Maiden Galaxy

Xiang Yu heard the whistling snowy wind and slowly came to her senses. She felt pain all over her body, every single bone on the verge of breaking. She remembered that she was facing Ran Min alone moments before.

She did not expect this Heavenly King Of Wudao to be so formidable. That Heaven Rank caught Xiang Yu unprepared. The Ancient Barbarian Culling Order practically pulverized all of her meridians and marrow. She escaped solely by her willpower as the Hegemon King.

Because her injuries were too severe. Xiang Yu decided to reach the Blue Frost Star Field's Earthly Phoenix Palace and devour the Vermilion Bird's soul to recover.

She had merely been careless this time. By the time she recovered, she definitely would battle Ran Min again. Recalling back then against the Purple Rose Star Emperor, even "Cotton Clothed Flame Emperor" Liu Bang did not fall to such a state.

All of a sudden, Xiang Yu remembered a very broad chest.

The girl was taken aback.

"You're awake?" A man's voice came from outside the cave.

That man, dammit!

Xiang Yu opened her eyes and circulated her tyrannical Star Energy, but the Ancient Barbarian Culling Order's murderous aura had covered her whole body. She was in too much pain to use it.

"No need to be afraid, I won't hurt you." Chen Mo was truly heartbroken to see the girl feign a strong appearance. How could such an adorable and delicate girl be pursued by a Star Marquis.

Due to the lingering effects of the Ancient Barbarian Culling Order in her body, the current Xiang Yu was indeed no different from being too weak to stand against the wind.

"Hmph." Xiang Yu stubbornly wanted to rise, but she lacked the strength.

Chen Mo swiftly helped her up.

For some reason, Xiang Yu felt her strength should be of the sort to sweep aside all under Heaven, but this man's supporting hand unexpectedly had the feeling of an immovable mountain, of stability everywhere in the world. Even she herself felt at peace. 

Disgusting!

Xiang Yu's face filled with disdain. She promptly wanted to switch to her hegemon personality, but the outcome she received left the girl heartbroken – without power, the hegemon would not rise.

"What Star Name is pursuing you?" Chen Mo curiously asked.

"Why would you save me?" Xiang Yu coolly asked back.

"I saved you because I saw that you were cute." Chen Mo teased.

"You are cute yourself!" Xiang Yu ground her teeth. After her strength recovered, she would definitely rip this man to pieces – she never imagined someone would dare describe Xiang Yu as "cute."

"Right, I feel the same, so that's why everyone loves me." Chen Mo was cheerful.

Xiang Yu grit her teeth and seriously said: "This King will remember that you saved This King's life."

"We part ways here." Xiang Yu pushed the man aside and walked towards the cave entrance. The blizzard outside was boundless, the weather inclement. To the Hegemon King, this was actually a bit troublesome.

"The person who wants to kill you is still searching for you. Are you sure you don't want to mend your wounds here?" Chen Mo said.

Xiang Yu wrinkled her brow. She turned and faced Chen Mo. "This King wants to go to an underground palace below this mountain range. That place has an item that can aid This King's recovery. If you can send This King there, This King will reward you generously."

As expected, being chased by a Star Marquis, she surely would want to go to the Earthly Phoenix Palace. This meant that woman should be "Heavenly Phoenix Earthly Emperor" Wang Mang.¹ Chen Mo pondered quickly. He looked at the haughty girl: "Reward me with what, my gaze is very discerning."

"I will confer upon you ten thousand li of Star Fields, how about that?"

"You are not the master of Central." Chen Mo shook his head. He could not accept something so overwhelming.

Xiang YU's mouth hung agape, but she did not want to divulge her identity. If he realized she was Xiang Yu, this man would definitely harm her. "What do you want, This King can satisfy you."

Chen Mo seriously pondered about it. Seeing the girl's solemn appearance, he could not help but tease her: "What if I wanted you?"

"Huh??" Xiang Yu was dumbstruck. The girl vigilantly hid her chest with her arms.

Seeing an eight or nine year old girl look as if she had spotted a pervert, this scene was honestly a bit evil. "I want your acknowledgement."

