The Legend of the Princess' Counterattack

Chapter 626 The aftermath

It was as if the heaven and earth had fallen into deathly silence after an earth-shattering collapse.

The main altar of the Burning Heaven Palace, the towering building that once symbolized supreme majesty and evil ambition, has now turned into a pile of broken walls and ruins, with pungent smoke and dust filling the broken bricks and tiles, like a ruin at the end of the world. The pungent smell filled the air, choking people to the point of suffocation, but it could not cover up the smell of decay and despair that was emanating from it.

Liu Yan'er, the woman who once dealt with power and evil, full of calculations and unscrupulous means, was now kneeling on the ground, collapsed in the ruins. The gorgeous and evil clothes she wore in the past were already in tatters, covered with dust and blood. Her messy hair was scattered on both sides of her cheeks, revealing her current embarrassment and haggardness. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, as if her soul had been taken away, leaving only a corpse-like body. The cunning and viciousness she once had disappeared without a trace, leaving only endless regrets that drowned her like a tide.

"So... I'm just a chess piece..." Her voice was hoarse and weak, as if it was a whisper squeezed out from the depths of her soul, and every word was full of pain and self-mockery. She slowly raised her trembling hand and reached out to Yun Yao. The fingers that had once controlled life and death and cast vicious spells were now weak and powerless. The moment her fingertips gently touched the corner of Yun Yao's clothes, a weak force surged out of her body, like her last struggle, or like the last ray of salvation she wanted to grasp.

Yun Yao lowered her head and her eyes fell on Liu Yan'er, and memories came back like a tide. All the past events in the palace, the open and secret struggles, the conspiracy and framing, Liu Yan'er's smiles and every move, all became so clear at this moment. At that time, she had made all kinds of schemes in order to survive and get promoted, which made the palace restless, and there were constant grievances and entanglements between her and Yun Yao. But now, seeing her like this, Yun Yao did not feel the joy she had expected, but only deep compassion.

"You are not a chess piece. Your choice starts from now on." Yun Yao said softly, her voice gentle but firm, like a ray of light that penetrated the haze and shone into Liu Yan'er's dark world. She bent down and gently held Liu Yan'er's trembling hand. A warm current passed through her palm, as if giving her strength and the courage to start over.

At this time, Chu Mochen walked over quickly. He was as straight as a pine tree. Although his clothes were also torn and he was exhausted, his deep eyes still showed determination and concern. He carefully held a ball of soft light in his hands. In the light, the soul of Yun Yao's mother was looming, like a candle in the wind, fragile but precious.

"Mother!" Yun Yao exclaimed, her eyes instantly moist, and she quickly walked forward.

Chu Mochen slightly turned sideways and gently handed Yun Yao's mother's soul to her, saying softly: "She suffered some injuries, but fortunately she has escaped from that dangerous place. Next, we will definitely help her recover."

Yun Yao took it carefully, as if holding the most fragile treasure in the world. She dared not look away for a moment, fearing that this hard-earned hope would disappear again. Although her mother's soul had been able to condense into a semi-solid body, her face was still as pale as paper, and her closed eyes showed deep fatigue, which made Yun Yao feel distressed.

“Silly child, you dare to venture into the origin even though you have lost all your spiritual veins. If Chu Mochen had not refined your spiritual veins in time, you would have already…” Yun Yao’s mother’s voice was weak but full of love, like a spring breeze, gently brushing Yun Yao’s heart. Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by a violent cough.

Yun Yao's eyes were red and tears welled up in them. She choked and said, "Mother, how can I watch you suffer? As long as I can save you, I will do it at any cost."

Chu Mochen looked at the mother and daughter, feeling warm in his heart. He turned around silently and looked at the ruins around him. This land, once shrouded in darkness, is now dilapidated, but it is also a witness to their bloody battles and their reversal of fate. He knew that the road ahead was still long and there were many unknown challenges waiting for them, but as long as the three of them worked together, what difficulties could not be overcome?

"It's not advisable to stay here for long. Let's go back to Xingyun Pavilion first. It's relatively safe there, and mother can recuperate there with peace of mind." Chu Mochen said in a steady and powerful voice, revealing a reassuring confidence.

