Chapter 281

Chapter 281: The Awakening of the Entire Clan

You You and the others stepped through the teleportation array, instantly arriving atop Wushan. Though only a few years had passed since Rong Fu and Rong Mu’s awakening, the mountain felt utterly transformed. As they exited the array, thick spiritual energy rushed over them—even denser than the Zhen Yan Sect’s, which was sustained by a spiritual vein.

“The Sacred Tree space must have changed to produce such concentrated energy,” Yuan Qi observed.

“Let’s check immediately!” Rong Fu and Rong Mu hurried toward the Sacred Tree, weaving hand seals to open the space. Within moments, the entrance appeared, faint purple divine power spilling out as light radiated from within.

The five flew closer. Blinding white light flooded their vision—every phoenix egg in the space glowed fiercely, shells nearly transparent. Shadows of phoenixes stirred inside, their heartbeats echoing faintly.

Rong Fu inspected the nearest egg. “Their original spirits are recovering, but not enough to awaken fully,” he announced, thrilled.

You You retrieved the “No” volume—Momentary Retention. “I’ll try waking them.” A pearl materialized in her palm. She channeled a thread of energy into it, and the pearl sprang to life, circling her before shooting upward. Golden light burst from it, cascading over the eggs in rippling waves—unlike the dark energy it had emitted in the ghost city.

The eggs trembled, glowing brighter. Figures inside twitched as if roused.

_Crack._

A single fissure sparked a chain reaction. Purple divine power flooded the space as cracks spiderwebbed across every egg. The ground quaked violently, forcing the group to stagger.

“They’re emerging!” Rong Fu shouted. “The space can’t hold their combined power—it’ll collapse! Out now!”

They retreated swiftly. You You summoned Momentary Retention back—it zipped into her palm, reverting to a skill icon in her mind. She exited last.

Wushan itself now shook. The split Sacred Tree below dissolved into glowing specks, whether from the awakening or the collapsing space.

Within minutes, phoenix cries erupted. Flashes of light shot from the crumbling space, landing on the peak as magnificent birds materialized—some stretching wings, others blinking awake, their iridescent feathers painting the mountain in color.

The first to wake shifted to human forms smoothly. Latecomers weren’t so lucky—still in massive phoenix forms, they crashed into Wushan’s cramped terrain, Feng Rong’s defensive formations leaving nowhere to fall but atop each other.

Harmony dissolved into feathery chaos:

“Who’s stomping my claw?!”

“Move your wings, brother!”

“Wife! Crush me instead—I’m sturdier!”

“Single phoenix here! Stop trampling or you’ll owe me a mate!”

“Who crammed us here with these cursed formations?!”

The five hovering on swords exchanged glances.

_Maybe we’ll just…pretend we’re not involved?_

The pileup ended once phoenixes remembered their human forms. Bruised and dazed, they brushed off claw marks, memories still foggy from eons of slumber.

Rong Fu and Rong Mu briefed the clan while Yuan Papa checked pulses. “Weakness from prolonged sleep,” he concluded, “but no lasting harm.”

A phoenix acquainted with Rong Fu sighed. “The Phoenix Empress was right—we’d revive someday. Feng Xuan, your son’s done well.”

Feng Rong snorted, dragging You You forward. “Thank _her_, not the old man. Our revival’s all You You’s doing!”

Rong Mu nodded. “Good sons matter, but stellar daughters-in-law matter more! Though our grandson’s decent too.”

You You: “……”

Yuan Qi: “……”

_Why’s the whole clan nodding? Since when did prideful phoenixes embrace shameless freeloading?!_

（“д“）