Spirit Vessel

"It's not that easy to break through to the ninth level, only a few in the legends have done it before and this is all speculation as well. There is no proof that it is even possible. It's amazing that you have gone so far. Just reach Heaven's Emergence and shock Sixth Central, becoming a legendary half-demon. There is no need to take the risk." The turtle said.

"I'm rather confident in reaching the ninth level." Feiyun's eyes had a crimson glow: "One of those legendary beings is Immemorial Divine Phoenix."

While Feiyun was occupied with cultivation, the turtle had taken in more phoenix blood and turned them into essences. Though it kept them hidden it still glowed red and auspiciously like a divine turtle.

As for Feiyun's confidence, it was due to the blood of numerous phoenix saints here. They could fuel him endlessly.

As long as he could absorb them and bring his phoenix bones up to eighty-one, his Immortal Phoenix Physique would soar once more, finishing a first grand revolution. This would greatly boost his chance of success.

He continued to refine the blood for another month, around ten drops or so each day. Eventually, he obtained eighty and reached the peak of the eighth level.

His body became a mini-cosmo, always capable of releasing shocking energy. Hell Yama became stronger as well.

He had tried to feed it a drop of phoenix blood. It turned out that it was possible via its phoenix head. This shrouded the entire puppet in flames and phoenix screeches emanated from it.

Later on, it entered a hidden spring inside the wood. This somehow synergized with the phoenix blood and refined the puppet for a second time, making it more terrifying than before.

The turtle couldn't believe it and thought that it was unfathomable. From then on, it fed the puppet one drop of blood each day. The two became closer as a result.

"A bottleneck, looks like I can't create the eighty-first bone. Is eighty the limit at the eighth level?" He wanted to improve his physical cultivation first before trying to reach the ninth level.

Alas, it wasn't as simple as expected despite having a supreme treasure such as the phoenix blood. This felt like an unchangeable destiny.

In the previous life, he was at the second level of Heaven's Emergence before having eighty bones.

"Give up, the ninth level only exists in the legends." The turtle said: "You have reached an amazing realm already, not just anyone can find saint blood. This is the greatest of fortune but it still isn't enough."

He naturally didn't give up and wanted to enter the river, wanting to find an even greater fortune.

If Immemorial Divine Phoenix was buried here, he might be able to find a method to reach the ninth level.

"Don't do it, that's a river of saint blood, even the lords won't get close. The only reason you can refine the blood into your body is due to the Trinity Cauldron and the yin river to cool the blood down." The turtle warned again.

"Without all of these advantages stacking up in your favor, a Nirvana cultivator like you had no shot of absorbing the blood. When this saint was alive, just one drop of blood would be enough to decimate you."

Feiyun knew that the turtle was right. Entering the river was reckless indeed but he didn't want to give up. He just needed one more bone to try and break the limit. It was right before him.

He stared at the other shore and could imagine the wondrous appearance of the divine phoenix, completely unstoppable in history.

"You have absorbed hundreds of drops by now. This is the same as absorbing the finest alchemy herbs, something beyond the endurance of the lords. You have only finished refining one-thousandth of the effect at best, the energy is still hidden within you."

"Once you reach Heaven's Emergence, this energy will erupt and boost your cultivation at an insane pace. You just need to reach this realm first."

Feiyun shook his head and could never change his mind: "I must try to reach the ninth level."

The turtle disagreed again: "The truth is that I have doubts about this place being Immemorial Divine Phoenix's tomb. Her existence is at the apex, even the entire heavenwood tree might not be able to bury her. Therefore, give up crossing this river. There is no corpse there."

Feiyun shared the same doubt since this was only a portion of the tree. It shouldn't be able to contain the remains of the great phoenix.

"It's true that it is too adventurous to cross given my current cultivation but I will not give up. I've come up with another method." Feiyun said.

"What is it?" The turtle said.

"I'm only missing one phoenix bone before finishing a full revolution. If I can find one and embed it into my body, maybe I'll be able to do it." He revealed.

"I heard Sacred Court's treasury has one." The turtle said.

"How do you know this?" He became surprised.

"It's no secret. Back in the Antiquity Era, an ancestor from the Long helped a phoenix expert. Later on, this expert became a phoenix queen and gifted this ancestor a phoenix bone. She announced that if they ever need help, they can bring this bone to the phoenix race and ask her descendants for help."

"One million years ago, because of this relationship with one of the seven phoenix branches, the Long was able to become the master of Sixth Central."

This was Feiyun's first time hearing about a relationship between humans and phoenixes. Of course, this was one million years ago so it was understandable that he didn't know.

However, how did the turtle know about it? It seemed to know too many things.

"Why didn't Sacred Court seek help after their decline?" He asked.

"I know the answer for this too. Do you think Azure Territory Lord doesn't know about it? There are experts watching this. If the loyalists were to bring the bone to the phoenix race and bring a phoenix queen back, he would have no chance of stopping her. However, it's hard to know whether the phoenixes will answer the call." The turtle said.

"Phoenixes are proud and will always carry out a promise. That Azure Territory Lord isn't enough to deter them. If Sacred Court has a bone, I shall take it." Feiyun changed his mind and left the vessel.

There were too many secrets in there and he had only witnessed a corner of the glacier. He decided to come back after getting stronger.

It has been a month and he wondered about the situation outside. The death of the eighth prince was a serious event. Would Azure Faction let it go?

He stuck in the kingdom for another three days to absorb Buddhist essences and bring his beast souls to the eighth level before leaving.

When he came back, he saw a pile of stones on the ground in the room. This was his destroyed puppet. It was capable of doing simple tasks but lacked the same fighting abilities.

"You again? Hate me and all but stop taking it out on my puppet." Feiyun stared at Liu Suzi who was sitting by the window.

Who knows how long she has been sitting there?

She actually dressed femininely this time with a jade hairpin keeping her hair up. Just her back alone was gorgeous. The lamp shined on her cheek in an enchanting manner.

"Liu Suhong?" He has never seen her in this type of outfit before.

"Has she ever turned into me before?" Suzi asked.

"No!" He shook his head right away and activated his heavenly gaze. The woman in front was indeed Liu Suzi, not Liu Suhong.