Legend of Zixia

Chapter 253 Picture Scroll
"Chirp..."

Deep within the fiery domain, silence reigned like death, broken only by a single, clear cry. A mysterious bird leaped amidst the flames, its body woven from burning runes and Dao principles, resembling a divine phoenix, its wings dazzling, each feather like a flame formed from the very essence of the Great Dao. It stood atop a tree less than a meter tall, its body surrounded by nine-colored firelight. Each flap of its wings caused the void to shatter, and the laws of nature to mourn.

A searing heat swept over us, evaporating even the air and distorting space into chaos. It opened its mouth and spat out a ray of light—not an ordinary flame, but a bolt of lightning as bright as blood, descending from the sky with an aura capable of incinerating all worlds.

"What is this?" An Miaoyi's pupils shrank, her voice trembling. "It's all made of talismans... Is it really the essence of immortal fire?" She clung tightly to Zixia, protected by Buddhist light, yet she still felt the excruciating pain of her soul being burned.

"It's just weapon forging, is it really worth taking such a risk?"

"Ancient texts record that immortals were once burned to death deep within the Fire Domain! Whether it's true or not, it proves that this is not a place we can set foot in!"

"You'll find out soon enough," Zixia said calmly, but her eyes burned with fierce intensity.

Before she could finish speaking, she abruptly severed her spiritual connection with the Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda. The next instant, she raised her hand and pushed the crystal-clear, dreamlike purple-glowing pagoda directly into the talismanic fire!
"rustle--"

The chilling sound rang out again, like countless withered bones rubbing against each other. The small tree that had been still began to move slowly, its roots twisting like snakes and its branches contorting. The small tree began to move, and the bird chirped incessantly, soaring into the air and looking down.

Zixia's actions completely alarmed this ancient and silent forbidden land.

The mysterious talismanic fire surged violently, sweeping towards the Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda like a living thing. The temperature soared to its limit, and even time seemed to stand still. The void crumbled inch by inch, turning into black cracks, revealing the endless nothingness behind them.

Just then, the Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda, suspended in the center of the sea of ​​fire, erupted with a blinding purple light, unleashing a fierce and powerful aura, as if awakening some dormant will. The pagoda trembled violently, forcefully blocking the tiny flames rushing towards it.

"boom!"

With a deafening roar, the tower began to melt. Purple metal slid down like teardrops, liquefying in the intense heat, only to re-condense in mid-air, forming ancient patterns.

Immediately afterwards, a blurry yet incredibly majestic phantom appeared in the void—a figure battling against heaven and earth, clad in armor and wielding a spear, his back to the sky, as if confronting some indescribable being. His outline was incomplete, yet it exuded an indomitable fighting spirit that soared straight into the heavens!
This phantom is the ancient will sealed within the Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda, the imprint left by the supreme being who forged this pagoda. At this moment, it awakens upon touching the celestial fire, attempting to resist this world-burning flame with its last vestige of dignity.

However, the celestial fire is merciless.

More flaming runes converged from all directions, surrounding the tree as if paying homage to a king. The sapling was almost upon them, the runes on its trunk pulsating wildly, releasing destructive energy. The celestial phoenix circled high in the sky, its cry carrying a sense of judgment.

The phantom of battle intent roared, bracing its hands against the sky to withstand the onslaught of the talismanic fire. But in just a few breaths, its figure gradually blurred in the flames, and was eventually completely incinerated, leaving not even a trace behind.

The Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda finally gave way.

"Click——"

The final structural collapse caused the entire tower to melt completely, transforming into a blazing purple liquid metal that floated in the center, constantly churning and boiling, like a heart undergoing rebirth.

“Here’s the problem!” An Miaoyi looked at the liquid divine gold floating in the ultimate flame, a slight smirk on her lips. “The Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda has already been transformed into its most original and clean form, but how are you going to get it back now? Are you going to rush in, catch it with your bare hands, and get burned to ashes?”

