According to Lu Yang's expectations, after breaking the realm's historical record and entering the fourth floor, there ought to have been a swarm of demon cultivators blockading the exit, interrogating him and demanding the rewards he had won inside the ancient realm.
Especially the Jiuying Clan. Given how hard he had targeted Qin Feng in the ancient realm, wouldn't the Jiuying Clan spearhead the assault against him in the outside world?
First, Qin Feng would challenge him to a duel under the banner of "might makes right." Then, upon Qin Feng's defeat, a Jiuying Clan elder would step in, shamelessly using superior age and cultivation to bully the young.
At that crucial juncture, the Phoenix Clan would step forward to back him, blocking the Jiuying Clan elder's strike.
Taking into account the Jiuying Clan's talent for fanning the flames, the Demon Clan Alliance would inevitably side with them, shouting nonsense like "Your virtue does not match your station! A mere junior has no right to claim supreme treasures in the ancient realm!" or "Hand them over immediately and your life may be spared!" or "Anyone who dares humiliate members of our Demon Clan Alliance must die today!"
Overwhelmed by the alliance, the Phoenix Clan would fall into a disadvantage, and Lu Yang would find himself in mortal peril.
At that very climax, Senior Jiang Lianyi would make her grand entrance to back him up. With a glare of her phoenix eyes, she would unleash her half-immortal pressure and declare, "Let me see who dares touch him!" Then she would sweep through the battlefield, cowing the entire world.
How utterly exhilarating that would have been.
So why on earth were Old Meng and Third Senior Sister the only ones waiting at the exit?
Seeing that the outside world was nothing like Lu Yang's grand scheme, Jiang Lianyi stopped waiting for his signal and took the initiative to step out of the ancient realm.
She wore a resplendent crimson gown. Tall and statuesque, with an aloof, indifferent expression, she radiated an aura that commanded instinctive awe.
Meng Jingzhou was utterly dumbfounded. Where had this extra person come from?
Why hadn't he seen her anywhere inside the mystic realm?
Third Senior Sister's reaction was even more dramatic. Her voice trembled violently. "Y-You... are you the Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor?"
The Phoenix Clan possessed portraits of their venerable forebear, and Third Senior Sister had seen them during her visits.
The woman her junior brother had brought out looked as though she had walked straight out of an ancient scroll—her features were identical!
No, she was even more vivid and striking than the likeness on paper.
Third Senior Sister was passionately devoted to archaeology. How could she not be ecstatic at the sight of a living person from antiquity—especially one with such a resounding reputation and countless legends like the Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor?!
Immediately after, Third Senior Sister reined in her thoughts. No, no matter how miraculous her junior brother's luck was, there was no way he could have unearthed the actual Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor. This had to be an avatar, an incarnation, or something similar left behind by the ancient ancestor.
"I am Jiang Lianyi."
The residents of the third-floor city all spoke modern language, and Jiang Lianyi had mastered it with a single sweep of her divine sense.
Hearing Jiang Lianyi introduce herself, Third Senior Sister's heart skipped a beat.
Was she truly the legendary Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor?!
Meng Jingzhou stared at Jiang Lianyi and Lu Yang as if he had seen a ghost, his face filled with sheer disbelief.
*What is wrong with you, kid? You took a single trip into the ancient realm, and you ended up summoning the Phoenix Clan's Old Ancestor out with you?!*
Third Senior Sister asked in great excitement, "Legend says you perished as an immortal. Did you undergo nirvana rebirth and make your return?"
Jiang Lianyi: "..."
Had the story of her nirvana rebirth already spread this far into the future?
Wouldn't it severely tarnish her image if she told them she had used the Art of Playing Dead to lie like a corpse until now?
She said impassively, "Do not spread word of this matter. Only the three of you are aware of my revival."
The three of them nodded repeatedly.
"By the way, where are the Phoenix Clan and the other clans?"
Lu Yang thought to himself that since he had personally awakened the Phoenix Clan Ancient Ancestor, coupled with his connection to the Immortal Fairy, it shouldn't be an issue for him to be hailed as the Phoenix Clan's Second Ancestor, right?
Third Senior Sister gave a detailed account of everything that had transpired from the moment Lu Yang entered the ancient realm up to his departure.
Jiang Lianyi's brows knit slightly in displeasure. "Zhu Tian has immense audacity! How dare he try to control my Phoenix Clan with a rudimentary Dao fruit! Does he take me for dead?"
