Volume 3 Chapter 39

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Volume 3 Chapter 39: People Arrive

On the southern coast of Huandao Island, the sun blazed over the beach and the sea waves roared, casting a dazzling golden hue across the sky and earth.

On the beach, three young women stood quietly. They were disciples from the "White Lady Palace," one of the six Holy Lands. At their feet lay three bodies—a man and two women. The two female bodies were dressed in "White Lady Palace" attire, clearly the remaining disciples from the palace.

The sea breeze continuously lifted the hair of the three girls, but they seemed unaware, silently staring at the bodies for a long time, not saying a word, their faces showing a mix of anger and sadness.

Among the three White Lady Palace disciples was the woman in white with a proud expression. As the leader of the White Lady Palace, she no longer appeared as composed as Xu Qingfan had seen before. Instead, she seemed rather disheveled, her white clothing wrinkled and dirt-stained, her hair in disarray.

"Martial Sister Gong, what should we do now?" After a long silence, the elegant young woman on the left of the lady in white couldn’t help but ask.

The woman in white heard what the other woman said but didn’t turn around. She continued to stare coldly at the three bodies on the ground and said, "Revenge."

"What should we do with the bodies of the two elder martial sisters?" another woman asked.

"Take them," the woman in white replied curtly, glancing at the other man’s body and added, "Take them all."

With that, the woman in white turned away from the bodies without another glance and swiftly headed toward the center of Huandao Island. The other two disciples of the White Lady Palace exchanged a look, waved their sleeves, used the "Sleeve Space" technique to sweep the three bodies into their sleeves, and hurriedly followed after her.

…

What’s going on?

As Xu Qingfan awoke from unconsciousness, he looked at the concerned faces of Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang, and at Feng Qingtian wrapped in flames in his arms, feeling full of confusion.

What puzzled him most was that despite the intense flames encircling Feng Qingtian, they caused no harm to him, not even scorching his clothes. Instead, he felt an inexplicable sense of warmth.

In reality, the flames on Feng Qingtian were not true fire but Phoenix Spirit Qi shaped like fire, currently transforming Feng Qingtian’s body. Naturally, it wouldn’t harm Xu Qingfan, as his body had developed a strong affinity with the Phoenix Spirit Qi.

But Xu Qingfan did not know any of this, so he was full of confusion.

Besides being puzzled, Xu Qingfan also noticed that since he woke up, something seemed to have changed in his body, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what those changes were. He just felt that the world in his eyes appeared different, with clearer textures. Most importantly, Xu Qingfan found that his sensitivity to the Kui Fire Spirit Qi around him seemed to have increased tenfold.

All these changes only deepened the confusion in Xu Qingfan’s heart.

"Junior Brother Xu, what just happened? How did you and Junior Brother Feng suddenly get surrounded by flames? Also, why is Junior Brother Feng still surrounded by fire? Were you unharmed in those flames just now?"

As soon as Xu Qingfan emerged from the fire and regained consciousness, Lv Qingshang bombarded him with a series of questions, clearly baffled by the recent events. Jin Qinghan, standing by, was also about to ask something but seeing the bewilderment in Xu Qingfan’s eyes and Lv Qingshang’s questions reflecting his own doubts, he merely fixed his puzzled gaze on Xu Qingfan, quietly waiting for his explanation.

Hearing Lv Qingshang’s relentless questions, Xu Qingfan, who was still disoriented from just waking up, became even more confused and didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he closed his eyes to recall what happened before he fainted.

Seeing Xu Qingfan’s demeanor, Lv Qingshang realized his own impatience, so after Xu Qingfan closed his eyes, Lv Qingshang refrained from pressing further. Like Jin Qinghan, he quietly waited for Xu Qingfan’s response.

In the calmness, after a long while, Xu Qingfan’s mind cleared, replaying the scenes in his head until he finally remembered what happened before he fainted.

Through careful recollection, Xu Qingfan understood that the reason he fainted was because of the sudden change in the Wutong branch, which released a large amount of Phoenix Spirit Qi that surged through his body into Feng Qingtian. Caught off guard, Xu Qingfan couldn’t withstand the shock of the Spirit Qi, causing him to lose consciousness and triggering this unusual incident.

Without a doubt, this strange event is closely related to two things: the Wutong branch infused with a large amount of Phoenix Spirit Qi due to Phoenix Nirvana and the Phoenix bloodline within Feng Qingtian. Could this incident be connected to the Phoenix?

Unconsciously, Xu Qingfan remembered the phrase that flashed through his mind before he passed out—"Phoenix Nirvana!"

