In that sea of fire, Mo Qi initially refined Golden Body Pills to resist external attacks, artificially extending their efficacy. After completing a "batch," his body would gradually strengthen, and he would then use his pure physical body combined with divine abilities to fend off those attacks. When his body could no longer withstand them, he would refine a second "batch," further strengthening himself, and then again use his physical body and divine abilities to counter the assaults. Through resisting various attacks, his body's adaptability grew, his cultivation increased, and his body gradually became difficult to injure. However, as time passed, the vengeful spirits became more frenzied, intensifying their attacks day and night. Ultimately, Mo Qi was severely wounded, his body covered in injuries. At this point, he began refining a third batch of Golden Body Pills. This refinement lasted longer, and after the medicinal effects wore off, he felt his body was nearing an indestructible golden body.
Although he still had some medicinal ingredients in his storage bag and could continue refining Golden Body Pills, he dared not try again lightly. If the ingredients ran out and he encountered even fiercer attacks, he would have no choice but to await death.
However, at this very moment, he had basically adapted to all the attacks in the sea of fire, and his body had become sufficiently robust. No matter what attack came his way, he could counter it with ease, handling each move skillfully.
Despite this, he still dared not let his guard down. In this sea of fire, the most basic attacks were mountains of blades, seas of fire, ice blades, forests of arrows, stone pestles, oil cauldrons, and lightning. But besides these fundamental attacks, new attack techniques appeared in various forms every day.
For instance, one day after six months, Mo Qi saw a vengeful spirit charging at him in the sea of fire. Midway, it transformed into a fiery red phoenix, lunging at him with bared teeth and claws. At that moment, he had already devised several counter-attack methods, but strangely, his body seemed frozen. He couldn't use any techniques, as if he could only wait for death.
Just then, as if struck by inspiration, or perhaps his soul leaving his body, a beam of light shot out from him, condensing in the air into an even more colossal phoenix. Its eyes held nothing but disdain as it charged towards the opposing phoenix.
At this, not only did the opposing phoenix freeze in surprise, but Mo Qi himself was rendered speechless by the shock. Amidst his astonishment, the phoenix light shadow that had emerged from his body dissipated.
The opposing phoenix, as if possessing sentience, twisted in the air and gradually coalesced into a human silhouette, vaguely resembling an old man with white hair and a white beard.
Although it was merely a silhouette, the old man appeared very agitated, his voice somewhat hoarse: "It's you, it must be you!"
Mo Qi, while fending off the incessant attacks surrounding him, asked in surprise, "You know me?"
The white-haired old man remained agitated: "I don't know you in this life, but I recognize your past life, or perhaps, lives from many eons ago."
What would I know about events from so many eons ago? I'm at your mercy. However, he was willing to listen, as he had been feeling quite bored lately.
"Tell me about it!" Mo Qi said.
The old man asked unhurriedly, "What era is it now?"
Mo Qi replied, "The Second Heavenly Tribulation Era."
"What is the Heavenly Tribulation Era?"
Hmm? Could he be from before the Heavenly Tribulation Era? Communication would be difficult then.
"Before the unification of the Three Realms was the pre-Heavenly Tribulation Era, the ancient times; after the unification of the Three Realms, a Heavenly Tribulation occurs every ten thousand years," Mo Qi explained.
The old man's vacant eyes grew more distant: "Before the Heavenly Tribulation Era, in ancient times, the Wu, Human, and Monster races vied for dominion of the world, unwilling to yield. Among them, the Monster race was led by the Dragon and Phoenix clans, possessing the greatest power. The Wu race then allied with the Human race to jointly resist the Monster race. The two sides fought for over ten thousand years, with casualties on both sides, neither gaining the upper hand. Both sides felt this protracted war needed a decisive conclusion, so they agreed to a final battle. When the appointed time arrived, important factions from the Wu and Human races all appeared. However, for some unknown reason, only the Phoenix clan from the Monster race attended, while the Dragon clan and other major Monster tribes did not. Thus, in this battle, the Phoenix clan was annihilated..."
Mo Qi felt an inexplicable prickle in his nose, almost shedding tears.
The white-haired old man continued, his voice filled with sorrow: "This wasn't the end. After the Wu clan emerged victorious, they completely annihilated all the souls of the Phoenix clan to prevent future trouble. I am a soul of the Phoenix clan who narrowly escaped, and I have been drifting in this ruined underworld ever since... According to what you said just now, it has been at least twenty thousand years." The white-haired old man spoke with immense grief, choking back sobs several times. After a long pause, he regained his composure and continued, "The Wu clan also severed the left wing of the Phoenix clan's God of War, Feng Jiu, and forged it into a divine bow. They severed his right wing and refined it into a divine arrow. These became the Heavenly Bow and Earth Arrow of later times."
Mo Qi's head spun. He finally realized what the other party was trying to say. At the same time, a myriad of thoughts flooded his mind, and many doubts were suddenly answered. No wonder, with his mortal body, that Earth Arrow had entered him, and he had suffered no damage. If that object was originally part of him, everything made sense.
"Are you suspecting that I am Feng Jiu reincarnated?" Mo Qi asked, his eyes reddening.
The white-haired old man's eyes gleamed: "Your guess is not wrong at all. You must have discovered some clues."
Mo Qi suppressed the tremor in his heart and said calmly, "You should tell me about the clues you've found first."
