Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

A deep, melodious phoenix cry emanated from the Vermilion Bird's mouth, and streaks of golden-red fire enveloped the items it had previously given away. As the former owner of these treasures, the Vermilion Bird knew better than any other creature how to utilize them to their fullest potential.

The Vermilion Bird could clearly sense that its child's life force was constantly growing stronger. In return, it naturally did not hesitate to use its own power, expending its own source power to help Yan refine several treasures and strengthen its fire attribute source, which also made Yan's foundation much stronger.

Three drops of phoenix crown blood essence, mixed with the power of the phoenix tree core and the extreme yang essence ore, transformed into a cloud of blood mist. Under the control of the Vermilion Bird, it gently enveloped every part of Yan's body. Although thin, it seamlessly integrated into his skin.

The baptism of the phoenix's essence blood caused an astonishing transformation within Yan's body. The Vermilion Bird's bloodline was ancient and powerful, and it was also one of the ten Heavenly Stems of the Bright Five Elements Continent, possessing a status. Its essence blood was almost equivalent to that of a true god-level being, which greatly helped Yan.

On the golden-red phoenix egg, as the last wisp of dark gray energy was drawn into Yan's body, the life force contained within this divine egg became extremely evident.

Zhuque nodded to Yan, her eyes filled with gratitude. "I never imagined that such immense Yin Fire power was hidden within my child. Thank you for saving my child. No matter the outcome, you will always be my friend. My friend forever."

"It's alright, the baby will be born soon."

Yan shook his head and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Although this trip had been quite taxing, the benefits he had gained far outweighed the risks, and he was also looking forward to the birth of the little phoenix.

Click...

A soft cracking sound broke the tranquility of the cave. Yan and Zhuque looked over almost simultaneously, and at that moment, a tiny crack appeared on the golden-red phoenix egg.

An overwhelming joy flashed in Zhuque's eyes. Her feathers trembled slightly, a testament to the turmoil she felt.

The crackling and splintering sounds continued, and wisps of golden-red light emanated from the phoenix egg, causing the fire element in the air to intensify once more.

With a soft pop, a hole appeared in the center of the top of the eggshell, and a small golden-red head popped out. Its wet phoenix crown was askew, and its phoenix feathers were stuck to its neck, making it look rather comical.

This little guy is also a firebird. He looks very young and a bit ugly when he was first born. Only his bright red eyes look very similar to those of a Vermilion Bird.

A loud phoenix cry suddenly rang out from the Vermilion Bird's mouth. The cry was filled with joy and happiness. After three thousand years of incubation and three thousand years of prayer, her child was finally born.

"Squeak."

The little phoenix shook its head and cried out to Yan. The eggshell on its body gradually shattered, and a faint golden-red light spread from its feathers. Under the influence of the golden-red light emanating from itself, the eggshell turned into streams of air that it absorbed into its stomach.

When all the eggshells disappeared, the still not very strong tail feathers swung behind the little phoenix. It raised its head, and the phoenix crown on its head stood up, showing the demeanor of a divine beast.

The Vermilion Bird suddenly pounced, spreading her wings to embrace her child, her cries both poignant and joyful. Feeling its mother's warmth, the little phoenix also chirped softly.

"It seems that his senior and junior siblings have come looking for him. I'll send him out first."

At this moment, Yan suddenly frowned, and Zhuque also snapped out of her joyful state. After realizing the origin of the outsider, Yan pointed to Ji Dong, who was still on the ground, and said something to Zhuque.

Zhuque readily agreed to Yan's suggestion. She actually wanted to spend more time with her child, but felt it was inappropriate to let a guest like Yan help with the matter. However, since Yan had said that the matter was related to Ji Dong, she couldn't overstep her bounds.

Yan carried Ji Dong away from the cave, and soon they bumped into Lei Di Fury, who had come looking for Ji Dong. After casually tossing Ji Dong over and giving an explanation, he simply clapped his hands and released a purple light to teleport the two people and the dragon away.

He, Yan Shengzi, deals worth billions every second. It's already a big favor that he can spare a little time to explain to these two kids. There's also a little phoenix waiting for him to conquer in the cave. He doesn't have time to waste on these two kids.

