Chapter 614: Fire Phoenix

Facing the request from Senior Brother Lin Yutang, although Song Qingming understood their thoughts very well, he still felt a slight sense of pity for Zhang Rong.

If not for the sudden disaster at Mount Tuoyun back then, given his aptitude, had he been able to find better Core Formation spirit items, the prospects of his Dao path would not have been inferior to those of Song Qingyu and Huang Siyuan, who were currently in seclusion on the mountaintop.

However, in the cultivation world, things are inherently impermanent. The moment Chen Jinliang passed away, Mount Tuoyun was destined to decline from its peak and begin its downward path; even without the betrayal of the Ma family, it did not mean Mount Tuoyun could have remained safe and sound.

Song Qingming and Chen Xuanxin had been acquainted for many years and could be considered quite familiar with each other. Lin Yutang and the others knew this, which was why they had come directly to Song Qingming for help.

After agreeing to their request, Song Qingming quickly wrote a letter on the spot and handed it to Lin Yutang, serving as an introduction to help the two of them gain an opportunity to meet Chen Xuanxin.

As for whether Lin Yutang and his companion could produce enough sincerity to move Chen Xuanxin and obtain that Demon King inner core after they met, that was no longer Song Qingming's concern.

After finishing this matter, Song Qingming did not stand on ceremony with them and generously accepted the third-tier spirit herb on the table, which finally allowed Lin Yutang and his companion, who were standing to the side, to feel slightly at ease.

After seeing Lin Yutang and his companion off, Song Qingming sipped some spirit tea in the private room for a while longer before rising to walk out of the Immortal Phoenix Pavilion.

Not long after Song Qingming left, in one of the rooms adjacent to the private room he had occupied, a woman dressed in red, after having her fill of food and wine, spoke calmly to a young waiter waiting to the side:

"Having heard so much from you just now, it seems you must be very clear about the affairs here at Mount Tuoyun. I have only just arrived, and I am curious about some things. I would like to ask someone for information first; I wonder if you might know?"

After the woman in red finished speaking, her jade hand lifted slightly, and a cloth bag immediately appeared in her hand. She took out five red spirit stones from it and placed them on the table.

The waiter to the side looked at the glittering spirit stones on the table, a hint of greed immediately appearing in his eyes. He spoke to the woman in red before him with a serious expression:

"Guest, you have truly asked the right person. As for this place, Mount Tuoyun, although it is a mixed bag with all sorts of people, as long as it is someone with a bit of a reputation who has been mixing here for more than half a year—"

"I dare not say I know absolutely everyone, but at least I am certain I know eighty or ninety percent of them. If you were to walk out of this door, I fear that no matter how many more spirit stones you spent, you might not necessarily find someone more familiar with this place than me."

As the young waiter spoke, his eyes kept glancing toward the spirit stones on the table; his entire mind had long since been firmly captivated by this unexpected windfall about to fall into his hands.

"That Song family ancestor living on the mountaintop—how much do you know about his affairs? Tell me, and these spirit stones will all be yours!"

The waiter, who was looking at the spirit stones on the table with eyes shining, suddenly jolted awake upon hearing the woman in red mention the four words "Song family ancestor."

He looked at the woman in red before him with a puzzled expression and asked: "Guest, what did you say? You want to inquire about the affairs of the Song ancestor?"

"That's right. Just say whatever you know; it is best if it is about things that happened recently."

"This..."

"What, are these spirit stones not enough?" Seeing that the waiter seemed to be in a difficult position, the woman in red took out a few more spirit stones and placed them on the table.

This waiter of the Immortal Phoenix Pavilion looked at the dozen or so spirit stones on the table with some reluctance, a chill flashing through his heart. Still, he shook his head firmly at the woman in red and said:

"Guest, please don't make things difficult for this little one. How could we dare to speak recklessly about the affairs of that ancestor on the mountaintop? I advise you not to ask about it blindly."

"Ten years ago, right here in our Immortal Phoenix Pavilion, a waiter spoke a few reckless words to a guest. As a result, the very next day, he was caught by the market's law enforcement team and sent to Yin Feng Ridge to dig for ore; he still hasn't returned even now."

