Xuan Yang had only just reached the Deity Transformation stage when he ascended. Shortly after arriving in the Upper Realm, he had been ushered into a muddled state of secluded cultivation, oblivious to the world outside. In the blink of an eye, thirty years had passed.
The Phoenix Emperor had commanded Xuan Yang to strive for the Body Integration stage within two hundred years. For an ordinary member of the monster race, this would have been a blatant attempt to make things difficult. However, in the Phoenix Emperor's eyes, his own descendant was bound to possess extraordinary latent talent, so raising the requirements slightly was only natural.
Yet, Xuan Yang proved even more exceptional than expected. In just this short amount of time, he had successfully advanced to the Void Refinement stage. His lightning tribulation had passed with ease, as if he were deeply favored by the Heavenly Dao.
"He should be continuing his seclusion until the Body Integration stage, shouldn't he?" The Phoenix Emperor had sensed the arrival of the lightning tribulation earlier. Now, hearing a clansman report that Xuan Yang had successfully emerged from seclusion, he couldn't help but reveal a faint, gratified smile.
"That should be the case. Such speed is truly incredible. It seems that in less than two hundred years—perhaps within a hundred—our Phoenix Clan will have a young Great Completion stage cultivator."
"Advancing to Great Completion is no easy feat," the Phoenix Emperor huffed softly, implying that Xuan Yang still had a long road ahead of him.
The Phoenix Emperor did not have many children—certainly not as many as that fellow from the neighboring Dragon Clan. Compared to the Dragon Clan’s method of completely leaving their descendants to fend for themselves, he at least kept an occasional eye on his children’s circumstances. Whether he actually took those observations to heart was another matter.
That being said, everyone in the Phoenix Clan could vaguely sense that Xuan Yang was unexpectedly highly regarded by the Phoenix Emperor.
"This... this is bad! Xuan Yang, he..."
The tranquility of the Phoenix Emperor’s residence was suddenly shattered by a shout.
"Look at where you are! Why are you acting so recklessly?" the Phoenix Emperor’s maid glanced displeasedly at the newcomer, blaming her for such a loss of composure that disturbed the Emperor.
"But..."
The Phoenix Emperor found their bickering a headache and waved his hand to indicate he didn't mind. "Dispense with the formalities. You seem to have urgent news. What happened to Xuan Yang?"
"Previously, wasn't there a human living with him? But not long after he entered seclusion, that human left due to some... circumstances..." The maid who came to report found it difficult to speak. In truth, they all knew the man hadn't left on his own; he had been targeted by several of Xuan Yang’s elder brothers, severely injured, and thrown out. At the time, that person’s cultivation hadn't even reached Deity Transformation. The Phoenix Clan was situated deep within ancient forests, and the woods outside their territory were teeming with high-level demonic beasts. No one knew if the man was even still alive.
The Phoenix Emperor was also aware of this. He originally had no favorable impression of humans, and since the ones who did it were also his sons, he naturally hadn't bothered to intervene.
"What, is he throwing a tantrum?" The Phoenix Emperor sighed.
From his appearance to his talent, Xuan Yang fit his expectations perfectly. One could say he was more satisfying than any previous child. There were only two flaws: first, his true form was pitch black, lacking the magnificent colored wings of the Phoenix Clan; and second, he had been raised by humans since childhood and was far too close to outsiders.
"It’s more than a tantrum! He asked around for news and has already charged into the estates of several of his brothers to start a massive brawl!"
Seeing that the Phoenix Emperor still looked as though he considered this a mere childhood squabble, the maid couldn't help but emphasize the severity of the situation. "Several young masters have sustained varying degrees of serious injuries. One grotto-estate was blown apart, and Xuan Yang himself is not lightly injured. We could only try to mediate; we didn't dare strike out rashly... Phoenix Emperor, you should go there personally!"
The entire Phoenix Clan was in a state of extreme anxiety. On one side were the Phoenix Emperor’s older sons, and on the other was the young son who had just been brought back and was quite highly regarded. They couldn't justify helping either side.
Their cultivation levels were now roughly similar. Back when Xuan Yang was only at Deity Transformation, he could hold his own against his pampered elder brothers, suffering only minor injuries. Now that he had advanced to Void Refinement, the fight was even more balanced. The bloodshot look in Xuan Yang’s eyes made it seem as though he truly intended to kill his own biological brothers. Only then did the onlookers begin to feel afraid, so while intervening to break up the fight, they hurriedly sent someone to inform the Phoenix Emperor.
"Nonsense! Do they think the rules established by our Phoenix Clan don't exist?" the Phoenix Emperor roared. He slammed his hand on the side table, shattering the teacups and frightening the maids so much they didn't dare breathe.
Within the Phoenix Clan, aside from mutually agreed-upon sparring, kin were forbidden from harming one another. Occasional disputes were meant to be settled with restraint; those who crossed the line would face severe punishment or permanent exile from the clan.
