Myth Beyond Heaven

Chapter 2472: Acceptance

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Lan Bingxue turned towards the remaining defenders, her voice ringing with authority. "Return to your posts!" she commanded. "Remain vigilant, and be prepared for further attacks. We cannot allow the Shadow Demons to gain a foothold in our kingdom."

The defenders, their spirits lifted by her unwavering resolve, nodded in unison and returned to their positions, their eyes scanning the horizon, their weapons at the ready.

"Let's go back," Lan Bingxue said and led everyone to the Ice Palace.

Inside the hall, everyone sat at the long table in silence. Gui Xiao was the only one who ate the delicacies heartily, without a care.

"This must be unusual, right?" Lan Hanyu broke the silence.

Lan Bingxue nodded gently. "Normally, the creatures of chaos rarely attack our land directly like this. It has happened twice in the past, but the last time was more than two million years ago."

"I saw that they were targeting the land. Why is that?" Yun Lintian asked curiously.

Lan Bingxue's expression turned grave as she explained the Shadow Demons' tactics. "The creatures of chaos aim to shatter our land, to corrupt its very essence, because it weakens the natural resistance against the chaotic energy that permeates this realm."

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the faces of her guests, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. "The land itself acts as a barrier, a natural defense against the encroaching chaos. But when the land is wounded, its defenses weaken, allowing the chaotic energy to seep in, corrupting and twisting everything it touches."

Lan Bingxue's voice lowered, her tone filled with a chilling warning. "If they succeed in completely shattering our land, if the Ice Phoenix Kingdom is reduced to asteroids, then there will be no safe haven for our people. We will be forced to live in an environment that favors the creatures of chaos, where their power is amplified, and our strength is diminished."

A heavy silence fell over the room, the weight of her words sinking in. Yun Lintian, Lan Hanyu, and Long Bing exchanged grim glances, their understanding of the Shadow Demons' motives deepening.

"This is why the regents are bound to their kingdoms," Lan Bingxue continued, her voice filled with a hint of bitterness. "We are not merely guardians of our people, but also guardians of the land itself. Our presence, our power, helps to maintain the balance, to resist the encroaching chaos."

Yun Lintian nodded slowly and asked, "Who is the master that Shadow Demon named Shun talked about before his death?"

Lan Bingxue shook her head. "Unfortunately, I have no idea. We have been trying to unravel the mastermind behind them, but we haven't found anything so far."

"It can't be the Lord of Chaos, right?" Yun Lintian said with a faint smile.

Lan Bingxue raised her brow slightly and said, "Perhaps."

"Oh? I thought you were loyal to him," Yun Lintian was slightly surprised.

Lan Bingxue pursed her lips and said, "He might be the one who gave me my power, but that doesn't mean I have to obey him unconditionally. Moreover, he has not contacted us for a long time."

Yun Lintian was silent for a moment and said, "Even you, who is supposed to stand at the top of the pyramid in this realm, don't know what's going on. It seems I won't be able to find out either."

"You will," Lan Bingxue said with a serious expression. "You are different from us regents. You can move freely, and the chaotic energy has no effect on you. I believe you will soon

unravel this mystery that has plagued this realm for ages."

Yun Lintian didn't say anything.

"You're heading to the Golden Qilin Kingdom next. The grand formation is still recovering. You can stay here for a few days. It is much easier to travel that way," Lan Bingxue said gently.

"I thought it was impossible to establish a long-range connection here?" Yun Lintian said doubtfully.

"Indeed," Lan Bingxue said. "The Golden Qilin Kingdom is the nearest one. We spent a lot of effort to make it happen."

Yun Lintian nodded slowly. It meant he couldn't go to the other kingdoms by formation, except for this one.

The meal ended in silence, and Yun Lintian went to the room Lan Bingxue had prepared for him.

Inside the hall, Lan Hanyu and Lan Bingxue looked at each other silently.

Lan Bingxue, her gaze fixed on Lan Hanyu, felt a mix of emotions swirling within her. Awe, respect, a hint of fear, and a deep-seated insecurity that she had long suppressed.

This was the true Ice Phoenix, the ancestor whose legacy she had unknowingly carried, the being whose power she had inadvertently claimed.

Lan Hanyu, her expression calm and composed, met Lan Bingxue's gaze with a gentle warmth that surprised the younger woman. She could sense the turmoil within Lan Bingxue, the conflict between her inherent pride and the newfound realization of her own borrowed existence.

"Lan Bingxue," Lan Hanyu began, her voice soft yet carrying an undeniable authority, "I understand your confusion, your uncertainty. You were born into a role you did not choose, a destiny thrust upon you without your consent."

Lan Bingxue's eyes widened slightly, her surprise evident. She had expected accusations, perhaps even anger, but not this understanding, this compassion.

Lan Hanyu continued, her voice laced with a gentle wisdom. "You may not have been born of my own lineage, but you carry my blood origin within you. You have wielded its power, protected this kingdom, and in your own way, upheld the legacy of the Ice Phoenix."

She paused, her gaze softening. "I do not blame you for the circumstances of your birth, nor do I begrudge you the power you wield. You are, in a way, my descendant, a part of my legacy, a continuation of the Ice Phoenix bloodline."

Lan Bingxue's breath hitched in her throat, her eyes welling up with tears she had long forgotten how to shed. She had never expected to be accepted, to be acknowledged as a part of the lineage she had unknowingly claimed.

"Ancestor..." she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

Lan Hanyu smiled gently, her eyes filled with a warmth that melted the icy barriers Lan Bingxue had erected around her heart. "You have carried a heavy burden, Bingxue," she said

softly.

Lan Bingxue's tears flowed freely now, her icy facade crumbling, revealing the vulnerability she had long suppressed. She had lived a life of isolation, her heart frozen by the weight of her borrowed identity, her emotions suppressed by the need to maintain control...