If transforming into a woman was somewhat acceptable, then turning into a phoenix was truly beyond the comprehension of both of them; they even felt this change was rather inexplicable, given the immense difference between a human and a phoenix.

"Of course, this is just speculation. After all, you are not of the Bird Clan. Who knows what changes will occur if you continue practicing!" The Vermilion Bird Divine Lord didn't look at their expressions. He poured himself a full cup of watered wine, then grabbed his chopsticks and executed a move akin to a whirlwind consuming the clouds, instantly devouring nearly half the dishes on the table.

Ye Wen didn't mind the Divine Lord's voracious eating. He had already sampled enough of the dishes to satisfy his own appetite. Dongfang Kui, however, seemed to have little appetite now; after picking at the food a few times initially, she barely touched it again. It was better to let the Divine Lord finish it than to let it go to waste.

More pressingly, the matter centered on the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Art that Dongfang Kui was cultivating, also known as the Phoenix Dance of the Nine Heavens technique. Initially, not knowing the underlying reasons, it was fine for her to continue practicing. But now, continuing seemed like a double-edged sword—whether it would be beneficial or detrimental was completely unknown, and even the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord, being of a line within the Phoenix Clan, couldn't guarantee a positive outcome.

"This sort of thing has never happened in thousands of years, so I truly don't know what will ensue."

"Then... can this cultivation art be abolished?"

Back in the Nine Provinces World, what they had heard was that once the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Art was cultivated, it couldn't even be stopped. Practitioners could only advance relentlessly, unable to even pause. Consequently, those who practiced this art were essentially committed to one path until completion or until they reached their limit and chose to end their own lives.

Dongfang Kui was arguably the most resolute among all past practitioners, having pushed the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Art to the peak of its Sixth Transformation, on the verge of entering the Seventh.

If she succeeded with the Seventh Transformation, she might become the sole individual in the history of the Nine Provinces World to master it. However, looking at the current situation, this supposed "first person" status applied not just to the Nine Provinces World, but even to this Immortal Realm. After all, none of the previous practitioners of this art had been human.

"Abolish it?" The Vermilion Bird Divine Lord rested his chopsticks on the table, tilting his head back in contemplation. Ye Wen dared not interrupt, fearful of disrupting the Divine Lord's train of thought. But moments later, the Divine Lord declared, "After this art was first created, it brought immense excitement to countless members of the Bird Clan. Anyone who received the teachings became uncontrollably thrilled. How could anyone possibly consider abandoning the cultivation?"

In short, he simply didn't know how the art could be abolished because no cultivator in history had ever contemplated such a thing.

As for the Phoenix Clan, they themselves did not practice this art; those who did were Bird Clan demon cultivators aspiring to become phoenixes. Dongfang Kui’s situation...

Dongfang Kui fell silent. Truthfully, she hadn't considered abolishing the art either. Hearing the Divine Lord say this now, she inexplicably felt a sudden sense of relief, though she couldn't articulate why: "But continuing to practice carries danger!"

Ye Wen was unaware of Dongfang Kui's inner thoughts. Seeing her head bowed and silent, he mistook it for disappointment and worry about her future, which in turn made him anxious. He began pondering how to resolve this issue.

Unexpectedly, the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord laughed, "It's truly not a major concern. Even if you truly transform into a phoenix, so what? Once this art reaches the Ninth Transformation, one achieves the status of a Heavenly Immortal. Forget Heavenly Immortal; by then, your physical form will be entirely up to you within a year. Even if you genuinely become a phoenix, you can maintain your human form!"

The Vermilion Bird Divine Lord spread his hands, as if demonstrating: "My original body is that of a Vermilion Bird. Do I look any different from you?"

He showed no reservation about these matters. On second thought, it made sense. A phoenix wasn't some inauspicious creature; it held the title of a Divine Beast, quite noble. Most phoenixes were immensely proud of their lineage, so why would they harbor any reservations?

Some phoenixes even disdained transforming into human form, choosing only to present themselves in their original state. If the language used in the Immortal Realm hadn't primarily been human speech, phoenixes might very well forgo speaking human words altogether, letting their cries serve as the official language.

