In the distant past, a Qingluan appeared upon the vast lands of the Nine Provinces. But since that time, the traces of the Qingluan had vanished from those lands for an age.
The divine bird, 'Qingluan,' was exceedingly rare.
It had a mother?
“I’ve encountered quite a few demonic beasts, but I don't think I’ve ever seen a mother and child together,” Teng Qingshan remarked with a light chuckle. Li Jun pursed her lips, wrinkling her small nose, a lovely dimple appearing at the corner of her mouth: “Brother Teng, just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It just means you haven’t seen enough demonic beasts.”
Seeing Li Jun’s expression, Teng Qingshan was instantly reminded of a kitten from his past life throwing a playful tantrum.
“Ah.” Teng Qingshan snapped back to attention. “Xiao Jun, just let it go ask its mother.”
“Mm.” Li Jun was very perceptive and noticed something amiss in Teng Qingshan’s gaze just then. This awareness made her feel sweetly delighted, and with a slight blush, she chirped a series of calls toward the nearby Qingluan. The Qingluan responded in kind.
“Brother Teng, did the Qingluan just ask if we should go see its mother too?” Li Jun inquired.
“Oh?”
Teng Qingshan frowned in thought. Once mature, a Qingluan would be at least at the innate Golden Core level. And the mother of a Qingluan—what sort of strength would she possess? Even if it were a Void Realm demonic beast, Teng Qingshan wouldn’t be overly surprised! However, facing a Void Realm demonic beast, he possessed absolutely no ability to resist.
Having no ability to resist was something Teng Qingshan disliked intensely.
“Let’s go, Brother Teng. Aren’t you even curious what the mother of the divine bird Qingluan looks like?” Li Jun’s bright eyes were full of anticipation. She adored demonic beasts, so naturally, she was even more eager to meet the Qingluan’s mother. “Brother Teng, I don’t think its mother will be hostile toward us. If she were, given the Qingluan mother’s flight speed, we wouldn't stand a chance to escape! We might as well meet her openly.”
Teng Qingshan nodded upon hearing this.
At sea, the flight speed of this divine bird Qingluan far surpassed that of the Gale Eagles! If the other party truly intended harm, his group would indeed have no means of escape.
“Very well, let’s go see. What is the mother of this Qingluan like!” Teng Qingshan laughed heartily.
Joy lit up Li Jun’s face, and she immediately chattered to the Qingluan, which instantly agitatedly flapped its wings in excitement.
“Yoo~ yoo~~~” Li Jun called out to the Gale Eagle not far off.
“Brother Teng, I’ve told Little Grey to stay here and guard the Wumu Boat. Shall we go with the Qingluan now?” Li Jun said with a smile. Teng Qingshan grasped the Reincarnation Spear, nodding with a grin. At that moment, the nearby divine bird Qingluan let out a high-pitched cry and walked toward the island interior.
The divine bird Qingluan was rather ‘slender’; its back was not wide, and even if it could carry a person, it could only manage one person with difficulty.
If both Teng Qingshan and Li Jun were to ride it, Teng Qingshan would likely have to hold Li Jun close.
“The Qingluan is leading the way,” Li Jun walked happily, side-by-side with Teng Qingshan, following the Qingluan deeper into the desolate island.
This desolate island was profoundly calm.
Moving through the forest, they saw no wild beasts, not a single sign of any animal life. Then, after walking for a long time along the undulating hills, Teng Qingshan and the others arrived at an open valley. This valley was covered in towering, thick, fiery-red trees with foliage of the same blazing hue.
On these large trees, huge bird nests were frequently spotted, and within some of those nests could be seen fledgling Fire Birds.
The moment Teng Qingshan and the two arrived there with the Qingluan.
“Yoo~~”
“Yoo~~~”
High-pitched, sharp cries echoed from the forest within the valley, as Fire Birds poked their heads out from their nests in the branches. All of them displayed hostility. However, upon seeing the Qingluan guiding two humans, these Fire Birds ceased their loud shrieking and became notably more docile.
“So many Fire Birds! Brother Teng, what we saw before was only a fraction of them,” Li Jun exclaimed, her eyes shining with surprise.
“There must be close to a hundred Fire Birds here,” Teng Qingshan concurred, though his gaze lingered more on those thick, fiery-red trees. “Fire Phoenix Trees! Books state that Fire Birds only nest in Fire Phoenix Trees. It is indeed true! The branches of these trees are harder than steel and fire-resistant. They are even more precious than Wumu wood.”
Teng Qingshan observed the Fire Phoenix Trees.
Meanwhile, Li Jun was watching the Fire Birds and momentarily overlooked the Qingluan.
Clinging with its two sharp talons, the Qingluan continued to walk forward, its long, seven-colored tail feathers trailing behind it, resembling an ethereal maiden strolling.
“Yoo~~” The Qingluan paused before a pool of water and let out a call.
Teng Qingshan and Li Jun were startled back to awareness.
The Qingluan called out several times, then darted straight into the pool. Li Jun turned to Teng Qingshan in astonishment: “Brother Teng, the Qingluan said its mother is in another valley, and climbing there is very difficult. It’s much easier to get across through this pool. It wants us to follow it.”
“Haha.” Teng Qingshan chuckled. “If the Qingluan were going to see its mother, it could just fly directly into that valley. But for us, it leads the way through the water pool.”
“We’re going down.”
Teng Qingshan and Li Jun simultaneously dove into the pool. Li Jun possessed a Water-Repelling Pearl, making movement within the pool effortless. That glowing green pearl kept water away for half a zhang around her. Li Jun kept the pearl near her abdomen, ensuring she didn't get wet at all. Teng Qingshan held Li Jun’s hand.
Teng Qingshan’s legs were still submerged.
