Behind the towering mountain cliff lay a region stretching for tens of miles, shrouded in mist. From within, a dim red light emanated, and scorching magma flowed through the fissures in the earth, irrigating grave mounds one after another.
This was the ancestral land of the Nangong clan.
And also their forbidden ground.
"Such potent bloodline pressure, I should have guessed the truth long ago!" At the summit of the mountain, an old man stood with his hands behind his back, sighing with emotion.
He was the Supreme Elder of the Nangong clan, responsible for guarding the ancestral land for many years. He had also participated in quelling the chaos caused by Nangong Yu on the previous occasion.
Yet, for so many years, he had remained unaware of the truth of the ancestral land, naively believing it was due to geomancy and the incompatibility with the True Phoenix's remains.
Who would have thought there truly was a phoenix here.
"Are you going down?" Nangong Huaitian turned his head, looking at Bai Yun.
Bai Yun, peering through the layers of mist and rock, sensed a colossal presence that made her very soul feel scorched.
"How do you intend to deal with this phoenix?" Bai Yun asked, not answering directly but instead posing a question back to Nangong Huaitian.
"How we deal with it is our Nangong family's business," the Supreme Elder stated with an unfriendly tone.
"You are mistaken; this has nothing to do with your Nangong family." Bai Yun cast a glance at the old man, who immediately felt a murderous intent seep into his bones, as if his very soul had frozen.
"If not for it, Nangong Yu would not have married Xi Lengxue, nor would the subsequent events have occurred."
"Whether it acted intentionally or innocently, or how many years it has been sealed here, I only know that it caused Nangong Yu's death."
"Therefore, this matter concerns me."
"As long as I am alive, you are not allowed to release it. If I can kill it, then it shall be killed by me, and you shall not interfere."
These words plunged the entire space into a tense atmosphere. The expressions of the Nangong clan members gradually turned grim, and Nangong Huaitian tightened his grip on the array eye staff, as if ready to strike at any moment.
The Wine Immortal and Tian Shui exchanged glances and quickly moved between them, acting as mediators, saying:
"It would be best if you all discuss this matter. After all, this is the ancestral land of the Nangong clan, with an inheritance spanning countless years. Bai Yun is also a victim of this incident, so her demands are reasonable."
"May I ask, how does Your Highness the Saintess intend to deal with this phoenix?"
The Wine Immortal then asked Nangong Huaitian, who replied without hesitation, calmly:
"Let's seal it for now."
"According to my grandfather, it has been imprisoned here for an unknown number of years and must harbor deep resentment towards our Nangong clan."
"While I pity it, I will not release it until I am capable of preventing it from wreaking havoc."
"Hmm," Tian Shui nodded upon hearing this.
Although the True Phoenix was a divine beast, after so many years of exploitation and sealing, its power was at most comparable to that of a sixth-stage Human King.
Despite Nangong Huaitian's extraordinary talent, it would likely take considerable time for her to become a Human King.
It was even possible that she might never break through to that realm in her lifetime.
"Patriarch Bai Yun, you can rest easy now," the Wine Immortal said.
"I will only be at ease once it is confirmed to be truly sealed," Bai Yun replied.
According to her perception, there were seven layers to the seal. The first four layers showed signs of being breached. Currently, the second, third, and fourth layers of the seal had all been repaired by the Nangong clan at a great cost. Only the outermost first layer remained open.
"You two, along with my array eye staff, will be sufficient," Bai Yun said, looking at the Wine Immortal and Tian Shui.
Nangong Huaitian also nodded:
"If the two venerable seniors from the Daoist temple can lend their assistance, the Nangong family will be eternally grateful."
Nangong Mao Guan, the clan head who had been severely injured and unconscious for a long time, arrived belatedly and stated:
"This final layer of the seal poses no danger. The True Phoenix's Heavenly Fire cannot reach here, so you can rest assured in repairing it."
Tian Shui nodded:
"In that case, let us begin."
With that, the Daoist Master Tian Shui, the Daoist Master Wine Immortal, Bai Yun, and Nangong Huaitian, holding the array eye staff, simultaneously stood on the four mountain peaks surrounding the ancestral land, each separated by a thousand meters.
Without a word, the four of them attacked simultaneously. The three half-step Human Kings employed the rules of the Great Dao, while Nangong Huaitian absorbed the True Phoenix's pressure from the space, using the array eye staff to convert it into terrifying energy.
