Hearing the heavy voice of the Fire-Blood Phoenix, Ye Chen could easily imagine the devastating war that must have occurred back then; even the Nine Great Celestial Gods, who had stood for countless ages, had fallen, and the vast continent, spanning untold light-years, was shattered into pieces.

Such a war was sheer annihilation!

No wonder there was so much Ancient Dark Matter within the Ancient Realm Peak, capable of improving human physique and causing it to surge. And with so many headless ancient corpses found there—it turned out this legendary adventure spot, yearned for by countless experts, was actually the world of the Ancient Gods from the Primordial Era.

Yue Ling listened, utterly absorbed. She noticed the Fire-Blood Phoenix suddenly sigh, then seem lost in thought, remaining silent for a long time. Unable to help herself, she asked, "Did this Ancient God end up being killed under the siege of the Nine Great Celestial Gods and the Eight Great Families?" Her words pulled the Fire-Blood Phoenix back from its memories to the present. It sighed deeply, shook its head, and stated, "If he were dead, I wouldn't be here. No one in this world can kill an Ancient God, not even the Nine Great Celestial Gods united. The disparity in power was simply too vast."

Ye Chen and the others were stunned. "You were sealed here by the Ancient God?"

The Fire-Blood Phoenix nodded, then shook its head, falling silent for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "Strictly speaking, I sealed myself here. These black iron pillars you see in this prison are actually bones nurtured from the essence of my own fire. He used my own bones to seal me within this place. After all, the one thing in this world I cannot incinerate is my own body."

Ye Chen and the others wore expressions of shock and bewilderment. Who could have imagined that the body they trained frantically every day would one day become the very shackles binding them?

Bai Long pondered aloud, "Why didn't the Ancient God simply kill you, instead sealing you here? Logically, killing you would have been far simpler?"

The Fire-Blood Phoenix managed a wry smile, showing no offense at Bai Long's words. It sighed again. "The Ancient God was not a cruel or tyrannical person. He cared deeply for the world and already possessed the power to unify all under heaven. Had he harbored that ambition, there would have been no Nine Great Celestial Gods, no Eight Great Families—they would have been crushed in the cradle! Although the Nine Great Celestial Gods ultimately perished, the Dark Great Demon God managed to escape. He could have pursued and killed him but chose to stop there."

Ye Chen and the others fell silent. Suddenly, Zhuge Fan inquired, "So, the Ancient God is not dead? But why have we never heard of him? He doesn't appear in any historical records. If he were alive, and the Ancient World is currently in dire straits, he should have emerged by now."

The Fire-Blood Phoenix paused in contemplation, then replied, "Judging by the weakening of my sealing power over the last year or two, one of two things is happening: either the trauma he sustained back then was so severe that he slept for many ages and is only now preparing to emerge, thus recalling all his power to rapidly recover to peak strength; or, after the great battle, he ventured to some mysterious location, encountered peril, and is now facing death."

"There is something else capable of threatening him?" Bai Long asked, perplexed.

"There is only one other place, perhaps."

"Where?"

"The Ancient Realm," the Fire-Blood Phoenix slowly spoke those two familiar, thunderous names. The group shuddered. The Ancient Realm had always been an incredibly mysterious place, never once opened. It was a world even mightier, more mysterious, and vaster, with absolutely no news ever surfacing from within. Legend held that finding the key to the Ancient Realm granted entry.

"Are you saying the Ancient God might have gone to the Ancient Realm?" Bai Long sounded uncertain and alarmed. "How is that possible? If he was heavily injured, he surely would have stayed here to recover, never venturing to such a terrifying place."

The Fire-Blood Phoenix nodded. "So, it must be the former—he is preparing to emerge."

Yue Ling was quiet for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "Venerable Fire-Blood Phoenix, I came here hoping to receive your aid. The Ancient World is now facing imminent peril. My clansmen could be annihilated at any moment. The magnificent capital city built with countless efforts is already deserted. If we delay further, I fear this prosperous land will be consumed by the apocalypse and turned into ruins."

The Fire-Blood Phoenix nodded. "I will naturally help you. Here are three Feathers of True Fire. Keep them for self-defense; even a powerhouse at the Heaven-Defying Realm cannot withstand them!"

Before its words faded, three plumes of flame shot out from the black iron pillars toward Yue Ling, landing directly in her hands. The light of the fire was not scalding; as the warm glow dissipated, three exquisite, fiery-red feathers were revealed, sharp as blades. Every strand of filament was lifelike, emitting specks of crystalline light.

Yue Ling's hands trembled slightly as she stared blankly at the three Feathers of True Fire, stuttering, "Venerable... Venerable one... you... you mean, these can resist a powerhouse in the Heaven-Defying Realm?"

The Fire-Blood Phoenix smiled faintly. "Naturally. For my body to nurture just one of these Feathers of True Fire requires an entire epoch. They are no ordinary feathers."

Yue Ling's mind felt hazy. She had never expected that merely bringing the Divine Fire Token on a whim to seek out the Fire-Blood Phoenix would yield three artifacts capable of resisting the Heaven-Defying Realm.