“Splash~~” With a kick of his legs, Teng Qingshan stirred up turbulent water, pulling Li Jun along as he followed the Qingluan forward for a short distance before surfacing.
“Yoo~~” The Qingluan let out a light chirp upon exiting the water.
“Brother Teng, the Qingluan says we’ve arrived.”
Teng Qingshan pulled Li Jun’s hand, and they burst out of the water with a ‘whoosh,’ sending up a spray of water, before landing on the lakeshore.
“Is this where the Qingluan’s mother resides?” Teng Qingshan surveyed their surroundings.
It was a tranquil valley surrounded by sheer cliff faces. While the sea outside was cold, this valley was warm as spring, with various flowers blooming. Not far off, there were also more thick Fire Phoenix Trees, and in the center of the Fire Phoenix grove stood a massive Fire Phoenix Tree, at least three zhang wide—a veritable King of the Fire Phoenix Trees.
What was strange was that this exceptionally thick King tree was quite low, only about ten zhang tall.
A huge mass of fire blazed atop this King tree.
“Is that—” Teng Qingshan’s eyes widened roundly.
“Could that be…” Li Jun was equally stunned.
The Qingluan spread its wings and flew toward the flame, turning back to issue a cry.
“Brother Teng, the Qingluan says that is its mother and asks us to come over,” Li Jun swallowed hard, her eyes filled with shock.
Teng Qingshan and Li Jun both observed the massive flame resting on the King Fire Phoenix Tree. It was a giant divine bird, covered entirely in fiery-red feathers, its body easily four or five zhang long. Its folded tail feathers were even longer than the Qingluan’s, but they too were entirely fiery red!
Every feather on its body was fiery red, even the plume that naturally crowned its head.
It was entirely enveloped in flames.
“Yoo~~ yoo~~” The Qingluan let out soft chirps.
The giant divine bird turned its eyes, which shimmered with an ethereal light, toward the two humans by the lake shore. Then, with a sudden movement, it spread its wings and took flight. Its formerly folded tail feathers unfurled completely.
With a body four to five zhang long, its wingspan stretched nearly ten zhang wide when opened.
It descended from the sky like a cloud of fiery red, flying toward Teng Qingshan and the others.
“A Phoenix, the legendary immortal Divine Beast, the Undying Phoenix?” Teng Qingshan was utterly dumbfounded.
“The Undying Fire Phoenix, the Fire Phoenix!” Li Jun also stared blankly.
If the entirely fire-red Qingluan resembled a noble princess, then this fiery-red Phoenix was akin to a supreme queen.
The Undying Fire Phoenix blinked once, flying swiftly before Teng Qingshan and Li Jun, then landing gently.
“The Undying Phoenix, the Fire Phoenix?” Teng Qingshan clearly recalled the records in books concerning demonic beasts, among which the ‘Undying Phoenix’ was a heavily detailed species.
Undying Phoenix: Also known as the Fire Phoenix, possessing an immortal body. Wherever the Undying Phoenix passes, the ground turns to ash. The blood of the Undying Phoenix possesses the power to revive those on the brink of death. It is one of the most terrifying divine beasts. Moreover, the legendary Undying Grass is said to only exist where the Undying Phoenix resides.
“How could the Qingluan’s mother be the Undying Phoenix?” Teng Qingshan was inwardly astonished. “And the Undying Grass!”
The Undying Grass was priceless! It could directly add two hundred years to a person’s lifespan! Keep in mind that even peak innate experts only had a lifespan of two hundred years; adding two centuries would drastically increase the probability of reaching the Void Realm. Even without reaching the Void Realm, the mere extension of life alone was enough to drive countless experts across the Nine Provinces into a frenzy.
However…
The Undying Grass was incredibly difficult to obtain. And the only record in the ancient texts suggested its possible existence only near the Undying Phoenix.
And the Undying Phoenix was an existence of absolute terror!
“I never imagined the Qingluan’s mother was actually the Undying Phoenix!”
“The Qingluan is already formidable. Once it evolves to the Void Realm, it will be even more terrifying,” Teng Qingshan thought with deep apprehension.
The massive body of the Undying Phoenix loomed like a small mountain before Teng Qingshan and Li Jun, its gaze scrutinizing the two humans before it.
“Yoo, yoo~~” The Qingluan chirped continuously beside the Undying Phoenix.
The Qingluan’s size was comparable to an infant next to the adult Undying Phoenix.
The Undying Phoenix glanced at the Qingluan, a hint of doting affection in its eyes, before focusing closely on Teng Qingshan and letting out a few calls of its own.
“Brother Teng,” Li Jun exclaimed in alarm.
“What is it?” Teng Qingshan looked toward Li Jun.
Li Jun hurried to explain: “The Qingluan just told the Undying Phoenix that it wants to follow us out into the world to seek adventures. It also spoke highly of you, saying that last time you were weaker than it, but now you are stronger. So, it wants to go with Brother Teng to achieve breakthroughs.”
“And… it mentioned your boxing technique. This Undying Phoenix now wants you to demonstrate your boxing technique one more time,” Li Jun relayed.
“Demonstrate the boxing technique again?” Teng Qingshan was taken aback.
“Yoo~~ yoo~~” The Qingluan nearby also chirped toward Li Jun.
Li Jun continued: “The Qingluan just said that Brother Teng should demonstrate his boxing technique once more so its mother can be reassured!”
Teng Qingshan felt a sense of breathlessness before the Undying Phoenix, as if facing an insurmountable mountain of flame: “Since the Undying Phoenix wishes to see my boxing technique, very well!” Teng Qingshan waved his hand, and the Reincarnation Spear in his grip turned into an afterimage, flying toward a nearby cliff face and embedding itself in the rock.