Chapter 1469 - 529: The Phoenix’s Tribulation
Everyone had no choice but to withdraw from the Royal Court Tree.
"Tch, just a lowly dog, and it really thinks a mangy toad can eat swan meat."
Rui’s family walked over, and when they saw Little Zhiyo, they let out a cold snort.
"You’re not allowed to talk about Little Zhiyo like that."
Little Wuya hugged Little Zhiyo tightly, looking just like a hen protecting her chick.
"Little cousin, don’t be so naive. You are a noble member of the Phoenix Clan. Let me be frank with you: even if you’re unwilling, you still have to marry me. Just look at the Ancient Nine Provinces—how many pure-blooded Phoenixes are left? In the whole Phoenix Tribe, besides me, who else is qualified to marry you? You don’t believe it, you can ask your father, mother, and your elder brothers. You’d better grow up quickly, marry me early, and give me children."
Rui didn’t care at all about Little Wuya’s cold attitude. He unabashedly sized her up, then laughed loudly and strode off.
Little Wuya was trembling all over with rage because of Rui, but when she saw how her father and mother reacted, her heart instantly sank by more than half.
"Father, Mother, Brothers, tell me that what Rui said isn’t true?"
Little Wuya had already guessed something from her parents’ expressions.
"Little Wuya, you didn’t grow up in Jiunie Mountain, so it’s not strange that you don’t know some things about the Phoenix Clan. Take our honored guests and come back with us first, and then I’ll explain everything to you one by one."
The Ice Phoenix looked at her daughter and sighed.
Her daughter had come back; she should have been very happy, yet her heart felt unbearably heavy.
All because she knew that everything Rui had just said was true.
Little Wuya could not possibly marry someone from an Alien Race, especially when the other party was a little baby beast that looked utterly unimpressive. This time, she really had to steel herself to become the cruel mother who beats apart a loving couple.
The Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix couple led everyone back to their treehouse.
The Fire Phoenix couple had always been well-liked in the clan. When word spread that their youngest daughter, who had been missing for several years, had returned to acknowledge her ancestors and had even saved Zixian, all the bird clans in the tribe came by to visit.
They also brought all kinds of fresh fruits and delicious wines, encircling the Fire Phoenix couple’s treehouse several layers deep.
It was not until late afternoon that the onlooking clansfolk gradually dispersed. Only then did the Ice Phoenix order the maids to set up several banquet tables to entertain Ye Lingyue and the members of the Huangquan Team.
"Miss Ye, this cup of wine represents my whole family’s gratitude to you. I offended you in many ways before; please forgive me."
The Fire Phoenix, as head of the household, raised his cup in a toast.
Thinking about it, he and Ye Lingyue had gotten to know each other through conflict.
Now that he thought back on it, if not for Ye Lingyue, Little Wuya might long since have ceased to exist in this world.
After several rounds of toasts, the previous unpleasantness between Ye Lingyue and the Fire Phoenix couple was written off.
After the Fire Phoenix, the Ice Phoenix and Little Wuya’s elder brothers also came forward one by one to toast her, thanking Ye Lingyue and the others for taking such good care of Little Wuya over the years.
During the banquet, fine wine and good dishes flowed without end. Everyone also swept away the gloom from their time in Ah County and drank freely.
"May I ask, what exactly was going on with what Rui said earlier? And there’s another thing I’ve never understood. Isn’t the Phoenix Clan a clan of Divine Beasts? Why are they living in Jiunie Mountain? And why does the Old Clan Leader need those Water Bright Stones for his Ascension?"
Ye Lingyue was full of questions. After all, whether in Qing Province or in the Ancient Nine Provinces, every legend she had heard about the Phoenix said that the Phoenix was a Divine Beast.
Divine Beasts were supposed to live in the Divine Realm.
"Let me be the one to explain this."
The Ice Phoenix and Fire Phoenix exchanged a look. Even within Jiunie Mountain, not many of the bird clans knew much about the Phoenix Clan’s affairs. That was the clan’s most important secret. But everyone present was either Little Wuya’s benefactor or her companion, so the couple felt there was no need to hide anything.
