646: Chapter 636 Senichi (11)

As soon as these words were spoken, the members of the Chishan Tribe were stunned, then they all looked at Qin Yun in unison.

Ah Lie's expression shifted repeatedly, and finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "He is an outsider, how could he possibly be related to the Nine-Headed Phoenix?"

"Stop spouting nonsense here."

Qingxu ignored him completely, staring only at Qin Yun as if looking at a treasure that had suddenly appeared.

Qin Yun did not reply immediately.

The cyan-gold Life Pattern in his palm was still heating up—a steady heat, not as if it were about to lose control, but rather as if it were responding to something.

At this moment, a very faint, sorrowful cry came from the depths of the Nine Mountains.

This time, it was not as muffled as before, nor did it sound like a suppressed roar; instead, it was very light, so light that it sounded like a breath about to fade away.

The next moment, a remnant Divine Thought slowly floated up from the depths of the Phoenix head.

It was not pulled out by Qingxu.

It had awakened on its own.

Qingxu's expression darkened, and he raised his hand to suppress it.

"Shut up."

Just as he moved, a cyan-gold light shadow lit up within the Nine Mountains, briefly protecting that wisp of Divine Thought.

The Phoenix shadow was very faint, so faint that its form was almost indiscernible; one could only barely see the outlines of nine Phoenix heads floating behind it.

It looked at Chi Li first.

"Bearer of the egg, do not be afraid."

Chi Li's body shook, and he jerked his head up.

Ah Lie blurted out, "What did you say?"

The Phoenix shadow did not look at anyone else, continuing only, "Back then, when I was near death, my nine heads were severed, leaving only half a breath of vitality."

"If I had shattered on the spot, the old totem veins would have been cut off at the root."

"So, I gestated the last half of the Origin of Life into an egg."

Chi Li stood frozen in place, his fingers tightening bit by bit.

"An egg…"

His voice was very low, as if he hadn't understood.

The Phoenix shadow's Divine Thought, however, was steady.

"Your father, Chi Heng, did not cause trouble."

"He accidentally entered the core sacrificial stage and discovered the egg I left behind."

"He sent you in."

"You survived not because you were tough-fated, but because you were chosen."

Chi Li's breathing tightened.

Ah Lie, however, looked as if he had been struck by something, his entire body stiffening.

"Impossible."

"Chi Heng clearly harmed the entire tribe."

The Phoenix shadow swept a faint glance at him.

"If he had truly harmed the tribe, I would have crushed him along with all of you long ago."

"He just didn't say it."

"Because if he had, you would not have been able to protect the egg, nor yourselves."

The stone hall was silent.

Many people had their mouths open, but they didn't know who to curse, nor who to believe.

The Phoenix shadow's Divine Thought paused, then looked at Qin Yun.

"And you."

Its tone changed for the first time.

It was no longer the soothing tone used for Chi Li, but carried a trace of subtle confusion.

"The aura on you is very strange."

"I cannot see through it."

"But I can feel that you possess something I am very familiar with."

"It is not a Life Pattern."

"Nor is it an ordinary ancient method."

"It is more like some kind of even more ancient Origin of Dao."

Qingxu's eyes narrowed sharply.

He did not understand what this ancient Origin of Dao was, but he could understand one thing.

Only by capturing Qin Yun would the egg inside Chi Li truly have a secure destination.

"No matter what is on you."

He sneered, finally tearing away the last shred of his patience.

"As long as I take you down, the egg will be successful."

"Whether it is the Origin of Life or the Origin of Death, everything will belong to me."

As his words fell, Qingxu pressed his hands together, and countless sealing runes immediately lit up on the outer layer of the entire stone hall.

The sealing runes were like a net, tightly covering the members of the Chishan Tribe, and also enclosing Qin Yun and Chi Li in the center.

The expressions of the Chishan Tribe changed drastically.

"He wants to seal this place!"

"Retreat quickly!"

But it was already too late.

The aura of Qingxu at the Peak of the True Immortal realm spread out completely, and the entire Dao arena was roaring.

"You need not be in a hurry to die."

"Wait until I get the egg, and then I will deal with you slowly."

Ah Lie's eyes were red; he supported himself on the ground, trying to stand up, but was pressed down so hard he could not move even half a step.

"You have deceived us for so many years!"

Qingxu looked down at him.

"Deceiving you is because you were still useful."

Qin Yun, however, raised his hand at this moment.

He simply placed his palm on Chi Li's shoulder, and the Method of Life and Method of Death within the Nine Methods turned simultaneously.

A gentle yet extremely steady force entered Chi Li's body, first stabilizing the egg that was being pulled, then pressing back the Life Pattern that was about to be torn apart in Chi Li.

Chi Li let out a muffled groan, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

The Phoenix shadow watched from the side, its Divine Thought stirring slightly.

