Bai Yun, though she declared her intention to kill Nangong Yu, did not immediately act. She lacked absolute certainty, or rather, any certainty at all. Nangong Yu’s talent had always surpassed hers, his strength exceeding her own. Now, under the protection of the True Phoenix Great Array, even revealing her trump card would be ineffectual.
Li Kun, on the verge of death, opened his eyes and gazed at Nangong Yu’s face. With a strength he didn't know he possessed, he pushed himself up from the ground and exclaimed in shock, "Nangong Yu?"
"You're not dead yet!"
Nangong Yu turned his head, looking at Li Kun’s face as if he didn't recognize him, a bewildered expression appearing. After a long while, he finally recalled who it was.
"Senior Li Kun!"
Nangong Yu rushed to Li Kun’s side, his hand trembling as he helped him up from the ground. He then saw the corpse of Nangong Zhenyuan lying nearby and his expression turned pained. "I'm sorry, it’s all my fault. I wasn't brave enough to tell you the truth sooner."
Li Kun, now supported, looked at Nangong Yu before him, his eyes turning red. Just as he was about to speak, his eyes suddenly widened. "Your body…"
"I am already dead," Nangong Yu said with a complex expression. "What you see now is merely a remnant soul, sealed within the True Phoenix Jade Pendant."
"Just a remnant soul…" Li Kun stood there, stunned for a long time. He distinctly remembered Nangong Yu dying just after breaking through to the fifth realm. How could a mere remnant soul now be so powerful?
Dongfang Jing’s face was grim. A remnant soul was enough to utterly suppress them. If Nangong Yu were still alive, how powerful would his true body have been?
On the other side, Jiuxian observed Nangong Yu, pondered for a moment, and then said, "It should be due to the Nirvana technique."
"A remnant soul existing between life and death, precisely aligning with Nirvana, can continuously cultivate by borrowing the True Phoenix bloodline."
"Were it not for the incompleteness of his soul's seven apertures, with his talent, it wouldn't be strange for him to cultivate to the Human King realm."
Xu Mu nodded in understanding upon hearing this. "So that's how it is."
"Then what happened back then?" This was no longer the first time the question had been asked.
Nangong Yu reached out, stroking the red sparrow on his shoulder, and sighed. "I once believed that by enduring it alone, by keeping the secret buried forever in my heart, no one else would be harmed. But until today, I realized I was wrong."
"Yun'er, I'm sorry, I should have married you."
Bai Yun’s heart trembled fiercely upon hearing this. She then gritted her teeth and snarled, "Stop pretending. Speak quickly if you have something to say!"
Nangong Yu let out a mournful sigh and began, "Let me start from when I married Xi Leng Xue."
"Back then, I refused that arranged marriage because you were the one I wanted to marry."
"Father locked me in the ancestral shrine and burned me with fierce flames, making me reflect day and night, torturing my mind. For forty-nine days and nights, I still did not yield, seeing it as a form of cultivation. I firmly believed that nothing could shake my resolve, but then, I heard a strange voice."
"A voice?" Li Kun asked, his brows furrowed. "The ancestral shrine’s formation of the Nangong clan is connected to the mountain protection array. If the clan head hadn’t wanted to let you out, who could have transmitted a voice in there?"
Nangong Yu's expression was complex as he replied, "It is possible, only it was not human."
"It was a phoenix."
Silence fell upon the heavens and earth. Nangong Yu's words struck everyone's ears, leaving them collectively stunned. Not human, but a phoenix?
Bai Yun sneered and said, "Continue your fabrication."
"To escape responsibility, you can even make up a phoenix. I want to see what else you have to say!"
Nangong Yu shook his head bitterly and continued, "That day, it was my fiftieth day of confinement. My mind endured the torment of the true flames burning me. It was at that moment that a clear and noble phoenix cry echoed in my mind. I couldn't understand its words, but I could communicate with it."
"However, while communicating with it, I failed to notice that my body, uncontrollably, opened the restriction of the ancestral shrine and walked towards the ancestral land. It controlled my body and broke the seal of the ancestral land."
Nangong Mao Guan’s expression turned deathly pale as he seemed to recall something. "Could it be… that it's true?"
"Is our ancestral land truly sealing a phoenix!?"
