Volume 3 Chapter 6

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Volume 3 Chapter 6: The Phoenix Tree

"The towering phoenix tree, with its ancient elegance, leaves like turquoise clouds, appearing majestic.

Its roots touch pure sources, the sky opens with violet brilliance, constellations above it, beautiful birds come to sing.

In the world exists this fine wood, innately understanding, can be used as a zither, harmonizing in spring and autumn."

Listening to the night rain while lying down, rising to see the clear snow, standing alone in integrity, with majestic virtue and honor.

…

"This is for you, it may be of great use." Liu Huaxiang handed the long rod-shaped package to Xu Qingfan with a smile.

Feeling the strong wood and fire Spirit Qi emanating from the rod-shaped object, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but feel puzzled. In the five elements, wood generates fire. When equal amounts of wood and fire Spirit Qi meet, the wood Spirit Qi will slowly transform into fire Spirit Qi. There has never been a case where an item holds both wood and fire Spirit Qi together. Yet, this item clearly does, leaving Xu Qingfan intrigued.

Taking the package from Liu Huaxiang, Xu Qingfan was secretly surprised, not because the object had an unexpected weight for its size, but because the wide cloth wrapping the long rod-shaped object was actually the precious "Clear Spirit Gauze" from the cultivation world.

It is said that the "Clear Spirit Gauze" is made from the tail feathers of the human-level middle-class demon beast, the "Clear Spirit Bird." This bird is not only very rare but also naturally alert and fast-flying, making it extremely difficult to catch. Moreover, the demon beast is quite small, requiring the tail feathers of ten "Clear Spirit Birds" to make a one-foot-wide piece of "Clear Spirit Gauze," highlighting its precious nature.

Once made, the primary function of "Clear Spirit Gauze" is to shield the Spirit Qi fluctuations emitted by Spirit Qi-rich items like magical tool Spirit medicines. Yet, under this "Clear Spirit Gauze," the rod-shaped object still manages to exude such rich wood and fire Spirit Qi. Just how dense is the Spirit Qi within this object itself?

In curiosity, Xu Qingfan unwrapped the "Clear Spirit Gauze," revealing swirling blue and red mist, with wood and fire Spirit Qi soaring into the sky. Fortunately, this was at the top of Jiuhua Mountain; otherwise, this strong Spirit Qi would have surely caused a huge commotion.

As the mist dissipated, a thick, long tree branch appeared in Xu Qingfan’s hand. The branch was straight and smooth, with a jade-green bark. Although it seemed to have been separated from its main trunk for a long time, it still radiated a strong life force, showing no signs of wilting.

Holding the mysterious branch in his hand, Xu Qingfan looked up at Liu Huaxiang in confusion and asked, "Forgive my lack of knowledge, Martial Uncle, but what kind of mystical item is this branch?"

Liu Huaxiang smiled but didn’t answer directly. Instead, he softly recited a line from "Strange Tales of Mountains and Seas—Essays on Plants and Trees", "The phoenix sings on that high hill. The parasol tree grows in the morning sun."

As soon as Liu Huaxiang finished his words, Xu Qingfan immediately remembered the reference and asked in surprise, "Martial Uncle, are you saying this branch is from the parasol tree?"

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Liu Huaxiang nodded and said, "The parasol tree where this branch originally grew has thrived for tens of thousands of years, rich in Spirit Qi. More importantly, a phoenix once underwent rebirth on that parasol tree."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingfan was left even more stunned.

The parasol tree is called the immortal among trees; it is not easily harmed by swords or fire, can grow for ten thousand years without withering, and contains far more Wood-type Spirit Qi than ordinary trees. In the cultivation world, many famous high-level wood-type magical artifacts are forged from the branches of the parasol tree.

However, even though the Shenzhou Continent is vast and the cultivation world has a history of thousands of years, fewer than a hundred parasol trees have been discovered so far, and many have already been refined into various magical tools and other mystical items by cultivators.

It is said that a thousand years ago, the Laoshan Sect was exterminated by a group of greedy cultivators after obtaining a ten-thousand-year-old parasol tree.

But besides these reasons, the parasol tree gained its fame throughout the Shenzhou Continent also due to another legend—the ancient mythical beast, the phoenix.

Compared to the parasol tree, the phoenix appears even less frequently in the cultivation world; for nearly a thousand years, cultivators have only learned vague details about the phoenix from legends and books.

"With a rooster’s crest, a swallow’s chin, a snake’s neck, a turtle’s back, a fish’s tail, and brilliant colors, it stands six feet tall, with its body of flame and eyes reflecting the essence of the sun and moon. The phoenix’s song resembles the sound of flutes and drums. When it appears once, birds sing in welcome; at its second appearance, the world faces drought; the third appearance, and the sun never sets." This is a description from the legendary book "Marvelous Tales," which is as famous as the "Strange Tales of Mountains and Seas," and its truthfulness is hard to verify.

What is certain is that the phoenix is not only the leader of all birds but also the only known creature that does not die. It is said that every time a phoenix dies, its body bursts into flames and it is reborn from the fire with even more vitality than before, a process called "phoenix rebirth." Through this continuous cycle, the phoenix achieves eternal life, hence the name "immortal bird."

"The yuanchu soars from the southern sea to the northern sea, stopping only on parasol trees." Here, "yuanchu" is another name for the phoenix. This sentence from "Marvelous Tales" describes the relationship between the phoenix and the parasol tree. The phoenix’s rebirth often occurs on these trees.

Reflecting on this, Xu Qingfan suddenly understood why both wood and fire Spirit Qi coexisted on the branch of the parasol tree. It must be that when the phoenix underwent its rebirth on this tree, it released a large amount of fire Spirit Qi, and the tree absorbed much of it. For some unknown reason, this fire Spirit Qi continued to coexist with the tree’s own Wood-type Spirit Qi.