At the moment when flames ignited on Feng Qingtian, this phrase appeared in Xu Qingfan’s mind without any warning, as if it were deeply engraved in this transformation. The phrase didn’t originate from Xu Qingfan’s thoughts but seemed like a memory intrinsic to the Phoenix Spirit Qi itself.

A memory passed down through tens of thousands of years.

Could it be that Feng Qingtian is undergoing "Phoenix Nirvana"?

At the thought of this conclusion, Xu Qingfan was astonished, but he quickly dismissed it. Feng Qingtian is not a Phoenix; he merely possesses the Phoenix bloodline. Although the Phoenix Spirit Qi contained within the Wutong branch is astonishing to him, it is far from sufficient for a Phoenix Nirvana, let alone for Feng Qingtian.

"Forget it, speculating aimlessly here isn’t helpful. I should wait until Feng Qingtian awakens to discuss this with him. No matter what, this incident is related to his Phoenix bloodline and Phoenix Spirit Qi, and he should know more about it than I do."

Xu Qingfan thought to himself.

Although Xu Qingfan guessed that this change wasn’t exactly "Phoenix Nirvana," he figured it was significantly related, so he was no longer worried about Feng Qingtian’s safety. Moreover, Xu Qingfan could now clearly feel that as the flames burned fiercely around Feng Qingtian, the vitality within him grew more and more vigorous.

Rather than guessing the cause of the strange change, what Xu Qingfan cared about more now was the transformation his body underwent after the anomaly.

The moment Xu Qingfan regained consciousness, all the flames around him gathered beside Feng Qingtian. Therefore, the flames surrounding Feng Qingtian were even stronger than before. At first, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang could vaguely see Feng Qingtian through the flames, but now, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t see anything. It seemed as if Xu Qingfan was holding a human-shaped flame, appearing very strange.

More importantly, when Xu Qingfan withdrew from the flames, his own body underwent many changes. The most direct change was that Xu Qingfan found his sensitivity to the Kui Fire Spirit Qi in the world had far surpassed before, and his affinity with the Kui Fire Spirit Qi was more than ten times stronger than before.

What does this mean? This means that Xu Qingfan’s speed of absorbing Fire Spirit Qi would be much faster than before! Also, he would have strong resistance when harmed by fire-related magic techniques.

The reason Xu Qingfan practiced wood-type magic, besides the fact that a large amount of Wood-type Qi was originally sealed within him, was also because Xu Qingfan had developed some affinity for Wood-type Spirit Qi when his body was invaded by the "Mountain Spirit Wood Monster" Original Soul, allowing him to absorb Wood-type Qi from the world.

Now, after this anomaly, Xu Qingfan can absorb not just Wood-type Qi but also Kui Fire Spirit Qi from the world, and he does so at a speed much faster than absorbing Wood-type Qi.

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but feel a little excited.

But, in a turn of thought, Xu Qingfan became disheartened again because he suddenly realized that even if he absorbed Fire Spirit Qi faster, it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Xu Qingfan knew that the reason his aptitude was poor wasn’t mainly because he absorbed Spirit Qi slowly, but because his body couldn’t retain the world’s Spirit Qi for his own use. The reason Xu Qingfan had reached the Lingji Stage wasn’t that he absorbed enough Spirit Qi from the world, but because he relied on the Spirit Qi he absorbed to refine the Wood-type Qi already within him.

Accelerating the absorption of fire Spirit Qi only allows Xu Qingfan to refine the Wood-type Qi in his body faster, without any other significant benefits. This means Xu Qingfan can reach the late stage of the Lingji Stage in less time than before, but it still doesn’t help him break through to the Condensed Core Stage.

"No matter what, facing fire cultivators won’t be such a headache anymore. At least I have strong resistance to fire now," Xu Qingfan thought to himself, though he was a bit disappointed. He knew there was no such thing as a shortcut to success in this world, so he tried to console himself.

At the same time, Xu Qingfan realized that while he himself had already awakened, the flames around Feng Qingtian were growing more intense, suggesting that the transformation happening to Feng Qingtian was far from complete. This meant that once Feng Qingtian awoke, his changes would be much more significant than Xu Qingfan’s. So, what changes would Feng Qingtian undergo once he regained consciousness?

Xu Qingfan shook his head, burying his curiosity deep within. Whatever changes happen will naturally be revealed once Feng Qingtian wakes up.

With this thought, Xu Qingfan opened his eyes, intending to share his guesses with Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang. But the moment he opened his eyes, he saw the flames continuously burning around Feng Qingtian and felt the powerful Phoenix Spirit Qi emanating from within Feng Qingtian. This made Xu Qingfan suddenly realize something very important.

