Divine Tang Era

Chapter 131 Returning to the Origin

Suddenly, the strings of the zither vibrated violently, bursting forth with dazzling rays of light.

Ancient characters, like dragons and fish, meander and flow across the strings of a musical instrument.

Upon closer inspection, one can see the ancient nine virtues: loyalty, trustworthiness, respect, strength, gentleness, harmony, steadfastness, integrity, and obedience. Each character exudes an ancient and profound aura.

"Eek—"

A clear, melodious cry suddenly echoed through the stone chamber, and an ancient phoenix, its form shifting between reality and illusion, took flight from the zither. The characters flowing on the strings seemed to find their home, each carrying its own mission, and they all entered the body of the ancient phoenix.

The character "忠" (loyalty) was first incorporated into the head of the True Phoenix, which is a concrete image of loyalty and integrity, giving it a firm will.

The character "信" (xin, meaning trust or integrity) is placed on the back, representing honesty and trustworthiness, providing a solid support for it;

The character "敬" (respect) is incorporated into the abdomen, signifying respect and caution, adding a touch of composure.

The character "刚" flies to the right wing, symbolizing strength and integrity, giving it fearless power;

The character "柔" (rou, meaning gentle) flies to the left wing, representing soothing and gentleness, tempering the fierce spirit with peace;

The character "和" flies to the left foot, symbolizing harmony and concord, so that every step it takes can smooth out the chaos;

The character “固” flies to the right foot, symbolizing stability and perseverance, making its foundation as solid as a rock;

The character "贞" flies towards the neck, representing integrity and unyieldingness, allowing its posture to always be upright;

The character "顺" flies towards its tail, symbolizing smoothness and harmony, wishing it a smooth and unobstructed path ahead.

As the characters formed from the Nine Virtues merged with it, the illusory body of the ancient phoenix gradually solidified, its feathers shimmering with multicolored light. It flapped its wings and circled in the stone chamber, passing through the eight life lamps, which were instantly ignited.

At first, the light of the life lamp was as faint as a firefly, flickering in the darkness as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

At this moment, the clear and melodious sound of the zither echoed in the stone chamber, like celestial music descending from heaven, or like a gentle spring breeze and rain, tenderly and delicately nourishing all things.

Under the gentle caress of the music, the fireflies grew stronger, brighter, and hotter until they burst forth with brilliant light, soaring into the sky and transforming into eight dazzling pillars of light, like eight giant dragons piercing the clouds.

The beam of light resembled a bridge between heaven and earth, connecting the mortal realm with the celestial realm, radiating a breathtaking power.

The music continued to resonate, clear and melodious, guiding the power of the pillar of light into the luminous pearl suspended in the center of the golden coffin.

The power of the luminous pearl merged with the dazzling beams of light emitted by the eight life lamps, transforming into specks of light that fell gently from the sky, seeping into Jiu Niang's body and nourishing her body and soul.

The ancient phoenix circled for a moment before landing on the golden coffin, opening its mouth to spit a wisp of flame into Jiu Niang's chest.

The flames carried warmth and vitality; upon touching Jiu Niang, her complexion turned rosy, and her previously lifeless heart began to beat slightly. At this moment, the breath of life, like a new bud breaking through the soil, slowly revived.

"Boom!"

In the terrifying sky, thick with dark clouds, a deafening roar, like the fury of heaven and earth, suddenly resounded, sending shivers down the spines of those around. Lin Qing gazed at the sky and muttered to himself, "The heavenly tribulation is coming soon."

"Should we go away and avoid this area?"

Zhu Yuxian had never heard such loud thunder before and felt a little scared. Li Zhu also felt that the distance was too dangerous, so they retreated together behind some mountains. Only then did the inexplicable unease in their hearts dissipate.

"Should we find somewhere to hide too?"

Looking at the low-hanging clouds and the terrifying celestial phenomena that had already appeared, one of the people on the other side of the mountain said.

"Can you hide?" another person glanced at him.

"Don't hide," the man said, making a face that looked worse than crying.

The ancient phoenix, clutching the golden coffin lid, exhaled another wisp of flame. The immortal flame of the phoenix descendant merged with the ancient Nine Virtues, transforming into a pure life-giving flame that flowed into Jiu Niang's body. Jiu Niang's heartbeat grew stronger, and a faint breath returned from her nostrils.

"Boom!"

A thunderclap, even louder than before, resounded in the sky; this was the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth warning those who dared to defy it.

Rui Wuni's piano playing grew increasingly passionate, each note leaping from her fingertips, transforming into a heartfelt call. At this moment, her inner voice had merged with the music. She was no longer a helpless orphan adrift in the turbid world, but an eternal being existing alongside heaven and earth.

This time, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles lie ahead.

She will not back down.

