The next day, the group set off for the Phoenix Clan’s territory.
One might have thought that after being plotted against within the Phoenix Clan, Shen Yan would be reluctant to return. However, he clearly had no intention of staying behind in human territory to wait for the others. Nie Shiyun recalled that this fellow was indeed the type to settle every score; he wasn't one to shrink back just because of a single brush with danger. It seemed Nie Shiyun had worried for nothing.
"It should be this way..." Xuan Yang muttered, looking at the mountain range where every peak looked identical, his voice trailing off with uncertainty.
"Are you sure?" Nie Shiyun asked, his expression full of doubt.
"Uh..."
Seeing Xuan Yang struggling, Shen Yan sighed. "It’s this way. It seems you don’t remember the way back to the Phoenix Clan at all. I’ll lead."
The Phoenix Emperor had previously instructed Xuan Yang to bring Nie Shiyun back to see him before departing. He likely hadn't expected Xuan Yang’s memory to be so poor; if not for Shen Yan, his son might not have found his way back for decades.
"You remember the way?" Nie Shiyun asked, surprised.
"The terrain here likely hasn't changed in hundreds of years. After all, I fled from the Phoenix Clan step by step back then. I remember it very clearly," Shen Yan said calmly.
Xuan Yang’s expression darkened with a hint of sadness. Whenever he thought of the harm Shen Yan had suffered, his opinion of the Phoenix Clan soured. But given the current circumstances, they had no choice but to return.
Noticing Xuan Yang’s lowered head, Shen Yan intentionally teased, "And you call yourself a member of the Yao race? Is your sense of direction worse than a human's?"
"..." Xuan Yang looked up and continued to stare at Shen Yan.
Uncomfortable under that self-reproachful gaze, Shen Yan quickened his pace to walk ahead, muttering under his breath, "Isn't everything fine now? Stop dwelling on it."
Nie Shiyun, who had intentionally lagged behind a bit, turned to Zhai Bairong and whispered, "Speaking of which, you also left the Phoenix Clan to head toward the port town. You remember the way too, don't you?"
Zhai Bairong nodded. "Naturally. But since Xuan Yang is in front of his partner, I thought I should save him some face."
Walking ahead, Xuan Yang finally reached his limit and turned back to shout, "Then keep your voices down!"
So he was the only one who didn't remember the way! Xuan Yang tried to find an excuse for himself—it must have been because he was too frantic when searching for Shen Yan back then. Care breeds chaos; all other details had been cast to the back of his mind.
Although the group traveled quickly, the Phoenix Clan was still far from the regions where human towns clustered. At their current speed, unless they traveled day and night without rest, they would inevitably have to camp in the wild for a few days.
"I’m long used to living in the wild. But you two..." Shen Yan looked at Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong. He didn't have any memory of these two ever roughing it. After all, even back in the secret realm when cultivators of all paths were struggling through wind and snow, these two had set up a shop to live a comfortable life.
With the space—especially now that its area had grown large enough to be used as a cultivation cave—Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong indeed rarely slept outdoors. Realizing this, Nie Shiyun turned to Xuan Yang in surprise. "You’ve actually kept your mouth shut this whole time."
Shen Yan wore a look of confusion.
Xuan Yang said conflictedly, "I did think about whether I should say something! But you were the one who said that this matter, above all else, must never be mentioned to anyone."
"True. But I figured if it were Shen Yan, there wouldn't be much of an issue if you told him. Otherwise, I would have specifically warned you. I didn't expect you to be so trustworthy. Impressive," Nie Shiyun said with a smile.
Xuan Yang: "..." Why did it sound like he was being praised, yet the words felt like a scolding?
"What are you talking about?" Shen Yan couldn't help but interject, hearing them speak in riddles.
Nie Shiyun looked at Shen Yan. Even setting aside the fact that Xuan Yang and Shen Yan were partners, they had known each other for over a century. Moreover, having come from the lower cultivation world to the Upper Realm, they were the only ones working together to repair the Ascension Channel and establish "Yunqing Pavilion." Despite knowing that interests usually reigned supreme in the cultivation world, at this moment, Nie Shiyun was willing to trust him.
Once Nie Shiyun finished explaining the function and wonders of the space, even Shen Yan, who usually remained stoic regardless of the situation, was completely stunned.
"Such a thing... is it really alright to tell me? This is too incredible; the fewer people who know, the better," Shen Yan said, still not quite recovered. He had some knowledge of formations and knew that high-level spatial compression arrays could shrink caves or buildings to be carried around. But there was absolutely no known method in this world to compress a space while it contained living beings.
