"We can kill Kunwu, but we cannot kill all the masters in the Xuan Tian Continent."
This was what their Phoenix clan had to face.
Chu Lingwei's heart sank. If all cultivators on the Xuan Tian Continent on the verge of their final breakthrough set their sights on the Phoenix clan, they would be utterly defenseless.
"Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle, what do you plan to do?"
Chu Lingwei's voice weakened, having already guessed their choice: they intended to sacrifice her to preserve the Phoenix clan's bloodline.
It was precisely because of this that Chu Lingwei's heart ached inexplicably.
"Weiwei, remember, you are the Saintess of the Phoenix clan. You must live well. Only then will our Phoenix clan have hope." Lan Xingning's voice, transmitted through Chu Lingwei's eardrums, reached her heart.
It was like an imprint, striking her heart word by word.
"Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle, please rest assured, I will live."
Chu Lingwei looked at the candlelight within the secret chamber, casting a weak yet unignorable light into the darkness.
Returning to her courtyard, her father Chu Ze had been waiting for a long time.
"Weiwei, you're back?"
"Father."
Seeing Chu Ze, Chu Lingwei's eyes reddened. She had only just reunited with her family, only to face such a parting.
"Weiwei, the night is too cold. Let's go back." Chu Ze sighed softly. His daughter had never had a day of peace since birth. It was ultimately his fault as a father for not protecting her well enough.
"Father, I'll take you somewhere."
Back in her room, Chu Lingwei asked Huan Mao to guard the entrance and then brought her father into the ring space.
Lan Yuexi, who sensed her daughter's presence within the space, instantly appeared before her.
"Weiwei..."
When she saw the middle-aged man standing beside her daughter, her voice abruptly stopped, and she stared blankly at the person she had longed for day and night.
"Qingqing..."
Chu Ze, caught completely off guard, saw the woman he had searched for over twenty years and couldn't believe his eyes.
"Chu Ze, is it really you."
Lan Yuexi stood rooted to the spot, tears streaming down her face. She had wronged Chu Ze; she had failed him.
"Qingqing, I've finally met you." Chu Ze took a step forward, embracing Lan Yuexi tightly. "Do you know how many years I've searched for you?"
"I know, I know everything." Lan Yuexi sobbed loudly. Her departure back then was forced. As the Saintess of the Phoenix clan, she had no choice but to act that way.
Chu Lingwei stepped back and turned, leaving the space for them. They hadn't seen each other in twenty years and must have much to say.
"Master, you seem unhappy?"
Shui Yi approached Chu Lingwei from behind, sensing a faint, pervasive helplessness emanating from her.
"Shui Yi, I believe you'll soon be able to enter the Tribulation Stage." Chu Lingwei turned back. Shui Yi had been cultivating in the ring space all along.
Although this ring space lacked the abundance of spiritual energy of her own space, it was far superior to any blessed land outside. Shui Yi had already reached the Earthly Supreme realm and was on the verge of breaking through to the Heavenly Supreme realm.
"Master, cultivating to the Tribulation Stage is not easy." Even now, at the Supreme realm, progress became increasingly difficult with each advancement.
"If you truly reach the Tribulation Stage, you'll have to brave the final hurdle, won't you?"
Yes, reaching the final great hurdle of cultivation was incredibly difficult. The harder the task, the harder it was to let go of it calmly.
Now, the Phoenix clan's sacred tree was like a lifeline to these people; they would cling to it even unto death.
Shui Yi was puzzled why Chu Lingwei suddenly brought this up. He thought that if he truly reached such a situation, he would naturally fight for it.
"Weiwei..."
Just then, Lan Yuexi's joyous voice echoed from a distance.
"Mother."
Chu Lingwei turned and saw Lan Yuexi and Chu Ze approaching together. Both had happy smiles on their faces, and upon closer inspection, one could even see a blush of shyness on Lan Yuexi's cheeks.
"Weiwei." Lan Yuexi stepped forward and took Chu Lingwei's hand, then looked at her lover beside her. "Our family is finally reunited. It's wonderful."
"Yes, we are finally a family." Chu Ze exclaimed, having longed for this day since Qingqing's departure.
"Mother, Father."
Chu Lingwei looked at the two before her, one her father, the other her mother. With their reunion, the words "father" and "mother" seemed to instantly become complete.
This feeling was strange; this was a true home.
"Actually, I should have let you meet sooner." Chu Lingwei looked ashamed. She could have arranged for them to meet when her father last found the Dragon Manor.
"Weiwei, now is the best time." Lan Yuexi interrupted her daughter, feeling that this was the perfect moment, as the Xiu Shui poison within her was gone, and this was her true self.
"Weiwei, to be able to see you and your mother in this life, your father has no regrets." Chu Ze reached out and gently stroked his daughter's head. Without his daughter, he would never have seen Qingqing again in this lifetime, let alone be reunited as a family.
Lan Yuexi smiled through her tears and hugged Chu Lingwei. "Having a daughter like you is my greatest fortune."
The family of three sat in a room within the space.
"You already knew all of this." Lan Yuexi felt even more guilty as she heard her daughter recount the events unfolding outside, looking at Chu Ze. "I'm sorry. I am the Saintess of the Phoenix clan, and I couldn't tell you my true identity."
Lan Yuexi felt deeply remorseful towards Chu Ze, not even having told him her real name.
"It's alright. Whether you are the Saintess of the Phoenix clan or not, you are still my Qingqing, my dao companion, and Weiwei's mother." Chu Ze held Lan Yuexi's hand and said with immense affection.
Chu Lingwei lowered her eyelids, thinking to herself, "Have they forgotten there's a living person sitting here?"
"Quickly let go of me." Lan Yuexi saw Chu Lingwei, blushed, and quickly withdrew her hand, glaring at Chu Ze.
"Father, Mother, I should go out now." Chu Lingwei stood up, being quite observant.
"I'll go out with you." Chu Ze stood up. They were still in the Dragon Manor. If anything seemed amiss, it might bring disaster upon Weiwei.
"Father, you stay here with Mother. If anyone comes looking for you, I can bring you out then."
The two of them hadn't seen each other in over twenty years. Forcing them apart now would be cruel.
Chu Ze looked at Lan Yuexi and did not refuse. "This is good too."
Lan Yuexi's face instantly flushed, looking exceptionally beautiful.
Exiting the space.
"Mao Mao, has anyone come?"
"No," Huan Mao shook his head.
"I wonder how Senior Brother is doing now?" Chu Lingwei sighed. She was extremely worried as there was no news of her Senior Brother.