Chapter 592: I Am the Ancient Ancestor of the Phoenix Clan You Speak Of

"I do have some issues with my cultivation. I've been stuck at a certain realm for quite some time, unable to break through."

The Seventh Elder nodded, "So, you've encountered a bottleneck. That's quite common. I have pills that can help you break through it."

"It's not a bottleneck. Someone has advanced ahead of me, which prevents me from breaking through."

The Seventh Elder understood. It seemed the newcomer practiced a unique cultivation method.

Such special cultivation methods were common during the Great Qian and Great Yu periods. They primarily involved cultivators who were further ahead in their practice absorbing those who were behind, a winner-take-all system. By the Great Xia period, these methods were deemed too cruel, and since cultivators had other methods available, they ceased practicing them.

"How about switching to a different sect and restarting your cultivation?"

"That probably won't work. If I were to restart, I can't guarantee I'd reach my current realm."

"I see. Well, if that's the case, tell me who is ahead of you, and I'll make them restart!"

Jiang Lianyi sounded a bit worried, "But that person is very strong."

"Are they in the Tribulation Crossing stage?"

"Not exactly."

Hearing it wasn't a Tribulation Crossing cultivator, the Seventh Elder relaxed. He patted his chest and guaranteed, "As long as they're not in the Tribulation Crossing stage, I can take them on easily." Every one of the Nine Disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect was renowned for their combat prowess.

"This isn't the place to talk. Let's discuss it once we're inside the city," the First Elder said. It wasn't appropriate for them to discuss such matters at the city gates; even using silencing spells wouldn't be completely safe. What if a Tribulation Crossing cultivator happened to pass by and overheard them?

The Demon Race Alliance was well-prepared. They had arranged accommodations for every faction, and for major immortal sects like the Dao Seeking Sect, one entire floor of a hotel was allocated.

Inside the Demon City, it was even more bustling, with countless cultivators of various kinds. Besides local demon cultivators, there were aquatic cultivators with fish-like features from the East Sea, bald and simply dressed monks from the Golden Buddhist Kingdom, and thickly furred rogue cultivators from the extreme northern lands.

Jiang Lianyi's gaze lingered on the Buddhist Kingdom monks for a moment. Lu Yang suddenly recalled that Buddhism was created by the Five Ancient Immortals, and there were no Buddhist cultivators in ancient times.

Lu Yang transmitted a message to Jiang Lianyi, explaining the current state of Buddhism. He didn't know much, only the general idea.

"So that's how it is. I never imagined the stories created back then would become so widespread in the cultivation world."

Jiang Lianyi was slightly surprised. She had been present when the Four Ancient Immortals created those stories, listening and occasionally chiming in. By that reckoning, she could also be considered one of Buddhism's founders.

Lu Yang spread his hands, "After all, so much time has passed. The stories from ancient times have all become legends, making it hard to distinguish truth from falsehood." Well, they couldn't exactly be called false, just that they had undergone a series of artistic embellishments, selectively describing the ancient tales.

Upon arriving at the hotel, the Seventh Elder was still boasting. After all, it was rare to encounter a new member of the Heavenly Court Sect, and he was determined to enjoy the thrill of acting as a mentor this time.

"I'm not bragging, but my alchemy skills are undoubtedly the best in the current cultivation world. If you have any needs regarding pills, just come to me."

The Fifth Elder, unwilling to let the Seventh Elder hog the spotlight, also chimed in, "My artifact refining skills are absolutely exceptional, arguably the best in the cultivation world. Since you're a new member of our sect, if you need a magic treasure, I'll forge one for you!"

A faint smile played on Jiang Lianyi's lips. The Fifth Elder's words reminded her of an old acquaintance. "An artifact refiner? What a coincidence. I also know an artifact refiner who claims to be the best in the cultivation world."

The Fifth Elder raised an eyebrow. "So arrogant. When I meet him someday, I'll make sure he knows who the true number one artifact refiner is."

"By the way, I haven't asked yet, what's your name?"