Each feather was no less potent than a peak Void Heaven Artifact!

An artifact capable of resisting a Heaven-Defying Realm expert could certainly instantly slay a Void Heaven Realm powerhouse!

Zhuge Fan looked at the three Feathers of True Fire in her hands, a flicker of envy mixed with deep joy in his eyes. He knew that the Divine Rock Empire now possessed treasures capable of protecting them in the Ancient World. With these, even an emissary from the Heart Realm could be easily slain!

"Thank you, Venerable one, thank you so much!" Yue Ling recovered, thanking the Phoenix repeatedly in her excitement. Her wildly pounding heart felt as if it might burst from her chest. Even the roaring flames before her no longer felt scorching hot, but rather wonderfully warm.

The Fire-Blood Phoenix smiled. "No thanks are needed. If a single feather of mine can save countless lives, it is a great merit."

Yue Ling nodded repeatedly, like a small dove pecking grain.

Ye Chen rubbed his nose, observing the Empress of the Divine Rock Empire. To become an emperor, Yue Ling naturally possessed extraordinary insight and supreme composure. The fact that she was so agitated now was entirely due to the immense significance of these three feathers!

"If there is nothing else, you may leave now," the Fire-Blood Phoenix's voice was soft, tinged with a hint of exhaustion.

Yue Ling nodded quickly, then said excitedly, "Once the Divine Rock Empire is stabilized, I will certainly return to visit you!" She finished speaking quickly, then turned to look at Zhuge Fan; both saw the shared delight reflected in each other's eyes.

"Let's go," Ye Chen turned and led the way out.

Bai Long and Zhuge Fan immediately followed. Just then, the Fire-Blood Phoenix's voice suddenly rang out, "Wait a moment." The group stopped and turned back to look at it.

The Fire-Blood Phoenix spoke softly. "You stay."

Ye Chen paused. "Me?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Bai Yijun frowned slightly, naturally unwilling to part from Ye Chen.

The Fire-Blood Phoenix’s pupils, like amber, fixed on Ye Chen. "Have you forgotten? When you were but a tiny ant, you once saw me. At that time, I was still asleep in my seal. You stumbled into my domain. I saw that your aptitude was good, and your destiny carried good fortune, so I placed a Fire Phoenix Imprint upon you. The fact that you can return here now proves my judgment was sound."

Ye Chen froze, then recalled. During one of his monster hunts, he had accidentally fallen into a pit and tumbled down.

The images from the depths of his memory rapidly overlapped with the scene before him. Ye Chen suddenly understood. "I remember now. So the enormous seal I saw back then was you, Venerable One."

The Fire-Blood Phoenix smiled gently. "You will stay. I have things I wish to give you alone."

Ye Chen's eyes flickered, and he pondered for a moment. "How long will that take?"

The Fire-Blood Phoenix said mysteriously, "That depends on your comprehension. If your comprehension is sharp, a century or two might suffice. If your comprehension is slow, it could take tens of thousands of years."

Ye Chen was taken aback. "That long?" From his birth until now, excluding time spent cultivating in the Demon God Palace, he had only lived two or three hundred years in total. To potentially remain here for tens of thousands of years was startling.

Bai Yijun gazed at the Fire-Blood Phoenix, then suddenly felt a stir in her heart. She pondered for a moment, then walked over to Ye Chen's side and whispered softly, "It's alright. I will wait for you outside. If you don't come out in a hundred years, I will wait a hundred years. If it takes ten thousand years, I will wait ten thousand years!"

Ye Chen was deeply shaken. He looked at her profoundly, then raised his head to face the Fire-Blood Phoenix. "You mentioned comprehension. Are you perhaps intending to impart something to me, Venerable One?"

"Indeed. It seems your comprehension is quite good." The Fire-Blood Phoenix smiled. "I placed the Fire Phoenix Imprint on you because you are my disciple. Naturally, I must pass on some of my unique secret arts. In my entire existence, I have only had two disciples; you will be the third."

"I have two senior siblings?" Ye Chen asked in surprise.

"Not senior siblings, perhaps Senior Sister is more fitting," the Fire-Blood Phoenix corrected with a smile. "Your Eldest Senior Sister is named Vermilion Bird (Zhu Que). She was born from the most intense essence of Fire in the Primordial Era, a unique creation of Heaven and Earth. The subsequent lineage of the Vermilion Bird has also been far-reaching, known as the Immortal Bird. As long as there is fire, the Vermilion Bird cannot truly die."

"Your Second Senior Sister is Tai Huang. Although Tai Huang’s original form is slightly inferior to the Vermilion Bird’s, her nature is very special: she is a mysterious flame that never extinguishes, a living being born from comprehending the profound laws of Heaven and Earth."

Ye Chen was momentarily stunned speechless. Both of them were renowned giants of the ancient era. The Vermilion Bird was an unparalleled divine beast created by the Ancient World itself, while the lineage of Tai Huang remained incredibly powerful to this day, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Sky-Supporting Dragon Clan!