346: Chapter 346 Disrupting the Mood, Phoenix Clan Ancestral Land

Chu Sheng followed the Phoenix Clan Elder into a temporary stone hall deep within the spirit island, with Jiuer following closely by his side.

The stone hall was not large, but the interior was kept quite tidy, with several glowing crystals embedded in the walls, illuminating the hall as bright as day.

The Phoenix Clan Elder sat in the main seat and raised his hand to signal Chu Sheng and Jiuer to sit on the cushions opposite him.

He was in no hurry to speak, instead picking up a teacup and taking a slow sip, as if intending to let the guests settle their Qi first.

Chu Sheng did not rush him, simply sitting there quietly with his gaze level, appearing neither impatient nor guilty.

A moment later, the Phoenix Clan Elder set down his teacup and spoke slowly.

"You say you possess the secret of the Feng Xian. This old man wants to know how much weight the word 'secret' carries in your mouth."

His voice was not loud, but it carried a seriousness that did not brook any slight.

The origin between the Phoenix Clan and the Feng Xian was not a secret in the Western Region.

But the name of the Feng Xian had not appeared in any public discussion for too long.

As her Bloodline descendants, the Phoenix Clan naturally understood better than any other faction what that name meant.

Chu Sheng did not answer directly, instead taking something from his sleeve and placing it on the stone table between them.

It was a ring that had lost its luster, its surface covered in fine cracks, looking as if it could crumble into powder at any moment.

Yet even in such a damaged state, one could still faintly sense a trace of aura remaining within it.

The Phoenix Clan Elder's gaze fell upon that ring, and his pupils contracted slightly.

He did not reach out to take it, but stared at it for a good while, as if confirming certain details.

"Where did you obtain this ring?" His voice was a few degrees deeper than before, clearly having recognized something.

Chu Sheng did not hide it: "I brought it out from the Fengxian Secret Realm."

He paused, then added: "This Junior once entered the Fengxian Secret Realm and saw the Restrictions and parts of the Legacy remaining within. Senior Feng Xian did not merely undergo an ordinary Ascension; she left behind arrangements in the Western Region that are far deeper than what the outside world knows."

The Phoenix Clan Elder's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he did not rush to question him, as if waiting for more substantial content.

Chu Sheng continued: "This Junior is currently in a difficult situation. I only ask that the Phoenix Clan provide a temporary refuge. Once I have recovered somewhat, I will leave on my own and will not stay long."

"In exchange—"

He glanced at the Phoenix Clan Elder, "This Junior can leave all the information I know regarding the layout of the Fengxian Secret Realm and some key nodes to the Phoenix Clan."

The Phoenix Clan Elder did not speak, simply slowly moving his gaze away from the ring and turning to look into Chu Sheng's eyes.

His gaze carried a sense of scrutiny that only comes after the passage of time, like a sheathed blade resting on the edge of the table, yet already making one feel its presence.

"Do you know that if I were to detain you now and force those details out of you, you would not have much room to resist?"

His tone was not a threat, but more like stating an objectively existing possibility.

Chu Sheng nodded.

"This Junior knows. But what this Junior is betting on is that the Phoenix Clan disdains doing such things."

His tone remained calm, not deliberately raised nor deliberately lowered.

"The Phoenix Clan has a long history and has always considered itself a prestigious clan of the Righteous Path, never associating with the Dragon Clan. If you were to use force to detain this Junior today, it would be of no benefit to the reputation of the Phoenix Clan if word got out."

"Furthermore—"

He paused, "The fact that this Junior could walk out of the old Dragon's Formation alive must prove that I have some means of self-preservation. If the Phoenix Clan wishes to cooperate with this Junior, I will naturally cooperate diligently; if you wish to detain me by force, while I dare not say I can escape unscathed, I would not necessarily let the Phoenix Clan pay no price either."

The Phoenix Clan Elder looked at him for a while, then slowly leaned back, as if dropping some sort of probing posture.

"That mouth of yours is harder to deal with than your cultivation."

His tone relaxed a few degrees; although he did not smile, that thorny scrutiny had faded somewhat.

He did not pursue the specific details of the Fengxian Secret Realm further, but glanced at Jiuer, then at Chu Sheng, as if confirming something.

"You may stay here for three to five days. This old man will arrange for someone to prepare a quiet Immortal Cave for you, and no one will usually disturb you."

"During this period, I hope you will organize what you know into a complete record and hand it to me."

Chu Sheng nodded: "That is only right."

He did not bargain, nor did he ask if the Phoenix Clan had prepared other contingencies.

He knew that the Phoenix Clan being able to give this promise was already the best result he could obtain at the moment.

The Phoenix Clan Elder did not keep them any longer, calling over a young clansman and giving a few instructions. That person then led Chu Sheng and Jiuer out of the stone hall, along a small path through the woods on the edge of the spirit island, arriving before an Immortal Cave built against the mountain.