As the waiter spoke, he recalled the instructions the manager of the Immortal Phoenix Pavilion had given him before he arrived here.

No matter who was inside, no one was allowed to casually mention anything regarding the ancestor on the mountaintop. Otherwise, once the market's law enforcement team found out, that waiter who had been caught and sent to Yin Feng Ridge to dig for ore would be the fate awaiting them.

"This fellow is quite vengeful, isn't he? Just speaking about his affairs—is it necessary to drag people off to dig for ore!"

Hearing the waiter say this, the figure of another Immortal Phoenix Pavilion waiter immediately surfaced in the woman in red's mind, and she muttered to herself with a hint of disappointment on her face.

"Guest, if you have nothing else, this little one will head down first. If you are settling the bill, you can go directly to the counter in a moment."

"Hmm! You may go."

After the waiter left the private room somewhat nervously, the woman in red rose and walked to the window. Looking at the direction in which Song Qingming had left on the street, a hint of complexity appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she then transformed into a streak of white light and vanished from the spot.

After a long while, an inn waiter came to the front of the private room again. After knocking lightly on the door and seeing that no one responded from within, he opened the door and walked in.

Seeing that the guest who had originally been sitting in the room was nowhere to be seen, just as the waiter was about to go out and call for someone, his eyes suddenly caught sight of a small bag of spirit stones left on the table, and a look of surprise immediately appeared on his face.

Leaving the Immortal Phoenix Pavilion and strolling through the market for a short while, Song Qingming finally returned to the mountaintop.

Just as he walked not far from the front of his own cave dwelling, Song Qingming suddenly saw that a red figure had appeared out of nowhere near the place where Song Qingyu was in seclusion on the mountaintop.

Seeing this scene, Song Qingming's expression changed immediately. He hurried over with quick steps, and just as he was about to open his mouth to question the other party, the red figure suddenly turned around and looked at Song Qingming, causing him to stop his steps in surprise.

"Your Highness, why have you come here?"

Fire Phoenix looked at Song Qingming, whose aura had changed slightly compared to before, and said calmly: "Your cultivation has already broken through to the mid-stage of Core Formation. It seems that since you came out of the Heaven-Reaching Tower, your days have been getting better and better!"

Song Qingming nodded with a smile and walked quickly to Fire Phoenix's side. After looking at her carefully, he said with some joy on his face: "Your Highness, your injuries have fully recovered; this is truly a joyous and congratulatory occasion."

Back then, when Fire Phoenix encountered the Blood Demon Ancestor in the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion, she was not lightly injured after a great battle. Although Song Qingming later helped Fire Phoenix escape together through the help of Profound Heaven,

when the two of them escaped the ninth floor, Fire Phoenix forcibly used the magic power within her body to break the spatial barrier leading to the eighth floor, causing her injuries to suddenly worsen significantly. When the two of them met Feng He, Fire Phoenix was almost unable to act at will.

Even though she later had the elixir given by Feng He to help temporarily suppress the injuries on her body, when Song Qingming came out of the "Heaven-Reaching Tower" with her, Fire Phoenix's state was not very good. Fearing being targeted by others, she left alone immediately upon coming out.

Over these years, because he knew Fire Phoenix must be in seclusion healing, although he was worried in his heart, Song Qingming did not dare to take the initiative to go to the Floating Yunshan Range to contact them. Only today, seeing that Fire Phoenix's injuries had finally recovered, did he finally set his heart at ease.

"Hmph! Seeing that I have recovered, why are you so happy? Aren't you afraid that I have come to find trouble with you this time!"

Seeing that Fire Phoenix's tone had become slightly serious, Song Qingming's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly stood to the side respectfully.

"Your Highness is joking. If you have any instructions, just say them. How could I dare not to comply with anything I can do for you? Why mention the word 'trouble'? That would be too distant."

