Chapter 834

: A Game
Their relationship seemed to improve tremendously.
Everyone knew that Phoenix was the apple of the Emperor’s eye but some individuals were still tempted to take her place.
The Venerable on the lotus summoned Phoenix to the Formless Realm.
When the Sakyamuni Buddha went into seclusion, the True Buddha would have to go through the Buddhist Kalpa that happened once every ten thousand years to reclaim his position.
Thus, Phoenix had been responsible for clearing all the wrongdoings during this period of time.
There was no exception this time.
Phoenix held her scythe and stood amidst the floating clouds in the Hall of Great Strength as she listened quietly to the profound changes happening in the Netherworld.

The Sea of Blood in Hell has risen again. Phoenix, it’s your turn to go this time, do not lose out to the Celestial Path again.
The Venerable spoke to her while murmuring Amitabha.
The True Buddha could only return when the Sea of Blood had been cleared.
Phoenix understood this clearly. She always felt grateful toward the True Buddha who had led her to Buddhism from Hell.
As a result of her sense of gratitude, Phoenix always executed every task entrusted to her without any excuses.
However, this time…
Phoenix laid her eyes on her scythe.
If this happened in the past, she would have gone to Hell instantly without hesitation.
However, she had yet to recover the power of Buddha fully at this moment. The odds were against her if she had to clear the Sea of Blood alone.
Phoenix was well aware of this so she did not go to Hell right away.
The Sea of Blood was the accumulation of the blood and resentment released when the most ferocious demons of the world fought one another.
The Sea of Blood could only be cleared by killing or capturing all the demons like what the Emperor did.
However, capturing the demons was easier said than done. If one lacked willpower, the tables might be turned instead.
Phoenix wondered if he could borrow the Emperor’s mythical ax, but instead, she found that he was not in the temple.
The immortal guarding the temple entrance told her that a witch from the magical realm had attained immortality, thus a celebratory banquet was being held by Tian Dao. Those from Buddhism had gone to send their regards as well.
Lord Phoenix, did the Emperor not invite you to the banquet?
the immortal asked.
Phoenix had not heard anything about any banquet. But the Emperor had mentioned that he did not want her to be exposed to the public. He would rather hide her from their sights.

Since he is not here in the temple, I shall go look for him at the heavenly banquet.

Her task could not be delayed so Phoenix did not linger in the temple. When she arrived at the heavenly banquet, she saw many goddesses sitting among the clouds. They started whispering among themselves once they saw Phoenix.

Phoenix still doesn’t know yet, right?


I bet she doesn’t. If she knew, she probably wouldn’t be as calm now.


Poor thing. Tsk tsk, who would have guessed that the witch and the emperor were predestined to meet? She said she had known him since they were in the magical realm.


Based on the Emperor’s character, he is likely to abandon the old for the new. Even though the witch is not as beautiful as Phoenix, they are both wild spirited. Hence, it would not be a surprise if the Emperor is interested in the witch as well.

Phoenix looked up casually as she listened to their conversation. Standing beside the emperor was a woman cloaked in red. She was beautiful and she resembled the Golden Lotus slightly, though she was fierier. There was joy in her eyes as she lowered her head and spoke to the man.
A match made in heaven.
The moment she saw them, these words came into her mind naturally.
They seemed to be close to each other.
Phoenix was stunned for a moment but she did not go forward. She concealed her aura from the edge of the clouds.
The heavenly banquet seemed to be coming to an end. It was not the right timing for her to meet the Emperor as he was talking to someone. Furthermore, the matter of borrowing the mythical ax was not something to be discussed in public.
She resorted to sitting behind the stone steps as she closed her eyes and waited for the Emperor to pass by.
As expected, the immortals could be heard sending the guests off after a while.
Phoenix was about to stand up when she heard the crown prince’s laughter.
Emperor, another witch falls for you. You even have the one from Buddhism in your clutches. This is no fun, you are winning every bet.

What the crown prince said was nonsensical, but it made Phoenix freeze in action. She knew she should go out immediately or leave as if she had never been here before. However, her legs felt like lead and she felt heavy to move.
A sigh of Buddhism seemed to appear in her mind again.
Phoenix felt tired all of a sudden.
However, the voice constantly spread to her ears.
It was such a familiar voice, yet it was giving her chills right now.

Whatever I want…there is no way I cannot get it.
The man smiled faintly, his long narrow eyes were glittering.
His tone was so light, yet it made the crown prince’s feel a shiver running down his spine. The crown prince smirked as he said,
Phoenix merely forgot how you looked when you were a youth, and she was just a little less enthusiastic than usual. Do you have to punish her like that? I know you are a vengeful person, every time you get hurt you will make sure to pay it back tenfold. But isn’t it a bit harsh to dump her after you have made her fall in love with you? Phoenix seems to like you a lot, what are you planning to tell her about the immortal witch today?

What does this have to do with you?
The man laughed, he seemed to be in a good mood with the pair of vicious eyes looking seductive and alluring. He was like a deadly cliff that women could not help but throw themselves into…and fall to their death with broken hearts.
Their conversation made Phoenix grip the stone pillar in front of her with trembling hands. No one could see it but her lips curled upward very slowly. It was not a smile at all for her eyes were ice-cold.
So, this is the truth.
It turned out she was the only one who was obsessed with the manual.
She thought the other party was committed to it, but it was just a game to him.
He could stop and leave anytime he wanted, as long as he found someone whom he was more interested in.
She thought they were a loving couple, but in fact, she was just one of the women he wanted to conquer.
Has the proud Phoenix turned out to be the biggest idot in the world?
Hah, when I was moaning in his arms, when I was listening to his heartbeat in between cuddles, he must have been thinking how easy it was to tackle me.
Has he ever said he loved me?
No.
Everything is clear now.
It is all too obvious.
At that moment, not only did she lose her dignity, but she also lost her prideful heart that she had surrendered willingly to him.
Phoenix closed her eyes again. Her heart still ached, yet she merely rubbed her chest casually…