Chapter 2828: The Primordial Wutong

In the Phoenix Nest Domain, the immense and majestic Primordial Phoenix Tree stood tall, and a profound stillness filled the vast airspace.

Time passed, though how much was unknown. On one of the tree trunks, a figure slowly appeared. It was an aged face, supported by a cane. After manifesting, he gazed intently at the young figure seated before him, a look of profound surprise in his ancient eyes.

For a very long time, he hadn't felt this clear-headed. Although the problem that had plagued him for so long wasn't fully resolved, his symptoms of erosion had significantly improved in this short time.

Had it not been for this, he would not have been able to manifest here.

He could sense that the improvement in his condition was directly related to the young man before him. The young man seemed to possess an incredibly miraculous power within him. This power permeated his trunk, like an invisible fire, helping him burn away the accumulated corrosive forces, breaking open a gap in the darkness and allowing a glimmer of light to penetrate.

He simply stood there, quietly observing the young face.

Even after living for countless millennia, he had never witnessed such a marvel.

The young man seemed to sense something; his eyelids flickered slightly, then he opened his eyes.

Seeing the aged figure standing before him, Lu Ye was momentarily stunned, as he didn't recall such a member among the Phoenix Clan.

Moreover, he looked far too old. Given that the Phoenix Clan possessed the power of Nirvana, they shouldn't age.

Then, as if realizing something, his pupils contracted: "You are..."

The old man smiled kindly at him and said gently, "Young man, there's no need to be nervous."

Lu Ye inwardly thought he wasn't nervous; he was merely a little excited due to his joy, as he had faintly discerned the other's identity.

To suddenly appear before him in this place, and not be a member of the Phoenix Clan, left only one possibility!

"Are you the Primordial Phoenix Tree?"

The old man nodded: "Indeed, I am the Primordial Phoenix Tree."

Receiving confirmation, Lu Ye was overjoyed. He quickly rose and bowed respectfully: "Lu Ye of the Human Race greets Senior Primordial Phoenix Tree!"

His idea was feasible. The power of the Talent Tree had helped the Primordial Phoenix Tree burn away much of the corrosive force, finally allowing the spirit of this supreme treasure to manifest before him.

This was undoubtedly exhilarating news.

"There's no need for such formality!" The Primordial Phoenix Tree slowly raised a hand. "You have shown this old one great kindness; it is I who should be thanking you!"

He knew well that if not for this human cultivator named Lu Ye, he would likely have completely succumbed within a few years. At that point, only two paths would have remained for him: either struggle and sink into darkness, or have his sentience eroded by the corrosive forces.

In either case, he would have been completely reduced to a puppet of that will.

The Primordial Phoenix Tree carefully scrutinized Lu Ye again, then nodded slightly: "You carry the aura of primordial Phoenix blood, and a spatial Dao Seed. Are you an External Official of the Phoenix Clan?"

Lu Ye replied respectfully: "To answer Senior, this junior is indeed an External Official of the Phoenix Clan."

The Primordial Phoenix Tree smiled kindly: "Since you're an External Official of the Phoenix Clan, we're family. Your methods are quite remarkable, though; I've never heard of them before. And... for some reason, they give this old one a very familiar feeling."

Lu Ye was slightly surprised, then quickly realized: "This junior's methods should originate from the same source as Senior!"

"The same source?" The Primordial Phoenix Tree blinked, then suddenly understood: "So that's it!"

During the era when the Cosmic Embryo was born, the Dragon and Phoenix Ancestors left behind the Primordial Phoenix Tree as a fertile ground for nurturing the Phoenix Clan. The legacy of the Talent Tree also came from the Dragon and Phoenix Ancestors, so it naturally shared the same origin.

This was why the Primordial Phoenix Tree felt a sense of familiarity.

He turned his head to look around, silently sensing for a moment, then sighed with emotion: "Nearly ten thousand years in a muddle, yet I never imagined I'd see clarity again..." After speaking, he paused, his eyes brightening: "That's right, you are the spark!"

"Spark?" Lu Ye was confused.

The Primordial Phoenix Tree chuckled: "The spark left by the Master in this universe! I remember now, the tribulation fated for me requires you, this spark, to resolve it. The Master truly plans for everything."

The "Master" he referred to was undoubtedly the Dragon and Phoenix Ancestor.

"The spark... Ah, let me think. What else did the Master tell me back then...?" The Primordial Phoenix Tree fell into deep thought.

The Dragon and Phoenix Ancestor left more words?

Lu Ye's spirits immediately lifted, and he waited quietly.

After a long time, the Primordial Phoenix Tree suddenly turned to him: "You're an External Official of the Phoenix Clan? Did you save me?"

"Huh?" Lu Ye was startled. Looking at the somewhat cloudy eyes of the Primordial Phoenix Tree, he suddenly had a bad feeling.

It seemed the sentience of this supreme treasure's spirit... was experiencing some issues!

The cloudy gaze slowly returned to clarity. The Primordial Phoenix Tree wore a troubled expression: "I've been eroded for too long; it seems this old one hasn't fully recovered yet."

Lu Ye quickly said: "Senior, could you transport me to a certain place?"

While he could continue to activate the power of the Talent Tree, helping the Primordial Phoenix Tree burn away more of the corrosive force and further improve its condition, he had already spent a considerable amount of time here, making him anxious.