Seeing the Phoenix Emperor rise to leave, the two maids in the room exchanged uneasy glances and hurriedly followed.
The Phoenix Clan’s territory was not small, and the locations of the various grotto-estates were quite scattered. Even with the Phoenix Emperor’s Golden Immortal cultivation, it wasn't a matter of just taking two steps out the door. By the time he arrived, all that remained were the ruins of a grotto-estate smashed to pieces by Xuan Yang and several sons with varying degrees of injuries. They were usually pampered within the clan, and when they went out, as the heads of the monster race, both monster and human cultivators would give them face. When had they ever experienced such a pathetic situation?
The Phoenix Emperor swept his gaze over them, but the perpetrator, Xuan Yang himself, was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is Xuan Yang?"
"He ran away!" Seeing the Phoenix Emperor arrive, the sons began to complain one after another about Xuan Yang’s atrocities.
"Father, you must deal with that fellow! We understand he’s new to the clan and doesn't know the rules, but attempting to kill his own kin is no small matter!" the Phoenix Emperor’s second son wailed, clutching a wound on his face. After speaking, he turned to the people nearby. "You saw it, right? I did nothing; he was the one who attacked first!"
Regardless of who started it, since Xuan Yang wasn't present, it was best to push all the responsibility onto him.
"Heal your wounds. Look at you all—what a disgrace." The Phoenix Emperor looked at the group of soot-covered brats and urged them on with disdain. Fortunately, this was within the clan; if this were seen outside, it would have completely shamed him.
The sons pursed their lips and silently took medicinal pills to restore their wounds. The injuries they left visible were all minor; they had intentionally avoided treating them immediately, hoping their father would see and they could play for sympathy. It seemed the effect had not been achieved.
The Phoenix Emperor glanced at the group of boys, then turned to ask a clansman, "Has Xuan Yang left the Phoenix territory? Is anyone following him?"
"Without your instructions, we didn't dare act rashly. We only sent people to follow him quietly..." the other party said cautiously.
The Phoenix Emperor nodded. "Don't move yet. Just keep following him. I will contact him later."
"As you command," the clansman replied.
"Father, what are you waiting for? Quickly capture him and punish him! He wanted to kill—"
The Phoenix Emperor glanced at him. His face was expressionless, but everyone present, including his biological sons, felt a sudden chill. The words the second son hadn't finished were all choked back down.
"The three of you couldn't beat one newly advanced Void Refinement cultivator who just came out of seclusion? He is several hundred years younger than you," the Phoenix Emperor asked his disappointing sons in return.
The three brothers looked at each other, unable to argue. How could they have known that kid Xuan Yang would play for keeps?
Usually, when they practiced with others, they stopped before things went too far. They had never been pressed so hard by moves carrying such killing intent. Strictly speaking, Xuan Yang, who had used lethal moves against his kin, had violated the clan’s taboo.
But looking at the Phoenix Emperor’s attitude, it didn't seem like he intended to place blame on Xuan Yang...
The Phoenix Emperor gave orders to those nearby to begin repairing the destroyed buildings and tossed several bottles of pills to his sons, telling them to go and rest.
He didn't say a word about Xuan Yang’s punishment, and the others didn't dare ask, so they could only silently obey and withdraw.
After the Phoenix Emperor left, the second son, who had wanted to hold Xuan Yang accountable but was instead questioned by his father, said with a face full of resentment, "What do you think Father is thinking? He clearly acquiesced to throwing that human out! Why is it that now, when Xuan Yang is making trouble for us, he doesn't side with us..."
"..."
The three of them fell silent. They all vaguely knew the answer.
Xuan Yang was born in the lower realm and had always lived with humans; he had no sense of identity as a member of the Phoenix Clan, and his feathers were pitch black, not at all fitting the Phoenix aesthetic of pursuit of magnificence. If it weren't for the fact that his human form looked as if it were carved from the same mold as the Phoenix Emperor, he might not have even received the treatment of a son.
But in the end, the path of cultivation valued strength above all else.
If the Phoenix Emperor was initially interested in Xuan Yang because of his appearance, now that he saw the boy’s talent for cultivation was as outstanding as his own, it was obvious. Given the Emperor's personality of being satisfied with everything about himself, he would certainly be biased toward Xuan Yang.
According to the attendants who had been watching over Xuan Yang’s residence, he had remained composed even after the lightning tribulation, as if nothing had happened. He had rushed out excitedly to find that human, looking completely at ease.
If Xuan Yang had heard them discussing this, he would have certainly had something to say. Before ascending, he had been struck by a massive tribulation without any preparation and nearly lost his life. Before that, he had been struck along with Nie Shiyun during several of the latter's tribulations. He had almost started getting used to being struck by lightning...
