Chapter 409: Unyielding Heart

Confirming that the Wutong Forest barrier had regenerated, Hua Changxi’s mind relaxed slightly, and she finally turned her gaze to her body, which had been torn and mangled by the impact of the fire phoenix.

Blood mixed with charred flesh pooled beneath her into a dark, nearly black stain, and her dharma robe was burned full of holes, revealing deep wounds that reached the bone.

The wounds curled hideously, the edges still carrying the residual warmth of the flames’ licking touch.

Had it been an ordinary cultivator, being pierced through the body by a fire phoenix like this would likely have caused them to explode to death or have their meridians severed, leaving them a cripple.

Yet she could still move freely, and even her breathing carried a steady rhythm.

This was the wonder of the *Nine Revolutions Mystic Art*—at the very beginning of body refinement, the “Nine Revolutions” method polishes the flesh layer by layer, from skin and membrane to muscle and sinew, from bone to viscera, each step undergoing an extreme tempering that ordinary people could hardly imagine.

Because of this, when the fire phoenix pierced through her body, its explosive, violent impact was enough to shatter metal and stone, yet her physical form remained steadfast.

Outwardly, although her flesh was a bloody mess, it was only the skin, membrane, and surface muscles that had taken the most direct impact; the gaping wounds, though terrifying to look at, actually avoided all key meridians and acupoints.

In the cultivation of the *Nine Revolutions Mystic Art*, her physical body had long been forged through countless refinements into an “indestructible foundation” far surpassing ordinary people.

This impact from the fire phoenix was, for Hua Changxi, a test of her physique, and the *Nine Revolutions Mystic Art* finally revealed its true worth at this moment.

The foremost body refinement technique—its reputation was well deserved.

Blood was still seeping through the charred wounds. Hua Changxi steadied her mind, closed her eyes, and began to perform the “All Fires Pay Homage” divine ability.

In an instant, the fire spiritual power slumbering within the Wutong Forest, like an awakened torrent of molten lava, surged madly toward her shattered body.

All the crimson leaves in the forest rustled without wind, fine sparks oozed from the cracks in the bark, and the entire forest seemed to transform into a gigantic furnace of fire spiritual power, with her as the sole absorbing core at its center.

At that moment, like a black hole, Hua Changxi rapidly devoured the fire spiritual power in the forest, which swiftly transformed into warm currents that nourished and restored her body.

Nourished by the warm currents, the exposed wounds visibly writhed and scabbed over, the charred outer skin flaked off, revealing the smooth, jade-white new flesh beneath.

At the same time, as the pure fire spiritual energy poured in, her dantian’s nearly depleted sea of qi quickly filled up.

When the last trace of charred skin fell away, revealing the flawless skin beneath, Hua Changxi withdrew her technique and opened her eyes, a bright light shining within them.

The “All Fires Pay Homage” divine ability was not only a powerful ability to subdue enemies, but also a remarkable healing technique.

With her injuries healed, Hua Changxi was completely at ease, finally in the mood to take a look at this blessed cave paradise of the Wutong Forest.

After the Nine Heavens Phoenix Cry Zither acknowledged her as its master, she gained an omniscient perspective of the Wutong Forest.

Like the Zhu Rong Tomb, the Wutong Forest was divided into three progressively layered zones.

Outer Wutong Forest: marrow cleansing and meridian purification, bloodline purification; Middle Wutong Forest: igniting potential, questioning the true heart; Inner Wutong Forest: comprehending the Dao, reincarnation and rebirth.

Hua Changxi hovered high above the Rebirth Path Wutong, and with a slight mental stir, the residual fire spiritual power in the forest receded like a tide. Her field of vision suddenly expanded, taking in the entire Wutong Forest at a glance.

“Hm?”

Hua Changxi caught an extremely faint fluctuation of spiritual power. Her figure flickered and vanished from the air, reappearing before a Wutong tree several meters in diameter in the middle zone of the forest.

The trunk required several people to wrap their arms around. On a horizontal branch several zhang off the ground hung a large cocoon swirling with red light.

“This is...”

Hua Changxi concentrated and activated her Insight-Piercing Eyes. Her gaze penetrated the cocoon’s shell, and she saw a fledgling fire butterfly frantically fluttering inside.

Its red-gold wings wrapped around its slim body, and each wingbeat agitated the fire spiritual power within the cocoon, cracking the shell wall into cobweb-like fissures.

