Chapter 219: 219 My Lord Holy Peace (Third Watch)

Time ticked away, second by second, yet the urgent piano music showed no signs of stopping. Instead, it quickened, a mixture of lamentation and revelry, of roars and screams, sprinting forward without seeming out of place, but instead imparting an exhilarating feeling.

Hanging by a thread, a blood sacrifice to the heavens.

Someday, the phoenix shall be reborn from the ashes, returning through fire!

The Empress’s fame shall echo throughout the ages!

Threads of auspicious energy with a red glow spread within the music, quickly enveloping every corner of the banquet hall in that enchanting red.

Under the red mist, the girl in white appeared all the more ethereal, as if placed within the void.

Shocked expressions filled almost everyone’s eyes, many unable to believe the sight before them, as if it were a dream, yet the urgent piano music continued.

The next second, something broke through the music, letting out a long, heavenward howl!

What’s this sound?

A dragon’s roar!

The pupils of everyone present sharply contracted.

The dragon and phoenix that were originally carved on the body of the konghou seemed to come to life, emerging from the sealed instrument through rebirth.

A marvel unfolds! Dragon and phoenix appear!

Golden Dragon and Golden Phoenix circled overhead, dancing together, and in that instant, the red mist faded, and a soft golden light enveloped the entire banquet hall.

It was the first time for everyone present to witness such a spectacle.

Nearly everyone was stunned, their hearts pounding, too scared even to breathe loudly, while the girl playing the konghou remained calm, continuing to pluck the strings.

No one present could have imagined that an ordinary person could play the konghou and evoke the miraculous sight of Dancing Dragon and Phoenix!

The music was no longer as frantic as before. Its melody grew more and more melodious, like celestial music from the heavens, bringing a wave of tranquility.

Plants that had seemed dead by the side were now as if revived, growing new branches and sprouting green leaves at a visibly rapid pace.

Underworld.

The King of Hades, who had been asleep for a thousand years, suddenly opened his eyes. His ears twitched, and his eyes filled with shock, as he quickly climbed up from the cold jade bed and respectfully performed a nine-bows-three-kowtows ritual towards the east, "May my master be safe and sound."

"Father, the Great Witch’s predictions were right, you indeed awoke today," said the youngest princess of the Underworld, Gan Yuying, who walked in holding a jade plate with a smile.

"Where’s your elder brother?" the King of Hades asked calmly, with a rather grave expression.

Gan Yuying placed the jade plate on the cold bed and answered truthfully, "Brother has gone to the human world."

The King of Hades frowned slightly, exuding a commanding aura, "Yuying, quickly go to the human world and tell him to come back immediately. I have a more important task for him."

"Yes Father, I will go now," Gan Yuying bowed and prepared to leave. Just as she was about to step out, she seemed to remember something and said, "Father, don’t forget to look at the Five Elements Jade Plate."

Although Gan Yuying was usually more playful, she was still quite meticulous when it came to important matters.

Ancient Martial Arts World.

Under a towering tree, two men were playing a game of chess. One wore a black robe, and the other a white robe, an old man and a young one, mirroring the black and white pieces on the board.

Suddenly, the pupils of the elder in the white robe slightly contracted, instinctively looking towards the east, his eyes filled with shock.

He quickly stood up and respectfully performed a nine-bows-three-kowtows ritual towards the east, "May my master be safe and sound."

Seeing this, the young man in the black robe immediately stood up, helped the kneeling elder to his feet, and asked with some confusion, "Grandfather, what’s the matter with you?"

The elder in the white robe stroked his beard, looking quite the sage. He gazed towards the east with a grave expression and said slowly, "Changchen, go to the Oracle Tower immediately and check if there is anything unusual there."

"Alright, Grandpa." As soon as he finished speaking, the man in the white robe turned and left.

Superpower World.

A middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes hurriedly pushed open a wooden door, "Grand Elder, Grand Elder."

Upon hearing this, an old man with a weathered face who was meditating in the inner sanctuary slowly opened his eyes, "There’s no need for panic, I am well aware of the situation."

The middle-aged man sat down opposite the old man, "Then, Grand Elder, what do you think we should do now?"

