Chapter 229: The Origin of the Phoenix Blood Stone

The County Magistrate looked at Lu Yang through gritted teeth, but there was nothing he could do.

He didn't want to reveal this matter from the bottom of his heart, but things had reached this point; he had to say it whether he wanted to or not.

The Mo family head looked like he was watching a good show, gloating.

The County Magistrate sighed heavily: "Please follow me, everyone."

The crowd followed the County Magistrate to the ground and headed straight for the mine.

"The mine collapse was a fake message announced to the outside world; there is a hidden story inside."

The County Magistrate was familiar with the road, leading everyone to the end of the mine tunnel, and pressed a mechanism hidden on the wall. Only hearing a rumbling sound, the stone door opened, leading to the inside of the mine.

This was an internal passage known only to a few people, and formations were set up in the dark to avoid spiritual sense scanning. If there was spiritual sense scanning, what would be seen would be the scene simulated by the formation.

The Mo family head became serious. Just like the news he had inquired about, there really was a mysterious passage.

The further they walked into the passage, the more they could smell the pungent smell of blood, as if a major murder case had occurred ahead, with corpses piled up like mountains and blood drained.

When Lu Yang walked out of the cave and came to an open space, the smell of blood surged over overwhelmingly.

Fortunately, Lu Yang quickly adapted to the smell of blood and saw the scene before him clearly.

In the middle of the open space was a large pit, blood-red inside. Countless stones protruded in the blood-colored lake, exceptionally bright, all of the same quality as the Phoenix Blood Stone Meng Jingzhou had bought.

There were a few people walking on the edge of the pit, occasionally pouring blood into the blood-colored lake.

"This, this is..."

The County Magistrate explained helplessly: "This is the Phoenix Blood Stone currently being produced."

"The Phoenix Blood Stone is fake?" Meng Jingzhou was surprised. I bought a fake for 500,000?

Li Haoran shook his head: "No, the blood in the pit is all phoenix blood. I saw my teacher use it when refining weapons, but the phoenix blood my teacher used was of higher quality than this."

"County Magistrate, who are these people?" A young man with red eyes walked over, with red feathers on his neck.

He frowned and found the County Magistrate, dissatisfied with his practice of bringing outsiders.

The County Magistrate sighed: "No way, if I didn't bring them over, the one who would be unlucky would be me."

The red-eyed young man was about to flare up. Bringing outsiders meant the matter was exposed. How could he explain it to the clan leader when he went back?

"These few are from the Congwendao Sect. This is my grandson, the Mo family head."

"Get out!"

"Congwendao Sect?" The red-eyed young man looked at Lu Yang and the others in surprise, his expression changing constantly, as if recalling bad things, and his attitude was no longer arrogant.

"Who are you to Miss Yun Zhi?"

"She is my Senior Sister."

"Who are you to Gan Tian?"

"She is my Third Senior Sister," Lu Yang replied.

The Third Senior Sister he had never met was named Gan Tian, and she was currently training in the Demon Domain.

"So it's the Congwendao Sect fellow Daoists coming here to visit and inspect. Please, this way." The red-eyed young man's attitude took a 180-degree turn, putting on a smile, kind and friendly.

The County Magistrate's eyes twitched. He had never seen the red-eyed young man be so kind to himself: "Let me introduce you. This is Jiang Shan, a member of the Phoenix clan."

"May I ask if Senior Jiang Shan knows Senior Sister and Third Senior Sister..."

"Oh, calling me Senior Jiang Shan is too formal. Just call me Little Jiang from now on." For some reason, Jiang Shan's attitude toward Lu Yang was exceptionally good.

"As for Senior Miss Yun Zhi and Senior Gan Tian, they are especially good to our Phoenix clan. They even came to our Phoenix clan to spar and guide our cultivation. I was also fortunate enough to be guided."

"Of course, if possible—I mean, if possible—could you please go back and tell your Senior Sister and Third Senior Sister not to come to our Phoenix clan anymore? The Dragon clan has a large place; go to the Dragon clan."

Lu Yang: "..."

Senior Sister and Third Senior Sister, what exactly did you do in the Phoenix clan?

Su Shishi was also very curious. This performance was different from the legendary arrogant Phoenix clan.

"I came here just to know what is going on with the Phoenix Blood Stone."

The County Magistrate said: "Jiang Shan doesn't know as much about this matter as I do. Let me explain it."

"The matter has to start four thousand years ago. Four thousand years ago, the phoenix senior sat down here, and the blood soaked through the mine, appearing the first batch of Phoenix Blood Stones. The ancients discovered the Phoenix Blood Stone by accident and were ecstatic, setting up camp here, and the prototype of Luofeng County appeared."

"After about seven hundred years, the Phoenix Blood Stone became less and less, and harder and harder to dig. The County Magistrate at that time saw that this situation wouldn't work. The Phoenix Blood Stone was gone, Luofeng County's economic pillar disappeared, and the entire Luofeng County would collapse."

"So he secretly came to the Phoenix clan, hoping to buy some phoenix blood to manufacture a batch of new Phoenix Blood Stones."

"At first, the Phoenix clan didn't agree. They were arrogant, unstained by dust, and unwilling to sell blood to the County Magistrate."

"When the County Magistrate wrote down the income from selling Phoenix Blood Stones over the years and promised to share 30% of the profits with the Phoenix clan, the Phoenix clan's attitude changed suddenly."

Everyone looked at Jiang Shan, the only Phoenix clan member present.

Jiang Shan said righteously: "Our Phoenix clan has so many people. Which one doesn't need spirit stones for food, clothing, housing, and transportation? What's wrong with us relying on our own ability to earn some money to subsidize our family?"

This was the first time Lu Yang had heard selling blood described so fresh and refined.

Lu Yang remembered what Li Haoran had said: "The Phoenix clan is the most arrogant race among the demon race. Their blood is extremely precious. It is as difficult as ascending to heaven for the human race to obtain their blood."

What a "difficult as ascending to heaven."

The County Magistrate glanced at Jiang Shan: "If your Phoenix clan is so righteous, why do you still require the Phoenix Blood Stone to be aged, and firmly not let outsiders see that it was just soaked?"

Jiang Shan's guilty gaze shifted, not daring to look directly at the County Magistrate.

"The Phoenix clan is willing to sell phoenix blood, but requires the matter to be kept secret and not let others see it. That County Magistrate senior then studied how to quickly age the Phoenix Blood Stone."

"Just like this."

The County Magistrate picked one up from the pool of blood, cast a spell, and the Phoenix Blood Stone, which originally had bright colors, became dim and lusterless in his hand, as if it had gone through hundreds or thousands of years.

"Every few years, Luofeng County will get a batch of blood from the Phoenix clan, soak the stones, and make Phoenix Blood Stones."

"This has continued for more than three thousand years, and it is a secret between every County Magistrate."

"Later, I don't know what accident happened. A Phoenix Blood Stone that hadn't been aged flowed out. After several turnovers, it was bought by the eldest young master of the Meng family."

"If an experienced weapon refiner sees that Phoenix Blood Stone, they can guess that the Phoenix Blood Stones produced in Luofeng County now are just produced, thereby guessing the agreement between Luofeng County and the Phoenix clan."

"If this matter is exposed, it won't look good for Luofeng County and the Phoenix clan, so I have always wanted to recover this Phoenix Blood Stone. As for this Mo guy, his idea is the same as mine."

"It's just that things have reached this point, and you all know the truth, so recovery is meaningless."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 230 =====