"It shouldn't be. I scouted the area earlier. There are no other cultivators within a radius of several miles," Zhai Bairong said calmly.
"Even if there were, they wouldn't dare strike at three Deity Transformation cultivators... Could it be that the lightning tribulation isn't over yet?" A sliver of doubt rose in Nie Shiyun's heart. He looked up at the sky, which had suddenly turned a blinding, piercing white. He had never seen such a sight before, and even when he released his divine sense, he couldn't perceive what was up there. This unknown situation immediately put him on high alert, shaking off the complacency of a century of peaceful life.
"Not over yet? Is this really necessary? May I ask what sins I committed in my past life to deserve this?" Xuan Yang asked in disbelief.
Shen Yan stepped forward and grabbed Xuan Yang, whispering, "This is no time for jokes. Keep your mouth shut."
Both Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong were standing ready for battle, which meant the situation was truly extraordinary.
Something began to vaguely appear within the white light in the sky, exerting immense pressure on Shen Yan and making his chest feel tight. He knew he was the one with the lowest cultivation and would inevitably be a burden if something went wrong. However, at this moment, the sheer force of that presence made it impossible for him to even take a step to flee.
The sky seemed to tear open, and a pillar of golden light shone down upon the earth.
In an instant, the ground that had been charred black by the previous lightning tribulation was revitalized, and lush green grass sprouted only in that specific spot.
"To think that after several thousand years, there are still kin left in the lower realm."
"Hmph. It’s actually a hybrid! There’s no benefit for us in bringing such a fellow back; it’s a waste of effort..."
Two blurry figures appeared amidst the clouds, looking down at the group below from their high vantage point. Their slightly contemptuous voices were not hidden at all, drifting directly into the ears of the group. It was clear they didn't take these people seriously at all.
While the others had yet to react, the moment Nie Shiyun heard the words "lower realm," he understood almost instantly.
They were people from the Upper Realm!
Or rather... the Yao race of the Upper Realm?
"I didn't expect... I didn't expect the ascension path used by the phoenixes to be different from ours," Nie Shiyun murmured.
Zhai Bairong had already learned much about the background of the cultivation world from him. It took him a few extra seconds, but he quickly understood as well.
It was true that the human race's ascension path had been closed for thousands of years for some reason. But now it appeared that, at the very least, the phoenix race's path to ascension remained intact! It was just that for thousands of years, there had been no phoenix descendants left in the lower realm, so no ascension had ever occurred.
In the original story, Xuan Yang had followed Duan Mingyu to the Upper Realm long before he reached the Deity Transformation stage, so naturally, no one had known about this.
This was bad.
Nie Shiyun glanced at Xuan Yang, who still hadn't come to his senses.
If Xuan Yang went to the Upper Realm, could he and Zhai Bairong continue their leisurely lives in the cultivation world? But if he used his immortal artifact to chase after them, he would face the risk of being unable to repair the path and perhaps never seeing Zhai Bairong again...
Before Nie Shiyun could think it through, the two figures in the clouds spoke again.
"Hey! You, little hybrid over there, don't just stand there like an idiot. Come here! You should be grateful, shouldn't you? Orders came from above that anyone with phoenix blood must be brought back. You're lucky."
"Are you talking to me?" Xuan Yang pointed at himself, finding it hard to believe. "Brought back... you mean... to the Upper Realm?"
"Where else? Stop dawdling, it's annoying!" a female voice complained impatiently. "Ugh... the spiritual energy in the lower realm is so thin. I don't want to stay here for another second."
"Sister, endure it for a while. For this hybrid to advance in such a harsh environment, perhaps his aptitude is unexpectedly good. After we take him back..."
The voices that followed were lowered, and the people on the ground couldn't hear them clearly. However, Nie Shiyun could roughly guess. He could feel that the cultivation of these two was above the Deity Transformation stage, but not outrageously so. Combined with what they said, they were likely just two juniors of the Phoenix Clan responsible for running errands. This job probably came with a commission; the higher the aptitude of the kin they brought back, the more benefits they would receive.
In an instant, the lofty image of the Upper Realm's inhabitants plummeted.
In Nie Shiyun's view, as long as they still valued profit, people were essentially the same no matter where they were.
Unaware of what Nie Shiyun was thinking, Xuan Yang was the first to panic: "I'm not going!"
Shen Yan said urgently, "Hey, are you an idiot? How many people in the cultivation world dream of ascending, and here you are saying this?"
"I'm not going alone," Xuan Yang insisted, grabbing Shen Yan's hand tightly. He looked up at the two figures in the clouds and shouted, "Hey! We're kin, right? Let me tell you, my aptitude is great! For my sake, take them up with me too!"
"Ha? What kind of pipe dream is he talking about? Hey, this kid is too ungrateful! Let's give him a lesson. The higher-ups said to bring him back, but they didn't say he had to be brought back in one piece!" The female voice in the sky was full of indignation at being provoked.
