Chapter 2825: Return to the Phoenix Nest

Wind Rises in the Nine Provinces

"Why is that?" You Die asked, perplexed.

Currently, Fu Wei serves as the deputy city lord of Yuan Xi City, and his low rank means he receives only a minor boost from the city's Core Pearl.

However, if he were to become the city lord, his strength would undoubtedly increase dramatically.

In the recent battle, Fu Wei demonstrated strength comparable to Lu Ye's. If he could improve further, he would certainly become much stronger than Lu Ye. So, why would it be meaningless?

"My strength is capped by Senior Brother Lu's," Fu Wei explained. "Therefore, no matter how much external amplification I receive, my power will never surpass his."

"That's how it is..." Lu Ye murmured, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Lu Ye had previously intended for Fu Wei to assume the city lord position, believing that as a Cosmic-grade city lord, the Core Pearl's amplification would enable him to surpass Lu Ye's current strength. However, it now seemed Lu Ye had made an incorrect assumption.

This was primarily because he had been unaware of the intricacies of the Divination Clan's innate divine ability.

It made sense. Fu Wei's power was entirely derived from Lu Ye; their destinies were linked, but Lu Ye was the primary entity.

If that were the case, then Fu Wei becoming city lord indeed held little significance.

The situation was somewhat comical. In such a vast Cosmic-grade city, the only two individuals qualified to be city lord couldn't gain significant benefits, while the remaining few were not qualified for the position at all.

"Then let's leave it at that for now," Lu Ye said, feeling helpless. Given the current circumstances, they could only wait for Su Yan, Zhu Yin, or one of the others to achieve a higher stage of Integration.

"Senior Brother, where should we go now?" You Die inquired.

Lu Ye's gaze shifted towards a particular direction, his profound eyes seemingly piercing through the endless void.

Ever since he had escaped the Source Realm, he had felt a distant connection to something in that direction.

If not for the situation with Ba Qiu at the time, he would likely have already set off in that direction. However, due to Ba Qiu's predicament, he had to suppress his urge and wait.

"Have the Outer and Inner Realms fully merged?" he suddenly asked.

"It appears so," You Die replied. "For years, the Outer and Inner Realms showed a tendency to merge, with their boundaries blurring. Recently, these signs intensified dramatically. On our journey here, we encountered many Dao-entering cultivators, and this realm now features many wonders and stars that weren't present before."

The Inner Realm had never before seen Dao-entering cultivators; their sudden abundance was a clear indication of the two realms' complete merger.

The emergence of new anomalies and stars also stemmed from this fusion.

Lu Ye's expression turned grave.

With the Outer and Inner Realms of the Star Abyss now completely merged, the entire structure of the Star Abyss had become unstable. It implied that the Source Realm would inevitably merge as well, perhaps already in the process, though the signs were not yet apparent.

This realization ignited a sense of urgency within Lu Ye.

While he was currently capable of navigating the Inner Realm freely—even potentially escaping unharmed from encounters with the Ten City Lords—the Source Realm contained True Saints, and these True Saints were mere puppets of the Abyss.

Given the Abyss's animosity and rejection towards him, once the Source Realm merged, he would likely be the first target of the True Saints!

Even setting aside the True Saints, Lu Ye was currently no match for the Half-Saints.

Although the Half-Saints of the Source Realm did not possess Integration Cities, a complete merger of the three realms would allow them to gain significant power boosts by acquiring any Integration City.

Ultimately, his own foundation was still insufficient.

The connection he felt to that distant, unknown place was undoubtedly a consequence of the Outer and Inner Realms' merger. Lu Ye yearned to rush there but managed to restrain himself.

Rushing there simply by flying was impractical due to the immense distance, and historical star maps might no longer be accurate. Such a journey could easily take decades.

He required external assistance.

As he pondered, Lu Ye first contacted Dragon Sovereign via the Dragon Scroll, asking a few brief questions. Then, he declared, "I'll return to the Phoenix Nest first." Having made his decision swiftly, he added, "As for you... do as you wish."

Previously, Yuan Xi City, despite its exceptionally high quality, possessed a weak foundation. This was akin to a three-year-old flaunting a fortune in public, inevitably attracting covetous eyes, necessitating constant hiding.

That was no longer necessary.

With Fu Wei stationed in the city, there would be little danger, unless the Ten City Lords personally intervened or they found themselves in an inescapable predicament.

Furthermore, the city was blessed with secret arts left by Shen, ensuring its safety as long as they remained vigilant.

A short while later, within a small world at the very peak of the Primordial Phoenix Tree, Lu Ye suddenly materialized.

This was the central hall of the Phoenix Nest.

A Phoenix elder, seated there, merely nodded slightly upon seeing Lu Ye before closing their eyes again.

The Phoenix Clan generally possessed a rather aloof disposition. Even though Lu Ye had spent some time in the Phoenix Nest, he was only familiar with a select few Phoenixes.

Stepping out of the small world, Lu Ye soon spotted Dragon Sovereign standing on one of the Primordial Phoenix Tree's branches.

A dark tree hollow lay before him, and his expression was one of helplessness.

Sensing Lu Ye's presence, Dragon Sovereign quickly waved him over.

"Dragon Sovereign!" Lu Ye said, landing beside him and bowing respectfully.

Dragon Sovereign nodded. "Is everything taken care of over there?"

"Yes, it is," Lu Ye replied. After a slight hesitation, he asked, "How is Phoenix Lord doing?"

Lu Ye wasn't entirely clear about the specific grievances or entanglements between Phoenix Lord and Ba Qiu, but he knew their relationship seemed extraordinary.

