After Feng Ran ascended to the Divine Realm with Jing Jian eight hundred years ago, the Phoenix Emperor of Wutong Phoenix Island became the one known in legends as Feng Yin.
The Tower of Soul Repose was forged from primordial divine power, a process that took years. Back then, he had given the ancient Tower of Soul Repose as an offering to Dong Hua as a token for Yuan Qi’s apprenticeship, but Dong Hua, in his desire to atone for Yuan Qi, gifted it to the Phoenix clan. Now, aside from the tower used by Bi Xi, the Lord of the Ghost Realm, to subdue myriad spirits, Feng Yin was the only other one in the lower three realms who possessed such a tower.
Tian Qi had once glimpsed this new Phoenix Emperor briefly, but it was only a fleeting look before her soul faded into slumber in the ancestral forest of the phoenixes. To say he and this new Phoenix Emperor were connected would be stretching the truth.
Rumor had it that her path to nirvana had been tumultuous, involving a near-apocalyptic love affair with his nephew that almost destroyed the three realms. Now that Yuan Qi was reduced to ashes, she probably had no desire to see anyone from the Divine Realm.
Tian Qi did not hide his divine aura. The moment he arrived on Wutong Phoenix Island, Feng Yun, the Phoenix clan’s elder, came forward to welcome him. Upon hearing Tian Qi’s request to borrow the Tower of Soul Repose, Feng Yun respectfully began leading him to the ancestral forest of the phoenixes.
Sensing that the Phoenix Emperor herself hadn’t come out to greet him—even though not even the Ghost King Xiu Yan would dare neglect him in this way—Tian Qi raised an eyebrow.
Seeing this, Feng Yun quickly offered an explanation. “Please don’t be offended, Divine Lord. Our Emperor departed eight hundred years ago for a lengthy period and, upon her return, sealed her divine senses. She may not be aware of your arrival. She has since taken up residence in the ancestral forest and hasn’t left Phoenix Island for centuries. Our Emperor has decreed…” Feng Yun paused nervously, casting a cautious glance at Tian Qi. “Unless it is a matter of life and death for the Phoenix clan, none are allowed to disturb her within the forest.”
The phrasing implied that allowing Tian Qi to meet the Phoenix Emperor was already a significant gesture from the Phoenix clan, considering his status as a True God.
Sealed her divine senses? Realizing that Yuan Qi’s demise coincided with this event eight hundred years ago, Tian Qi sighed softly. Rarely one to drop his divine bearing, he merely waved dismissively to Feng Yun.
They landed at the southern edge of the island, amidst a lush grove of phoenix trees. As Tian Qi took in the scenery, he couldn’t help but pause in surprise.
He was familiar with the Phoenix clan’s ways. The island had always been home solely to phoenix trees, and the ancestral forest’s appearance had remained unchanged for hundreds of thousands of years. But somewhere along the way, the deepest part of the forest had been transformed into a secluded immortal residence.
With green trees, fresh grass, a brook, bamboo pavilions, mystical beasts, and flowers in full bloom, it all looked strikingly familiar. Tian Qi scrutinized the scene for a moment before realizing where he’d seen it before.
This place was almost identical to the forbidden valley Dong Hua had carved out on Mount Daze.
Just then, the bamboo gate creaked open, and a young woman emerged. She paused, surprised to see the two by the brook, her gaze resting on Tian Qi’s face. Her calm eyes flickered with a faint emotion, and she offered a respectful bow.
“I am Feng Yin, humbly greeting the True Lord Tian Qi.”
The young woman had phoenix-like eyes, simple wooden hairpins in her hair, and plain clothes—exactly as she had looked when she slumbered in the ancestral forest years ago.
“You’ve sealed your divine senses, yet you recognize me?”
A trace of recollection appeared in her eyes. “Many years ago, I entered Purple Moon Mountain. There, in the hall guarded by Three Flames, I saw a portrait of you, Divine Lord.” She hesitated, a faint smile playing at her lips as if recalling something amusing. “As a child, I often heard him recount stories from the palace at Qing Chi. Over time, I grew familiar with the person he often remembered.”
Tian Qi had come for the Tower of Soul Repose, and standing face-to-face with Feng Yin now brought the reality of Yuan Qi’s passing into sharp focus. Though he was an ancient True God, an unexpected sting touched his eyes.
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