"You're making a fuss over nothing." Zixia chuckled, pinching An Miaoyi's soft waist with her fingertips, eliciting a soft snort from An Miaoyi. The next instant, she flicked her wrist, and a grain of phoenix blood-red gold flew out, landing silently on the scorched earth behind the ultimate flame. Though small, that speck of immortal gold suddenly burst forth with a crimson glow, echoing the Heavenly Will Blade in the distance, as if their bloodlines resonated.

"How did such rare immortal gold end up as a toy that you carelessly toss around?" An Miaoyi frowned.

"Then won't you spend more time with me from now on?" Zixia smiled, her eyes sparkling. "If you follow me, you'll never be short of good things."

"Then I've got you cornered!" Gradually, An Miaoyi saw through the trick—the ultimate flame formed from runes and Dao principles had no independent consciousness; it simply instinctively chased after whatever best matched its aura. And Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold was its own origin, like a magnet attracting iron.

As Zixia slowly withdrew the aura of "Universe", the raging flames indeed began to waver. First, they trembled slightly, and then the flames slowly moved backward, heading towards the small piece of Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold.

Just as the Divine Mark Purple Gold completely broke free from the flames and was about to fall freely—

Zixia's eyes narrowed, and her divine sense shot out like lightning, instantly reconnecting with the scorching liquid metal! At the same time, a gentle yet precise divine power supported the liquid metal, steadily pulling it back into her palm. She slightly spread her fingers, and chaotic energy surged from the Sea of ​​Bitterness, winding around her fingertips like silk threads, slowly stretching and extending the entire piece of liquid divine metal. With her will, the scorching metal unfolded like silk, thin as a cicada's wing, yet incredibly resilient.

"You want to refine it into... a scroll?" An Miaoyi's eyes widened, her voice filled with shock. She had never seen anyone refine a supreme treasure into a "painting" or "scroll," let alone with a rare immortal material like Divine Mark Purple Gold.

Zixia did not answer, her eyes slightly closed, her fingertips lightly touching the edge of the golden scroll. In an instant, all the principles and truths she had comprehended in her life transformed into golden patterns and were imbued into it.

"Buzz!"

The purple scroll trembled slightly, then suddenly burst forth with dazzling divine light, soaring into the sky and illuminating the entire ninth level of the Fire Domain as if it were in black and white. The light was not dazzling, but rather carried a sacred and gentle aura, as if it could cleanse the soul.

Immediately afterwards, a figure appeared on the scroll—

It was a woman, sacred and unapproachable, her appearance identical to Zixia's. She stood in the center of chaos, carrying two long swords on her back. She wore a crystal-clear fairy dress, and as her robes fluttered, galaxies seemed to hang upside down, and the universe seemed to turn.

Behind her, a colossal phantom of a Kunpeng slowly emerged, half fish and half bird, swallowing the sun and moon in its mouth and its wings covering the sky. Around it, yin and yang energies intertwined like dragons and snakes, endlessly rotating, eventually merging into one, transforming into a hazy, chaotic world, within which stars were born and died, and all things were reincarnated.

Most strikingly, "Zixia" in the painting suddenly opened her eyes.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

What kind of eyes are those?
Clear as a spring, deep as the night, yet gentle as the spring sun caressing your face. When you look at her, it's as if whispers are ringing in your ears, not words, but more powerful than scriptures—like someone softly reciting the "Scripture of Salvation," each word penetrating the heart, each sentence guiding the soul.

You can't help but want to get close to her, to protect her, to die for her, and to give everything for her.

That was not bewitching, nor illusion, but a call from the very Dao itself—she was the embodiment of the Dao, the daughter of chaos, and the projection of the most primal faith in the hearts of all beings.

An Miaoyi was stunned. Her Buddhist heart wavered, and even the lotus light protecting her trembled slightly. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, as if a force was calling her to submit, or as if a long-awaited reunion was whispering to her.

(End of this chapter)