Chapter 1749: The Hidden Secret

Jiang Qing'e's sudden words caused the Lü Qing'er before her to visibly freeze for a moment, not understanding why Jiang Qing'e would bring such a matter out into the open.

Lü Qing'er was briefly silent, and without any concealment, she said frankly, "If I didn't like him, why would I need to use such an extreme method—seal away my emotions, sever my longing?"

"Senior Jiang, in the past I did indeed misjudge the engagement between you two, but now I will no longer harbor even half a shred of such delusions. Those past memories are all buried beneath the ice, and there will never be a day they are reopened."

"I used to like him, but that was all."

Jiang Qing'e said calmly, "If you had truly severed it completely, you wouldn't have resisted his approach."

Lü Qing'er's pretty face instantly took on a layer of bone-chilling frost as she said, "Senior Jiang, what do you mean by that?"

Jiang Qing'e said nothing more, merely circulating her light phase force to heal Lü Qing'er's wounds. Her gaze lifted from time to time, and the direction she looked toward was where that "Li Li Lingjing" had previously vanished.

In her deep, mysterious golden eyes flowed an obscure, unfathomable hue.

One hour later.

Li Luo returned with Bai Bai Mengmeng, whose complexion had regained some of its rosy color, and Jiang Qing'e had also finished her treatment. The two women stood together, each radiant in her own way, dazzlingly eye-catching.

However, Li Luo felt that the expressions on the two women's faces seemed a little strange.

Just as he was about to ask, he heard the voice of the Light King, Qi Huang, coming from afar.

So he turned and led Jiang Qing'e, Lü Qing'er, Bai Bai Mengmeng and the rest of the group to a mountain ridge behind them, where all the high-ranking members of the allied forces had gathered.

Qi Huang, Wang Xuanjin, Zhen Linshuang, and the Golden-Winged Elder of the Golden-Winged Great Peng Clan were all gathered here.

Clearly, they were discussing the wrap-up of this decisive battle.

With Li Luo's arrival, the top-tier experts of the Outer Shenzhou present all cast their gazes toward him. Within these gazes, compared to before, there was now several degrees more solemnity and even respect.

Although Li Luo was very young in age, in these chaotic times, after all, it was still strength that commanded the most belief.

Moreover, the foundation of his household was now truly too terrifying.

Four Dukes in one household, and soon to be four Nine-Pinnacle Dukes!

This achievement, throughout the ages, seemed to belong to this one family alone.

"This decisive battle truly owes much to Alliance Leader Li Luo, Brother Li Taixuan, and the Divine Lady. On behalf of the Outer Shenzhou Allied Forces and the countless living beings of the Ten Outer Shenzhou, I offer my thanks in advance." The Light King Qi Huang cupped his fists in salute toward Li Luo, Li Taixuan, and Jiang Qing'e, and other experts such as Wang Xuanjin, Ling Zhu Xuan, Xiao Lingzhu also followed suit one after another.

Even the usually proud Zhen Linshuang now slightly lowered her gaze, though her eyes occasionally swept toward Li Luo.

"Brother Qi Huang, there's no need for such formality. This Tianyuan Outer Shenzhou is the land where our Li Li Tianwang lineage lives. I should be the one thanking friends from the other Outer Shenzhou for traveling thousands of miles to come to our aid." Li Taixuan cupped his fists in return, saying courteously.

After all, in terms of seniority, Qi Huang was considerably higher than him. When Qi Huang had become a King-tier expert, Li Taixuan hadn't even been born yet.

Qi Huang smiled, then looked around at everyone and said, "This Decisive Battle of Withering and Flourishing Phases has come to an end. The invasion from the Dark World has been repelled. Over the next three years, the Ten Outer Shenzhou will enjoy a period of relative peace."

"However... this peace will only last for about three years."

The crowd's expressions turned solemn, because in just over three years, it would be the end of the tenth year of Tianyun.

The end of the tenth year of Tianyun also signified that the rule restrictions Jiang Li Tianwang had imposed through the Ancient Covenant would expire. At that time, the Great Demon Kings of the Dark World would surely descend through the barrier rifts at the edge of the sky of the Ten Outer Shenzhou.

If this "Decisive Battle of Withering and Flourishing Phases" was merely the appetizer for the War of Reunion, then when the Great Demon Kings of the Dark World descended three years later, that would be the true main course of the War of Reunion.

However, in a contest of that level, even an extreme peak Three-Crown King would likely struggle to make even the slightest impact.

That was a battle belonging to the Li Tianwang tier.

"I hope that when the tenth year of Tianyun ends, the world's fortune can allow our Ten Outer Shenzhou to produce a few more Li Tianwang." Wang Xuanjin sighed and said.

The tenth year of Tianyun had intercepted several hundred years of fortune from the future of the Ten Outer Shenzhou. This fortune would be settled at the very last moment, and this settlement was no small matter. The power contained within was enough to help some experts who had already reached the extreme peak break through their shackles and step into the realm they had long dreamed of.

Those such as Qi Huang, Wang Xuanjin, and Zhen Linshuang before them were the most likely candidates.

And this was also one of the main reasons Jiang Li Tianwang had pushed for the tenth year of Tianyun—to use the momentum of the future to forge Li Tianwang here, doing everything possible to elevate the foundation of the Ten Outer Shenzhou in preparation for the true War of Reunion.

"What about the Reunion Society? They took the Withering and Flourishing Phases. If they use it to break open that coffin seal, the thing inside will truly emerge into the world... and what's inside is likely not just the Phase of Extinction." Zhen Linshuang suddenly asked.

At these words, a shadow of gloom appeared on every face present. This was indeed the most worrying matter.

According to the secret revealed by that Pill Saint, the Phase of Extinction in the ancient era had clearly been corrupted by the "Source of All Evil," which then backlashed against that legendary sect master and led to the destruction of the "Faceless Holy Sect."

Therefore, within that black coffin, it was very likely that the Phase of Extinction and the Source of All Evil were sealed.

Once these two terrifying objects were released, for the Ten Outer Shenzhou, it would simply be a calamity difficult to resist.

The atmosphere instantly grew oppressive.

However, Li Taixuan suddenly spoke, breaking the stagnant, oppressive atmosphere: "The Withering and Flourishing Phases did indeed fall into the hands of the Reunion Society, but within the Spiritual Phase Cave Heaven, there may still be other variables."

At these words, everyone was utterly astonished.

Even Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e stared at Li Taixuan in bewilderment, clearly not understanding what he meant by those words.

Under the gaze of so many questioning eyes, Li Taixuan smiled, then extended his palm. A wisp of dark-golden feather appeared in his palm, and the moment this object emerged, a pressure as if originating from the ancient era instantly radiated outward.

Faintly, an incomparably domineering cry of a Peng seemed to ring out.

"T-this, this is my clan's Ancestral Feather?!" a shocked voice suddenly rang out. The crowd looked over, and the one speaking was actually the Golden-Winged Elder of the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

At this moment, his aged face was full of shock, because on this dark-golden feather, he felt a pressure originating from the depths of his bloodline.

Li Taixuan then turned his head, looked at the equally astonished Li Luo, and said, "Before returning this time, I met Ah Lan. She gave me this object and told me that regardless of the outcome of the battle for the Withering and Flourishing Phases, I must take this feather to the deepest part of the Spiritual Phase Cave Heaven. There, some secrets await us."

Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e exchanged a glance, both somewhat shocked: "The deepest part of the Spiritual Phase Cave Heaven?"

Li Taixuan gripped the golden feather and revealed a faint smile.

"Perhaps, this is your mother's secret."