Nangong Yu looked at him with a complex expression and nodded. "That's right."
Boom!
This statement was like a thunderclap. The countless individuals from various clans present were utterly shocked. Nangong Yu claimed that the Nangong clan’s ancestral land sealed a legendary divine beast, a phoenix?
Bai Yun coldly retorted, "That's impossible!"
"Phoenixes are divine beasts, how could they be sealed by your Nangong family? Moreover, what reason would you have to seal it? Shouldn't it be your ancestor!"
The cultivators present found her words to be logical. Yes, if the divine beast phoenix was still alive, why would it need to be sealed? The Nangong clan, relying on its True Phoenix bloodline, had achieved its prestigious status among the hundred clans, so why seal it?
Only Tian Shui shook his head. This secret, after all, was about to be revealed to the world.
"All of this dates back to the ancient era, to the very beginning of our Nangong clan's founding."
"In truth, our Nangong clan was not a noble ancient clan born with phoenix blood."
"The reason we possess the True Phoenix bloodline is because the Nangong clan head of that era captured a phoenix."
"Later, he drained the phoenix's blood and forcefully absorbed it into his body, thus acquiring half of the True Phoenix bloodline."
"And to ensure future generations also possessed this bloodline, the ancestor permanently sealed that phoenix underground, utilizing its Nirvana characteristic to eternally draw its phoenix blood to provide for our clan members to awaken their bloodline."
"After an unknown number of years, our clan members could finally awaken the True Phoenix bloodline without the need for phoenix blood, yet that phoenix remained suppressed within the seal, never to see the light of day."
Nangong Yu’s expression was complex. "Outwardly, we, the Nangong clan, are a noble lineage with the True Phoenix bloodline, forming alliances, performing good deeds, and establishing friendly relations with major powers – a greatly renowned clan."
"But no one knew that we once had such a dirty and shameful history, and that history is still continuing. That phoenix is still alive, still sealed beneath our feet!"
Nangong Yu’s eyes turned red as he spoke, clenching his fists, feeling immense humiliation. "Every generation's Nangong clan head knows this secret, but for the sake of family honor and benefit, they cannot speak of it, choosing silence."
"It was when I was controlled by the True Phoenix that I learned of this. And when I regained my senses, I had already been controlled by it, breaking two of the seven seals."
"With countless years of accumulated resentment, it greatly hated our clan and attempted to break free from the seal to kill us all."
"In that battle, the Great Elder, to save me, did not hesitate to offer his own blood as sacrifice to block the True Phoenix's attack. Countless clan elders were gravely injured saving me, and my grandfather even had half his shoulder burned off."
"Finally, with the full strength of our clan, the sixth layer of the seal was barely re-established, and at that time, our clan no longer had the ability to seal the seventh layer."
Xu Mu finally understood upon hearing this. "So that's how it is."
"You must have guessed the rest," Nangong Yu said, laughing self-mockingly. "Like my father, I chose to bury the secret of the True Phoenix in my heart."
"Then, to not fail the life-saving grace of those clan members, and to prevent the entire Nangong clan from being destroyed, I could only marry Xi Leng Xue, using their family's power to seal the final layer."
"No wonder," Jiuxian said, raising an eyebrow and sighing. "I always wondered why the Xi clan had such deep reserves back then, only to be annihilated so suddenly. It turns out it was because of the Nangong clan; they were injured here."
"Yes," Nangong Yu nodded, his eyes filled with regret. "The Xi clan was tricked by us. Countless Domain Lords were injured for nothing, but they could only swallow their losses."
"After that, I treated Xi Leng Xue as a benefactor and wanted to repay the Xi family's kindness with all my might. But unexpectedly, not long after, the imperial court of the Great Zhou underwent a change in succession, and the Xi family was tragically wiped out."
"The Great Zhou Imperial Court had promised not to kill me, but for some reason, they began pursuing me again. I took Leng Xue and wanted to return to the Nangong family, but I received a letter from my father saying that someone was intercepting us and that I should meet with the clan at a certain forbidden area."
"Unexpectedly, that letter was a forgery by a traitor to our clan, and it led to the deaths of both Leng Xue and myself."
At this point, an elder from the Nangong clan spoke. "I know about this matter."
