The Xuan Yang Palace was originally built to suppress and trap the residual soul of the Shi Gui tribe. Now that the residual soul has been dealt with by Mu Qingqing, the Xuan Yang Palace has naturally become ownerless.
Looking at the dry bones near the Undying Phoenix Flame, both Mu Qingqing and Elder Han showed deep respect for the deceased. Xuan Yang Heavenly Venerate Gu Junming was indeed a remarkable figure, sacrificing his own life to eradicate the once arrogant Shi Gui tribe, leaving only a residual soul, in order to resist the invasion of the Nether God tribe. His contracted spirit beast, the Phoenix, also willingly sacrificed itself, transforming into the Undying Phoenix Flame to aid the Xuan Yang Palace and the Xuan Yang Formation in imprisoning the Shi Gui tribe's residual soul, preventing it from wreaking havoc upon the human world.
As a gust of wind blew, a radiant light flew out from the dry bones of Xuan Yang Heavenly Venerate Gu Junming and circled within the Blazing Sun Hall. In an instant, it split into two points of light. One point of light merged into Mu Qingqing's forehead, while the other landed in the Sumeru Ring on Mu Qingqing's finger.
"Thank you for all you have done. This is my return gift, please accept it," Gu Junming's voice echoed in Mu Qingqing's mind. The two spiritual lights were the peak martial art and various spiritual treasures of this Heavenly Venerate expert. After finishing his final instructions, Gu Junming's dry bones turned to dust and dissipated within the Blazing Sun Hall. A generation of Xuan Yang Heavenly Venerate finally completed his mission and found peace.
Outside the Xuan Yang Palace, Feng Jin'yao had been waiting for an entire night. The sun was already high in the sky, yet the Xuan Yang Palace remained silent. However, Feng Jin'yao was not in a hurry, as the trial of the Xuan Yang Heavenly Venerate was no simple matter. She was prepared to wait for half a year or even fail the trial.
Suddenly, Feng Jin'yao felt a slight spatial fluctuation. Then, a vortex appeared in front of the miniature Xuan Yang Palace, and Mu Qingqing emerged from it. Feng Jin'yao turned around abruptly, gazing at Mu Qingqing in astonishment, her eyes filled with disbelief. In just one night, this human had completed the trial and emerged from the Xuan Yang Palace? And what about this guy's spiritual power? He was only at the Earth Realm when he entered, but how had he become a King Realm expert upon exiting? Now, even if she truly wanted to kill this human, she might not be able to.
Mu Qingqing walked up to her and said, "I have passed the trial, and you should now fulfill our bargain."
"You really completed the trial? But this Xuan Yang Formation still restricts me."
"I did complete the trial, but the Undying Phoenix Flame in the Blazing Sun Hall has become the core of the Xuan Yang Formation. To dismantle the formation, the Undying Phoenix Flame must be refined."
"Moreover, you promised to give me the Phoenix blood essence once I completed the trial. Miss Feng Jin'yao, you're not planning to go back on your word, are you?"
Prompted by Mu Qingqing's words, Feng Jin'yao recalled that this was indeed what she had agreed to. She gathered her spiritual power from her chest, and a drop of golden blood materialized in her hand. She then sent it over, adding with arrogance, "Hmph, I am not like you humans who lack integrity. Take it."
"Thank you," Mu Qingqing smiled and put the drop of Phoenix blood essence into a jade bottle. She then turned and reopened the vortex.
"What are you doing now?" Feng Jin'yao asked curiously.
"What else? Of course, I'm going to refine the Undying Phoenix Flame. Otherwise, neither of us can leave Fengyang Mountain," Mu Qingqing replied with a roll of her eyes. Having entered the Xuan Yang Palace, Mu Qingqing had also triggered the Xuan Yang Formation. Now, like Feng Jin'yao, she was also a target of the Xuan Yang Formation and could not leave Fengyang Mountain.
After Mu Qingqing disappeared, Feng Jin'yao remained still. The icy expression on her face softened slightly. Especially when Mu Qingqing spoke of dismantling the Xuan Yang Formation, Feng Jin'yao's eyes shone with unprecedented brilliance. She had always distrusted humans, as Phoenixes were like rare treasures in the human world. Therefore, any human who approached her did so for her flesh and blood or essence, and no one had ever truly wanted to help her. Mu Qingqing's appearance had given Feng Jin'yao a sliver of a more positive impression of humanity.
Upon returning to the Blazing Sun Hall, Mu Qingqing was about to begin refining the Undying Phoenix Flame when she suddenly sensed an anomaly in her body. Xin Ci was awake! Elder Han noticed Mu Qingqing's change and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, Xin Ci is just awake," Mu Qingqing said with a gentle smile. Elder Han frowned slightly, looking as if he understood but didn't quite. "Does 'Xin Ci is awake' mean the original Xin Ci is returning? But is this little girl, who is like Xin Ci's soul, truly Xin Ci?"
"Elder Han, explain things to Xin Ci after he wakes up..." Before Mu Qingqing could finish speaking, she was forcibly sent back to her consciousness space. It seemed that no matter how much stronger her power was than the male lead's, her body's primary occupancy rights ultimately belonged to Xin Ci, the main personality.
Upon waking, Xin Ci instinctively covered his abdomen but felt no pain. He clearly remembered his internal organs being shattered by Nalan Wuxia's punch, yet now he bore no injuries. Looking around, he found himself inexplicably in a sweltering palace, unable to comprehend what had happened. Elder Han looked at Xin Ci, who had returned to his male form, with a complex expression and slowly said, "You're awake, Xin Ci."
Seeing Elder Han and the unfamiliar palace, Xin Ci was bewildered. Elder Han then recounted everything that had happened after he had lost consciousness. Xin Ci's expression shifted from curiosity to surprise, and finally to complex contemplation. He was particularly incredulous upon hearing that he had transformed into a stunning young girl. However, he quickly recalled the change in Luo Fei's and Liu Mu Ming's attitudes when they were at Four Symbols Academy, and why Liu Mu Ming had said he was cross-dressing. It turned out that the mysterious being who had been in his body all along was a female. In fact, even without Elder Han's explanation, recalling the gentle female voice he had heard before losing consciousness, Xin Ci could have guessed most of it.
Xin Ci was very grateful for Mu Qingqing's repeated interventions to save him. However, he was even more eager to meet her. But this wish seemed unlikely to be fulfilled, as they shared the same body, and he might never meet her in his lifetime.
"You have a general understanding of the situation. Now, we face a challenge: refining the Undying Phoenix Flame," Elder Han said calmly, his gaze directed at the deep red flame in the jade cup. Xin Ci also had a rough understanding of the situation. They, like the fire phoenix outside, were trapped in Fengyang Mountain. The only way to leave was to refine the Undying Phoenix Flame, which had become the core of the Xuan Yang Formation. However, both Xin Ci and Elder Han looked troubled. If Mu Qingqing were to refine the Undying Phoenix Flame, with her peak King Realm and five-star Soul Realm strength, she would likely succeed.