C1856 An Invitation from the Underground
Indeed!
The words of Crow Hag invigorated Xu Zixi and her fellow human cultivators, while also sending a shiver through Yu Yuan's spirit.
After the Dark Phoenix captured the little spinosaurus, it promptly advanced into the Dark Star, aiming to first dissolve the Solar Meridian before attempting to elicit a response from the Primal Blood.
The Dark Phoenix's understanding of bloodline power had soared to unprecedented heights, paving the way for a novel cultivation system.
What was once deemed impossible now seemed achievable in the hands of the Dark Phoenix.
"It's not just them."
A peculiar gleam shone on Crow Hag's creased face as she addressed the evilkind who lacked even the ability to shapeshift, "You, who carry the bloodline of the evilkind, once you depart the Everlands for the extraterrestrial realms, can aspire to elevate your bloodline to the tenth level without the so-called origin!"
"I am among her most trusted confidants. She has confided in me many secrets. She will be your beacon of hope!"
Upon hearing her words, the seventh level evilkind and the grievously wounded archdemons couldn't contain their excitement, their eyes drawn to the extraterrestrial with a burning desire.
They longed to soar into the vast Star River at once, to hear the Dark Phoenix confirm these revelations herself.
The departure of a Dark Phoenix clone and the targeting by the major forces of the Everlands had dampened the spirits of these evilkind and human cultivators, leaving them adrift in uncertainty about the future. Yet, they found themselves reinvigorated once more.
"Phoenixes..."
Yu Yuan's gaze drifted beyond Crow Hag, settling on the evilkind behind her.
There stood several phoenixes.
Some were enshrouded in flames, their wings a deep, fiery red. Others were encased in ice, with silver-white wings enveloped in cold fog.
And there were those exuding a rich scent of plant essence, their green feathers resembling fresh, tender leaves.
These phoenixes were distinguished by gender, their eyes sparkling with intelligence, the hallmark of the spiritually endowed evilkind.
Peering into their majestic phoenix forms, Yu Yuan squinted, detecting the faint scent of the supreme Dark Phoenix.
Could they be the progeny of the Dark Phoenix?
Yu Yuan, intent on discovering a method within Shadow's Keep, cast an odd glance that left the phoenixes uneasy, fearing he might have sinister intentions for them.
These phoenixes, kin to the Dark Phoenix, were far better informed than the sects of the Everlands. They were aware that their leader had repeatedly clashed with Yu Yuan in the vastness of space.
Yu Yuan had emerged as a formidable adversary to Shadow's Keep, a force to be reckoned with, one that even their patriarch had to seriously contend with.
"The Phoenix lineage originated in the Everlands, predating even the history of humanity! In fact, the human and Naga races, along with others, only came into being following the demise of a certain individual."
Crow Hag stepped back, fearing Yu Yuan intended harm towards the phoenixes, and positioned herself protectively in front of them, her voice heavy with foreboding.
"In the days before the supreme Old Spinosaurus perished within the Everlands, the Phoenix Clan was the most revered among the evilkind. It was only after the Old Spinosaurus's death that the Nagas emerged, their superior lineage overshadowing all other clans."
"She was once an unremarkable member of the Phoenix Clan. Yet through a series of metamorphoses, she ascended to become the mightiest among the Phoenix, and the ultimate power within the Everlands' evilkind."
"It was her ascension that transformed the Phoenix Clan of the Everlands, causing a fundamental shift in the bloodline of every new generation. Now, any being with even a trace of Phoenix blood is seen as her progeny."
"She became the root of the Phoenix bloodline. To the Phoenix, the ultimate horizon of their lineage is personified by her."
Crow Hag's face was etched with solemn reverence as she extolled the virtues of the Highest Dark Phoenix.
The previously unsettled Phoenix now held their heads high with pride, basking in their shared glory.
With a whoosh, a silver-white Phoenix, possessing an eighth-level bloodline, fluttered its wings and cried out sharply, "Wei Feng, whom you all conspired against years ago, carried part of my bloodline. She was a mixed-blood descendant I fathered after taking human form."
Wei Feng?
Yu Yuan paused, taken aback.
He had always believed that Wei Feng, with her Phoenix lineage—and presumably a descendant of the exalted Dark Phoenix—was of noble birth.
Now it seemed that any creature bearing the Phoenix bloodline could claim descent from the supreme Dark Phoenix.
Wei Feng, with a mere wisp of that lineage, was indeed a descendant, but not a direct child of hers.
