8. The Phoenix Girl's Appearance

Without waiting any longer, the girl quickly took a comfortable position while sitting on the ground. Amidst the conflicting states between the formation and the wind monster, He Jin slowly closed her eyes and moved her slender fingers with great skill.

Soon, a white light emerged from her forehead and gradually touched the lotus floating in front of her. A golden light slowly appeared from the lotus, and its petals began to bloom beautifully and perfectly.

At the same time, the sky started to gather black clouds swirling above them. Lightning flashes began to stretch across the sky.

Just as the girl opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the lotus that had fully bloomed, spinning with sacred dew on each of its petals. He Jin quickly moved her hand again, drawing the dew slowly, then directing it precisely towards the wind monster.

Not stopping there, one of He Jin's hands directed the lotus straight at the swirling black clouds above. Only when several lightning bolts had fully entered the lotus did it close again.

"Although this can only be purified once every hundred years, I will not give up," He Jin murmured right after fresh blood flowed from her mouth. Her cultivation was too low to summon heavenly rain. However, she quickly wiped it away and increased her power on the lotus.

As the lightning light that passed through the lotus penetrated the sacred dew above the wind monster, heavy rain began to fall. What made this heavenly rain different was that while other areas remained dry, only the area with the sacred dew above it was affected.

Now the rain was pouring heavily, accompanied by lightning striking the whirlwind. However, the creature behind it did not remain idle. He Jin could vaguely see a black shadow behind it trying to resist the formation's power and the heavenly rain.

Seeing this, He Jin, who had been smiling, now stood up to get a closer look. "It seems that the monster is not easy to defeat. Even under the spirit-sealing formation, it can still withstand. I must quickly find Senior and get out of here."

After saying this, He Jin turned and ran to search for Jian Hong. Amid the roaring thunder and the still strong wind, He Jin's eyes carefully searched for Jian Hong's figure.

After running for a while, the girl seemed to find nothing she was looking for. Then He Jin stopped and squinted to survey her surroundings. "I can't find him like this."

The next moment, the girl closed her eyes and moved her hands skillfully. Soon, the symbol on her forehead emitted a white light that then moved away. After a while, the girl opened her eyes again.

Without saying a word, she ran ahead for hundreds of meters. Finally, she came upon a young man dressed in blue, his body covered in red earth.

"Senior!"

He Jin finished her story as Jian Hong showed a serious expression. The young man then spoke, "So we still haven't found the ancient book?"

Without hesitation, the girl shook her head. "Just surviving is enough. We can think of another way later."

For a moment, the young man was silent. Many things troubled his mind. "That means the wind monster is still alive, right? How did you find this cave?"

"Oh, this cave is just an illusion spell. We're actually still in Xianzong territory. Seeing your weak condition a few days ago, I didn't have time to take you far."

Hearing He Jin's words, Jian Hong looked shocked and turned to the girl beside him. "A few days? How many days have I been unconscious?"

"You were unconscious for four days. I don't even know what made you so comfortable in your dream."

"Four days?" The young man's face showed real panic this time. He swallowed hard. "But that means the competition at Mu Lin Sect has already taken place. What will I say to the master?"

***

Tonight, the sky was filled with twinkling stars above. Even the crescent moon joined in the night's festivities on an island far from the human world. This island was called Tianhuo, a place where the Phoenix Clan lived.

A girl with a serene face was lying among the Tianhuo grass, gazing at the sky. Her hands were folded beneath her stomach. Then, a sigh escaped her lips. "Didn't the gods create many beings? But among them all, why must I be faced with such a situation?"

Soon after, one of her hands reached for a large, simple sword. At first glance, it seemed to hold no value at all. Yet, the girl with orange eyes remained focused on the sword, as if it contained a precious soul. "Now how can I gather all your scattered energy throughout the universe? I have traveled for 118 years, but found so little of your energy."

The girl named Jiang Yu fell silent again. Her thoughts wandered back to the painful moments of thousands of years ago. Just then, an arrow suddenly shot towards her. If Jiang Yu had not rolled away quickly, the arrow would have hit her.

The girl with crystal-clear skin quickly sprang up, grabbing her sword and hiding it. It would be disastrous if someone discovered the immortal sword.

Once again, another arrow was shot from behind, causing Jiang Yu to leap, allowing the arrow to miss and hit a tree instead. "Who's there?" The girl shouted, spinning around to find out who was playing with her.

But there was no response. Until her orange eyes focused on the arrow lodged in the tree. Jiang Yu was surprised to see the once lush tree now dry in an instant. "This arrow... is poisonous?"

This time, her peripheral vision moved quickly as another arrow flew directly at her. She deftly extended one hand, emitting an orange light that stopped the arrow just an inch from her face.

With an annoyed expression, Jiang Yu shattered the arrow into dust. Without waiting, she flew to the spot where the arrow was shot from. There, she saw a tall man, twice her size.

The man had short hair but longer in the middle and bottom. He moved as fast as lightning, leaping over several trees. More intriguing was his face, which was marked with blue and white.

Curious, Jiang Yu quickly moved one hand, releasing an orange light that the man dodged. When they reached a steep cliff, the man finally stopped, and Jiang Yu landed as well.

From there, Jiang Yu could see the man's large and solid build. The man then turned around, and Jiang Yu could clearly see his face. His eyebrows were furrowed. "Who are you? Why did you attack me?"

There was a long silence before the man's voice, with a smile, broke it. "I know where there is a place with abundant immortal energy."

For a moment, Jiang Yu could only remain silent upon hearing this. Her body suddenly went on high alert. This person knows about the sword, so he must not be an ordinary person. "Who are you, really?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. But I know how important the sword is to you. What if I take you to the place I mentioned?"

"What do you want from me?" In the end, Jiang Yu only asked that. She realized how important the sword was to her. This person knowing about the sword was no coincidence.

"What I want is in the same place as your sword's energy."

For a moment, the girl was silent. She was still considering the stranger's words. Although she had to be cautious, it was important for her to gather as much sword energy as possible.

So, Jiang Yu took a deep breath and walked confidently toward the giant. "I will go there."

Hearing this, a corner of the creature's mouth lifted. "Bai Li. That's my name."

After saying this, Bai Li swiftly shot into the sky. Jiang Yu followed behind him. Now, they were in the night sky, crossing the cold wind with the same purpose.

Soon, Jiang Yu's forehead furrowed as they landed on a desolate place she knew well. Without hesitation, she drew a Phoenix feather from her crown and aimed it at Bai Li's neck. The feather soon transformed into a sword. "Are you trying to trap me? What are we doing on Xianfu Island?"