The white-haired old man glanced at him: "Firstly, the phoenix divine power that has appeared on you indicates you are a reincarnation of the Phoenix clan. Secondly, even after tens of thousands of years of reincarnation, your appearance has never changed."
Mo Qi said, "The Earth Arrow returned to my body. At that time, I was merely of mortal flesh, yet it did not harm me in the slightest."
The white-haired old man nodded, then his expression became confused: "It's just that I don't understand. I personally saw your soul extinguished back then, how did you successfully reincarnate?"
Mo Qi chuckled, "That means I might not be Feng Jiu reincarnated? Perhaps some other fortunate encounter has led to these coincidences." He had no desire to bear the burden of such past grudges.
"May I ask for your esteemed name, senior?" Mo Qi thought it best not to lose courtesy.
"I am your master, Mr. Feng," the white-haired elder said, slightly annoyed.
Such a strange name.
"Uh," Mo Qi shook his head, "You were Feng Jiu's master, but not mine."
"As you wish," the white-haired old man said to him with great anger and a tone of indifference. "After all, through these tens of thousands of years of reincarnation, you are no longer a phoenix. What difference does it make whether you acknowledge your reincarnated identity or not."
"That's true," Mo Qi said with a sense of relief.
"It's just that the devastating Phoenix Fire Dance Art divine ability of my Phoenix clan might be lost," Mr. Feng sighed.
"Disciple greets Master. This disciple is willing to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Phoenix clan's generations of inheritance," Mo Qi immediately bowed to the ground.
Mr. Feng sighed again and said, "Rise. The Phoenix Fire Dance Art was originally Feng Jiu's signature skill. When performed, it resembles spreading wings, spiraling outwards in all directions, extending infinitely, like opening a meat grinder array around the surrounding space, impenetrable and pervasive. Furthermore, this divine ability possesses the power to charm and bewitch, causing people to fall into confusion unknowingly, allowing them to be slaughtered. With your current cultivation, it is not advisable to perform it. If you force its execution, you might harm the enemy by a thousand and yourself by eight hundred."
Seeing Mo Qi stand up, Mr. Feng continued, "The phoenix divine power on you has been initially awakened. I only need to tell you the mental cultivation incantations, and when the time is right, it will naturally come to fruition."
After speaking, Mr. Feng recited the incantations twice. Feeling that Mo Qi had memorized them, he then drifted away.
Mo Qi gazed in the direction he departed, calling out, "Master, let me send you to reincarnation." He thought this might be his greatest wish at the moment.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Feng's resolute voice echoed from the air: "I will not go to reincarnation. As the last phoenix in this world, I will guard this wisp of phoenix remnant soul."
Subsequently, besides resisting the ceaseless attacks from all sides, Mo Qi also had to comprehend the Phoenix Fire Dance Art divine ability. However, no matter how many times he recited the mental cultivation incantations, he couldn't manifest the divine ability. He even began to suspect that Mr. Feng had deceived him.
He continued to comprehend it daily without interruption. But day and night, without rest, even though he was no longer mortal, he was exhausted. So, he devised a plan: he refined another Golden Body Pill, used its golden body to protect himself, and asked Mr. Feng to guard him while he finally managed to get some sleep.
Upon waking, he resumed resisting the attacks. Thus, three years passed, and his cultivation advanced from the Nascent Soul stage to the Spirit Severing stage. However, the Phoenix Fire Dance Art still did not manifest in any way.
Everything would happen naturally. Forcing it was useless.
After bidding farewell to Mr. Feng, he left Myriad Phenomena Valley.
Before his departure, Mr. Feng told him that since the Earth Arrow could be used by him, the Heavenly Bow could naturally do the same. Therefore, he could look for opportunities to find the Heavenly Bow to further enhance his strength.
He also informed Mo Qi that Feng Jiu had a particularly good relationship with Ao Xing, a maiden from the Dragon clan. He suspected that Mo Qi's successful reincarnation might be related to the Dragon clan.
If he wished to uncover the mystery of his origins and understand why the Dragon clan had broken their promise at that time, he could go to the Dragon Palace to find the answers.
Mo Qi responded perfunctorily, but in his heart, he thought, "What does this have to do with me?"
However, at this moment, he recalled the golden dragon saving his life from Lu Xiaoyue. Could it also be related to his past life?
Upon returning to Little Aunt Mountain, Mo Qi had envisioned scenes of gongs and drums, firecrackers, and crowds lining the way to welcome him. However, the reality was starkly different and desolate. Almost no one paid him any attention. Everyone he saw was a stranger, and they were all dressed in tattered rags, like beggars, completely unlike their previous attire.
As he neared the cave cluster, he was stopped. A disheveled person, reeking of odor, stared at Mo Qi, chewing on a blade of grass, a look of disdain on his face. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Mo Qi merely glanced at him and asked, "Where is Ma Wei? Tell Ma Wei to come out and see me."
"Ma Wei?" The person burst into laughter, shaking with mirth, nearly choking. After a long while, he recovered, tears still in his eyes. "You must have just woken up from a dream! Ma Wei, we drove Ma Wei and his group away over a year ago. This territory now belongs to our Red Gang."
As expected, Mo Qi had harbored this suspicion initially but couldn't be certain. Now, he knew it had indeed happened.
"Who is your boss? Tell him to come out and see me," Mo Qi said coldly.