The Phoenix Clan was indeed a clan of Divine Beasts, but the Phoenix Clan of Jiunie Mountain was a line that had been demoted to the Human Realm, a line of Sub-God Beasts.
It turned out that many years ago, the ancestor of the Jiunie Mountain Phoenixes was called the Elixir Fire Phoenix. It had originally been a cauldron-guarding Divine Beast under a Fang Immortal in the Divine Realm, specifically in charge of guarding the Elixir Fire.
One day, the Fang Immortal went out and left the Elixir Fire Phoenix in charge of the medicine cauldron.
The Elixir Fire Phoenix, due to a moment of carelessness, dozed off and missed the crucial timing of a First Rank Divine Elixir in the alchemy furnace. Not only was the Divine Elixir ruined, it also burned down the Alchemy Room.
When the Fang Immortal returned, he flew into a rage. In his fury, he plucked out one Head Feather from the top of the Elixir Fire Phoenix’s head and banished it down to the mortal world.
The Fang Immortal further declared that unless the Elixir Fire Phoenix and its descendants could one day regrow a Phoenix Head Feather, they would never be able to regain their status as Divine Beasts for the rest of their lives.
After being banished, the Elixir Fire Phoenix came to the Ancient Nine Provinces. Seeing that the area around Jiunie Mountain was rich in Fire Spirits, it chose this place as a home for itself and its descendants.
Because the area was shrouded in Phoenix Auspicious Breath, the surrounding spirit birds also came flocking in a scene of Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, gathering one after another in Jiunie Mountain.
Year after year, that Phoenix which had had its Head Feather plucked had long since fallen. Before its fall, it left behind its dying wish, instructing its descendants to find a way to break through and Ascend, to regrow their Head Feathers and return to the Divine Realm.
Thus, the Phoenixes of its bloodline never forgot their ancestor’s wish. For a thousand years, every Clan Leader, once they reached their Peak, would undergo trials and tribulations, attempting Ascension.
But during the tribulations, perils were everywhere, and they needed a sufficient amount of Water Bright Stones to break through and Ascend.
If they were even slightly careless, the Old Clan Leader could fall during the tribulation. Among the previous generations of Clan Leaders, countless Clan Leaders had failed their Ascension and perished in Jiunie Mountain.
That was why the Old Clan Leader proposed collecting Water Bright Stones: on one hand to increase his chances of surviving the Heavenly Tribulation, and on the other hand to test the abilities of his children.
No one expected that this unintentional act by the Old Clan Leader would cause such a great uproar. If Ye Lingyue and the others had not happened to be in Ah County, Rui might have committed an unforgivable mistake this time.
"Little Wuya, don’t blame your grandfather. He has always carried the mission of reviving the Elixir Fire Phoenix bloodline on his shoulders."
The Fire Phoenix sighed with emotion.
The Fire Phoenix had once not wanted to shoulder this mission left behind by their ancestors, and that was why he had been unwilling to vie for the position of Clan Leader.
Later, it was only to fulfill his beloved wife’s wish that he went against his own heart and competed with his third brother.
"Father, how could I blame Grandpa? He’s also trapped by circumstances. It’s just, why doesn’t Grandpa oppose Rui marrying me? After everything that’s happened, how can he still not see Rui’s true character? He’s a monstrous villain, guilty of every crime under heaven."
Little Wuya felt sick the moment she mentioned Rui.
Leaving aside the fact that she already had Little Zhiyo, even if she didn’t have someone in her heart, she would never look twice at a scoundrel like Rui.
"Sigh, this matter has to be explained from the perspective of the Phoenix Clan’s bloodline. Because we possess the bloodline of Divine Beasts, the Phoenix Clan’s fertility has always been very low."
The Fire Phoenix pondered. He himself felt great aversion toward Rui, but the reality was that if they couldn’t think of another solution, Little Wuya really might have to marry that brat Rui.