The transformation occurring in Feng Qingtian, regardless of its cause, was entirely driven and sustained by the Phoenix Spirit Qi contained within Xu Qingfan’s Wutong branch.

Observing the fluctuations of Phoenix Spirit Qi in Feng Qingtian and the growing vitality in his body, it was clear that this transformation consumed a considerable amount of Phoenix Spirit Qi from the Wutong branch.

It’s important to note that even though the chance is slim, if Xu Qingfan manages to completely merge with the Wutong branch through the mysteries of the "Hua Ling Art," then with the powerful energy it contains, Xu Qingfan might have an opportunity to reach the Condensed Core Stage in one leap.

This is the only method Xu Qingfan could think of to achieve a breakthrough to the Condensed Core Stage.

In other words, the energy contained within the Wutong branch was of great significance to Xu Qingfan. Each time the energy within the Wutong branch diminished, Xu Qingfan’s hope of using it to break through to the Condensed Core Stage grew fainter.

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan was truly surprised and quickly began to carefully examine the changes in the Wutong branch. After providing a large amount of Phoenix Spirit Qi to Feng Qingtian earlier, the Wutong branch returned to its previous slender, ordinary twig-like appearance, and was placed back in Xu Qingfan’s hair.

After a long time, a wry smile appeared at the corner of Xu Qingfan’s mouth.

The changes in the Wutong branch were indeed as Xu Qingfan had expected. A large amount of Phoenix Spirit Qi had been consumed during the previous transformation. Although the Wood-type Qi was still abundant, the Phoenix Spirit Qi was now only half of what it had been.

However, at the same time, Xu Qingfan noticed that the compatibility between his body and the Wutong branch had greatly strengthened after this transformation. If previously it was just a state of mind and object synchronization, now Xu Qingfan and the Wutong branch had reached a state of unity. With the next step, Xu Qingfan could directly enter seclusion to refine the Wutong branch and merge it with himself. It could be said that this transformation saved Xu Qingfan more than ten years of refining effort.

Yet Xu Qingfan’s heart was still full of helplessness. Although the refining process accelerated, what good was it? After all, the hope of breaking through to the Condensed Core Stage had greatly diminished.

However, despite his helplessness, Xu Qingfan was not particularly disappointed, because even with the help of the Wutong branch, he did not have high hopes for breaking through to the Condensed Core Stage. If this was the price for saving Feng Qingtian’s life, although Xu Qingfan felt it was a pity, he could still accept it.

Still, whether these changes to Xu Qingfan’s body and the Wutong branch were good or bad, only time would tell.

Having finally sorted things out, Xu Qingfan slowly opened his eyes.

…

After Xu Qingfan closed his eyes in deep thought, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang anxiously waited for his response. However, Xu Qingfan remained silent for a long time, his expression changing from happiness to worry, or sadness to comfort. He opened his eyes once, only to quickly close them again, seemingly lost in thought. The two beside him grew increasingly uneasy, uncertain of what was troubling Xu Qingfan.

At last, Xu Qingfan opened his eyes again, looking at the confused Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang, and said slowly, "I’m not entirely sure about the cause of this strange event, but I have some guesses. Let’s discuss it together."

Xu Qingfan then shared his thoughts with the two, who were shocked to hear that Feng Qingtian might be undergoing a transformation similar to a "Phoenix Rebirth." When they learned that a significant loss of energy in the Wutong branch could affect Xu Qingfan’s Core Formation, they couldn’t help but sigh. Yet, they were relieved to know that Feng Qingtian’s life was not in danger.

In the end, Xu Qingfan’s explanation helped them understand why his expression had changed so much while he was deep in thought.

After Xu Qingfan’s explanation, Jin Qinghan asked, "Senior Brother Xu, you suspect that the transformation happened because the Wutong branch resonated with Feng Qingtian’s Phoenix bloodline. But why were you also involved in this transformation?"

Xu Qingfan pondered for a moment and replied, "Perhaps because I had begun to refine the Wutong branch, there was already some Phoenix Spirit Qi in me. Being the link between the Wutong branch and Senior Brother Feng, I was drawn into the transformation as well. Once enough Phoenix Spirit Qi was transferred into Senior Brother Feng, allowing me to withdraw, I exited the transformation too."

Lv Qingshang then asked, "How long do you think Junior Brother Feng’s transformation will last?"

Xu Qingfan shook his head, saying, "I’m not sure about that. It could take as short as the time to drink a cup of tea, or it might last several days. We don’t know the exact situation, so it’s hard to predict. It’s said that a phoenix’s rebirth takes several months, and while Senior Brother Feng is not truly undergoing rebirth, it could still take a few days."