"Calm down, Sister..."
Nie Shiyun thought to himself that this woman's personality was quite similar to someone he knew...
Seeing Xuan Yang's face full of panic and resistance, Zhai Bairong comforted him in a low voice, "Don't worry. Even if you are separated from us for a time, we will surely meet again in the future."
"..."
Xuan Yang gripped Shen Yan's wrist so hard that the latter felt a bit of pain.
"Two senior Divine Beasts. We cultivators of the lower realm have never seen cultivators from the Upper Realm in our lives. We were momentarily awestruck by your heroic bearing. Our apologies! I wonder if we might have the honor of beholding your esteemed countenances?"
The others were startled, their eyes focusing on Nie Shiyun, who had suddenly spoken.
"Hmph, at least someone has eyes."
"Is there a need, Sister?"
"We're in no hurry anyway. Let them broaden their horizons."
Nie Shiyun smiled. As expected, this woman was the type who was easily influenced by others. The one next to her, who seemed to be her younger brother, was much more level-headed but seemed to listen to her.
The two figures in the clouds shifted from blurry to solid, descending accompanied by a dazzling light. Piercing through the clouds, the two who finally landed on the ground were a pair of identical twins. Both had beautiful fiery-red hair that shimmered under their natural radiance.
Nie Shiyun put on an appropriately awestruck expression.
It seemed that this situation wasn't something Xuan Yang could refuse. However, since they could communicate, he needed to fish for as much information as possible. Nie Shiyun decided to take it one step at a time.
"So beautiful!" Nie Shiyun said, though he didn't mean it.
"Hmph, of course. Sigh, men of the lower realm are so unrefined..." The phoenix woman twirled a lock of her hair. Though her words were disdainful, she couldn't hide her smile.
Nie Shiyun had long known from Xuan Yang's inheritance that members of the Phoenix Clan were all exceptionally beautiful. He estimated that this female cultivator was probably just average within her clan; otherwise, she wouldn't have such an inflated sense of superiority just from being praised by a human from the lower realm.
Sensing Zhai Bairong's subtle gaze on him, Nie Shiyun sent back a helpless look. Zhai Bairong understood but silently looked away without any outward reaction. Nie Shiyun couldn't help but find it a bit amusing.
"Si-Sister..."
The young man beside her suddenly grabbed the woman's arm. As if he had seen something unbelievable, his gaze was fixed on Xuan Yang, as if trying to bore a hole through him.
Nie Shiyun frowned slightly. He and Zhai Bairong instinctively took a small step forward, as if to shield Xuan Yang behind them.
The woman seemed to feel that her brother's agitation was losing face for their Divine Beast clan. She let out a dissatisfied "Hmm?" and turned around. Upon finally seeing Xuan Yang's face up close, she too instantly showed a look of shock.
"The Phoenix Emperor..." The woman was so startled she took two steps back.
Xuan Yang felt that there were too many unexpected situations today; he simply couldn't keep up with the pace.
"Daring to impersonate the Phoenix Emperor's face is a great sacrilege!" the woman shouted after recovering.
"What are you talking about? This is just my face!" Xuan Yang said indignantly.
"Sister, the Phoenix Emperor has been in the highest level of the Upper Realm all these years. He shouldn't have seen him," the male cultivator pulled his sister and muttered in a low voice. "This is practically a younger version of the Phoenix Emperor..."
Seeing that the two weren't answering his questions at all, Xuan Yang grew angry. "Hey, can you speak more plainly? Either speak up or don't let us hear a word. Who is the Phoenix Emperor? The Upper Realm is divided into levels? I'm dying of anxiety here. Can you take them up or not? If not, I'm not going to the Upper Realm!"
"B-but, they are humans. Whether they ascend or not has nothing to do with our Phoenix Clan..."
The twins looked at Xuan Yang with incredibly complex expressions. If it were a moment ago, they would have punished this junior for his arrogant words. But facing such a face, they instinctively didn't dare to speak recklessly, and their attitude unconsciously became more respectful.
...Understood.
So Xuan Yang's identity is the illegitimate son of the Phoenix Clan's boss.
While everyone else was dazed, Nie Shiyun quickly understood.
Because this trope was far too common in novels!
Nie Shiyun thought for a moment. The twins hadn't said "we can't take them," they only expressed reluctance to take humans to the Upper Realm—meaning, it was possible.
Although this had happened too suddenly, such an opportunity would be hard to come by again if missed. Nie Shiyun looked at the twins, who were clearly confused by Xuan Yang's face, and spoke up: "Seniors, my Dao companion and I found Xuan Yang's egg over a hundred years ago and helped him hatch. When he broke his shell, he told us his father came from the Upper Realm and happened to come to the cultivation world, disappearing before he knew of his existence. He looked like he was from the Crow Clan, and we didn't know his true identity, so we formed a contract with him and raised him..."