Yun Yao nodded gently, supported her mother, and walked out with Chu Mochen. Along the way, smoke and dust filled the air, and the gravel under their feet made a creaking sound from time to time, as if telling the past of this tragic battle. Occasionally, a few loose bricks and stones rolled down from the top of their heads. Chu Mochen always quickly protected Yun Yao and her mother behind him, and looked around vigilantly to make sure there was no danger at all.

Halfway through the journey, Yun Yao suddenly stopped and her eyes fell on a piece of glittering jade not far away. The jade was half-hidden under the dust, with only one corner showing a faint glow, as if calling her. Yun Yao's heart moved, and she walked forward, gently brushed away the dust, and picked up the jade.

The jade was soft to the touch, and was engraved with fine runes. As the runes flowed, it seemed to emit a mysterious power. Yun Yao looked at it carefully and found that these runes were inextricably linked to the Yunhua Sect's secret manuals. She couldn't help but feel surprised.

"Could this be the treasure left behind by the ancestors of the Yunhua Sect?" Yun Yao murmured to herself, turning to look at Chu Mochen.

Chu Mochen walked forward, his eyes fell on the jade, a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes, and after a moment he said: "Look at this rune, it does look like something from the Yunhua Sect. Perhaps it was lost here during the war that year, and now that you have found it, it must be fate."

Yun Yao gently grasped the jade and put it away carefully. She knew that this might be the help left to them by their ancestors, and it might play an unexpected role in the future.

The three continued to move forward and finally walked out of the ruins of the Burning Heaven Temple. The sun shone on their bodies, bringing long-lost warmth, but it also hurt their eyes that had long been accustomed to the darkness. Yun Yao narrowed her eyes slightly and looked into the distance, only to see the undulating mountains and the rolling sea of clouds, as if a magnificent painting was slowly unfolding before her eyes. This world, once shrouded in darkness and haze, has finally ushered in the dawn of hope.

"Let's go, let's go home." Yun Yao said softly, her eyes showing her longing for the future.

Back at Xingyun Pavilion, everyone had been waiting for a long time. Ye Wuhen came forward and glanced at the three people. Seeing that they were exhausted but safe, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You are finally back. I have asked people to prepare a room and healing medicine for you. Go and rest soon." Ye Wuhen said, his words full of concern.

Yun Yao nodded gratefully and helped her mother walk towards the room. Along the way, the disciples of Xingyun Pavilion cast awe-inspiring glances at them. They knew very well that the three people in front of them were heroes who saved the entire cultivation world. If it weren't for them, the cultivation world would have been in an irreparable situation.

The room was warm and comfortable, with all kinds of items needed for healing. Yun Yao carefully placed her mother on the bed and personally fed her healing medicine. Seeing her mother's complexion gradually improve, she felt relieved.

"Yao'er, you are tired too, go and have a rest." Yun Yao's mother said softly, her eyes full of heartache.

Yun Yao shook her head, sat beside the bed and held her mother's hand: "My daughter is not tired. As long as I can accompany my mother, my daughter will feel at ease."

As the mother and daughter were talking, there was a gentle knock on the door. Chu Mochen pushed the door open and walked in, holding a bowl of steaming medicine in his hand.

"This is a nourishing medicinal soup that I specially ordered someone to prepare. It will be of great benefit to your mother's physical recovery. Drink it while it's hot." Chu Mochen said as he handed the medicinal soup to Yun Yao's mother.

Yun Yao's mother took it with a smile, her eyes full of relief: "Chen'er, thanks to you, you have worked hard these days."

Chu Mochen shook his head slightly and said with a smile: "Mother, you are too kind. This is all my responsibility. As long as you can recover soon, it will be my greatest wish."

Yun Yao was moved as she watched the scene. She once thought she had traveled alone to this strange world, without anyone to rely on, but now she has a mother who loves her, a lover who will share her life and death, and a group of like-minded friends. She cherishes all of this.

"By the way, on my way back just now, I found a piece of jade engraved with runes. It looks like it belongs to the Yunhua Sect." Yun Yao said, taking out the jade and handing it to Chu Mochen.

Chu Mochen took the jade and examined it carefully for a moment, with a hint of surprise in his eyes: "The runes on this jade record a long-lost martial arts method. If we can comprehend it thoroughly, it will be of great help to us in improving our strength."

