Nuwa had made up her mind, and Fuxi could not change it.
Yuanfeng sat cross-legged atop the clouds, watching over all of Phoenix Perch Mountain while grooming Bai Chen's fur.
Bai Chen lay quietly and obediently on her lap, sleeping and making "purr, purr" sounds.
"Little White, I'm about to suppress South Bright Undying Volcano. Honestly, I really want to take you along so I'll have some company to relieve my boredom!"
With no outsiders around, Yuanfeng spoke her true feelings.
Yuanfeng thought the nickname Nuwa had given Bai Chen was quite nice, so she followed Nuwa's example and called Bai Chen Little White.
"Huh!"
When Bai Chen heard that, he jumped up in fright, his fur standing on end:
"Yuanfeng, I treated you as a close friend, yet you actually want to take me along to serve a prison sentence!"
South Bright Undying Volcano and the Infinite Sea Eye were two prisons.
One required enduring the torment of being burned by earthly fire for all eternity, while the other required enduring the corrosion of icy darkness forever.
Bai Chen figured that if Yuanfeng took him to South Bright Undying Volcano, then even with Great God Bai Chen's considerable cultivation, he probably would never escape that place.
The more Bai Chen thought about it, the more frightened he became. He had already begun retreating and putting some distance between himself and Yuanfeng, preparing to run.
He had even been thinking about how to rescue Yuanfeng from prison in the future, yet she was actually plotting to harm Great God Bai Chen. That was too much!
"Little White, I was only scaring you!"
Seeing Little White's expression, Yuanfeng covered her mouth and laughed.
This fat cat had only grown in flesh, not in courage!
"Phew!"
Seeing that, Bai Chen could not help sighing in relief. Fortunately, Yuanfeng had only been trying to scare him.
After some time had passed, Yuanfeng suddenly picked Bai Chen up and looked him straight in the eyes:
"Little White, you foresaw the Phoenix Clan's situation today long ago, which was why you advised me not to contend for supremacy in the Primordial World, right?"
"If I had listened to your advice, I wouldn't have ended up in this state today."
"I regret it so much!"
During this period, Yuanfeng had thought through many things.
Today, she was about to leave Phoenix Perch Mountain, so she spoke the words in her heart.
"Yuanfeng, you can't be blamed for everything. You were the one destined to face the tribulation, and your mind was affected by Calamity Qi. It was very difficult to escape the Tribulation."
"Although all living beings outside say it was your fault, you were a qualified clan leader. You have nothing to be ashamed of before the Phoenix Clan."
Bai Chen did not answer Yuanfeng's question directly. Instead, he comforted her.
From other people's perspective, Yuanfeng had been wrong. But from Yuanfeng and the Phoenix Clan's perspective, she actually had not been wrong.
If Yuanfeng truly had been at fault, then her only mistake was being the loser.
Losers had no right to decide what was right or wrong!
"Yuanfeng, go in peace. With Great God Bai Chen and Nuwa here, the Phoenix Clan won't be bullied by anyone else."
Bai Chen knew Yuanfeng was about to leave, so he comforted her again, hoping to put her mind at ease.
"Little White, Nuwa can prove the Dao, can't she?"
Yuanfeng voiced the other question in her heart as well.
"Huh?"
"Yuanfeng, how did you know?"
Bai Chen was greatly startled. By all rights, Yuanfeng should not have known about this.
With Yuanfeng's Half-step Dao Proving cultivation, she could comprehend some of the Great Dao's Destiny.
But Nuwa's destiny was to become a Heavenly Dao Saint. At the very least, one had to possess cultivation at the level of proving the Primordial Unity Dao to comprehend this matter!
No!
Bai Chen quickly realized what had happened. Yuanfeng had been fishing for information.
They were clearly close friends, yet she had tricked Great God Bai Chen into revealing the truth.
Great God Bai Chen had guarded against every possibility, yet through a moment of carelessness, he had fallen into Yuanfeng's hands.
Yuanfeng had actually taken advantage of his trust in her to trick him into speaking.
How hateful!
"Little White, as expected, you already knew that Nuwa could prove the Dao. That's why you chose to leave me and choose Nuwa."
After tricking the information out of Bai Chen, Yuanfeng finally understood.
She now understood why that fat cat Bai Chen had abandoned her, his great backer, and thrown himself in with Nuwa, whose strength was inferior to hers.
As for how Bai Chen knew these things, Yuanfeng did not press him. After all, everyone had secrets unknown to others.
Besides, Bai Chen had always been somewhat mysterious in Yuanfeng's eyes.
For example, Bai Chen possessed the strength of a High-level Golden Immortal, yet he could not transform into an Innate Dao Body.
"Yuanfeng, since you've guessed it, you should be able to rest easy about the Phoenix Clan now, right?"
