"Don't worry about it! Since I promised you, I'll definitely cooperate fully. I'll do whatever you ask."
"I'll do anything to get the herbs back and save Lady Phoenix!"
For the first time, Feng Changge did not show impatience despite Lin Yu's countless admonitions, but answered seriously.
In Feng Changge's view, only by obtaining the medicinal herbs to save the Phoenix Lord together with Lin Yu could he give an explanation to the ancient Phoenix Clan. Otherwise, he really didn't know how to face his clansmen or the black-robed high priest in the future.
In fact, the high priest in black robes did not choose Feng Changge to protect Feng Nianzhi at that time.
It was Feng Changge who used a special disguise spell to forcibly replace her with someone else and squeeze into the team protecting Feng Nianzhi.
Since those events, Feng Changge has thought countless times that if it had been someone from the clan, rather than himself, who came to the Netherworld Immortal Realm to protect Lord Feng, perhaps Lord Feng would not have met with such an accident.
Even though a whole day had passed since Feng Nianzhi was attacked, Feng Changge still found it hard to accept. He felt that it was because of his negligence that Feng Nianzhi was attacked by someone else.
If I could be even a little more useful...
If his own primordial fire could directly purify the wisdom and consciousness of the Water Droplet Man, then Feng Nianzhi would not need to personally intervene afterward.
If I had been able to muster my strength and wholeheartedly protect Lord Phoenix after he purified the fragments of the Heaven-Mending Sword, perhaps he wouldn't have been so badly injured.
Unbeknownst to Feng Changge, his red eyes were now filled with deep thought.
Having spent so much time with Feng Changge, how could Lin Yu not know what this brat was thinking?
From the moment he learned of Feng Nianzhi's murder, Lin Yu had been trying to comfort Feng Changge, but to no avail.
Lin Yu originally didn't want to say anything more, but seeing Feng Changge's extremely conflicted look, he decided to try to persuade him.
Sometimes, young people need to be more open-minded.
"Don't try to take everything on yourself. Aren't there other clansmen protecting Feng Nianzhi alongside you?"
"On the night Feng Nianzhi encountered danger, it wasn't you who was on guard. It was that clansman who didn't notice the enemy's sudden attack."
"I can see that among all the Phoenix Guards, you are neither the strongest nor the most experienced. Given that, how can Feng Nianzhi's danger be solely your fault?"
"Besides, when Feng Nianzhi was in danger, it wasn't when you were protecting her. If you keep blaming yourself like this, it's really quite pointless."
Lin Yu could sense that Feng Changge was taking all the blame upon him, but the mistakes were clearly not solely his responsibility, and he really didn't need to be so "righteous."
"That's true. But at least they've always been by Phoenix Lord's side. Even if they didn't realize the enemy's attack was wrong, it wasn't as serious as the mistake I made."
"I came to the Netherworld Immortal Realm to protect the Phoenix Lord. However, because of the matter of the Heaven-Mending Fragment, I often end up doing things that have nothing to do with protecting the Phoenix Lord."
Feng Changge lowered his head. There was another part of his sentence he didn't say. Although he had been following behind Lin Yu and dealing with the matter of the Heaven-Mending Fragments, he didn't seem to have done anything other than causing trouble for Lin Yu.
"What are you saying? Back then, it was the Black-Robed High Priest who personally chose you to protect Feng Nianzhi," Lin Yu said. "You don't really think that your mediocre skills can fool the Black-Robed High Priest's discerning eyes, do you?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Changge bit her lip and finally said, "That's right. Before he left, the black-robed high priest also instructed us to show you respect."
"But protecting the Phoenix Lord is ultimately my purpose and responsibility on this journey. It was I who abandoned my responsibility and went to do something that wasn't my job."
It's clear that Feng Changge still feels quite guilty.
Although Lin Yu had told him not to tell the Black-Robed High Priest about the man's danger, Feng Changge had made up his mind that he would confess everything he had done to the Black-Robed High Priest after retrieving the herbs.
Back in the ancient Phoenix Clan days, Feng Changge never hid anything from the Black-Robed High Priest.
This time, Feng Changge believed that the situation was caused by his own dereliction of duty.
"You always say I'm immature, and I never believed it before. But after this experience, I finally understand that you're right. So this time, I need to be even more courageous in taking responsibility for myself," Feng Changge said firmly.
From the attitudes of He Buxian and the Fallen Black Phoenix towards him, Feng Changge could see that these people looked down on him and treated him like a child.
Despite He Buxian's constant bickering, he doesn't actually treat him as an equal cultivator.
Feng Changge knew that at this moment, only by relying on his own power could he regain the respect he deserved.
Seeing that Feng Changge insisted, Lin Yu didn't say anything more and could only nod.
Not long after, Lin Yu led Feng Changge to find out the current situation of the Twelve True Palaces.
It turns out that a battle had indeed taken place here long before Lin Yu and Feng Changge arrived at the Twelve True Palaces.
After overthrowing the previous generation's rule, the Twelve True Palaces established a new regime, and the heads of several major families, as well as some important positions, have all been replaced.
Currently, the Twelve True Palaces are divided into eight factions, four of which represent the bloodlines of four divine beasts: the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise.
The remaining four Lineage are the four largest: the Li family, the Zhou family, the Ouyang family, and the Shangguan family.
It is worth mentioning that there are also many connections between these Lineage and the four divine beasts. It is said that the totems of these Lineage were derived from the four divine beasts.
The Ouyang family corresponds to the Azure Dragon, the Shangguan family to the Vermilion Bird, the Li family to the White Tiger, and the Zhou family to the Black Tortoise.
These Lineage differ in their specialties and individual abilities, but their overall strength is roughly the same, making it difficult to say which Lineage is more powerful.
These Lineage have been constantly in conflict over the years, fighting back and forth as if they never tire of it.