Phoenix Clan Nirvana Brings "Surprise"

The Immortal Volcano in the south, as its name implied, was a scorching mountain range perpetually ablaze with undying flames. Fire spiritual energy here was so active it was nearly violent, making it the ancestral dwelling place of the Phoenix Clan. Ordinary living beings would be reduced to ashes in an instant upon approaching; only those possessing fire-element divine abilities or fire-warding treasures could gain a foothold here.

Riding his escaping light, Xuan Wazi sensed the oncoming heat wave from afar. Looking out, the horizon was crimson-red, countless volcanic craters spewed thick smoke and blazing flames, rivers of scorching lava flowed across the earth, and the air was filled with a mingled scent of sulfur and pure fire spiritual energy.

"What a sacred land of fire!" Xuan Wazi praised. His Primordial Dao Body was impervious to all laws, and this heat felt like a spring breeze against his face. He put on the Heavenly Secret Concealment Mask again, this time transforming into a Daoist clad in crimson robes, with several flame-like markings between his brows. He simulated the aura of a mid-stage Profound Immortal and mingled among cultivators who had come to the outskirts of the Immortal Volcano to absorb pure fire spiritual energy or search for fire-element spiritual materials.

The Phoenix Clan was somewhat more exclusionary than the Kirin Tribe, but it was not completely closed off. As long as no one trespassed into the core regions and merely remained active around the outskirts, they generally would not interfere much.

While pretending to gather low-grade fire crystals, Xuan Wazi quietly extended his divine sense and observed the Phoenix Clan's patterns of activity. Soon, he noticed something interesting: deep within the Immortal Volcano, above an enormous parasol tree forest shrouded in seven-colored radiance, phoenixes would occasionally circle through the sky. Their expressions were solemn, as if they were preparing for some important ritual.

"Oh? Something's happening?" Xuan Wazi's curiosity was instantly piqued. Carefully avoiding several patrols of Phoenix Clan guards, he relied on the mask and the Stealth and Concealment divine ability to silently infiltrate the outskirts of that parasol tree forest.

Hiding behind an enormous parasol tree burning with golden flames, Xuan Wazi clearly saw the scene within the forest. In an open clearing stood a massive Seven-Colored Altar. At its center lay countless precious fire-element spiritual materials, such as Southern Bright Fire Jade, Leaving Fire Fine Gold, and Sun Stone, all emanating vast energy fluctuations. Three powerful Phoenix Clan elders, each at least at the Golden Immortal level, stood around the altar and solemnly chanted ancient incantations.

Hovering directly above the altar was a gigantic egg as large as a millstone, entirely crimson-red and covered in streams of golden patterns. The enormous egg radiated rich life force and powerful fire fluctuations. It was clearly no ordinary object.

"Are they conducting a nirvana ritual? Or hatching some important Phoenix Clan descendant?" Xuan Wazi guessed. Either way, judging from this spectacle, it was of critical importance to the Phoenix Clan.

"At such an important moment, if things went too smoothly, wouldn't it make the Primordial World seem devoid of people?" Xuan Wazi's mischievous heart began stirring again. "How about giving them a big gift to celebrate?"

He carefully observed the altar's arrangement and the three elders' casting process. The ritual seemed to be gathering the world's supreme yang fire and life essence, then injecting them 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, and a wicked smile curled across his lips. He did not need to destroy the ritual. That would be far too crude and could easily make mortal enemies. He only needed to... add the slightest variable during the energy transfer.

Holding his breath, he suppressed his own mana fluctuations to their lowest point while drawing upon a trace of his understanding of the mutual restraint between water and fire—gained from observing the Dragon Clan earlier and from his own insights. He was not going to introduce water-element power to extinguish the flames. That would be too obvious. He merely, with extreme subtlety, mixed a tiny trace of the opposing aura of Taiyin Cold Marrow into the gathered stream of supreme yang fire energy.

This trace of Taiyin Cold Marrow aura was not a true attack. It was so faint as to be almost negligible, and it was even harmless to the giant egg itself. Yet it was like dropping a bead of ice water into a pot of boiling oil. Though little in quantity, it was enough to trigger an intense... reaction.

The three Phoenix Clan elders focused completely as they cautiously guided the vast gathered energy toward the giant egg above the altar. Everything appeared to be proceeding smoothly. The golden patterns on the egg's surface grew brighter and brighter, while its life fluctuations became increasingly powerful.

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

"Buzz—!"

The giant egg suddenly trembled! The crimson fire energy it had been steadily absorbing abruptly became restless. Instead of glowing evenly, the egg's shell flickered erratically between light and dark, as though the energy inside had lost balance and was clashing violently against itself!

"What happened?!" The Late Golden Immortal Phoenix Elder at the lead suddenly changed expression. She could sense that the energy being injected had somehow been disrupted by an unknown interference and was no longer pure.

"The energy is unstable! Stabilize it, quickly!" another elder shouted urgently. The three hurriedly increased their mana output, attempting to forcibly calm the turbulent energy.

However, though the trace of Taiyin Cold Marrow aura Xuan Wazi had mixed in was weak, it produced a wondrous catalytic effect under the stimulation of the supreme yang fire. It did not extinguish the flames. Instead, it was as if it had given the flames a stimulant, turning what should have been a gentle hatching process into something... far too intense.

"Crack... crack..."

That faint cracking sound made the hearts of the three elders leap into their throats. A tiny crack had appeared at the top of the giant egg!