The spirit of the Nine Virtues True Phoenix Zither, the Ancient True Phoenix, breathed another wisp of flame into Jiu Niang, who lay in the golden coffin. With each breath, a character formed from the Qi of the Nine Virtues left its body, and its form became more ethereal. As the life essence fire continued to flow in, Jiu Niang's heart beat stronger and stronger, and her breathing became louder and louder.

But the thunder overhead was also getting louder and louder.

Terrifying thunder flashed within the dark, ominous clouds, which hung ever lower, pressing down on one as if suffocating.

Within a hundred miles of the valley, all living beings had long since fled with their tails between their legs, and not a single ghost could be seen. Only the "true love" that Li Zhu spoke of still stood stubbornly in the valley.

The ancient phoenix stood atop the golden coffin, exhaling its last wisp of flame before weakly transforming into a stream of light and returning to the Nine Virtues Phoenix Zither. The energy of the nine virtues also returned to the strings. To the naked eye, the previously radiant strings, with their floating inscriptions, had dimmed.

Nourished by the life-giving fire and the rain of light, Jiu Niang in the coffin had long since become no different from an ordinary person, and even looked healthier than an ordinary person, but she just wouldn't wake up.

At this moment, Rui Wu Ni opened her eyes, holding the Nine Virtues True Phoenix Zither, and played the zither music that sounded like the pure sound of the Great Dao, as she slowly walked towards the golden coffin.

"Ding-dong... ding-dong..."

The music grew more urgent, the girl's breathing became heavier, and her eyelids trembled slightly, as if she was about to wake up.

Xiu Ran, Rui Wu Ni picked up a string on her zither and plucked it forcefully, uttering a soft cry: "Fu!" The single word of truth combined with the supreme celestial music transformed into an invisible force that entered Jiu Niang's body, like sweet rain and dew, not only nourishing her vitality but also cleansing her body and marrow.

"life!"

Another word of truth came from her mouth, transforming into a rune that entered Jiu Niang's body, washing away the death aura and strengthening her soul.

"Return!"

The strings were plucked again, and a "dong" sound echoed in the stone chamber. As the incantation was uttered, Jiu Niang's complexion became even more rosy, her fingers trembled slightly, her abdomen rose and fell, her breathing became rapid, her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyelids twitched rapidly. She clearly wanted to wake up, but she was unable to open her eyes.

"Konglong"

A thunderclap, louder than any previous thunderclap, shook the surrounding foothills and caused the trees to sway.

Lin Qing, the master of Yinlong Pavilion, stood below, his brows furrowed as he looked at the faintly suppressed Buddhist light.

Inside the stone chamber, Rui Wu Ni plucked the strings of her zither once more and uttered an even louder incantation: "Yuan!" In an instant, the incantation and the celestial sound merged into one, transforming into a beam of light that entered Jiu Niang's brow and entered a space shrouded in white mist.

A young girl sat in a corner with her knees drawn up to her chest and her eyes closed.

As soon as the divine incantation entered, it emitted a brilliant light and scattered white mist, which landed on the girl. The girl suddenly opened her eyes, her eyes filled with confusion. At the same time, Jiu Niang, lying in the golden coffin, also opened her eyes, her eyes also filled with confusion.

Rui Wuni was overjoyed; her years of hard work had finally paid off.

Just as they were about to step forward, the unbearable lightning finally struck down from the sky.

"boom"

A colossal bolt of lightning descended from the sky, carrying the power to annihilate the world and cleanse impurities, cleaving straight into the valley. The intense lightning was clearly visible even to those far away in Jingning City; its light illuminated the entire world, inspiring awe and fear.

Lin Qing, the master of Yinlong Pavilion, did not expect the lightning tribulation to be so swift and powerful, and hurriedly began to recite scriptures.

The eight-faced Vajra pestle in mid-air emitted a dazzling Buddhist light, and the relic at the top of the pestle transformed into a tall Buddha figure. The chanting of scriptures filled the heavens and earth, attempting to dispel the terrifying aura of thunder.

In an instant, the Buddha's light and lightning intertwined in the sky, forming a spectacular scene.

Li Zhu and Zhu Yuxian stood on a distant mountaintop, gazing at the scene in the sky, and couldn't help but murmur, "The power of heaven and earth has begun to backfire."

Zhu Yuxian nodded in agreement, saying, "This tribulation lightning is indeed difficult to withstand!"

"Things in this world are unpredictable. All we can do is try our best." After saying that, the two used their magical artifacts to help resist the heaven-defying lightning tribulation.

"Should we stay here? Shouldn't we take shelter?" The two on the edge of the valley remained steadfast, but seeing such terrifying lightning, they couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

"It's not like it's going to strike us, what are we afraid of?" The other person's legs trembled as he tried to appear calm, but upon seeing the terrifying lightning, he quickly said, "Forget it, let's avoid it for now, lest the lightning accidentally strike us. Our little arms and legs can't withstand such damage."

After discussing their plan, the two hurriedly fled the vicinity of the valley.