Chapter 68: Substitution

"Yu Fei! Run!"
The Seventh Princess seized my hand and dragged me, racing down Mount Sumeru.
Lost in grief and despair, I didn’t immediately register what she was doing.
"At the Peach Banquet, the way he looked at you—anyone could see he'd fallen in love. I won't let you take my place and be sent to the Netherworld for a political marriage. He saved me, so I will repay him; then our bond won’t be severed!" The Seventh Princess clung to me desperately, pulling me down Mount Sumeru.
"He’s fallen in love with me? Take your place in a marriage alliance with the Netherworld... what are you talking about?" I stumbled after her in confusion, unable to find the words to ask for an explanation.
"Go back to the Jade Pure Realm! Never come to the Celestial Palace again!" The Seventh Princess gripped my hand tightly. That delicate frame exploded with unimaginable strength; I was nearly swept off my feet.
Once we reached the base of Mount Sumeru, she shoved me away with all her might. "Yu Fei! Even if you leave, I won't marry into the Netherworld. I’m going to find Yun Xiao! Live well for him!" With that, the Seventh Princess leapt into the Celestial River.
"Marry into the Netherworld!" Her leap jolted me fully awake. I hastily cast a spell to catch her, but managed only to grab the round fan she held.
Clinging to the edge of the cliff overlooking the Celestial River, I watched as the Seventh Princess’s body dissolved, her spirit scattered to its primal essence, drifting away with the current.
Everything had happened too suddenly...
"Why am I being sent to marry into the Netherworld?" I didn’t know the reason, nor had time to ponder. Yujing had already thrown herself into the river. She spoke with conviction—this was no idle rumor. Panicked, I fled from the Thirty-Three Heavens. But as I leapt away, I felt my celestial aura suppressed. A glittering net of golden light descended upon me.
It was the Heavenly Net, meant to capture even the highest immortals!
Realizing the danger, I summoned my Black Crystal Sword. With a flash of cold light, I slashed open a gap in the net and escaped!
No sooner had I broken free than a thousand shadow soldiers appeared, their forms and faces shrouded with magic, encircling me in a deadly trap.
A cloud of dark projectiles flew toward me, only to reveal themselves as the same mottled venomous snakes I’d encountered in the Peach Orchard, fangs bared, lunging at me!
I threw up a protective barrier, but the serpents spat venom that corroded the spell. These creatures could dissolve even barriers woven from celestial magic—they had to be controlled by some divine artifact. I quickly split my sword into countless blades and shields, defending myself while slicing the snakes to pieces with sword energy.
Slashing furiously, I hacked my way through the encirclement, snake flesh flying in every direction. Such a formation was no match for me; I’d been forced to learn how to break these traps long before my formal training. Sword in one hand, I cast a spell, shattering the formation.
The shadow soldiers scattered under the force of my power, and I made my escape. Yet they regrouped, moving with serpentine agility, bodies sinuous and swift!
I’d hoped not to kill these celestial soldiers—if only I could flee, that would suffice. But seeing how relentlessly they pursued me, I had no choice but to open a blood path! Forcing me to marry into the Netherworld—had the Celestial Palace lost its mind? My master perished for the heavens, and now they turned on his disciple! What were they thinking?
Gritting my teeth, I poured the Cloud-Condensing Technique into my sword. Wherever my blade struck, the soldiers were frozen and shattered to fragments.
One wave after another fell beneath my sword, and I finally punched through a gap. The remaining soldiers, unable to subdue me, exchanged signals and summoned a multitude of golden spirit nails.
Seeing the nails suspended in the air, I glared fiercely, clutching my Black Crystal Sword. Anger surged, my celestial power blazing like fire, transforming my sword into a blade of flame.
These were Soul-Locking Nails!

Originally forged in ancient times to subdue the most unyielding demons, these nails left no visible mark on the body but locked bone and soul together, inflicting agony that penetrated to the marrow. If removed, at best they destroyed one’s immortal form, leaving a cripple; at worst, they shattered the immortal veins and scattered the soul.
After the sealing of the demon realm, Soul-Locking Nails were banned for their cruelty. Knowing ordinary binding ropes would never restrain me, they dared use this!
The shadow soldiers unleashed their spell, and the nails shot toward me like arrows. My barriers were useless, so I transformed my sword into shield and blade, fighting desperately to break free.
The nails came from all directions, their force immense!
How could these soldiers wield such powerful magic? I set my sword formation to guard my body, fending off the barrage.
My strength began to falter. With a thud, a nail struck my arm, pain flaring so intensely that my sword formation collapsed.
