“After passing the trial, our ancestors began to pass on the phoenix bloodline, generation after generation. By the time it had reached the twelfth generation, they had already flourished into a Sect of great prowess, but had never openly titled themselves as a clan of the Phoenix and they had continually hidden the mark of the Phoenix on their foreheads in front of others. However, in that generation, one of the ancestors fought with someone using the power of the phoenix and monstrous flames accidentally spread to a small town, scorching all thirty two thousand innocent lives within.
Yun Che: “…
“A monstrous crime of this extent incited the fury of the phoenix’s spirit at the trial ground, and a cruel punishment has befallen us. Everyone in the clan of that generation were marked with the curse’s seal in their phoenix bloodline, which suppressed the profound energy of everyone within the clan to the tenth level of the Elementary Profound Realm, never to make any progress in their lifetime. Furthermore, the phoenix’s mark turned a dark red and could no longer be concealed. It was as if this seal was a symbol to constantly remind the clansmen of the grievous crime they had committed.”
“Our ancestors had many powerful enemies. Having had their strength suppressed to such an insignificant state, they had no choice but to recede into seclusion… To their horror, they discovered afterwards that the curse was actually forcefully passed down through generations. Their children all had the Phoenix’s dark red marks on their foreheads once they were born. Similarly, throughout their entire life, their profound strength could never break through the Elementary Realm. The ancestors thought of countless of ways to resolve the curse, but it was after all, something that the Divine Phoenix Spirit had left; how could it be something that man could interfere with? To date, a thousand years have passed, but the curse still remains in our bloodline and has not gone away yet. Our clan could only hide away within Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range and watch out for our own, praying daily to atone for our ancestors and beseech forgiveness from the Divine Phoenix Spirit.”
“Until today, our clan has deteriorated to how we are currently; even a small group of mercenaries can corner us to such a point of despair, heh…..” Feng Baichuan let out a bitter, dismayed laugh. Within his solemn tone, there tinged too much unwillingness and helpless frustration.
This was originally a clan secret that could not be revealed to outsiders, but being forced to such a miserable state today, the so-called bloodlines and the so-called clan secrets had already became a complete joke. Perhaps what these clansmen longed for most was to not have been born with the phoenix bloodline, but instead be born an ordinary person. He also suddenly understood why Feng Baichuan had not immediately brought the clan to this ruin left by the Phoenix even in the face of such enormous danger. Indeed, they were afraid. Their clan had spent a thousand years and a few dozen generations to make amends, wishing so much for forgiveness from the Phoenix’s spirit that they did so even when dreaming; how would they dare to do anything that might even be the least bit disrespectful to the Divine Phoenix Spirit?
He turned around, stared at the red seal matrix on the pathway, and said: “Clan leader Feng, by any chance, are the trial grounds left by the Phoenix behind that seal formation?
“That’s right.” Feng Baichuan nodded, “These two seals are what our ancestors have left us. Only those with the Phoenix bloodline are able to unseal it, as its purpose is to prevent outsiders from entering.”
In that split second, Yun Che made his decision, saying: “Then, could you open this seal for me?”
“Are you thinking of….?” Feng Baichuan glanced to his side.
“That’s right!” Yun Che nodded: “I’d like to see what sort of trial could have been left behind by a primordial divine beast like the Phoenix. Since I have a chance now, I’d naturally wish to try it.”
Feng Baichuan did not turn him down immediately, but asked instead, “Little brother, what is your level of current Profound strength?”
“First level of the Nascent Profound Realm.” Yun Che replied honestly.
“Definitely not!!” Disappointment slipped into Feng Baichuan’s expression and he adamantly refused: “It’s not that I’m unwilling to let you in. It’s just that…. back then, when the ancestors were going through the training of the Phoenix, their profound strength had already been at the Spirit Profound Realm, and they also possessed fire attribute profound skills. Even so, they had only managed to obtain the Phoenix’s blood and Divine Phoenix Pellet after enduring the extremely harsh trial. There were also some ancestors who had gone through training and obtained the Divine Phoenix Pellet later, but none of these ancestors had a profound cultivation lower than the Spirit Profound Realm.”
“After the bloodline’s curse fell upon us, nobody had ever passed the trial again. Nobody could even pass through the first stage of the trial. After all, with only the strength of the tenth level of the Elementary Profound Realm, how could we withstand the trial of the Phoenix’s flames? And all these years, some clansmen who wanted to forcefully pass the trial have even died inside, never to come back again. With your strength at the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm, there’s absolutely no chance whatsoever of making it through the training, and your life might even be in danger.”