The Cool and Aloof Senior Sister Always Flirts with Me

Chapter 117: Phoenix's Essence

The phoenix's golden eyes flared, locked unblinkingly on the two figures approaching it. Blood-colored energy clouded its gaze, and it tried to move its wings, only to be wrenched back by the iron chains inscribed with countless symbols binding it. The chains flared in painful golden light, forcing the phoenix to close its eyes.

Qi Xianqing observed it for a moment, saying, "It has fallen to inner demons."

Qi Xianqing and Yan Jue stopped five paces from the creature, just at the edge of a barrier. The barrier's faint gold shimmer rippled gently, like waves of light. Neither stepped any closer.

As Yan Jue hesitated, the phoenix opened its eyes once more, those golden orbs now reflecting a fiery glow.

"Roooaaar..." The phoenix opened its mouth, letting out a low, rumbling sound. A few drops of blood sprayed from its mouth, trailing a red arc in the air and splashing onto Yan Jue's forehead.

In that instant, a brilliant flash blinded her.

Boom!

Suddenly, ancient symbols and images exploded within her mind. Yan Jue's pupils widened as a dark vision filled her thoughts: a scene atop the high peaks of Mount Yaohua, where the majestic phoenix once stood proudly.

In the chaotic era of the Immortal-Demon War, the phoenix soared across the sky as a symbol of strength. But then the scene shifted.

Bound by iron chains, the phoenix was suppressed by its kin, the Phoenix Clan, and locked beneath the mountain.

"This is no longer an era of chaos; the world has no need for a pure-blooded phoenix."

Images flashed faster, and Yan Jue's mind reeled, barely containing the flood of information. The phoenix had once been more than the guardian beast of Luan Terrace—it had been its king.

In those turbulent times, the Phoenix Clan had relied on the pure-blooded phoenix to lead them, and the people of Luan Terrace obeyed its every command as if they were mere ants.

During the Immortal-Demon War, the phoenix played a pivotal role in raising Luan Terrace to become one of the six great immortal sects. After the demons were sealed behind the White Cliff Mountains, peace returned.

But as calm settled, voices within Luan Terrace began to question the phoenix's reign, and over time, dissent grew.

Eventually, a rebellion unfolded, and the phoenix was subdued and imprisoned beneath the mountain, for the Phoenix Clan had discovered they no longer needed it. They had the "Phoenix Essence," a source of power that would allow them to strengthen their own bloodline without the pure-blooded king.

Yan Jue, regaining her focus, took it all in and opened her eyes, understanding at last.

"The phoenix has been trapped here for ages," Yan Jue murmured. "That's why it succumbed to inner demons, making it vulnerable to demonic cultivators."

The demonic cultivators outside must have discovered a way into this hidden realm, using dark arts to trigger the phoenix's inner demons. This was likely how they managed to extract a fragment of its essence to serve them.

Yan Jue glanced at Qi Xianqing, frowning slightly. "We could try to exorcise its inner demons with the Jade Seal."

Though effective for spiritual afflictions, the Jade Seal was not infallible.

Qi Xianqing nodded. "It's worth a try."

Yan Jue retrieved the jade-green seal from her dimensional pouch and activated it. A faint light began to emit from the seal, and the dark energy surrounding the phoenix's head slowly started to disperse, absorbed by the seal.