Chapter 1779

After a while, figures flew from Little Jianmu toward this side.

Cai Yi, Feilian, Qiao Yue, Han Yu, Tai Xue, You Li, Wen Luo Ying…

Ancestral Gods and God King Realm monster maidens came one after another.

Almost all the monster clan on Little Jianmu are female; few male subordinates of Xuan Die reside nearby, most are stationed as commanders in other blessed lands.

In a moment, over a hundred powerful monster clansmen surrounded the area, their faces grave.

They all heard He Xianzi's words.

"Xiao Feng."

Cai Yi pushed through the crowd to Xiao Feng's face, biting her lower lip, her voice hoarse as she said: "You... you're not joking?"

Xiao Feng nodded.

Upon receiving his confirmation, Cai Yi's pupils suddenly contracted and dilated, her mind and spirit struck by a violent impact, a sob escaped her throat, and she fainted outright, falling from the air.

Feilian caught her, her expression the same as the other monster maidens—disbelief.

"How could this be, how could this be? Her Majesty the Empress, she is so strong, how could..."

"No, impossible! Her Majesty the Empress was just here speaking with us this morning; she cannot die!"

"I saw Her Majesty the Empress yesterday with the Holy Ape Monster Emperor; the Holy Ape Monster Emperor is an invincible powerhouse—how could I just watch her come to harm?"

"I don't believe it, I don't believe it! Her Majesty the Empress is the finest monster in the world; nothing will happen to her!"

The monster maidens reacted intensely, each unwilling to accept this outcome.

But they all understood this was reality; everyone was in tears, their voices choking.

Xiao Feng didn't know what to say; even if everyone cursed him, beat him, killed him, he would feel it was justified.

Yet no one blamed him; they only kept saying this was impossible, Her Majesty the Empress should not have fallen.

This made his heart feel like it was being cut by a knife, watching these monster cultivators who had relied on Senior Xuan Die's protection now lose their support, his guilt overwhelming.

"Alas..."

Feilian sighed: "Wait for Cai Yi to wake, see what she says. Without Her Majesty the Empress, Little Jianmu is incomplete; what shall we do now?"

All the monster maidens burst into tears and sobbed.

Feilian sent the unconscious Cai Yi to rest in the Butterfly Emperor Palace's main hall atop Little Jianmu, and everyone followed.

Cai Yi was Xuan Die's most trusted subordinate, almost blindly obedient to her, so she generally knew more than everyone else.

Whenever Xuan Die went to do something dangerous, she would first tell Cai Yi and inform her of the follow‑up arrangements.

But those previous arrangements had never been put to use—only this time...

Cai Yi remained unconscious for over an hour, and everyone stayed silent for over an hour.

The hall was full of monster clan members; even the male monsters rushed over upon hearing the news.

The news of a Venerable's fall cannot be blocked; whenever a Venerable falls, other Venerables sense it immediately and know at once.

The two other powerhouses of the Myriad Phenomena Forest have not yet arrived; likely they are giving Xuan Die a final courtesy, letting her former subordinates prepare for the impending tempest.

"Ugh... Her Majesty the Empress..."

Cai Yi slowly woke, opening her mouth with a heart‑rending cry.

The monster maidens' grief, which they had just suppressed, was stirred again by her, and they all began to sob.

"Cai Yi, did Her Majesty the Empress have any last words for you before she left?" Chan Xia asked.

Cai Yi nodded, wiped her eyes, held back her sorrow, and spoke hoarsely: "This... this time, Her Majesty said, if she meets with mishap, let us seek refuge with other powerhouses... or... follow Xiao Feng."

A silence fell over the hall.

Being able to say such words shows that Xuan Die had already prepared for her fall before setting out.

At this moment, Zi Xi said: "Wasn't the Holy Ape Senior just here yesterday? With him present, how could Her Majesty the Empress come to harm?"

