Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao
Chapter 370 - 022: Phoenix Perches on the Parasol Tree

Chapter 370: Chapter 022: Phoenix Perches on the Parasol Tree

The breath of the Heavenly Tribulation could not be felt by cultivators who hadn’t reached the Sword Tribulation Realm.

But real geniuses were exceptions.

Zhou Yan was a true genius, and so was Feng Jiu Xian.

A true genius could, through a mere exchange of gazes or clashing of Sword Intents, trigger the aura of the Heavenly Tribulation—a phenomenon as incredible as a myth.

Yet this wasn’t a myth; it was a fact.

As Feng Jiu Xian’s gaze met Zhou Yan’s, their wills collided in an instant. Zhou Yan’s eyes were calm, discreetly withdrawing his gaze without a trace.

In Feng Jiu Xian’s indifferent, spiritual eyes, there was a clear flicker of shock, as if a cultivator who could look her in the eye and retract his so composedly was beyond her expectations.

She hadn’t spoken yet when she noticed that Zhou Yan, having withdrawn his equally indifferent gaze, turned around with tranquility and continued to stand on the peak of his own mountain, gazing into the distance.

It was as if he hadn’t seen her at all.

Feng Jiu Xian’s beautiful brow furrowed slightly; her gaze still sharp, she kept her eyes on Zhou Yan’s retreating back.

After a long while, seeing that Zhou Yan showed no reaction, Feng Jiu Xian appeared contemplative and revealed a faint, proud smile, saying, "A rare Thunderflame Sword Body, coupled with the inexplicable aura of the Tao, and even the charm of Ancient Scriptures... This shows you’ve had an extraordinary past. Hmm, interesting."

Feng Jiu Xian seemed to be murmuring to herself, but her light words clearly reached Zhou Yan’s ears.

Zhou Yan’s silhouette paused for a moment; the seemingly calm time was actually not peaceful.

Because in his Master’s memories lay the great secrets of the Undying Fire Phoenix Clan.

Therefore, Zhou Yan had a lot to ponder over Feng Jiu Xian, and these considerations were extremely important.

But Zhou Yan would not show it.

He turned back, his eyes bright and profound, unfathomable, yet also carrying a hint of a light smile, teasingly saying, "Little girl, don’t act so mature before you come of age. After all, aging is not a happy matter."

Zhou Yan spoke as if he were a deep old man, giving advice to his younger kin.

Feng Jiu Xian’s body shook, her expression turning colder as she fixed a piercing look on Zhou Yan, saying, "I see you’re just a little brat yourself, what’s with the act of being so mature? Even that Saint said you’ve only cultivated for twenty-three years! You’re only alive now because you came out from an ancient sealed land, so what’s there to boast about?"

Feng Jiu Xian retorted sharply.

Her voice was filled with an inexplicable anger.

However, after speaking, she herself seemed startled, because she wasn’t someone with a quick temper, nor was she someone who would react so fiercely to someone else’s words.

But now, facing this cultivator with the Thunderflame Sword Body, she found it difficult to control her emotions. Something very strange surged within her, as if... this person was entwined with her by destiny.

It was a terrifying sensation, such that once clarity dawned upon her, she fell silent.

Despite her behavior being inconsistent with her usual character, now that the words were out, she would not try to cover them up, merely lifting her proud head unnaturally, looking down at Zhou Yan with a disdainful gaze.

Zhou Yan, too, was momentarily startled, but soon he had a sense of realization, thoughtfully saying, "Little girl, the ancient lineage of Thunderflame was once connected to the Undying Fire Phoenix Clan, and my inheritance is even older than yours. Calling you ’little girl’ is not unreasonable.

Moreover, you may deceive others, but how can you deceive me? You have a hidden injury, clearly from an innate deficiency since birth.

From this, it seems that the internal struggles within your Fire Phoenix Clan must be quite severe. Otherwise, as the daughter of a Saint, you would not be born with such deficiencies.

That is to say, someone clearly did not want you to be born.

Yet, despite that, you were still born and you have grown up well. Not yet twenty, you’ve already reached the Realm of the Sword Soul Third Layer Heaven... This speaks to your exceptional talent."

Zhou Yan casually derived all this.

His analysis caused Feng Jiu Xian’s face to fluctuate with uncertainty.

She stared at Zhou Yan as if looking at a monster, clearly not expecting him to derive such terrifying information from the slightest sign of her impeded vital energy.

And as Zhou Yan’s conjectures were indeed mostly correct, she suddenly became somewhat wary of Zhou Yan, this monstrous being.

Even though Zhou Yan’s Realm seemed to match hers, and even though she felt she was stronger than him, for some reason she found Zhou Yan very frightening, feeling as if his strength might actually surpass her own.

Seeing Feng Jiu Xian’s uncertain expression, Zhou Yan’s mind was already clear.

For such a proud woman, if he had said anything wrong, she would not miss the chance to mock him and would have outright sneered at him.

Especially with matters like digging up someone’s secrets, she would have even more reason to do so.

But she didn’t, leading him to surmise his guess was close to the mark.

"So what if that’s true? You know I have talent. Humph, you aren’t much older yourself, yet you act so formidable in front of me just to impress me, aren’t you?"

Feng Jiu Xian instinctively behaved somewhat childishly in front of Zhou Yan, a far cry from her demeanor during the test in the main hall of the Guanghan South Mansion.

