Chapter 1396: Purification

The Cangfeng Nation, within the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, was home to the Phoenix Remnant Clan.

The turmoil of the profound beasts in the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range continued, growing more intense by the day. Fortunately, the Phoenix Remnant Clan was protected by the Phoenix Barrier, remaining untouched.

With a flash of light and shadow, Yun Che appeared within the Phoenix Remnant Clan. As he looked at the familiar surroundings, a myriad of emotions welled up in his heart.

Here, he had received the Phoenix inheritance, been reborn, found solace, and reunited with Chu Yuechan and Yun Wuxin.

He had fallen here accidentally years ago while being pursued, never imagining then that this small, secluded haven would repeatedly change his life.

Within his sight, a young Phoenix disciple was diligently cultivating. The Phoenix mark between his eyebrows glowed with increasingly vibrant flame-light. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he opened his eyes and saw Yun Che standing before him, smiling.

"Zuer, it seems you've made progress again," Yun Che said with a slight smile.

"Ah!" Feng Zuer exclaimed softly, quickly standing up. "Benefactor Brother, you... you're here."

"Yes, I came to find Xian'er," Yun Che replied, his gaze shifting forward, sensing Feng Xian'er's presence.

Upon hearing "Xian'er," the excitement on Feng Zuer's face stiffened slightly. He bit his lip, lowered his head, and his voice took on a deep plea: "Benefactor Brother, I... I know Xian'er made a huge mistake, but... but she truly didn't mean to. For the past two days, she's... cried so many times, staying cooped up in her small house every day, refusing to take a single step out... She... she's truly full of remorse. Please, can you forgive her?"

"..." Yun Che's expression tightened. He let out a soft breath and said, "Zuer, Xian'er has never been wrong. The one who should be asking for forgiveness isn't Xian'er, it's me."

"Ah?" Feng Zuer froze, bewildered. Just as he was about to say something more, Yun Che's figure vanished from his sight.

Feng Xian'er's boudoir was a simple wooden hut. She sat quietly by the window, her beautiful eyes unfocused as she gazed outside.

Yun Che appeared silently... The air was filled with a scent of profound sorrow.

"Xian'er," he softly called out.

Feng Xian'er's delicate body trembled. She quickly stood up, and when she turned, her beautiful eyes were still tear-streaked. She stared at the suddenly appeared Yun Che in disbelief... After a long moment of stunned silence, she hastily lowered her head, clutching her skirt tightly. "Ben... Benefactor Brother, I... I..."

Her voice was timid and cautious, filled with anxiety. Her head was bowed low, not daring to meet his eyes, like a little girl who had committed a grave sin.

"Xian'er," Yun Che said gently, "I've been very unaccustomed to you not being by my side these past two days. So, will you please come back?"

"Ah?" Feng Xian'er looked up, her beautiful eyes wide, seemingly unable to believe what she heard. Then she became even more flustered and helpless. "I... I made such a big mistake, I was the one who harmed Wuxin, I don't deserve to..."

"The one who made the mistake wasn't you, it was me," Yun Che interrupted her. "You haven't made any mistakes from beginning to end; on the contrary, you saved my Wuxin. And I... at that moment, was filled with anger, completely irrational. My brain also got accidentally slammed by the door when I left Xin'er's room, which is why I said such harsh things to you."

"Pfft..." Yun Che's sudden remark made the unguarded Feng Xian'er chuckle softly. Then, her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and her head dropped even lower.

"Will you forgive me?" Yun Che asked in an extremely gentle voice. "I promise, I'll never speak to you like that again, and I'll never let you leave."

"..." Feng Xian'er wrung her hands tightly, timidly saying, "But... but I..."

"Oh, by the way," Yun Che interrupted her again, "I've found a way to help Xin'er recover. After you come back with me, we can help her recover together."

"Ah!?" Feng Xian'er suddenly looked up. "Is... is that true?"

"Of course it's true," Yun Che affirmed, looking into her eyes and nodding very seriously. "Not only will her profound energy recover, but it will also become even more powerful than before."

Although none of it should have been blamed on Feng Xian'er, she had forcibly taken all the blame upon herself... because it was true that she had brought Yun Wuxin before the Phoenix Soul, and it was true that Yun Wuxin had lost all her power.

Thus, this had become a deep-seated knot in her heart.

If Yun Wuxin could fully recover, this knot in her heart would naturally untie.

"Come back with me," Yun Che said with a smile, his words containing a rare hint of firmness. "Then, together, we'll watch Xin'er get better. Not just me, but Yuechan, Xue'er, Caiyi... and my parents too. They're all waiting for you to return, *cough cough*... and they even scolded me for it."

"..." Feng Xian'er stared at him blankly, her beautiful eyes suddenly misted with tears. She raised a hand to cover her lips, trying with all her might to suppress her tears, but they still streamed down.

"Xian'er..." Yun Che quickly stepped forward. "Are you... still unwilling to forgive me?"

Feng Xian'er shook her head vigorously. Her delicate body trembled violently, and after a while, she said with a sobbing voice, "Can I really... stay by your side... from now on?"

"Yes!" Yun Che nodded without hesitation. "As long as you don't mind."

"..." Feng Xian'er's shoulders trembled even more violently, and she couldn't speak another word.

"Oh, and there's one more thing I need to complain about a little," Yun Che said, tilting his head, his tone soft. "When you left, you took all my spare clothes with you, so I've had to wear old clothes for the past two days."

