Chapter Sixty-Four: Illusion
The demonic vine, which had no mouth, let out a high-pitched, painful roar the moment the fireball released by Mingfeng landed on it, but then stopped abruptly.
When the fireball struck the demonic vine, everyone felt as if only one color remained in the world—white—and they all instinctively closed their eyes. When they opened them again, the place where the demonic vine had stood was nothing but charred blackness, with ashes scattered everywhere.
At this moment, Mingfeng suddenly collapsed to the ground.
Feng Fei quickly stepped forward to support Ming Feng and asked anxiously, "What's wrong?"
Mingfeng shook her head weakly, then closed her eyes and leaned against Fengfei's chest, remaining silent. Yuanjue stepped forward and took Mingfeng's wrist, saying after a while, "Mingfeng is alright, she's just exhausted."
Feng Fei finally breathed a sigh of relief, placed his right hand on Ming Feng's forehead, and stared blankly at the spot where the demon vine had burned to ashes.
Suddenly, Feng Fei pointed to a spot in the ashes and shouted, "Yuan Jue, go and see what's there."
Yuan Jue paused slightly, then walked over and bent down to fiddle with the ashes where Feng Fei had pointed. Suddenly, Yuan Jue's hand stopped, and a look of astonishment crossed his face. In the ashes before Yuan Jue, a round, shimmering green bead appeared before everyone's eyes.
"Inner core?"
Jin Ming's uncertain voice rang out from beside Yuan Jue, "It looks like this demonic vine will be undergoing its transformation tribulation in a few days! Tsk tsk, it's so unsettled, we've gotten a good deal."
Jin Ming, ahead of Yuan Jue, picked up the inner core of the demonic vine. The inner core felt cool and comfortable to the touch, its entire body a lustrous, emerald green. Streams of vitality surged into Jin Ming's body from the point of contact between the inner core and Jin Ming, causing Jin Ming to groan with pleasure.
The demonic vine possesses the attributes of water and wood. Although Jin Ming primarily cultivates the metal attribute, he also cultivates the wood attribute as a secondary attribute due to needs such as alchemy. Therefore, the inner core of this demonic vine is of great benefit to Jin Ming.
"This demon core..." Jin Ming hesitated for a moment, but then seemed unable to resist the temptation, biting his red lips as he asked, "Could I have it?"
"Is there anything special about it?" Mingfeng, nestled in Fengfei's arms, suddenly asked.
"This demon core is of the water and wood element, possessing extremely rich vitality, which should be an inherent ability of the demon vine. The inner core is the essence and cultivation of a demon, providing excellent assistance in enhancing the cultivation of those of the same element. However, this inner core belongs to the demon vine. And the demon vine is a wood-type demon; although it possesses considerable water-type abilities, its primary element is still wood. Therefore…"
"What if we use it for snowballs?"
"This..." Jin Ming hesitated slightly. Xue Tuan was an extreme water-attribute being. Giving this inner core to Xue Tuan might be of some benefit, but compared to using it on himself, it was negligible. However, if he said it out loud, people might misunderstand that he wanted to keep it for himself. For a moment, Jin Ming didn't know what to say.
Feng Fei noticed Jin Ming's predicament. Recalling the scene of Xue Tuan appearing in her mind, she softened her voice and said, "Ming Feng, Xue Tuan is fine. I communicated with Xue Tuan in my mind when I was unconscious, and she told me to tell you not to worry. Besides, Xue Tuan hasn't fully digested all the benefits she gained from Mochou Lake yet. If she were to add this demon core, it might not be a good thing."
"Then we can save it for Xue Tuan to use later," Ming Feng muttered with his eyes closed. Even though he knew he was being silly, he still hoped he could help Xue Tuan.
“Silly child. Things should be used wisely. You know that the demon core is mostly wood-elemental, with only a small portion being water-elemental. If we just give it to Xue Tuan, wouldn't the majority of the essence be wasted? But if we give it to Jin Ming, not only can we make the most of it, but we can also enhance the strength of our current team. The present matter is more important, isn't it?”
Jin Ming looked at Feng Fei with eyes full of gratitude. Although he didn't necessarily need to obtain the demon core, being able to obtain and use it would still be extremely beneficial. After thinking for a moment, Jin Ming said to Ming Feng, "How about this, when I use wood attribute power, I will purify water attribute power and separate the two. This will not only purify water attribute power, but also improve my fine-grained control and power growth."
Upon hearing this, Mingfeng no longer objected. Although she was concerned about Xue Tuan's safety, she knew that Feng Fei and Jin Ming's suggestion was the best solution at present.
When Jin Ming walked to his side, Yuan Jue returned to Feng Fei's back. Because Feng Fei was holding Ming Feng, the back door of his vest was open. If any demonic vines attacked at this time, Feng Fei would not be able to get better.
After a long while, Mingfeng finally opened her eyes again.
The anger from being injured by the demonic vine, as well as the sudden worry and concern for Xue Tuan, dissipated with the earlier fireball explosion. Ming Feng stood up from Feng Fei's embrace, her face flushed with shyness. She thanked Feng Fei briefly and then stood obediently beside him.
