Chapter Eighty: The Phoenix Clan Annihilated

Yu Xiyue turned to look at Fan Lihua, blinking expressionlessly. "Why?"

"I... I..." Fan Lihua stumbled over her words for a while, unable to give any explanation. She always acted on intuition, and facing Yu Xiyue made her unbearably nervous.

Yu Xiyue turned away and replied coolly, "I refuse."

"Ah..." Fan Lihua felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. Moments ago, she’d been hot with anxiety, now she was chilled to the bone, standing there dumbfounded and at a loss.

Fan Wuwei raised his eyebrows, surprised at how decisively Yu Xiyue had declined, but he had no interest in meddling in the younger generation's affairs. He turned to Jun Yang. "Are you planning to rest in my manor, or return to the Teng Snake Tribe?"

Jun Yang answered without hesitation, "Find me a guest room."

"Not going home? Why linger here?" Fan Wuwei complained, but still instructed the steward, Fan Wenyuan, to prepare a room.

"If I go home, that bunch of youngsters will surely cause trouble. I won’t go, won’t go." Jun Yang shuddered at the thought of being trapped at home as clan leader, eager to escape for just one more day. In any case, Jun Jue was managing the Teng Snake Tribe admirably.

With nothing else pressing, Qing Yushan rose and said to Fan Wuwei, "If there's nothing further, I'll take my leave."

Fan Wuwei waved his hand. "Go ahead. I need some rest myself."

He’d been reluctant to take the Netherdream Yin-Yang Pill, and now his whole body felt miserable.

Qing Yushan nodded, glanced at Yu Xiyue and Jun Yang, then departed through the main gate of the Candle Dragon Tribe, returning to the Azure Dragon Tribe.

With Qing Yushan gone, Jun Yang also stood up, expertly leading Yu Xiyue to the guest quarters of the Candle Dragon Tribe.

Only Fan Lihua remained, standing in the main hall, her face clouded with sorrow.

Fan Wuwei glanced at her, shook his head helplessly, and retreated to his own room.

Jun Yang, for once, slept a whole day before rising.

After a day’s rest, Jun Yang looked much improved, his complexion rosy, while Fan Wuwei, on the contrary, felt even worse than the day before.

While Fan Wuwei groaned in bed, Yu Xiyue and Jun Yang caught several Fire Spirit Chickens from the Candle Dragon Tribe and began roasting them with Heaven Pepper Flowers.

This time, they didn’t set up a barrier, and the aroma drew Fan Wuwei over.

Seeing Fan Wuwei’s sallow, constipated expression, Jun Yang couldn’t help asking, "You haven’t taken the Netherdream Yin-Yang Pill, have you?"

"So that’s what it’s called? The one with eight pill marks?"

Fan Wuwei shook his head emphatically. "Wasteful, a crime against heaven! An eighth-tier sacred pill—how could I just eat it?"

Jun Yang continued roasting, casting a sidelong glance at Fan Wuwei. "If you won’t eat it, are you planning to enshrine it?"

"Of course!" Fan Wuwei had indeed enshrined the pill, placing it beneath the Candle Dragon Bone in the ancestral hall.

An eighth-tier sacred pill could save a life at a critical moment; he couldn't bear to consume it for mere injuries that would heal in time.

"Is it done yet?" Fan Wuwei sat down, watching Jun Yang turn the chicken over and over, swallowing twice. "What did you add? It smells amazing. I’ve roasted so many before, never with this aroma."

Jun Yang held up the Heaven Pepper Flower, now just a bare stem, for Fan Wuwei to see. "Heaven Pepper Flower."

"Did you loot some secret realm?" Fan Wuwei winced at the dried stem. "First an eighth-tier sacred pill, now Heaven Pepper Flower as seasoning for roast chicken."

Jun Yang glanced at the quiet Yu Xiyue beside him, then replied calmly, "It’s been a long time since I looted anything. I’m just a contracted beast now."

Fan Wuwei eyed Jun Yang and Yu Xiyue curiously. Was being a contracted beast so rewarding these days?

Jun Yang roasted for a while longer before finally finishing the Fire Spirit Chicken. He picked one up and handed it to Yu Xiyue. "Little Ancestor, it's ready."

"Mm." Yu Xiyue reached out to take it, but suddenly frowned.

Jun Yang became serious. "What’s wrong?"

"Feng Qinghe shattered the jade pendant I gave him in the lower realm."

"What?" Jun Yang dropped the chicken, brushing the smoke from his hands. "Little junior brother would never break the jade pendant lightly. Something serious must have happened. Shall we head to the Phoenix Tribe?"

"Phoenix Tribe? The one exiled to the upper realm?" Fan Wuwei asked, curious. "Who is Feng Qinghe?"

Jun Yang had no mind to answer, his gaze fixed on Yu Xiyue.

Yu Xiyue unfurled the Divine Domain Map, tapping the location of Phoenix Nest Mountain.

Seeing this, Fan Wuwei hurried after them.

He truly hadn’t heard the Phoenix Tribe mentioned in ages—almost forgotten it existed among the ancient beast tribes.

The three arrived at the foot of Phoenix Nest Mountain, assaulted by a thick, acrid stench of blood, causing all three to frown.

"What happened to the Phoenix Tribe?" Fan Wuwei hovered in the air, surveying the scene.

Was this even a mountain anymore? Nearly all the peaks had been razed.

The sky, once bathed in sunlight, now hung heavy and gray, as if rain might fall at any moment.

"No sign of little junior brother."

Jun Yang swept his spiritual sense, then added, "There are survivors in that distant pit."

The three teleported above the deep pit and looked down.

The pit was filled with corpses, some so mangled as to be unrecognizable.

A whimper echoed from beneath one of the bodies.

Jun Yang flew over, moving the corpse aside. Beneath it, curled up, was Feng Ling’er.

Feng Ling’er looked up in terror, her face streaked with tears and blood. Seeing Jun Yang, she clutched the corpse he moved aside and burst into loud sobs. "Father!! Father!! Wake up!!"

Jun Yang pulled Feng Ling’er up, frowning. "What happened to the Phoenix Tribe?"

Feng Ling’er shook her head desperately. "I don’t know… They wouldn’t let me listen… They sealed my hearing… All I know is three people came… very strong, very strong…"

She sobbed uncontrollably, unable to stand, collapsing to the ground.

Suddenly, Jun Yang sensed a familiar presence and flew to the other side of the pit.

There lay a person, battered, bloodied, barely recognizable, struggling to move their lips, but too weak to be heard.

Yu Xiyue quickly reached into her spatial ring and took out a bottle of Soul Condensing Dew, pouring it into the person’s mouth.

Slowly, the wounds began to heal, and strength returned.

"Master!!!"

The person finally cried out, voice trembling with tears.

"Ye Linyi?!" Jun Yang knelt and helped Ye Linyi up. "What happened?"

Ye Linyi clung to Jun Yang’s sleeve. "Senior Jun Yang, Master, save Chen Yu, save my senior brother!"

"Where is little junior brother? Where is Ming Chen Yu?" Jun Yang steadied Ye Linyi’s weak body, anxious.

"Senior brother was taken! By two people brought by Shangguan Hong! Chen Yu…" Ye Linyi choked, coughing, struggling to calm down. "Chen Yu climbed out of the corpse pit and chased after them… he… he…"

"What happened to him?" Yu Xiyue’s brow furrowed, her whole demeanor radiating a terrifying aura.