It was clearly on the verge of breaking out, but had gotten stuck at the final step due to depleted spiritual power. If no one helped, it would likely be trapped and die inside the cocoon.

Hua Changxi watched for a moment, then extended her right hand and channeled spiritual power into the red cocoon.

The fire spiritual power seeped into the red cocoon like a thin stream. In an instant, the fire patterns on the cocoon’s shell blazed brightly.

First, fine cracks spread like lightning, then with a crisp “crack,” a small hole broke open at the top of the cocoon, and a shiny red fire butterfly suddenly burst out!

Successfully emerging from the cocoon, the fire butterfly seemed extremely delighted. It spread its wings and flew, its red-gold base flowing with glassy flame patterns, the fire-like feathers on its edges trembling gently like living things. Each flap raised tiny sparks, tracing golden-red trails in the air.

The fire butterfly flew toward Hua Changxi and hovered before her.

Then, the fire butterfly’s red light flared brightly. Its wings, antennae, and fire-like feathers dissipated one by one into flowing light, replaced by a cocoon of light enveloping a young girl.

“Bang!”

The light cocoon shattered, and a naked girl of about fifteen or sixteen, with a petite figure and jade-white skin, appeared in Hua Changxi’s sight.

Before Hua Changxi could react, the girl smoothly dropped to her knees and kowtowed to Hua Changxi: “Die Wu pays respects to Master. Thank you, Master, for the grace of saving my life.”

Hua Changxi quickly took out a set of magical robes: "Put these on first."

The girl's face lit up with joy. She picked up the robes, spun around, and had them on in an instant, then knelt again: "Thank you, Master."

Hua Changxi was still curious about this suddenly appearing demonic beast that had just advanced to the Spirit Platform realm: "Why do you call me master?"

The girl replied seriously: "Master is the lord of the Wutong Forest. Die Wu took shape in the Wutong Forest, so naturally I should regard you as my master."

"Moreover, if it weren't for your arrival, who repeatedly stirred the fire spiritual energy in the Wutong Forest, and also channeled fire spiritual energy to me just now, I would never have been able to break out of my cocoon and become a butterfly. I would have been suffocated inside sooner or later."

After hearing this, Hua Changxi asked: "How did you get into the Wutong Forest?"

Die Wu: "After the barrier of the Wutong Forest was broken, many human cultivators and demonic beasts rushed in. It was then that my mother brought me in."

Saying this, Die Wu lowered her head, radiating an aura of sorrow.

"Mother was fast and could avoid spatial rifts, so she managed to bring me successfully into the Wutong Forest."

"But not long after we entered, Mother died in the collateral damage from a fight between a human cultivator and several Fire Phoenixes."

"I survived only because I had formed a cocoon right after entering, and Mother hid me in this parasol tree."

"I tried several times to break out of the cocoon, but failed every time."

Die Wu looked at Hua Changxi, her eyes sparkling: "Luckily, you came, Master. The spiritual energy in the Wutong Forest surged, infusing me with vitality."

Hua Changxi made no comment on Die Wu's words. She condensed a Soul-Seeking Seal in her palm: "If you want to follow me, you must imprint this Soul-Seeking Seal into your sea of consciousness."

Die Wu looked at Hua Changxi, then without a second word, opened her sea of consciousness.

Hua Changxi glanced at Die Wu and flicked the Soul-Seeking Seal into her brow.

"From now on, help me guard the Wutong Forest."

Die Wu quickly replied: "Die Wu obeys."

Having gained a Spirit Platform realm butterfly to guard the gate and the grounds, Hua Changxi was in a good mood as she went to set up a teleportation array at the entrance of the Wutong Forest.

As soon as the teleportation array was set up, she left the Wutong Forest.

Hua Changxi returned to Lingguang Hall and had just finished setting up the other end of the teleportation array to and from the Wutong Forest when she received a distress message from Yu Fu.

"Master, Princess Lingyuan falsely accused a disciple of Danyuan Peak of stealing her spiritual pet. She led a group of cultivators to storm Danyuan Peak, demanding to search it."

"Wan Feng went to find the head of the Qihuang Pavilion and the head of the Lingjing Pavilion, asking them to intervene and stop Princess Lingyuan, but they did nothing and allowed her to cause trouble."

"Among the cultivators Princess Lingyuan brought, there is a Spirit Platform realm cultivator. Jia Lu and I might not be able to hold out for long."

After reading the message, a look of annoyance flashed across Hua Changxi's eyes.

The imperial family simply wouldn't give up until they had irrefutably confirmed her identity.