……

The sun shone brightly; it was a beautiful day. The core area of ​​the Diling Mountains enjoys an even more pleasant climate, with moist, fresh air mingling with the fragrance of earth and plants—a feeling that is invigorating. Of course, this is something ordinary humans cannot enjoy.

This is the territory of the Vermilion Bird, a divine beast of the Fire element. Even other tenth-tier beings would never dare to easily enter this area. The Heavenly Stem divine beasts are undoubtedly the most powerful among the many magical beasts of the Five Elements Continent.

However, there is always an exception. At this moment, in this place that is usually a restricted area, two figures were moving and flying.

Behind Yan, the sun's wings spread out, and with a slight movement, it appeared on the other side of the horizon. Beside him followed a small golden-red bird, no more than three feet long and with wingspans less than two meters, but it flew incredibly fast in the air.

"Fire, let's go down and rest for a bit."

After flying for a while, Yan lost interest and suggested going down. The little golden-red bird that had been flying around him quickly followed, landing on his shoulder and nuzzling his face affectionately.

The little bird he called Fire was none other than the Vermilion Bird's daughter, the Little Fire Phoenix, who had just hatched some time ago.

The little fire phoenix stood gracefully on Yan's shoulder. Perhaps it was because Yan was the first male she had seen since birth, or perhaps for some other reason, but she was always very affectionate towards Yan.

After playing outside with the little guy for a while, Yan returned to the Vermilion Bird's cave. The Vermilion Bird stood on the Phoenix Blood Wutong tree and watched them return with gentle eyes. It let out a soft chirp, and Huo'er immediately nestled into its mother's arms.

"Thank you, Yan. If it weren't for your help in treating Huo'er during this time, I'm afraid my poor child would have..."

Zhuque gently combed the little phoenix's feathers and thanked Yan for what he had done for the little phoenix during this time.

For many years, the little Vermilion Bird had been tormented by the yin fire of the solar eclipse while still in her egg, preventing her from hatching and causing significant congenital problems. Now, although the yin fire of the solar eclipse has been completely drained, she has been successfully born. However, her congenital defects have made her very different from her mother.

The most obvious change is in her attributes. Her own Bing Fire magic and Eclipse Yin Fire have fused together over thousands of years. The reason she was able to be born is because Yan extracted too much Eclipse Yin Fire, which brought the two flames into balance, allowing her to survive.

However, due to congenital deficiencies, she needed a large amount of fire-attribute energy to nourish her for a period of time after birth, but her mother, Suzaku, was not a very good energy provider.

Zhuque only possesses the magic power of Bing Fire. If she were to help nurture the little phoenix herself, it would likely disrupt the energy balance within her body once again. This could lead to the little phoenix's bloodline degenerating at best, and at worst, it could endanger its life.

It was Yan who discovered this problem in time and took the initiative to help nurture the little phoenix's bloodline, which allowed her to grow up healthily to this day. Therefore, Zhuque is very grateful to Yan.

Chapter 397 Heavenly Mystery City

"Huo'er, you child..." When Yan brought Huo'er back to the cave, Huo'er let out a sharp cry and threw herself into her mother's arms, nuzzling and rubbing her head against Zhuque's chest.

The Vermilion Bird sighed softly, jumped down from the Phoenix Blood Wutong tree, and gently stroked the child's head with its wing.

"Yan, are you preparing to leave?"

"Yes." Yan nodded; he was indeed preparing to leave the Earth Spirit Mountain Range. Zhuque looked at Yan for a long while, then sighed, "During this time, I've gone from great sorrow to great joy, and then from great joy back to great sorrow. Finally, seeing my daughter come back to life, this feeling has left me both exhausted and finally relieved. Our Zhuque clan values ​​karma above all else. Huo'er has received such a great favor from you; she must repay it. Otherwise, she will never be able to grow up." Yan didn't speak. Zhuque paused, then continued, "I know that with your strength and your relationship with the Flame Queen, you don't lack mounts and pets, but I still hope you can take Huo'er with you so she can accompany you on your travels. I have my own selfish reasons for doing this; although Huo'er's condition is currently..." Her life was in danger, but whether she can grow up, and what she will become, I can't guess. Her birth is entirely due to your help. Her innate deficiencies, combined with postnatal compensation, have resulted in attributes similar to yours. Only by staying by your side and cultivating with you every day can she grow up healthier. It's impossible for this little one to inherit my mantle and become a Binghuo Divine Beast, but I still hope she can become strong, at least capable of protecting herself..." Huo'er calmed down in Zhuque's arms, turning her head to look at Yan with expectant eyes. Although she couldn't speak yet, as a descendant of a divine beast, she possessed innate intelligence no less than that of humans.

