Chapter 271

Zhu Feng Mountain

In the Vermilion Bird's position, Feng Ling has been stationed here for years within the eye of the Four Symbols Hidden Dragon Formation, using the formation to draw the phoenix essence from the phoenix feathers and contemplate the profound mysteries of phoenix nirvana.

At this moment, her body is suffused with intense phoenix true fire, and a layer of black flame flickers around her—this is the ghost phoenix true fire.

She furrows her brow; she had already passed the four calamities of the Yin Spirit Five Tribulations long ago, but the fifth tribulation—the Cycle of Life and Death—she cannot overcome, nor can she comprehend the profound gate to reverse life and death.

Fortunately, having obtained a thread of life from within the phoenix feather, she has finally seen a glimmer of hope.

At this moment, Feng Ling, who had been in seclusion in the Vermilion Bird's position, is suddenly startled, and sees a golden light piercing through the void from the depths of the void law realm.

This golden light moves with extreme speed.

In the blink of an eye, the figure arrives before the Four Symbols Hidden Dragon Formation.

The 'Four Spirits' guarding the Four Symbols Hidden Dragon Formation instantly sense it, but do not react until they confirm the newcomer's identity.

Within the golden light, Zhang Jian's Yang Spirit steps forth from the void, as if walking out of sunlight.

The vast Yang Spirit's divine sense envelops the 'Four Spirits'!

"Ah Yu?"

Bai Nu's form suddenly manifests, his face filled with astonishment as he gazes at Zhang Jian.

Feng Ling also manifests her true form; she wears the robes of the Nether Phoenix, her hair like ink, her phoenix eyes revealing a vibrant vitality, her body surrounded by a vigorous life force.

"Eldest Young Master..."

Feng Ling still uses the old title, but pauses slightly, then performs a graceful salute, bending her elegant figure.

"Master!"

Hearing this, Zhang Jian's expression shifts, then he bursts into laughter.

"Feng Ling, quickly rise!"

Beside him, Bai Nu watches this scene, a faint smile on his face—now that this son-in-law has surpassed the cultivation of the Phoenix Nest Mountain God, the mountain god finally shows a posture of submission.

Zhang Jian notices that Bai Xianyun and Bai Gui still seem to be in deep slumber, likely using the Four Symbols Hidden Dragon Formation to purify their cultivation and cleanse their bloodlines.

After some thought, Zhang Jian directly summons Feng Ling to his side.

"Feng Ling, I observe that your cultivation has long been stalled before the great tribulation of the Cycle of Life and Death, unable to reverse your phoenix true form to achieve nirvana—is it due to insufficient cultivation power and inadequate accumulation?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Ling slightly nods and says.

"Master, your words are correct—not only that, but fundamentally, I am unable to fully comprehend the profound mysteries of the phoenix dharma form, to reverse the ghost phoenix imprint within me into a phoenix imprint!"

In Feng Ling's beautiful eyes, there is a hint of regret.

To fall from the phoenix form into a ghostly deity is truly her lifelong regret!

In fact, with her foundation, if she were merely cultivating as a ghost phoenix, she could have already assaulted the fifth tribulation of the Yin Spirit—Cycle of Life and Death—and proven herself a True Person of the Primordial Spirit.

After all, the innate Ghost King possesses a naturally extraordinary essence, not inferior to divine beasts.

But to restore the phoenix form is her lifelong aspiration, so she is unwilling to abandon this sole hope.

Therefore, she wishes to seize this opportunity—this only opportunity—to re-cultivate the orthodox phoenix true form.

For the pure phoenix, transforming into a heavenly ghost form is truly a great desecration and degradation.

Thus, she has always been unwilling to, according to tradition, contact the phoenix divine beast clan and live in communion with them.

Zhang Jian nods upon hearing her words.

"Excellent. Today, I have fortuitously obtained a supreme treasure—I shall lend you my aid! Perhaps it can help you prematurely condense the phoenix true form!"

Zhang Jian smiles slightly, then takes out the phoenix jade in his hand.

Gazing at this piece of red jade in his palm, a faint smile appears in Zhang Jian's eyes; this phoenix jade is also his return of kindness for Feng Ling's voluntary devotion as his protector deity.

A flow of spiritual power moves in his hand, and this phoenix jade instantly transforms into a red light that sinks deep into Feng Ling's glabella.

Feng Ling was originally born as a phoenix spirit transformed; now, as the phoenix jade enters her body, her phoenix form is instantly drawn forth and manifests involuntarily.

Seeing this, Zhang Jian sends forth the Map of Rivers and Mountains, his spiritual power enveloping the omens within Zhu Feng Mountain.

