Chapter 921: The Golden Crow Falls, Qingmei Self-Immolates

"Run?"

The Great Lun Mingwang blinked in surprise. "Where could we run to?"

"Don't worry about it… just run… just run…"

"People are about to die!"

Zhu Zhengyan paced frantically, scratching his head.

The Great Lun Mingwang asked: "What happened to He Pingsheng?"

"What exactly happened to him?"

Zhu Zhengyan said: "Don't ask… there's no time to explain!"

"But don't worry—he's only trapped in the Golden Suffering Immortal Ruins on the Western Extreme Continent. He won't die!"

"You can still ascend from there!"

"Good!" The Great Lun Mingwang knew the situation was urgent. She took a deep breath, then said: "I remember—He Pingsheng said that if we ever faced life-or-death peril, I should go to Solitary Pine Mountain!"

"He left a backup there!"

Zhu Zhengyan said: "Then hurry there!"

Riiip…

The next instant, the Great Lun Mingwang tore open the void, carrying the four children and Zhu Zhengyan into it.

When they emerged from the vortex, they were already at Solitary Pine Mountain.

"Zhou Qingmei… Zhou Qingmei, Zhou Qingmei…"

Upon arriving at Solitary Pine Mountain, the Great Lun Mingwang immediately shouted for Zhou Qingmei.

Zhou Qingmei, who had been in seclusion, instantly shot forward as a streak of light.

"Your Majesty!" She bowed deeply.

"Don't bow!" The Great Lun Mingwang was frantic, thrusting the four children into Zhou Qingmei's arms. "Quickly… take the children into the secret realm… now!"

"The Phoenix Clan is coming!"

"Activate the 【Family World】 He Pingsheng told you about!"

Zhou Qingmei trembled, dared not ask what had happened, and roared for Xi Hu True Person and Hao Cang to come—telling them to evacuate He Pingsheng's other descendants.

"Everyone, retreat to the Family World immediately!"

"Enter the Family World now!"

Instantly, tens of thousands of disciples across the sect turned into streaks of light, all rushing toward the entrance of the Family World.

This scene was not unfamiliar!

Because previously, Solitary Pine Mountain Sect had rehearsed this countless times.

In less than half a stick of incense, nearly all disciples had entered.

Then Zhou Qingmei and Xi Hu arrived at the entrance.

"How is it?" Zhou Qingmei asked Xi Hu: "Are they all in?"

"No!" Xi Hu frowned slightly. "Two of He's disciple descendants haven't arrived yet!"

"One is He Tianya—he's traveling outside."

"The other is Luo Bingyao—she… she left just yesterday!"

"There's nothing we can do!" Zhou Qingmei shook her head. "You go in quickly too!"

After Xi Hu True Person entered the small world, Zhou Qingmei looked up and asked the Great Lun Mingwang: "Empress… once this small world is activated, it will be permanently severed from this spiritual realm!"

"This is a matter of great consequence. I must ask—is activation truly necessary?"

The Great Lun Mingwang said: "It must be activated… He Pingsheng is trapped… the Phoenix Clan has come to exterminate us!"

As she spoke, she suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Wait…"

The Great Lun Mingwang suddenly realized a problem: What if Zhu Zhengyan was lying? Wouldn't that be a terrible joke?

How would she explain it to He Pingsheng later?

"Why are you staring at me?" Zhu Zhengyan leapt up in fury. "If my son hadn't reincarnated as your son, I wouldn't give a damn about your life or death…"

"Do I gain anything by harming you?"

"Do you think I'm waiting for He Pingsheng to kill me?"

"I swear—if I, Zhu Zhengyan, have lied to you, may I die a wretched death, struck down instantly by Nine Thunder!"

After Zhu Zhengyan swore, the Great Lun Mingwang had no choice but to believe him—but still hesitated whether to activate the small spiritual world.

After all, once activated, she would be forever separated from He Pingsheng across two worlds.

At that very moment, above the outer formation of Solitary Pine Mountain, high in the void, a crimson cloud drifted in.

It was not a cloud… it was the accumulated aura of flames spilled from countless Phoenix Clan cultivators' bodies.

"Damn it…" Zhu Zhengyan said. "They've arrived!"

"Activate it now!"

Zhou Qingmei nearly wept. "Too late! I alone need at least a full stick of incense to activate this small world!"

Boom…

At that moment, a dozen Phoenix Clan demonic emperors began attacking the outer eighth-rank protective formation.

Of course, a single strike did not shatter the formation.

Though unbroken, the formation could not hold much longer!

"I'll hold them off!" Zhu Zhengyan transformed into a dark-brown flame and surged out beyond the formation, fighting alone against a dozen Phoenix Clan demonic emperors.

"Hurry… Great Lun… you woman, move faster!"

"Stop hesitating!"

"Damn it—activate it now!"

Zhu Zhengyan shouted as he fought.

Puff…

The next instant, a torrent of bloody rain fell from the void.

There was no choice!

Though powerful, Zhu Zhengyan, alone against so many Phoenix Clan, was overwhelmed.

Boom…

A few breaths later!

Zhu Zhengyan reverted to his true form—a thousand-zhang Golden Crow—and plummeted toward the earth.

He crashed down with a thud, kicking up clouds of dust.

Zhu Zhengyan's true body had perished.

At that moment, the Great Lun Mingwang had no more hesitation. She teleported into the small spiritual world and began helping Zhou Qingmei activate it.

With the intervention of a Mahayana Emperor-level cultivator, the activation of the small spiritual world accelerated.

Boom… boom… boom…

Yet the outer formation shattered soon after.

One Phoenix Clan demonic emperor rushed forward and unleashed a firestorm.

"Great Lun Elder… keep going… I'll hold them off…"

Whoosh…

Zhou Qingmei flew into the void.

She was only at Body Integration—she couldn't possibly fight even one Phoenix Clan demonic emperor, let alone a dozen.

Without hesitation, as she entered the void, her body exploded violently.

She chose self-immolation.

Self-immolation!

It was the instantaneous release of one's entire lifetime of cultivation.

Not only the physical body, but also the Primordial Spirit was destroyed.

Thus, even if one had a body double, rebirth was impossible after self-immolation.

"Zhou Qingmei!" Xi Hu True Person at the entrance screamed in agony, tears streaming.

The violent force of a Body Integration elder's self-immolation temporarily suppressed the Phoenix Clan's assault.

Seizing this moment, the Great Lun Mingwang finally completed activating the small spiritual world.

Hummm… hummm… hummm…

The Family World vanished from the spiritual realm!

Only a ripple of fluctuation spread outward across the void.

Within two breaths, all traces and energy signatures disappeared.

The Phoenix Emperor, face dark as night, landed upon Solitary Pine Mountain.

He stared for a long while at the spot where the small world had vanished.

"What happened?"

"Where are they?"

"The entrance is gone?"

"Did they activate a lower realm?"

"Impossible... if a three-thousand-world is activated, whether great or small, it ultimately becomes a lower realm of this spiritual realm!"

"It's just the cultivation world!"

"And once activated, the rule will erase all cultivators in this cultivation world who have surpassed the Soul Transformation realm by even one level!"

"Moreover, Great Lun Ming Wang has already reached the Mahayana Emperor realm!"

Everyone spoke at once.

But the Phoenix Emperor frowned and said, "In my view, that small world just now is not one of the Three Thousand Worlds, but a small spiritual world!"

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