Perhaps sensing the sadness of parting, the little one's eyes welled up with tears. Zhuque gently embraced her daughter, her own eyes misty with tears, and whispered, "Fire, be good, don't cry. After you leave, you must cultivate diligently and strive to become strong as soon as possible, so that your mother won't worry..."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of Huo'er." Yan stepped forward and gently stroked Huo'er's phoenix crown. The latter rubbed its head against his palm to show affection and did not object to leaving with Yan.

Zhuque looked at Yan and let out a loud phoenix cry. A layer of golden light suddenly spread out from her body, transforming into a golden phoenix that was the same as her original form but was entirely an energy form. It flew straight towards Yan. After the phoenix phantom merged with a piece of extremely yang ore, it transformed into a bracelet and fastened to Yan's wrist.

The surging life force of the Vermilion Bird permeated every corner of the cave, and her voice rang in Yan's ears.

"I used my magic to create space to improve this bracelet for you. You can let Huo'er live in it. There is enough space inside, and a trace of my thoughts can reside there..." Yan naturally accepted the storage bracelet given to him by Zhuque. Three days later, Yan left Zhuque's territory with the reluctant little phoenix.

On this day, all the magical beasts in the entire Earth Spirit Mountain Range became uneasy, because the Fire Divine Beast Vermilion Bird kept circling in the sky above the center of the Earth Spirit Mountain Range, causing all the beasts to lie dormant.

After leaving the Earth Spirit Mountain Range, Huo'er was depressed for a while and buried herself in the phoenix bracelet. Yan didn't have any good solutions for this situation and could only hope that she would adapt to her new life soon.

...Tianji City. This is not a very large city. In the Central Earth Empire of the Bright Five Elements Continent, it can only be considered a third-tier city, far smaller than the Earth Spirit City outside the Earth Spirit Mountains.

However, Tianji City is surprisingly prosperous and vibrant. The reason is simple: the city's lords have all been from the Tianji family.

It has been said that if Heaven were so inclined, it could bestow titles and high positions in any country on the mainland.

However, the successive Heavenly Secrets have always remained in a corner, quietly guarding Heavenly Secrets City and passing down the position of city lord hereditarily. It is said that each Heavenly Secret will make a prediction for the current emperor once, only once, and no one knows whether it is true or false. But one thing is certain: no matter how high the rank of the noble or how powerful the general, no one has ever dared to cause trouble in Heavenly Secrets City.

"Yan, are we going into the city again?" On the official road outside Tianji City, two figures shrouded in crimson light descended from the sky. When the light dissipated, a young man with red hair and red eyes appeared on the ground, accompanied by a little red bird with a childish voice.

"Well, let's rest in Tianji City for one night, and then set off for the Misty Swamp to search for the ruins tomorrow." This young man and the little red bird had naturally left Yan and the little phoenix in the Earth Spirit Mountain Range. He came to Tianji City in the Central Earth Empire this time to find an ancient ruin from the Five Elements Continent and to get some benefits for himself and Huo'er.

"I want to eat barbecue and drink juice," Little Fire asked Yan. Then, accompanied by a red light, it gradually shrank and finally turned into a small red bird the size of a palm. It landed on Yan's shoulder and gently pecked his cheek with its beak to show affection.

"Okay, okay, anything is fine." Yan teased Huo'er with a finger, and the two continued on their way. Soon they arrived at a restaurant in Tianji City. Just as he ordered a bunch of dishes to enjoy the local delicacies, he suddenly frowned and looked at the passageway at the top of the stairs.

"A private room, please." With a shout, the three followed the waiter up to the second floor. Just as the three appeared in the corridor, Yan's gaze also turned to the stairwell.

"You two know each other?" The leader of the three was a distinguished-looking man in blue robes. Seeing Yan and the other man exchanging glances, he probably guessed something and, with an air of familiarity, pulled the other two over to Yan.

"Friend, interested in sharing a table?" Yan didn't put down the wine jug in his hand. After pouring a glass of fruit wine for Little Phoenix and himself, he looked at the younger man among the three.

