The black-robed high priest did not disappoint Lin Yu; not many days later, he emerged from the cataclysmic disaster.
It is clear that the full punishment for the cataclysmic disaster has been completed.
Although it was ostensibly called "punishment," it actually honed the black-robed high priest's mental strength. As a result, in just a few days, the high priest's mental strength had reached a new level.
Having finally returned to the Phoenix Clan's territory, the black-robed high priest immediately took care of all the matters he had been neglecting for so long, and then went to Lin Yu's residence.
He didn't want to come, but Lin Yu had to call him anyway.
Lin Yu's current status in the Phoenix Clan can be described as extraordinary, and given that this matter concerns the Phoenix Lord, the Black-Robed High Priest certainly couldn't just let it go.
Unexpectedly, Lin Yu's first words this time were about the barrier within Feng Nianzhi's body.
Upon hearing Lin Yu's question, the black-robed high priest fell into an extremely terrifying silence.
For a moment, Lin Yu's room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
However, Lin Yu's expression did not change; he simply continued to stare at the black-robed high priest.
He knew that the attitude displayed by the black-robed high priest at this moment must demonstrate the seriousness of the matter.
The high priest in black robes looking so grave now can only mean that everything is just as Lin Yu initially predicted—it's anything but simple, and that seal is definitely not something that can be easily touched.
After a long while, the black-robed high priest finally let out a long sigh.
"Sigh... I thought that after so much time, this matter had been buried in history. I never expected that someone would bring it up again today."
After saying that, the black-robed high priest stared at Lin Yu, his fiery red eyes seemingly burning with two bright flames that danced tirelessly, giving him a somewhat eerie appearance.
Lin Yu didn't say much upon hearing this, but silently added a piece of firewood to the brazier.
Indeed, the light flickering in the black-robed high priest's eyes was real firelight, coming from the brazier lit by Lin Yu.
The black-robed high priest. "..."
Actually, Lin Yu didn't feel cold in this phoenix habitat where it's spring all year round. It was just that the atmosphere was right, and it would be a bit unreasonable not to light a brazier!
"As long as that seal remains, it could potentially affect Feng Nianzhi."
"Moreover, that seal also restricts the increase of Feng Nianzhi's spiritual power. As the Phoenix Lord, she still looks like a child. At first, I thought it was just because she was young, but after so many days..."
"The Phoenix Clan has already told me that, according to ordinary phoenixes, Feng Nianzhi should already be the size of a young boy."
"So, I have a question: for Feng Nianzhi, is this seal a form of protection or a curse?"
Lin Yu stared intently at the black-robed high priest.
Lin Yu had made many guesses about the seal within Feng Nianzhi's body, but he still couldn't imagine what the person who placed the seal would do so for.
To put it positively, it was to allow Feng Nianzhi, as the Phoenix Lord, to conceal her strength, thus reducing others' covetousness and speculation.
However, to put it another way, it was a curse cast by the true enemy of the ancient Phoenix Clan in order to cripple the Phoenix Lord.
Recalling the fate of the Phoenix Clan due to the fragments of the Heaven-Mending Stone, Lin Yu suddenly felt that the second possibility was not unreasonable.
However, Lin Yu was unaware of the Phoenix Clan's past, and the current Phoenix Clan members were clearly unwilling to discuss it.
He had only heard part of the rumors, which said that the ancient Phoenix Clan had encountered a catastrophic disaster and had taken refuge in Phoenix Land.
The fact that they haven't stepped into the outside world for so many years, and have refused any outside investigation, is clearly related to what happened before.
Even someone as intelligent as Lin Yu would find it difficult to guess the truth in a short time, since it involved the most secret matters of the Phoenix Clan, and Lin Yu could only list all the possibilities.
However, the black-robed high priest fell silent, his fiery red eyes withdrawing as he focused intently on the flickering campfire before him.
The room fell silent; if an outsider had come, they would have been so embarrassed they would have scratched their toes on the floor.
However, the high priest in black robes was sitting opposite Lin Yu, who had seen many storms and was naturally able to remain unmoved.
Lin Yu didn't press him for answers, but simply waited quietly for the black-robed high priest to speak. He knew that the old man would speak when he wanted to.
Lin Yu was confident that the other party would tell him the truth behind it all, because the other party had already witnessed his strength, and he had no ill intentions towards the Phoenix Clan.
If this were truly a bad thing for Feng Nianzhi, then the black-robed high priest would surely tell him that now was the best time for him to seek help.
Once this opportunity is missed, it's gone forever.
Such a matter, buried for many years, is naturally not so easy to uncover; the high priest in black robes needs some time to think before he speaks.
Lin Yu was in no hurry; he simply waited quietly.
No one knew how much time had passed, but night fell. There were no stars in the sky, and all was quiet. At this moment, Lin Yu and the black-robed high priest were like people on a deserted island.
Perhaps it was this extremely quiet atmosphere that gave the black-robed high priest courage. He finally managed to pull himself out of his previous sorrow and slowly began to speak.
"Long ago, when my ancient Phoenix clan was coveted by many cultivators because of the fragments that mended the heavens, we always hoped that a peerless genius would descend upon our clan."
"If he is a genius, he will surely be able to lead our already devastated ancient phoenix clan back to its peak."
"With such thoughts in mind, how could we possibly set a seal that limits the flow of spiritual power for Lord Phoenix?"
Lin Yu understood. It seemed that the seal on Feng Nianzhi's body was not placed voluntarily by the Phoenix Clan. It was more likely the second possibility that Lin Yu had guessed earlier, that is, she had been harmed by other races.
Moreover, given the proud nature of the Phoenix Clan, if they possessed great power, they would never be willing to hide it; they would practically want the whole world to know. Why would they set up a seal for Feng Nianzhi just to keep a low profile?
"Since it wasn't your Phoenix Clan who did it, either Feng Nianzhi fell into the hands of an enemy... or perhaps, there's a force that doesn't want Feng Nianzhi to continue developing and wants to restrict the entire ancient Phoenix Clan."
Lin Yu slowly revealed his guess.