The Phoenix Clan's Nirvana Encountered a "Surprise"

In the south, the Immortal Volcano was exactly as its name suggested—a blazing mountain range where unquenchable flames burned year-round. Fire-attuned spiritual energy surged here with near-violent intensity, making it the ancestral home of the Phoenix Clan. Any ordinary creature that drew near would be reduced to ashes in an instant; only those with fire-based divine abilities or rare flame-repelling treasures could set foot here.

Xuan Wazi rode his flying light from afar, already feeling the wave of heat bearing down on him. Gazing into the distance, the sky was a sea of crimson. Countless volcanic craters spewed thick smoke and raging flames, rivers of molten lava flowed across the earth, and the air was thick with a blend of sulfur and pure fire-attuned spiritual energy.

"What a sacred land of fire!" Xuan Wazi exclaimed in admiration. His Primordial Dao Body rendered him immune to all laws, so this heat was no more than a spring breeze against his skin. He donned the [Heavenly Secret Concealment Mask] once more, this time transforming into a Daoist in a crimson robe, with faint flame patterns etched between his brows. He suppressed his aura to the mid-Profound Immortal level, blending in among the cultivators who had come to the outer reaches of the Immortal Volcano to absorb pure fire-attuned spiritual energy or seek out fire-type spirit materials.

The Phoenix Clan was more reclusive than the Kirin Tribe, but not entirely closed off. As long as one didn't trespass into the core territory, they generally wouldn't interfere with activities on the periphery.

Pretending to gather some low-grade fire crystals, Xuan Wazi quietly extended his divine sense, observing the Phoenix Clan's patterns of activity. Soon, he noticed an intriguing phenomenon: deep within the Immortal Volcano, above a vast grove of parasol trees shrouded in seven-colored radiance, phoenixes circled from time to time. Their expressions were solemn, as if preparing for some important ritual.

"Oh? Something's happening?" Curiosity piqued, Xuan Wazi carefully avoided several patrols of Phoenix guards and, aided by the mask and his Stealth and Concealment divine ability, silently infiltrated the outskirts of the parasol grove.

Hiding behind a massive parasol tree ablaze with golden flames, Xuan Wazi took in the scene within the grove. On an open expanse of ground stood a huge Seven-Colored Altar. At its center was piled an enormous collection of precious fire-type spirit materials—Southern Bright Fire Jade, Leaving Fire Fine Gold, Sun Stones, and more—radiating waves of immense energy. Three Phoenix Elders, each at least at the Golden Immortal level, circled the altar with solemn expressions, chanting ancient incantations.

And suspended directly above the altar was a massive egg, the size of a millstone, entirely crimson, with golden patterns flowing across its surface! It exuded a dense life force and powerful flame fluctuations, clearly no ordinary object.

"Are they performing a Nirvana ritual? Or hatching some important Phoenix descendant?" Xuan Wazi speculated. Either way, given the scale, it was clearly of utmost importance to the Phoenix Clan.

"At such a critical moment, if everything went smoothly, wouldn't that make me look like no one in the Primordial World?" That mischievous heart of Xuan Wazi's began to stir again. "Time to send them a 'big gift' to celebrate!"

He carefully observed the altar's arrangement and the three elders' casting process. The ritual seemed to involve gathering the world's ultimate yang fire and life essence, channeling it into the giant egg to help it complete its final transformation or hatching. The entire process required extremely precise energy control and a stable environment.

Xuan Wazi narrowed his eyes, a sly grin curling at the corner of his mouth. He didn't need to destroy the ritual—that would lack finesse and create a blood feud. He only needed to... add a tiny bit of "uncertainty" to the energy transmission.

Holding his breath and focusing his mind, he suppressed his own mana fluctuations to the minimum while drawing on his understanding of the interplay between water and fire (gained from observing the Dragon Clan and his own insights). He didn't introduce water-attuned energy to douse the flames—that would be too obvious. Instead, he subtly and imperceptibly infused a wisp of "Taiyin Cold Marrow" energy, opposite in nature, into the converging stream of ultimate yang fire.

This wisp of Taiyin Cold Marrow wasn't a real attack; it was so faint as to be nearly negligible and harmless to the giant egg itself. But it was like dropping a drop of ice water into a pot of boiling oil—a small amount, yet enough to trigger a violent... reaction.

The three Phoenix Elders focused intently, carefully guiding the gathered torrent of energy toward the giant egg above the altar. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. The golden patterns on the egg's surface grew brighter, and the life force fluctuations grew stronger.

Just as the energy infusion reached its peak and the egg was about to complete its final step—

"Wuum—!"

The giant egg shuddered violently! The crimson flame energy that had been steadily absorbed suddenly became turbulent and unstable. The eggshell no longer glowed evenly but flickered erratically, as if the energy inside had lost balance, clashing and colliding!

"What's going on?!" The leading Late Golden Immortal Phoenix Elder's face changed drastically. She sensed that the infused energy had been disturbed by some unknown factor, losing its purity.

"The energy is unstable! Stabilize it quickly!" another elder shouted urgently. The three of them poured in even more mana, trying to forcibly calm the raging energy.

But that wisp of Taiyin Cold Marrow that Xuan Wazi had introduced, though faint, was catalyzed by the ultimate yang fire into a strange effect. It didn't extinguish the flames; instead, it acted like an "excitant" for the fire, turning the originally gentle incubation process... overly intense.