The Vermilion Bird Divine Lord suddenly pointed his chopsticks at Dongfang Kui and stated, "However, your aptitude is truly extraordinary. I perceive you haven't been cultivating for even two centuries? Yet, you have already reached this level!"

The Divine Lord's previous words had somewhat eased Dongfang Kui's tension. Now, seeing him scrutinize her from head to toe, the gaze made her slightly uneasy. Thus, she didn't even answer his comment, merely letting out a soft acknowledgment.

Fortunately, the Divine Lord wasn't bothered by this. He continued to observe Dongfang Kui with apparent interest, finally uttering a remark that nearly made them spit out their drinks: "Not bad, not bad! With such aptitude, and having the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Art conditioning your foundation, why don't you marry me as my wife once you achieve success in your cultivation!"

"Pfft!"

"Ah?"

Ye Wen sputtered a mouthful of wine onto the floor—this was only because he reacted quickly enough to turn his head away. As for Dongfang Kui, her eyes widened in shock at the statement, her mouth agape in astonishment.

Both stared at the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord with looks of utter disbelief.

"What?" The Divine Lord seemed completely oblivious to the inappropriateness of his words, even using the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Art as justification: "Since you practice this art, you are practically a member of the Phoenix Clan. As a descendant of the phoenixes, what is wrong with taking you as a wife?"

Dongfang Kui remained silent, her face flushing deeply. Even her snow-white swan-like neck was now tinged with a faint pink. Her gaze flickered towards Ye Wen repeatedly, her head bowed, refusing to speak. It was unclear whether she was terrified by the Divine Lord's words or simply overcome with shyness.

Ye Wen hadn't noticed these subtleties. He was momentarily startled by the proposition, but after hearing the Divine Lord's explanation, he understood that the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Art was essentially a technique for phoenixes to find spouses. Since the Divine Lord was a phoenix, seeking to marry Dongfang Kui didn't seem inherently wrong.

Yet, he felt the entire situation was rather awkward. He couldn't help but voice his concern, "Miss Dongfang is originally human. Having unexpectedly cultivated a technique of the Phoenix Clan, her future path remains unclear. In this situation, Divine Lord..."

He had intended to express that whatever changes might befall Dongfang Kui in the future were uncertain, and whether the Divine Lord had any solution to ensure her safety was unknown—who knew if a technique meant for birds would result in the human practitioner kicking the bucket.

Unexpectedly, the Divine Lord misinterpreted him and nodded instead: "Indeed, whether this... young lady can transform into a phoenix in the future is still unknown. Let's leave this matter for now! We can discuss it after she masters the Phoenix Dance of the Nine Heavens!"

Seeing the Divine Lord rise as if to leave, Ye Wen immediately reached out to stop him: "Divine Lord, please wait a moment!"

"Oh? Sect Leader Ye has business?" His main purpose for this visit was to see the woman possessing phoenix energy. Now that he understood the situation, he naturally had no reason to stay. But since Ye Wen called him back, he wondered what the issue was, as he had no prior connection with Sect Leader Ye.

"Nirvana Nest Art, only up to the first seven transformations..."

The words didn't require much elaboration; this single phrase made the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord understand immediately: "Oh, I heard you both ascended from the Lower Realm. Does that mean when the technique drifted down, only the incantations for the first seven transformations circulated?"

Ye Wen wasn't privy to the subsequent discussion and could only turn his gaze to Dongfang Kui. Thankfully, she understood his meaning and didn't remain silent, pretending to be mute. She looked up and replied, "Although I have the incantations for the first seven transformations, after cultivating them over these years, I discovered that the technique's oral instructions seem somewhat incomplete. Cultivating this art relied entirely on repeated near-death transformations to elevate my power!"

She had dedicated herself to this art for years and had long suspected flaws in the written instructions. However, the technique was too profound, and she lacked the ability to fully restore it. Thus, she practiced according to the written records, essentially relying on repeated simulated deaths to advance her realm after getting the basics down—there were no specific milestones worth striving for.

