Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

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The blue sky of Outer Mount Kunyu was replaced by a different view. Looking into the distance, black voids from elemental explosions scattered between the sky and the ground. The wild chaotic energy lingered in a place messily covered in the debris from the tree.

The space was on the verge of collapsing. It had severely twisted from the overwhelming energy present. The berserk energy had created a chaotic storm, aiming to bring utter destruction upon the place!

The vast sea of grass was currently covered in holes, ravines, and pits. The sacred tree was in ruins, too. It was no longer magnificent and spectacular!

"I...I've let many people down, but most importantly, I've let you down. If I can still do something for you and the others. I'll use everything I have to destroy this devil!" Yan Shi's hair was falling off, a sign that her life had reached its end, that she had used up all the energy of her soul.

The Moon Moth Phoenix beat her wings and caught Yan Shi, who was falling along with the broken branches in the air. The demon tree still had not given up on murdering the old woman, even in her final moments. Roots wriggling like maggots rose into the air, aiming to suck all the life force from the Moon Moth Phoenix.

If it could acquire the energy of a Totem Beast, it could easily recover in ten years. Outer Mount Kunyu was no longer suitable for it. It had decided to move somewhere else. It was difficult for a plant-type demon creature like it to migrate, but anything was better than being annihilated by the humans eventually!

The demon tree knew there was a human who was strong enough to kill a Totem Beast in Yantai a long time ago. It initially thought the human had already passed away, since they normally had a short lifespan. To its surprise, she was still alive, and had managed to learn its secret!

When a human who could be considered a half- Forbidden Mage tried to take something down with her, even a demon tree that had lived for a thousand years or more could not remain unscathed. The Giant Purple Sacred Linden had suffered serious damage. Four of its main trunks had collapsed before it managed to inflict serious injuries on her. However, the Moon Moth Phoenix showed up just as the human was about to die!

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The Moon Moth Phoenix flew across the cloudy sky and headed toward the exit of the valley.

She had helped Yan Shi destroy the fourth trunk of the Giant Purple Sacred Linden, but she too had reached her limit...

The Moon Moth Phoenix used all her strength to escape with Yan Shi. Even though they had a chance to kill the devil by taking out the last trunk, even though they were unwilling to accept the outcome, they had no choice but to admit that they had passed their prime.

The sky eventually cleared up ahead. The valley filled with blood and corpses faded into the distance. The Moon Moth Phoenix was able to locate Mo Fan and the others by following Yu Shishi's presence...

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"It's the Moon Moth Phoenix!" Lingling pointed into the sky.

Yu Shishi looked up and saw the Moon Moth Phoenix now covered in wounds. She was so feeble that it felt like she was about to collapse in any second.

Mo Fan quickly took out his medicine, but it was no use. The injuries inflicted by the demon tree were incurable. Besides, Yan Shi had reached already the brink of death. Healing her physical injuries would not make any difference.

"Grandma..." Chen Yi's eyes reddened. Seeing Yan Shi like this reminded Chen Yi of her mother.

Yan Shi and Jiang Feng were truly mother and daughter. They were both willing to sacrifice everything for their beliefs!

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Yan Shi was laying on some soft leaves. Her eyes were staring at the Moon Moth Phoenix as she kept repeating the same words.

The Moon Moth Phoenix suddenly turned into light dots and vanished before the group. A tiny glowing moth beat its wings and landed on Yan Shi's shoulder.

Yan Shi had reached her limit. She was reliving her past. She had gone from an intern whose legs were trembling when she faced a demon creature to a leader of the magic community. She had earned the respect of people with her legendary achievements, yet she had deemed herself a failure for the last thirty years of her life!

She had failed as a mother. She was unable to protect her daughter Jiang Feng when she was suffering. She was a heartless Totem Guardian. She had abandoned her beliefs and tried to kill the Totem Beast she was supposed to be protecting. Everyone had high hopes that she would become a Forbidden Mage. She also thought becoming a Forbidden Mage was her life goal, but she realized all that would be left of her on the day she became a Forbidden Mage would be an empty shell, as she had let everyone who was close to her down. What was the point of becoming a Forbidden Mage?

Compared to Jiang Feng, who gave her all to protect Chen Yi; to her daughter who was willing to live a lonely life in the North Burning Valley just to keep her promise; to the Moon Moth Phoenix who was willing to believe her and walk into her trap; to the little Moon Moth Phoenix who was still willing to stand on her shoulder even after she had betrayed her, she was absolutely nothing and insignificant. She could not even keep the promise that she had given to Xiao Dongxia...

Yan Shi kept murmuring to herself. She kept repeating the painful words in deep remorse.

Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan looked at the old woman. They were shocked to learn that she was a half-Forbidden Mage, but they were more touched by the remorse she was showing.

Yan Shi stretched her hands out, as if she could no longer see. She happened to catch Mo Fan's hand.

Mo Fan thought Yan Shi was looking for Chen Yi. He was helping her to reach Chen Yi's hand, but Yan Shi grabbed his hand tightly instead.

"Don't...don't let the people close to you down, don't let the people close to you..."

Mo Fan thought Yan Shi would keep repeating the same words, but the temperature of her body dropped before she could repeat it a second time!

The little moth that the Moon Moth Phoenix had turned into was now wrapped inside a white cocoon. She had reached the end of her current cycle, together with Yan Shi's death...

Yu Shishi nervously held the moth in her hands. The Moon Moth Phoenix was incredibly weak, no different than an ordinary blue moth. Its glow slowly moved toward Yu Shishi and disappeared into her body, as if it had established a special connection with her.

"You are the next Totem Guardian of the Moon Moth Phoenix," Lingling told the helpless Yu Shishi.

"Will she remember everything that happened?" Yu Shishi asked.

Yu Shishi could sense that the Moon Moth Phoenix was constantly in pain. She was trying to escape from reality by falling into a deep slumber.

"Perhaps not. She has reached the end of her current life cycle, together with the old woman," Lingling said.

"Mm, I'll take good care of her," Yu Shishi nodded.

Yu Shishi had not known the Moon Moth Phoenix had such a past. She was extremely moved when she realized that the Moon Moth Phoenix was willing to save her and grant her a new life, even after she was brutally betrayed by the humans.

Were the Totem Beasts really just some dangerous existence that would turn into man-eating devils, as some people had claimed?