"Crack... crack..."

A faint, brittle sound made the three elders' hearts leap into their throats. A tiny fissure had appeared at the top of the giant egg!

"No!" The three elders were terrified. If the hatching failed, or if the little one inside had problems, they would never be able to atone for it!

At this tense moment, Xuan Wazi felt the time was right for him, the "reclusive master," to make his entrance (and exit). He changed his voice again, this time mimicking an ancient, weathered Dao tone, as if originating from the dawn of chaos, laced with a hint of mockery:

"Ultimate yang is not solitary; solitary yang does not grow. A touch of Taiyin's guidance reveals the mystery of creation. Little Phoenix, your tribulation is also your fate. Break and then stand, and you shall grasp the true essence."

The voice seemed to come from deep within the volcanic magma, carrying a scorching, ancient aura that was hard to pinpoint.

The three elders were both startled and angered by the words, but at this moment, they had no time to seek out the troublemaker. All their focus was on stabilizing the giant egg. Yet the words "break and then stand" stirred a faint thought in their minds.

Just then, with a soft "boom"—not an explosion—the crack at the top of the egg suddenly widened. A beam of blazing white light tinged with a hint of deep blue shot up from the fissure! Then, a burst of flame energy far stronger and purer than expected erupted!

Under the stunned gazes of the three elders, a little phoenix emerged, staggering, from the shattered shell. It was nearly twice the size of an ordinary Phoenix hatchling, its feathers bearing strange patterns of crimson and pale blue interwoven, and its eyes burned with even more lively flames. It let out a clear, vibrant cry!

It had successfully hatched! And... it seemed exceptionally gifted? Those crimson and pale blue feathers clearly indicated the simultaneous presence of ultimate yang and a trace of Taiyin energy—something almost unheard of in Phoenix Clan history!

The three elders exchanged glances, seeing shock, lingering fear, and a trace of... incredulous delight in each other's eyes?

"Who... was that just now?" one elder murmured.

"His words seemed to have meaning... Could this truly be both tribulation and fate?" another elder mused, staring at the extraordinary little phoenix.

As for the instigator, Xuan Wazi, after leaving that cryptic remark, had long since slipped out of the Immortal Volcano's range using his Earth Traveling Technique and spatial escape arts, fleeing faster than a rabbit chased by a dog.

"Heh heh, a little 'surprise.' Hope they like it." Xuan Wazi reverted to his original appearance, brushed off his dust-free Daoist robe, and wore a gleeful grin of a prank well pulled. He could almost picture those proud phoenixes, staring at that "mutant" little phoenix, their expressions caught between frustration, shock, and reluctant acceptance.

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully pranked the Phoenix Clan's core ritual, causing intense shock, lingering fear, and philosophical reflection among the Phoenix Clan's high ranks, deeply aligning with "Not Being a Person" behavior. Reward: Divine ability 'Phoenix Nirvana Art' (Fake) Experience Card ×1 (can simulate one Nirvana aura for feigning death and escape), Innate Spirit Material 'Southern Bright Leaving Fire Essence' ×1.]

"A Nirvana Art experience card? Great stuff! A lifesaver in a pinch!" Xuan Wazi was very satisfied with this reward. "The Southern Bright Leaving Fire Essence is also excellent for refining artifacts and setting up formations."

Thus, he had "visited" the Dragon, Kirin, and Phoenix Clans in different ways, leaving behind the legend (or infamy) of "Xuan Wazi."

Just as he was feeling smug and planning to find a place to tally his gains and digest the insights from this journey, the system's prompt sounded in his mind again—but this time, with an unusual gravity.

[Ding! Detected that the host has preliminarily familiarized himself with the Primordial World environment and successfully created friction and suspicion among the Three Clans, meeting the trigger conditions for the main quest.]

[Main Quest Released: Not Being a Person's Child]

[Quest Content: Move among the Dragon, Phoenix, and Kirin Clans, using transformation, instigation, and fishing in troubled waters to escalate the Three Clans' conflict. Seize spirit treasures and supreme treasures left behind in the chaos of battle. Prank members of the Three Clans, inciting their curses. The more who curse and the fiercer the words, the greater the rewards.]

[Highest Quest Rewards: Chaos Bead ×1, Thirty-Six-Grade Creation Green Lotus ×1, Ancestral Dragon, Primordial Phoenix, and First Kirin Blood Essence ×5 each, realm advancement to Great Perfection of Grand Unity Golden Immortal.]

[Tip: The great tribulation is about to arise, and Sha Qi will spread. Please maintain the proper measure of "Not Being a Person" and reap benefits amidst the calamity.]

Xuan Wazi stared at the quest list. The rewards were so generous they would drive any Primordial Great Power mad—especially the Chaos Bead and the Thirty-Six-Grade Creation Green Lotus. His breathing quickened.

"Chaos Bead... containing a chaotic world within, capable of concealing heavenly secrets and forming a self-contained realm! The Creation Green Lotus... the ancestor of all Primordial treasures!" His eyes gleamed with excitement. "Let's do it! Isn't it just sowing discord and fishing in troubled waters? That's my old specialty!"

He gazed at the Primordial world, now growing turbulent from the friction among the Three Clans, and a surge of heroic ambition (or the urge to stir up trouble) welled up within him.

"The Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation? Let me, this poor Daoist, add some fuel to the fire and make this blaze of calamity burn even brighter!"