Boom!
A memory sparkle burst into existence.
Suddenly, Yu Yuan glimpsed the ancient Everlands, a desolate time before the Old Titan Spinosaurus had arrived, when Phoenixes and Sky Fiends first emerged.
Among them was a slight female Phoenix, once bullied by her peers.
Then, one day, she snapped into awareness. She began to distinguish herself within the Phoenix Clan, growing ever stronger. Upon reaching the status of a tenth level Dark Deity and slaying several of her kin, she even assimilated the male Phoenix bloodline, granting her the ability to shift between genders at will.
The extraordinary vision was fleeting, vanishing quickly.
Yet, Yu Yuan's expression turned increasingly peculiar.
The resemblance between the once-ostracized petite female Phoenix and Yu Zhu was uncanny in his eyes.
Could the young girl truly be her descendant, or even her direct bloodline?
His own daughter?
...
In the Fireheart Mountains.
Mo Baichuan, deep beneath the earth, emerged from the magma pool clutching the Earthfire Crucible, his face alight with joy from sensing the will of the Earthfire.
"Shadow's Keep, Yu Yuan."
High above the Land of Quiescence, Mo Baichuan appeared amidst the clouds, gazing down at the Shadow's Keep.
Yu Yuan felt a connection. Lost in thought, he looked up at the distant clouds. Without summoning the Dragon Slaying Stage, he could see Mo Baichuan's silhouette. "Baibai, what brings you to call upon me so suddenly?"
After dissolving the Dark Phoenix Blood Rune and taking the Earthfire Crucible into the flames below, Mo Baichuan responded to Yu Yuan's inquiry, "The ultimate flame has discovered a solution to the Dark Phoenix's theft of vital energy from living creatures. It requires your Solar Spirit to traverse and make contact with the soul sea."
Yu Yuan was familiar with the Soul Sea, also known as the Primal Soul.
"To cross it?" Yu Yuan was inwardly astonished.
As the most extreme flame capable of incinerating any living creature, legend had it that only the soul, or something as pure as Sunsilver Essence, could pass through it.
Could his Solar Spirit traverse the Earthfire?
"It will grant passage."
Mo Baichuan stated, "It will make way temporarily, allowing your Solar Spirit to descend into the deepest reaches of the soul sea. It has revealed that within the soul sea, there are remnants of the arcane tied to the Dark Phoenix's bloodline. When the Dark Phoenix ascended to godhood, the bloodline rules branded upon the Demon Heart were also etched into the soul sea."
"That mark, which binds to the blood of all living creatures in the Everlands, can only be wiped away by your Solar Spirit."
"Therefore, it is imperative that you attend in person with your Solar Spirit." Mo Baichuan was merely the bearer of the message, conveying the Earthfire's intent to Yu Yuan, who was still brooding over the issue within Shadow's Keep.
"My Solar Spirit..."
Yu Yuan pondered for a moment, not immediately providing an affirmative response. "I cannot leave at present. My Solar Spirit must oversee a critical stronghold and resolve some matters."
"I am simply the messenger," Mo Baichuan said.
...
The fiend Qiyan returned from the Hellmouth through the Domain Channel in the Moonfall Sanctuary.
Upon reaching the Everlands, Qiyan immediately inquired about Yu Yuan's whereabouts from the Boulderdawn sect's experts.
"He ventured to the Rainbow Ocean to concoct potions after departing from Shadow's Keep."
"Understood."
Several hours later.
Qiyan crossed the enhanced Shadowflame Blight Array without hindrance and found the cluster of thatched huts where Yu Yuan had been deep in thought.
"You were seeking me?" Yu Yuan asked, taken aback.
"Allow me entry to the Dragon Slaying Stage; I've brought an important message," Qiyan stated gravely.
"Entry to the Dragon Slaying Stage is necessary?" Yu Yuan, puzzled, flashed a wry smile. "I doubt there's anyone in the Everlands now who could eavesdrop on our conversation without my consent."
"I must enter the Dragon Slaying Stage," Qiyan maintained.
Unable to dissuade him and sensing the gravity of the news Qiyan carried, Yu Yuan summoned the Dragon Slaying Stage and drew him inside with a Lunar Spirit.
"Your real body must accompany you!" Qiyan demanded.
His peculiar insistence caused Yu Yuan's expression to darken, and he proceeded to enter the Dragon Slaying Stage, bringing Qiyan along in his real body.
"..."
