A middle-aged man from the Fire Phoenix Clan stared at Kornett, the patriarch of the Sky Eye Clan, with undisguised astonishment, his gaze sharpening. "What trick is your Sky Eye Clan pulling? What has agitated the Ancestor so much?"

Kornett and the elders of the Sky Eye Clan looked genuinely bewildered, a tremor of anxiety running through them as they realized the severity of the situation.

"If any of your petty details have offended Ancestor Changxi, humph!" the Fire Phoenix man sneered, his tone dripping with menace.

Kornett's expression shifted. Looking toward where Changxi was frantically focused, he saw the source was Evelyn's temple, deepening his surprise.

"Move! Go down immediately and see what the matter is!"

The warriors of the Fire Phoenix Clan left Kornett and his group behind, transforming into streaks of firelight, plunging toward Evelyn's temple.

Near the Sky Eye Clan's sacred ground, many young members were gathered, paying homage to the statues. They only saw lines of fire descending like meteors toward one particular temple. Startled, they craned their necks, attempting to discern the chaos.

"Damn it! It's the Fire Phoenix Clan people again!" someone muttered darkly. "Our clan has three major veins rich in Flame Crystals, and they just seized them without a word. These Fire Phoenix people are hot-tempered, always causing trouble in our territory. They are a real headache!"

"Don't even talk about it. Aren't we the same? What can we do? The Fire Phoenix Clan is truly powerful. Changxi is an Ancestral Domain Realm expert. In the eyes of the Xuan Tian Clan members, they hold immense weight, naturally far beyond our standing. We can only endure it."

"Alas, more endurance. Those Fire Phoenix clansmen are too arrogant. Not only do they occupy our mines, but they also demand we find them mining slaves. If this continues, things were better before!"

"This must be the Fire Phoenix Clan acting on their own accord. The Xuan Tian Clan probably doesn't know the situation. If we could find core members of the Xuan Tian Clan and explain this, perhaps the Fire Phoenix Clan would restrain themselves."

"It's useless. The Xuan Tian Clan members only value the opinions of the Fire Phoenix Clan; they won't care about our survival at all. They have an Ancestral Domain Realm expert backing them. Even the Xuan Tian Clan must show them some deference. What do we have? Ha! The fact that we became vassals to the Xuan Tian Clan was already incredible; what more can we demand?" As the Fire Phoenix clansmen descended like flames onto the sacred ground, many Sky Eye Clan members cursed under their breath.

"Foul-mouthed wretches!"

Just then, a cold laugh echoed from within one of the fire streams.

Orbs of orange-red flame, like incandescent spheres, suddenly rained down and detonated precisely where the young observers were gathered. Many Sky Eye youths were blackened from the blasts, and several of their Divine Bodies sustained injuries.

"Damned bastards! How dare they attack us in our sacred ground!"

The Sky Eye Clan members could not help but roar in outrage. Among them were disciples of the Great Elders, who shouted and prepared to unleash their power.

At that moment, Kornett, the patriarch of the Sky Eye Clan, landed and shot them a look filled with imposing authority.

They immediately fell silent, unwilling to act presumptuously before their patriarch, though their gazes remained fixed in hatred upon one Fire Phoenix clansman—a youth with an arrogant expression, fiery red hair, and cultivation at the Prime God Realm. This was Hongfei, Changxi's disciple and a major noble within the Fire Phoenix Clan.

Hongfei hovered in the void, looking down upon the Sky Eye Clan members with undisguised mockery.

Kornett approached Hongfei, chastised his own clansmen for their recklessness, and then began offering explanations to Hongfei with an ingratiating smile.

Hongfei merely laughed heartily, waving a dismissive hand. He showed no deference to Kornett, heading straight for the temple where Changxi had descended, leaving the elder Sky Eye Patriarch Kornett standing there neglected.

Kornett’s face cycled through shades of pale and ashen. Suppressing his fury, he glared at his clansmen and quickly followed.

Those Sky Eye youths injured by Hongfei's flame orbs were boiling with rage, feeling utterly humiliated. The disrespect shown to their patriarch by Hongfei stung them far more deeply than the physical injuries.

—This was contempt for their entire race!

Soon, Kornett and the elders of the Sky Eye Clan, along with Hongfei and the other Fire Phoenix warriors, gathered inside Evelyn's temple.

Inside, Changxi held a Flame Crystal with both hands, his eyes blazing with fervor, his entire body trembling with excitement.

Evelyn, Mahisa, and Adams, three elders of the Sky Eye Clan, wore expressions of profound ugliness, glaring at Changxi with rising anger.

"Master, th-that's mine..."

Xiao Ya lowered her voice, glaring at the Fire Phoenix Changxi, and whispered, "This old man is completely unreasonable. He just snatched my possession without a word. Is there anyone so domineering?"

Changxi had descended abruptly and, in the presence of Evelyn, Mahisa, and Adams, seized the Flame Crystal gifted by Ziyao. Afterward, ignoring their questioning, he became utterly consumed by the Bathing Fire Phoenix visible within the crystal, focusing with unparalleled intensity, paying absolutely no heed to Evelyn and the others.