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but furrow his brow. The situation on Huandao Island was strange and dangerous, especially for his group. Xu Qingfan felt as if some kind of plot was waiting for them, so he became even more cautious.

He had already memorized the layout of Huandao Island and knew that although the island was mostly flat, there were some small hills in the south, making the terrain more complex.

Xu Qingfan planned to lead the group to hide there for a day, waiting for the elders from Zhantai to arrive at Huandao Island. However, an unexpected change was happening to Feng Qingtian, and no one knew if the journey would bring more changes. If Feng Qingtian suffered a Qi deviation due to rushing, it would be terrible. But if they didn’t hurry, they might be ambushed again, making Xu Qingfan hesitate.

Finally, Xu Qingfan said to Lv Qingshang, "Senior Brother Lv, please set up a few more formations outside this ‘Hidden Breath Array’ to conceal our presence. According to my estimate, it won’t be long before the elders from various sects in Zhantai arrive. We only need to hide here for less than half a day."

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s decision, Lv Qingshang nodded silently, knowing it was the best solution for the moment. He quickly waved his hands, and countless talismans flew around the ‘Hidden Breath Array,’ forming several different formations to conceal their presence.

Then, worried about a potential attack, Lv Qingshang added two defensive formations among the concealment arrays. After doing all this, Lv Qingshang’s face went pale, and his breathing was heavy. It was clear that setting up the formations had drained much of his Spirit Qi.

In fact, both Lv Qingshang and Jin Qinghan had already used up most of their Spirit Qi in the battle against the Green Snake Dragon last night. On the road afterward, they encountered the unexpected change with Xu Qingfan and Feng Qingtian, requiring them to stop and protect them, preventing any meditation to recover. The many formations set just now consumed the last of Lv Qingshang’s Spirit Qi.

"Senior Brother Lv, Junior Brother Jin, you worked hard protecting Senior Brother Feng and me. Please sit and rest quickly to restore your Spirit Qi. I will guard you," Xu Qingfan said, noticing Lv Qingshang’s pale face. Xu Qingfan had already recovered his Spirit Qi after the change, even reaching a new level.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Lv Qingshang said nothing more and immediately sat down to meditate and recuperate. This time, his Spirit Qi was indeed greatly depleted.

When Jin Qinghan saw Lv Qingshang beginning to meditate and recover, he didn’t hasten to sit cross-legged as well but quietly watched Xu Qingfan. This was the first time the two had been alone since the Newcomer Competition.

Seeing Jin Qinghan’s strange look towards him, Xu Qingfan curiously asked, "Junior Brother Jin, is there something on your mind?"

Jin Qinghan gave a slight smile and said, "Nothing much, I just didn’t expect you to change so much after coming to Huandao Island."

Xu Qingfan smiled helplessly and asked, "Do you think these changes are for the better or the worse?"

"For the better," Jin Qinghan replied confidently, "You used to suffer losses too easily."

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "What surprised me more was that after Senior Brother Feng was injured, you seemed more anxious than anyone else."

Jin Qinghan calmly responded, "I just don’t want anything to happen to him before I have the chance to defeat him."

With that, Jin Qinghan stopped talking and, like Lv Qingshang, sat cross-legged on the ground and began meditating with closed eyes.

Seeing Jin Qinghan’s aloof demeanor, Xu Qingfan shook his head with a smile and began surveying the area with his eyes, from the scenery outside the formation to Feng Qingtian, surrounded by flames, and the meditating Jin Qinghan and Feng Qingtian.

Suddenly, the smile on Xu Qingfan’s face froze, and a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes because he saw the severed arm beside Lv Qingshang. It was the only intact part of Wang Qingjun’s body after he died.

With a slight sigh, Xu Qingfan walked slowly towards the severed arm because he suddenly remembered obtaining a "Frozen Ice Bead" from the market before. He had exchanged it for its beautiful appearance to please Ting’er, but after discovering Ting’er didn’t like it, he kept it away.

But now, the "Frozen Ice Bead" could be used, as it had the special effect of preserving a body for a thousand years unchanged. Although this was just a severed arm, it was all that remained of Wang Qingjun’s body.

When Xu Qingfan picked up the severed arm, he was stunned because he realized it was the lower arm of Wang Qingjun’s right hand, still connected to Wang Qingjun’s right hand. At this moment, Xu Qingfan clearly saw that Wang Qingjun’s right hand was holding something.

…

Meanwhile, in the sea a hundred miles west of Huandao Island, a group of cultivators was quickly heading towards the island. Even amidst the fierce winds of the Eastern Sea, they flew swiftly, clearly possessing the strength of at least the Condensed Core Stage. They were the elders and protectors from Zhantai racing to the scene.