The Immortal Cave was not large, but it was kept clean, with a simple defensive Restriction at the entrance, and the Spiritual Qi was considered abundant.

The guiding Phoenix clansman briefly explained the location of the water source and spirit food, then turned and left.

Jiuer walked into the Immortal Cave, looked around, and after confirming there was nothing unusual, sat down by the stone bed.

Her expression still carried a trace of fatigue, but her eyes had recovered their usual clarity.

Chu Sheng sat opposite her, not rushing to rest, but first organizing the items in his Storage Pouch.

The fragment and token he had received from the monk were placed separately to the side, wrapped in a thick cloth to ensure they would not be disturbed by any external force.

He looked down at the fragment, remembering the monk's last words.

"This monk cannot survive."

Those words were not spoken heavily, yet they were like a nail driven into wood, unable to be pulled out.

Chu Sheng put the fragment away, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes.

He needed some time to organize his thoughts, and also some time to recover his spirit.

The Immortal Cave was not large, but it was kept clean, and the Spiritual Qi was much more abundant than outside.

After the Phoenix clansman left, Chu Sheng did not rush to rest.

He first properly stowed away the fragment and token, then sat at the stone table, took out a blank Jade Slip from his Storage Pouch, and began to organize the content regarding the Fengxian Secret Realm.

He did not exaggerate, nor did he hide key information, simply recording what he knew truthfully.

The location of the Secret Realm entrance, the layout of several Restrictions, the general level of the remaining Legacy, and the origin of that phoenix ring.

He did not write fast, but it was clear and logical, without unnecessary embellishment.

When he finished the last stroke, he checked it once, confirmed it was correct, closed the Jade Slip, and placed it on the corner of the table.

Jiuer sat on the edge of the stone bed, her eyes closed, resting.

Her breathing was much steadier than before, but there was still a trace of fatigue between her brows that had not completely faded, as if the exhaustion accumulated over these past few days had not yet been fully recovered.

Chu Sheng turned his head to look at her and suddenly said: "You are tired, aren't you."

Jiuer opened her eyes, looked at him, did not deny it, and just let out a soft "Mn."

Chu Sheng said: "Do you want me to help you regulate your condition?"

He did not speak very specifically, but both of them knew what he was referring to.

Jiuer was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

She stood up, walked to him, and sat on the edge of the stone table.

Chu Sheng raised his hand, slowly channeling a warm Spiritual Qi into her shoulders and neck, gently pushing open several stagnant points along her Meridians.

Jiuer exhaled, the fatigue between her brows seeming to be massaged away a little.

She leaned against his shoulder, closed her eyes, and did not speak.

The Immortal Cave was quiet for a little while.

The air became a bit heavier than before, carrying an aura that did not require words.

Chu Sheng looked down at her; his palm remained there, not moving again.

Jiuer seemed to sense something, opened her eyes, and also raised her head.

Their gazes were very close, close enough to see the faint spiritual light reflected in each other's eyes.

Chu Sheng was just about to speak—

Outside the Immortal Cave, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded, accompanied by the Phoenix Clan Elder's voice, which could not suppress its excitement.

"Little Friend! That record of yours, this old man just read it through, it is indeed—"

He was halfway through his sentence when he had already lifted the Restriction at the entrance of the Immortal Cave and walked in.

Then he saw the distance between the two of them by the stone table and paused.

His footsteps did not stop, but his gaze clearly shifted away quickly, as if he had seen nothing.

"This old man has come at a bad time." Although he said this, his tone did not have the slightest intention of backing out, "But this matter really should not be delayed."

He waved the Jade Slip in his hand, as if he could no longer care about any etiquette.

"This record, this old man needs to take it back to the Phoenix Clan headquarters immediately to study it with several Elders of the clan. This place is too close to the old Dragon's territory; the longer the night, the more dreams, it is better early than late."

Chu Sheng was silent for a moment.

He glanced at Jiuer; Jiuer had already sat up straight again, her expression restored to its usual calmness, as if nothing had happened just now.

Chu Sheng retracted his gaze and nodded at the Phoenix Clan Elder.

"Alright. Then let's go now."

He did not say much more, nor did he show any emotion about being interrupted, simply standing up, packing the things on the table, and turning to walk toward the entrance of the Immortal Cave.

Jiuer also stood up and followed behind him.

The Phoenix Clan Elder seemed completely unaware of what he had just interrupted, simply walking in front with a face full of seriousness, his mouth still muttering about several clues regarding the relationship between the Fengxian Secret Realm and the Phoenix Clan.

Chu Sheng walked behind, silently making a mental note.

However, he was also clear that this matter was indeed much more important than tender moments.

They did not delay long, and soon left the spirit island following the Phoenix Clan Elder.