Four streams of energy simultaneously surged into the land below, following the flowing magma, towards the damaged array meridians one by one.
Thus, an invisible array gate slowly took shape, the true form of this first seal, which was now being repaired by the four.
Xu Mu, watching Nangong Huaitian before him, her expression resolute and her brilliance shining, smiled faintly and sat on the grass at the summit, drinking wine from his gourd.
The mountain wind blew. The Nangong family was safe, she had survived, his identity had not been exposed, and he no longer had to worry about being pursued. Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.
This was good.
"Nothing bad will happen, right?"
Suddenly, Xu Mu scratched his head, a jolt going through him. He always felt he was unlucky, but this time it had ended too easily.
Surely, no accidents would occur?
As Xu Mu pondered, he put down his wine gourd uneasily and was about to stand up to do something when he saw a figure clad in a tattered plain silk robe suddenly appear before him.
Right behind Nangong Huaitian.
Judging by his back, he was a young man of similar age to them, exuding a scorching aura. He appeared both tattered and noble.
He seemed to be a member of the Nangong clan as well.
However, any Nangong clan member who could reach this ancestral land was invariably of noble status and formidable strength.
And those who were noble and powerful had participated in the recent battle.
Yet, Xu Mu had not seen this young man on the battlefield.
...
"Who are you!" Xu Mu drew the bow and arrow at his waist, his voice icy as he strung the bow. It seemed that if the youth gave any wrong answer, he would kill him.
But before Xu Mu could condense the Great Dao arrow, the youth struck Nangong Huaitian's right arm with a palm. Disregarding the raging True Phoenix Holy Fire burning on her, he snatched the array eye staff of the mountain-guarding array into his possession.
"Who is it!" At this moment, Bai Yun and the Wine Immortal, the three half-step Human King realm powerhouses, also noticed something amiss. They immediately ceased repairing the seal and attacked the youth. However, the latter merely smiled faintly, and the array eye staff in his hand erupted with terrifying might.
"—Li!"
A noble and sonorous cry rang out, and then a True Phoenix phantom, more solid than ever before, descended upon the world, intercepting all three of their attacks.
"Boom!"
The True Phoenix flapped its wings, repelling Bai Yun and the other two several steps.
Innumerable Domain Lords of the Nangong clan were caught in the ensuing wind and waves, sent flying thousands of meters, their expressions filled with shock.
"Who is that? How can they wield our Nangong clan's mountain-guarding array!" an elder asked, clutching his chest, staring in shock at the youth's back.
The conditions for using the mountain-guarding array were extremely stringent. Otherwise, they would not have had the 200-year-old Nangong Zhenyuan continuously manning the array, nor would they have had Nangong Huaitian burn her life force.
It could be said that among the entire Nangong clan, only these two could use this array; not even Nangong Mao Guan could.
Yet, a third person had now appeared.
"No!" Nangong Mao Guan stared at the youth's back and suddenly recalled something, exclaiming in shock.
"You are Nangong Changkong!"
"It is I, long time no see." The youth floated in the air above the ancestral land, flames more violent than Nangong Huaitian's burning around him. His tattered robes glowed, exuding boundless nobility.
Nangong Huaitian lay on the mountain peak, unharmed, but her face was stunned as she gazed at the youth's face.
The radiance he emitted was so familiar and dazzling, as if recalling the days when he swept through an era and was invincible. But looking at his once bright and confident eyes, now dimmed, she knew he was no longer the Nangong Changkong of the past.
After a moment of stunned silence, Nangong Mao Guan reacted, pointing at the youth and demanding, "What do you intend to do!"
"You are no longer the Saint Son of our Nangong clan. Your sister has accomplished what you failed to do. This array eye staff should be entrusted to her!"
Nangong Changkong, upon hearing this, revealed a smile on his noble and exceptionally handsome face. He said in a gentle and calm voice:
"Uncle Mao Guan, there is no need for such alarm."
"I have never sought to compete with my sister for anything. This array eye staff belongs to her; I am merely borrowing it for a moment."
The Wine Immortal frowned and asked:
"What are you going to do?"
Nangong Changkong smiled faintly upon hearing this:
"It's very simple."
"Open the seal."
...