What goes around comes around; Heaven's law never misses its mark.
In the previous ancient epoch, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans had been peerlessly powerful. They had been the hegemonic clans of the Primordial World, virtually invincible.
Unfortunately, because of the devastating cataclysm, they had lost that status.
The countless resource-producing industries they had once controlled had also been almost completely wiped out through bankruptcy and liquidation.
Losing their hegemonic status was one thing, but having no resources... that was what truly threatened their lives!
Indeed.
The Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan were the two great same-form clans of the strongest Innate Divine Beings, born with boundless potential.
As long as they survived their growth period and reached maturity, even the weakest among them could attain Golden Immortal cultivation.
That was an achievement that countless ordinary lifeforms could not even dream of after cultivating their entire lives.
But!
Their maturation period was simply far, far too long!
In truth, this was also a problem that many divine beasts and divine birds struggled with.
Their growth potential was high, but their growth period was long.
At times like this, countless resources were needed to shorten that period.
In the past, the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan had controlled most of the resource production throughout the Primordial World.
Even if a large portion had to be given to those allied Innate Divine Beings, the remainder—even if it was only a fraction—had been enough to leave them stuffed.
But now? They couldn't do that anymore.
They could only seek their own path, support themselves, and rely on their own abilities to trade with the Outside World, earning as many resources as possible to raise their young clansmen, who were crying out to be fed.
At first, working as laborers or appearing as mounts for Great Divine Ability Users had been perfectly normal.
The Great Divine Ability Users were quite pleased to have members of the hegemonic clans from the ancient epoch as mounts, and they paid generously.
—Of course they had to pay.
The top experts of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans had not all died. Even those who had lost their Great Luo cultivation might still have a chance to return in the future.
It was not worth offending those experts to death over a few little dragons or little phoenixes.
Not only did they have to provide a share of the resources to the higher-ups of both clans, but during the mount-rental period, they could not mistreat the mounts excessively. They also had to pay the mounts a salary.
There had once been a period when Dragon and Phoenix mounts were everywhere, almost becoming a symbol of Great Divine Ability Users.
But nowadays...
"This market is almost entirely monopolized by the Dragon Clan... The Phoenix Clan has practically withdrawn from it completely." Ancestral Witch Dijiang clicked his tongue in amazement. "It isn't because the Dragon Clan suppressed them, but because the Phoenix Lineage found a better way to make money."
"Under Fuxi's guidance, they changed their core industry... They withdrew from the previous simple, labor-intensive industry and replaced it with an industry that had greater technical content and a certain degree of irreplaceability."
"Changed industries?" Feng Xi's forehead seemed to sprout a string of question marks.
"Processing! Feather Robes!" Ancestral Witch Dijiang explained. "This is the new source of wealth opened up by the Phoenix Lineage."
"You know... The best herbs for alchemy come from the east, while the ores for artifact refining must be sought in the mineral veins of the west." Ancestral Witch Dijiang gave him a meaningful look. "Then, after gathering the materials for alchemy and artifact refining, what about the source of fire?"
"The five directions and five elements... The east is wood, the west is metal, the north is water, the south is fire, and the center is earth."
"So... the south is where the fire sources are of the highest quality!"
"Among them, the best is the Undying Fire Vein suppressed by the Phoenix Progenitor beneath Phoenix Perch Mountain!"
Feng Xi smacked his lips.
"Fuxi directed the Phoenix Lineage to make use of the fire vein suppressed by the Phoenix Progenitor. They also responded to the celestial stars above and conformed to the terrain below, artificially creating a Heaven and Earth Furnace capable of using creation itself as a craft."
"Even Great Luo experts refining pills or artifacts can receive some assistance... With such a blessed place in their hands, how could the Phoenix Lineage fail to rise again?"
"Not to mention that, relying on their racial talent of Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, they gathered countless divine birds throughout the world and found the Phoenix Clan another new source of wealth—shearing sheep!"
"No, it should be shearing birds... Every so often, the Phoenix Clan would mobilize as a whole and get to work."
"They ran all over Phoenix Perch Mountain, collecting the old feathers shed by divine birds and strange birds during molting, then weaving and refining them into Feather Robes for sale to the Outside World."
"Those Feather Robes were divided into thirty-six grades, enough to satisfy the needs of different groups of people."
Ancestral Witch Dijiang knew the Phoenix Lineage's business like the back of his hand. He could not have been more familiar with it, clearly having studied it in depth.
"Feather Robes are not only beautiful and attractive, but also practical... Collected from countless divine birds and then cleverly matched, they provide substantial boosts to both defense and flight."
"The processing and Feather Robe businesses made the Phoenix Lineage wealthy again, returning them to the days of the ancient epoch when they 'would not rest except on parasol trees, eat nothing except refined fruit, and drink nothing except sweet springs.'"
Ancestral Witch Dijiang's gaze was deep. "Why do you think the first place my Witch Clan is visiting was set here?"
"One of the deepest reasons is that we need their cooperation and support in these two industries!"
"We can borrow their furnaces to upgrade and replace our soldiers' weapons on a large scale."
"We can purchase their Feather Robes to add another layer of protection for the Witch Clan warriors on future battlefields and give them a little more hope of survival."
"Even if we cannot draw Fuxi and Nuwa onto the same side as us, we must at least conclude a business deal and obtain what we need at a price far more favorable than the market rate."
"Is that so?" Feng Xi's expression shifted, and he was utterly stunned. He had thought this was a simple diplomatic visit, yet behind it was actually an arms deal?
"Will it work?" he asked worriedly. "Will those two emperors of the Demon Clan agree to sell these things?"
Ancestral Witch Dijiang smiled mysteriously. "I have complete confidence."
"As for the integrity of arms dealers... you don't need to worry about that at all. They will never disappoint you."
"Besides, even if those two refuse publicly, those little phoenixes under them... There is nothing that cannot be negotiated."
The corner of Feng Xi's mouth twitched. He was speechless.
The Phoenixes seemed rather too worldly and money-minded, leaving him at a loss for words.
But when he thought about the Dragon Clan's current state, after once sharing glory with the Phoenix Clan... Well, perhaps the Phoenix Clan was enjoying itself.
What did integrity matter... compared to making a living?
Those virtuous phoenixes had long since been buried beneath the dust of time.
In the Primordial World, the weak were slaughtered, and the backward were beaten!
If you did not use every possible method to speed up the strengthening of yourself and your clansmen... perhaps tomorrow, your remains would be part of a pile of bones on the ground!
Against such a backdrop, things like integrity... could be moved aside for now.
Once peace ruled the world, they could be picked up again. Wipe them off, and they could still fight for another three thousand years!
Feng Xi was sighing over how difficult survival was in the Primordial World.
Suddenly, he heard Ancestral Witch Dijiang let out a soft exclamation. "Interesting."
"What is it?" Feng Xi asked, utterly confused.
"Nothing..." Ancestral Witch Dijiang smiled. "I was merely surprised. What an impressive display."
"Weren't you curious about the peak grandeur of Phoenix Perch Bird Scenery? Then you'd better watch carefully now..."
"The procession accompanying the Phoenix Progenitor in the past was the most splendid and magnificent, enough to shake the hearts of all who saw it!"
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