Chapter 12: She Returns to the Peak After Retraining

At the same time, the purple phoenix commanded the wind and clouds, proudly overlooking Bing Xue Feng.

But all of this, those outside Bing Xue Feng could not see.

The entire Bing Xue Feng had been enveloped by what appeared to be a transparent holy white light, and no one's gaze or spiritual sense could penetrate it.

Shen Jin sat up from the crooked-neck tree, looking toward the peak. Besides himself, no one knew that before his eyes, fragments of scenes that seemed unfamiliar yet strangely familiar flickered again.

However, the scenes he saw were clearly different from Shen Qingli's……

At this moment, Shen Qingli held her breath in disbelief, for behind Shen Kuo she saw herself.

"This is……"

Shen Qingli recognized the surrounding scenery; it should have been the scene just before her death.

But Shen Kuo had not appeared before her death!

Could it be after her death?

But she perished with her soul and spirit scattered, ashes vanished, leaving no corpse.

Yet this scene felt so real, and it caused her heartache.

What is going on?

Shen Qingli felt something flowing from her eyes; she reached up and touched it—it was tears.

"A Li,"

Shen Kuo, who had called out to her, froze upon seeing her face.

He clearly hadn't expected to see Shen Qingli crying, nor did he understand why his daughter was crying, nor what to do about it.

After all, these years he had indeed not been a good father; he wanted to reach out to wipe her tears, but then recalled the scene he had previously avoided, and for a moment truly didn't know what to do.

"You,"

"I'm fine."

Father and daughter spoke at the same time—one wanted to ask what happened, the other had already said she was fine.

Having finished speaking, Shen Qingli had already wiped the tears from her face, looking at Shen Kuo as if nothing were wrong yet with a probing gaze: "Father, do you know what just happened?"

"Wan Yuan Gui Zong." Shen Kuo did not pursue why she cried, but explained earnestly: "This is a rare self-phenomenon that cultivators scarcely encounter. It occurs when a cultivator's own self, mental state, and the current celestial phenomena align perfectly, triggering a cultivation oddity."

"It cannot be invited by others; only the cultivator themselves must have an insight, and the heavenly timing must assist. In other words, your mental state and the omen you triggered match exceptionally well, and combined with your physique resonating with the proof-thunder, you gain the opportunity."

After listening carefully, Shen Qingli asked again, "So physique, mental state, and heavenly timing are all indispensable?"

"Yes." Shen Kuo also hadn't expected that this kind of self-phenomenon, which even he had only seen in ancient texts, would truly appear before his eyes, and happen to his daughter.

But whenever he thought of the origin of this mental state, he couldn't help feeling a pang of sorrow, his voice involuntarily turning hoarse: "It's all in the past."

The tears just now were because of past experiences, right?

Shen Kuo forcibly suppressed his surging emotions: "You want to leave the Bijade Sect, don't you? Earlier you actually wanted to leave Bing Xue Feng because you didn't want to keep getting entangled with those people, right?"

He should have realized that earlier.

But he still couldn't leave.

Nevertheless, it's fine; he could take his daughter…

"No."

"I'll send you off right now, huh?"

Father and daughter spoke at the same time again; Shen Kuo doubted he had heard correctly.

"Before, I truly didn't want to have any more entanglements with them, but now it's different."

Shen Qingli explained, "You were right earlier; Su Chacha should return my phoenix bone."

Even if that phoenix bone is ruined, it is still her phoenix bone! Things she doesn't want, she won't give to Su Chacha, nor to anyone of the Bijade Sect! They don't deserve it!

Shen Kuo understood: "How do you plan to get it back?"

As one who also awakened the phoenix clan inheritance, he clearly knows their innate pride.

If it were him, he wouldn't let elders seize back the lost phoenix bone; he would reclaim it himself!

He would even make the opposing side repay the blood debt a hundredfold!

The phoenix clan not only repays kindness, but also demands repayment of debts!

"Naturally, it's making them have to present it with both hands."

As Shen Qingli spoke, she felt the rich, abundant profound power within her; she had already returned to the Profound King Realm, and it was time to reclaim everything she had lost.

Originally she thought she would need to rest and retrain for a year or more to return to her former realm, but she didn't expect Zhao Yue and her group to rush over to help her recover to the peak, so she no longer needs to hide away to heal and retrain.

One month later.

Before Xuan Mountain.

A winding river of spiritual energy gathered around it, where all the notable forces of the Xuanti Continent assembled.

The three most golden positions of the water source were occupied respectively by the Wan Jian Sect, the Bijade Sect, and the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Shen Qingli stood on a lone stone, glanced at the camps of the three major powers, then looked toward the camp at the farthest end of the spirit river.

Although the distance was great, when a faint purple glow appeared in her eyes, the camp she wanted to see became clearly visible before her.

All in all there were only three tents, patched up. As for people, compared to the tents there were many—seven in total: three disciples, one sect leader, three masters.

One of the female disciples was playing by the river, looking lively with twin braids, yet she carried a huge sword taller than herself!

Moreover, she was the first to notice Shen Qingli's gaze, already lifting her head to look in the direction where Shen Qingli stood.

"Who!"

A spirited shout!

As if condensing a giant sword that chops down from the heavens!

Accompanied by a whistling sound, it thrust toward Shen Qingli's forehead!

But the sword qi quickly dissipated; the girl stared blankly at Shen Qingli, tilting her head slightly, "Why were you peeking at me?"

"Because you're pretty." Shen Qingli replied from afar, catching the girl's voice transmission.

The girl's clear, limpid eyes immediately rippled with surprise and joy, "Do you like me too?"

"Mm." Shen Qingli also said, "I want to join your sect; I don't know what the requirements are."

"No requirements!" the girl exclaimed excitedly, "I'll come over to take you to pay respects to the sect leader,"

"Wait, it's not the time yet." Shen Qingli told the girl to calm down, though she couldn't help feeling a sigh of emotion.

She knew who the other party was, and she also knew that this sect would someday shake the Xuanti Continent because of this girl. But later, because of this girl, it would fall like a shooting star.

The Sword Star of the Heavenly Star Sect, Liu Meng.

"Little Mengmeng, what are you doing?"

The sect leader of the Heavenly Star Sect interrupted the two girls' voice transmission chat, and also glanced over at Shen Qingli.

Not only did he look, but the other five people also looked.

This actually surprised Shen Qingli a bit, "Did you all see me?"

At such a distance, if her eyes weren't special—tempered with Primordial Purple Qi—then even if she were a Profound Ancestor-level figure, the same level as Zhao Yue, she wouldn't be able to see that far.

Could it be that, aside from the Sword Star Liu Meng, everyone else in the Heavenly Star Sect is mediocre? Even the sect leader is merely at the same Profound Ancestor level as Zhao Yue.

"Don't you dare scare the pretty little junior sister!" Liu Meng wasn't just talking; the giant sword behind her also emitted six sword beams, slicing in front of the six people, cutting off their gazes toward Shen Qingli.

Even Shen Qingli's field of vision fell into darkness.

As expected of the Sword Star, her gaze can sever.

All things in the universe, she can cut.

But such a beautiful, powerful girl later had her fiancé, Baili Chongtong—her "second junior brother"—dig out her sword heart on their wedding night, causing her cultivation to be completely lost.

The Heavenly Star Sect, up and down, went to the Azure Jade Sect to seek justice, but unexpectedly they died before achieving victory; before even entering the Azure Jade Sect, they were hacked to pieces by Liu Meng's former enemies and displayed at the gate of the Azure Jade Sect.

Liu Meng, died in fragments.

Like a shattered star.

And their deaths are still closely tied to Shen Qingli.