The twins looked at each other. Exactly two hundred years ago, the Phoenix Emperor and the Dragon Sovereign had a private brawl. After being injured, the Emperor accidentally fell to the lower realm, though he returned a few decades later. This matter hadn't been spread; only their two clans should know!
"Are you saying my father is that Phoenix Emperor person?" Xuan Yang turned and asked.
"Most likely... indeed so..." the twins replied tremulously.
"I don't know who the Phoenix Emperor is, but he seems to be some powerful guy," Xuan Yang might not be good at much, but he was an expert at taking advantage of a situation. "Then my status should be more noble than yours, right? In that case, listen to me and take them to the Upper Realm together! You heard him just now, right? They saved me when I was abandoned; they are my life-savers. And this one is my Dao companion. Although he hasn't reached the Deity Transformation stage yet, the path is already open. It should be no problem if you help, right?"
"..."
The twins fell silent.
"Understood... fine."
Seeing them relent, Xuan Yang looked delighted.
The two immediately added, "But there are only two of us, so we can only take two extra people."
Hearing this, Shen Yan silently took a step back.
Xuan Yang didn't notice and insisted, "Eh? Then can you come back once more after going over?"
"The path isn't opened by us. We are just ordered to receive our kin! Two people is the limit." The twins' tone became firm again. If it weren't for the fact that Xuan Yang was very likely the Phoenix Emperor's child, they wouldn't help humans at all!
Xuan Yang seemed to want to argue further, but Nie Shiyun shook his head.
The twins glanced at Nie Shiyun and the others with some dissatisfaction, choosing their words carefully: "Our Phoenix Clan are ancient Divine Beasts; we wouldn't deign to travel with humans! But we also don't want to owe humans a favor. Taking them up this time will settle the debt. Once we are outside our territory, we will part ways. Our Phoenix Clan won't care whether they live or die."
"Yes, that is only right."
It was Nie Shiyun who spoke.
Xuan Yang was somewhat unwilling, but Nie Shiyun gave him a look.
When one is under another's eaves, one must bow. Xuan Yang was still too impulsive.
The phoenix woman glanced at Nie Shiyun, thinking that this human was quite sensible. The Upper Realm was not an easy place to survive, but for this person, it wouldn't hurt to give him some benefits before leaving him...
Nie Shiyun already had a plan in mind. He gave Shen Yan and Zhai Bairong a push and said, "You two go."
Shen Yan was stunned. Nie Shiyun meant for him to go?
Zhai Bairong reflected for a second and quickly understood Nie Shiyun's meaning.
Going together with Nie Shiyun was obviously the most convenient choice. But over the years, they had both witnessed the boy's persistence. Shen Yan also didn't seem entirely indifferent... If they parted here, Xuan Yang would surely be distracted and lost. Furthermore, once the few of them left, the cultivation world would surely be thrown into an uproar, and the situation of the Yunqing Pavilion they left behind would become very awkward. It was the best choice for Nie Shiyun to stay behind, settle everything, and follow later.
A flicker of hesitation crossed his mind; even Zhai Bairong couldn't help but feel uneasy.
What if something went wrong with the repair of the immortal artifact? What if, facing their friends and family at Yunqing Pavilion, Nie Shiyun's heart softened and he couldn't bear to leave?
All these thoughts eventually crumbled, finally turning into a short, powerful sentence: "I'll wait for you."
Nie Shiyun smiled. "Don't worry."
The two exchanged only a couple of brief sentences, but beyond that, no further communication was needed for them to understand each other perfectly.
Shen Yan looked at them. Based on his knowledge, Nie Shiyun would never give up Zhai Bairong just to help him. He immediately understood that Nie Shiyun likely had another way.
Shen Yan lowered his head. He wasn't Xuan Yang's Dao companion, nor had he ever bestowed any favors upon him. He hadn't even reached the Deity Transformation stage, yet he had obtained an opportunity that countless cultivators in the world dreamed of... He shouldn't owe such a massive favor.
But...
Looking up at Xuan Yang's nervous gaze, Shen Yan couldn't say for sure what he was feeling. In the end, he looked away and didn't say the words "I have nothing to do with him."
"What, so the one who formed a contract with our kin was you... Anyway, once you get to the Upper Realm, dissolve the contract for me." Seeing Zhai Bairong walk over, the phoenix woman complained casually, with a hint of regret.
"Yes. I know."
Zhai Bairong responded coldly, while subtly furrowing his brow. Only Nie Shiyun saw it.
*Ah, it seems this woman is disliked by Bairong. There aren't many people who can earn Bairong's distaste,* Nie Shiyun thought to himself, finding it a bit amusing.
***
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 149 | The Phoenix Emperor's Likeness | Novela.app | Novela.app