But Zhou Yan knew the reason behind this.

The Phoenix Perches on a Wutong Tree.

The Undying Fire Phoenix, together with the Primordial Thunderflame—they had a relationship of dependency.

Zhou Yan’s constitution was that of the Undying Fire Phoenix, a destined connection, not merely dependent on whether they were familiar with each other or strangers. Just as the Emperor Qi Sword Body naturally restrained other Sword Bodies in the Sword Dao.

Zhou Yan’s Thunderflame Sword Body had an innate attraction to the Original Flames within the Undying Fire Phoenix’s Chaos Sword Body. Zhou Yan was like a firm-standing tree that the Feng Jiu Xian instinctively wanted to rely on.

This was the root of everything.

Otherwise, the collision of Sword Intent between Feng Jiu Xian and Zhou Yan—the clash of Chaos and Thunderflame—would not have possibly attracted the aura of a Heavenly Tribulation.

Zhou Yan knew the reason but wouldn’t speak of it, for he also needed to understand the Nirvana characteristics of the Undying Fire Phoenix’s constitution. Thunderflame was an ultimate form of Flames, and if he could obtain the capabilities of the Undying Fire Phoenix, he would be much more confident about this marriage recruitment.

"If you put it that way, what can I say? If you are interested, or if you want to hear me analyze further, why don’t you come over for a talk?"

Zhou Yan turned around, facing Feng Jiu Xian.

His figure was like a lonely crane, his garments flowing, his demeanor transcending the mundane, resembling a timeless Grandmaster, exuding a unique charm.

Feng Jiu Xian paused for a moment, initially intending to refuse, yet heard Zhou Yan laugh and say, "What’s the matter? The proud prodigy of the Undying Fire Phoenix, though in a state of downfall as a Holy Daughter, is still a Holy Daughter of her generation. Do you dare not come over?"

"What is there to fear? What can you possibly do to me?"

Feng Jiu Xian said with a cold face, full of arrogance.

Although she knew Zhou Yan was provoking her on purpose, and she also knew this was his way of goading her, sometimes these simple methods were the most effective.

"I naturally won’t do anything to you, just, well, feeling a connection. Come over, and I will give you an opportunity to avoid a tribulation,"

Zhou Yan said calmly.

His eyes carried a soft smile, and the corners of his eyes also bore a hint of laughter, approachable and extremely gentle.

Such a smile removed the previously tense atmosphere between them.

Feng Jiu Xian pondered for a brief moment, then her body turned into a ball of fire, suddenly arriving at the peak where Zhou Yan stood.

Not only that, this ball of fire was so powerful that upon landing, the entire mountain was instantly scorched and vaporized into a blackened wasteland by the intense and fiery aura.

Zhou Yan, somewhat embarrassed, looked at the mountain peak that had suddenly evaporated into a charred wasteland, and after grinning, ultimately said nothing.

"Hmph, look at you, still speaking so grandly. You think, by using a mental assault to make me lose my composure and combining it with charming words, you intend to glean a series of information from me? I may lack experience, but people like you, I have seen plenty,"

Feng Jiu Xian said with a proud expression on her face, as if she were an arrogant Little Princess, utterly delighted with herself.

Zhou Yan quietly watched Feng Jiu Xian until she felt uncomfortable, then she snapped, "What are you looking at? Keep staring and I’ll gouge out those thieving eyes of yours!"

"Haven’t you noticed that in front of me, you’ve dropped your pretense of a demure character and instead revealed your true nature?"

Zhou Yan suddenly asked.

He did not intend to beat around the bush but asked directly.

Feng Jiu Xian was momentarily taken aback, evidently realizing the peculiar situation for herself.

Then she truly calmed down, and her expression turned genuinely cold.

Her eyes were filled with chilling intent as she said coldly, "Are you scheming against me?"

"What’s in it for me? What will I gain?"

Zhou Yan countered.

Feng Jiu Xian reined in her emotions and stood there coldly, her previously naive and innocent personality vanishing completely.

Now, she was like a frosty Goddess, capricious as a turned page and limitless in her murderous aura.

Her fiery personality managed to come across so icy cold—a true case of polar opposites, signifying she had cultivated her Flames with a chilling aspect.

That was truly terrifying.

"Speak up, what’s your purpose?"

Feng Jiu Xian said icily, her demeanor slightly more restrained.

Because during the prior interaction with Zhou Yan, she unwittingly found herself completely opening up as if she were talking to an elder in the family, utterly letting down her guard and not cultivating any sense of wariness against Zhou Yan.

Not only that, but she had also whimsically set his mountaintop ablaze, leaving him taken aback.

Yet seeing Zhou Yan’s astonished look honestly gave her a moment of inexplicable pleasure, only now realizing how irrational it all was.

They had just met; why would she act in such a way?

Yet she did exactly that, feeling it was all natural.

Considering all this, even with all her pride, Feng Jiu Xian suddenly felt that Zhou Yan was incredibly fearsome!

He was an enigmatic and sinister Cultivator who surely possessed terrifying abilities yet to be unleashed. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have so blatantly fought against that genius Xiao Tianlun known for the Sixth Transformation Sword Void!

Feng Jiu Xian might not have been highly intelligent, but that did not mean she was foolish. Realizing this, she suddenly regretted coming to the mountain and initially regretted trying to detect Zhou Yan with her Sword Intent-filled gaze without cause.