"A friend? Ji Dong, I didn't expect to run into you here." The young man who recognized Yan was Ji Dong, who had been teleported to the Earth Spirit Mountain Range some time ago. He was also dumbfounded when he saw Yan. His eyes glanced at the little phoenix with most of its head sticking out of the wine glass, and he was startled. He quickly bowed to Yan.

"Greetings, sir."

"You're quite interesting." Yan was about to say something when he suddenly put down the wine glass he was bringing to his lips and looked in another direction. Sometime during the night, a blurry figure appeared there.

"Lord of Tianji City, from the Bright Five Elements Continent, greets you, sir." A figure appeared out of thin air as if by magic, gradually solidifying. When he appeared, he simply waved his hand, and everyone in the restaurant, except for a few people near Yan's table, fainted at the same time.

"Lord Tianji." The man in blue standing beside Ji Dong was filled with shock when he saw the figure gradually becoming clearer, and he quickly bowed.

"The secrets of the heavens, interesting. You've come to see me?" Yan looked at the gradually solidifying figure in front of him, his tone still very calm.

This person was dressed in white and looked to be in his thirties. His appearance was not particularly outstanding, but he had an otherworldly aura, just like when he first appeared. He had an ethereal and elusive feeling about him.

With his arrival, the table where Yan was sitting seemed to be isolated, and the surroundings appeared unusually empty. It wasn't that the space was empty, but rather it was more like a kind of illusion.

"You are Lord Tianji." Another person beside Ji Dong exclaimed in surprise, seemingly showing great respect for this luminous Tianji.

Yan looked at the brilliant celestial being before him with great interest and said with a smile, "I've heard that the celestial secrets of the Five Elements Continent can make prophecies. Can you see my past and future? Especially the latter, I'd really like to get some hints."

"My lord, what I can see is only a vague message, and your very existence transcends my perception. Even if I were to sacrifice my lifespan, I could not obtain any information about your future." The Heavenly Mystic bowed slightly to Yan, a glint of wisdom in his eyes. He pointed to Ji Dong and the other two, and said to Yan, "However, I can barely see their information. Because of your appearance, some people's fates have changed. This child was originally supposed to be the Ultimate Twin Fire Saint, the Heavenly Stem Saint King of this generation... and Xiao Yun was the next Heavenly Mystic. Everything he has encountered today, including the meeting of the three of them, and the death of his sister, is all the will of Heaven. This is the test for all Heavenly Mystic candidates." Upon hearing this, Ji Dong angrily retorted, "Heavenly Mystic, since you knew about the danger his sister was facing, why didn't you save her?" The Heavenly Mystic calmly replied, "Knowing does not mean you can change it. People's fates are predetermined. Trying to change them rashly will only make the outcome worse. You cannot try to interfere with the will of Heaven. The predetermined fate of Heaven is not something that human power can interfere with."

"Fate? Hahaha, are you trying to shake my beliefs? What do you mean it should be? In my eyes, there has never been a predetermined fate." Yan stared at Guangming Tianji with a warning look and sneered, "It seems we have nothing to talk about. I don't care about your so-called fate. Even if the Five Elements Continent is completely destroyed, it has nothing to do with me. You can leave now."

"You come from the domain..."

"Get lost!" This luminous divination was about to offer some advice, seemingly trying to persuade Yan to change everything back to its original state, but how could Yan listen to such nonsense? He slapped the person across the face, shattering all the illusions and bringing everyone back to reality.

Everything around them became illusory and distorted. The figure of Guangming Tianji faded away quietly. Ji Dong and the other two still had shocked expressions on their faces and had not yet fully recovered from the inexplicable state they had just been in.

Chapter 398 Ancient Ruins

"Sir, my name is Yao Qianshu, and his name is Yun Tianji. We are both friends of Ji Dong. What happened just now was a misunderstanding. We don't know what happened..." Guangming Tianji was slapped away by Yan, leaving Ji Dong and the other two at the table as if they had just woken up from a dream. The man in blue was the quick-witted one. He quickly pulled another somewhat confused guy to bow to Yan.