It quickly realized that what Qin Yun was doing was not simply saving a person.

He was using the cycle of life and death to find balance for the Phoenix egg.

The Method of Life kept the egg from shattering.

The Method of Death kept the egg from dissipating.

With the two combined, the highly unstable cyan-gold vitality within Chi Li actually began to stabilize slowly.

The Phoenix shadow's tone shifted noticeably.

"You are indeed not simple."

Qingxu's expression changed.

He hesitated no longer, raising his hand to seize it by force.

"In that case, you shall stay as well."

The power of the Peak of the True Immortal realm pressed down, and the entire ruined Dao arena was completely sealed.

The members of the Chishan Tribe found it difficult even to breathe.

Qin Yun, however, did not retreat.

He looked up at Qingxu and suddenly took a step forward.

As the step landed, the Method of Space spread out, and the sealing runes pressing on the edge of the Dao arena were actually forcefully sliced open by a sliver.

Qingxu's eyes darkened.

"You were still hiding things."

"I did not expect that you, an outsider, would also be at the True Immortal realm."

Qin Yun did not answer.

He simply raised his hand, placing his palm against the edge of the Phoenix shadow's remnant Divine Thought.

He used only the Method of Life to sustain the last wisp of breath that was about to dissipate, and then used the Method of Death to pin down that piece of Divine Thought that was about to collapse.

The Phoenix shadow trembled slightly.

The remnant intent that was about to extinguish was forcibly pulled back by him for one last breath.

This was not resurrection.

It was a final flare before the end.

The Phoenix shadow looked at Qin Yun, the outlines of the nine Phoenix heads glowing faintly behind it.

"I still cannot see through the things on you."

"But I will trust you once."

It turned to look at Chi Li.

"As for the egg inside you, do not fear death."

"It is not that fragile."

Chi Li looked up, silent for a long time, before whispering, "Then what about me?"

The Phoenix shadow did not answer immediately.

It only said slowly, "You are the bearer."

"He is the awakener."

"The two of you, neither can be missing."

As these words fell, the murderous intent in Qingxu's eyes exploded completely.

He finally realized that if he did not act quickly today, he would truly gain nothing.

"Good."

"Then I will kill you first, and then take the egg."

He pressed his hands down, and the power of the Peak of the True Immortal realm transformed into a black and cyan sky curtain, slamming down fiercely towards the stone hall.

The Phoenix shadow had been prepared.

Dragging its remnant Divine Thought, which was in its final flare, it violently tore open a corner of the stone hall.

"Go!"

With just that one word, it pushed both Qin Yun and Chi Li out at the same time.

Chi Li's vision blurred, and he was already swept out of the hall.

Qin Yun turned back at the last moment, seeing the Phoenix shadow's figure swallowed by Qingxu's sealing pressure.

That remnant Divine Thought did not say anything else.

Just before disappearing, it left behind one extremely faint sentence.

"Follow the old totem traces."

"You will find more truths."

The next instant, the stone hall closed completely.

Qingxu's roar exploded from within.

"Want to run?"

"Too late!"

But by the time he tried to chase, he was half a step too late.

Chi Li and Qin Yun were violently thrown out by a crack in the ruined Dao arena, landing in the wild forest outside.

Upon landing, Chi Li's chest heaved violently, and he first looked down at his own palm.

There, a tiny speck of cyan-gold light had not yet dissipated.

This meant the Phoenix egg was still alive.

He was stunned for a long while before seeming to come back to his senses, whispering, "So… what I was carrying was not a disaster."

Qin Yun stood beside him, the cyan-gold Life Pattern in his palm still heating up.

He looked up toward the direction of the stone hall, his expression very calm.

"The disaster has not ended."

"He will chase after us."

Chi Li turned his head to look at him.

"What method did you actually use just now?"

Qin Yun glanced at him.

"A life-saving method."

Chi Li was choked up, wanting to curse a couple of times, but ultimately held it back.

He lowered his head and covered his chest, where a very faint sensation of a heartbeat came from.

It was not his.

It was that egg.

His hand slowly tightened, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"It is still there."

Qin Yun nodded.

"Still there."

In the distance, at the edge of the wild forest, a wind suddenly pressed down.

That was no ordinary wind.

It was the aftershock of the Peak of the True Immortal realm, expanding outward from the ruined Dao arena.

This meant Qingxu was not dead.

It also meant that he would come out very soon.

Qin Yun looked up into the distance, the cyan-gold Life Pattern slowly receding.

Chi Li lifted his face, his eyes no longer like stagnant water.

He pressed his hand against his chest, as if afraid the egg might suffer some accident.

"Tell me, what does 'old totem traces' mean?"

Qin Yun looked into the depths of the wild forest and spoke calmly.

"It means."

"We should go."