Xiao Feng sighed: "The Holy Ape Monster Emperor Senior appeared, but by the time he arrived, it was already too late... After Senior Xuan Die fell, the Holy Ape Monster Emperor Senior took her remains and went to the Eternal Mi Jing."

"The Eternal Mi Jing... that is Her Majesty the Empress's homeland..." Cai Yi burst into tears, her sorrow growing unbearable.

Again the hall filled with the sound of weeping.

After a moment, Feilian asked: "Cai Yi, did Her Majesty say anything else?"

Cai Yi shook her head.

Feilian sighed and told the monster clan: "Her Majesty the Empress has fallen; our faction cannot hold so many blessed lands and treasures. Other Venerables and Ancestral Gods will surely come to seize them. Each of you decide whether to go or stay. Those who wish to seek refuge with other powerhouses, we will not stop. Those who wish to remain and guard Little Jianmu must prepare to die or fall."

In other words, at least she intends not to leave, but to stay and defend Little Jianmu from being plundered and occupied by other powerhouses.

"I'm not leaving," Cai Yi declared firmly.

Chan Xia also said: "I'm not leaving either; Little Jianmu is my home—I've lived here for eighty thousand years, no one will drive me away!"

Zi Xi, Xi Yun, and the others all expressed the same stance.

But many remained silent.

When a Venerable falls, their forces inevitably disband; this has been the case countless times without exception.

For their own safety, they can only choose to leave this place that is about to become the eye of the storm.

At this moment, Xiao Feng said: "I will stay here for a while to fend off strong enemies. If a Venerable attacks, as long as their strength does not exceed that of the Magic Scale Great Emperor, I should be able to block them."

Upon hearing this, the monster maidens did not immediately respond.

Cai Yi sniffed, gritted her teeth, and said: "If you were that strong, Her Majesty the Empress would not have died!"

"I..."

Xiao Feng felt a tightness in his chest, wanting to explain the gap between the Magic Scale Great Emperor and the Lord of Life, but could not find the words.

Xuan Die will die; he must bear at least ninety percent of the responsibility...

He Xianzi helped explain: "My elder brother ultimately killed the Lord of Life, avenging Her Majesty the Empress..."

When a Venerable dies, initially only other Venerables know; the monster maidens' cultivation is insufficient, so unless it is spoken aloud, they would not know.

Hearing this, everyone felt a little better.

But it's only a little relief; the Empress will not return.

Fei Lian sighed and said: "Xiao Feng, your strength is enough to rival a Venerable; I believe you. But you are a human, after all, you cannot stay here long as our new emperor. So let's forget it; everyone decide their own futures, no need to force it."

Xiao Feng heard this and remained silent.

Indeed, he cannot become the demon clan's ruler, nor can he stay long in the Myriad Phenomena Forest; the Player Camp is his true home.

But... after Xuan Die's death, if he does nothing, it would be too heartless.

He thought of the title "Emperor of All Heavens," which could allow him to establish a Mi Jing, and so he said to the gathered demons: "Seniors, I can open up a new space, a place free from worldly strife. If you are weary of the struggles among the great powers, you might consider..."

Before his words faded, Cai Yi said: "I will go nowhere; I will live and die together with Little Jianmu."

Fei Lian, Zi Xi, and others shared the same thought.

Xiao Feng felt helpless.

At that moment, a sudden pressure descended upon Little Jianmu.

A low, deep voice echoed from all directions: "Xuan Die has passed; everyone, it is time to decide your fate."

This is the aura of a Venerable!

Little Jianmu is coveted; even a Venerable would envy it. While Xuan Die was alive, everyone had some reservations, but now that she has fallen, everything here has become 'ownerless,' and any Venerable can seize it.

The 'ownerless' here refers not only to resources and environment, but also to these powerful ones under Xuan Die's command.

They are the most precious resources; what the Venerables value is precisely this group of mighty Ancestral Gods and top-tier God Kings!