"Jiang Lianyi."

"That name sounds familiar," the Third Elder scratched his head.

The Fourth Elder, being a Confucian cultivator and well-versed, said, "It's the same name as the ancient ancestor of the Phoenix clan."

The Seventh Elder, as an old member of the Heavenly Court Sect, put on a knowledgeable air and praised, "That's a very good name. According to the theory of luck, having the same name as the Phoenix clan's ancient ancestor can allow you to share in their luck, which will greatly aid your cultivation. It's not impossible for you to break through to the Tribulation Crossing stage in the future."

Jiang Lianyi hesitated for a moment, recalling how Sister Undying and Senior Brother Lu Yang had both confidently stated that the people of the Dao Seeking Sect were extremely trustworthy. She then removed her hood, revealing her stunningly beautiful true face.

"The Phoenix Ancestor!!!"

The First Elder's eyes suddenly widened. He shuddered, losing control of his voice as he shrieked, stumbling back three steps. When he was young, he had secretly visited the Phoenix clan's ancient tomb and seen the statue of the Phoenix Ancestor. Third Senior Sister could come and go freely in the ancient tombs of various clans, and the experience and maps provided by the First Elder had been invaluable.

The Seventh Elder turned his head, displeased, and looked at the First Elder. "Of course I know she shares a name with the Phoenix Ancestor."

"She IS the Phoenix Ancestor! I've seen her statue among the Phoenix clan!"

The Seventh Elder burst into laughter, dismissively saying, "First Elder, you're truly humorous..." Immediately, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, fainting from shock. What had he just said? That the Phoenix Ancestor had cultivation problems and should come to him?

A few seconds later, the Seventh Elder woke up, still incredulous, wondering if he was dreaming. He even slapped himself twice.

"Is the Phoenix Ancestor reincarnated and cultivating anew?" the First Elder asked cautiously, barely daring to breathe. Li Haoran's existence had introduced him to the concept of reincarnation.

"I haven't heard of any reincarnation or re-cultivation," Jiang Lianyi replied. "I am the Phoenix Ancestor you speak of. I had been sleeping in a secret realm until Senior Brother Lu Yang awakened me a few days ago. I was reborn from fire and returned to the mortal world."

The First Elder gasped, taking a sharp intake of breath. The Phoenix Ancestor! A mythical figure! Where did Lu Yang dig up such a powerful being? And he even managed to persuade her to join the Heavenly Court Sect. "You're much more impressive than your master. Old Ninth goes out every day swindling and cheating, but his schemes are nowhere near as sophisticated as yours. When we get back, I'll make Old Ninth acknowledge you as his master."

"Wait, what did you call Lu Yang?"

Lu Yang quickly stepped between them, interjecting to stop the topic. "It's nothing, nothing. It was just a slip of the tongue by Senior Lianyi."

The Seventh Elder looked at Jiang Lianyi, trembling. "So, when you said you hit a bottleneck just now, you meant a bottleneck at the Half-Immortal stage?"

"You mentioned earlier that someone was ahead of you, preventing your breakthrough. Who is that person?"

"The Qilin Immortal. Or, as they might be called now, the Demon Immortal."

The Seventh Elder: "..." Did I just say that as long as they weren't in the Tribulation Crossing stage, I could take them on easily?

The Fifth Elder looked no better than the Seventh Elder. He, too, had just uttered many boastful words.

"You also just said that you know someone who claims to be the number one artifact refiner. Who is that?"

"The Ying Tian Immortal."

The Fifth Elder nearly fainted. The Third and Fourth Elders remained silent. Fortunately, they hadn't said anything earlier.

"Then, what is your identity in the Heavenly Court?"

"One of the Four Imperial Sovereigns of the Heavenly Court, the Great Emperor of Antarctic Nirvana."

The five elders gasped, taking a sharp intake of breath. They had intended to broaden their horizons by attending the Demon Nation's founding ceremony, but they hadn't expected to gain such an eye-opening experience so early.