"A miraculous sight emerges, the Dragon and Phoenix appear, the Phoenix oversees the realm," the Grand Elder began slowly, his voice resonating like a great bell, "I remember, that ancient konghou is in Chuyi’s hands, is it not?"

At these words, the middle-aged man seemed to recall something, a glint of enlightenment flashing in his eyes, "That’s right, Chuyi is indeed a lucky child."

Having said this, he continued, "However, I have seen her play that ancient konghou on several occasions before, and I paid close attention each time, but never noticed anything unusual. Why then, has the seal been removed this time?"

Speaking of this, the middle-aged man still felt somewhat doubtful in his heart. Whenever Zheng Chuyi played that konghou, he paid extra attention to her, yet he had never found anything out of the ordinary. So why, this time, did it trigger the Dancing Dragon and Phoenix?

The Grand Elder slowly closed his eyes again, took up a wooden fish mallet, and began tapping the wooden fish, "You need not doubt. In all the world, there is none but Chuyi who carries the Bloodline of Fire Bathing. Not every performance on the konghou will draw forth the spectacle of Dancing Dragon and Phoenix. It requires a harmony of the right time, place, and person. You should rejoice that she is one of our own in the Superpower World. By the way, where is she now?"

The middle-aged man thought about it and realized it made sense. After all, in this world, only one True Destiny Maiden of the Bloodline of Fire Bathing existed. Apart from Zheng Chuyi, no one else had the skill to even evoke a sound from that konghou, let alone cause the spectacle of Dancing Dragon and Phoenix.

"Grand Elder, Chuyi went to the secular world a few days ago."

At this, the hand of the Grand Elder holding the wooden fish mallet paused slightly, and he opened his eyes, his piercing gaze filled with distaste, "What is she doing in that filthy place? She is the foremost beauty in the Superpower World; is she not afraid of being tainted by the filthy auras of mortals? Who took her there?"

In his eyes, even mentioning the secular world felt like an insult.

How could such a foolish girl go to such a place on her own.

After some thought, the middle-aged man replied, "It was Mo Bai who took her there. According to Mo Bai, Chuyi went to find Zhixuan."

"That’s for the best," the Grand Elder nodded, "Since Chuyi has gone there, it is certain that Zhixuan must return without fail. Send word to prepare for the succession ceremony at any moment."

The middle-aged man bowed respectfully, "As you command, Grand Elder, I understand."

"Oh, and another thing," the Grand Elder continued, "the other two worlds must already know of this matter. We cannot afford to let our guard down at such a time. Send someone to guard Chuyi day and night, and we cannot allow any mishaps. Also, choose a date and arrange for the Saintess’s coronation ceremony. As soon as Chuyi returns, we’ll proceed with it immediately! Also, inform her that she should prepare herself during this period; a Saintess must act the part of a Saintess."

After giving these instructions, the Grand Elder picked up the wooden fish mallet again and resumed tapping the wooden fish, "You may leave if there is nothing else. The secular world is no place to linger. Have Chuyi bring Zhixuan back soon."

"Yes, Grand Elder, I understand," the middle-aged man rose slowly and departed.

Banquet Hall.

The sound of the konghou continued, evolving from the initial mellowness to a now ethereal and illusory quality, like a breeze rising and falling by one’s ear. The sound grew lower and lower, and as it faded, the colors of the Dragon and Phoenix hovering above everyone’s heads also weakened until they disappeared into thin air.

All returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

The performance concluded, but the audience remained transfixed by the shocking spectacle they had just witnessed.

Chu Jin slowly withdrew her hands from the strings, her complexion somewhat pale. Noticing this, Mo Zhixuan moved quickly to support her by the shoulders.

He held her shoulder with one hand and grasped her wrist with the other.

Chu Jin could feel that his body was colder than ever, especially the hand holding her wrist, which felt as if she were touching millennia-old ice.

Wisps of cold mist entwined around his fingers, and a steady flow of Spiritual Power transferred from his palm into her meridians, easing her discomfort as it slowly dissipated from within her body.

After a moment, he finally spoke in a low voice, "Jin, you’ve worked hard."

With just that deep utterance, he immediately brought everyone back to the present.

Various emotions played across the faces of the audience, and the room was left with nothing but the sound of their soft breathing.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read