Feng Fei smiled slightly and looked at Yuan Jue, saying, "Let's continue our journey."
In the battle against the demonic vines, apart from Mingfeng being accidentally injured and subsequently fleeing in anger, the others hadn't even fully entered the fray before the battle was over, and their physical strength, energy, and spiritual power were undiminished. Yuanjue nodded and took the lead in setting off.
Feng Fei and Ming Feng followed behind, while Jin Ming happily put away the inner core of the demon vine and quickly caught up, with Da Bao and Xiao Bao still bringing up the rear.
...
As they ventured deeper into the Demon Cave, the scenery on both sides gradually became more diverse, no longer just monotonous green, but also featuring clusters of vibrant flowers and enchanting birdsong. However, the six members of the Phoenix Flying Clan had no time to appreciate it at the moment.
"Xue Tuan, Xue Tuan, I'm so sorry..." Ming Feng squatted on the ground, holding her head, her face full of pain, and tears streaming down her face.
Jin Ming, standing to the side, wore a fierce expression, staring at a certain spot in disappointment and pain. His body trembled slightly, and his lips moved, one could vaguely make out that he was saying, "Don't force me... don't force me anymore..."
Yuan Jue stood motionless to the side, his eyes vacant, clearly also lost in some kind of illusion. Suddenly, Yuan Jue's body trembled violently, his eyes widening in shock. His expression was terrifying, his eyes bulging with fury. Perhaps due to excessive excitement, the corners of Yuan Jue's eyes and mouth split open, seeping a trickle of blood. The Yuan Jue who had been contorted in agony just a moment ago now wore a face full of joy and shame, uttering words like, "Are you really willing to marry me?"
Even the last two, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, couldn't escape the illusionary ambush and became deeply trapped within it.
Feng Fei, initially unaffected by the illusion's sneak attack, had been perfectly on guard when he saw everyone else trapped in the illusion. He inadvertently revealed a slight opening, and was instantly attacked by the illusion.
"Fengfei, this is a gift for you!"
A sweet, innocent voice rang out from behind Feng Fei, who couldn't help but turn around. Looking at the young girl in the pale yellow dress in front of him, a sense of familiarity welled up in his heart.
"Feng Fei?" The little girl tilted her head and looked at Feng Fei in confusion, wondering what was wrong with her.
"Feng...Eleven?" Feng Fei murmured, seemingly still not fully recovered.
"Yes, Xiao Fengfei." The little girl covered her mouth and laughed, "I'm your grandma, how could I forget?"
Feng Fei felt a sudden, deafening roar in his head. The scene before him, along with the little girl, rapidly receded and distorted. In that instant, Feng Fei suddenly remembered who the little girl was, and, chasing after the distorted, retreating scene, screamed, "Feng Shiyi!"
After an unknown period of pursuit, the scene around Feng Fei changed once again.
Turning around, I saw a courtyard filled with the withered, gnarled branches of phoenix trees. In the center of the courtyard was a stone table, and behind the table sat a person wearing a cloak.
"You are... Ye Rong?!"
Feng Fei spoke uncertainly, seemingly forgetting Feng Shiyi, who had been relentlessly pursuing him.
The man did not answer Feng Fei's question, but kept repeating, "Ye Rong... Ye Rong..."
This scene also felt strangely familiar to Feng Fei. She looked around in surprise, trying to find a clue, but still couldn't help asking the cloaked figure, "Are you Ye Rong?"
Suddenly, the person lowered their head, and all life in their body vanished in an instant.
Feng Fei was startled and, disregarding everything else, rushed to the man's side.
But the sight before Feng Fei deeply horrified him: the person beneath the cloak could no longer be called a complete human being; beneath the cloak, only a grayish-white skeleton remained. The clothes hung loosely on the body, yet it was still possible to see that the body beneath was nothing but stark white bones.
The skeleton seemed to raise its head slowly under Feng Fei's gaze because of his arrival. Two faint flames flickered in its sunken eye sockets, and a certain rhythm entered Feng Fei's mind.
"Is this... an apocalyptic formation?"
For some reason, Feng Fei, who was in a daze, suddenly remembered where he was and seemed to foresee what would happen next. Feng Fei's body trembled uncontrollably.
"World Annihilation Array..."
Suddenly, a familiar phoenix cry came from outside the formation. Feng Fei couldn't help but look up and saw a very familiar phoenix.
The phoenix cried out loudly, its wings fluttering repeatedly, as if making some preparations.
At that moment, Feng Fei suddenly realized something and immediately stood up, shouting at Ming Feng, "No! Don't summon!"
However, Feng Fei's shouts did nothing to change anything. The moment her voice rang out, the little girl in the pale yellow dress reappeared within the World Annihilation Formation. This time, she was holding a small umbrella, her face no longer showing any mischievousness, but instead displaying an unusually kind and loving expression as she smiled gently at Feng Fei.
Feng Shiyi walked gracefully towards Feng Fei, gently took Feng Fei's hand and said, "Little Feng Fei, you must live well from now on! Otherwise, all of Grandma's efforts will be wasted!"
