Chapter 12: Phoenix clan
The Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range is a paradise for profound beasts. Violent Nascent and Earth Profound beasts roam the mountains, and rumors say three Sky Profound beasts also dwell there.
At night, Yun Wuji and Little Fairy arrived at the mountain range, landing on the ground. Their goal was naturally the Phoenix trial.
It was night, and the roars of profound beasts could be heard frequently. However, when they both released their aura, all beast roars around them ceased.
"Wuji, I am hungry," Chu YueChan as she landed.
"You just ate a few hours ago. You're at the Sky Profound Realm, you can go without food for a long time," he replied in a helpless tone. Ever since she tasted his cooking, she had been pestering him to cook at every opportunity.
"I want to eat! Please~ please~," she pleaded, grabbing his hand with both of hers and making a pitiful expression.
"Alright, stop I'll do it," Wuji couldn't resist her cuteness and relented.
'How great it would be if she could maintain this personality after recovering her memories,' Wuji thought.
"Wait here, I'll quickly catch some meat," he told her before flying off in search of suitable prey.
"Screech!" A few minutes later, with a loud screeching sound, a Thunder Eagle fell to the ground. Just like that, one of the three overlords of this mountain range died.
"Fried chicken sounds good," Wuji nodded after killing the beast.
He quickly found his prey because this ignorant beast took the initiative to attack him while he was flying, and Wuji finished it off with a simple wind blade, cutting its head.
He stored the bird inside the pearl and teleported back to Chu Yuechan.
"You're back so quickly," she exclaimed, surprised to see him return.
"A prey sent itself to my door, perhaps it couldn't bear seeing you starving," Wuji nodded and said with a smile.
"Hmph, you're teasing again. Quickly start cooking!" she pouted, urging him to prepare the food.
"If you continue like this, you'll really become fat," he shook his head helplessly and began cooking.
He actually liked this kind of interaction, having someone he could slightly open up to, especially if it was a beautiful woman. Since he came to this world, the only person he had come to trust was his dead foster father.
Chu Yuechan was cute and considerate, and sometimes she did silly things that made him laugh. Although they hadn't spent a long time together, he had already started developing feelings for her. He could sense that she also had feelings for him.
"Hmm, it's so delicious!" Yuechan said, savoring the fried bird meat that resembled fried chicken, her hand resting on her face in enjoyment.
Yun Wuji watched her eat for a while before he sat cross-legged.
Tomorrow, he would go to the Phoenix trial, and from the novel, he knew that there was a possibility that the Phoenix spirit might want to see his memories. However, this was something that Wuji could never allow. His memories were things that must remain unknown, secrets he would take to the grave.
All along, he was contemplating a way to eliminate this risk, not only for the Phoenix Spirit but also for the Azure Dragon and Golden Crown, and most importantly, the Heaven Smithing Devil Emperor.
With his talent, he might not care much about the divine legacies here, but the Heaven Smithing Devil Emperor was another matter. She would definitely try to probe his memories when she returned, and he doubted he would be strong enough to refuse her.
So he came up with the idea of self-hypnosis; he would temporarily seal some memories and only unlock them after triggering the seal. The trigger would be something he could naturally prepare, so it could be activated when necessary.
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There were many violent profound beasts in the center of the mountain range. The concentration of beasts prevented many people from approaching.
In the middle of this vast mountain range, a small village was situated. Strangely enough, the profound beasts never approached the village, as if a mysterious power was keeping them at bay.
"Why is there a village here?" Chu Yuechan asked, surprised by the village's existence.
"It's a long story. I'll explain later," Yun Wuji replied, walking towards the village.
A few middle-aged adults dressed in rough clothing stood at the front of the village, casting weary and vigilant expressions at them. Each had a shallow red mark on their foreheads, shaped like a cluster of burning flames.