Seeing Xu Qingfan’s dazed expression, Liu Huaxiang showed a hint of nostalgia on his face and said slowly, "A thousand years ago, my master and several friends ventured to the East Sea, where they discovered a millennia-old parasol tree on a remote island. To their amazement, a phoenix was undergoing rebirth upon it. After three long years, the rebirth was complete. After the phoenix flew away, my master and his friends each took a branch from that parasol tree as a memento."

As he said this, Liu Huaxiang’s face turned somber, as if recalling some painful memories. Meanwhile, Xu Qingfan was too taken aback by the preciousness of the parasol branch to notice Liu Huaxiang’s unusual expression.

Finally snapping out of his amazement, Xu Qingfan quickly returned the parasol branch to Liu Huaxiang, saying, "Martial Uncle Liu, this is too precious. Not only does my current strength make it impossible for me to protect or use it, but even if I could, such a valuable item should not be mine."

"Just take it." Liu Huaxiang didn’t reach out to take it back but said calmly, "The path I cultivate is incompatible with this item’s attributes, and since I haven’t taken any disciples, keeping it serves no purpose. Giving it to you is different; your wood-based cultivation matches its attributes, and it will significantly enhance your strength."

Seeing that Xu Qingfan wanted to say something more, Liu Huaxiang waved his hand to interrupt him and said, "As for the issues of being unable to control and protect, there’s no need to worry. Didn’t you just get the ‘Spirit Purging Sutra’ when you went down the mountain this time?"

Hearing Liu Huaxiang’s words, Xu Qingfan was slightly taken aback, then hesitantly asked, "Martial Uncle, are you saying I should refine these phoenix tree branches into my ‘Spirit Control Object’?"

"Exactly. The ‘Spirit Purging Sutra’ is a rare wondrous method in the cultivation world. It would be a pity not to practice it," Liu Huaxiang said with a smile.

Practitioners of the ‘Spirit Purging Sutra’ can refine any object with Spirit Qi into their own "Spirit Control Object." Once the practitioner and the "Spirit Control Object" reach a state of unity, they can even engage in Double Cultivation, integrating the "Spirit Control Object" into their body to gain its traits and energies.

In fact, during these days back at Jiuhua Mountain, Xu Qingfan had already begun studying the ‘Spirit Purging Sutra’ and was prepared to start practicing it. Initially, Xu Qingfan thought of exchanging something from a marketplace down the mountain for a "Spirit Gathering Stone" to be his "Spirit Control Object."

Although the "Spirit Gathering Stone" is not considered a particularly precious item in the cultivation world, its ability to autonomously absorb Spirit Qi from the world is exactly what the low aptitude Xu Qingfan needs the most. After merging with the "Spirit Gathering Stone," Xu Qingfan’s cultivation speed will naturally increase significantly and may even slightly improve his aptitude.

However, if Xu Qingfan refines this Wutong branch into his "Spirit Control Object," the effects after integration would greatly exceed those with the "Spirit Gathering Stone."

After merging with the Wutong branch, Xu Qingfan would not only gain a small part of the abundant Spirit Qi contained within it, but he could also use the principle of wood generating fire to perform fire magic. In this way, Xu Qingfan could simultaneously exhibit both wood and fire abilities, greatly enhancing his power.

Furthermore, the improvement in Xu Qingfan’s aptitude after merging with the Wutong branch would be no less than that with the "Spirit Gathering Stone," because on refining the branch into his body, Xu Qingfan’s affinity with Wood-type Spirit Qi in the world would far surpass what it had been before.

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but hesitate a little. Although he was reluctant to accept such a precious thing from Liu Huaxiang without reason, the thought that this Wutong branch could greatly enhance his abilities and might even increase his chances of entering the Condensed Core Stage made it impossible for Xu Qingfan to utter the word "no."

…

When Xu Qingfan left the "Herb Garden," the sun had already set. The night sky was bright with moonlight, dotted with stars, and Xu Qingfan’s mood, which had been somewhat gloomy due to Ting’er’s matter, brightened under the luminous night sky.

Riding the "Nimbus Cloud," Xu Qingfan quickly flew towards his cave dwelling in the back mountain.

When Liu Huaxiang mentioned, "How can a junior refuse a gift from a senior," Xu Qingfan finally accepted the precious Wutong branch. But Xu Qingfan felt that when he put the Wutong branch in his sleeve, a hint of nostalgia and sorrow flashed in Liu Huaxiang’s eyes, making him feel that giving the branch wasn’t as simple as Liu Huaxiang said.

However, Xu Qingfan didn’t sense any malice in Liu Huaxiang’s actions. Besides, if Liu Huaxiang had ill intentions, he wouldn’t need to use tricks given his abilities, nor would he use the Wutong branch as bait. So, Xu Qingfan noticed Liu Huaxiang’s strange look but didn’t dwell on it.

"Maybe Martial Uncle Liu intended to give him this treasure," Xu Qingfan secretly speculated.

The "Nimbus Cloud" was extremely fast, and while Xu Qingfan was lost in thought, it had already brought him to his back mountain cave dwelling.

Under the control of the "Three Element Array," the surroundings of Xu Qingfan’s back mountain cave were covered in a delicate mist, appearing even more mysterious under the night sky. Right outside this mist, a figure was pacing back and forth.

Xu Qingfan was curious and guided the "Nimbus Cloud" to land beside the figure. Once he saw the person’s face clearly, he exclaimed in surprise, "Junior Martial Sister Dongfang, what are you doing here?"