Translator: CinderTL
A moment later, Xu Sanyan frowned as he looked at Qin Manyang, who stood alone. "Just you?"
Qin Manyang pouted. "Lin Fan was supposed to come too, but that kid got heartbroken and said he needed to train alone. He asked me to let you know."
"Heartbroken?" Xu Sanyan glanced sideways. Was the female lead already making her debut in that kid's script?
"Yeah, the Zuoqiu Clan's young princess," Qin Manyang explained, summarizing the whole story.
Xu Sanyan nodded, dismissing it. Instead, he felt a strange sense of shame at the phrase "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west."
"Holy Son, where do we go next?"
Xu Sanyan pondered briefly, then lowered his head to look at his storage pouch and whispered telepathically, "Nether Phoenix Returns to Its Nest, Unable to Discern the Times. What does that mean?"
Sensing his gaze, the old man replied in the same manner, "Nether Phoenix refers to the Divine Beast phoenix after death, whose soul spirit we imprisoned and sealed. Of course, it's not a complete Phoenix Soul Spirit; this secret realm only contains a weak remnant of its soul."
Xu Sanyan frowned. "Do phoenixes truly exist in this Martial World?"
"Of course," the old man replied, his tone doubtful. "Could it be... even the Phoenix Clan couldn't escape the heavenly tribulation?"
Phoenixes could be reborn through nirvana, possessing extraordinary vitality. Logically, they should have been the species with the greatest chance of survival.
Xu Sanyan didn't press further. Such matters were far beyond his current concerns; they weren't something he needed to consider at this stage. His sole focus now was the treasure within the secret realm.
"Please continue, Senior."
"Nether Phoenix Returns to Its Nest, unable to discern the time of day. Where would it be unable to discern the time of day?"
Before Xu Sanyan could answer, the old man said, "Naturally, underground."
"Underground?" Xu Sanyan's tone grew grave. "But the underground is teeming with countless corpse demons. How can we descend?"
"Didn't you obtain the map from the previous trial?" the old man countered.
Xu Sanyan produced the paper from the sixth trial. "Senior, do you mean this?"
"Exactly. This map leads directly to the Nether Phoenix's nest. If all goes well, it should allow you to avoid all the corpse demons along the way."
"Where do we enter?"
"Simply find any well near the city center and climb down."
Xu Sanyan asked, "What treasures are there?"
"A wisp of the phoenix's phantom soul is a treasure in itself," the old man explained, seeing Xu Sanyan's confusion. "If you can subdue it, you can draw upon the Nether Phoenix's power to refine your divine soul, imbuing it with a trace of the phoenix's essence. Its uses are boundless."
Refine my divine soul again?
Xu Sanyan was only at the Dao Seeking Realm, yet his divine soul had already been doubly enhanced by the Soul Condensation Technique and the Great Solitary Mountain Soul Realm, making it comparable to that of an Initial Stage Soul Refining Realm cultivator. If he added this Phoenix Soul Spirit...
He wanted to see just how far he could condense his divine soul.
For now, Xu Sanyan decided not to enter. Gathering the group was the priority.
With more hands, things would be easier. He pulled out the mother stone and asked, "Where is everyone?"
"Replying to the holy son, we're being chased by corpse demons."
"Replying to the holy son, we're being chased by the bald donkeys from the Demon Subduing Temple."
"Replying to the holy son, this disciple doesn't even know where we are."
Xu Sanyan took a deep breath. "Sigh..."
Finally, some good news: "Replying to the holy son, we're almost there."
Moments later, Elder Ren arrived with three others. Xu Sanyan finally felt a sliver of relief; at least Elder Ren was reliable.
"Greetings, Holy Son," Elder Ren and his companions bowed in unison.
Xu Sanyan helped them up. "Just the three of you?"
Elder Ren had reached the Peak Stage of the Dao Seeking Realm, while the other two were at the Initial Stage. Not bad—they could still be of some use.
