The Nine Cauldrons

Book 9: Return of Qing Shan - Chapter 1 The Phoenix Island

Book 9 Chapter 1 The Phoenix Island

Above the blue sea waters and amidst the misty clouds, the enormous demonic beast, ‘Six Legged Bladelike Chi’, and the Divine Beast, ‘Undying Phoenix’, were flying southward.

Whew~~Whew~~

The chilling wind amidst the clouds was blocked by the prancing flames on the Undying Phoenix’s head. Due to this, Teng Qingshan and the others barely felt the fierce wind.

“When we travelled to the Duanmu Continent, I had to pull the iron rope to drag the Tungsten Wood Vessel across the Chaotic Sea Region. I had expended a huge amount of effort.” Teng Qingshan sat on the Undying Phoenix and gazed to the north and grinned as he spoke, “Presently, the trip back to the nine prefectures is extremely fast. We flew almost ten thousand Li and went past the Chaotic Sea Region in less than a day with ease.”

The trip to the Duanmu Continent was difficult, however, the trip back to the nine prefectures was relaxing and fast.

“Teacher dragged the vessel through that sea region?” Yang Dong, who sat at the back with Teng Shou, asked in shock.

“That was nothing. The Nine Treacherous Rhythm Current of Bright Moon Island was even harder to cross than the Chaotic Sea Region.” Li Jun said with a smile. She then suddenly gazed towards Teng Qingshan and asked, “Qingshan...You didn’t forget about Phoenix Island, did you?”

“Of course I didn’t. I still need to retrieve the Grass of Immortality. How could I forget?” Teng Qingshan’s heart was filled with expectation.

During this journey home, they must also head to Phoenix Island.

The Undying Phoenix, the mother of Little Blue, had promised that...if Teng Qingshan was able to help Little Blue reach Emptiness Realm and become an Undying Phoenix after a hundred years, she would give him one Grass of Immortality. If the time taken was shorter than a hundred years, but more than ten years, then she would give give him three Grass of Immortality.

However, if Teng Qingshan was able to help Little Blue become an Undying Phoenix within ten years, then the Undying Phoenix would give Teng Qingshan all nine Grass of Immortality!

“Within the short span of three years, Little Blue achieved breakthrough and became the Undying Phoenix. Her mother will have to give me all nine Grass of Immortality.” Teng Qingshan said. When he thought about the effects of the Grass of Immortality, an even greater expectation filled his heart.

“Teacher, what is the Grass of Immortality? If you eat it, will you become immortal?” Teng Shou inquired in a puzzled manner.

Teng Qingshan sat on the Phoenix’s back and said with a smile, “Ah Shou, the Grass of Immortality is one of the greatest Spiritual Herbs in this world. It could even be compared with the three Greatest Treasures of the Duanmu Continent! Each matured Grass of Immortality has seven leaves and glows with a seven-colored radiance. It is able to heal even the worst of injuries.”

“Eh? Isn’t this the same as the Dreamy Cloud White Fruit?” Yang Dong asked in astonishment.

Li Jun hastily replied, “It’s different! The Dreamy Cloud White Fruit is able to regrow legs and arms whereas the Grass of Immortality can’t! However, the Grass of Immortality has one more effect. It adds an additional two hundred years to the consumer’s lifespan!”

“Two hundred years?”

Yang Dong and Teng Shou were shocked. Aside from the magical healing effect, just the increase in the life span by two hundred years was able to make everyone crazy. Those in power would be the ones with the greatest desire for a longer life span. The Grass of Immortality was also extremely important to the eight Supreme Sects of the nine prefectures.

For instance, a Golden Dan Innate Expert was nearing two hundred years old and might have already been touching the edge of Dao as well as being close to attaining Emptiness Realm!

However, the age of two hundred was the end of an innate expert’s lifespan.

If the expert could gain two hundred more years to cultivate arduously, then there’d be an exceedingly high chance that the Golden Dan Innate Expert would attain Emptiness Realm!