This led her to wonder more than once if the complete version of the art could circumvent these repeated simulated deaths. Perhaps those near-death phases were necessary because of the technique's incompleteness, forcing the practitioner to enter a near-death state so that the inner qi could seize the opportunity to mend the cultivation formula?

Alas, the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord's next words shattered her decades of speculation: "Simulated death is inevitable when cultivating this art, and the tempering from each near-death phase will certainly inflict some pain on the practitioner. However... I observe that although you have reached the peak of the Sixth Transformation, your physical condition does not match what is expected of the Sixth Transformation. In this state, even if your power reaches a sufficient level, passing the Seventh Transformation will likely prove extremely difficult."

Previously, the Divine Lord hadn't observed Dongfang Kui too closely, only noting that her power was at the peak of the Sixth Transformation without further scrutiny. Now, upon careful examination, he discovered her condition was amiss, completely inconsistent with the expected state for the Sixth Transformation of the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Art.

Dongfang Kui looked puzzled, and Ye Wen was equally bewildered. Seeing this, the Divine Lord sat down again and proceeded to explain the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Art to them in detail.

It turned out that in the complete version of the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Art, the body was tempered during each near-death phase. Dongfang Kui, however, was practicing a fragmented version, and the surrounding ambient elemental energy was insufficient. Consequently, during each simulated death, her internal power was just enough to facilitate bodily changes and improve her innate constitution but failed to properly temper the body's physical strength.

Because of this seemingly minor flaw, practitioners of the Phoenix Nirvana Nest Art endured increasingly terrifying pain during each simulated death. Those practicing the complete version experienced no such agony; at most, they felt mild discomfort, and as their physical strength increased after each transformation, this discomfort did not intensify.

But Dongfang Kui's situation was that her physical structure had changed, her power had risen, yet her physical resilience lagged. This meant that when she attempted the Seventh Transformation, her physical body might completely collapse due to underlying structural issues—akin to failing the "Shattering the Void" technique, resulting in the destruction of both form and spirit.

At this point, cold sweat beaded on the foreheads of both Ye Wen and Dongfang Kui. They realized that if Ye Wen hadn't casually asked for the latter layers of the technique just moments ago, Dongfang Kui might have perished. Both inwardly breathed a sigh of immense relief.

"But given Miss Dongfang's current level of cultivation, is there any way to resolve this latent danger?"

The Divine Lord paused, then looked at them with sudden surprise: "Surely your Sect Leader's sect possesses some kind of cultivation art? Select one for this young lady to practice and be done with it!"

"Ah? What do you mean, Divine Lord?"

Seeing Ye Wen genuinely confused, with question marks filling his own head, the Divine Lord paused before suggesting, "May I perhaps examine your sect's cultivation art? Oh, just the introductory technique will suffice..." Ye Wen blinked but didn't hesitate, retrieving a handwritten copy of the sect's Complete Heart Sutra from his storage ring. He carried many copies like this, convenient for passing down secret manuals when accepting disciples. Ye Wen did notice that as he took out the manual, the Divine Lord's gaze lingered briefly on his Josephine Ring, a hint of surprise in his eyes, but he said nothing, merely taking the manual with a smile and flipping through a couple of pages.

He wasn't worried about the Divine Lord stealing his sect's cultivation methods. Firstly, the Complete Heart Sutra wasn't of a high grade. He wasn't even sure if it was useful in the Immortal Realm. Perhaps the entry-level technique for the Mount Shu Sect would eventually be the Pure Yang Limitless Art or something similar, in which case the Complete Heart Sutra would truly be fit only for kindling.

Showing it to the Divine Lord now was also a way to gauge the level of cultivation arts in the current Immortal Realm. If they were extremely advanced, the Divine Lord would likely scorn the manual he held. If he said nothing, it suggested the introductory manuals of various Immortal Realm sects were roughly on the same level, meaning Ye Wen wouldn't need to worry about basic techniques.

As the Divine Lord read, there was no disdain in his eyes, but after reading for a while, a hint of confusion appeared. He then flipped several pages rapidly before finally returning the manual to Ye Wen with a look of sudden realization.

