Chapter 128: One Pot, All Gone! The Liu and Bai Li Clans

Fire Phoenixes are fast; Shen Qingli's group only took three days to reach the teleportation array closest to the Primordial Origin Sect's territory, which is also in the Splendid Cloud Territory.

Shen Yuan activated the Shen clan's teleportation array stationed in the Splendid Cloud Territory; within an hour they were back at Longwater Shen Clan, where Shen Yue and the others were already waiting.

They didn't choose the Primordial Origin Sect's teleportation array, naturally to guard against the sect's tricks.

If the teleportation array malfunctioned and they strayed into spatial turbulence, death would be certain.

Thus, unless absolutely necessary, the high echelons of major powers would not opt to travel via teleportation array.

Seeing them, Shen Yue let out a long breath: "Finally, you're here."

Liu Qinghong grabbed Shen Qingli with one hand, sizing her up: "You lot really couldn't split into two groups? If anything went wrong, could our family bear the loss?"

The clan's sole female phoenix.

Clan Chief, Ancestor—if they were all wiped out in one pot.

Liu Qinghong dared not even imagine it! Yet these people dare to take such risks.

"Expedient measures in emergencies." Shen Yuan had no choice: "Let's go, we'll talk after we get back."

He spoke while taking out a sound-transmitting jade talisman, which kept flashing; as he walked and looked, the messages were mostly vague complaints that he'd notified them too late to prepare, but they all confirmed they would come and urged him to wait.

"Is the Primordial Origin Sect also sending someone?" Shen Qingli asked after settling Moyuan, recalling that the sect had a quota at that time.

"Yes, Liu Xiaoxiao." Shen Yuan remembered the eighteen slots: "Two from the Azure Cloud Realm, one each from the other five realms, one from each of the eight great aristocratic families, plus two juniors not among those eighteen powers, respectively from the ancient Liu clan and the Baili clan."

"My senior martial sister Liu Meng and her family?"

"Yes."

"The Baili clan? Are the two families together?" Shen Qingli frowned, wondering if it was the Baili Chongtong clan.

"Indeed, those two families have long been old allies, mutually supportive, not weaker than ordinary great clans." Shen Yuan spoke, noticing Shen Qingli's expression: "What's wrong?"

"What is this Baili family called?" Shen Kuo asked.

"Baili Chongluan." Shen Yuan had an excellent memory: "You know him?"

"Does he have a younger brother named Baili Chongtong?" Shen Qingli continued.

"I'm not sure." Shen Yuan finished and sent a message to his subordinates, ordering them to investigate.

"How many of our own juniors can get in when the time comes?" Shen Qingli asked again, unfamiliar with the ancestral land.

"All juniors will rush in, including branch lines and outsiders, but the ancestral land will screen entrants on its own; not everyone will pass. However, those with decent talent and Shen clan blood usually face no problem." Shen Yue explained.

Shen Qingli figured it out: "What is the main purpose of going in?"

"To awaken the inheritance and refine the bloodline's purity."

"Wouldn't that benefit only the Phoenix clan? Those without an awakened Phoenix inheritance would come for nothing."

"The Phoenix is the king of all feathered creatures; any winged being can benefit. But your situation is somewhat special." Shen Yuan scratched his head.

"The Vermilion Bird is a divine beast, never classified with other tribes; you have already awakened the Vermilion Bird bloodline—do you still need to enter the ancestral land? I—"

"I do." Shen Qingli declared firmly: "I must go now."

Shen Yuan: "It hasn't even opened yet—how could we enter?"

"Let's take a look first." Shen Qingli was uneasy.

She repeatedly urged Shen Yuan and the others to hurry, worried about the ancestral phoenix.

Shen Jing had been silent until now, then sent a voice transmission to Shen Qingli: "The ancestral phoenix has contacted you."

"Yes." Shen Qingli replied via voice transmission; although they were trustworthy, the matter was grave and she didn't want too many to know. But since the ancestor had also sensed it, there was no need to hide it from him.

"Something happened?"

"I'm not sure; it only urged me to return quickly."

Shen Jing nodded, stopped sending voice transmissions, and said directly, "I'll take you there."

"No, did you two secretly voice-transmit?" Shen Yuan puzzled: "What is there that I, as clan chief, shouldn't know?"