"Acknowledgement of what?" Xiang Yu wrinkled her brow.

"Acknowledge that you are very cute."

The girl blushed furiously. She vowed that even if she smashed the nine thousand Star Fields to pieces, that would not compare to the rejuvenation she would get from pounding this man's face to mush.

…

The vast blizzard subsided. Chen Mo looked at the Phoenix Pendant in his hand, which was increasingly hot.

"Why did you stop?" Xiang Yu walked over from behind. Due to the severity of her injuries, her shivered a bit from the cold. Chen Mo saw her pitiable appearance and handed her his Heavenly Silkworm Snow Brocade.

"This King does not want it!" Xiang Yu refused.

"This is my most precious treasure. Ordinarily, I would never hand it to someone else so easily to wear. Since I received your acknowledgement, I should protect you to the end. If something happened to you, I would be someone who breaks promises." Chen Mo's every word came from the bottom of his heart.

Xiang Yu loftily said: "Since you have said as such, This King will reluctantly accept."

After donning the Heavenly Silkworm Snow Brocade, Xiang Yu sighed in relief. She had never felt a brocade so warm.

"We should have reached the Earthly Phoenix Palace." Chen Mo said.

Looking down from the cliff, a palace was faintly visible embedded in a crevice of the icy mountains. The crevice was very deep, concealed very thoroughly. If one was not careful, it was very easy to mistake this for a glacier.

The palace was constructed inside the mountain. The outer hall's eaves were capped with phoenix and dragon heads. The roof ridges on either side were of divine beasts, with yellow roof tiles and red pillars, giving off a very imperial air.

The patio was wide, and there were several vast statues and steles. The floor tiles were green bricks. Upon careful inspection, the portrait of nine serene frost luan was spread across the plaza beyond the patio. Due to construction in the glacier, the year-round chill already froze the stone into ice sculptures. Stepping upon it produced cracking sounds, as if it could break apart at any moment.

The patio's walkways were already destroyed, leaving only a fathomless, pitch-black abyss. On both left and right were a row of ice-covered copper cauldrons. The insides were completely black coals, gems, and ashes.

"Is this place the Earthly Phoenix Palace?" Xiang Yu was already impatient to hurry and obtain the Vermilion Bird's soul.

"En."

The gate was frozen solid. When Wang Mang constructed the Earthly Phoenix Palace, she used special materials and a formation. Outsiders could put to rest any thoughts of easy entry.

Chen Mo took out the key.

He inserted the key into the keyhole, and with a clunk and the crisp sound of broken ice, the impenetrable phoenix pattern on the door seemed to come to life. It began to spread its wings and fly to the side. Very quickly, the doors shuddered open.

Upon seeing the gate open, Xiang Yu impatiently stormed in.

"Xixi,² be careful." Chen Mo called after her. The Earthly Phoenix Palace was constructed in the manner of a tomb, for its interred was the Vermilion Bird's soul. There were likely many mechanisms inside.

Not long after Chen Mo and Xiang Yu went in, atop a cliff, the blizzard dispersed, and a woman dressed in a ancient-scented canary qipao walked out from the snowstorm. Her dark gold eyes stared at the palace's gate.

"White Tiger, Black Turtle, Azure Dragon…As expected, he came for the final Vermilion Bird. What scene would the Four Symbols together in one body be. Ziyi wonders if she could devour that or not." Guo Ziyi ate a chunk of transparent Black Ice, chewing with crisp crunching noises.

Guo Ziyi was in no hurry at all to enter the earthly Phoenix Palace, so she waited outside.

A little while after that, the Heavenly King Of Wudao also arrived at the Earthly Phoenix Palace.

…

Earthly Phoenix Palace depths.

Vermilion Bird Palace.

A short-haired woman dressed in the clothes of a Confucian gentleman was currently in the palace. In front of her was a gigantic relief carved in the form of the Five Phoenix pattern.

Yellow partridge, green luan, crimson phoenix, white goose, black yuezhuo.

The green luan symbolized wood, phoenix fire, partridge earth, goose metal, and the yuezhuo water.