As for the Primordial Phoenix Tree, now that its sentience had returned, there wouldn't be any major issues in the short term. It wouldn't be too late to address it after Lu Ye had finished his current task.

"Of course, where do you wish to go?" The Primordial Phoenix Tree nodded.

"Where to..." Lu Ye wasn't sure how to explain.

Seeing him hesitate, the Primordial Phoenix Tree understood. He said, "If you don't know the exact location, you can describe the surrounding area to this old one."

Lu Ye said: "I don't know the exact location, but I have a connection with an object there."

The Primordial Phoenix Tree nodded: "That makes it easy."

As he spoke, he raised a hand, and a branch descended, passing beneath Lu Ye's feet and lifting him up.

"Clear your mind and follow your inner sense!" The Primordial Phoenix Tree's voice resonated beside his ear.

Lu Ye immediately calmed his mind and focused, sensing the ethereal resonance.

The branch supporting him pierced into the void. The void immediately rippled, then split open like a surface of water. As the branch entered, Lu Ye's figure vanished with it.

The massive trunk of the Primordial Phoenix Tree swayed slightly, and the spatial ripples intensified.

Meanwhile, within the Phoenix Lord's Nest, she stood silently before a tomb, her face showing a mournful expression.

A stone tablet stood before the tomb, with large characters carved into its surface: Tomb of Baqiu!

She stood there quietly, her gaze distant.

Suddenly, the Phoenix Nest trembled. The Phoenix Lord immediately looked up at the sky, her face startled, let out a soft exclamation, and shot upwards.

Two breaths later, she flashed outside the Phoenix Nest, her gaze sweeping to pinpoint a location.

The void around her twisted. Taking a single step, she reappeared where Lu Ye had been moments earlier.

"Elder Tree!" The Phoenix Lord stared at the Primordial Phoenix Tree with a shocked expression, almost unable to believe her eyes.

For years, she had been monitoring the condition of the Primordial Phoenix Tree. She knew the state of this supreme treasure, which housed the Phoenix Clan, better than anyone. Thus, she never imagined the Primordial Phoenix Tree would simply appear before her like this.

The last time she saw Elder Tree like this dated back ten thousand years. For nearly ten millennia, as the Primordial Phoenix Tree was progressively eroded, let alone meeting face-to-face, even communicating with it became difficult. Especially in the last millennium, the Primordial Phoenix Tree had almost ceased to respond to the outside world.

Each time the power of the Primordial Phoenix Tree was used, it was forcibly activated by the Phoenix Lord through her own foundational strength.

"Shiniang..." The Primordial Phoenix Tree looked at the familiar face before him, a hint of daze in his eyes, then smiled slightly: "It's been a long time."

"Elder Tree, how could you..." The Phoenix Lord had many questions, but for a moment, she didn't know what to ask. Then she suddenly realized: "Who did you send away?"

The branch that had just supported Lu Ye had slowly retracted, but the spatial distortion continued to ripple, unable to calm down immediately.

The Phoenix Lord was not unfamiliar with such a sight; she naturally knew what had just happened.

"That External Official named Lu Ye!" the Primordial Phoenix Tree replied.

"Where did he go?" the Phoenix Lord hastily asked. Not long ago, Dragon Lord had warned Lu Ye not to wander off if he had nothing to do. How long had it been, and he was already out again?

"I don't know where he went..." The Primordial Phoenix Tree frowned deeply: "Why does the Inner Realm seem different from before now?"

In the past, the Primordial Phoenix Tree could have pinpointed the exact location for the Phoenix Lord on a star map, but the current situation was different.

"Wait!" The Phoenix Lord suddenly came back to her senses. This was not the time to focus on Lu Ye; the sudden manifestation of the Primordial Phoenix Tree was of paramount importance to the Phoenix Clan. "How did you awaken?"

"That External Official helped," the Primordial Phoenix Tree replied with a chuckle.

"Lu Ye?" The Phoenix Lord was astonished and utterly perplexed. What ability did Lu Ye possess to awaken the Primordial Phoenix Tree? After all, the greatest problem with this supreme treasure of the Phoenix Clan was its erosion, a challenge no one throughout history had been able to solve. "What did he do?"

"Him..." The Primordial Phoenix Tree's gaze deepened. "He is the spark. He can burn away the corrosive forces within this old one's body, which is why I was able to awaken."

The Phoenix Lord stood stunned.

She suddenly remembered that Lu Ye had been sitting motionless here for some time recently. Although she had paid attention before, she had assumed Lu Ye was cultivating.

Only now did she realize that Lu Ye had been burning away the corrosive forces within the Primordial Phoenix Tree.

The young man had done it too discreetly; she hadn't detected anything at all. Amidst her shock and excitement, she quickly sent out a message.

A moment later, Dragon Lord rapidly arrived, standing beside the Phoenix Lord and looking around: "Where is Elder Tree?"

He had received a message from the Phoenix Lord stating that Elder Tree had awakened, so he hurried over to investigate. However, upon arrival, he found only the Phoenix Lord.

"He's fallen back into slumber," the Phoenix Lord said.

Just before Dragon Lord arrived, the Primordial Phoenix Tree had spoken a few more words to her, then suddenly vanished, and no matter how she called, there was no response.

"What exactly happened?" Dragon Lord asked.

The Phoenix Lord replied: "Lu Ye, by some unknown means, burned away a portion of the corrosive forces accumulated within Elder Tree's body. Then Elder Tree awoke and sent him to a certain place."