feng Yao?"

"Yes, what about it?" she opened her eyes and asked, slightly annoyed.

"You're a Feng?" Yun Xiao recalled that she once had a fiancé named Feng You; they belonged to the same clan. So, her surname being Feng made perfect sense.

But his question seemed to ignite her fury instead, and she glared at him, exclaiming, "You're utterly heartless! After all this time with you, you only now learn my full name—are you even human?"

"Little blood slave, don't get too carried away. Knowing your nickname, Yao Yao, is already quite generous. Who needs to know your full name?" Yun Xiao retorted.

"Get lost," the War Princess snapped, cursing him millions of times in her heart.

"Why do they call you the War Princess then?" Yun Xiao asked further.

"It's a title! A title, do you understand?" she replied exasperatedly.

"So, you must have been brave and diligent in battle to have earned this title," Yun Xiao teased.

"Get lost again," the War Princess nearly screamed.

Seeing her flustered like this brought a peculiar joy to Yun Xiao; sometimes, the simple pleasures between two people were just that—simple and pure.

Wasn't this wonderful?

"Feng Yao? Yun Xiao?" He turned and walked into the next chamber, murmuring to himself, "Ever changing like the weather, free and unfettered… our two names match up well. No wonder we're so fated."

"Feng Yao, Feng Yao..." He quietly repeated the name. Having known her for so long and only now learning her name was indeed amusing.

But this only proved that Yun Xiao had come to regard her as someone significant, not merely a blood slave created because of her gender, as was initially intended...

Outside, the young devil girl named Feng Yao glared at his retreating figure and whispered, "Annoying scoundrel, always playing tricks on others. Be careful or you'll end up cursed!"

"Hey, I heard that..." the Mortal Dust Devil Seed in her heart responded.

It was then that Feng Yao remembered—that scoundrel of a man still resided within her!

“I didn’t say anything, you heard wrong,” she insisted vehemently.

“You’ve let the cat out of the bag now, you’re done for.”

Yun Xiao teased her, emptying the Menglin Pavilion all the while, helping her refine her Corona. Both tasks were straightforward for him, requiring nothing more than following a procedure, yet his attention drifted to Moon Fairy.

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Back in the Six Paths of Reincarnation…

After a journey, the Desolation Corps finally reached the military camp in the Beastly Peaks. Compared to the misty, pink-tinged snow of the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm, this world of the Six Paths of Reincarnation was a murky mess, reeking and chaotic, where desolation ruled the land.

Especially here in the Beast Path, a world belonging to creatures devoid of spiritual wisdom—beasts. Even the demons here were still seen as entities without intellect. This realm was even more foul and brutal.

The whole world seemed filled with all manner of sinister energies. Faces of death formed from the fog filled the skies, and the constant sounds of ghostly wails and wolf howls echoed around.

Rumbling filled the air as the almost 1,000-strong Desolation Corps surged past, with Moon Fairy among them. He, a six-tailed silver fox, might have been the smallest in form, but the looks he received from the other monstrous soldiers were filled with awe and respect.

It was a simple, crude world where strength alone earned you allegiance and admiration.

So, for Yun Xiao, rising in the ranks of the Beast Path seemed much easier compared to the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm—a place of cunning Immortals and deceptive beauty that hid countless dangers.

Now, both his true form and his body double were merely starting out, but Moon Fairy was already making smooth progress.

“Beastly Peaks…”

In the midst of a swirling gray storm, the six-tailed silver fox looked ahead.

Before him stretched a landscape filled with endless, perilous peaks, like monstrous demons blocking out the sky, while torrents of wild power swept through the air, forming barriers of fire, thunder, and ice above the mountains.

“It’s clear then, this military encampment is also a crucial site for the demon race’s cultivation. There are many opportunities here…” The eyes of Moon Fairy were serious and profound.

Even before reaching the camp, he could already feel the ferocity ahead.

Roars echoed, constant and thunderous, reverberating through the gorges of the Beastly Peaks, tingling the scalp even from a distance.

“The Colonel commands a 1,000-man regiment of the Desolation Corps, but here in the Beastly Peaks, the Desolation Corps numbers a full 1,000,000!”

Even among the Colonels, there were as many as 1,000 like the Black Brute Bear.

It was only on the journey back that Moon Fairy learned that even the Colonel had a name. Hers was Lin Daiyuan, a name of grace that matched her human form—stunning and shapely, with curves that could stop hearts. But in her true form, the name hardly seemed to fit the monstrous reality…

Now, Lin Daiyuan led the way, transformed into a colossal roaring bear, her claws alone stretching over three feet!

“A veritable mobile prison, navigating the wildest of worlds,” the Yaksha Ancestor commented about him, finding some amusement in having someone to argue with in such a desolate jail—a welcome change from the endless, soul-sucking monotony of his previous confines.

“What is that?”

At the very threshold of the Beastly Peaks, Moon Fairy spotted something extraordinary—a cauldron so immense it dwarfed the surrounding peaks, its colossal black form towering like a behemoth, oppressive and breathtaking. Within this giant cauldron burned a green flame so fierce it licked the clouds, staining them a sinister shade of green.

Though green, the flame was intensely hot; just entering these mountains made Moon Fairy sweat, and even the fierce beasts of the Desolation Corps perspired visibly.

“The Ghost Cauldron!”

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out, and a kapok flower appeared overhead.

“The Ghost Cauldron?” Moon Fairy gasped, his question betraying a hint of knowledge about the cauldron but surprise that this was it.

“Yes, one of the Eighteen Cauldrons of Reincarnation, one of the three pillars of the Beast Path! Our first duty as the 1,000,000-strong Desolation Corps is to protect this cauldron. And now, it's your duty too,” Old Kapok spoke gravely.

“I understand.” Moon Fairy’s gaze returned to the infernal green fire. “Then, this flame, is it the legendary…”

“Yes, it’s kindled by the Wick of Reincarnation!” Old Kapok chuckled, adding wistfully, “The Wick of Reincarnation, said to resurrect any soul and perfect any body it touches. Many covet it.”

After a pause, he looked at Moon Fairy and laughed gently. “Young man, you’re clearly a creature of deep feeling. There must be a regret in this world that you can’t forget, huh?”

“There are many.” Moon Fairy smiled ruefully. “All the Wicks of Reincarnation put together wouldn’t be enough to resolve my regrets.”

“A true romantic,” Old Kapok mused.

“Indeed.”

As they spoke, Moon Fairy gently fingered a pendant by his ear, his eyes deep with thought as he gazed at the Ghost Cauldron.

Deep down, his fixation on Lady Hua Lian never waned.

Just then, the Black Brute Bear Lin Daiyuan suddenly halted and turned back to growl, “All forces, to the Ghost Cauldron! We have a distinguished guest arriving today!”

“A distinguished guest?”

Yun Xiao was still pondering testing Moon Fairy’s potential among the demon beasts. Now, who could this guest be?