"Seeing how robust your physical body was earlier, I assumed your sect's art was of the type that cultivates inner qi while tempering the physical body externally. It seems I was mistaken!"

As soon as Ye Wen put away the manual, the Divine Lord spoke clearly: "Sect Leader Ye's manual here, I assume, is your sect's introductory Heart Sutra? In terms of qi cultivation and nourishing meridians, it is quite adequate, but it lacks the effect of tempering the physical body externally!"

Dongfang Kui looked puzzled: "Tempering the physical body—isn't that an external martial art? How could an internal cultivation method contain such incantations?"

The Divine Lord laughed, "In the Immortal Realm, which sect's art lacks techniques for tempering the body? Even sects specializing in magic or artifacts will have parts dedicated to refining the physical form. After all, even if one's cultivation becomes formidable, the body is what channels the spells. If the physical form is weak, how can it withstand the immense magical power capable of moving mountains and overturning seas?"

Ye Wen immediately understood. It appeared that Immortal Realm cultivation arts were methods of dual cultivation—not only enhancing internal cultivation but also using the cultivated inner qi or spiritual energy to temper the physical body, achieving a synchronized internal-external effect.

In this manner, as internal cultivation steadily rose, the physical body grew stronger; conversely, a robust physical body provided a more stable and larger space for the inner qi to reside, allowing the qi to become more immense. This massive qi then continued to temper the physical body; the two reached a balance.

Perhaps different sects had different focuses, but it was certain that all cultivation arts contained such tempering aspects. Otherwise, if those cultivators practiced for thousands of years and amassed terrifying levels of power, their physical forms, if fragile, would likely explode from the sheer internal pressure.

"But if that is the case, isn't cultivation time-consuming and labor-intensive?"

As soon as the thought arose, Ye Wen realized his folly! He was thinking with his old mindset, forgetting that he was now in the Immortal Realm.

What was most abundant in the Immortal Realm? Ambient elemental energy!

In the Nine Provinces World, the division between internal martial arts and external hard qigong existed because the scarcity of ambient elemental energy forced cultivators to choose one path to focus their efforts.

But in the Immortal Realm, it was different. The abundant ambient energy allowed cultivators to temper both inside and out simultaneously over the same period. As a result, in the same amount of time, cultivators in the Immortal Realm could become masters formidable in both inner energy and physical strength, whereas those in the Nine Provinces World could only become experts proficient in one aspect.

To use an analogy: imagine two cultivators of equal aptitude. One cultivates in the Nine Provinces World, and all ten years of his cultivation result in internal energy mastery.

The other cultivates in the Immortal Realm. Over those ten years, the abundant ambient energy ensures that he develops both his internal energy and physical strength to a level equivalent to ten years of focused cultivation in the Nine Provinces World.

Furthermore, the ambient energy in the Immortal Realm wasn't just that scarce. Perhaps even less time was needed to reach such a state, providing the environmental foundation for Immortal Realm cultivators to pursue both internal and external refinement.

This was the advantage brought by abundant ambient elemental energy, and the resulting cultivators were undoubtedly more balanced and powerful!

"But in that case, the pace of advancement doesn't seem much faster..." Ye Wen pondered for a moment before suddenly realizing. Cultivators often spent hundreds or thousands of years cultivating; such long accumulation naturally resulted in terrifying strength.

"I advanced too quickly, achieving this level of cultivation in just a few decades, and I forgot that most cultivators have spent a thousand years, or at least several hundred years, accumulating power! Calculated this way, it seems more reasonable. At the same time, my Mount Shu Sect's art doesn't seem useless; the prerequisite is simply resolving the issue of the physical tempering incantations..."

Having understood the underlying reasons, the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord took his leave. This time, Ye Wen did not stop him. Although he knew that if he asked, the Divine Lord would offer him a suitable body-refining incantation to complete his art, he and the Divine Lord ultimately lacked any deep friendship, and he was reluctant to owe him a favor.

Besides, his Mount Shu Sect wasn't without techniques in this regard; the difficulty lay in integrating those incantations with his existing methods.