When Hongfei and the other Fire Phoenix clansmen arrived, they found Changxi murmuring to the Flame Crystal held between his hands.

Hongfei was initially stunned, then equally shocked by the phoenix within the crystal. He stammered, "Th-that is the totem of our First Ancestor, a major fragment of the Soul Altar? Heavens, how is this possible? How could this be?"

All the Fire Phoenix clansmen were now deeply shaken, their innate Flame Energy becoming almost uncontrollable.

Changxi slowly emerged from his intense excitement. He gripped the Flame Crystal tightly, took a deep breath to steady his emotions, and sternly questioned the three Sky Eye elders: "From where did you acquire this Flame Crystal?"

Judging by his demeanor, he had no intention of returning it; not only had he forcibly taken possession, but he now demanded an accounting of its origin.

If Evelyn and the others gave an unsatisfactory answer, he might very well unleash a massacre, destroying Evelyn and the other two for the sake of the Ancestor's totem—if Evelyn had obtained the Flame Crystal through improper means!

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Scorching heat surged throughout the temple. Changxi appeared to transform into a massive fireball. The flaming phoenixes embroidered on his exquisite robes seemed to come alive, slowly gathering power.

Under Changxi's gaze, Evelyn and every Sky Eye Clan member felt a terrifying sensation, as if they could be incinerated into ash in an instant.

Kornett, consumed by fear, shouted repeatedly, "Evelyn! Do not hide anything, absolutely do not hide it! Say whatever you know. We are all reliant on the Xuan Tian Clan. As long as we explain the situation, Senior Changxi certainly will not make things difficult for us!"

He was terrified and had to invoke the Xuan Tian Clan as their ultimate backing, hoping that Changxi would temper his actions out of respect for the Xuan Tian Clan.

"Relax. As long as you state the situation truthfully, I certainly won't make trouble for you," Changxi narrowed his eyes. "But if you deliberately conceal anything, hehe, even the Xuan Tian Clan won't stop me from acting ruthlessly! This Flame Crystal is a fragment of our clan's First Ancestor's Soul Altar—a legendary sacred object! We must know where this Flame Crystal came from!"

Evelyn’s spirit wavered under Changxi’s stare. He quickly assessed the situation, gritted his teeth, and said, "It was gifted to my junior disciple by an acquaintance of a friend. We had no idea this Flame Crystal was connected to your First Ancestor; we knew nothing."

"Of course you didn't know, otherwise you wouldn't have brought it out so carelessly. Hehe, originally I was reluctant to visit your Sky Eye Clan, but I didn't expect such a huge harvest!" Changxi roared with laughter, flames dancing like dragons and snakes around his body. He was not one for pleasantries and stated plainly: "Where is the person who gifted you this crystal now? If you explain honestly, I certainly won't trouble you. Otherwise, humph!"

"Speak quickly!" Kornett was burning with anxiety. He feared Changxi’s rage would descend upon the entire Sky Eye Clan. Seeing Evelyn hesitate, he urged him on, "You don't want our clan to suffer massive casualties because of you, do you? Evelyn, for the sake of your teacher, tell him the situation quickly!"

"Hongfei, you and the others, surround this Sky Eye Clan sacred ground first," Changxi ordered with a frown.

The visiting Fire Phoenix warriors, hearing the command, dispersed without a word, transforming into streams of fiery light that spun rapidly around the Sky Eye sacred ground.

Most of these warriors possessed formidable cultivation; at least six or seven had reached the Immortal Realm. Deploying their full strength, they conjured a scorching sea of fire that enveloped the entirety of the sacred ground!

The intense streams of flame temporarily sealed the entire Sky Eye Clan sacred ground.

No outsider could easily breach it, nor could the Sky Eye elders within escape, unless they managed to tear through the fiery seal!

All the Sky Eye Clan members lingering outside the sacred ground saw the sea of fire seal their sanctuary. Realizing a massive shift had occurred inside, they cried out in alarm, immediately sending messages to their respective family elders, reporting the great change in the sacred ground due to the invasion by Fire Phoenix experts.

Instantly, all the major factions within the Sky Eye Clan were shaken. Many Sky Eye powerhouses gathered at the fastest possible speed, intent on defending the honor of their sacred ground with their lives!

Those who knew they might be unable to contend with the Fire Phoenix Clan—the more astute among them—had already begun attempting to contact the Xuan Tian Clan.

Unfortunately, the Sound Stones capable of truly contacting the Xuan Tian Clan were located inside the sealed sacred ground, making communication impossible for them in the short term.

Inside the sacred ground.

Hongfei and several Fire Phoenix experts quickly returned. Hongfei grinned, "Master, the Sound Stones connecting the Sky Eye Clan to the Xuan Tian Clan have been secured. They cannot communicate with the Xuan Tian Clan."

Having cultivated under Changxi for many years, this man understood his master's intentions well, grasping the deeper meaning from a mere look from Changxi.

"Well done!" Changxi nodded in satisfaction. Seeing that the overall situation was now settled and knowing the entire Sky Eye Clan was temporarily incapable of resistance, he turned his gaze back to Evelyn, faint wisps of fire flickering in his eyes. "Now tell me, where did you obtain this Flame Crystal?" ...RQ