Spirit beast pouches were an exception, but it was said that the beasts inside had to have a contract with the cultivator and could not perceive the outside world. Their state inside the pouch was no different from a sleeping, inanimate object. That alone made them worlds apart from Nie Shiyun’s space.
Seeing Shen Yan’s worried expression, Nie Shiyun smiled. "The fact that you’re asking that proves I didn't misjudge you."
Upon learning that Nie Shiyun’s space had appeared out of thin air, had no contract or master-recognition, yet could not be opened by anyone else, Shen Yan couldn't help but marvel that perhaps this was "one favored by the Heavenly Dao."
"The Heavenly Dao...?" Nie Shiyun murmured. "Far from being favored, I once had a very troublesome time fighting against the Heavenly Dao..."
He had revealed the matter of the space to make things easier for their future collective actions. However, he had no intention of telling the stories of his past. Firstly, it was all over and there was no need; secondly, those facts were far too complex. Even if he explained them, Shen Yan might not understand.
Even Xuan Yang only knew bits and pieces, but he had been young back then and likely didn't remember much now. Currently, the only person who fully understood the circumstances of Nie Shiyun’s arrival in this world was Zhai Bairong, who had once seen the original world through an illusion.
Compared to the wild, the interior of the space, which Nie Shiyun had meticulously arranged, was naturally more suitable for spending the night. With his mental permission, the other three successfully entered the space and found their own spots to meditate and rest.
Xuan Yang couldn't help but pull Shen Yan along to give him a tour. "Shen Yan, Shen Yan, I was born right here!"
"Ah..." Shen Yan, having processed a lot of information at once, responded somewhat slowly.
"It was about two years before I met you, I think? Before that cultivation competition, I hatched on the mountain of Pinyin Pavilion. Speaking of which, I’m clearly a male bird, yet I was born in Pinyin Pavilion! People would laugh if they knew, wouldn't they?"
Shen Yan looked away helplessly. "Stop reminding me how old you were back then..." The scene from that time was still vivid in his mind, yet now...
Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong had already walked to the side, their backs to the other two as they discussed serious matters.
"The Phoenix Emperor might not allow Shen Yan and me to enter and meet him with you. I’m wondering if I should stay in the space. If anything happens, I can react accordingly," Zhai Bairong said worriedly.
Nie Shiyun replied, "To be honest, if the Phoenix Emperor truly intends to harm me, with our current cultivation, there’s no difference whether there’s one of us or two. Don't worry, I’ll be careful when I speak with him."
Zhai Bairong also knew the gap in their strength. Just as he was about to nod, Nie Shiyun continued, "However, knowing you’re right by my side will put my mind at ease. So, please stay in the space and accompany me."
Zhai Bairong was stunned for a moment, then a faint smile graced his lips. "Naturally."
A few days later, the four arrived at the border of the Phoenix Clan’s territory.
This was Nie Shiyun’s first time here, but the other three had no pleasant memories of this place. The atmosphere around them suddenly turned cold.
After advancing a short distance, they were soon spotted by Phoenix Clan members patrolling the border. The patrol was initially startled by the human aura, but upon seeing Xuan Yang’s face—which was more persuasive than anything else—they immediately recalled the instructions the Phoenix Emperor had given months ago and calmed down.
"The Phoenix Emperor said Xuan Yang would bring a human cultivator named Nie Shiyun to see him. But I never heard anything about other humans. Which one of you is Nie Shiyun?" a Phoenix girl asked.
"As expected," Nie Shiyun sighed, asking for a moment of their time.
The group retreated a short distance. According to their prior plan, Shen Yan stayed outside, while Zhai Bairong entered the space to go into the Phoenix Clan with Nie Shiyun. Xuan Yang was torn; although he knew it was safer for Shen Yan not to enter, the trauma of Shen Yan disappearing while he was in seclusion had left a significant psychological shadow. He was extremely reluctant to part ways now.
Nie Shiyun leaned in and whispered something. Xuan Yang and Shen Yan looked slightly surprised, then Nie Shiyun nodded to them and turned to leave alone.
In the end, only Nie Shiyun walked back to the Phoenix girl.
"You are Nie Shiyun?"
"I am," Nie Shiyun replied politely.
"Eh? Where’s Xuan Yang?" The Phoenix girl looked around.
"The Phoenix Emperor ordered him to bring me to the Phoenix Clan, but he never said Xuan Yang had to attend the audience as well. He’s probably flown off somewhere by now. In any case, I’ll trouble you to lead me to the Phoenix Emperor."