The Phoenix Clan was abuzz with discussion, no one knowing if the Phoenix Emperor intended to let things slide or settle the score later. Xuan Yang, the person in question, was completely unaware of this.
When he had emerged from seclusion earlier, the first thing he wanted to do was report his good news to Shen Yan. He had advanced in only thirty years and was in excellent condition. As long as he kept up the effort, he would soon be able to take the other man traveling everywhere!
But Shen Yan was nowhere to be found, and there wasn't a trace of his scent left in the room. Clearly, he hadn't lived there recently. Panicked, Xuan Yang grabbed several clansmen to ask, only to learn that Shen Yan had left shortly after he entered seclusion.
Xuan Yang’s first reaction was indeed that Shen Yan had, as before, vanished without a trace. But he thought back to the events before his seclusion—he had hugged Shen Yan from behind, and the other hadn't shown much resistance. For the first time, Shen Yan had responded directly, saying he would wait until Xuan Yang reached the Body Integration stage so they could leave together... He truly couldn't imagine that Shen Yan had been lying to him.
Refusing to give up, Xuan Yang asked everywhere if Shen Yan had left a message or a letter. Seeing many clansmen with shifty eyes, repeatedly urging him not to care about human matters and that continuing his seclusion to push for Body Integration was the priority, he vaguely sensed something was wrong.
The attendants around him wouldn't say a word. Finally, Xuan Yang sought out those elder brothers who occasionally provoked him. In the end, it was they who told him personally, deliberately speculating that since Shen Yan’s cultivation was so low, he might have already perished in the wilderness.
They had only intended to mock him for amusement, never expecting Xuan Yang to explode instantly, striking them until they were half-dead.
Xuan Yang’s first instinct was, of course, to find Shen Yan immediately. But learning that decades had passed and having no means of contact, Xuan Yang was momentarily filled with despair. Looking at the people before him, he wished he could perish along with them.
As they fought, his own face was bruised, and his mind gradually cooled down. If he kept fighting, that "cheap father" of his would arrive, and perhaps he would be blamed regardless of right or wrong. His Dao heart was already in chaos; even if he were forced to cultivate for another few hundred years, he wouldn't make the slightest progress. Thus, in a final act of venting his rage, Xuan Yang smashed the estate before him to pieces and set it ablaze before quickly fleeing.
"Shen Yan..."
Xuan Yang had already fled several miles outside the Phoenix Clan’s territory. Along the way, he circled at low altitude while calling out. Although he knew that after so long, if the other were safe, he would have surely gone to a secure place and wouldn't be lingering nearby, the clueless Xuan Yang didn't want to miss any possibility. He had nearly called himself hoarse.
If Shen Yan had truly met with an accident because of this, he would level the entire Phoenix Clan! Just thinking about it made Xuan Yang burn with fury.
Immediately after, he spat a few times in his mind. He couldn't be a jinx! Shen Yan was tough; he would definitely be fine.
If only there were a soul lamp right now, his heart wouldn't be so up and down.
Xuan Yang thought sadly. Nie Shiyun and Xuan Yang’s soul lamps were both kept in the Cloud Clear Pavilion, and Zhai Bairong’s had always been in the Moon Reflection Sect. Only Shen Yan seemed to have never had such a thing as a soul lamp. Wherever he went, he was always alone, and his brief stays never lasted long.
Such a Shen Yan had personally promised before his seclusion that they would be together forever in the future. Upon hearing that he had left after emerging from seclusion, Xuan Yang had actually believed it for a moment—it was truly shameful of him.
Xuan Yang decided that once he found Shen Yan, he would have him leave a soul lamp by his side, carrying it wherever he went. That way, even if they were accidentally separated, he wouldn't feel as lost as he did now.
After searching a forest, Xuan Yang was exhausted. The outskirts of the Upper Realm’s higher layer were far too vast. The moon had climbed over the mountain peaks, yet he had flown so far without seeing even a small village. He had run out in a hurry this time and hadn't brought many immortal crystals or pills in his storage space. Although he thought he should save them, Xuan Yang, resting on a tree branch, found he couldn't calm his mind at all. After pacing for a while, he decided to take a pill and continue traveling through the night.
He sensed for a moment; Nie Shiyun’s contract was still there, but he couldn't perceive the other’s aura at all. Likely, he wasn't nearby, or perhaps not even in the higher layer.
Xuan Yang recalled calmly that shortly after arriving at the Phoenix Clan, Zhai Bairong had left alone. The direction he headed should have been toward a town where one could take an immortal ship. And after that, if Shen Yan had reached human territory safely while dragging his injuries, he might have thought of this as well and tried to find Zhai Bairong.
Xuan Yang felt his deduction was quite reasonable. In any case, there were no other clues now. Wandering around the wilderness in the dark would yield nothing. He only hoped that by continuing his journey, he would encounter a living person to ask exactly which direction the town with the immortal ship docks was in.
***