Fire Phoenix looked at Song Qingming with a somewhat complex expression, then turned her gaze toward the cave dwelling where Song Qingyu was in seclusion, and said softly:

"The person in there in seclusion for Core Formation seems to have already reached the step of condensing the core. If there are no accidents, she should be able to succeed. You don't need to worry too much."

Hearing Fire Phoenix suddenly shift the topic to Song Qingyu, who was in seclusion, Song Qingming did not react at first. After a good while, he smiled, cupped his hands, and nodded:

"Many thanks for your guidance, Your Highness. If my sister can truly succeed in Core Formation this time, I will definitely prepare a modest gift in the future to thank you properly."

"That is not necessary. I am about to leave the Floating Yunshan Range. This time, I have come to bid you farewell. If you want to thank me, it is best to take the things out for me now; otherwise, I fear there will be no opportunity in the future." Fire Phoenix turned around and revealed a faint smile at Song Qingming.

"Your Highness is leaving? Where are you going? Are you not coming back?" Seeing Fire Phoenix say she was leaving, Song Qingming was astonished in his heart upon hearing this news and couldn't help but blurt out the question.

Fire Phoenix chuckled and said: "Where I go has nothing to do with you, and there is no need to tell you. However, I will not be coming back for at least a short time after I leave this time."

"You human cultivators have short lifespans. Even if your cultivation reaches the Core Formation realm, you only have a few hundred years of time. If you don't cultivate diligently, perhaps after this parting, we will not have a day to meet again."

"This..."

Hearing Fire Phoenix say this, Song Qingming was silent for a while, not knowing how to reply to the other party for a moment.

Although what Fire Phoenix said was not very pleasant to hear, it was a reality Song Qingming had to face. Compared to the lifespans of the demon race, the lifespans of human cultivators are indeed much shorter.

Moreover, Fire Phoenix was a Soul Transformation cultivator. To her, a few hundred years of time counted for nothing. After a few hundred years, if Song Qingming had not broken through to the Soul Transformation realm, then the two of them would indeed have a high probability of not having a day to meet again.

"How is it? Hearing this news, you should still be very happy, right? From now on, no one will suddenly come to find trouble with you, this 'Song Ancestor.' You can be as majestic as you like without worrying at any moment that I will hear it."

Seeing Song Qingming in deep thought without speaking again, Fire Phoenix teased him with a smile.

"I am just a small Core Formation cultivator. Whether before you or before the Xiaoyao Sect, I am still far from enough to be seen. What majesty could I have? It is better to be low-key."

Fire Phoenix nodded slightly and said: "It is good that you know this. Whether it is the Xiaoyao Sect or me, it is impossible for us to be your eternal backing. If you want to survive well in the cultivation world, you still have to rely on yourself."

"Hmm! You are right. Living in this kind of place, with a whole family of younger descendants below, I am also walking on thin ice at every moment, only then able to survive safely until today. I don't know if there will ever be a day when I can set my heart at ease."

Song Qingming's cultivation today, although not lacking the help of Fire Phoenix, Feng He, and others, was mostly achieved by his own step-by-step, down-to-earth cultivation, coupled with cautious and careful actions, only then slowly reaching the present.

"The path of cultivation is like sailing against the current; if you don't advance, you retreat. Whether it is you or me, wanting to control one's own destiny is actually very simple. As long as your cultivation is sufficient, others will naturally recognize you."

"Now that you have already cultivated to the Soul Transformation realm, are you still like me, unable to control your own destiny?"

Fire Phoenix looked at Song Qingming calmly and did not answer this question. She turned around and left the spot, walking toward the cave dwelling where Huang Siyuan was in seclusion.

Seeing this, Song Qingming felt a slight regret in his heart; it seemed he had asked too many questions today. He sighed lightly and followed quickly.

After the two stood outside the cave dwelling where Huang Siyuan was in seclusion for a moment, Fire Phoenix revealed a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, turned around, and asked Song Qingming: "Do you have anything else to say to me? If not, I am going to leave first."

Hearing this, Song Qingming thought quickly in his mind for a moment and replied: "I still have some things stored in my cave dwelling, all collected for you over these years. Why don't you come with me to take them first!"

