First Meeting with Primal Phoenix

This was the Southern Li Divine Fire, wasn't it? And Southern Li Divine Fire suppressed by Primal Phoenix at that. It truly was incomparably overbearing. Her masters had reacted quite quickly too—not even their clothes had been burned.

Though it would have been nice if they had been burned~~

"..."

Of course, their clothes had not been burned because Zhou Qingqing had warned them in time.

But why did it sound as though their disciple actually wished their clothes had been burned? They truly did not understand.

The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances, unable to comprehend the latter half of Zhou Qingqing's thoughts.

"Now that we have arrived at the former ancestral grounds of the Phoenix Clan, let us first search for the target we seek."

Jade Pure Yuanshi and Upper Pure Tongtian nodded in agreement. At once, they gathered their divine senses and spread them in separate directions.

The Three Pure Ones extended their divine senses according to the Three Talents. In theory, they could cover the entire Undying Fire Mountain range.

This included, but was not limited to, Phoenix-Luan Hall, Court of the Phoenix, and the Divine Parasol Tree.

Every place where Primal Phoenix might possibly be staying was swept by their divine senses.

Yet after making a full circuit, they did not find even a single feather anywhere their divine senses reached.

By "feather," they naturally meant phoenix feathers. Those palaces had long since become crumbling ruins, and not even the Divine Parasol Tree showed any trace of living life.

Phoenixes do not roost except in parasol trees, eat nothing but bamboo fruit, or drink anything but sweet springs.

They did not overlook any place containing these three treasures either, yet still found nothing at all.

The Three Pure Ones remained silent for a long while.

Upper Pure Tongtian raised his sword-like brows slightly. "Primal Phoenix was an overlord of the previous Calamity. Her cultivation exceeds ours. If she is determined to conceal her aura, I fear it will be difficult for us to find her."

"First Qilin died and transformed into Qilin Cliff, and we nearly failed to discover it. Primal Phoenix has not perished, and she has many spiritual treasures to conceal her aura. Discovering her will be exceedingly difficult."

Jade Pure Yuanshi picked up the thread and spoke slowly.

Supreme Pure Laozi frowned slightly.

He had just secretly performed a heavenly calculation, but all he sensed was blankness. He could calculate nothing whatsoever.

Just as he was about to tell his two younger brothers about this, Zhou Qingqing's thoughts came again.

What's so difficult about it? You masters simply searched in the wrong direction.

Primal Phoenix's entire Phoenix Clan has been wiped out. Why would she have any interest in concealing her aura or obscuring heavenly secrets? Clearly, the southern Undying Fire Mountain range naturally has the effect of blocking them.

Oh, my masters, Primal Phoenix must be within the lava of the Undying Fire Mountain range...

Supreme Pure Laozi swiftly glanced at his two brothers and spoke with a solemn expression.

"I have already performed a calculation, yet I could calculate nothing. This result should be related to the southern Undying Fire Mountain itself. Let us head into the depths of the volcanoes. We should be able to catch some clues there."

Ah, it still had to rely on Eldest Master's calculations. The other two masters did not seem very clever.

"..."

Jade Pure Yuanshi and Upper Pure Tongtian revealed helpless expressions.

The image of their eldest brother as someone who calculated everything without omission had become too deeply ingrained in Zhou Qingqing's heart. It could no longer be changed.

The impression that their calculations were inferior to their eldest brother's had also become fixed.

To overturn it... well, it was just a tiny bit difficult.

The Three Pure Ones used their magical power to tunnel underground, finally arriving deep beneath the volcanoes, where the terrain was even more tangled and complex.

The flames here were far more formidable than those on the surface. The surging lava seemed capable of incinerating all things, stirring the soul with terror.

Ordinarily, no Zenith Heaven immortal would casually come underground just to stare at lava.

Yet once they reached the depths,

the Three Pure Ones' brows relaxed.

The seemingly tangled streams of lava all appeared to converge toward one place in the end. Even though their divine senses were obstructed here,

they knew that the center where the lava gathered was likely where Primal Phoenix was.

Were they finally going to meet Primal Phoenix?

Zhou Qingqing was thrilled.

Every famous female immortal in the Primordial World had her own distinct traits.

She was also extremely curious what Primal Phoenix, the former overlord of the Primordial World, looked like.

"Who dares disturb my cultivation!"

The closer they drew to the three masters, the more they could sense an overwhelming aura. When the Three Pure Ones reached the center of the lava,

a clear, bright voice suddenly rang out from the depths of the lava lake.

Heavenly music—this was heavenly music! The cry of a phoenix truly was one of the most beautiful sounds in the Primordial World.

If those singers heard Primal Phoenix's voice, they would probably lower their heads in shame one by one~

Naturally,

the emergence of that voice was accompanied by an even more astonishing transformation.

Before Zhou Qingqing's eyes, the violent lava that had gathered there became utterly docile. Drawn by supreme magical power, it turned into the most beautiful silk in the blink of an eye.

The silk slowly drifted down from above, ultimately settling upon a beautiful figure.

The first thing Zhou Qingqing saw was a pair of phoenix eyes.

Who else could it be but the Primal Phoenix they had been seeking?

If Queen Mother of the West was a peak-tier fairy,

and Nuwa was an unparalleled holy mother,

then Primal Phoenix was an outstandingly valiant female cultivator, her lovely face carrying majesty and her bearing heroic and dashing.

The fire energy within the space coiled around her, taking the form of phoenixes.

This was true maternal majesty over all under heaven, and the aura of a true Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal who had contended for supremacy in the Primordial World. It was not something a mere pretender like Azure Dragon could compare to.

Zhou Qingqing sighed in admiration.

The Three Pure Ones, however, did not think as much as Zhou Qingqing did.

Having Azure Dragon's false Primordial Chaos aura as a prior example, they were no longer particularly impressed by Primal Phoenix's aura.

Moreover, they knew that Primal Phoenix was suppressing the Undying Fire Mountain. She could not wield much of the might of a Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal, so they had little to worry about.

Even if they could not defeat her, they could withdraw from the southern Undying Fire Mountain at any time.

Naturally,

their journey to the southern Undying Fire Mountain was unlike their trip to the Penglai gathering.

When they went to Penglai Island, they had responded to a provocation and intended to thoroughly slap their opponents in the face in accordance with their disciple's wishes.

This time, they had come to seek Primal Phoenix's help, so their attitude was naturally different.

"Greetings, Clan Chief Primal Phoenix."

"We are the Three Pure Ones of Eastern Kunlun. We have come to trouble you this time for no other reason than to seek the Southern Ground-Severing Flame Light Banner in your possession."

"As for the news of the Southern Ground-Severing Flame Light Banner, we learned it from Fellow Daoist Azure Dragon."

Facing Primal Phoenix, a Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal,

the Three Pure Ones showed her due respect and directly stated their purpose.

There was no need to conceal these matters. With a single calculation, Primal Phoenix would be able to learn the general circumstances.

Primal Phoenix inhaled lightly, smelling the scent of the flames in the air.

"The Southern Ground-Severing Flame Light Banner is indeed in my possession."

"However..."

Primal Phoenix paused and swept her gaze over the Three Pure Ones before her. "Why should I give you the spiritual treasure in my hand?"

Her words were incomparably domineering, as though there was nothing left in the Primordial World that she desired, exuding intense confidence.