Under the Five Phoenix Pattern, there were also nine chicks, divided into peacock, red crane, blue mallard, snowy owl, purple swallow, great peng, wind-caller, rushing pheasant, and hundred chirps.

The dragon's cry in all directions brings rain, the phoenix draws the nine chicks to alert the slumbering crows.

The phrase embodied peace and prosperity throughout the world.

To awaken the Vermilion Bird's soul from its sleep was no simple task. It required the mutual engenderment of the Five Elements first, then ignition of the nine chicks, and only then would the Ling Guang Seven Stars finally appear.

After Wang Mang received the soul of the Holy Beast Four Symbols "Vermilion Bird," she relied on this to promote her reputation to the peak. Compared to the Qilin Martial Emperor, who took them for hunting game, Wang Mang specifically constructed a spirit palace to protect the Vermilion Bird, demonstrating her sage character.

Of course, this was all merely a facade. Wang Mang fundamentally still wanted to preserve the Vermilion Bird's soul. Should she meet danger someday, she would consume it.

The Ling Guang Vermilion Bird could nurture the soul and destiny. To a Star General, it surpassed even the most top-notch medicines in the world. After refining its soul, any Star General could reach True Phoenix Realm and become immortal.

"Your Servant never imagined Xiang Yu would actually be born. Hmph, wait until Your Servant refines the Vermilion Bird, then take revenge." The woman's eyes flickered with a glint.

All of a sudden, Wang Mang was taken aback, her brow furrowed.

"My Emperor?" Beside Wang Mang stood another woman. She wore white Buddhist robes, was thin in build, and her grey hair and ethereal eyes all showed the woman's uniqueness.

Her Star Name was Fotu Cheng,³ currently one of Buddhism's great figures, already nearing Xuannü Realm. She had once cultivated at the Purple Firmaments Immortal Palace, combining Purple Rose Astrology with Buddhism's arts into a Cloud Qi Star Image ability.

"Distinguish qi and weft, know rise and fall."

This was all thanks to her that Wang Mang was able to escape from the clutches of Xiang Yu's Five Elements Heavenly Kings.

"Someone has entered the Earthly Phoenix Palace." Wang Mang's expression darkened.

"How can this be? Long Ju and the others should not have caught up so quickly." Fotu Cheng gasped. They had appeared from the formation of the tunnel at the Earthly Phoenix Palace's rear gate. These intruders had been far faster. Unless they were a Star General of the School Of Diplomacy, they would be hard-pressed to pursue.

Wang Mang could sense the intruders.

"Poor Monk will go look. My Emperor, please be at ease and summon the Vermilion Bird."

"We will trouble the Divine Monk." Wang Mang thanked her.

Fotu Cheng bowed and promptly left.

…

Chen Mo and Xiang Yu dashed through the palace. After running a spell, Xiang Yu could not continue. Right now, she needed to first slowly refine the Star Energy she gained from killing Li Yuan and the other Xuannü Realm Star Generals. After she recovered her Hegemon King strength, she would seize the Vermilion Bird's soul.

But it was too late for refinement.

If someone could take her along, that would be for the best. Xiang Yu glanced at Chen Mo, her expression very vexed.

"Come on, sit on my arm." Chen Mo extended a sturdy arm.

"This is the first time that This King has ever sat on a man's body. This is your honor." Xiang Yu's pursed her lips. She flew, and her delicate butt treated Chen Mo's shoulder as a seat. Xiang Yu recalled that the Purple Rose Star Emperor had a little wife at his side who was fond of sitting like this. She long wanted to imitate this, and after a thousand years, she was finally satisfied.

Indeed, this was very comfortable.

His shoulder clearly was not broad, but it made the girl feel very safe. That lofty golden throne was nothing special in comparison. 

"First time? Then I'll be careful and more gentle." Chen Mo smiled.

"You philander an eight year old girl, do you not feel awfully shameless?" Xiang Yu was very angry. No man had ever dared to assail her with obscenities like this. Back then, even the Purple Rose Star Emperor was unable to.

"So you really are only eight years old?" Chen Mo smiled.

1. Well, not a bad inference… ↩
2. 習習, a nickname. ↩
3. 佛圖澄 ↩