The ruins of Biquan Mountain and Yong'an West Mountain, along with numerous earth veins, were suddenly adorned with various female statues, carved from wood, molded from clay, or chiseled from stone, as if they had sprouted overnight like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

The statues seemed to take extra care in washing away the dust and dirt, and in dressing up before making their grand entrance, revealing their true power.

Through the eyes of a crow, Xuan Ji also saw the images transmitted by the Biquan Mountain branch, and at first, he was puzzled by the familiar-looking statue.

But then, he suddenly realized something and turned his head sharply.

"Ah, it really is her," sighed Sheng Lingyuan. "Since the time of the Heavenly White Jade Palace, I've been counting on my fingers to figure out who was behind this, and there really is no one else but her. No wonder people say I only resemble my father by three points, and no wonder Empress Chen never looks at me straight in the eye...I really don't know to I grew up with such disadvantageous looks."

The goddess statue's features were sixty or seventy percent similar to Sheng Lingyuan's, with a smirk that seemed to be a replica.

Although he had never seen her before, her identity was almost certain - the demon clan's Princess Wan Fei who caused chaos in the court.

Sheng Lingyuan's birth mother.

"I think I might be seeing things," whispered Dan Lin, "but...the expressions on those statues seem to be changing."

The smiles on the statues that were unearthed from underground became more and more apparent.

At first, there was a dignified smile, one that could still pretend to be a goddess who was not interested in the mortal world.

But after being unearthed for a while, she couldn't hold it in any longer and revealed her true face - the corners of her mouth lifted like blooming petals, her dignity disappeared, and a creepy and eerie aura crawled up her seductive face.

"Wait," said Xiao Zheng, "when were these statues buried, and why are there so many different materials used in their production? It's not just my OCD...I just want to know if this was an individual act or if it was organized."

The carved statues made of wood and stone are themselves man-made objects, and it is extremely difficult to bring them to life through offerings and create a "spirit" out of nothing.

The conditions are exceptionally strict.

Firstly, the being's must be qualified. The Vermilion Bird and the Azure Dragon are eligible, but obviously not sparrows or crows, otherwise those internet-famous cats would have ruled the world by now.

Secondly, the being must have made a great wish or experienced great difficulties, with an unparalleled obsession - at least to the level of being killed off or having their entire clan wiped out and their ancestral graves dug up.

Lastly, and most importantly, there must be enough people who worship it. Like how both humans and demons worship the Vermilion Bird, it must have been well-known for at least a thousand years. It cannot be a small-scale pyramid scheme that the authorities have never even heard of.

For five thousand years, there have been countless gods and spirits, but only one Dan Li stands out. The princess of the demon clan may have the bloodline of the Vermilion Bird, but she is not a member of the bird tribe that guards the Chiyuan.

During her lifetime, she was known for nothing but revelry and sowing discord.

She certainly does not deserve to be worshipped. Although she harbors an unrelenting obsession, the princess herself has been dead for thousands of years.

Where can one find enough people to worship her statue?

"Who organized this?" asked someone.

Sheng Lingyuan spoke softly, "I see."

Xuan Ji asked, "What do you see?"

"I finally understand what Meng Xia was doing during her four years on the run - she was indeed the Shadow person of the Princess. If I'm not mistaken, these statues of hers were carved from the Vermilion Bird statue. Look at this wooden statue, so clean and untouched after being buried underground for so many years, yet there's a slight trace of fire on the sleeve of the statue... it must have been left during the time when my people set fire to the Vermilion Bird temple."

Dan Li is the embodiment of the Vermilion Bird statue, summoned by the sacrifice of the princess.

His source of life comes from those statues.

Later, Dan Li and Sheng Xiao, this pair of teacher and student, fought each other and were both injured.

She then used her Shadow person, Meng Xia, to secretly retrieve the Vermilion Bird statue and carve it into her own likeness... as though she had "swallowed" the Vermilion Bird statue.

"Wait a minute, second-hand materials and empty-handed offerings?" Xuan Ji was stunned. "Is this even possible? What kind of fraud is this?"

Sheng Lingyuan sighed. "She used this trick when she infiltrated the human king's capital and instigated a war between the two races. It's one of the 36 strategies, 'borrowing a knife to kill.' She's a master at it and has been using it her whole life."

With the death of the demon king, it was inevitable that the Emperor of Humanity and Dan Li would turn against each other.

Dan Li couldn't let the leader of the demons run wild, and the emperor couldn't bow down to a stubborn deity. These two didn't need any outside instigation, they were capable of turning the world upside down on their own.

Sheng Lingyuan knew that as long as he had common sense, he would easily smash all the Vermilion Bird temples in various places. Then, Meng Xia could effortlessly recover the statues and use the power of the Vermilion Bird statue's worship for herself - it was something she had summoned using her own sacrifice and a dark ritual. After the chaos ended, she would even demand compensation with interest, not losing a single bit.

Xuan Ji bitterly smiled and said, "Lingyuan, to be honest, are you the 'intellectual wasteland' of your family?"

Their love was deep and long, with one holding back the Chiyuan and the other securing the world, enduring the piercing winds and frosty blades on their backs. Were they doomed to be unlucky if they weren't foolishly sentimental?

Sheng Lingyuan pushed Xuan Ji's forehead to the side and said, "I dare not claim such a title. You, on the other hand, are one of the more clever members of the esteemed Flat Feathered Tribe."

Xuan Ji asked, "So why did her Shadow person steal my corpse?"

The conversation between the two was relayed to Xiao Zheng by a crow, causing the director to shiver with goosebumps. "Please don't add to the horror atmosphere!"

Sheng Lingyuan replied, "You should ask her."

"Who..."

"Ah."

Before Xuan Ji could finish his sentence, a soft female voice suddenly flowed out of the bronze cauldron.

The voice was enchanting and seemed to penetrate directly into the listener's heart, causing them to shiver with fear. With just a light sigh, one would be willing to give up everything they had for her.

"Poor Tong, poor child, because you never spent a day growing up in own clan, now you know nothing."

Not only was the voice heard in the Heaven and Earth Cauldron, but it seemed that at the same time, those in all the locations with statues heard the voice as well.

Xiao Zheng asked, "Who is 'Tong'?"

Xuan Ji: "..."

This old demoness actually called him by his nickname in front of all their colleagues!

"The authority of Chiyuan is innate, and the Vermilion Bird clan was born in Chiyuan, so it is already a part of Chiyuan," the woman's voice said softly. "Including Jiu Xun from young, arrogant people of every generation would think they were extraordinary. They believed that by devouring the Vermilion Bird, they could obtain Chiyuan. How ridiculous."

Sheng Lingyuan shook his sleeve and sat up straight. "If the arrogant people of every generation are self-proclaimed, then Your Highness must be truly extraordinary."

The woman paused for a moment, as if observing him carefully through the Heaven and Earth Cauldron.

The magma gently caressed the outside of the bronze cauldron, making a soft rustling sound.

She asked, "Is your nickname 'Lingyuan'...hmm, given by Dan Li the old thief? You look a lot like me."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ji's hair stood on end and he was restrained by Sheng Lingyuan's hand. Although he was not heartless enough to be completely out of touch with their family, he still had the ability to ignore things he didn't want to hear.