Chapter 224: The Legend of Rebirth from the Flames

To say the Phoenix Bloodstone is fake wouldn't be accurate, as the evidence is right here: these are genuine stones saturated with phoenix blood. Revealing this wouldn't cause any major issues; the only downside would be the Phoenix Clan losing face and undermining the public's perception of their noble image.

Everyone present knew a thing or two about the atmosphere at Dao Seeking Sect. Although their conduct wasn't always upright, they weren't big gossips who would blab about everything they knew. Therefore, the truth about the Phoenix Bloodstone would likely only circulate within Dao Seeking Sect.

Everyone's gaze returned to Jiang Shan, who wasn't against Dao Seeking Sect becoming aware of the truth. "Who doesn't know the reputation of Dao Seeking Sect? They vanquish demons, uphold righteousness, and keep their promises. I trust my fellow cultivators here won't spread this news." Besides, the Phoenix Clan had already lost face at Dao Seeking Sect before. Compared to that incident, selling their blood wasn't nearly as embarrassing.

Lu Yang and the other two nodded; this matter truly wasn't a big deal.

Li Haoran, curious, pointed at the officials nearby who were manufacturing Phoenix Bloodstones. "How does the Prefect ensure they won't leak the secret? Is it by paying them more?" There were quite a few officials working there, over a dozen. If even one of them leaked the information, the Phoenix Bloodstone secret couldn't be kept. Who knows who might accidentally blurt it out?

The Prefect shook his head. "They definitely won't leak it."

"Why not?"

"You should know that prolonged wearing of Phoenix Bloodstones enhances virility. Ultimately, it's the phoenix blood's effect. If merely wearing Phoenix Bloodstones can enhance virility, what do you suppose the effect is from working in an environment where the air is thick with blood mist? If anyone leaks the secret, none of them will be allowed to work here again next time."

"Understood."

"Oh, right, I heard that phoenixes can be reborn from ashes. Is that true?" Lu Yang remembered the old phoenix he had recently seen, bathed in true fire as if about to revive, and couldn't help but recall the ancient legend.

Jiang Shan nodded emphatically, his expression serious and filled with reverence. "Yes, it's true, but even within our Phoenix Clan, it's almost a legend. Legend has it that in ancient times, one of our Phoenix Clan ancestors cultivated to a realm just shy of attaining an immortal dao fruit. Her every move exuded supreme majesty, and with a single thought, she could change the heavens and earth. Throughout the history of the Phoenix Clan, she was the strongest, and even in all the records of the demon race, few could rival her."

"This ancestor had a world-shattering showdown with an ancestor of the Dragon Clan. That battle pulverized countless stars, extinguished the great sun, and left the cosmos in dead silence. No one knew the outcome of that battle. However, one of our Phoenix Clan's Tribulation Transcendence stage mighty figures observed from a distance, catching a glimpse of a certain part of the fight. He saw our Phoenix Clan ancestor lying silently in the cosmos, devoid of life force, her soul dormant, utterly deceased. Her body was like a small boat, rising and falling with the waves. Yet, the Dragon Clan ancestor didn't believe the outcome was decided; instead, she remained vigilant nearby."

"Suddenly, immortal flames erupted from the ancestor's body. She bathed in the immortal fire, spread her wings, and let out a long cry towards the sky. The immortal fire shone brilliantly, even more dazzling than the sun, as she emitted successive phoenix cries that echoed throughout the universe. Not just our Phoenix Clan, but many Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators watched this epic battle from afar and witnessed this scene. If you ever have the chance to consult the records of other demon clans, you'll find relevant accounts."

"From then on, the saying 'phoenix reborn from ashes' emerged. However, that was something only the ancestor could achieve. Some within the clan speculate that perhaps only by cultivating to her realm can one truly defy life and death, and return from the dead. Thus, for ordinary phoenixes like us, rebirth from ashes is no different from a mere legend."