Feng Fei shook her head violently, grabbed Feng Shiyi's hand as he tried to let go, and said in a panic, "No, no! I don't want to lose you! No!"
"Little Fengfei, be good, or Grandma won't like you anymore." With that, Feng Shiyi suddenly pulled her hands away, slowly lifted her body into the air, and looked down at Fengfei from above.
Feng Fei didn't see the fleeting glint of cunning in Feng Shiyi's eyes; all she could see was the overflowing affection and reluctance.
Feng Shiyi braced himself against the pale halo of light above, his body rippling and twisting as his soul power surged forth. Feng Fei slumped to the ground, watching Feng Shiyi's desperate struggle in the air, feeling both fear and apprehension, and sensing something amiss. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian (起点) with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
☆, Chapter Sixty-Five: Breakthrough (End of Volume)
Feng Shiyi, who was channeling his soul power from above, suddenly gave Feng Fei a sly smile, which immediately made the hairs on the back of Feng Fei's body stand on end.
The feeling that something was wrong became more and more obvious, but her feelings for Feng Shiyi kept telling her not to doubt the Feng Shiyi in front of her.
"Little Fengfei, be a good boy!"
Feng Shiyi's soft, sweet voice came from above. Feng Fei looked up and felt a wave of dizziness.
Suddenly, the entire space where Feng Fei was located began to shake, and at the same time, the ring on the ring finger of Feng Fei's right hand also trembled violently. It was precisely because of the unusual movement of the ring that Feng Fei regained his senses.
Feng Fei touched the ring with her left hand, wondering why this strange phenomenon was occurring at this moment. Clearly, during the World-Destroying Array, Feng Shiyi's appearance had only caused cracks in the ring, but it had happened silently. Yet now, Feng Shiyi was already before her, and was now diligently breaking the World-Destroying Array in the sky. So why was the ring changing?
Wait a minute! What I just said was—back then!
A thunderous roar filled Feng Fei's mind, making her dizzy and unable to even muster the strength to support herself with her hands. Struggling to sit up, Feng Fei's head drooped for a while before she felt any relief. But her eyes were filled with worry; she didn't know what had happened to the ring.
Last time it was Feng Shiyi who sacrificed himself; I wonder who it will be this time.
"Boom boom boom"
A series of explosions rang out not far from Feng Fei. Feng Fei looked over in astonishment and saw that Feng Shiyi, who should have been in the air, was slumped on the ground, spitting blood.
In a moment of panic, Feng Fei found strength in her weak body and crawled toward Feng Shiyi.
"Feng Fei. Stop!"
A voice, both authoritative and still somewhat childish, rang out behind Feng Fei. Feng Fei froze, then turned around incredulously, his heart filled with fear: Could it be Feng Yi this time?
While there was hope in my heart, I hoped even more that none of the three characters from Feng Yi, Feng Wu, and Feng Jiu would appear.
But reality is reality, allowing Feng Fei no room for any extravagant hopes. Standing before Feng Fei was none other than Feng Yi, dressed in a noble golden dragon robe.
“Feng Yi…” Feng Fei stared blankly at Feng Yi, murmuring aloud.
Suddenly, Feng Fei seemed to realize something. He scrambled to his feet, rushed to Feng Yi, grabbed her hand, and pulled her outside. "Go! Go quickly! I don't want you to sacrifice yourselves for me anymore! Go!"
The further he spoke, the more shrill and high-pitched Feng Fei's voice became.
Feng Yi grabbed Feng Fei's arm. A faint smile graced her face: "Feng Fei, I won't die."
Feng Fei, however, did not believe Feng Yi's words and continued to pull at Feng Yi, trying to help her escape from this world-destroying formation.
Seeing that she couldn't reason with Feng Fei, Feng Yi felt a warm current flowing through her heart, but her hands didn't stop moving at all. Suddenly, Feng Yi's right hand shone brightly, and a ball of golden energy appeared in her palm.
As the energy ball appeared, Feng Shiyi, who was lying prostrate on the ground, suddenly stood up and rushed towards Feng Fei and Feng Yi.
Seeing Feng Shiyi finally unable to hold back and rushing over, Feng Yi smiled faintly and gently pulled Feng Fei around. Feng Fei, who had been trying to pull Feng Yi away, froze when he saw Feng Shiyi charging towards them.
This was no Feng Shiyi! It was merely a shell of Feng Shiyi, but inside lay a hideous and evil monster. "Feng Shiyi's" face was covered in red and green blood, a smear of which obscured everything. Beneath the bloodstains was a grotesque face overgrown with black hair, its mouth now revealing fangs that grew terrifyingly long, reaching three inches in length before stopping. Its eyes were bloodshot, filled with bloodlust and cruelty. Its once fair and flawless skin had been replaced by dense, stiff black hair, beneath which lay glossy, black hide.
The pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) that had been there was reduced to shreds and scattered on the ground during the sudden change in "Wind Eleven." The grotesque monster's muscles were strong and powerful, but given its current appearance, it only evoked disgust and disgust.
"So it was a dream-eating beast."