Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 970: Abandoned

The cultivators who had been alarmed by the celestial barrier did not realize that the Nine Phoenix King had already led the demons far away.

At the Celestial Blossom Lake...

"The celestial barrier’s disturbance was immense. I just saw people leaving the Sky Tower. The cultivators will surely conduct a large-scale investigation into the cause of the anomaly. You all will leave with me," the Nine Phoenix King said as she opened the barrier and entered the cave dwelling beneath the hills.

The demons exchanged glances. None voiced objection, and they silently followed her inside. Just then, a murmur-like voice suddenly sounded in Qin Sang’s ear. His body stiffened, and doubt flickered in his eyes.

A moment later, Yuan Zhu, whose face betrayed nothing, brushed past him and stepped into the cave dwelling without so much as a backward glance. Qin Sang stared at Yuan Zhu’s back, thoughts racing, his palm instinctively clenching into a fist as he silently followed.

Inside the cave dwelling, silence reigned. The Nine Phoenix King sat cross-legged atop the altar. Manipulating the long feather had consumed her greatly. After taking several pills, she was refining the medicinal energy to restore her true essence.

The others could only wait on the side. Qin Sang stood in a corner, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the demons, paying special attention to Yuan Zhu. Yet Yuan Zhu kept his eyes tightly shut as if meditating, never sparing him a glance.

Half an hour later, the Nine Phoenix King emerged from meditation, slowly opening her eyes. A flash of brilliance appeared, then quickly faded. The demons rose and walked to the edge of the altar.

"Caiyi, bring out the other set of array materials. I will improve the array. Even with the Heavenly Phoenix Feather, taking you all out will be somewhat taxing. Luckily, your cultivation isn't high, so the burden will be lighter..." the Nine Phoenix King said.

Fairy Caiyi’s eyes widened. "Ninth Aunt, was the feather you cast into the barrier earlier not the Heavenly Phoenix Feather?"

The Nine Phoenix King chuckled. "Though the Heavenly Phoenix Feather is a supreme treasure of our clan, its origin is still inferior to that long feather. It alone was not enough to break the Seven-Kill Hall’s celestial barrier."

At this point, she abruptly stopped speaking, offering no explanation for the feather’s true origin. Receiving the materials, she rearranged the altar. After a dazzling set up, the array's range had grown by half, its runes more intricate.

"Activate the array!" At her command, the demons pressed their palms to the altar.

The Nine Phoenix King opened her hand, revealing a stunning phoenix feather. Unlike the damaged long feather from before, this plume was vividly colorful and remarkably light, seeming weightless in her grasp.

Hum! The altar trembled, runes blazing.

The array roared to life. Standing at its center, the Nine Phoenix King raised her arm. True essence surged as she swept the feather gently before her, releasing seven-colored radiance.

The demons heard her transmission and stepped onto the altar. At once, their bodies tightened, enveloped in the feather's light. Dizziness overwhelmed them, and a deafening roar filled their ears. When their eyes opened, they were outside Seven-Kill Hall, amid the raging storm.

Whoosh! A gray tempest swept toward them. The demons hastily dodged, avoiding its core.

Shock lingered in their eyes as they looked around. Storm surrounded them, endless and directionless. No celestial array could be seen.

Quickly, they drew jade tokens from their Mustard Seed Pouches. Seeing them glowing, they realized they were still close to Seven-Kill Hall. The Heavenly Phoenix Feather had not carried them far, but even this distance was remarkable.

The fact that it could move them out of Seven-Kill Hall at all was astounding. From the Nine Phoenix King’s tone, the ruined long feather’s origin seemed even greater than the Heavenly Phoenix Feather. None could imagine what kind of supreme treasure it was.

Suspended atop the storm waves, the Nine Phoenix King looked pale, clearly strained from using the Heavenly Phoenix Feather. She struck it with several streaks of light, sealing the feather.

"Let’s go. Seven-Kill Hall is about to close. We must not be caught by Spiritual Infant cultivators," she said as she flashed forward, about to rush beyond the storm.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Zhu called out, "Senior Nine Phoenix King, the task given to us by the clan has been completed. Shouldn’t we be allowed to leave now?"

"Leave?" The Nine Phoenix King turned to him. "Where do you want to go? I still have matters that require manpower. You will remain by my side for some time. During this period, you will obey only my command."

The demons exchanged uneasy glances. Yuan Zhu, meeting her gaze without fear, spoke steadily. "The clan promised that once we completed the task, they would release us from the secret art and restore our true forms. We planned to return together to the Demonic Sea. Since you give the order, of course we will obey.

"But, after being forced into human form, we have roamed Canglang Sea endlessly. For nearly a century, our cultivation has not advanced at all. If this drags on, even with rewards from the clan, our hopes of reaching the Transformation Realm will be slim.

"Why not release us now? When you need us, you can reapply the secret art. That way, your plans won’t be delayed, and we can still cultivate. It's a win-win for both sides."

The Nine Phoenix King’s voice turned cold. "Do you think that art is so simple? To release when I wish, to activate when I wish? When the great matter is accomplished, I will release you..."

"Is it truly just difficult to release?" Yuan Zhu suddenly twisted his face into a snarl, cutting her off with a roar. "Dare you swear on your heart devils? Is it hard to undo or impossible? Haven’t we already been cast aside as expendable pawns?"

His hoarse accusation was like thunderclap. The demons paled with shock.

Qin Sang, standing on the outer edge, never imagined he would witness such a scene. His expression shifted, his gaze darting between the Nine Phoenix King and Yuan Zhu. The Nine Phoenix King narrowed her eyes but did not speak.

Yuan Zhu’s eyes dimmed with despair. A bitter smile tugged at his lips as he turned to Fairy Caiyi. "Gu Heng, Caiyi... Do you still not believe me?"

"Ninth Aunt..." Fairy Caiyi’s lips turned pale, her face streaked with tears as she stared at the Nine Phoenix King in disbelief. "Is it true? Have we really... been abandoned by the race?"

Faced with the familiar junior, the Nine Phoenix King opened her mouth, then let out a soft sigh. She offered no denial. That sigh said everything. The demons’ faces went ashen. Hope shattered.

They had devoted themselves loyally to the demon kings, yet their reward was not honor, but abandonment. Worse, from the very beginning, they had been expendable. The promise of reward had been nothing but a lie to quiet their doubts. This was not the scheme of one clan alone, but of the entire demon race.

They hailed from the great lineages of the Demonic Sea. Many were children and trusted aides of the demon kings, all with the potential to transform. Who could have imagined the demon race would discard them so ruthlessly?

"You guys still don't want to act? Do you think she will spare us?" Yuan Zhu bellowed.

They had uncovered the secret the Nine Phoenix King had hidden all along. She could never allow them to live, for if this truth spread back to the demon race, it would plunge the demon race into turmoil.