Ba Qiu had ultimately died by Lu Ye's hand, and the Phoenix Lord's sorrow when she took Ba Qiu's body was indescribable.

"She's not showing herself," Dragon Sovereign said, shaking his head resignedly as he pointed towards the tree hollow. "But don't worry, Shi Niang won't blame you. This was Ba Qiu's own choice; it has nothing to do with you."

Lu Ye sighed softly. While it was true Ba Qiu had made his own choice, since Lu Ye was the chosen subject of that choice, how could it truly be unrelated to him?

"Oh, right, I haven't had a chance to ask you properly," Dragon Sovereign began. "After Xue Jiu pursued you, where did you go? To the Outer Realm? Why couldn't I even contact you through the Dragon Scroll?"

Lu Ye's expression grew serious. "I was just about to tell you about that, Dragon Sovereign!"

When he had returned previously, his mind preoccupied with Ba Qiu's situation, Lu Ye had only briefly contacted Dragon Sovereign without elaborating.

Now, he recounted everything that had transpired after he and Xue Jiu fell into the Source Realm.

As Lu Ye described the legendary Source Realm, teeming with Half-Saints and even True Saints, Dragon Sovereign's expression shifted dramatically.

After Lu Ye finished, Dragon Sovereign finally understood. "No wonder you asked about Ba Qiu the moment you emerged. So, when Ba Qiu broke through in the Inner Realm, it created a reflection in the Source Realm, and you escaped because Ba Qiu shattered the Source Realm's barrier?"

"Precisely," Lu Ye confirmed with a nod.

Dragon Sovereign reflected carefully. "When Ba Qiu failed his advancement and the chains shattered, he did indeed unleash a final strike... So he realized that becoming a Saint would turn him into a puppet, and he deliberately severed his own foundation... What a remarkable Ba Qiu; even in death, he stood unyielding!"

"Dragon Sovereign, that's not what I meant," Lu Ye said, hesitating slightly. "When Ba Qiu was ascending, eight True Saints appeared on Abyss Island, and one of them was a Dragon!"

Dragon Sovereign's expression jolted. "A Dragon?" he questioned, then frowned suspiciously. "No, that's impossible. All previous Dragon Sovereigns of my clan have sealed themselves within the ancestral abyss's restrictions. How could there be...?"

Mid-sentence, he suddenly seemed to recall something, his golden pupils contracting to pinpricks.

"That True Saint was the Second Ancestor, Yang Qing," Lu Ye said, his voice dry. "Though he wore a mask, concealing his true face, I could not have been mistaken!"

"The Second Ancestor!" Dragon Sovereign exclaimed, momentarily lost in thought.

The Dragon Clan had long sought traces of their Second Ancestor, Yang Qing. His name, being first on the Dragon Scroll, confirmed his continued existence. Yet, for years, despite Lu Ye providing some intelligence, the Dragon Clan had found nothing further.

The Dragon Clan had previously believed their Second Ancestor was trapped in some perilous wonder. Only now did they learn that Yang Qing was in the Source Realm, and furthermore, was one of the True Saints.

This revelation was utterly staggering; even Dragon Sovereign struggled to regain his composure.

"The Second Ancestor is Saint One," Lu Ye continued. "And Saint Seven is from the Phoenix Clan. When Su Yan and I participated in the Star Abyss Son competition, it was Saint Seven who presided. She should have informed the Phoenix Lord."

Dragon Sovereign nodded. "I did hear about that, but I never imagined..."

He trailed off, then suddenly looked towards the dark tree hollow nearby. A figure flickered into view, and the Phoenix Lord emerged.

"Greetings, Phoenix Lord," Lu Ye quickly saluted.

The Phoenix Lord nodded and spoke. "That Saint Seven must be the Seventh Generation Master of my Phoenix Clan. Among all our ancestors, she alone possessed the highest talent and skill, and her essence has never returned to the Phoenix Nest."

When a Phoenix Clan member perishes, their essence invariably returns to their Phoenix Nest. Under the continuous nourishment of the Primordial Phoenix Tree, a new Phoenix Clan member can eventually be nurtured.

Thus, while Phoenix Clan members are few, as long as the Primordial Phoenix Tree stands, their lineage will endure.

This was a unique method of propagation exclusive to the Phoenix Clan.

The Phoenix Lord's sudden appearance suggested she had been listening to Lu Ye and Dragon Sovereign's conversation from within the Phoenix Nest.

Lu Ye looked at the Phoenix Lord, words catching in his throat.

The Phoenix Lord sighed. "Don't blame yourself. Ba Qiu's death at your hand was a release for him, and indeed, what he sought."

Lu Ye replied with a muffled assent.

The Phoenix Lord sighed again. "Ultimately, the true culprit lies elsewhere. If not for that erosion..." As she spoke, the Phoenix Lord clenched her fist, causing the space around her to warp before slowly settling a few breaths later.

She lifted her gaze to Lu Ye, then glanced at the Panshan Blade at his waist. "Both you and Ba Qiu are Weapon Masters. Since he chose you, you have, in a sense, inherited his will. Cultivate diligently, and do not disappoint him."

"Yes!"

"Is there something you came back for this time?" the Phoenix Lord asked calmly.

"Indeed, there is," Lu Ye replied. "This disciple wishes to employ the immense power of the Primordial Phoenix Tree!"

Dragon Sovereign immediately understood. "Where do you intend to go?"

The Primordial Phoenix Tree was a supreme treasure bequeathed to the Phoenix Clan by the Dragon and Phoenix ancestors. More than just a sanctuary and the bedrock of their lineage, it also possessed profound mystical power.

Harnessing its immense power, one could traverse the void, instantly transporting Lu Ye to any desired location.