Zhu Tian was the name of the Ancient Dijiang. The members of the Dijiang Clan were crimson all over and took "Zhu" as their surname.
As a fellow bearer of the rudimentary Law of the Jungle Dao fruit, Jiang Lianyi understood precisely what being branded with its master-servant imprint meant: it granted the strong absolute dominion over the weak, holding their very life and death in a single thought.
Even in ancient times, she had never resorted to such methods. Who would have thought that in this modern era devoid of true immortals, Zhu Tian would grow so bold? Not only was he intent on unifying the demon race, but he was also preparing to subjugate the Phoenix Clan.
Had the Phoenix Clan's heritage been even slightly shallower, they would have fallen under his thrall long ago.
"Where is Zhu Tian? I will go settle scores with him!"
She had a fiery temper to begin with. Zhu Tian was practically riding roughshod over the Phoenix Clan's head—did he truly believe she was gone for good?!
Lu Yang was startled. He asked hurriedly within his spiritual space, "Fairy, didn't you say that those who awaken from deep slumber have their strength drastically diminished and require a long time to recover? Senior Jiang has only just awakened. Can she defeat the Ancient Dijiang?"
"Are you joking? Don't you dare lump this fairy's Art of Playing Dead with those run-of-the-mill techniques! When one executes the Art of Playing Dead, their vital essence is entirely sealed within the body. Lianyi's current strength is identical to what it was in ancient times—she is in her absolute peak condition!"
The Immortal Fairy planted her hands on her hips, extraordinarily proud of her Art of Playing Dead.
Having confirmed that Jiang Lianyi's strength had not waned in the slightest, Lu Yang grew even more deferential. He quickly tried to mollify her: "Senior, please do not upset yourself over this matter. Senior Zhu Tian's whereabouts are difficult to pinpoint, but the founding ceremony is about to take place. As the ruler of the nation, Senior Zhu Tian will certainly attend. We can simply go find him there."
"That works as well."
Lu Yang added a well-meaning suggestion: "There is one more thing. Your current attire is far too eye-catching. I am afraid someone will recognize you before you even set foot in the ceremony. If Senior Zhu Tian learns of your arrival, he might go into hiding. Would you consider adopting a simple disguise?"
Leaving Jiang Lianyi's identity aside, her sheer appearance—ranking among the top three of the Ten Ancient Beauties—would draw countless gazes and make her the center of attention wherever she stepped.
On top of that, portraits of Jiang Lianyi were kept within the Phoenix Clan; it would be a miracle if chaos didn't break out.
Jiang Lianyi considered it and agreed that his reasoning made sense. She retrieved a black cloak from her storage ring and draped it over her shoulders. Her movement was practiced and effortless, as though she had performed it thousands of times before.
"Hm? Why did I do that instinctively?"
Jiang Lianyi paused, feeling a bit perplexed. Given her personality, she had never been one to sneak around or hide her face, so she shouldn't have been in the habit of wearing cloaks.
It made no sense.
The Immortal Fairy was not surprised at all. She sent a voice transmission to Jiang Lianyi: "Back in the day, I often took you and Little Ling to auctions to play the pig to eat the tiger. All three of us wore cloaks back then."
Third Senior Sister brought out the flying beast hide and invited Jiang Lianyi to sit upon it. They set off toward the Dijiang Clan.
The four embarked on their journey.
Resting on the beast hide, the Immortal Fairy grew bored and suddenly remembered something.
"Aren't the forms of address between you and Lianyi a bit mixed up?"
"Lianyi calls me Sister, Lu Yang calls her Senior, and Lianyi calls you Lu Yang."
"What's wrong with that?" Lu Yang thought there was nothing wrong with it. Otherwise, what was he supposed to call her? Sister Lianyi?
"Wrong, completely wrong! The generational seniority is all scrambled! Although I never officially took Lianyi as an apprentice, we shared the reality of master and disciple. Lu Yang, as the Second-in-Command of the Immortal Lineage and this fairy's disciple, strictly by sect hierarchy, your status should be higher than Lianyi's!"
"And so?"
"So you are Lianyi's Eldest Senior Brother!"
Jiang Lianyi nodded. "I listen to Immortal Sister. What about you, Eldest Senior Brother?"
Lu Yang: "..."
*Fairy, don't talk nonsense! I'm terrified Immortal Kirin will suddenly materialize right behind my back!*
*And Senior Lianyi, please don't fool around! My destiny is too frail; I can't shoulder a title like that!*
Chapter 601