Chapter 1721 — Two Mothers-in-Law

Crown Prince Youming returned to the Southern Heavens and found Bai Yuqiong on the prow of the ship, transformed into a Vermilion Bird.

Bai Yuqiong remained in a dazed stupor, seemingly acting on instinct to carry the Southern Heaven human race aboard the vessel away from the battlefield, departing along the Heavenly River.

Crown Prince Youming approached. Bai Yuqiong seemed to recognize him, yet also not to recognize him, and did not attack.

Crown Prince Youming examined her and frowned deeply. There were far too many memories in Bai Yuqiong's mind—so many, and in such chaos, that her consciousness had become clouded.

Crown Prince Youming tried to sort through her memories for her, but they were far too vast and tangled, leaving him at a loss as to where to begin.

"What happened to her?" he asked the people of the Southern Heavens.

The people aboard told him what had transpired, but they were mere mortals and could not possibly know why Bai Yuqiong had undergone such a transformation.

Crown Prince Youming felt somewhat lost, unsure how to handle the situation.

In the distance, Shang Pingyin led the remnants of the Heavenly Court, not daring to draw near.

This was the Heavenly Court's granary. Though Winged Raksha Heavenly King had been defeated, the Heavenly Court would certainly send even more powerful beings and greater forces. The calamity of the Southern Heavens would continue.

Crown Prince Youming gazed into the distance at Shang Pingyin, who stood upon a tower ship far away, leaning on the Glazed Azure Heaven Banner.

The Glazed Azure Heaven Banner had been seized by Winged Raksha Heavenly King, and now it had fallen into Shang Pingyin's hands.

Crown Prince Youming felt somewhat at a loss. Though he was the crown prince of the Two Mysterious Emperors, he was not skilled at leading troops into battle—especially not at commanding these Southern Heaven mortals who possessed virtually no power. He was utterly in the dark.

The people on the tower ships he had rescued had already been sent to other heavens to take refuge temporarily, but this was merely a stopgap measure. If the Heavenly Court reinforced its troops, these humans would have no escape.

Just then, Crown Prince Youming suddenly sensed a peculiar summoning force coming through the void. This force locked onto him, yet it was not pulling him away—rather, someone in another world was employing a reverse summoning divine ability, attempting to come through.

His heart stirred slightly. This aura belonged to Dragon Qilin, with which he was quite familiar, so he did not resist.

After a moment, Dragon Qilin descended from the Beast Realm, standing atop the head of an enormous void mother-beast.

"Is the war in the Southern Heavens over?"

Dragon Qilin looked around, somewhat surprised, and asked, "Where is Meng Yungui?"

Crown Prince Youming recounted what had happened. Dragon Qilin fell silent for a long while, then said, "A true hero."

Crown Prince Youming asked him to examine Bai Yuqiong. Dragon Qilin inspected her for a moment and said, "Her current condition is quite peculiar. It seems the memories of the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird have awakened and are mingling with the memories of her nearly two hundred lifetimes, causing her thoughts to fall into chaos. If the two sets of memories fully merge, she will regain consciousness."

"After she awakens, will Bai Yuqiong still be Bai Yuqiong?" Crown Prince Youming asked.

Dragon Qilin shook his head. "She will be the Southern Emperor. I just examined her and found that their memories have already begun to merge."

"Then has Bai Yuqiong died because of this?"

Crown Prince Youming felt some regret and said, "I do not think Bai Yuqiong is merely a part of the Southern Emperor. She is a living, breathing person. If she were to become an insignificant part of the Southern Emperor, it would truly be a pity for such a heroine among women."

Dragon Qilin pondered for a moment and said, "The memories of the Southern Emperor and Bai Yuqiong have already begun to merge. Once this merging starts, it cannot be interrupted. Moreover, her thoughts are currently in extreme chaos—it is very difficult to distinguish which memories belong to Bai Yuqiong and which belong to the Southern Emperor. I do not possess such a divine ability to help her sort through her memories. In this world, there is only one person with such a divine ability, and that is the Hierarch."

Crown Prince Youming looked at him, and the Southern Heaven people aboard the ship also revealed expressions of hope.

Dragon Qilin looked at their faces, hesitated, then gritted his teeth and said, "The Hierarch's Way of Reincarnation can allow her to keep her own memories, to remain Bai Yuqiong. In truth, the Hierarch has always held great affection for Bai Yuqiong, precisely because they share the same affliction. Bai Yuqiong is the reincarnation of the Southern Emperor's soul, yet she developed her own consciousness and became an independent life. The Hierarch is likewise a second consciousness born from the same body. Back then, it was because of a few words from Bai Yuqiong that the Hierarch did not directly act to make her become the Southern Emperor. If I go to plead with him, the Hierarch will most likely agree to awaken Bai Yuqiong. However, doing so will likely offend the Southern Emperor..."

He hesitated and said, "The Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird is fiercely determined to reclaim her own soul. When Bai Yuqiong awakens the Vermilion Bird soul, she certainly will not be able to hide it from her—she will inevitably sense the revival of her Vermilion Bird soul. If I go to seek an audience with the Hierarch and she learns of it, she may not dare to harbor resentment toward the Hierarch, but she will certainly hold some grievance against me. She is my mother-in-law, and her daughter is already married to me..."

The Southern Heaven people aboard the ship all knelt down and pleaded, "We beseech the honored deity to save our benefactor..."

Dragon Qilin's expression changed drastically. He hastily dodged aside. "Jingping has no custom of kneeling to others! Get up, all of you. I agree to it—at worst, I offend my mother-in-law!"

His expression shifted uncertainly as he paced back and forth, saying, "In any case, Bai Yuqiong can be considered half a mother-in-law to me. Even if I offend the other half of my mother-in-law, this matter is still worth doing... You Southern Heaven people are always praying to gods and buddhas, placing your hopes in others. How to break the gods in your hearts—that truly requires Mother-in-law Bai..."

His aura suddenly surged. He employed his summoning divine ability, and one after another spatial rift appeared above Flamebright Heaven. Beast kings of ancient titanic beasts flew out from the rifts.

Among them, many giant beasts transformed into towering giants—these were the divine ability users of the Beast Race, and these Beast Race divine ability users were Dragon Qilin's direct subordinates.

Dragon Qilin summoned over ten thousand Beast Race divine ability users and beast kings in one breath, then said to Crown Prince Youming, "You do not have sufficient forces and are no match for a Heavenly Master like Shang Pingyin. I will first give you these forces to deal with the emergency. After Mother-in-law Bai is awakened, you and I can leave the Southern Heavens and hand the Southern Heavens over to her."

"How will you go to Jingping?"

Crown Prince Youming said, "The journey to Jingping, even at your speed, would take several years. By the time you see Shepherd Heavenly Venerate, I fear Heavenly Master Bai will already have been assimilated."

Dragon Qilin laughed. "The Hierarch and I are like father and son... brothers! Hmm, like brothers and sworn kin! I will employ the reverse summoning divine ability to lock onto him. I do not have enough magical power to reach his side, but if the Hierarch senses me, he can summon me over!"