Chapter 83: Chapter 83: The Solution

“You have the Fire of the Heart Lamp within you. You must have sensed the Light of Obscurity. That light can extinguish the heart lamp and consume your fire, and when that happens, you will cease to be yourself.”

“As for me…”

“Cyan Thunder… you’ve been in the pavilion for less than a week? Hmm? You’re a newcomer who’s ignited the heart lamp. You shouldn’t have come to Evergreen City.”

“It’s normal for you not to know me. I am the Phoenix-Homage Spirit, a fragment of the Great Mother’s soul here to assist you all, and the Chaofeng Pavilion was established because of me.”

“You may call me the Evergreen Phoenix Spirit. Each city’s Phoenix Spirit is different, and it’s due to my presence that you can swiftly eliminate the evil spirits infiltrating the city.”

The female voice had a touch of inexplicable pride.

“Get to the point; what should I do now to leave this ghostly place?”

“Leave? You’ll have to wait for external support. With our strength, we can’t break out of the Puppet City.”

“Puppet City, what is that?” Jiang Ming hurriedly asked.

The female voice continued to explain: “It seems you haven’t really studied the evil spirits.”

“The Puppet City is a kind of malevolence, more advanced than the usual kind you encounter.”

“According to my archives, in the 762nd year of Great Lii, an ancient city appeared in the Land of the Far North overnight. Locals visited this city, discovering it was a city of a former dynasty, which, according to history, should have perished two thousand years ago due to the Demon Calamity, yet it has now reappeared in the human world.”

“And no one could detect anything unusual about the Puppet City as if the city was naturally meant to be there, with all inconsistencies erased.”

“It wasn’t until the city vanished that people realized the truth. Those in the city during its disappearance vanished with it. Those who had left the city to integrate with the Great Lii citizens also disappeared. No one knows where this city went or where those in it have gone. Instead, some ancient books and techniques resumed their presence in the world because of it.”

“In the 999th year of Great Lii, a Divine City appeared above the Extreme West Demon Abyss, teeming with masters. They battled fiercely with the demons, significantly relieving Great Lii’s pressure. Five years later, the Divine City dissipated, and the people of Great Lii then learned from ancient texts that this city was a renowned pioneering city from the Era of Hope.”

According to the information compiled from ancient texts by Great Lii, this world has undergone several phases. The first is the Dark Era, which began at an unknown time, when the Human Race was merely livestock for the evil spirits, and endless darkness prevailed.

The second is the Era of Hope, when the Human Race discovered the heart lamp, embarked on the path of cultivation, and fought fiercely with demons.

The third is the Dynasty Era, when the Human Race established dynasties, ruling separately and maintaining the relative stability seen today.

The Era of Hope was ten thousand years ago.

“In the 1,362nd year of Great Lii, a Demon City appeared next to the Main City of Red Sun Phoenix City, populated only by demons and humans used as blood sacrifices. The Demon City’s emergence led to a fierce battle with Red Sun Phoenix City. Subsequently, the Thirty-Six Main Cities and countless other cities joined forces to annihilate this Demon City over three years. The Human Race suffered heavy losses, and five years later, the Demon City naturally dissipated.”

“In the 1,500th year of Great Lii, a ghost town appeared in the Extreme South Main City’s domain, possessing more primitive, ancient cultivation techniques, suspected to be a Human Race city from the crossing between the Dark Era and the Era of Hope.”

“In the 1,611th year of Great Lii…”

The Phoenix Spirit rattled off several cases in one breath.

Jiang Ming interrupted again, saying, “So what’s our situation now?”

“A strong individual once shielded a period of Puppet City knowledge influence with the heart lamp talent, sending death warriors to observe the city’s disappearance.”

“It’s identical to now! Everyone became a puppet of the city, unknowingly dying, yet not realizing their death. Immortal Masters above the heart lamp would have their heart lamps extinguished, forcibly put to sleep, and all the strangeness within the city bound by the Shadow Lock Chain, unable to break free. They must wait for the city to reappear in the human world to awaken again.”

The Phoenix Spirit chanted at lightning speed.

“What about me?”

“You’re very special. The Puppet City’s measure against the Human Race is using the Light of Obscurity to extinguish the heart lamp, and for evil spirits, it’s the Shadow Lock Chain.”

“But you, I don’t know what method you used, are somehow immune to the Light of Obscurity, so the Puppet City can only treat you as an evil spirit, binding you with the Shadow Lock Chain.”

“You’re too special, so special that there’s no record of it in my archives. However, every Immortal Master awakens different abilities after igniting their heart lamp. If you’re willing, I’d like to know your ability.”

“Sorry, I’m not willing.”

Jiang Ming thought of Qian Feng.

Qian Feng, with his special talent, sensed the Light of Obscurity, feeling the Heart Lamp Light gradually replaced by it, choosing to fall and become a demon to avoid assimilation.

But Qian Feng didn’t realize that as a demon, he still couldn’t leave this place.

The Supreme of the Gong Family in Evergreen City also sensed the Light of Obscurity and chose to shatter the jade.

But the two Immortal Masters of the Chaofeng Pavilion only truly fell asleep when the Light of Obscurity completely replaced the Heart Lamp Light.

“Currently, if you try to send a message to the outside world, it will be entirely ignored, only surfacing after Evergreen City dissipates.”

“There’s no chance for the outside world to detect any anomaly within the city.”

“Leaving from within the city is impossible. The strongest Immortal Masters in the city are already asleep.”

“It could be hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years before we reappear in the human world.” The Phoenix Spirit’s voice was somewhat somber.

Jiang Ming’s steps did not pause.

He knew the Phoenix Spirit must have another way; otherwise, it wouldn’t guide him further into the depths.

“You still haven’t mentioned the solution.”

“The solution is to kill me.”

“What?!”

Jiang Ming’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

“I am a fragment of the Mother’s soul. Due to the Mother’s position, once I die, even the Puppet City cannot prevent her from sensing my death.”

“As soon as the Mother’s gaze turns here, even something like the Puppet City will surely have a resolution.”

The Phoenix Spirit’s tone carried an inexplicable pride and confidence.

As if this was only natural.

The Phoenix Spirit seemed indifferent to its own death.

As if having seen Jiang Ming’s doubts, the Phoenix Spirit explained: “This was the Mother’s original intention in creating us. Our existence is to protect the people of Great Lii. In my consciousness, I can die for Great Lii.”

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