"Greetings, esteemed lords, my name is Feng Baichuan, the current clan leader. May I know who you are?" The man in front bowed respectfully. He was secretly shocked and afraid. They had lived in this place for a very long time, and this was the first time humans had reached their village.
This is the paradise of profound beasts. They fiercely oppose human intrusion, attacking any who enter. At the same time, the deeper you go, the higher the level of profound beasts get.
Only the exceptionally courageous and capable to arrive in this region. However, Those strong enough to survive rarely bother with such a trivial place.
The man feared that these newcomers might harbor ill intentions toward them.
"I'm Yun Wuji, and this is my companion. We're here for the Phoenix Ruins," Yun Wuji stated plainly. With his strength, there was no need for deceit or schemes.
Feng Baichuan and others froze; his pupils distinctly contracted slightly. He lifted his bowed head abruptly and looked at Wuji in shock!
"How did you know?!" One of the men behind Feng Baichuan shouted.
"That's none of your business. I'm here to accept the Phoenix trial. If I succeed, I promise to remove the curse on your clan," Yun Wuji stated plainly, giving them a choice. "Of course, you can try to stop me." He wasn't concerned with their decision; they had no way of stopping him anyway. He offered them a choice out of respect.
"You know about the curse..." Feng Baichuan's expression becomes complicated at the mention of the curse.
"Your clan is cursed by the phoenix spirit, suppressing the profound energy of everyone to the tenth level of the Elementary Profound Realm. Lead me to the trial, and I will lift the curse once I succeed," Wuji affirmed with a nod.
He could forcibly break through the seal for the trial, but it might affect how the Phoenix spirit viewed him. He wasn't Yun Che who had the Heretic god veins.
Feng Baichuan stood silently for a while, taking a deep breath before speaking solemnly, "I believe you mean no harm; I sense no malice from you. But you must understand, that the Phoenix trial is perilous. Many of our ancestors who dared it perished."
He chose to compromise instead of endangering the lives of his clansmen.
For years, their clan had lived in seclusion, always cautious not to provoke the phoenix spirit. Now, he had no choice but to compromise for the sake of his clan. As for the promise of lifting the curse, he didn't take it seriously.
"Clan leader..." One of the men behind him whispered.
"Please follow me," Feng Baichuan raised his hand to stop the man.
"Is there really a phoenix remnant in this place? How did you know that?" Chu Yuechu whispered to Wuji as they followed Feng Baichuan.
"Curious, are you?" He lowered his head and whispered in her ear.
"Yes!" Chu Yuechu nodded, feeling a tickle in her ear.
"It's a secret~"
Chu Yuechu glared at him fiercely.
Feng Baichuan led them to the rear mountain region, in front of them, a massive sigil several meters tall was embedded in the mountain wall. A beautiful red color emerged from the entire sigil, glowing bright and dark at times, as a pattern of numerous scarlet flames that fiercely burned, lay at the center of the sigil.
"So this is the seal," Yun Wuji muttered, gazing at the sigil on the wall.
"This sigil seals the ruins left behind by the phoenix. Only those with the phoenix bloodline can open it with fresh blood," Feng Baichuan explained.
Beyond the seal formation, the interior of the Phoenix trial ground revealed a vast, flat stone chamber. Unnaturally spacious, it stretched at least a hundred meters in both length and width.
The stone chamber had a very long stone stair on both sides and an upper floor above. There was a walkway extended several dozen meters ahead, leading to a gently rotating red-colored seal formation identical to the one outside.
Feng Baichuan had already brought Yun Wuji and Chu Yuechan before the trial ground's seal formation as they stood there.
"Be careful," Yuechan gently squeezed his hand.
"Hmm, don't worry," Wuji nodded confidently."
"Are you ready?" Feng Baichuan asked as he stood before the seal formation.
"Yes."
Feng Baichuan bit his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the seal formation. Instantly, a red light flashed across the seal, spinning rapidly before disappearing. Ahead of them, a strange, dark red entrance appeared.
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