The mountain cave was silent, with only the howling cold wind at the entrance blowing shattered snowflakes rustling inside.
Qin Yi silently stared at that phantom Phoenix, while the White Tiger stared unblinking at him. The mountain lord keenly sensed that the deathly aura around him seemed to have dispersed.
The radiance of the pillar of light continued without pause, growing ever fiercer. It had even begun affecting the physical world, stirring the black clouds and blizzard, yet showed no sign of fading.
Qin Yi slowly lowered his gaze and withdrew his eyes, exhaling a puff of white mist. An unprecedented expression of not knowing whether to laugh or cry appeared on his face.
[Northern Phoenix Immortal Clan's Ritual]
Tuanzi's ethereal, ancient voice suddenly sounded softly within his skull without warning, breaking the dead silence around them.
Qin Yi fell silent for a moment. He neither responded nor seemed surprised that Tuanzi had suddenly spoken. In the ice-cold cave, he merely asked in a soft, murmuring voice:
"Why did you save me?"
Tuanzi's voice remained lofty and distant, as though it came with its own dramatic effects:
[Just accept it with gratitude. I merely felt that such a godforsaken backwater and such dregs of lowborn filth were unworthy of serving as your tomb.]
"Even if you put it that way, I still won't go easy on you."
[Hmph, whatever.]
"Then why were you howling in pain at the start?"
[...]
Tuanzi said nothing.
Qin Yi chuckled softly twice and said earnestly:
"Just kidding, Tuanzi. Thank you."
Tuanzi remained silent, as though annoyed, yet also as though observing this change in Qin Yi.
Qin Yi paid it no mind and murmured to himself softly:
"Northern Phoenix Immortal Clan...? No wonder. I should have