Yun Yao's eyes lit up: "Really? That's great, when mother is better, we will meditate together."

As the three were discussing, Ye Wuhen pushed the door open again, looking a little solemn.

"What's wrong?" Yun Yao asked, feeling nervous upon seeing this.

Ye Wuhen frowned slightly and said, "I just received news that although the Burning Heaven Palace has been destroyed, the cultivation world has fallen into chaos because of this war. Various forces are ready to make a move, and many independent cultivators are taking advantage of the situation to rob. Burning, killing and looting happen from time to time."

Yun Yao and Chu Mochen looked at each other, and a trace of worry flashed in their eyes. They knew very well that although this war destroyed the greatest evil force, it also caused great damage to the vitality of the cultivation world. If the current chaotic situation is not rectified in time, it may cause a greater disaster.

"We can't just sit there and do nothing. We need to come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible." Chu Mochen said in a deep voice.

Yun Yao nodded in agreement: "That's right, I will contact the major sects right away to see if we can work out a solution together."

Ye Wuhen nodded slightly: "I will also arrange disciples from Xingyun Pavilion to strengthen patrols and maintain public security in the surrounding area."

After the discussion, everyone took up their respective duties and began to get busy. Yun Yao shuttled between the major sects, and with her prestige accumulated in the war and her sincere attitude, she quickly summoned representatives from all parties.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was solemn, and the representatives of the major sects had different expressions, some were worried, and some had ulterior motives. Yun Yao stood up, looked around the room, and slowly said, "Everyone, although the Burning Heaven Palace has been destroyed, our cultivation world is facing an unprecedented crisis. If we don't work together to overcome the difficulties, I'm afraid that today's victory over the Burning Heaven Palace will be wiped out, and even the entire cultivation world will fall into an irreparable situation."

Everyone nodded when they heard this, but no one spoke first. Seeing this, Yun Yao continued, "I propose that all of our major sects unite to form a temporary alliance to jointly maintain order in the world of cultivation and crack down on those lawless criminals who take advantage of the situation. At the same time, we must also allocate resources as soon as possible to help those sects and innocent people who were damaged in the war rebuild their homes."

After the words fell, an old man finally stood up and said, "Miss Yun is right. Our Lingxiao Sect is willing to cooperate with you fully."

With Lingxiao Sect taking the lead, other sects also responded and expressed their willingness to join the alliance. Yun Yao breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the first step had finally been taken on this difficult road to reconstruction.

With the joint efforts of everyone, a temporary alliance was quickly formed, and the major sects had clear division of labor, some were responsible for patrolling and security, some were responsible for material allocation, and some were responsible for pacifying the people. For a time, the chaos in the cultivation world was effectively curbed, and gradually restored the peace of the past.

Yun Yao, Chu Mochen and the people of Xingyun Pavilion did not stop either. In their spare time, they began to comprehend the skills on the mysterious jade stone, and their strength increased day by day. At the same time, Yun Yao also paid close attention to her mother's physical condition. Under her careful care, her mother's soul became more solid, and she was able to get out of bed and walk. Occasionally, she would instruct Yun Yao in her cultivation. The family lived a warm and fulfilling life.

However, the peaceful days did not last long. One day, Yun Yao was practicing in her room when she suddenly felt a throbbing in her heart, as if an invisible force was calling her. She opened her eyes, looked puzzled, and stood up and walked out.

As soon as I walked out of the room, I saw Chu Mochen rushing over with a serious expression.

"You felt it too?" Yun Yao asked.

Chu Mochen nodded: "Well, the source of this power is unknown, but I can feel that it seems to be closely related to our destiny. I am afraid that another challenge is coming."

Yun Yao frowned slightly and looked into the distance, with a vague premonition in her heart that this unknown challenge might be more difficult than any previous one. But she was not afraid, because she knew that as long as she and Chu Mochen joined hands, and with the support of the group of friends around them, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles there were ahead, they could move forward bravely and protect this hard-won peace.

"Let's go and take a look." Yun Yao took a deep breath and said firmly.

The two of them walked hand in hand towards the source of power, their figures gradually disappeared in the vast world, leaving only firm footprints along the way, as if telling of their determination to never give up. And their story will continue to be written in this world of cultivation full of fantasy and adventure, becoming an immortal legend.