“Dao has no end, but the lifespan of humans does.” Teng Qingshan sighed and remarked, “The top ten of the ?Heavenly Ranking?in the nine prefectures could all attain Emptiness Realm, but because most of them were already at the end of their lifespan, they could only die. If they could live two hundred more years...If they could live one hundred more years, they could attain Emptiness Realm, not to mention two hundred years!”

T is the selling point of the Grass of Immortality!

Being able to let the consumer live two hundred years more than the end of his lifespan. This was enough to make the Grass of Immortality the number one spiritual treasure in the world! This made it even better than the three Greatest Spiritual Treasures of the Duanmu Continent.

“Little Blue’s mother said that an expert that understood the language of beasts once flew using the air to reach Phoenix Island in order to ask for a Grass of Immortality.” Teng Qingshan remarked emotionally, “As the expert was able to use the air to ride the winds and fly, it was obvious that he had reached Emptiness Realm Culmination. He might have even been an Insightful Emptiness Realm Expert because normal human beings probably didn’t even know the existence of the Phoenix Island!”

“An Emptiness Realm Expert took the effort to find the location of the Phoenix, flew almost one hundred thousand Li, and found the island amidst the vast sea just to beg for a Grass of Immortality! Ah Dong, Ah Shou, do you see the importance of the Grass of Immortality?”

Teng Qingshan gazed southwards and said, “In the nine prefectures, the Grass of Immortality was just a rumor. No one has seen the Grass of Immortality for an extremely long time.”

The more Teng Qingshan knew of how precious the Grass of Immortality was, the more excited he became whenever he thought about the fact that the nine Grasses of Immortality would soon belong to him. The Grass of Immortality could only be nurtured by the Undying Phoenix.’ Even after Little Blue’s mother spent several thousand years, it only nurtured sixteen Grass of Immortality. But now, only nine Grass of Immortality remained.

On the sixth day of the flight, on the Six Legged Bladelike Chi and Little Blue.

“Screech~~” The Undying Phoenix, Little Blue, emitted loud screeches. Its cry gave off the impression that it was very excited.

Teng Qingshan, who sat cross-legged on the Phoenix’s back while cultivating, opened his eyes in surprise. Beside him, Li Jun quickly said excitingly, “Qingshan, Little Blue said that...her hometown, Phoenix Island, is ahead.”

“We have finally arrived.” Teng Qingshan was elated.

Although Teng Qingshan had been to the Phoenix Island before, if he had to find the Phoenix Island in this vast sea, it will be extremely difficult! In the past, Teng Qingshan luckily found Phoenix Island when he was constantly sailing north. However, Little Blue had lived in Phoenix Island since young, thus, it could locate Phoenix Island with ease.

“Teacher, have we arrived?” Teng Shou stood up in excitement.

“We have arrived at the nine prefectures?” Yang Dong interrupted.

“It will still take a few days to get to the nine prefectures. Phoenix Island is located in front.” Teng Qingshan grinned and answered.

Whew~~Whew~~~

The two enormous demonic beasts, ‘Six Legged Bladelike Chi’ and the ‘Undying Phoenix’ swooped down from amidst the clouds. Soon, an island encircled by seawater appeared before their eyes.

“It’s the Phoenix Island!” Teng Qingshan and Li Jun both stood up.

Whoosh!

The Undying Phoenix instantly descended several hundred Zhang and decelerated as it slowly alighted onto the island. Teng Qingshan, Li Jun, Teng Shou, and Yang Dong carried the iron box and bundles as they leaped down from the back of the Undying Phoenix. The Six Legged Bladelike Chi also descended on the island.

“This is the Phoenix Island? But where are the phoenixes?” Yang Dong’s eyes lit up as he asked.

“Screech~~~”

The Undying Phoenix, Little Blue, emitted a loud screech that resounded throughout the heavens as it soared towards the sky.

“Screech~~” An even louder cry echoed from the center of the island. The screech sounded excited and happy. It was like the voice of a mother calling out to the children that had returned. A fiery red gigantic figure tore through the sky and flew over at an astonishing speed. It then hovered above the sky in front of Teng Qingshan and the others as it cried towards the Little Blue.

The body of Little Blue was four Zhang in length. Its feathers were purely fiery red.