"At that time, the traitor first sent people to impersonate members of our Nangong clan to attack the Great Zhou Imperial Court personnel. Then, they sent the forged letter to you, sowing discord, which led to the subsequent pursuit."
"The one who planned all this was your third uncle. He wanted to seize the Nangong clan’s power, so he wanted you dead."
"Later, after the rebellion was quelled, upon learning they had been manipulated, the high-ranking officials of the Great Zhou Imperial Court personally came to apologize and offered compensation. We can't really blame them for this matter, so they didn't pursue it further."
Nangong Yu was speechless upon hearing this, chuckling. "If we were to pursue it, we might not have the ability."
"However, there's truly no need to pursue it."
"In the end, we both have a bloodline tainted by sin. If we were to pursue it, perhaps we should first release that phoenix and kill ourselves."
Nangong Mao Guan remained silent for a while before speaking. "But this matter ultimately has nothing to do with us; we are innocent."
Nangong Yu smiled sadly. "Yes, I am also innocent, but what can I do?"
The cultivators in the world listened to all this, feeling the helplessness and desolation in Nangong Yu’s words. If they were to place themselves in his shoes, what choices would they make? Would they have the ability to change the course of events? The answer was no.
Thus, Bai Yun raised her head, her eyes red, and asked with a cold voice, "Then why didn't you tell us all this back then?"
Nangong Yu: "I'm sorry. This secret concerned the family honor, and my elder father saved my life with his own. I couldn't let them bear shame, so no one could speak of it."
Bai Yun asked coldly again, "Then why are you telling it today?"
"Because I don't want you to die," Nangong Yu said after a moment of silence.
His remnant soul gradually became illusory, and with a smile, he walked towards Bai Yun. He took out a long-withered small flower from his embrace.
"Do you remember? You said your favorite flower was the begonia."
"Back then, I searched the entire continent to find the most beautiful one. I intended to personally give it to you on the day I proposed, but I didn't expect what happened afterward."
"I hope it's not too late now."
Nangong Yu stopped five meters in front of Bai Yun. Bai Yun looked at him, her heart of absolute detachment trembling wildly, almost shattering. She couldn't bear it and let out a scream. Her pained roar shook the heavens, filling listeners with despair.
"Too tragic." Xu Mu couldn't help but frown and shake his head. Bai Yun, having consumed the Water of Forgetfulness and cultivated with a lifelong belief in revenge, had taken countless lives. In the end, she discovered she had misunderstood Nangong Yu, meaning all her previous actions were negated by the truth. The truth was not what she had wanted to see. The ultimate outcome of a lifetime's pursuit was not what she desired. What unimaginable pain was this? No one knew, only Bai Yun did. Thus, Nangong Yu felt heartache; he wanted to step forward and place the small flower on her, then embrace her.
But at this moment, a blinding beam of light suddenly pierced through Bai Yun’s heart and also pierced through Nangong Yu opposite her. The world was stunned. Bai Yun spat blood and slowly turned her head. The attacker, who had ambushed her, was none other than her father, Bai Ze.
"Why..." Bai Ze’s expression was complex, his eyes red, roaring with near madness, "I don't want to either!"
"But I know you will definitely not seek revenge anymore. Then what about our Bai family? Do you know how many people we lost!"
"If I let you live, you will certainly stop us from attacking the Nangong clan, so I must kill you!"
Bai Yun looked at Bai Ze, her face blank with shock. Nangong Yu’s form was illusory; his remnant soul's power was depleted, and he could do nothing. His consciousness gradually blurred. But he still walked against the beam of light, reaching Bai Yun. He reached out and placed the begonia flower, decades late and long withered, on her.
Bai Yun turned her head, looking at Nangong Yu. Just as she was about to speak, his body fell straight towards her. Instinctively, she opened her arms to catch him, just as they had done in their passionate days. But this time, she only caught a remnant soul. Nangong Yu's remnant soul turned into crystalline wind and dissipated into the heavens and earth.
"Yun'er, I'm sorry."
"I left some letters below Sky Peak Gorge. I hope after you read them, you won't mock my childishness."
"Yun'er, do you know? Countless times I wavered with the thought of eloping with you, but the burden of my family wouldn't allow it."
"If life could be redone, I would have steadfastly chosen you, but alas, even if we can achieve Nirvana, there is no such 'if'."