Yan ignored Yao Qianshu and instead asked Ji Dong, "The Heavenly Stems Saints and the Heavenly Secrets of Light have never been associated with the Heavenly Stems Academy or the Holy Evil Island. How did you end up with them?" Ji Dong wasn't thinking about the Heavenly Secrets of Light's words, but upon hearing Yan's question, he quickly bowed and said, "Reporting to you, sir, I had a conflict with someone at the Heavenly Stems Academy before, and then..." Yan pondered for a moment, glanced at Ji Dong, and continued, "The Heavenly Secrets of Light's nonsense is just something to remember. These people can probably establish some connection with the will of the plane, so they can sense some things, but it's nothing special. However, he didn't say anything wrong. The Dark Continent is indeed preparing to launch a plan in a few years. If they succeed, your Light Continent will indeed be finished." Ji Dong was startled upon hearing Yan's words, but he didn't show any panic. After a moment, he spoke again, "Since you know such a secret matter, sir, you must have your own plans. What are your thoughts?"

"My thoughts? What's it to me?" Yan said calmly. Seeing that the three of them were somewhat confused, he continued unhurriedly, "To put it bluntly, this is just an internal struggle between two continents. You know a little about where I come from. Even if the Dark Continent succeeds, they have no power to threaten me." Ji Dong's heart stirred, and he continued, "Sir, some of the things you've done have some kind of plan and strategy on the Bright Continent's side, right?" Yan looked at the guy and said indifferently, "No need to test me. On the Bright Five Elements Continent, I'll at most do things incidentally. I won't take the initiative to get involved. Otherwise, being watched by the higher-ups wouldn't be a good thing. You have to solve this problem yourselves. I can provide you with assistance, but it has to bring me enough benefits. I'm planning to go to the Misty Swamp tomorrow. If you're of any use and can help, you can come along."

"Yes." Ji Dong still had doubts, but he didn't dare to ask too many questions. As for Yao Qianshu and Yun Tianji, they didn't dare to say anything throughout the whole process. After saying goodbye to Yan and bowing, the three of them hurriedly left the restaurant.

...The next morning, outside Tianji City, Yan on the official road did not have to wait long before Ji Dong and Yao Qianshu appeared. However, Yun Tianji did not come, and the two seemed to have changed their attitude towards him.

Yan immediately saw through the situation and knew that these two guys had probably been in contact with that Guangming Tianji again afterward, but he didn't care about that. He called out and asked Yao Qianshu to lead the way.

That's right, it was Yao Qianshu who led the way. The reason Yan invited these two along was because he knew that Yao Qianshu was familiar with some aspects of the ruins, and having someone guide the way was much easier than going there alone to search.

……

"Sir, we have arrived at Notting Forest." At noon, with Yan's soul skill enhancement, the group of three people and one bird traveled hundreds of miles to Notting Forest, where the Misty Swamp is located.

Notting Forest is located 300 miles north of Tianji City. The north-facing Notting Forest is in the temperate zone. Most of the trees here are tall and straight, but the canopy is not dense and the leaves are relatively small. There are also many coniferous forests.

Notting Forest was extremely tranquil and quiet, with its dense forest stretching as far as the eye could see. Yan, carrying his two burdens, entered the forest and quickly made his way to its depths. There were many magical beasts in this forest, but they were all no match for the little phoenix.

Yao Qianshu and Ji Dong led the way, glancing occasionally at Yan and Little Phoenix, who seemed to be on a picnic.

"Brother, what tier is this gentleman's pet? I feel like this firebird looks a bit like the Vermilion Bird, the divine beast of the Bing Fire."

"I'm not sure either. However, it's certainly possible that they are descendants of the Vermilion Bird." Ji Dong simply shook his head at Yao Qianshu's question, but recalling his previous experience in the Earth Spirit Mountain Range, he gave a vague answer.

Yao Qianshu felt even worse after receiving this answer.

"A descendant of the Vermilion Bird? Just how strong is this guy? Lord Tianji was severely injured by his single palm strike." Ji Dong glanced cautiously behind him and replied in a low voice.

"Don't ask any more questions. I already said I don't know, but I feel he's no weaker than those crowned ones." The two didn't dare to say anything more. After confirming there was no danger, they went deeper into the forest even faster. Yao Qianshu's advantage as a wood-type mage was revealed at this moment.

Wood-type magicians are the strongest in the forest. A faint blue light emanated from Yao Qianshu, enveloping him and Ji Dong.