"Holy Son, there were originally five of us," Elder Ren explained, shaking his head. "We encountered a corpse demon on the way and were separated."
"Forget about them. Let's find a place to hide for the night. We'll head to the city center at dawn."
"Understood."
The group of six found an empty house and settled in to wait quietly.
Meanwhile, Fang Qingge was hurrying along with Wei Xunzhi and Junior Sister Yu.
"Senior Brother, where exactly are the Luo Family siblings?" Junior Sister Yu asked, sounding weary.
Fang Qingge's tone turned serious. "Brother Luo hasn't replied to my messages. Qingwei said he found a treasure and is being hunted by disciples of the demonic sect. He's wounded, so we need to get there quickly to help."
"A treasure...?" Wei Xunzhi asked, her curiosity piqued. "What kind of treasure?"
Fang Qingge stopped and turned back, looking at her earnestly. "I don't know, but since I'm close to Brother Luo, I must go help him. Immortal Maiden, there's no need for you to get involved. If the Wei Clan were to incur the demonic sect's wrath, it would be disastrous."
Wei Xunzhi feigned anger. "Senior Brother Fang, what do you mean by that? Are you looking down on us women?"
Fang Qingge waved his hands frantically. "No, no, no! I meant no such thing. Immortal Maiden, please don't misunderstand."
"Then say no more and let's hurry on," Wei Xunzhi said, finally revealing a smile.
"Ah... On behalf of Brother Luo, I thank you, Immortal Maiden." Fang Qingge shook his head. He had hoped to shake off this woman, but she was as stubborn as a mule. This is going to be difficult...
Junior Sister Yu pursed her lips, muttering under her breath, "Tagalong."
Meanwhile, far to the north of the city,
Luo Changtian, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, clutched his chest as he fled frantically. Beside him ran a fellow disciple, also severely wounded.
The disciple hesitated. "Senior Brother, what exactly did you obtain? If it's too much... we should prioritize survival. Once Senior Sister arrives, we can seize another opportunity to retrieve it."
He didn't know what Luo Changtian had found inside the tower, but of the original five, only the two of them remained. In another moment, he feared he too would die.
Luo Changtian shook his head solemnly. "No, this item is of utmost importance. We cannot afford to lose it."
"What exactly is it?" the disciple pressed again.
After a moment's hesitation, Luo Changtian still refused to reveal it. "Junior Brother, let's split up for now. Those demonic whelps will undoubtedly chase me first, giving you a chance to escape."
The disciple's anger flared, veins bulging on his clenched fist. "Senior Brother, do you take me for a coward who clings to life? Though I cherish my life, I fear not death. If you believe this item is more important than our lives, then what does it matter if I sacrifice this mortal shell?"
"Good! That's the spirit of a disciple of the righteous path!"
Luo Changtian stopped and retrieved a medicinal pill from his robes, swallowing it. "Even if we both perish, this item must never fall into the hands of the Demonic Path. The stakes are too high; we must be cautious."
"Mm."
After a brief rest, the two resumed their flight, pursued relentlessly by Qi Liang, Jiang Qinqin, and eight or nine disciples.
Qi Liang didn't know what Luo Changtian had obtained; he had only seen a jade slip, placed at the tower's highest point and protected by a formation.
When he arrived, he witnessed Luo Changtian break through the formation and retrieve the jade slip.
Jade slips were typically used to record information, such as cultivation methods, mystical arts, or secret matters. A single slip could store an immense amount of data.
These artifacts were exceedingly rare due to the scarcity of materials. The jade required for their creation was particularly precious.
But the true value lay in the information they contained.
Seeing Luo Changtian's unwavering determination—"I would rather die than surrender this jade slip"—only confirmed its immense worth.
"I must obtain it!" Qi Liang resolved, turning to Jiang Qinqin. "Quickly summon Fang Xiang. Tell him I accept his terms."
"Understood."
(End of the Chapter)
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