Chapter 401 - 400: Entrustment
The closer Yi Tianyun got, the more ferocious the Fire Phoenix Tree’s attacks became, but this would only hasten its demise. To him, these flames were nothing but nourishment, completely harmless. Still, he couldn’t bear to be so ruthless; he was moved by a mother’s final act of devotion.
"Stop! I mean you no harm!" Yi Tianyun shouted, not knowing if it could understand his words.
The flames did not stop. They continued their fierce assault as several more fireballs flew at him, only to be absorbed into his body and converted into Skill Level. It seemed pointless; the Fire Phoenix Tree wasn’t stopping at all.
"I saw a small piece of a Companion Crystal outside, so I came to investigate." Yi Tianyun looked at the Little Phoenix and said in a solemn voice, "I know you’re prejudiced against humans, but your child looks very weak. If this continues, the so-called Undying Phoenix will still die!"
There was nothing to eat here; the place was completely barren. A newborn Little Phoenix needed a lot of nutrients. After eating its eggshell and the Companion Crystal, there was nothing else left. Even if it ate the Fire Phoenix Tree behind it, it wouldn’t be able to grow quickly.
At that moment, the flames actually stopped. They ceased their attack!
It worked!
He had only been trying, not expecting it to actually work. But after a brief pause, the attacks resumed, though the flames were a notch weaker than before. It was clearly hesitating. Most importantly, it could understand him; it still possessed some consciousness, it just couldn’t speak.
"I can make a vow to treat it well in the future, even send it back to its home! I will never harm it, much less drain its Essence Blood!" Yi Tianyun wasn’t afraid of the flames, but he still had a conscience. He chose to do this especially for the Little Phoenix’s sake. Helping the Fire Phoenix Tree pass on peacefully would be a good deed.
Many Cultivators’ eyes would light up at the sight of a Divine Beast. A Divine Beast’s entire body was a treasure trove. Whether it was a Dragon or a Phoenix, they were both astonishing Divine Beasts. Their Essence Blood was incredibly precious. Yi Tianyun had experienced its benefits firsthand—the Dragon God Bloodline!
Just a tiny bit of Dragon Blood, and not even very pure Dragon Blood at that, had brought him undeniable benefits. A living Little Phoenix would absolutely sell for a sky-high price! If this Little Phoenix were taken out and discovered, it would undoubtedly shake many factions. Fourth-Grade Factions would mobilize immediately to seize it.
Yi Tianyun guessed this was why it refused to let him go. Even in death, it didn’t want a human to take away the Divine Beast, which would then face a fate worse than death.
’Although I’m making a vow to send it home and all that, it doesn’t really mean much. If I raise the Little Phoenix with care, there’s no way it won’t choose to stay with me. And even if it doesn’t, sending it back to the Phoenix Nest would definitely yield an astonishing reward.’
’I need to think long-term. I would never kill the phoenix for its Essence Blood; there’s no need. If the Little Phoenix doesn’t stay with me, sending it back might even allow me to befriend the Phoenix Race and become their ally!’
At this point, the Phoenix Tree stopped its attack. It seemed to have been persuaded. A sworn vow was not something that could be broken easily. Violating it would surely bring heavenly retribution; it wasn’t just a casual promise.
’Looks like it really worked...’ Yi Tianyun breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Phoenix Tree stop its attack.
Without further hesitation, he immediately began to swear his vow.
"I, Yi Tianyun, swear that within my lifetime, I will do everything in my power to return the Little Phoenix to its home, or else may I suffer heavenly retribution!"
He did not hesitate for long and immediately made the vow. After he swore it, a Divine Rune condensed in the sky and was fiercely branded onto his soul. This meant the vow was now bound to him, and the brand would not disappear until it was fulfilled.
This had to be a rule of the Celestial Dao, making promises more than just words by giving them real consequences. If anyone were to violate it, it would be a fatal mistake.
After he made his vow, the Fire Phoenix Tree truly stopped attacking. As he drew closer, it still did not attack. It seemed to have placed its complete trust in him.
When he arrived under the Phoenix Tree, the Fire Phoenix Tree began to sway. Countless leaves floated down, landing on his body. With a FWOOSH, the Fire Phoenix Leaves transformed into wisps of flame.
But these flames were different from before. They were pure Fire Spirit Power, and they all merged into Yi Tianyun’s body.
"Successfully gained 500 Skill Level for Immortal Fire, 600 Skill Level, 1,000 Skill Level, 900 Skill Level..."
His Skill Level skyrocketed, increasing far more than before. The previous attacks were consumptive; although he absorbed them, some of the energy was lost in the process. Now, it was being poured directly into his body without causing any harm, so the effect was much more pronounced.
Then, a phantom image appeared from the Fire Phoenix Tree. A giant phoenix floated up, its gaze soft as it looked at him.
"You are different from the humans I have seen. I will pour the rest of my Phoenix Fire into your body. You will be able to use it from now on. The stronger your cultivation, the more you can utilize it. This will be of great help to you." The phoenix’s voice grew weary and weak, as if it could disappear at any moment.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Yi Tianyun asked.
"Just help me send Yan’Er back to the Phoenix Nest. I’m begging you, human... After you send her back, our Phoenix Race will reward you. We will not treat you poorly. Please..."
More leaves flew up, transforming into countless streams of energy that surged into his body, converting into a massive wave of Skill Level. His Immortal Fire Skill Level exploded in an instant, shooting up by a huge margin.
"Ding! Congratulations on successfully upgrading Immortal Fire to Mid-Grade Earth Level. Flame power increased threefold. Forging and Alchemy success rates increased! The next level requires 500,000 Skill Level points."
It was a very smooth upgrade. Perhaps he didn’t get a kill reward, but the reward he did get was much better than any kill reward would have been. It seemed the amount of Skill Level he gained was massive. If he had killed it and the dropped Immortal Fire had been too low-level, he still wouldn’t have been able to upgrade his own Immortal Fire. So, doing it this way was undoubtedly the better choice.
"Ding! You have successfully accepted the side quest: ’Return the Little Fire Phoenix to the Phoenix Nest and Fulfill the Phoenix’s Wish.’ Completion Reward: 200,000,000 experience points, 1,000,000 Madness Value, 300 Character Virtue Points, and +100 Favorability with the Phoenix Race!"
A system message popped up, which was not unexpected. The phoenix was essentially a quest-giver, so getting a quest was no surprise. ’The reward is truly satisfying, but... where is the Phoenix Nest?’