"This..." The Phoenix girl thought about it; the orders indeed only mentioned bringing Nie Shiyun and said nothing else. She nodded, remaining wary of this human she was meeting for the first time. She told Nie Shiyun to follow closely and not to look around aimlessly on the way.
Looking at the endless forest surrounding them, Nie Shiyun guessed that the Phoenix Clan’s actual residence was still some distance away.
"Can I use a flying sword here?"
The Phoenix girl gave Nie Shiyun a strange look. Her arms transformed into wings, and she flapped them twice as if showing off. "You humans can't fly. If you don't use a flying artifact, how will you keep up with me?"
Nie Shiyun gave a wry smile and didn't argue. He silently took out his flying sword and mounted it. From mid-air, he could see the lush mountain forests nearby, but not a single house. They indeed had a long way to go.
The Phoenix girl noted the flying sword—its blade was slender and shimmered with a silver light, and the hilt was inlaid with several types of gemstones she had never seen before. It was much more beautiful than average flying artifacts. She couldn't help but steal a few more glances.
"Hmph, your taste in flying swords isn't bad."
"You flatter me. It just so happens I made it myself," Nie Shiyun said politely.
The Phoenix girl seemingly hadn't expected this human to be an artifact refiner. The Yao race was naturally more efficient at cultivation and had longer lifespans than humans, but those skilled in artifact refining were rare. Within the Phoenix Clan, artifact refiners were highly regarded.
She hesitated for a moment before letting out an "oh," as if trying to hide the fact that she had accidentally praised this human’s craftsmanship, and hurriedly flew forward.
Nie Shiyun thought to himself that the Phoenix Clan really did love flashy things, just as the rumors said.
Thanks to this little interlude, the Phoenix girl leading the way was no longer as prickly as she had been at the start. While her attitude wasn't exactly friendly, she at least answered Nie Shiyun’s polite questions as they flew over the Phoenix Clan’s spirit fields and residences.
The Phoenix territory was even larger than Nie Shiyun had imagined. Forget their small Yunqing Pavilion; even the largest sects in the lower cultivation world, which occupied several great mountains, weren't even half this size.
Yet, after flying for half a day, Nie Shiyun hadn't seen many Phoenixes. The land was filled with spirit trees and medicinal herb fields. When he finally spotted some residential areas in the distance, the houses weren't very dense. This meant that such a massive expanse of land with top-tier spirit veins was enjoyed exclusively by the Phoenix Clan. Their cultivation resources were ahead of the starting line from the moment they were born.
Thinking that the Phoenixes' pockets must be as deep as the Dragons', Nie Shiyun suddenly heard the Phoenix girl say, "Most of the clan lives near here. But the Phoenix Emperor lives on that mountain further away. We will wait at the foot of the mountain. If the Emperor is free, he will send a maid to bring you up."
"And if he isn't free?" Nie Shiyun asked. He had heard that the Phoenix Emperor spent most of his time away from the clan when not in seclusion, wandering about and being quite the philanderer.
"If he isn't free, then you wait at the foot of the mountain until he is!" The Phoenix girl gave Nie Shiyun a look that said, "Isn't that obvious?"
"Fair enough," Nie Shiyun quickly agreed.
The Phoenix girl told Nie Shiyun not to move from the spot. After landing, she transformed her wings back into human arms and walked forward to speak with another clansman. That person glanced at Nie Shiyun a few times, nodded, and turned to go up the mountain to report.
Nie Shiyun looked around. The residential area at the foot of the mountain was like a small, beautifully built town. Many Phoenixes, seeing a human in their midst, cast curious glances his way. Of course, there were also more than a few malicious glares directed at the human cultivator.
Nie Shiyun gently rubbed the jade pendant with his finger. Although he couldn't communicate with Zhai Bairong in the space right now, nor could he see him, knowing that they were sharing the same view and feeling the cool touch of the jade made him feel much more at ease.
It had to be said that the Phoenix Clan’s efficiency wasn't very high—or perhaps the Phoenix Emperor simply enjoyed putting on airs. Nie Shiyun felt like he had been standing at the foot of the mountain for a full half-day. He had almost begun to think the Emperor really wasn't in the clan and that he would be waiting for a year or so when the Phoenix who had gone to report finally came down.
"The Phoenix Emperor is willing to take time out of his busy schedule to see you. Follow me!"
Nie Shiyun: "...Alright." He was definitely putting on airs. It was the Phoenix Emperor who had asked to see him, and he had traveled all the way from the lower levels to accept the invitation.
Following the guide to the Phoenix Emperor’s cave dwelling—or rather, his palace—Nie Shiyun was told he could enter alone.
Nie Shiyun politely thanked the guide and, without hesitation, pushed the door open and strode inside.
