Nirvana Ritual

Tina was not angry. Everyone who came here and started researching would pick leaves and snap branches. She was already somewhat used to it.

Then the two witnessed a shocking sight.

All kinds of birds flew onto the island.

Tina was shocked that these birds could enter this place, immediately guessing it was because of that Nen Beast.

As for Lucky—

Looking at the countless birds—

A hundred birds paying homage to the Phoenix?

No, a Phoenix was not an Eastern phoenix. It did not have that kind of ability.

Lucky was equally puzzled by Phoenix's change.

As though affected by Phoenix's cries, the birds carried branches in their beaks and placed them all at the highest point of the Oak Tree, near its center.

They were building a nest.

Lucky and Tina immediately realized it.

Phoenix joined in as well. The other birds gathered materials from all over the Oasis, while Phoenix directly used branches from the Oak Tree.

"Could this Nen Beast have a will of its own and be beyond your control?" Tina quickly voiced her conclusion.

"Phoenix does indeed have its own consciousness."

"Could it be a Divine Bird?" Tina could not help shouting.

The Green Spirit Tribe's "myths" naturally included stories related to birds as well.

And the Phoenix itself was exceptionally magnificent. Before, because it was a Nen Beast, she had not considered that possibility.

But with this new development, Tina could not help making the connection.

It even further strengthened her belief that Lucky was a descendant of the Green Spirit Tribe.

Perhaps his bloodline had influenced him, giving him such a Nen Ability.

Tina dared to make that assumption because the way she had awakened her Nen was far from ordinary.

"Is it going to live here now?"

Its nest-building behavior was far too obvious.

But Phoenix was Lucky's Nen Beast. Even if it wanted to build a nest here, it could not possibly remain here forever, could it?

The two continued watching.

Soon, a bird's nest appeared in the Oak Tree.

The flock of birds dispersed.

The situation at the center of the lake had aroused the curiosity of many examinees. Some had already begun swimming toward the middle of the lake.

They wanted to find out what was inside the mist at its center.

Unfortunately, once they entered the mist, they could only swim around in circles before eventually emerging from it.

It was as though there was nothing there.

But the examiner and Candidate No. 1 had both vanished. How could there possibly be nothing inside the mist?

There had to be some secret they did not know about.

Only Wesley had guessed that Nen Ability was involved and made some connections.

Meanwhile, on the island, Lucky revealed an expression of surprise and delight.

As a Phoenix, Phoenix possessed the ability to control flames.

But to be called a Phoenix meant it had an undying ability, capable of nirvana and rebirth.

Yet all this time, Lucky had never considered or tested that ability.

After all, Phoenix was a Nen Beast. As long as Lucky was fine, it was inherently immortal.

There was no need to use any nirvana ability at all.

But now, Phoenix was telling him that it was preparing to undergo nirvana and be reborn.

Lucky did not know that in legends about Phoenixes, every five hundred years or so, a Phoenix would gather fragrant branches and grass leaves, pile them together, and set itself ablaze. From the ashes left behind, a reborn fledgling would emerge.

And Phoenix was not a purely Nen Beast. It could even be said that it was not a purely Fantastic Beast either.

After encountering the equally extraordinary Oak Tree, the two had produced a chemical reaction.

Phoenix intended to undergo nirvana. It would use its own power, while also borrowing the Oak Tree's aura.

After its nirvana and rebirth, Phoenix's abilities would be strengthened, and it would also give something back to Lucky.

As for exactly what would happen, they would have to wait until after the nirvana to find out.

"What is it?" Tina immediately asked when she noticed Lucky's change in expression.

"Phoenix is about to undergo nirvana," Lucky answered casually.

Then he focused on the changes in aura between Phoenix and the Oak Tree.

In Lucky's eyes, their auras had formed a connection.

And its core was that bird's nest.

Nirvana?

Tina did not understand.

But she quickly became worried, because flames rose from Phoenix's body before it shot straight toward the newly built nest.

The entire bird's nest caught fire along with it.

"This!" Tina could not help wanting to step forward and stop it.

At that moment—

The Oak Tree's leaves began fluttering without wind, and Tina sensed something as well.

She seemed to hear something. More accurately, she felt Lord God conveying a message to her: do not stop it.

Flames began burning on the Oak Tree as Phoenix continued crying out.

The fire remained confined to the nest and did not harm the Oak Tree in any way.

The sky slowly darkened.

By the lakeshore, the many examinees could see a glow emerging from the center of the lake.

Unfortunately, no matter how curious they were, they had no way of knowing what was happening.

They could only wait until they became Hunters themselves before returning to see what secrets this place held.

At the center of the island.

Lucky and Tina watched without blinking.

The cries had already disappeared, and the flames were no longer as large as they had been at first.

They were slowly shrinking, though no one knew how long it would take.

In Lucky's eyes, Phoenix's aura was weakening, and he could not even support it with his own aura.

But even though it had weakened, he could still sense a powerful force of life within it.

The Oak Tree's aura was also pouring into it.

The Oak Tree was actually beginning to "wither."

If the Oak Tree had not stopped her earlier, Tina would have already intervened.

But as the Oak Tree's strength weakened, every living thing in the Oasis began growing restless.

Even the mist at the center of the lake began to disperse.

Lucky and Tina immediately noticed the change.

Tina suddenly thought of something. "Oh no, Lord God's strength has weakened."

Lucky was initially puzzled. What was the problem?

But he quickly remembered that the reason this Oasis was unaffected by all kinds of creatures from the desert was because the Oak Tree's power was at work.

Now, the Oak Tree's power had weakened.

That could very likely trigger an upheaval.

Lucky immediately spread his aura outward, forming an En.

Naturally, he also noticed the examinees looking in this direction. Judging by their gazes alone, they had clearly noticed this place too.

"It's transforming right now. It cannot be disturbed by anything," Lucky said urgently.

Lucky did not know what consequences there would be if it was interrupted, but he would not allow that to happen.

It was Tina's first time seeing such a situation.

Her aura began to move as well.

A faint ripple from the Oak Tree conveyed some information to Tina.

"The Oasis's creatures are panicking. Lord God needs protection, and this ritual cannot be affected. Those creatures in the desert will likely all come here. Their target is Lord God."

Tina's expression changed drastically.

They had to stop them.

Tina's aura erupted. Green light spread from her body, turning into specks of light that scattered through the entire Oasis and fell upon animals of every kind.

Seeing this, Lucky could not help asking, "Are you sure you aren't a Druid?"