Since the matter had been exposed, Bai Chen stopped pretending.
He believed that once Yuanfeng knew Nuwa could prove the Dao, she would no longer worry about the Phoenix Clan and could focus on reforming herself.
"Little White, your cultivation isn't high, so I've decided to grant you a fortune."
Bai Chen's cultivation was not high. Among Innate Divine Beasts, he could only be considered middle to lower tier.
Although Yuanfeng knew that Nuwa could prove the Dao, she still worried that Bai Chen would lack the power to protect himself in the Primordial World.
A flame flew out from between Yuanfeng's brows and entered Bai Chen's forehead, forming a phoenix mark.
Although Yuanfeng was leaving, she wanted to stamp Bai Chen with her mark and tell everyone that Bai Chen was the cat she, Yuanfeng, had raised.
"Little White, this is my Nirvana Phoenix Flame. When you encounter danger, you can use it to kill your enemies.
"If your injuries are too severe, it can also preserve your life and help you undergo nirvanic rebirth."
Yuanfeng had not merely stamped Bai Chen with a mark. She had bestowed one of her divine abilities and Dao arts upon him.
The Phoenix Clan's ability to dominate one region was closely related to its Innate Divine Ability, Nirvana Phoenix Flame.
Now that Yuanfeng had given this divine ability to Bai Chen, she believed that even without relying on anyone else's protection, Bai Chen would possess some ability to protect himself in the Primordial World.
After Yuanfeng finished everything, she prayed toward the heavens:
"Great Dao above, I, Yuanfeng, clan leader of the Phoenix Clan, led the Phoenix Clan to contend for supremacy in the Primordial World out of my own greed, slaughtering countless beings!
"I, Yuanfeng, am willing to suppress South Bright Undying Volcano forever with my sinful body and protect the peace of the Primordial World. I only ask that the Great Dao grant my Phoenix Clan a sliver of life."
Yuanfeng's prayer moved the Great Dao, which responded:
"Granted!"
Immediately afterward, the Great Dao bestowed some merit, cutting away most of the Phoenix Clan's karmic burdens and sins. The Phoenix Clan's chance of survival was secured.
After receiving the Great Dao's approval, Yuanfeng glanced at the Phoenix Clan and Bai Chen on Phoenix Perch Mountain.
She then transformed into her true form and left Phoenix Perch Mountain without looking back, flying toward South Bright Undying Volcano to suppress it with her own body!
"We respectfully see off our clan leader!"
The members of the Phoenix Clan knelt to see Yuanfeng off, remaining there for a long time.
Yuanfeng was the Phoenix Clan's clan leader, as well as its backbone.
Now that the Phoenix Clan had lost Yuanfeng, it had lost its backbone. Thus, every member of the Phoenix Clan was filled with immense grief.
"Yuanfeng, as Great God Bai Chen's first friend, I absolutely won't let you remain suppressed in South Bright Undying Volcano forever."
"When the time is right, I'll find a scapegoat to replace you in suppressing South Bright Undying Volcano and let you out."
Bai Chen gazed toward South Bright Undying Volcano and muttered to himself.
What a joke. Great God Bai Chen was a loyal and affectionate good beast.
How could he stand by and watch Yuanfeng suffer the torment of earthly fire forever in South Bright Undying Volcano?
It was just that the Great Dao was currently in control of the Primordial World, while the Heavenly Dao had yet to awaken. Bai Chen had no way to save Yuanfeng for now.
Besides, the scapegoat Bai Chen had chosen had not grown up yet.
"The Three-legged Golden Crow and phoenixes are both Flying Birds, and they're highly resistant to fire. They should be able to withstand the burning of South Bright Undying Volcano, right?"
Bai Chen raised his head and looked toward the Sun Star. The scapegoat he had chosen for Yuanfeng was there on the Sun Star.
Once the Saints took their places and the scapegoat grew up, that would be the day Great God Bai Chen rescued Yuanfeng from prison.
As for how the scapegoat felt, what did that have to do with Great God Bai Chen?
Within a palace on the Sun Star, a burly and handsome man who was cultivating suddenly shuddered.
"Taiyi, what's wrong?"
The man beside him hurriedly asked when he saw this.
Their brothers were Innate Divine Beasts—the Three-legged Golden Crows born from the essence of the sun. It was impossible for them to shudder for no reason.
"Brother, I'm fine!"
Although Eastern Emperor Taiyi had a bad feeling in his heart, he did not want his elder brother Di Jun to worry, so he pretended that nothing was wrong.
In the ancestral land of the Dragon Clan within East Sea Dragon Palace, a slumbering giant dragon heard Yuanfeng's Great Dao Oath and opened its eyes:
"Yuanfeng, is this your choice?"
Before you continue