"Very well! Since I am already here, I cannot let down your good intentions."

After Song Qingming brought Fire Phoenix to his cave dwelling, he flipped out two storage bags from the stone wall on one side of the dwelling and handed them to Fire Phoenix with his own hands.

"I had originally prepared more, but they are still over at Mount Funiu and I didn't bring them over. If you are not in a hurry to leave, it would be very quick for me to make a trip."

"No matter. These things are all external objects and are of no help to cultivation. Whether they exist, or whether there are more or less, is not a big deal. It is enough that you have this heart."

Fire Phoenix picked up these two storage bags, checked them slightly, nodded with satisfaction, and put them into her waist. Then her gaze turned back to Song Qingming's face.

"Besides these, do you have anything else to say to me!"

"Anything else? It seems there is nothing! Help me bid farewell to Brother Long Feng and Senior Qingluan. I hope you all have a safe journey, and that there will be a day for us to meet again in the future!"

Hearing this, Fire Phoenix's face slowly revealed a hint of doubt. After hesitating slightly, she said seriously: "My meaning is, do you have any other requests? You can tell me now."

"Back then in the Heaven-Reaching Tower, you could be considered to have saved me once. Regardless of whether you are a demon race or a human cultivator, I am a person who does not like to owe others favors casually."

"You can take the initiative to make a request now. As long as I can satisfy it, I can consider it. You understand my meaning now, right!"

Song Qingming stood on the spot, stunned for a moment, then shook his head lightly and said: "When I saved you back then, it was only because I was guided by someone else that I was able to do it. It cannot be considered much of a merit, and you don't need to take this matter too much to heart."

"To tell you the truth, you have helped me quite a bit over these years and given me many spirit items. If it hadn't been for your help back then, my Core Formation would not have been so smooth. I am still clear about this in my heart."

"Being able to help you once can be considered as repaying your favor!"

The favor Fire Phoenix mentioned was the incident back in the Heaven-Reaching Tower when she was entangled by the Blood Demon Ancestor and Song Qingming suddenly appeared to take her away.

After the two escaped back then, although Song Qingming did not reveal the identity of Profound Heaven, he had taken the initiative to admit to Fire Phoenix that he had met a senior expert in the "Heaven-Reaching Pavilion" and received the other party's help, only then being able to take Fire Phoenix away.

Fire Phoenix was also curious about the expert Song Qingming mentioned at the time, but because the situation of the two was truly quite unfavorable, she did not pursue the matter too much and could only count this merit on Song Qingming.

"Oh! So you don't want the benefits I took the initiative to send to your door, eh? You really don't know what's good for you. Then don't blame me for not giving you a chance." After Fire Phoenix finished speaking, her pretty face tightened slightly. After giving Song Qingming a somewhat unhappy look, she turned around and was about to walk out of the cave dwelling.

Seeing that Fire Phoenix seemed to have misunderstood his meaning, Song Qingming also did not expect this. He cursed himself in his heart and hurriedly stepped forward to stop her.

"Your Highness, don't be angry. I was just being polite to you just now. I happen to have a matter here that I would like to trouble you with, but it was not easy to speak of for a moment. It's all my fault for being clumsy with words."

Seeing Song Qingming's anxious and regretful expression, Fire Phoenix, who was about to reach the door of the cave dwelling, finally stopped her steps and said calmly: "What is the matter? Tell me!"

"When I was in the Heaven-Reaching Tower, I found a spirit beast egg from a fellow Daoist who had died inside long ago, which had survived for over a thousand years. After returning, I asked many people, but no one could recognize it, and I didn't know how to hatch it."

"Your Highness, you are knowledgeable and experienced. Please help me see what exactly this thing is, and if there is any way to help hatch it."

After Song Qingming finished speaking, his right hand moved with spirit light, and he quickly took out the "thousand-year spirit beast egg" he had been keeping on his person and carefully brought it before Fire Phoenix.

Having had this "thousand-year spirit beast egg" for over ten years without it hatching, Song Qingming had developed a heart ailment alongside his anticipation for it.