"Ah Yu?"

Witnessing this, Bai Nu's eyes also show some change; he cannot help but reveal a look of astonishment.

He clearly sees that the phoenix jade radiates treasure light, flowing and intensely concentrated—one glance tells him it is no ordinary item.

Zhang Jian laughs: "This is what I unexpectedly obtained—it is the essence and qi transformed from the nirvana of a great power of the ancient phoenix clan!"

Only see: as the phoenix jade enters her body, Feng Ling's majestic true form is surrounded by nine-colored divine fire coiling around it; the nirvana divine flame within her burns with unprecedented fierceness, and a stream of pure, sacred divine radiance bursts forth from the surface of her phoenix true form.

The nine-colored divine fire around her continues to rise, her majestic spiritual pressure enveloping the entire Zhu Feng Mountain above and below.

Were it not for the Map of Rivers and Mountains shielding it, such an omen would surely alarm the entire Fengyang Prefecture.

After the phoenix jade enters her body, Zhang Jian's vast Yang Spirit divine sense can feel that the immense phoenix body emits an increasingly rich phoenix Dao rhyme, while the ghostly qi mechanism within Feng Ling's Yin Spirit body gradually fades, approaching complete refinement.

Her spiritual power also grows ceaselessly, the phoenix bloodline begins to awaken and burn.

Several phoenix divine apertures on her phoenix true form have already been opened; looking closely, the ghost phoenix body has nearly become a true physical form!

Shortly after, Feng Ling retracts her phoenix true form, transforming into a nine-colored stream of light that falls before Zhang Jian; she clasps her hands and says.

"Feng Ling thanks the Master for bestowing the treasure, for the Master's grace—Feng Ling truly does not know how to repay it!"

At this moment, Feng Ling's bright eyes glisten with autumn waves; upon her exquisite jade-like face, a peach-red blush has appeared at some unknown time.

Having refined the phoenix jade and learned its origin, Feng Ling's gratitude cannot be expressed in words.

To her, this piece of beautiful jade is no less than a treasure for attaining the Dao.

With this object, condensing the phoenix true form is imminent, and there is even hope to cultivate the legendary innate nirvana Dao body of the phoenix clan—her future is bright indeed.

This treasure can also serve as her natal spirit treasure.

After all, its essence is that of an innate spiritual object, with immense potential.

Through dual cultivation with the natal treasure, one can refine a special spirit treasure.

She herself reflects: if she merely replaces the Zhang clan in guarding the dragon veins, it would be difficult to repay even a fraction of such great kindness.

Zhang Jian didn't mind, this treasure, though precious, he would still have in the future; better to make full use of it, to enhance the Zhang family's foundation.

He said with a smile.

"It's no problem; the challenges we will face in the future are far greater than you imagine. This Zhufeng Mountain is the very heart of my Zhang family's dragon vein, of utmost importance, not to be lost. If you can early on achieve the Phoenix True Form, you can also relieve me of future worries."

Feng Ling nodded slightly.

After bestowing the treasure, Zhang Jian's Yang Spirit immediately departed, returning once more to Haojing City.

……

Two years passed quietly, like flowing water.

Two years later, outside Haojing City, at this moment a dragon-bone large boat was moored on the canal; this large boat was no different from other official vessels, but in Zhang Jian's eyes it glowed with spiritual light.

This is the Qingyun Zhou sent by the Tongshan Dao Tong to receive and guide Zhang Yi into the sect.

Zhang Yi stood beside Zhang Jian at this moment; two years have passed, the ten-year-old boy now appears as if eighteen or nineteen, tall and slender, his eyes shining with lively radiance.

In his spiritual grace, there is no lack of alertness.

After two years of Zhang Jian's verbal instruction and personal example, through forging and tempering, Zhang Yi has nurtured his spirit to completion.

Had it not been for Zhang Jian's suppression, he would likely have already tested his fate and established his foundation.

After consuming a Return to Source Golden Pill, the flood dragon bloodline in his body has been purified to a certain extent; as for the future, whether he will transform into a dragon or follow the orthodox path of cultivation, it depends on his own choice.

"Father!"

Zhang Yi's eyes at this moment held some reluctance; his gaze then shifted to Qi Yuhua beside Zhang Jian, and to his younger brothers and sisters.

"Yi'er, cultivate diligently, do not be lax!"

Qi Yuhua's beautiful eyes held some sorrow; Zhang Yi, though not her biological son, has always been raised on her knee, and over ten years of mother-son affection is no less than that of a biological mother and son.

But she also knows that once the young eagle grows up, it must eventually fly on its own.

She cannot help him on the path of cultivation.