"Not good!" The three elders were terrified out of their wits. If the hatching failed, or if anything happened to the little one inside, even dying ten thousand times would not absolve them of blame!

At that extraordinarily tense moment, Xuan Wazi felt the time had come for this "reclusive expert" to make his appearance—and flee. He altered his voice again, this time imitating an ancient, weathered Dao voice that seemed to originate from the dawn of chaos, carrying a hint of teasing:

"Supreme yang cannot stand alone; lone yang cannot endure. Only with a touch of taiyin enlightenment can the mystery of creation be revealed. Little Phoenix, your tribulation is also your destined opportunity. Only by breaking and then rebuilding can you attain the true meaning."

The voice seemed to come from the depths of volcanic magma, carrying a scorching yet ancient aura that was impossible to fathom.

The three elders were both shocked and enraged upon hearing it, but they had no time to search for the troublemaker. All their attention was focused on stabilizing the giant egg. Yet the words "break and then rebuild" stirred something within them.

Just then, with a soft boom, not an explosion but a sudden widening of the crack at the top of the giant egg, a beam of blazing white light tinged with faint deep blue shot into the sky! Immediately afterward, an even more powerful and purer fire aura than expected erupted!

Under the dumbfounded gazes of the three elders, a Little Phoenix nearly twice the size of an ordinary phoenix chick stumbled out from the shattered eggshell. Her feathers bore strange patterns interwoven with crimson-red and pale blue, while more spirited flames burned in her eyes. She let out a clear, vibrant cry!

She had successfully hatched! And she seemed to be... exceptionally gifted? Those crimson-red and pale blue interwoven feathers clearly bore the characteristics of containing both supreme yang and a trace of taiyin power! This was almost unheard of in the history of the Phoenix Clan!

The three elders looked at one another, seeing shock, lingering fear, and a trace of... unbelievable delight in each other's eyes.

"Just who... was that exalted being?" one elder muttered.

"His words seemed to carry some deeper meaning... Could this truly have been both a tribulation and a destined opportunity?" Another elder stared at the unusual Little Phoenix and sank into thought.

As for Xuan Wazi, the culprit, after leaving behind that mysterious and pretentious remark, had long since fled beyond the Immortal Volcano using the Earth Traveling Technique and spatial escape arts. He ran faster than a rabbit chased by a dog.

"Hehe, a little surprise. I hope they like it." Xuan Wazi returned to his original appearance and patted his spotless Daoist robe, a satisfied grin spreading across his face after his prank succeeded. He could practically imagine the conflicted, shocked, yet helplessly accepting expressions of those proud phoenixes as they faced that "mutated" Little Phoenix.

[ Ding! Detected that the host successfully pranked a core Phoenix Clan ritual, causing the Phoenix Clan higher-ups intense shock, lingering fear, and philosophical reflection. This deeply conforms to the behavior of Not Being a Person. Reward: Phoenix Nirvana Art (Pseudo) Experience Card ×1 (can simulate a nirvana aura once, for faking death and escaping), Innate Spirit Materials Southern Bright Leaving Fire Essence ×1. ]

"A Nirvana Art Experience Card? Good stuff! It can save my life at a critical moment!" Xuan Wazi was extremely satisfied with this reward. "Southern Bright Leaving Fire Essence is also excellent for artifact refinement and formation setups."

By now, he had "visited" the Dragon Clan, Kirin Tribe, and Phoenix Clan in different ways, leaving behind the legend—or rather, infamy—of "Xuan Wazi."

Just as he was feeling pleased with himself and preparing to find a place to inventory his gains and digest the insights from this journey, the system notification sounded in his mind again. This time, however, it carried an unusual gravity.

[ Ding! Detected that the host has gained a preliminary familiarity with the Primordial World environment and successfully created friction and suspicion among the Three Clans, fulfilling the conditions to trigger a main quest. ]

[ Main Quest Issued: Son of Not Being a Person ]

[ Quest Details: Move among the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Kirin Tribe. Use transformation, sowing discord, fishing in troubled waters, and other methods to intensify the conflicts between the Three Clans, while taking advantage of the chaos to loot spiritual treasures and supreme treasures left behind by the great war. Prank members of the Three Clans and provoke their angry curses. The more people curse and the harsher their words, the richer the rewards. ]

[ Maximum Quest Reward: Chaos Bead ×1, Thirty-Six-Grade Creation Green Lotus ×1, Ancestral Dragon, Yuanfeng, and First Kirin Blood Essence ×5 each, cultivation raised to Great Perfection of Grand Unity Golden Immortal. ]

[ Hint: The calamity is about to rise, and Malevolent Energy is spreading everywhere. Host, grasp the proper measure of Not Being a Person and profit from the calamity. ]

Xuan Wazi looked at the quest list and its lavish rewards, enough to drive any Primordial Great Power mad. In particular, the Chaos Bead and the Thirty-Six-Grade Creation Green Lotus made his breathing quicken.

"The Chaos Bead... contains a chaos world within, can conceal heavenly secrets, and exists independently! The Creation Green Lotus... the progenitor of Primordial World supreme treasures!" Excitement gleamed in his eyes. "I'm doing it! Isn't it just sowing discord and fishing in troubled waters? This is Xuan Wazi's old trade!"

He looked toward the increasingly restless heavens and earth of the Primordial World, unsettled by the friction among the Three Clans, and a heroic urge to stir up the winds and clouds—an impulse to cause trouble—rose within him.

"The Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation? Let this Daoist add more fuel to the fire and make the flames of this calamity burn even hotter!"