"As your father I haven't said anything—what are you shouting about?" Shen Kuo retorted.

"Lao Qi, you……"

"I'll go with you." Di Jin said.

"All right." Shen Jing did not refuse.

Shen Yuan's words at the tip of his tongue turned into: "Ancestor, you're bringing our clan's live-in son-in-law but not me?"

"You've been clan chief for years, yet you fuss and fret—what kind of conduct is this?" Shen Jing admonished, "Settle the clan's other affairs; A Kuo, come too."

Shen Yuan was injured; Lao Qi has gone! Why can't he go?

Liu Qinghong laughed: "Elder Uncle, you're afraid of being outdone by your seventh brother and losing face as the eldest."

This is the fact: earlier Shen Duo outshone him, and Shen Yuan had muttered that the clan chief's many duties left him no time to cultivate, thus being surpassed by his younger brother.

"Forget it, good looks bring privileges." Shen Yuan covered his face.

Moreover, Shen Jing kept jabbing him: "Otherwise, how would the empress have taken a liking to him?"

Shen Kuo: "……"

He hadn't provoked anyone.

"Yeah, yeah."

Shen Yuan waved his hand, entered the Shen clan gate, and dragged Shen Yue along to do manual labor.

Meanwhile, Shen Qinghuang, who had long been separated from them, was still escorting troops back with Shen Duo.

Shen Jing then swept up Shen Qingli and the others, flashing to the front of the ancestral land.

A golden bronze gate rose from nowhere, exuding an ancient, weathered aura; its surface was inscribed with vigorous, ancient divine script.

"Just go in?" Shen Qingli asked.

Shen Jing nodded: "This gate has never been opened from the outside; one must wait for it to open on its own. But since the ancestral phoenix summons you, step forward and try."

Shen Qingli nodded, already having walked to the door, and reached out to push.

The golden copper gate didn't budge at all?

She then activated the five‑element phoenix immortal power and pushed the door again.

However, the gate still showed no reaction.

"Try the Vermilion Bird divine power." Di Jin reminded.

Shen Qingli tried, but still couldn't open the door.

However, her perception seemed able to pass through the gate, yet she felt the inside was a sheet of chaos?

It was as if her divine sense had entered a cotton field, with nowhere to aim.

She immediately activated the dark pulse, and mysterious dark patterns instantly blossomed on her jade‑like, porcelain‑smooth skin.

At that instant, the chaos receded!

Shen Qingli opened her eyes, golden pupils, black sclera, sacred and uncanny.

Yet it allowed her to break through the illusion and see the "scene" beyond the golden copper gate.

A Gobi‑like wasteland where no grass grows, brown land, brown sky, exuding an air of barrenness.

A huge, scorching sun hung high; even though Shen Qingli merely "looked" in its direction, she felt the heat.

Is this the ancestral land?

Then what about the ancestral phoenix?

Shen Qingli sensed very carefully toward the depths.

At the same time, on the summit of Hunyuan, three white beams stood before Yuan Changzai and the others.

Within the white beams, figures loomed, clearly the three gods Di Jin spoke of.

Actually they arrived three days ago, but piercing the Sheng Long Tian barrier consumes great even for immortals, so they only now summoned Yuan Changzai and the others.

"The three are……"

"Presumptuous! Changzai, I never taught you to meet an immortal like this!"

The familiar voice made Yuan Changzai startled, then he plopped down on his knees and kowtowed: "Master above! Please accept my disciple's bow! Junior is foolish, I pay respects to the two immortals."

Yuan Changzai's master, the fifth‑generation sect master of Hunyuan Sect, who over ten thousand years ago was the last god‑transforming ascendant of Hunyuan Sect!

Now he has returned! Yuan Changzai instantly steadied his mind, while Ji Bai realized that Di Jin left because he sensed these three! In other words, the Vermilion Bird Palace envoy fears the old ancestor and his companions!

Ji Bai immediately reported: "Immortal, Jiang Yuan judged the sect, giving Star‑Image Mountain to the junior of the Changshui Shen clan, only because they have the Vermilion Bird Palace immortal backing them."

"What did you say?" an angry female voice issued from the white beams.

"Nonsense!" another angry shout rang out: "Where are they?"