Jiang Shan spoke modestly, yet he was a pure-blood phoenix, a rare existence within the Phoenix Clan with noble lineage and prominent status. If not for such an identity, how could he have received guidance from Senior Sister San Gan Tian, or come to Luofeng Commandery to supervise the creation of Phoenix Bloodstones?

"So, rebirth from ashes is real? I always thought it was just a baseless legend." Su Yiren expressed her amazement; she rarely interacted with people, let alone conversed with members of the Phoenix Clan.

The others also nodded, acknowledging their newfound knowledge. "Presumably, that Phoenix Clan ancestor had reached a realm of profound power, far beyond what an ordinary Tribulation Transcendence cultivator could achieve."

"May I ask where this Phoenix Clan ancestor is now?" Lu Yang was more concerned about this question, thinking he might learn the whereabouts of the Kirin Immortal through her.

Jiang Shan shook his head. "The ancestor disappeared a long time ago. Even the oldest elders in our clan don't know her whereabouts."

"Immortal, do you know about phoenixes being reborn from ashes?" Lu Yang suddenly remembered he still had the Immortal of Immortality, his secret weapon, in his spiritual space.

The Immortal of Immortality was sleeping and was woken up by Lu Yang. She rubbed her eyes, yawning constantly, unable to open them fully, groggily asking, "What did you just ask?"

"Immortal, do you know about phoenixes being reborn from ashes?" Lu Yang repeated his question.

The Immortal of Immortality, just woken up, had a somewhat muddled memory. She tilted her head back, thinking hard for a long time before finally saying, "Yes, there was something like that." As expected of the chief of the Five Ancient Immortals, she possessed vast knowledge. The saying "having an elder in the family is like having a treasure" truly applies here.

The Immortal of Immortality yawned again before speaking. "I remember back then, a Dragon Clan prodigy and a Phoenix Clan prodigy got into a fight over a man. I happened to be watching from the side. Tsk, tsk, tsk, they were incredibly ruthless. Lighting paper, burning hair, drawing circles for curses, all sorts of tricks."

"Wait, wait, what do you mean by 'lighting paper, burning hair, drawing circles for curses'?" Lu Yang thought to himself, this didn't sound like two Tribulation Transcendence stage mighty figures fighting.

"Oh, it just means they attacked each other with their respective true flames, burned semi-immortal level talismans, and used each other's hair as a medium to set up formations and cast hexes on each other," the Immortal of Immortality casually explained.

"...Please continue."

"Anyway, they fought quite intensely. As they continued, they became more and more agitated, their attacks growing sharper. I thought the Dragon Clan prodigy had the upper hand. It wasn't their first fight either; the Dragon Clan prodigy's win rate was probably around 60%, so her victory this time was normal. Just as I thought the victor would be decided, the Phoenix Clan prodigy displayed a unique technique she learned from me—the 'Playing Dead' technique. She lay on the ground, feigning death, her life force completely vanished, so no one could tell she was alive."

"It was the first time the Dragon Clan prodigy had encountered such a situation, leaving her in a dilemma. Claiming victory wouldn't feel like much of an accomplishment, and saying she lost was even more absurd. But she couldn't attack a dead person, as it would create a bad impression if word got out. At that moment, she had a flash of inspiration and thought of a solution: burning the Phoenix Clan prodigy with fire."

"The Phoenix Clan prodigy was in so much pain from the burning that she cried out, sprang up, and let out a loud cry that could be heard throughout the entire universe. Later, somehow, it was spread that the phoenix had been reborn from ashes. I don't know who started that rumor; it's truly unethical."

The Immortal of Immortality shook her head, a little displeased with the Phoenix Clan prodigy. "She hasn't mastered the 'Playing Dead' technique yet. If it were me, I definitely could have continued feigning death. Fortunately, no one knows I taught her the 'Playing Dead' technique. She's so bad at it; I'd be embarrassed to admit I taught her. It's humiliating."

Lu Yang: "..."

*You're* the embarrassing one, aren't you, Immortal?