Seeing the golden spirit beast egg in Song Qingming's hand, a hint of surprise appeared in Fire Phoenix's eyes, and she asked directly: "You want to hatch this spirit beast egg?"

"That's right. I still don't know what kind of spirit beast this is. Do you have a way to hatch it?" Seeing that Fire Phoenix seemed to have recognized the origin of this item, Song Qingming nodded hurriedly and asked with anticipation.

"This should be a spirit beast egg of an Ice-Fire Flood Dragon. However, because a long time has passed, the spirit beast's vitality inside has been damaged, which is why it is difficult to hatch."

After Fire Phoenix finished speaking, a red light flashed in her hand, and she quickly gathered a cluster of crimson spirit light at her fingertip. After this cluster of spirit light grew several times larger, Fire Phoenix lifted her finger lightly and quickly shot this red spirit light into the spirit beast egg in Song Qingming's hand.

After finishing this step, Fire Phoenix, whose face was slightly pale, quickly put away the magic power on her body and then came before Song Qingming.

Seeing that Fire Phoenix seemed somewhat exhausted after performing the spell just now, Song Qingming was also slightly puzzled in his heart. Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask, he did not expect that a crisp sound suddenly came from the spirit beast egg in his hand, which was already wrapped in a cluster of red light.

Song Qingming looked closely and discovered that a tiny crack had already appeared on the top of this spirit beast egg. Before he could look carefully, the crack on the top of the spirit beast egg expanded rapidly, and it soon broke into two halves from the middle.

"Is it that simple?" Seeing the movement of the spirit beast egg in his hand about to break its shell, Song Qingming couldn't help but reveal a look of surprise.

Following that, a small blue tail appeared before the eyes of the two, and after a flip inside the eggshell, it slowly revealed its entire body.

Only then did Song Qingming see clearly that this spirit beast, which was still curiously examining him inside the eggshell, turned out to be a small blue snake with a body length of only about half a foot.

"This is the Ice-Fire Flood Dragon?"

Generally, the bloodline grade of a demon beast born from a higher-grade demon beast will also be higher than that of an ordinary demon beast. The "Heavenly Fire Peng" that Song Qingyu found back then was a mid-tier Qi Condensation demon beast not long after it hatched.

The aura on the small snake in Song Qingming's hand was only at the early stage of Qi Condensation, completely different from the high-tier demon beast bloodline he had imagined.

"I spent so much time, wasted so much effort, and in the end, even used up a favor to ask Fire Phoenix to act, only to hatch this kind of thing? This thousand-year spirit beast egg is too deceptive."

Looking at the small blue snake before him, which, apart from the two small fleshy horns on its head, looked no different from the Green Bamboo Python he had seen before, Song Qingming couldn't help but reveal a look of disappointment on his face.

"This Ice-Fire Flood Dragon can also be considered a relatively rare race of the Flood Dragon lineage. Generally, it is at least a first-grade top-quality demon beast when it hatches. The reason its cultivation is not so high now is also because of the loss of vitality before."

"I have just enlightened its intelligence. As long as you cultivate it with care in the future, it shouldn't take long for it to recover." Seeing the look of disappointment on Song Qingming's face, Fire Phoenix hurriedly explained.

After Song Qingming heard this and revealed a look of realization, he asked softly: "So that's how it is. Then if this spirit beast is cultivated well, what realm can it reach in the future?"

"This is hard to say. Although we are all demon race, I don't know much about the Flood Dragon lineage. However, judging from the general situation, reaching the third tier is definitely no problem. If you are lucky, it is not impossible to break through to the Soul Transformation realm and reach the transformation stage."

"Oh! That's more like it. It wasn't in vain that I spent so much effort on you." After hearing Fire Phoenix's explanation, the look in Song Qingming's eyes toward the "Ice-Fire Flood Dragon" immediately became somewhat kind.

The "Ice-Fire Flood Dragon" that had just broken its shell in Song Qingming's hand, after familiarizing itself with the surrounding environment, became somewhat bolder. After jumping from Song Qingming's hand to the ground, it quickly came to Fire Phoenix's feet. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 615 =====