Chapter 2

Feng Yingning is the last phoenix in the immortal realm. She became a disciple of Li Ziqing when she was young.

One hundred years ago, the Demon Realm was in turmoil. Feng Yingning followed the Sword Sect's team to quell the chaos on the edge of the Demon Realm, but she accidentally fell into a demon cave. After that, there was no trace of her, and her fate was unknown.

Until a hundred years later.

When Feng Yingning miraculously crawled out of the demon cave and returned to the Sword Sect, she discovered that her existence had already been replaced by someone else.

Her master took in a Jingwei bird that resembled her as his last disciple, and even let Dan Yao live in the Qiwu Palace where he had lived since childhood.

While struggling to survive in the den of demons.

Feng Yingning just wanted to go home, back to the Sword Sect, back to her master's side.

However, when they finally returned, they found that there was no place for them anymore.

And his master's youngest disciple, his own junior sister, Dan Yao.

After I came back, she would always find me and pretend to care about me very much.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Dan Yao would occasionally touch on Feng Yingning's sore spots, mentioning today what her master had given her before.

Tomorrow, he will say that his master taught him some kind of cultivation technique.

The next day, he told her not to be reserved and to treat the Sword Sect as her own home.

[Sword Sect...]

Isn't this my own home...?

Feng Yingning's mind was already damaged because she had been eroded by the turbid energy in the Demon Cave for many years.

After years of Dan Yao's "consideration," Feng Yingning's Dao heart gradually wavered, and mental obstacles arose, making it difficult for her to make further progress in her cultivation.

Dan Yao, who is completely opposite to her, has an extremely smooth path of cultivation. Both of them are disciples of Li Ziqing, forming a sharp contrast.

Afterwards, Dan Yao often said to the disciples of the Sword Sect, "Fifth Senior Sister's cultivation has been stagnant for several years because she just returned from the Demon Cave and is not used to life in our Sword Sect."

"I wonder how worried Master is about Senior Sister."

"Senior sister, you shouldn't think of yourself as an outsider to the Sword Sect."

"As fellow disciples of the same master, senior sister must cultivate diligently in the future."

"Senior sister, you must not let Master down."

Everyone always cast envious glances at Dan Yao and pitying glances at themselves.

In contrast, the Sword Sect, which she once missed so much, now seemed like a cage, trapping her and making her desperately want to escape.

But whenever she saw her master, she couldn't bring herself to be ruthless.

This situation tormented Feng Yingning for several more years, and then a major upheaval suddenly occurred in the Immortal Realm.

A celestial being discovered that many corpses of celestial disciples had appeared within the area surrounding the Sword Sect.

The souls of many disciples from various sects in the immortal realm were stolen, leaving only a skeleton. Strange flame marks were left at the scene of the incident.

This matter has attracted the attention of many sects in the immortal realm.

Stripping a celestial soul is a forbidden technique in the celestial realm, and in the six realms, it is a method used only by the demon realm.

One day, someone anonymously sent a letter to all the major sects except the Sword Sect, saying that this was done by Feng Yingning, a disciple of the Sword Sect.

The traces of fire at the scene of the incident, as well as the soul-stripping technique used only in the demon realm, all point to Feng Yingning, who once fell into the demon's lair.

Many sects came to the Sword Sect to demand an explanation.

Feng Yingning was thrust into the eye of the storm. She knelt and begged her master countless times, saying that she absolutely did not do this.

But who would have thought that her master, whom she had trusted since childhood, would lock her up in the Immortal Confinement Cliff without saying a word, forcing her to reflect on her mistakes and confess the truth.

He then told her that he would personally cripple her cultivation and Phoenix Soul to give an explanation to the various immortal sects.

That day, her Dao heart collapsed.

One thought can make you an immortal, another a demon.

Immortals and demons are two sides of the same coin; good and evil are separated by a single thought.

Since all the immortals say I am a demon, what harm is there in me becoming a demon?

The once most noble little princess of the Phoenix Clan turned into a demon on the very night she escaped from the Immortal-Binding Cliff.

She knew that there was no place for her in the immortal realm, and she only wanted to leave the immortal realm and go to the demon realm to get away from all this trouble.

Just as they were about to step into the edge of the Demon Realm, Li Ziqing caught up with them.

Feng Yingning was surrounded by overwhelming demonic energy, and she clearly saw Li Ziqing draw his sword towards her.

After several chaotic battles, she was already at a disadvantage, as her strength was no match for Li Ziqing's.

Feng Yingning looked at the Unyielding Sword that had slain countless demons and the aloof man with handsome features.

"Master, do you truly believe that I was the one who did this?"

Feng Yingning had countless shocking wounds on her body and collapsed weakly to the ground.

But as if bound by some obsession, she looked at Li Ziqing in her pristine white robes and slowly spoke.

"You have become a demon, why do you still try to argue?"

Her words carried an icy sting, piercing straight to her heart. The pain from her bleeding wounds was nothing compared to the agony caused by Li Ziqing's words.

"Hahahaha, what a fine 'already become a demon,' Master. It seems you had already decided that I was the one who did this."

Feng Yingning was covered in blood, and the Burning Heaven Mark on her forehead was already stained with blood and was barely visible.

Suddenly, she felt a flash of red light at the corner of her eye and noticed Dan Yao not far away, who was holding a sword hilt inlaid with jade with a dignified air.

The blood-red jade occasionally gleamed at this moment.

Feng Yingning lay sprawled on the ground like a rag doll, staring intently at the sword.

That was the Phoenix Feather Sword that my master gave me when I turned one hundred...

The gem on it... Master said it was a Phoenix Blood Stone... Wearing it on one's sword would greatly aid one's cultivation.

Why is Dan Yao holding that sword...?

He had clearly hidden himself in the treasure vault of Qiwu Palace...

Oh...right...

Qiwu Palace is no longer his own...

Even my master isn't mine anymore...

As Feng Yingning's eyes reflected the sword in Dan Yao's hand, something inexplicable occurred to her, and her demonic energy surged. Her body, which had been slumped on the ground, suddenly flew directly toward the Sword Sect disciple!

Dan Yao was among the top members of the Sword Sect.

Pfft...

Feng Yingning stopped in mid-air, slowly looked down, and saw the sword piercing through her chest.

The sword gleamed coldly, its blade sharp and sharp.

This is...

Never abandon the sword...

"Master..."