Thirteen nails pierced my legs, arms, shoulders, and back. The agony overwhelmed me, and I collapsed, my sword falling to the ground, reverting to its bangle form.
The soldiers closed in around me...
"Enough!" A shout rang out as a celestial lord descended, standing before me.
"What are you doing? How dare you treat her like this?" he barked.
Enduring the pain, I looked up. It was Prince Tiande, the one who’d persistently pestered me!
At the sight of his wrath, the soldiers retreated a few steps, cowed into silence.
Tiande, furious, strode over and kicked one of them. The soldier endured it in silence.
Then Tiande approached me, his manner softening, his face returning to the gentle elegance of our first meeting. He knelt, caressed my face, and smiled. "That face mustn’t be marred, nor that body ruined. After all, there’s still a marriage alliance to fulfill, Seventh Princess."
His smile was twisted, almost mocking.
"So it’s him—he commands these shadow soldiers!" I glared at him, seething, secretly channeling my power to force out the nails.
Tiande summoned a pink jade seal and pressed three seals upon me, locking all my veins and abilities. I was powerless to force the nails out, collapsing to the ground.
"Both the Soul-Locking Nails and the Twin Elements Divine Seal—my little Qiao was always gentle as water, but now you’re so wild and unruly..." Tiande gazed at me, his expression sickeningly sweet when he mentioned "his little Qiao."
"I’m not your little Qiao! Whoever she was, she must have been blind to love you!" I cursed him in my heart.
Tiande smirked and tossed Yujing’s fan onto my body. "Tell me, wouldn’t marrying you to your enemy Mingzhong be a fate worse than a blade through the heart? Since you love Yun Xiao, I won’t let you die so easily. Isn’t life worse than death more interesting?"
I lay on the ground, weeping in regret...
Regretting that, in my moment of crisis, I remembered her words "live well" instead of ending my life with my sword.
"Oh, I forgot—you’re mute. The Soul-Locking Nails will turn you into a powerless lamb. I’ll send you to the debauched Mingzhong and Mingbo, to thoroughly disgrace that dead High God! Let’s see how he maintains his lofty pride!"
As he spoke, Tiande suddenly pointed toward Mount Sumeru, his face contorted with hatred. "Your Yun Xiao is right there! Call to him! Can he still shield you? Beat his victory drum for him! He’s dead! Dead! His soul scattered, do you understand? Gone forever—there is no more Yun Xiao, the God of Light!" He grinned, face twisted with malice.
Tears streamed down my face...
"If he weren’t sealed in that crystal coffin, I’d whip his corpse myself! However he once beat me, I’d repay it double! You Jade Pure disciples gave him a fine coffin—no matter! Yun Xiao even had you hidden away! Giving you to the Netherworld is better than whipping his corpse!" Tiande looked more demonic than any fiend.
"You claimed to love me! If you did, you should’ve obeyed! Not stood in my way!" With a flick of his sleeve, Tiande strode off.
He’d secretly summoned the shadow soldiers, laid the Heavenly Net, set three divine seals, and driven thirteen Soul-Locking Nails into me, dragging me away from my master’s side despite my desperate resistance.
Once I’d been dressed in full princess regalia, Tiande’s consort, Lei Ci, pretended to escort me, but in reality, she forced me into the bridal carriage for the marriage alliance. I watched helplessly as she smiled and tucked the Seventh Princess’s fan into my hand.
The curtains of the carriage fell, shutting out the Thirty-Three Heavens, Mount Sumeru, the crystal coffin, him, the light, and all hope—leaving only darkness...
On this day, the "Yu Fei" who kept vigil for the departed threw herself into the Celestial River for Yun Xiao, while the "Seventh Princess" of the Celestial Palace set out on a marriage alliance with the Netherworld.
In the hope-filled longing for peace among the Celestial lords... amid Prince Tiande’s mad laughter... and as the Jade Pure Realm and Hundred Flowers Isle plunged once more into sorrow... the splendid bridal carriage bearing the "Seventh Princess," with its lavish dowry and escort, soared over mountains and rivers, heading for the Netherworld...
The "Seventh Princess’s" tears fell silently through the clouds, drifting down to the fields below, paving the endless road of her forced marriage...
"Master! I was wrong! I should never have gone to Kunlun Xu, never have taken you as my teacher! I shouldn’t have stayed in the Jade Pure Realm, shouldn’t have remained in the Thirty-Three Heavens!" But that cry was heard by no one but my own heart.
Unable to live, unable to die, unable even to call out—within the searing pain of the Soul-Locking Nails, I wept in silence until I lost consciousness...