Its mother looked almost the same as the Little Blue. The only difference was that the its mother had an even larger body. The body of the Little Blue’s mother was about five Zhang long.

As they gazed up towards the sky at the two Undying Phoenixes, Teng Qingshan and Li Jun both smiled.

“The reunion of a mother and her child.” This scene was indeed touching.

“Such powerful aura!” Teng Qingshan remarked. He could distinctly feel the two powerful auras. If Little Blue was a hot ball of fire, then its mother would be the sun during the morning, emitting no heat. Its power was completely restrained.

However, even if there wasn’t an explosive power, the aura still terrified Teng Qingshan.

He believed that Little Blue’s mother definitely has the power to raze the entire earth.

“Little Blue’s understanding of Dao started from the fire element and became the Undying Phoenix, while her mother followed the Poetic Sword God, Li Taibai, and had already reached Emptiness Realm Culmination! If the Divine beast ‘Undying Phoenix’ reached Emptiness Realm Culmination, how powerful would it become?” As Teng Qingshan pondered, he felt a great sense of fear. “When Little Blue first achieved a breakthrough, it could kill the Tianfeng Martial Immortal. If Little Blue continued comprehending the Metal Elemental Dao, the Earth Elemental Dao, and the other Daos....”

The conclusion that Teng Qingshan made was—

Little Blue’s mother should be even stronger than a human being that had attained the Emptiness Realm Culmination!

Whew! Whew!

Two fiery images flashed and the two Undying Phoenix appeared right before Teng Qingshan and the others.

“Screech~ Screech~~” Little Blue emitted several cries.

“Screech~~” Little Blue’s mother also screeched happily and stared at Teng Qingshan with eyes filled with kindness.

When Li Jun heard, she hastily explained, “Qingshan, Little Blue’s mother said that...she is very grateful that you could aid her child to attain the Emptiness Realm within three years and even taught her the Fire Elemental Dao. She also congratulated you for reaching Emptiness Realm within a short span of several years!”

“Little Blue’s mother is very courteous.” Teng Qingshan smiled.

At the side, Little Blue’s mother was still talking.

“Qingshan, she also said that she will fulfill her promise. You did very well, even better than what she had expected. She will give you all nine Grasses of Immortality.” Li Jun appeared very happy as she said, “Qingshan, quick get on Little Blue’s back and she will take us into the valley.”

“Okay.” Teng Qingshan and Li Jun immediately leaped up onto the Undying Phoenix’s back.

“Ah Shou and Ah Dong, stay here with the Six Legged Bladelike Chi. We will return later,” Teng Qingshan instructed. Little Blue screeched as it ascended to the sky with her mother, flying towards the Phoenix Valley.

......

Within the valley.

Whew~~The Undying Phoenix descended, blowing up a strong gush of wind that quivered the lake surface.

“Whoosh!” Little Blue’s mother landed on the branches of the biggest Blazing Firmiana Simplex. A huge phoenix nest was situated on the thick branches of the Blazing Firmiana Simplex. LIttle Blue’s mother flew into the nest and picked up a tiny grass, illuminating a seven-colored glow, with its sharp beak. It then flew to Teng Qingshan and Li Jun, leaving a fiery red afterimage behind.

As Little Blue’s mother lowered its head and opened its mouth, nine Grass of Immortality dropped to the ground.

“Grass of Immortality! Matured Grass of Immortality!” Teng Qingshan stared at the nine Grass of Immortality on the ground and couldn’t help but hold his breath.

“Screech~~” Little Blue’s mother emitted several cries, while Little Blue also cried happily.

Li Jun appeared very joyous as she said, “Qingshan, Little Blue’s mother said that these nine Grass of Immortality belong to you from now on. She asks that you keep it well.”

To express thanks, Teng Qingshan bowed slightly towards Little Blue’s mother. He then picked up the nine Grass of Immortality and took out an empty jade box out from the bundle that he carried on his back. This jade box was what Teng Qingshan had prepared to store the Grass of Immortality. In a cautious manner, he placed the nine Grass of Immortality into the jade box and closed the lid.

“The nine Grass of Immortality are mine now!” Teng Qingshan exclaimed as he placed the jade box into the bundle.