"Ah!" Yun Che's words made Feng Xian'er let out a soft cry. She instinctively reached for the spatial ring on her finger, and her tear-stained face showed a hint of panic. "I... I forgot... I didn't mean to..."

"Hahaha," Yun Che laughed loudly, reaching out and taking Feng Xian'er's hand. "Then why don't you quickly come back with me?"

"Mm..." When he suddenly took her hand, Feng Xian'er's whole body tensed, but she only offered a very weak struggle before allowing him to lead her out of the house. After just a few steps, a blush had already spread from her cheeks to her neck.

Yun Che didn't immediately leave with Feng Xian'er. Instead, he first visited Feng Baichuan and Feng Caiyun, giving them some rather serious instructions. Then, he and Feng Xian'er together headed towards the Phoenix Trial Grounds.

This was also where the Phoenix God resided.

"Young Master, are you... still blaming the Phoenix God?" Feng Xian'er asked softly.

Yun Che shook his head. "That day, when I woke up and saw Xin'er, completely devoid of profound energy and barely breathing... at that moment, I truly hated everyone. Only after I calmed down did I realize that the only one I had the right to hate was myself."

"It chose to have you stay by my side precisely because it knew you would never harm me, ensuring that I would have no psychological defenses against you," Yun Che sighed softly. "Actually, I should have realized it sooner."

The two arrived before the Phoenix Trial Grounds. The Phoenix Barrier before them was slowly rotating, but it was significantly different from what Yun Che remembered.

The profound light emanating from the barrier was surprisingly faint.

Yun Che reached out, and just as his palm was about to touch the barrier, the crimson flame-light before him suddenly flashed intensely... then slowly dissipated.

"..." Yun Che's hand froze in mid-air.

"Ah..." Feng Xian'er let out a soft murmur. Her phoenix eyes slowly lost focus, then filled with deep sorrow, and her body slowly knelt to the ground. "Phoenix God... Your Excellency..."

The Phoenix aura that had resided and protected this place for many, many years vanished at that moment.

And it was gone forever.

The Phoenix Remnant Clan became utterly silent at this moment. Every person clearly sensed the Phoenix God's passing. They all knelt on the ground, looking up at the sky, tears falling to the earth.

Its passing not only meant that this small remnant clan had lost its Phoenix God, but it also meant... that within the entire Primal Chaos, the last Phoenix Soul bearing the will of the Phoenix had also dissipated between heaven and earth.

From then on, the last traces of the Phoenix remaining in the world would only be those who had inherited its bloodline and power.

Yun Che closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, knelt on one knee, and bowed solemnly towards the front.

Years ago, after bestowing its soul origin and Nirvana Flames upon him, it had very little time left. Three days prior, to draw out the Heretic God's divine aura from Yun Wuxin's profound veins, it had expended every last bit of its remaining power...

It had held on, refusing to dissipate, waiting to bear Yun Che's resentment and anger. And just now, it had heard Yun Che's words, realizing he no longer held a grudge... finally, it peacefully dispersed.

Yun Che stood up and murmured softly to himself, "You said I was 'hope.' I will no longer evade or deny, but will do my utmost to become the 'hope' you desired before 'that day' arrives... This is the only way I can repay you."

After softly speaking these words, his gaze suddenly shifted.

With the disappearance of the Phoenix Soul, the Phoenix Barrier protecting the Phoenix Remnant Clan naturally also vanished.

Large numbers of profound beast auras were approaching in chaos, and each aura was exceptionally violent.

"Clan Leader! This is bad!" At this moment, a frantic voice rang out above the Phoenix Remnant Clan. "The Phoenix Barrier has vanished! Large numbers of rampaging profound beasts are surging towards us! We must fight them immediately!"

In the past, even without the Phoenix Barrier, the profound beasts of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range dared not approach due to the deterrent of the Phoenix God's aura. But now, with neither the Phoenix Barrier nor the Phoenix God's aura, the once gentle profound beasts had become incredibly ferocious. This formerly peaceful haven, situated at the heart of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, had undoubtedly become a disaster zone overnight.

This cry instantly made the atmosphere within the Phoenix Remnant Clan incredibly tense. Streams of Phoenix flames quickly ignited, and everyone braced themselves as if facing a formidable enemy. Feng Xian'er also quickly rose, flying into the sky. A glance revealed agitated auras approaching from all directions, converging on this land they had previously been unable to set foot upon.

Yun Che's body shifted, flashing to Feng Xian'er's side. His clear voice reached everyone's ears: "Everyone, no need to panic. Withdraw your profound energy and temporarily retreat."

As he spoke, he extended both hands, activating his profound light energy. A very faint, yet utterly pure white glow silently spread downwards, enveloping the Phoenix Remnant Clan's territory, then rapidly expanded, covering the entire Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range within mere moments.

Instantly, the roars of the agitated profound beasts suddenly weakened, until they ceased completely. All the frenzied profound beasts stood still, their chaotic gazes, like flames being gradually extinguished, rapidly dissipated, turning into a look of confusion and peace.

The terrifying aura of madness and danger also receded rapidly in every direction, like a tide.

Not only the profound beasts, but all the Phoenix descendants felt as if their bodies had suddenly been placed in clouds, experiencing an indescribable comfort. Their minds felt as if warm, gentle springs flowed through them, washing away the fear, panic, and unease that had been swirling within them... They even felt that the negative emotions long hidden deep within their souls had been quietly erased, their entire souls becoming purer, and their hearts filled with an unprecedented sense of peace.

"This... what... what kind of power is this?" Feng Baichuan murmured, looking up at the sky.